T 0331/87 (Removal of feature) vom 06.07.1989

The replacement or removal of a feature from a claim may not violate Article 123(2) EPC provided the skilled person would directly and unambiguously recognise that (1) the feature was not explained as essential in the disclosure, (2) it is not, as such, indispensable for the function of the invention in the light of the technical problem it serves to solve, and (3) the replacement or removal requires no real modification of other features to compensate for the change (cf. point 6 of the Reasons; following Decision T 260/85, "Coaxial connector/AMP" OJ EPO 1989, 105).