European Patent Office

T 0134/24 of 19.01.2026

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2026:T013424.20260119
Date of decision
19 January 2026
Case number
T 0134/24
Online on
17 June 2026
Petition for review of
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Application number
20158202.0
Language of proceedings
English
Distribution
No distribution (D)
OJ versions
No OJ links found
Other decisions for this case
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Abstracts for this decision
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Application title
Tube fitting, tube equipped with tube fitting, and method for manufacturing tube fitting
Applicant name
Sanoh Industrial Co., Ltd.
Opponent name
TI Automotive (Heidelberg) GmbH
Board
3.2.05
Headnote
-
Keywords
Grounds for opposition - lack of patentability (yes)
Amendment to case - reference to overlapping ranges
Amendment to case - reasons for submitting amendment in appeal proceedings (no)
Novelty - main request (yes)
Inventive step - main request (no)
Inventive step - auxiliary requests 1-3 (no)
Inventive step - auxiliary request 4 (yes)
Claims - clarity
Claims - auxiliary request 4 (no)
Amendment occasioned by ground for opposition - auxiliary request 4a (yes)
Amendments - added subject-matter
Amendments - auxiliary request 4a (no)
Amendment after summons - auxiliary request 4a
Amendment after summons - exceptional circumstances (yes)
Catchword
-
Cited cases
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Citing cases
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Order

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The decision under appeal is set aside.

2. The case is remitted to the opposition division with the order to maintain the patent on the basis of claims 1 to 9 of auxiliary request 4a filed at the oral proceedings before the Board and a description and drawings to be adapted, if needed.