T 0458/96 du 07.10.1998
- Identifiant européen de la jurisprudence
- ECLI:EP:BA:1998:T045896.19981007
- Date de la décision
- 7 octobre 1998
- Numéro de l'affaire
- T 0458/96
- Requête en révision de
- -
- Numéro de la demande
- 87301851.9
- Langue de la procédure
- Anglais
- Distribution
- Distribuées aux présidents et aux membres des chambres de recours (B)
- Téléchargement
- Décision en anglais
- Versions JO
- Aucun lien JO trouvé
- Autres décisions pour cet affaire
- -
- Résumés pour cette décision
- -
- Titre de la demande
- Electrical connector with pin retention feature
- Nom du demandeur
- E.I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
- Nom de l'opposant
- 01: The Whitaker Corporation
02: Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company of 3M Centre
03: Siemens AG
04: Stocko Metallwarenfabriken Henkels und Sohn GmbH & Co. - Chambre
- 3.4.02
- Sommaire
- -
- Dispositions juridiques pertinentes
- European Patent Convention Art 114(2) 1973European Patent Convention Art 123(2) 1973European Patent Convention Art 54 1973European Patent Convention Art 56 1973
- Mots-clés
- Inventive step - (yes) after amendment
- Exergue
- When both the technical content of a claim and the whole description of the patent clearly establish that the specific manner in which terminal pins of an electrical connector cooperate with respective holes in a printed circuit board constitutes an essential feature of the invention for which protection is sought, a claim directed to an electrical connector which is defined inter alia by way of features reciting such specific cooperation cannot be construed as if these features merely defined an intended use of the connector, which should be disregarded for the purpose of assessing patentability of the claimed subject-matter (see point 3 of the Reasons).
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 in amended form as follows:
Claims: 1 as presented at the oral proceedings of 7. October 1998; 2. to 11 of the patent specification;
Description: to be adapted;
Drawings: sheets 1/4 to 4/4 as in the patent specification.