T 0072/95 (Ionizing liquid/IBBOTT) of 18.3.1998

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:1998:T007295.19980318
Date of decision: 18 March 1998
Case number: T 0072/95
Application number: 87902762.1
IPC class: C02F 1/48
Language of proceedings: EN
Distribution: B
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 534 KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: EN
Versions: Unpublished
Title of application: Method and device for ionizing liquid
Applicant name: Ibbott, Jack Kenneth
Opponent name: Ion Enterprises Ltd
Ibbott, Jack Kenneth
Board: 3.3.05
Headnote: -
Relevant legal provisions:
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 56
Keywords: Inventive step - (no) - non-functional modification
Catchwords:

The Board of Appeal is under the obligation to appreciate the existence of a technical function alleged to be relevant to inventive step. If a known device is modified by adding a feature which has no technical function, this modification cannot contribute to inventive step (point 5.4).

Cited decisions:
T 0119/82
T 0110/92
T 1027/93
Citing decisions:
G 0001/19
T 0098/96
T 0627/96
T 0158/97
T 0641/00
T 0198/01
T 0619/02
T 0164/06
T 1784/06
T 1930/06
T 0506/08
T 0615/08
T 0509/10

Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/case-law-appeals/recent/t950072eu1.html

Date retrieved: 17 May 2021

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