2016 (Ne) 10042 [Contact Terminal] <Takabe>
Updated: 6 hours ago
Article information
Article type: Case note
Category: Patents
Topics: —
First published on this website: 2026-11-01
Display and classification checked: November 2, 2026
Originally published on Ameblo: 2025-05-28 (Japan time). Full English translation.
2016 (Ne) 10042 [Contact Terminal] <Takabe>
*Because the defendant's product and the invention have different technical significance, the claim term “pressing member” was found neither literally satisfied nor equivalent.
(Excerpts from the court's reasoning)
The plunger pin has an inclined recess of substantially conical-surface shape in its large-diameter portion, and is designed to be urged by a coil spring into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the main casing at two locations, left and right. The top-shaped member is conductive, and is configured so that its spherical portion presses against the inclined recess in the plunger pin's large-diameter portion, contacting it at only one point and thereby tilting into contact with the casing's inner peripheral surface at two locations, left and right. The central axis of the top-shaped member and the deepest point of the bottom surface of the plunger pin are offset to ensure that the plunger pin and top-shaped member tilt and contact the casing.
Securing a total of four current paths in this manner reduces the electrical resistance of the defendant's product, reduces the likelihood that no path other than through the coil spring exists for current flowing through the product, and limits the amount of current flowing through the coil spring.
In addition, because the coil spring is coated with ○○○○○○○, there is no need to use an insulating ball.
By contrast, in the invention at issue, …(1) making the inclined recess substantially conical in shape allows the center of the pressing member's spherical portion, formed by a spherical surface, to be positioned stably on the inclined recess's central axis, thereby stabilizing the direction of the coil spring's biasing force transmitted to the plunger pin through the pressing member; and (2) offsetting the inclined recess's central axis from the plunger pin's central axis ensures that the coil spring urges the plunger pin in a direction at a small angle to the casing's central axis, reliably bringing the plunger pin's large-diameter portion into contact with the casing's tubular inner peripheral surface and allowing current to flow reliably into the casing.
Accordingly, the defendant's product and the invention at issue have different technical significance … in the contact between the pressing member and the plunger pin.
https://www.courts.go.jp/app/files/hanrei_jp/215/086215_hanrei.pdf
Update history
The first-published date remains unchanged. Display maintenance, classification changes, related-article updates, and text corrections are recorded separately.
November 1, 2026: First published on this website.
November 2, 2026: Added article information, classification, topics, language navigation, related articles where the same case was confirmed, consultation guidance, and SEO. The original text and first-published date were preserved.
Comments