IP High Court, Reiwa 5 (Gyo-Ke) 10149 [Multi-branched heat exchanger with independent baffles] <Presiding Judge Miyasaka>

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Article information

Article type: Case note

Categories: Patents

Main topics: Inventive step / Claim interpretation / Motivation and teaching away

First published on this website: October 1, 2026

Case reference (as stated in the original): Reiwa 5 (Gyo-Ke) 10149

Display and classification checked: October 1, 2026 (not a revalidation of the legal analysis)

IP High Court, Reiwa 5 (Gyo-Ke) 10149 [Multi-branched heat exchanger with independent baffles] <Presiding Judge Miyasaka>

From the description in Reference 2, the baffle cell itself obstructs and redirects fluid flow, corresponding to the baffle of the amended invention at issue.

The baffle cell also includes a solid portion (solid domain) and blocks the flow path, so it can be called a solid wall.

Furthermore, a wall separate from the unit cell was construed as functionally distinct rather than physically separated. The baffle cell and path cell in cited invention 2 are functionally distinct, so this feature also corresponds.

⇒ Both inventions concern heat exchangers and share the problem of improving heat-transfer efficiency by devising the flow-path configuration and the means (use of baffles); motivation therefore exists.

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Original article: https://lnkd.in/g8khQkm6

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Originally posted on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:7510847527991042048/

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Shared topic: inventive-step assessment — [Case note] IP High Court, Reiwa 6 (Gyo-Ke) 10017 [Optimized nutritional formulations] <Presiding Judge Miyasaka>

Further reading: claim interpretation — [Case note] [US] Focus Prod v. Kartri Sales (CAFC, September 30, 2025)

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Substantive corrections and additions are recorded separately from classification, related links and display changes.

October 1, 2026: First publication of the author's original LinkedIn text on this website. Article type, categories, topic tags, sources and consultation navigation added.

2026-10-01 | Related articles: added reciprocal links with shared-topic or comparative grounds; original text unchanged.

2026-10-01 | Display maintenance: added case references stated in the original or language-alternate metadata; not a revalidation of legal analysis.

2026-10-01 | Name notation: replaced verified Japanese-script personal names with Roman-letter forms in this English article and its navigation. Legal analysis and original publication date unchanged.

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