2.4.7 Deletion of a "preferred" feature in a claim

In T 795/95 the board did not share the appellant's view that deleting the feature "preferably polyvinyl or polyethylene" from the preamble of granted Claim 1 extended the protection conferred. The formulation "preferably polyvinyl or polyethylene" had no bearing on the scope of protection, which was determined by the more general term "plastic" and not the specific preferred substances polyvinyl or polyethylene. Deleting a "preferred" feature did not extend the scope of protection if such feature was encompassed by an earlier and general one (in this case, "plastic") which determined the protection conferred.