Patent Grant
9468156
Not Applicable
The present systems and methods relate to green walls and, in particular, to plant propagation and display trays and assemblies.
In recent years, the push for both industry and individuals to be more environmentally aware has led to many green initiatives including green roofs and green walls. Currently in cities such as Chicago, over 2.5 million square feet of the downtown core roof space are covered with hardy green roof plants. Green walls and roofs provide savings on insulation and place less load bearing strain on a building. In addition, plants being carbon producers, the use of green walls and roofs are thought to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Further still, these green walls and roofs act to offset the newly identified ‘urban heat island effect’ where the heat-absorbing surfaces in a city raise its temperature to as much as 8 degrees higher than that of the surrounding countryside.
However, green walls currently known in the art have their own unique set of challenges associated with them, the first being gravity. In conventional methods of greening buildings, it is well known to cover wall surfaces with ivy or to plant trees into the soil deposited on wall surfaces. One of the early green walls disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,476 requires preparation of a plurality of bags loaded with soil, piling the bags against a wall surface of a building and inserting trees' roots between the piled bags so as to plant trees, erecting a lattice fence outside the stacked bags, and promoting the plants growth and clinging to the lattice.
In more recent years, seeding and planting panels have been used for greening surfaces of permanent constructions such as buildings, retaining walls, and the like. These seeding and planting panels generally include a panel frame, and a seeding and planting mat or block contained within the frame. In general, these types of panel frames are fixedly secured to surfaces of existing constructions such as building wall surfaces, roofs or retaining walls, and are integrally incorporated into the constructions so as to be permanent structural elements thereof. It is very cumbersome to exchange these panels as they are not easily disengaged from their supports and removed. In addition, as the backside faces of the panels are concealed, general maintenance work is very difficult.
By way of example, the following are offered as known types of green wall technologies.
Japanese Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2004-254565 refers to:
“The greening panel 100 is composed of a panel frame 10 installed on the vertical plane side with a support frame and forming a work opening enabling planting at least a pot seedling at least on a front face, a bag-like mat material 20A arranged and supported just in the inside of the panel frame 10, enabling cut open work from the outside of the work opening and having water absorption properties and restoring force, and a vegetation base material 30 for raising a vegetation plant P, filled in the inside of the bag-like mat material 20A or a three-dimensional netlike mat filled with the base material. A support frame is composed of many metallic linear support pipes, pipe-connecting members connecting the ends of the pipes with each other and hanging tools connected to part of the panel frame 10 and hanging the panel frame 10 on the support pipes.” (Abstract)
Japanese Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2003-155714 refers to:
“The greening panel device 1 is provided with upper and lower greening panels 3 and 5, right and left vertical members 11 and 11 fixed to a wall 7 by vertical member fixtures 9, and panel fixtures 13 for attaching each greening panel 3 and 5 in parallel across the right and left vertical members 11 and 11. The panel fixtures obliquely attach each greening panel 3 and 5 so that a lower part protrudes forward than an upper part, and water receptors 15 guiding received water to the lower greening panel are detachably provided on lower faces of the panel fixtures 13.” (Abstract)
Japanese Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2004-248550 refers to:
“This device 10 for greening a wall surface has a plurality of planting units 12 arranged along an external wall surface 4 of a building 2 and planted with plants 14. Each of the planting units 12 is hung sequentially from the top through hanging members 16 to be connected with each other. The planting unit 12 on the top is fixed to a parapet 7 on a rooftop 6 of the building 2 with a wire 18. The rooftop 6 of the building 2 is set with a lifting and lowering device 30 for lifting and lowering the planting units 12 through drawing and rolling the wire 18.” (Abstract)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,603 describes:
“A plant-growing method for greening upright or slant wall surface is disclosed. A flexible bag is first prepared including a plurality of compartments sequentially juxtaposed in the direction of the overall length of the bag. The compartments are each provided with a plurality of openings communicating with the exterior. Soil is then loaded through the openings into the compartments with the bag being horizontally laid. Afterwards, trees are planted through the openings into the compartments. Thereupon, the bag which has been planted with the trees is suspended along the wall surface in the direction of the overall length of the bag while allowing trunks of the trees to be exposed through the openings. Water is thereafter supplied into the compartments of the bag to promote the growth of the trees.” (Abstract)
United States Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2007/0199241A1 refers to:
“A light self-supporting vegetated wall includes globally prismatic boxes, designed to be juxtaposed and/or stacked, the adjacent boxes being assembled together. Each box includes latticed or meshed surfaces, lined internally with a web, and filled with a cultivating substrate, such as humus. A network of water pipes and a network of air vents may be incorporated in the thickness of the structure, these networks passing through the parting lines between the boxes. The structure is designed for urban enhancement, as well as for producing noise screens, partition walls, hoardings and the like.” (Abstract)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,541 describes interlocking semi-circular planters wherein plants are individually contained in each discrete planter and wherein the back walls are formed with teeth and notches for interconnection with other semi-circular planters on a wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,829 describes a planting base for use on walls and roofs comprising a holding cover having an open window divided by a holding cross-piece and a tray for supporting the holding cover and for receiving culture soil with which the holding cover is filled.
There remains the need for a simple green wall system which would allow easy installation and removal and easy replacement of plants, while at the same time providing optimal conditions for plant growth. It is an object of the present disclosure to obviate or mitigate the above-noted disadvantages.
Thus, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art systems, designs, and processes as discussed above.
The systems and methods described provide a plant propagation and display tray, which is capable of interlocking alignment with at least one other tray and which is capable of receiving and holding at least one plant pot, comprises a back wall and a bottom ledge forwardly projecting from the back wall; the ledge being inclined towards the back wall and comprising a plurality of alternating projections and troughs, each of the troughs inclining towards a trough point of abutment with the back wall and being of a conformation to securably hold one plant pot such that an open proximal end of the plant pot is exposed to view and a distal end of the plant pot is adjacent to the back wall; each of the projections having an upper surface which inclines towards a projection point of abutment with the back wall, wherein the projection point of abutment is higher than the trough point of abutment with the back wall; wherein the tray is capable of being attached to a wall surface.
The systems and methods further provide a planter wall formed of a plurality of interlocking trays as described above, one above another, and/or one beside another and attached to a wall surface.
The tray offers a multitude of advantages not found in any prior green wall system. In particular, the provision of the alternating troughs and projections on the ledge, and the inclinations of each “backwards” i.e. to the direction of the back wall controls water delivery to the plants (in the pots), once such plants are in place within the troughs. In this unique arrangement, the body of the projections essentially takes up space where water would otherwise pool. The base of a plant pot, once in place, is thereby only exposed to enough water to allow wicking, while avoiding soaking. This reduces or eliminates problems such as rot. Furthermore, many plant varieties do not thrive being watered from the top.
The design and conformation of the tray allows interlocking placement of a plurality of trays, one above the other, or one beside another and all attached to a wall surface thereby forming, once plant pots are inserted, a “green wall”. By way of water drainage from an upper level tray to one below, watering may be accomplished by the use of gravity.
The present system is highly adaptable to a wide variety of green wall installations.
The systems and methods described provide a greening apparatus that overcome(s) the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and that provide such features with a plant propagation and display tray.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, a plant propagation and display tray that is capable of interlocking alignment with at least one other tray and is capable of receiving and holding at least one plant pot. The plant propagation and display tray includes a back wall and a bottom ledge forwardly projecting from the back wall. The ledge is inclined towards the back wall and includes a plurality of alternating projections and troughs. Each of the troughs inclines towards a trough point of abutment with the back wall and is of a conformation to securably hold one plant pot such that an open proximal end of the plant pot is exposed to view and a distal end of the plant pot is adjacent to the back wall. Each of the projections has an upper surface which inclines towards a projection point of abutment with the back wall. The projection point of abutment is higher than the trough point of abutment with the back wall. The tray is capable of being attached to a wall surface by the back wall. The back wall is abuttable against a wall surface.
In accordance with a further feature, the ledge comprises walls at each end.
In accordance with an added feature, the back wall, on one side, includes a substantially flat upper portion and a lower portion, adjacent the ledge, which is thicker than the upper portion and which is defined by a plurality of substantially V-shaped depressions, each of which points towards a trough on the ledge, and wherein the back wall, on the other side, is defined by a flat surface for alignment with a wall surface, when the tray is in use.
In accordance with an additional feature, the tray includes an irrigation line.
In accordance with yet another feature, the tray includes a drainage line for egress of water to a second tray below the tray when in aligned arrangement on a wall surface.
In accordance with yet a further feature, the tray is shaped for nestable stacking with a plurality of plant trays.
In accordance with yet an added feature, there is provided on an upper edge of the back wall, a means for spaceable interconnection with an opposite means of interconnection on a lower edge of a back wall of a second tray which may be placed above the tray on a wall surface.
In accordance with yet an additional feature, the means for spaceable interconnection includes a female member on the upper edge of the back wall and a male member on the lower edge of the back wall of the second tray wherein the interconnection of the female member of the tray and the male member of the second tray allow exact alignment of the trays on the wall and define a desired spacing between the trays.
In accordance with again another feature, the tray includes a mounting device for coupling said tray to a wall surface.
In accordance with again a further feature, the wall surface is part of a wall cabinet.
In accordance with again an added feature, the wall surface comprises part of a built-in wall unit.
In accordance with again an additional feature, a planter wall is formed of a plurality of the interlocking trays, one above another, and attached to a wall surface.
In accordance with still another feature, the planter wall forms part of a wall cabinet.
In accordance with still a further feature, the planter wall forms part of a built-in wall unit.
In accordance with still an added feature, there is provided a utility control system for the provision of at least one utility to the trays.
In accordance with still an additional feature, the planter wall includes at least one utility selected from the group consisting of a heating line, electrical wire, a misting water supply line and combinations thereof.
In accordance with a further feature, the tray includes a second tray with a back wall having a lower edge, the tray being a first tray, said back wall of the first tray having an upper edge and having, on the upper edge, a means for spaceable interconnection with an opposite means of interconnection on the lower edge of the back wall of the second tray, the second tray being operable to be placed above said first tray on a wall surface.
In accordance with an added feature, the means for spaceable interconnection includes a female member on the upper edge of the back wall and a male member on the lower edge of the back wall of the second tray and the interconnection of the female member of the first tray and the male member of the second tray allow exact alignment of the first and second trays on the wall and define a desired spacing between the first and second trays.
In accordance with an additional feature, the tray includes a second tray with a back wall having a lower edge, the tray being a first tray, said back wall of the first tray having an upper edge and having, on the upper edge, a spaced interconnection device having an opposing interconnection device on the lower edge of the back wall of the second tray, the second tray being operable to be placed above the first tray on a wall surface.
In accordance with yet another feature, the spaced interconnection device includes a female member on the upper edge of the back wall and a male member on the lower edge of the back wall of the second tray and the interconnection of the female member of the first tray and the male member of the second tray allow exact alignment of the first and second trays on the wall and define a desired spacing between the first and second trays.
In accordance with a concomitant feature, the back wall includes a relatively thicker part to increase overall strength and weight bearing ability of the tray.
Although the systems and methods are illustrated and described herein as embodied in a plant propagation and display tray, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the systems and methods.
Additional advantages and other features characteristic of the systems and methods will be set forth in the detailed description that follows and may be apparent from the detailed description or may be learned by practice of exemplary embodiments. Still other advantages of the systems and methods may be realized by any of the instrumentalities, methods, or combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the systems and methods are set forth in the appended claims. As required, detailed embodiments of the systems and methods are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the systems and methods, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to variously employ the systems and methods in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the systems and methods. While the specification concludes with claims defining the systems and methods that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the systems and methods will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
These and other objects and advantages of the described systems and methods will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the description of the preferred embodiments, in conjunction with the figures and examples.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, which are not true to scale, and which, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to illustrate further various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the systems and methods. Advantages of embodiments of the systems and methods will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
As required, detailed embodiments of the systems and methods are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the systems and methods, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the systems and methods in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the systems and methods. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the systems and methods that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the systems and methods will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the systems and methods is provided below along with accompanying figures that illustrate the principles of the systems and methods. As such, this detailed description illustrates the systems and methods by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the systems and methods, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations and alternatives and uses of the systems and methods, including what we presently believe is the best mode for carrying out the systems and methods. It is to be clearly understood that routine variations and adaptations can be made to the systems and methods as described, and such variations and adaptations squarely fall within the spirit and scope of the systems and methods.
In other words, the systems and methods are described in connection with such embodiments, but the systems and methods are not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the systems and methods is limited only by the claims and the systems and methods encompass numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the systems and methods. These details are provided for the purpose of example and the systems and methods may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the systems and methods has not been described in detail so that the systems and methods are not unnecessarily obscured. Similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout various views depicted in the figures.
This description of preferred embodiments is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are part of the entire written description of this disclosure. In the description, corresponding reference numbers are used throughout to identify the same or functionally similar elements. If and when used herein relative terms such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” “front”, “back” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc. . . . ) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing figure under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and are not intended to require a particular orientation unless specifically stated as such. Terms including “inwardly” versus “outwardly,” “longitudinal” versus “lateral”, “adjacent” and the like (if used) are to be interpreted relative to one another or relative to an axis of elongation, or an axis or center of rotation, as appropriate. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.
Before the systems and methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
Relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
As used herein, the term “about” or “approximately” applies to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances these terms may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure.
The terms cords and cording may be used interchangeably.
Herein various embodiments of the systems and methods are described. In many of the different embodiments, features are similar. Therefore, to avoid redundancy, repetitive description of these similar features may not be made in some circumstances. It shall be understood, however, that description of a first-appearing feature applies to the later described similar feature and each respective description, therefore, is to be incorporated therein without such repetition.
The present systems and methods provide, in one aspect, a plant propagation and display tray that provides several key advantages including the provision, by way of a unique configuration of troughs and projections, of a zone for placement of plant pots around which water does not unnecessarily pool.
Referring to
Back wall 12 comprises a substantially flat upper portion 26 and a lower portion, adjacent the ledge, which is thicker than the upper portion and which is defined by a plurality of substantially V-shaped depressions, 28, each of which points towards a trough on the ledge. The reverse side of back wall 12 is depicted in
It has been found that the inclusion of such V-shaped depressions, within this relatively thicker part of the back wall and “aligned with” or pointing towards its corresponding ledge trough affords enormous advantages in increasing the overall strength and weight-bearing ability of the tray. Without this feature, and for trays with more than a few plant-pots inserted therein, there is a risk of sag and the potential of the tray not being able to support the weight of multiple pots, growing media and plants. It is fully contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure that trays may be of varying lengths and comprise differing numbers of plant-pot receiving troughs. For example, the tray in
Female alignment member 30 is shown in
When trays are installed, one above another on a wall surface, watering can be initiated in a preferred form, from the top of the assembly. As shown in
In a further alternative embodiment, trays 10 are displayed on a wall surface in an assembly 50, as depicted in
Each of trays 10 are configured for simple, removable engagement with an adjacent tray 10 using the mating mechanism described above, for vertical stacking.
It is to be understood that different sized trays can be used together on a wall surface. For example, an eight trough tray can be positioned above a plurality of two trough trays. The combinations for placement vertically and horizontally on a wall surface are endless. One key advantage of the ability of interchange tray sizes relates to the differing propagation needs of specific plant varieties.
It is to be understood that plant pots of varying sizes can be “loaded” into the troughs of the plant trays.
In one embodiment, water supply can be specifically tailored to differing trays. A water supply line 54 for each specific variety of plant can be installed to add water only to those trays with specific types of plants. Furthermore, water can then be diverted from those trays back into the drain lines before it cascades down into the plants below them. This allows watering to be controlled within the system on a per species basis. For example, a dry loving plant could be watered only once every two or three weeks, whereas a wet loving plant could be watered on a weekly basis. Wet loving plants would be situated in trays together and likewise dry loving plants would be separated in their own trays. Each plant could reside directly beside, below or above the other and yet have completely different watering schedules that would not conflict with the water requirements of the adjacent plant. This allows for a much higher level of plant health control and for the intermixing of unlike species together on the wall to achieve specific design or air quality goals.
In a preferred embodiment, each tray includes an irrigation line. In a further preferred embodiment, each tray includes a drainage line for egress of water to a second tray below the tray when in aligned arrangement on a wall surface.
In a preferred embodiment, the tray is attached to a wall surface that is part of either a wall cabinet or built-in unit.
Trays 10 when not in use and for transportation efficiencies are fully nestable to facilitate ease of shipping and to decrease space requirements in shipping containers.
Components of tray 10 are constructed from suitable materials such as extruded plastics, aluminum, stainless steel, or other materials known in the art. Extruded plastics may further include one or more of additional additives for example, anti-microbials, antioxidants, antistatic agents, blowing agents, fragrances, biodegradable plasticizers, biostabilizers, external lubricants, fillers, extenders, flame retardants, heat stabilizers, impact modifiers, internal lubricants, light stabilizers, pigments, process aids, reinforcers, rubberizers, and any other additives known in the art. In one embodiment, the extruded plastics include a rubberizer to enable the plastic to maintain flexibility at cooler temperatures. The plastics materials may include one or more of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyfluroethylene (PFE), polyurethane (PU), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polycarbonate. Examples of suitable rubberizers include UV additives.
In one embodiment, at least one sensor is integrated into the tray 10. For example, a sensor may be used to detect at least one parameter in the plant growth environment, for example a physico-chemical condition in the growth environment or media within or near the plant pots. Preferably, this sensor detects, compiles, and analyzes data related to the at least one parameter in the plant growth environment. The sensor may, for example, include a temperature sensor or a moisture sensor (within the plant pots) or may include pH sensors and/or nutrient sensors selected for monitoring the media or growing environment
In a preferred embodiment, the planter wall of trays further comprises a utility control system for the provision of at least one utility to the trays. The utility is selected from the group consisting of a heating line, electrical wire, a misting water supply line and combinations thereof.
In a preferred form,
While embodiments of the systems and methods have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will be obvious to those skilled in the art without departing from the systems and methods. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments described herein may be employed. It is intended that the following claims define the scope and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.
While the forms of elongate members, devices and the system described herein constitute preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that systems and methods described are not limited to these precise forms. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. Aspects of the present device and system, and methods of use (including specific components thereof) can be modified, if necessary, to best employ the systems, methods, nodes and components and concepts. These aspects are considered fully within the scope of the systems and methods as claimed. For example, the various methods described above may omit some acts, include other acts, and/or execute acts in a different order than set out in the illustrated embodiments. Further, in the methods taught herein, the various acts may be performed in a different order than that illustrated and described. Additionally, the methods can omit some acts, and/or employ additional acts.
It is noted that various individual features of the inventive processes and systems may be described only in one exemplary embodiment herein. The particular choice for description herein with regard to a single exemplary embodiment is not to be taken as a limitation that the particular feature is only applicable to the embodiment in which it is described. All features described herein are equally applicable to, additive, or interchangeable with any or all of the other exemplary embodiments described herein and in any combination or grouping or arrangement. In particular, use of a single reference numeral herein to illustrate, define, or describe a particular feature does not mean that the feature cannot be associated or equated to another feature in another drawing figure or description. Further, where two or more reference numerals are used in the figures or in the drawings, this should not be construed as being limited to only those embodiments or features, they are equally applicable to similar features or not a reference numeral is used or another reference numeral is omitted.
The phrase “at least one of A and B” is used herein and/or in the following claims, where A and B are variables indicating a particular object or attribute. When used, this phrase is intended to and is hereby defined as a choice of A or B or both A and B, which is similar to the phrase “and/or”. Where more than two variables are present in such a phrase, this phrase is hereby defined as including only one of the variables, any one of the variables, any combination of any of the variables, and all of the variables.
The foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate the principles, exemplary embodiments, and modes of operation of the systems and methods. However, the systems and methods should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the systems and methods as defined by the following claims.
Other changes can be made to the present systems, methods and articles in light of the above description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by the following claims.
This application is a divisional application of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/362,954 filed on Jan. 31, 2012 (which application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/438,150, filed Jan. 31, 2011), the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 13362954 | Jan 2012 | US |
| Child | 14559189 | US |
