The present invention relates a cabinet system for semi-trailers/tractor trailers involved in loading, transport, and unloading of perishable liquids.
The pickup, transport, and drop-off of perishable liquids like milk, is an important and highly regulated process to ensure the safety of the product. Comestible liquid products transferred in bulk from one or more production site(s) to one or more processing center(s) or end users is accomplished by a variety of specialty truck or truck trailer combinations (transport vehicle) configured to receive, store, and offload comestibles in a safe manner complying with applicable regulations.
Commonly in the dairy industry a farm/hauling operation must have multiple pieces of equipment (transport vehicles) to accommodate different farm sizes, locations, and delivery requirements. Two standard designs are a Farm Pick Up vehicle which typically picks up multiple small loads from smaller farms and drops them at a processing center. Smaller farms generally do not have enough product to fill an entire vehicle and typically do not supply the needed pumping/equipment for procuring the product. The other is a transport or Direct Ship unit that is typically filled completely at a single farm and transports the load to processing. While it seems typical that a smaller farm or production facility may not provide pumping/other necessary equipment, any procurement site or processing site may have different levels of on-site pumping/equipment capabilities.
Comestibles have varying requirements to maintain product safety. One such regulating document is the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). The PMO makes reference to 3-A Sanitary Standards and Bulk tankers. The 3-A Sanitary standard (05-16) establishes the criteria for Automotive Transportation Tanks for Bulk Delivery and Farm Pick-Up Service. The 3-A Sanitary Standards essentially require that the milk hose connection to the milk tank truck be completely protected from the outside environment at all times. However, the PMO does not regulate facility requirements at production sites or processing centers. It is the transport operator's responsibility to ensure that the 3-A Sanitary Standards are met when picking up and dropping off the comestible.
Since the 3-A Sanitary Standards do not specifically prescribe facility requirements at production sites and processing centers (sites), and since each production site and processing center is different, this has led to a variety of designs and equipment at facilities. Some sites (production or processing) may provide pumping capabilities on site that comply with the 3-A standards, some sites may not have any pumping capabilities, some sites may provide a docking station to facilitate complying with the 3-A standards, while other sites may not provide any special equipment or facilities to facilitate compliance with the 3-A standards. This variety of site facilities and equipment has created the need for a variety of transport vehicles to procure and offload comestibles, to wit: bulk transport vehicles, farm pickup vehicles, and direct ship vehicles. Each type of vehicle has different advantages/disadvantages and is equipped to procure/offload comestibles from at least one or more of the variety of sites, but none of these vehicles is equipped and well configured to procure/offload comestibles from all types of sites.
Bulk transport vehicles are the simplest and most economical of liquid collection vehicles. Bulk transport vehicles require an outlet valve with a sanitary cap over the outlet opening. The outlet valve must be enclosed in a dust cover that is dust proof and a sealing mechanism that prevents the sanitary cap from opening or being removed without breaking the seal. Bulk transport vehicles can technically be used at any pickup facility or destination facility provided the facility has its own pumping mechanism and shore equipment (such as fittings, adapters, gaskets, etc.) as the bulk transport vehicle does not have a pump or short equipment. Further, the operator of a bulk transport vehicle has the most hands on responsibility in ensuring that the cleanliness and sanitary standards are followed because the bulk transport vehicle does not any structure to assist in the provision of a sanitary environment. Additionally, sites may require the transport vehicle to have equipment matching the facilities provided. For example, while a bulk transport vehicle may technically be able to pick-up or drop-off at a site that has a loading dock, the site might not allow transport vehicles that are not able to mate with the loading dock. Bulk transport vehicles cannot mate with docking stations and cannot pickup or drop off from sites that do not provide pumping and shore equipment.
Farm pickup vehicles include pump and shore equipment and comply with 3-A standards for onboard pump and shore equipment. Farm pickup vehicles can technically load and unload at any site however the vehicle cannot mate with a docking station, as farm pickup vehicles do not include a dock mating surface for mating with a docking station.
Direct ship vehicles include a dock mating surface for mating with a docking station. However, direct ship vehicles do not include pump and shore equipment. Therefore, direct ship vehicles can only load and unload at sites that provide pump and shore equipment.
While owning one or more of each of the above vehicles would allow an operator to procure and offload at all sites, an operator would need to own at least one direct ship and at least one farm pickup vehicle in order to accommodate the variety of on-site facilities provided at each site. In today's world of consolidation and cooperatives there is a decrease in smaller farms and an increase in larger and cooperative farms. This has placed a strain on the farms/haulers with increasing needs for variable equipment. Therefore, it is an expensive proposition for a hauler to own enough vehicles to be able to pick-up and drop-off at all sites. Further complicating matters is the need to coordinate the vehicle used for pick-up with the desired drop-off facility. For example, a direct ship vehicle can pick-up from a site that provides pumping equipment, but then could not drop off at a facility that does not also have the proper equipment for unloading, whereas the farm pick-up vehicle would be able to drop-off at that facility.
It would be desirable to have a single transport vehicle capable of procurement and offloading at any of the variety of sites. It is further desirable to have a single transport vehicle configured to perform pickup, transport, and drop-off of comestibles that meets all applicable design and regulatory requirements regardless of the facilities and equipment provided at a site that does not require operator manipulation and reconfiguration of the vehicle. It would further be desirable to use a standard comestible truck or truck trailer with a rear surface outlet valve to procure, transport, and offload the comestibles that can be outfitted to have a cabinet system affixed to the rear of the transport vehicle accommodating for the outlet valve such that the cabinet system provides the ability for the transport vehicle to procure and offload comestibles at all production and processing sites regardless of the facilities and equipment provided by the sites. This would allow for retrofitting existing comestible transport vehicles and for removal of the cabinet system if it is no longer needed.
Accordingly, an ideal transport vehicle may be a standard liquid comestible transport vehicle with an outlet valve located on the rear of the vehicle with a cabinet system affixed to the rear of the vehicle such that the outlet valve is encompassed and enclosed by the cabinet system.
The ideal cabinet system will be configured to comply with the design requirements based on all of the variety of production and processing sites regardless of the facilities and equipment provided by each site without the need to adapt or modify the cabinet system at each site. In applicable circumstances the cabinet system will comply with all A-3 standards applicable for all production and processing sites regardless of the facilities and equipment provided at each site. The cabinet system would include onboard pumping mechanisms and equipment in a manner that complies with the A-3 standards in a pump compartment, a separate operation/motor compartment that complies with A-3 standards, and a dock mating surface enclosed within the pump compartment such that when the door/doors of the pump compartment are opened the dock mating surface protrudes from the rear of the body of the pump compartment sufficiently to mate with and releasably seal to the cushions of a docking station without damaging the pump compartment or pump compartment door/doors.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cabinet system configured to affix or releasably affix to a rear surface of a transport vehicle with a rear outlet valve such that the rear outlet valve is encompassed and enclosed within a body of the cabinet system. The cabinet system comprises a pump compartment and a motor compartment. The pump compartment, including: a top surface, a bottom surface, two substantially parallel opposing side surfaces, wherein one of the substantially parallel opposing side surfaces includes a side surface cutout to accommodate a pump connection to a motor in a motor compartment, a back surface with a cutout to accommodate the rear outlet valve of the transport vehicle, and a front surface, including a dock mating face that is a substantially open frame providing access to an interior of the pump compartment, wherein the interior of the pump compartment is covered and sealed by a moveable pump compartment door that when open provides access to the interior of the pump compartment, further wherein the dock making face is configured to mate with a docking station. The motor compartment, including: a top surface, a bottom surface, two substantially parallel opposing side surfaces, wherein one of the substantially parallel opposing side surfaces includes a cutout corresponding to the side surface cutout in the pump compartment to accommodate the pump connection to the motor in the motor compartment, a back surface, and a front surface, wherein the front surface of the motor compartment is substantially open to provide access to the interior of the motor compartment, further wherein the front surface of the motor compartment is covered and sealed by a moveable motor compartment door that when open provides access to the interior of the motor compartment. The motor compartment is affixed to one side surface of the pump compartment with the side surface cutout.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to A cabinet system configured to affix or releasably affix to a rear surface of a transport vehicle with a rear outlet valve such that the rear outlet valve is encompassed and enclosed within a body of the cabinet system. The cabinet system comprising a pump compartment. The pump compartment, including: a top surface, a bottom surface, two substantially parallel opposing side surfaces, a back surface with a cutout to accommodate the rear outlet valve of the transport vehicle, and a front surface, wherein the front surface is an opening, a dock mating face attached to the front surface of the pump compartment, wherein the dock making surface forms a substantially open frame providing access to an interior of the pump compartment, further wherein the dock making face is configured to mate with a docking station; and a moveable pump compartment door attached to the dock mating face, wherein the interior of the pump compartment is covered and sealed by the moveable pump compartment door when closed and that when open provides access to the interior of the pump compartment.
This new design allows, for the first time, a single piece of equipment to be used for all perishable/milk hauling applications without the need to change, alter or remove parts.
There are several advantages to the cabinet system for the liquid comestible transport vehicle. The cabinet system is configured and equipped to procure and offload liquid comestibles in compliance with A-3 standards regardless of the facilities and equipment provided at the site. Further the cabinet system is configured to and equipped to work with all sites without the need to modify or manipulate the vehicle to accommodate different site facilities. This means that an operator only needs a single transport vehicle for procuring and offloading liquid comestibles at all sites. This eliminates the need for an operator to own several different vehicles to accommodate for different facilities at each site and expands the operator's ability to procure and offload at any site. Further the cabinet can be permanently or semi-permanently affixed to a standard liquid comestible transport vehicle which is the most economical of liquid comestible transport vehicles, allowing currently owned transport vehicles to be retrofitted with the cabinet system.
In some aspects, the devices and techniques described herein relate to a cabinet system and device for use in procuring and offloading liquid comestibles into and out of a liquid comestible truck or truck trailer (transport vehicle). Embodiments of the cabinet system are illustrated in the figures. It should be understood that dimensions and description in the figures are merely exemplary and are to aid in the understanding of the system. Dimensions and description included in the figures should not be considered limiting in any way. It should be understood that while the cabinet system is described herein with specific reference to milk, the cabinet system may be incorporated for use with other liquid comestible products and other liquid non-comestible products. The depictions of the exemplary embodiments of the cabinet system should not be in any way considered limited to milk products or to any single particular configuration.
The modular cabinet system will allow for a single transport vehicle to load and unload perishable liquids from all sites regardless of the equipment and facilities provided at the sites while still complying with all applicable standards and regulations for the loading and unloading of said liquids. Further the modular cabinet system will not require any pumping or structural reconfiguration or modification to function at any site.
The modular cabinet system can be configured with insulation for temperature sensitive operations on a compartment-by-compartment basis as needed. Further, the optional double sealed pump compartment doors aid in temperature control and sterility requirements.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
As shown in
Referring to
The inward facing surface 128 includes a hole 132 bore in the panel sized to fit over the outlet valve 114 of the transport vehicle (shown in
It should be understood that the side surfaces 124 and 126 will be shaped and structured to join with the shape of the inward facing surface 128 (as show in
Referring to
The dock mating surface 134 is configured to mate with and releasably seal with the compression cushions of standard docking stations for liquid comestibles (not shown), which are known in the art. The dock mating surface may be constructed out of the same material as the rest of the pump compartment 104 or may be constructed out of any steel, aluminum alloy or plastic material capable of withstanding the forces exerted during the docking process. In an embodiment, the dock mating surface 134 measures approximately 42″ wide by 51″ tall along the exterior frame edges 142 and approximately 29″ wide by 36″ tall along the interior frame edges 140. It should be understood that the above sizes are exemplary, and standard based on the current standard for docking stations. It should be understood that the size of the dock mating surface 134 can be adapted to accommodate different docking station standards that may arise. The dock mating surface 134 is permanently attached to the top surface 120, bottom surface 122, and side surfaces 124 and 126 of the pump compartment 104. As shown in
The dock mating surface 134 is manufactured and configured to comply with 3-A standards as described above for the pump compartment 104 and with PMO standards for docking stations including, but not limited to, being capable of mating with a receiving/shipping dock cushion that seals at a minimum on the top and sides of the interior of the pump compartment 104 from the outside environment. The dock mating surface 134 should be smooth and free of snag points; and be of sufficient strength to prevent damage to the trailer under compression of the docking cushion.
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
The top surface 120 of the pump compartment 104 will have a drip guard 156 movably attached (shown in
Because the cabinet system 100 is affixed to the rear surface of the transport vehicle 102 and not built into or partially built into the body of the transport vehicle 102 (like most pump cabinets in the industry), the cabinet system 100 must be manufactured to independently support the weight of the equipment to be contained within the cabinet system 100 and have sufficient structure and rigidity to maintain the sanitary requirements of the 3-A standards discussed above and to withstand the forces exerted onto the cabinet system during the docking process. While actual loads on the cabinet system 100 and forces exerted during the docking process may vary, in an embodiment, the cabinet system 100 is capable of handling up to 1500 pounds of equipment, the top surface 120 of the pump compartment 104 is capable of withstanding up to 500 pounds of equipment load, and the pump compartment 104 (including the dock mating surface) is capable of withstanding forces in excess of 5,000 pounds of force. Accordingly, the pump compartment 104 and pump compartment doors 144 must be manufactured to have sufficient rigidity and structure to comply with the pump compartment sealing requirements of 3-A standards and to not be damaged by the compression cushions when the dock mating surface 134 mates with a docking station.
Examples of sufficiently constructed pump compartment door(s) 144 are shown in
In addition, as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In general, the motor compartment 106 includes a top surface 170, a bottom surface 171 substantially parallel to the top surface, two substantially parallel side surfaces: a pump side surface 172 and an outside side surface 173 substantially perpendicular to the top surface 170 and bottom surface 171, an inward facing surface 174, and an outward facing surface 175 forming a rectilinear shaped cabinet. The top surface 170, bottom surface 171, inward facing surface 174, pump side surface 172 and outside side surface 173 are primarily solid panels or sheets of material permanently joined together to form the shape of a substantially rectangular box in compliance with the A-3 standards. Each surface may be an individual panel joined to the other panels or may be a one or more panels bent and joined at seams to form the prescribed shape.
As shown in
The inward facing surface 174 may be flat, bent or curved to mimic and accommodate for the shape of the rear surface of the transport vehicle 102 or to mimic the shape of the inward facing surface 128 of the pump compartment. The inward facing surface 174 of the motor compartment 106 may be attached to the inward facing surface 128 of the pump compartment 104 on the edge that the two surfaces share. In an embodiment, the inward facing surface 174 of the motor compartment 106 and the inward facing surface 128 of the pump compartment 104 may be a singular surface that spans both the pump compartment 104 and the motor compartment 106. The inward facing surface 174 of the motor compartment 106 may be attached and affixed to the rear surface of the transport vehicle 102 in a permanent or semi-permanent manner.
The outside side surface 173 will be shaped and structured to join with the shape of the inward facing surface 174 of the motor compartment 106. The pump side surface 172 will be shaped and structured to join with the shape of the inward facing surface 174. The pump side surface 172 may have a hole bore in it for attaching the motor 138 (which is contained in the motor compartment 106) to the pump 136 (which is contained in the pump compartment 104). The hole in the pump side inward facing surface 174 aligns with the hold in the side surface (124 or 126) of the pump compartment 104. Further, the pump side surface 172 may include a pulley shroud 178 (or other protective shroud) inside the motor compartment 106 to protect the operator from moving parts of the motor 138. The pulley shroud 178 is parallel to the pump side surface 172 and may be removable. The pump compartment 104 and motor compartment 106 are sealed around the motor 138 and pump 136 connection point. The pump side surface 172 is affixed and attached to the side surface (124 or 126) of the pump compartment 104 on the same side where the pump 136 is situated. The pump side surface 172 may be releasably or permanently attached. In an embodiment the pump side surface 172 is not panel of material, but instead uses the side surface (124 or 126) of the pump compartment 104 as the pump side surface 172 of the motor compartment 106.
The outward facing surface 175 of the motor compartment 106 is substantially open for access to the interior of the motor compartment 106 and includes motor compartment door(s) 177. The outward facing surface 175 of the motor compartment 106 may include a panel that frames the interior of the motor compartment 106 such that the surface is substantially open to the interior of the motor compartment 106. In another embodiment, the outward facing surface 175 of the motor compartment 106 is completely open and only includes motor compartment door(s) 177 covering the outward facing surface 175. The outward facing surface 175 of the motor compartment 106 is positioned a distance between the outward facing surface 130 of the pump compartment 104 and the rear surface of the transport vehicle 102 such that the outward facing surface 175 of the motor compartment 106 does not interfere with the full opening of the pump compartment door(s) 144 and does not interfere with the docking process. This distance may vary based on cabinet system 100 configurations as discussed above.
The motor compartment door(s) 176 is/are primarily rectangular in shape and, when in the closed position, completely cover and seal the interior of the motor compartment 106 to meet 3-A standards as stated above. When in the open position, the motor compartment door(s) 176 provide access to the interior of the motor compartment 106. The motor compartment door(s) 176 is/are attached to the motor compartment 106 in any manner commonly known.
The top surface 170 of the motor compartment 106 may or may not have a drip guard 156 movably attached. The drip guard 156 (if included with the motor compartment 106) may be separate from the drip guard 156 for the pump compartment 104 or may be a continuation of the drip guard 156 for the pump compartment 104. The drip guard 156 for the motor compartment will be attached to the top surface 170 of the motor compartment 106 and operate in the same manner as the drip guard 156 for the pump compartment 104. The top surface 170 of the motor compartment 106 may be a separate panel from the top surface 120 of the pump compartment. In an embodiment, the top surface 170 of the motor compartment may be the same panel as the top surface 120 of the pump compartment 104 such that the top surface 170 of the motor compartment 106 is an extension of the top surface 120 of the pump compartment 104.
The motor 138 may be mounted to the top surface 170 of the motor compartment 106. To support the weight of the motor 138, the top surface 170 of the motor compartment 106 may be reinforced in a similar manner as the top surface 120 of the pump compartment 104. This can be achieved whether the surfaces are separate surfaces or a joint surface.
Referring to
In general, the other compartment 108 includes a top surface 180, a bottom surface 181 substantially parallel to the top surface, two substantially parallel side surfaces 182 and 183 substantially perpendicular to the top surface 180 and bottom surface 181, an inward facing surface 184, and an outward facing surface 185 forming a rectilinear shaped cabinet. The top surface 180, bottom surface 181, inward facing surface 184, and side surfaces 182 and 183 are primarily solid panels or sheets of material permanently joined together to form the shape of a substantially rectangular box. Each surface may be an individual panel joined to the other panels or may be a one or more panels bent and joined at seams to form the prescribed shape.
As shown in
The inward facing surface 184 may be flat, bent or curved to mimic and accommodate for the shape of the rear surface of the transport vehicle 102 or to mimic the shape of the inward facing surface 128 of the pump compartment 104. The inward facing surface 184 of the other compartment 108 may be attached to the inward facing surface 128 of the pump compartment 104 on the edge that the two surfaces share in embodiments where they share a surface. In an embodiment, the inward facing surface 184 of the other compartment 108 and the inward facing surface 128 of the pump compartment 104 may be a singular surface that spans both the pump compartment 104 and the other compartment 108 (and optionally the motor compartment 106). The inward facing surface 184 of the other compartment 108 may be attached and affixed to the rear surface of the transport vehicle 102 in a permanent or semi-permanent manner.
It should be understood that the side surfaces 182 and 183 of the other compartment 108 will be shaped and structured to join with the shape of the inward facing surface 184. The side surfaces 182 and 183 may be attached to any adjacent surfaces or may incorporate any adjacent surfaces as the side surface 182 or 183 of the other compartment 108.
The outward facing surface 185 of the other compartment 108 is substantially open for access to the interior of the other compartment 108 and may or may not include other compartment door(s) 186.
The outward facing surface 185 of the other compartment 108 is substantially open for access to the interior of the other compartment 108 and may or may not include other compartment door(s) 186. The outward facing surface 185 of the other compartment 108 may include a panel that frames the interior of the other compartment 108 such that the surface is substantially open to the interior of the other compartment 108. In another embodiment, the outward facing surface 185 of the other compartment 108 may be completely open and may or may not include other compartment door(s) 186 covering the outward facing surface 185. The outward facing surface 185 of the other compartment 108 is positioned a distance between the outward facing surface 130 of the pump compartment 104 and the rear surface of the transport vehicle 102 such that the outward facing surface 185 of the other compartment 108 does not interfere with the full opening of the pump compartment doors 144 and does not interfere with the docking process. This distance may vary based on cabinet system 100 configurations as discussed above.
In embodiments with other compartment door(s) 186, the other compartment door(s) 186 is/are primarily rectangular in shape and, when in the closed position, completely cover and seal the interior of the other compartment 108. When in the open position, the other compartment door(s) 186 provide access to the interior of the other compartment 108. The other compartment door(s) 186 is/are attached to the other compartment 108 in any manner commonly known.
In embodiments where the other compartment 108 is positioned at the top of the cabinet system, the top surface 180 of the other compartment 108 may or may not have a drip guard 156 movably attached. The drip guard 156 (if included with the other compartment 108) may be separate from the drip guard 156 for the pump compartment 104 or may be a continuation of the drip guard 156 for the pump compartment 104 (and optionally for the motor compartment 106). The drip guard 156 for the motor compartment will be attached to the top surface 180 of the other compartment 108 and operate in the same manner as the drip guard 156 for the pump compartment 104. The top surface 180 of the other compartment 108 may be a separate panel from the top surface 120 of the pump compartment. In an embodiment, the top surface 180 of the other compartment 108 may be the same panel as the top surface 120 of the pump compartment 104 such that the top surface 180 of the other compartment 108 is an extension of the top surface 120 of the pump compartment 104 (and optionally of the motor compartment 106).
The top surface 180 of the other compartment 108 may be reinforced in a similar manner as the top surface 120 of the pump compartment 104. This can be achieved whether the surfaces are separate surfaces or a joint surface.
It should be understood that there may be more than one other compartment 108 configured and affixed to the cabinet system 100 and the other compartments 108 may be of different configurations and sizes or there may be no other compartments 108. It should further be understood that the other compartments 108 will be attached to the cabinet system 100 by shared adjacent surfaces to the pump compartment 104, the motor compartment 106, and any additional other compartments 108. Further the other compartments 108 may share adjacent surfaces with the pump compartment 104, the motor compartment 106, and any additional other compartments 108 such that there is only one panel between the shared adjacent surfaces. For example, an other compartment 108 may be configured and attached to the bottom surface 171 of the motor compartment 106, or the bottom surface 181 of the first other compartment 108, or both.
It should also be understood that the 3-A standards apply to the pickup, transport, and delivery of milk. The cabinet system 100 may not be configured to be in full compliance with the 3-A standards when being used for purposes that do not require the compliance with 3-A standards, for example, juice, sugar syrups, oils, etc. However, regardless of the use and necessary standards, at minimum the cabinet system 100 will include a pump compartment 104 with a dock mating surface 134 covered by moveable pump compartment door(s) 144.
Directional terms, such as “top,” “upper,” “bottom,” “lower,” “outward,” “inward,” “end,” etc., are used for convenience in referring to the accompanying pictures. In general, the directional terms refer to a direction on the invention in relation to position and placement on the invention.
Any version of any component or method step of the invention may be used with any other component or method step of the invention. The elements described herein can be used in any combination whether explicitly described or not.
All combinations of method steps as used herein can be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified or clearly implied to the contrary by the context in which the referenced combination is made.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
Numerical ranges as used herein are intended to include every number and subset of numbers contained within that range, whether specifically disclosed or not. Further, these numerical ranges should be construed as providing support for a claim directed to any number or subset of numbers in that range. For example, a disclosure of from 1 to 10 should be construed as supporting a range of from 2 to 8, from 3 to 7, from 5 to 6, from 1 to 9, from 3.6 to 4.6, from 3.5 to 9.9, and so forth.
All patents, patent publications, and peer-reviewed publications (i.e., “references”) cited herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual reference were specifically and individually indicated as being incorporated by reference. In case of conflict between the present disclosure and the incorporated references, the present disclosure controls.
The devices, methods, compounds and compositions of the present invention can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the essential elements and limitations described herein, as well as any additional or optional steps, ingredients, components, or limitations described herein or otherwise useful in the art.
While this invention may be embodied in many forms, what is described in detail herein is a specific preferred embodiment of the invention. The present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular examples, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such process steps and materials may vary somewhat. It is also understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited to only the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
It is to be understood that the following claims are exemplary in nature only, and do not and should not be interpreted to place any limitations on any claims in any subsequent applications whatsoever.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make anew the invention. Any dimensions or other size descriptions are provided for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Additional aspects can include slight variations, as well as greater variations in dimensions as required for use in the industry. The patentable scope of the invention may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art.
The present application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/253,470, filed Oct. 7, 2021, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
63253470 | Oct 2021 | US |