Patent Application
20150233361
The present disclosure is directed generally to high and ultrahigh pressure pump systems and associated methods for use with fluid-jet systems and other systems.
There are various commercial and industrial uses for high pressure fluid pump systems operating at pressures greater than 20,000 psi. Such pump systems can be used in, for example, fluid-jet cutting systems, fluid-jet cleaning systems, etc. Fluid-jet cutting systems often use reciprocating, positive displacement pumps (e.g., crankshaft-driven plunger pumps). Crankshaft-driven plunger pumps, such as triplex plunger pumps (i.e., pumps having three cylinders and associated plungers) operating at outlet pressures of 20,000 psi or more produce pressure pulsations caused by the cyclic output from the pump cylinders. These pressure pulsations can produce undesirably high levels of pressure ripple downstream from the pump. The pressure ripple can be partially mitigated by use of a pump output manifold that contains a volume of the high pressure fluid before it flows to downstream applications.
Conventional low pressure crankshaft-driven, reciprocating positive displacement pumps operating at outlet pressures of 7,500 psi or less typically use pistons instead of plungers. One reason for this is that piston pumps generally have much higher volumetric efficiencies that plunger pumps. Piston pumps, however, can also create significant pressure pulsation during operation. As a result, such pumps are typically used with pulsation dampeners to reduce pressure ripple downstream of the pump. Pulsation dampeners typically include a vessel having a resilient diaphragm with a gas (such as nitrogen) on one side of the diaphragm and the media being pumped (e.g., water) on the opposite side of the diaphragm. In operation, water discharged from the pump flows into the dampener vessel, with the diaphragm alternatingly expanding and compressing the gas as the water pressure increases, and then contracting and letting the gas expand against the water as the water flows out of the vessel and the pressure decreases. Pulsation dampeners are usually attached directly to the output manifold of the pump. In this way, dampeners can reduce pressure pulsations in the water downstream from the pump.
Gas filled pulsation dampeners tend to lose effectiveness as output pressures increase and the gas begins to go through a phase change to a liquid or supercritical fluid. As noted above, high pressure pumps typically rely primarily on the volume of fluid in the output manifold to reduce pressure ripple. Pressure attenuators can also be used to mitigate pump pressure ripple. Pressure attenuators are essentially pressure vessels that accumulate the high pressure water from the pump cylinders to dampen pressure fluctuations in the water as it is provided to, for example, a fluid-jet cutting head or other downstream application. Pressure attenuators are generally placed as close to the pump as possible, but even with relatively large attenuators, these systems can still experience relatively large pressure fluctuations during pump operation that results in downstream pressure ripple.
Fluid-jet systems (e.g., waterjet or abrasive jet systems) are one of the areas of technology that utilize ultrahigh pressure pumps. Fluid-jet systems can be used in precision cutting, shaping, carving, reaming, and other material-processing applications. The liquid most frequently used to form the jet is water, and the high-velocity jet may be referred to as a “water jet” or “waterjet.” In operation, waterjet systems typically direct a high-velocity jet of water toward a workpiece to rapidly erode portions of the workpiece. Abrasive material can be added to the fluid to increase the rate of erosion. When compared to other shape-cutting systems (e.g., electric discharge machining (EDM), laser cutting, plasma cutting, etc.), waterjet systems can have significant advantages. For example, waterjet systems often produce relatively fine and clean cuts, typically without heat-affected zones around the cuts. Waterjet systems also tend to be highly versatile with respect to the material type of the workpiece. The range of materials that can be processed using waterjet systems includes very soft materials (e.g., rubber, foam, leather, and paper) as well as very hard materials (e.g., stone, ceramic, and hardened metal). Furthermore, in many cases, waterjet systems are capable of executing demanding material-processing operations while generating little or no dust, smoke, and/or other potentially toxic byproducts.
In a typical waterjet system, a pump pressurizes water to a high pressure (e.g., up to 60,000 psi or more), and the water is routed from the pump to a cutting head that includes an orifice. Passing the water through the orifice converts the static pressure of the water into kinetic energy, which causes the water to exit the cutting head as a jet at high velocity (e.g., up to 2,500 feet per second or more) and impact a workpiece. In many cases, a jig supports the workpiece. The jig, the cutting head, or both can be movable under computer and/or robotic control such that complex processing instructions can be executed automatically.
The pressure ripple produced by conventional crankshaft-driven plunger pumps used in waterjet systems have a number of disadvantages. For example, the pulsations can cause vibration and fatigue in the fluid conduits and other components that make up the high pressure fluid circuit between the pump and the cutting head. Additionally, the pressure pulses can cause vibration of the cutting head, which adversely affects the waterjet cutting quality. As discussed above, methods for mitigating pressure ripple typically include increasing the volume of the pump manifold or adding a pressure attenuator to the system. Although somewhat effective, neither approach is an ideal solution. Pressure manifolds typically have cross-bores that receive the output flow from each pump cylinder. The cross-bores within the manifold can create areas of high stress concentrations that limit component life due to eventual fatigue failure. In addition, pressure manifolds can be relatively expensive to manufacture, and the cost generally increases as the size of the manifold increases. As noted, some pumps are fitted with pressure attenuators to reduce pressure ripple and mitigate the disadvantages discussed above. As with pressure manifolds, however, large pressure attenuators can also be costly to manufacture due to component size. Although attenuators do not have cross-bores, they are also subject to fatigue failure. In addition, increasing the volume of pressurized water stored in a pressure manifold or attenuator has the downside of increasing stored energy within the pump system. Moreover, neither output manifolds nor pressure attenuators provide the full extent of pulse attenuation desired. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have waterjet pump systems that produce less pressure ripple than conventional pump systems to reduce fatigue failures and enhance cutting quality.
Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed on clearly illustrating the principles of the present technology. For ease of reference, throughout this disclosure identical reference numbers may be used to identify identical or at least generally similar or analogous components or features.
The following disclosure describes various embodiments of pump systems for use with, e.g., water, aqueous solutions, etc., that can provide high and ultrahigh pressure fluid with lower magnitude pressure pulses or ripples than conventional pump systems. As used herein, the term “ultrahigh pressure” can refer to pressures of 30,000 psi and higher. In some embodiments of the present technology, the pump systems described herein include a first multi-cylinder pump (e.g., a first crankshaft-driven, positive displacement triplex pump) operably coupled to a second multi-cylinder pump (e.g., a second crankshaft-driven, positive displacement triplex pump) in a manner that arranges the respective crankshafts to provide equal, or at least approximately equal, spacing between pressure pulses in the combined output flow from both pumps. For example, as described in greater detail below, in the case of two triplex pumps, each of which has three compression members (e.g., plungers or pistons) that reciprocate in cycles spaced apart by 120 degree phase angles, the two crankshafts (one from each pump) can be operably coupled to the same drive system so that the six compression members reciprocate in cycles spaced apart by 60 degree phase angles. This arrangement produces six evenly spaced apart pressure ripples occurring during each revolution of the coupled crankshafts, and results in output pressure ripples of substantially less magnitude than would otherwise be achieved if the two pumps were coupled together without regard for the phase relationship between the two crankshafts. Accordingly, the present disclosure describes methods and systems for operably coupling two pumps together to efficiently increase (e.g., double) pump output while simultaneously reducing the magnitude of downstream pressure ripple.
The different pump systems and associated methods described herein can be used in a wide variety of commercial, industrial, and/or home applications including, for example, fluid-jet cutting systems (e.g., waterjet or abrasive-jet systems), fluid-jet cleaning systems, etc. Although the embodiments are disclosed herein primarily or entirely with respect to waterjet applications, other applications in addition to those disclosed herein are within the scope of the present technology. For example, pump systems and related methods configured in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technology can be useful in various other high-pressure fluid-conveyance systems. Furthermore, waterjet systems configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can be used with virtually any liquid media pressurized to 20,000 psi or more, such as water, aqueous solutions, hydrocarbons, glycol, and liquid nitrogen, among others. As such, although the term “waterjet” is used herein for ease of reference, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term refers to a jet formed by any suitable fluid and is not limited exclusively to water or aqueous solutions.
Certain details are set forth in the following description and in
The graph 100 illustrates that at pressures of about 7,500 psi or less (e.g., at 4,000 psi), the quadruplex pump (the plot 106b) exhibits slightly higher pressure ripple than the triplex pump (plot 106a), and both the quintuplex and sextuplex pumps (plots 106c and 106d, respectively) exhibit substantially lower pressure ripple. While both the quintuplex and sextuplex pumps continue this pattern in higher pressure regimes, at pressures above about 8,000 psi (e.g., about 15,000 psi or more), the quadruplex pump increasingly produces a pressure ripple of significantly lower magnitude than that of the comparable triplex pump.
Graphs 210a-210d in
As described in greater detail below, each triplex pump 343a, b includes three compression members (e.g., reciprocating plungers) operably coupled to a corresponding crankshaft via three connecting rod journals (not shown), and both of the crankshafts can be simultaneously driven by a single drive system 380. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive system 380 includes a motor 381 (e.g., a 100 HP, 150 HP, or other capacity electric motor (e.g., an AC electric motor), an internal combustion engine, or other suitable motive device) operably coupled to each of the crankshafts via one or more suitable drive members (e.g., a timing belt, chain, gear train, etc.; not shown) that can be covered by a corresponding guard 383a, b (e.g., a belt guard). A motor controller 326 (e.g., a variable frequency drive) can control electrical power (e.g., facility power) provided to the motor 381.
Referring to
In operation, the reciprocating plungers suck water into the cylinders 342a-f through the inlets 358a-f, and then pressurize the water and discharge it out of the cylinders 342a-f through the outlets 368a-f. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment the cylinders 342a-c of the first triplex pump 343a cyclically discharge the high pressure water to a first manifold 352a via corresponding outlet conduits 369a-c, and the cylinders 342d-f of the second triplex pump 343b cyclically discharge the high pressure water to a second manifold 352b via corresponding outlet conduits 369d-f. In the illustrated embodiment, the manifolds 352a, b are pressure vessels that act as reservoirs of the high pressure water cyclically output from the individual pump cylinders. In this regard, the manifolds 352a, b can be sized to reduce the pressure ripple caused by the cyclical output when the high pressure water is provided to, for example, a fluid-jet cutting head or other downstream application. One advantage of the present technology, however, is that it enables the manifolds 352a, b to be substantially smaller than would otherwise be required in the absence of this technology. Moreover, in some embodiments it is contemplated that the pump phasing technology disclosed herein can enable the manifolds 352a, b to be omitted from the sextuplex pump system 340 and/or replaced by a much smaller manifold, with the result that the sextuplex pump system 340 would still provide high pressure water with sufficiently low magnitude pressure ripple for satisfactory use with waterjet processing systems and other downstream applications.
The first manifold 352a can provide high pressure water to a first inlet 359a on a fluid junction 356 via a first conduit 355a, and the second manifold 352b can similarly provide high pressure water to a second inlet 359b on the fluid junction 356 via a second conduit 355b. The junction 356 in turn discharges the combined water output into a conduit 357 from an outlet 361. The high pressure water can flow through the conduit 357 to a downstream application (e.g., a waterjet cutting system) via. Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment the conduit 357 is also coupled in fluid communication to a safety valve 353 and a relief valve 354. More specifically, the high pressure fluid from the junction 356 is provided to both the safety valve 353 and the relief valve 354 as well as the downstream conduit 357. In operation, the safety valve 353 can be configured to open and release pressure in the system if the fluid exceeds a maximum safe operating pressure. The relief valve 354 can be at least generally similar in structure and/or function to one or more of the relief valves described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/969,477, titled “CONTROL VALVES FOR WATERJET SYSTEMS AND RELATED DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS,” filed on Aug. 16, 2013, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
In some embodiments, the junction 356 is preferably positioned equidistant between the first manifold 352a and the second manifold 352b so that the pressure pulses in the water flowing into the junction 356 from the respective pumps 343a, b occur at evenly spaced apart intervals. More specifically, in these embodiments the first and second conduits 355a, b should have the same configuration (e.g., equivalent internal diameters or cross-sectional flow areas, equivalent lengths L1 and L2, etc.) so that the pressure ripple characteristics of the two water flows entering the fluid junction 356 are the same, except for the phase shift of 60 degrees (in the case of a sextuplex pump) between the two pressure profiles. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is expected that maintaining the uniform phase shift between these two water flows facilitates the improved downstream pressure ripple characteristics of the present technology. In some embodiments, the pump cylinders 342a-f can provide high and/or ultrahigh pressure water to the junction 356 at a pressure suitable for, e.g., waterjet processing. The pressure can be, for example, greater than 20,000 psi (e.g., within a range from 20,000 psi to 150,000 psi), greater than 30,000 psi (e.g., within a range from 30,000 psi to 150,000 psi), greater than 60,000 psi (e.g., within a range from 60,000 psi to 150,000 psi). In other embodiments, the pump cylinders 342a-f can provide water at a pressure greater than another suitable threshold pressure or within another suitable pressure range.
In the illustrated embodiment, the motor 381 includes a first output shaft portion 484a and an opposite second output shaft portion 484b. In some embodiments, the first and second output shaft portions 484a, b can be opposing end portions of a unitary output shaft (e.g., the motor 381 can be a dual-shaft motor). As a result, the two shaft portions 484a, b rotate in unison at the same RPM. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive system 380 includes first pulleys 488a, b (e.g., toothed pulleys, sprockets, etc.) fixedly mounted to the output shaft portions 484a, b, respectively. Similarly, each of the triplex pumps 343a, b can include a second pulley 486a, b (e.g., a toothed pulley, sprocket, etc.) fixedly mounted to an end portion of the crankshaft 446a, b, respectively. Referring to
In one aspect of the present technology, the timing belts 482a, b are installed on the corresponding pulleys 486a and 488a so that the reciprocation cycles of the six plungers 466a-f are evenly spaced apart to occur 60 degrees out of phase from each other during the simultaneous rotation of the crankshafts 446a, b. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment the first crankshaft 446a is coupled to the first output shaft portion 484a, and the second crankshaft 446b is coupled to the second output shaft portion 484b, so that the two crankshafts are operationally offset from each other by a phase angle of 60 degrees (this arrangement can also be referred to as “clocking” the first crankshaft by 60 degrees relative to the second crankshaft). This arrangement also positions the three individual journals 448a-c on the first crankshaft 446a at 60 degree angles relative to the three journals 448d-f on the second crankshaft 446b. As a result, the individual reciprocation cycles of the plungers 466a-f will occur at equal (or at least approximately equal) 60 degree timing intervals during simultaneous rotation of the coupled crankshafts 446a, b about their respective longitudinal axes 492a, b.
As stated above, in operation the motor 381 drives the crankshafts 446a, b, and the reciprocating plungers 466a-f sequentially suck process fluid (e.g., water) into the cylinders 342a-f through the inlets 358a-f, respectively, and then sequentially pressurize the water and discharge it out of the cylinders 342a-f through the outlets 368a-f. The high pressure water from the cylinders 342a-c flows into the first manifold 352a via outlets 368a-c, and the high pressure water from the cylinders 342d-f similarly flows into the second manifold 352b via outlets 368d-f. Because of the evenly spaced plunger reciprocation cycles discussed above, the sextuplex pump system 340 provides the same (or generally the same) favorable pump pressure ripple characteristics or profile as represented by the plots 106d and 216d discussed above with reference to
In operation, the individual reciprocation cycles of the six plungers 466a-f (
Although the longitudinal axes 492a, b of the individual crankshafts 446a, b are coaxially aligned in
In the illustrated embodiment, each of the positive displacement duplex pumps 643a, b includes two plungers 666a, b and 666c, d, respectively, which reciprocate in corresponding cylinders 642a, b and 642c, d, respectively. The first and second cylinders 642a, b are mounted to a first crankcase 644a, and the second and third cylinders 642c, d are mounted to a second crankcase 644b. The first and second plungers 666a, b are operably coupled (e.g., by connecting rods, etc.) to corresponding first and second rod journals 648a, b, respectively, on the first crankshaft 646a, and the third and fourth plungers 666c, d are similarly coupled to corresponding third and fourth journals 648c, d, respectively, on the second crankshaft 646b. During pump operation, the cylinders 642a-d can receive relatively low pressure water via a series of inlets 658a-d, respectively, and provide high pressure water to manifolds 652a, b in the manner described above for the sextuplex pump system 340 of
In one aspect of this embodiment, the first and second crankshafts 646a, b are coupled to the drive system 680 in such a way that the reciprocation cycles of the four plungers 666a-d occur 90 degrees out of phase from one another during simultaneous rotation of the crankshafts 646a, b. For example, in the illustrated embodiment the first and second rod journals 648a, b on the first crankshaft 646a are spaced apart by angles of 180 degrees relative to each other, and the third and fourth rod journals 648c, d on the second crankshaft 646b are also spaced apart by angles of 180 degrees relative to each other. Furthermore, the first crankshaft 646a is operably coupled to the first output shaft portion 684a so that it is 90 degrees out of phase from the second crankshaft 646b when the second crankshaft 646b is operably coupled to the second output shaft portion 684b. This arrangement positions both the first and second journals 648a, b on the first crankshaft 646a at 90 degree angles relative to the third and fourth journals 648c, d on the second crankshaft 646b. As a result, the individual reciprocation cycles of the plungers 666a-d will occur at equal (or at least approximately equal) 90 degree timing intervals during simultaneous rotation of the coupled crankshafts 646a, b about their respective longitudinal axes 690a, b. Accordingly, for purposes of this discussion the quadruplex pump system 640 can exhibit the pressure ripple characteristics or profile as represented by the plots 106b and 216b illustrated in
The concepts described herein of coupling two duplex or triplex pumps together at fixed phase angles between the respective crankshafts to produce uniformly spaced plunger (or piston) timing and reduce pressure ripples can be extended to other pumps with additional cylinders. For example, the two crankshafts of two respective quadruplex pumps (i.e., pumps with four cylinders) can be coupled together in the manner described above at a fixed phase angle of 45 degrees to produce an eight-cylinder pump having equally spaced plunger/piston timing of 45 degrees. Similarly, the two crankshafts of two respective quintuplex pumps (i.e., pumps with five cylinders) can be coupled together at a fixed phase angle of 36 degrees to produce a ten-cylinder pump having equally spaced plunger/piston timing of 36 degrees. Accordingly, it is expected that other multi-cylinder pumps can be coupled together by phasing the crankshaft angles in the manner described above to produce evenly spaced pressure pulses, and thereby reduce pressure ripple at high and ultrahigh pressures.
One of the advantages of the methods described above for producing multiplex pumps is that rather than simply connecting two pumps together in arbitrary crankshaft relationships, the multiplex pumps described herein can double the power output of the individual pumps while at the same time reducing the magnitude of the output pressure ripple in relatively high pressure regimes. More specifically, by providing equal (or at least approximately equal) timing between plunger/piston cycles (and the corresponding pressure pulses), the multiplex pumps described herein can produce lower pressure ripple than if the crankshafts of the same two pumps were coupled together without regard to the phase relationship.
The waterjet assembly 704 can include a jet outlet 708 and a control valve 710 upstream from the jet outlet 708. The control valve 710 can be at least generally similar in structure and/or function to one or more of the control valves described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/969,477, titled “CONTROL VALVES FOR WATERJET SYSTEMS AND RELATED DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS,” filed on Aug. 16, 2013, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. For example, the control valve 710 can be configured to receive fluid from the fluid-pressurizing system 702 via the conduit 706 at a pressure suitable for waterjet processing (e.g., a pressure greater than 30,000 psi) and to selectively reduce the pressure of the fluid as the fluid flows through the control valve 710 toward the jet outlet 708. For example, in some embodiments the waterjet assembly 704 can include a first actuator 712 configured to control the position of a pin (not shown) within the control valve 710 and thereby selectively reduce the pressure of the fluid.
The waterjet system 700 can further include a user interface 716 supported by a base 714, and a second actuator 718 configured to move the waterjet assembly 704 relative to the base 714 and other stationary components of the waterjet system 700 (e.g., the fluid-pressurizing system 702). For example, the second actuator 718 can be configured to move the waterjet assembly 704 along a processing path (e.g., cutting path) in two or three dimensions and, in at least some cases, to tilt the waterjet assembly 704 relative to the base 714. The conduit 706 can include a joint 719 (e.g., a swivel joint or another suitable joint having two or more degrees of freedom) configured to facilitate movement of the waterjet assembly 704 relative to the base 714. Thus, the waterjet assembly 704 can be configured to direct a jet, including the fluid toward a workpiece (not shown) supported by the base 714 (e.g., held in a jig supported by the base 714) and to move relative to the base 714 while directing the jet toward the workpiece.
The waterjet system 700 can further include an abrasive-delivery apparatus 720 configured to feed particulate abrasive material from an abrasive material source 721 to the waterjet assembly 704 (e.g., partially or entirely in response to a Venturi effect associated with a fluid jet passing through the waterjet assembly 704). Within the waterjet assembly 704, the particulate abrasive material can accelerate with the jet before being directed toward the workpiece through the jet outlet 708. In some embodiments the abrasive-delivery apparatus 720 is configured to move with the waterjet assembly 704 relative to the base 714. In other embodiments, the abrasive-delivery apparatus 720 can be configured to be stationary while the waterjet assembly 704 moves relative to the base 714. The base 714 can include a diffusing tray 722 configured to hold a pool of fluid positioned relative to the jig so as to diffuse kinetic energy of the jet from the waterjet assembly 704 after the jet passes through the workpiece.
The system 700 can also include a controller 724 (shown schematically) operably connected to the user interface 716, the first actuator 712, the second actuator 718, and the relief valve 734. In some embodiments, the controller 724 is also operably connected to an abrasive-metering valve 726 (shown schematically) of the abrasive-delivery apparatus 720. In other embodiments, the abrasive-delivery apparatus 720 can be without the abrasive-metering valve 726 or the abrasive-metering valve 726 can be configured for use without being operably associated with the controller 724. The controller 724 can include a processor 728 and memory 730 and can be programmed with instructions (e.g., non-transitory instructions contained on a computer-readable medium) that, when executed, control operation of the system 700. For example, the controller 724 can control operation of the control valve 710 (via the first actuator 712) in concert with operation of the relief valve 734 to decrease the pressure of fluid downstream from the control valve 710 while the pressure of fluid upstream from the control valve remains relatively constant.
This disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present technology to the precise forms disclosed herein. Although specific embodiments are disclosed herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible without deviating from the present technology, as those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize. Accordingly, this disclosure and associated technology can encompass other embodiments not expressly shown or described herein. In some cases, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of embodiments of the present technology. Although steps of methods may be presented herein in a particular order, in alternative embodiments, the steps may have another suitable order. Similarly, certain aspects of the present technology disclosed in the context of particular embodiments can be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Furthermore, while advantages associated with certain embodiments may have been disclosed in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments can also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages or other advantages disclosed herein to fall within the scope of the present technology.
It should be noted that other embodiments in addition to those disclosed herein are within the scope of the present technology. For example, embodiments of the present technology can have different configurations, components, and/or procedures than those shown or described herein. Moreover, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that embodiments of the present technology can have configurations, components, and/or procedures in addition to those shown or described herein and that these and other embodiments can be without several of the configurations, components, and/or procedures shown or described herein without deviating from the present technology.
Certain aspects of the present technology may take the form of computer-executable instructions, including routines executed by a controller or other data processor. In some embodiments, a controller or other data processor is specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one or more of these computer-executable instructions. Furthermore, some aspects of the present technology may take the form of data (e.g., non-transitory data) stored or distributed on computer-readable media, including magnetic or optically readable or removable computer discs, as well as media distributed electronically over networks. Accordingly, data structures and transmissions of data particular to aspects of the present technology are encompassed within the scope of the present technology. The present technology also encompasses methods of both programming computer-readable media to perform particular steps and executing the steps. The methods disclosed herein include and encompass, in addition to methods of making and using the disclosed apparatuses and systems, methods of instructing others to make and use the disclosed apparatuses and systems.
Throughout this disclosure, the singular terms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, unless the word “or” is expressly limited to mean only a single item exclusive from the other items in reference to a list of two or more items, then the use of “or” in such a list is to be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of the items in the list. Additionally, the terms “comprising” and the like are used throughout this disclosure to mean including at least the recited feature(s) such that any greater number of the same feature(s) and/or one or more additional types of features are not precluded. Directional terms, such as “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “back,” “vertical,” and “horizontal,” may be used herein to express and clarify the relationship between various elements. It should be understood that such terms do not denote absolute orientation. Reference herein to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar formulations means that a particular feature, structure, operation, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or formulations herein are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, various particular features, structures, operations, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
References throughout the foregoing description to features, advantages, or similar language do not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present technology should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but does not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited, except as by the appended claims. Although certain aspects of the invention may be presented below in certain claim forms, the applicant contemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to pursue additional claims after filing this application to pursue such additional claim forms.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/941,238, filed Feb. 18, 2014. U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/941,238, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/164,062, filed on Jan. 24, 2014, are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61941238 | Feb 2014 | US |
