Patent Grant
11732583
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 11,066,931, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a retainer device for a rock anchor, and particularly for retaining or holding an anchor rod of a rock anchor in a rock bore drilled above horizontal during installation. The present invention also relates to a rock anchor system including such a retainer device and a method of installing a rock anchor.
Thus, it will be appreciated that the present invention has particular application or use in the mining industry, and it will be convenient to describe the invention herein in that exemplary context. It will be noted, however, that applications may also be contemplated in other fields, such as in the construction industry.
In underground mine environments, a body or vein of ore will typically be accessed by excavating cavities into the rock strata below the ore body or vein and then working towards the are deposit from below. This technique is referred to in the mining field as “overhand stoping” and has become the predominant direction of mining with the advent of rock blasting and power drills.
Depending on the quality of the rock strata excavated to access the are body, the rock from which the underground cavities are excavated may need to be stabilised with rock anchors to render the underground environment safe against the risk of rock-fall or even partial or total collapse. A known and regularly employed technique for stabilising rock strata in underground mines is with the use of cable bolts and rock anchors.
A cable bolt is a somewhat flexible steel cable (e.g. of nominal 15 mm diameter) which is grouted into a drilled hole. The length of the cable bolt will typically range from about 4 m to about 15 m depending on the particular rock condition (6 m is typical) and is installed in holes drilled above horizontal (i.e. “up holes”). The process of cable bolting involves drilling a hole into the rock, inserting a cable bolt into the hole, fixing the cable bolt in the hole with a cement gout, waiting for the grout to cure (typically a 12-hour minimum cure time), then tensioning the cable with a hydraulic jack at the fee end region of the cable outside the hole, and installing a plate and fixture at the external rock face. Cable bolts can be installed with a purpose-built drill rig known as a “cabolter” or can be installed with a drill rig known as a “jumbo”. Both methods are time consuming and, in the case of installing with a jumbo, have inherent safety risks associated with the process.
A self-drilling rock anchor is a known alternative to cable bolts and other types of rock anchors and comprises one or more hollow threaded anchor rod or bar (each typically 2.5 m or 3 m in length), a drill bit that is mounted on a distal end of the anchor rod or bar, a coupling to join two or more anchor rods or bars together, and a plate and nut. The process of installing such a self-drilling anchor (SDA) involves: drilling a hole or bore into the rock with the SDA (e.g. using a “jumbo” drill rig) via the drill bit mounted at the distal end of the anchor rod; attaching additional lengths of SDA anchor rod as required; leaving the SDA in the hole or bore and injecting resin through the hollow centre of the anchor into the hole to fix the anchor rod of the SDA in the hole; allowing the resin to cure (usually only a matter of 5 to 10 minutes); then optionally tensioning the anchor rod at the free or proximal end region of the anchor rod outside the hole, and installing a plate and nut fixture on the exposed end of the SDA at the rock face.
Due to the fact that the anchor rod of an SDA is inserted as the hole or bore is drilled, a more efficient installation process is possible. Because resin can be used in the relatively small annular cavity surrounding the SDA anchor rod in the hole (i.e. instead of cement grout) and the resin is injected through the anchor rod, a consistent and reliable delivery of resin (or grout) is possible and the very faster-acting resin makes the use of SDAs attractive. Thus, self-drilling anchors (SDAs) of the type described above have the potential to replace the cable bolts and other types of rock anchors in range of situations. A remaining problem, however, is associated with the use of SDAs in holes or bores drilled above horizontal (i.e. in “up holes”). In particular, where additional lengths or sections of anchor rod are required (which is often the case), the initial length of anchor rod drilled into the rock has a tendency to fall out of the hole under self-weight before another section can be coupled to it. For this reason, SDAs are less practical and/or less commonly employed in holes or bores drilled above horizontal.
In view of the above, it is would be desirable to provide a new rock anchor system and a method for installing a rock anchor in a hole or bore drilled above horizontal.
According to one aspect, therefore, the present invention provides a retainer device for retaining or holding an anchor rod of a rock anchor, especially a self-drilling anchor, in a hole drilled above horizontal. The retainer device comprises: a body portion configured to be mounted on the anchor rod, especially on an outer or external periphery of the anchor rod, and at least one arm or tab that projects from the body portion in a direction transverse to a longitudinal extent of the anchor rod. The body portion is configured to engage an abutment or shoulder on the outer or external periphery of the anchor rod to prevent its movement relative to the anchor rod in use, and the at least one arm or tab is configured to deform so as to engage and bear against the inner surface of the hole when the retainer device mounted on the anchor rod is driven into the hole. In this way, when the at least one arm or tab deforms to engage and bear against the inner surface of the hole, it can operate to hold or “lock” the anchor rod in the “up-hole” such that it is not able to fall out under its self-weight. The at least one “arm or tab” is therefore also generally referred to herein as a “locking arm or tab”. The retainer device may therefore enable safe and effective installation of an SDA in above horizontal holes.
In a preferred embodiment, the or each arm or tab is elongate and projects from the body portion transversely to the longitudinal extent of the anchor rod by a distance at least equal to a diameter of the anchor rod. The distance is preferably in the range of 2 to 10 times the diameter of the anchor rod, and more preferably in the range of 4 to 6 times the diameter of the anchor rod. The anchor rod will typically have a diameter in the range of about 20 mm to about 40 mm, and the at least one arm or tab will preferably project from the body portion by a distance in the range of about 100 mm to about 200 mm.
In a preferred embodiment, each armor tab is formed as a strip- or pin-like element and it projects generally radially outwardly from the anchor rod in use; e.g. like a prong. Thus, the at least one arm or tab has a substantially greater radial extent in its undeformed state than the diameter of the hole drilled for the anchor rod upon which the retainer device is mounted.
In a preferred embodiment, the at least one arm or tab is configured to deform resiliently and/or plastically to engage and bear against the inner surface of the hole when the retainer device mounted on the anchor rod is driven into the hole. Thus, if there is a plastic (i.e. permanent) deformation of the projecting arm or tab, there is preferably also at least some resilient deformation such that the arm or tab remains outwardly biased into engagement with the inner side of the hole. Such an outward bias assists the arm to support and hold the anchor rod in the drilled hole.
In a preferred embodiment, the body portion of the retainer device is, in use, configured for translational movement relative to the anchor rod along a longitudinal extent of the anchor rod. In this way, as the anchor rod of the SDA is rotated to drill the anchor rod into the rock strata to form a hole for receiving and securing the anchor rod, the retainer device is able to move relative to the anchor rod outside of the hole being drilled. For example, as the anchor rod progressively advances into the hole being drilled in the rock under the percussive and rotary action of a drill bit provided on the SDA, the retainer device may remain adjacent the outer rock face (i.e., outside of the hole) mounted on the outer periphery of the anchor rod.
In a preferred embodiment, the body portion is configured for sliding translational movement along the anchor rod. In this regard, the body portion typically comprises a profile that does not substantially interfere with sliding translational movement along the outer or external periphery of the anchor rod, even if the outer or external periphery of the anchor rod presents a helical thread. In particular, the body portion may include or define a channel for receiving the anchor rod and an inner periphery of the channel has or presents the profile that is sized or configured to allow sliding translational movement along the outer or external periphery of the anchor rod. For example, the body portion may be slidably received on the anchor rod via a clearance fit. In one example, the body portion may be configured as a sleeve member, wherein the profile comprises a generally cylindrical channel within the sleeve for receiving the anchor rod, the cylindrical channel being oversized with respect to an outer diameter of the anchor rod to provide such a clearance fit. In an alternative example, the cylindrical channel of the body portion may optionally be sized to engage lightly the outer or external periphery of the anchor rod (e.g., via a light friction fit or light interference fit) and yet may nevertheless be able to be slid in the axial direction along the anchor rod upon the application of a relatively low force.
In a preferred embodiment, the body portion is configured to be fixed or held against translational movement along the anchor rod when the retainer device mounted on the anchor rod is driven into the hole. In this way, the act of driving the anchor rod and the retainer device into the hole does not cause the retainer device to migrate along the length of the anchor rod. Instead, the body portion remains substantially fixed in the axial direction relative to the anchor rod, which thereby causes the at least one arm or tab to be deformed against the inner sides or walls of the drilled hole. In one possible embodiment, the body portion may include a clip or clamp mechanism that can be activated to grip the anchor rod against relative translational movement, and deactivated to release the anchor rod to allow relative translational movement. The clip or clamp mechanism may include a switch-type lever, a slide element, or a rotatable collar for activating and deactivating the clamp or, for example, a locking pawl. In another possible embodiment, an abutment is provided on the outer or external periphery of the anchor rod for engagement with the body portion to prevent its translational movement along the anchor rod. In this regard, the abutment may comprise a shoulder that projects radially from the outer or external periphery of the anchor rod. For example, the abutment or shoulder may comprise part of a coupling member that is configured to axially interconnect the anchor rod upon which the body portion of the retainer device is mounted with another anchor rod.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the body portion comprises a coil, especially a helical coil. In this embodiment, the body portion and/or the at least one arm or tab is/are comprised of steel, such as spring steel. For example, the coil may be formed from steel wire having a diameter in the range of about 3 mm to about 20 mm, preferably about 6 mm.
In a preferred embodiment, the at least one arm or tab comprises a plurality of arms or tabs that project in a direction transversely outwards from a longitudinal extent of the anchor rod. For example, a first arm or tab may project from one end region of the body portion, and a second arm or tab may project from an opposite end region of the body portion. In an alternative arrangement, the first and second tabs or arms may project transversely outwards from the same end region of the body portion of the retainer device. The tabs or arms provided at the same end region of the body portion are preferably arranged evenly spaced apart from one another, such that where there are two tabs or arms at the same end region of the body portion, they preferably project transversely outwards in generally diametrically opposed directions.
According to another aspect, the invention provides a drill bit configured for attachment to an end region of an elongate anchor rod in a rock anchor system, the drill bit comprising a retainer device having at least one arm or tab that projects outwards in a direction transverse to a longitudinal extent of the anchor rod, the at least one arm or tab being configured to deform to engage and bear against an inner surface of a hole drilled by the drill bit as the retainer device is driven with the drill bit into the hole.
In a preferred embodiment, the retainer device comprises a body portion configured to be mounted on the drill bit, especially on an outer or external periphery of the drill bit. To this end, the body portion may include or define a channel for receiving a part of the drill bit. The body portion is preferably configured to engage an abutment or shoulder on the outer or external periphery of the drill bit. In another embodiment, the retainer device may be fixed to or rigidly attached to the coupling member. For example, a body portion of the retainer device could be fixed or rigidly attached to or integral with the drill bit.
Thus, the invention preferably provides a drill bit or drill bit assembly for a rock anchor system, the drill bit/assembly configured for attachment to an end region of an elongate anchor rod and comprising a retainer device according to any of the embodiments described above for retaining or holding the anchor rod in a hole drilled above horizontal.
In a preferred embodiment, the drill bit assembly comprises a socket portion configured for receiving and connecting with the end region of the elongate anchor rod, wherein the retainer device is mounted on an outer periphery of the socket portion. In this regard, the socket portion preferably comprises a sleeve member, such as a generally cylindrical sleeve member, having an internal thread for threaded engagement with an external thread on an outer periphery of the elongate anchor rod. The retainer device may therefore be provided on an outer periphery of the sleeve member. The sleeve member preferably includes an abutment, such as a flange, against which the body portion of the retainer device is configured to engage or abut. Alternatively, the body portion of the retainer device could be fixed or rigidly attached to or integral with the sleeve member of the drill bit.
According to yet another aspect, the invention provides a coupling member configured for interconnecting ends of two elongate anchor rods in a rock anchor system for substantial longitudinal alignment of the anchor rods, the coupling member comprising a retainer device having at least one arm or tab that projects outwards in a direction transverse to a longitudinal extent of the coupling member or anchor rods, the at least one arm or tab being configured, in use, to deform to engage and bear against an inner surface of a bole above horizontal as the coupling member is, in use, driven with the anchor rods into the hole.
In a preferred embodiment, the coupling member comprises a hollow or tubular portion configured for receiving and connecting with end regions of the elongate anchor rods. A body portion of the retainer device is mounted on an outer periphery of the hollow or tubular portion of the coupling member. Preferably, the hollow or tubular portion (e.g., in the form of a generally cylindrical member) includes an internally threaded passage for threaded engagement with an external thread on an outer periphery of the anchor rods. The retainer device is mounted on an outer periphery of the hollow or tubular portion, and the hollow or tubular portion has or presents an abutment, e.g., a flange, against which the body portion of the retainer device is adapted to engage or abut as the coupling member is, in use, driven with the rods into the hole.
In a preferred embodiment, the hollow or tubular portion includes the abutment, e.g., a flange, at lower end region thereof, wherein the hollow or tubular portion preferably includes a second abutment, e.g., a second flange, at an opposite upper end region thereof against which the body portion is, in use, adapted to engage or abut as the retainer device supports the elongate anchor rods within the hole.
In an alternative embodiment, the retainer device may be fixed or rigidly attached to the coupling member. For example, the body portion of the retainer device could be fixed or rigidly attached to or integral with the hollow or tubular portion of the coupling member.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides a rock anchor system, comprising: at least one elongate anchor rod; a drill bit configured for attachment to one end region of the elongate anchor rod for drilling the anchor rod into rock strata; and at least one retainer device according to any of the embodiments described above for retaining or holding the anchor rod in a hole drilled in the rock strata above horizontal.
In a preferred embodiment of the rock anchor system, the at least one elongate anchor rod comprises an external helical thread formed on the outer periphery of the anchor rod, and preferably over substantially the entire longitudinal extent of the anchor rod. In this regard, the drill bit may be configured for threaded engagement with the helical thread formed on the outer periphery of the anchor rod. To this end, the drill bit may include an internally threaded socket or recess for receiving an end of the anchor rod in screwed connection therewith.
In a preferred embodiment, the anchor rod is hollow or includes a longitudinally extending channel or conduit for introducing cement grout or resin there-through into the hole drilled in the rock strata.
In a preferred embodiment of the rock anchor system, the at least one elongate anchor rod comprises a plurality of complementary anchor rods that are configured or adapted to be securely joined or coupled together in substantially axial alignment. The at least one retainer device preferably comprises a corresponding plurality of retainer devices. Adjacent anchor rods of the plurality of complementary anchor rods are preferably configured to be joined or coupled together in substantially axial alignment by a coupling member. Each coupling member may have a shoulder that extends or projects radially from the external periphery of the anchor rod. In this way, the coupling member shoulder may form an abutment for the body portion of the retainer device against translational or sliding movement along the anchor rod.
In a preferred embodiment, therefore, the rock anchor system comprises two or more elongate complementary anchor rods configured to be securely joined or coupled together in substantial axial alignment by a coupling member provided between each pair of axially adjacent anchor rods. The drill bit is configured for attachment to a free or distal end region of a distalmost anchor rod for drilling the anchor rod assembly into rock strata, and a respective said at least one retainer device may be provided to be mounted to each complementary anchor rod above the coupling member that joins it to an adjacent anchor rod. Again, each coupling member may have a shoulder that extends or projects radially from the outer periphery of the anchor rod to form an abutment for the body portion of the retainer device against translational movement of the retainer device along the respective anchor rod.
The rock anchor system will desirably comprise a tensioning assembly located at an opposite end region of the anchor rod/anchor rod assembly to the drill bit. The tensioning assembly may include one or more plates and nuts for securing the tensioned anchor rods at the rock face.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of installing a rock anchor in rock strata, the rock anchor comprising an elongate anchor rod having a drill bit attached at one end region thereof, the method comprising steps of:
In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises: providing an abutment, such as a shoulder member, for engagement with the retainer device as the anchor rod advances into the hole thereby to drive or push the retainer device into the drilled hole as the anchor rod advances into the hole during drilling. In this way, as the anchor rod advances into the hole by drilling, the retainer device mounted thereon engages an abutment on the outer periphery of the anchor rod and is driven into the drilled hole. In one example, the abutment may be provided at an opposite end region of the anchor rod, e.g., in the form of a coupling member for joining or coupling another anchor rod. In another example, the abutment may be provided at an intermediate position along a length of the anchor rod, e.g., in the form of a fitting or collar which may be fixed on an outer periphery of the anchor rod, such as by swaging, brazing or welding.
In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises: attaching a coupling member at the opposite end region of the anchor rod for securely joining or coupling a second elongate anchor rod in substantial axial alignment with the said anchor rod having the drill bit, wherein the coupling member presents the abutment for the retainer device.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises steps of:
According to yet a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of installing a rock anchor in rock strata, comprising steps of:
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of installing a rock anchor in rock strata, wherein the rock anchor includes a drill bit attached to one end region of an anchor rod, an abutment member having a shoulder extending radially beyond an outer periphery of the anchor rod, and a retainer device mounted on an outer periphery of the anchor rod between the shoulder and the drill bit, the retainer device having at least one arm or tab that projects in a direction transverse to a longitudinal extent of the anchor rod, the method comprising:
Preferably, the method further comprises: mounting a second retainer device on an outer periphery of a second elongate anchor rod, the second retainer device having at least one arm or tab that projects in a direction transverse to a longitudinal extent of the second anchor rod; securely coupling the second anchor rod to a proximal end of the anchor rod driven into the hole via a coupling member such that the second retainer device locates between the coupling member and a second abutment member on the second anchor rod having a shoulder extending radially beyond an outer periphery of the second anchor rod; and, rotating the anchor rod to drill the anchor into the rock strata to extend the hole for receiving and securing the anchor rod, wherein as the anchor rod advances into the hole, a portion of the second retainer device abuts against the second shoulder thereby pushing the second retainer device into the hole.
The retainer device and rock anchor system according to preferred embodiments of the invention may thus enable safe and effective installation of a self-drilling anchor (SDA) in above horizontal holes and thereby provide an effective alternative to the use of cable bolts and other types of rock anchors in “up-holes”. It will be noted that this may potentially provide a more efficient installation process and/or a substantial time saving, with SDAs typically able to be installed in about half the time required for traditional cable bolts. Furthermore, SDAs are well-suited to installation with a “jumbo” drill rig, which may have some operational and/or safety advantages compared to traditional cable bolting.
For a more complete understanding of the invention and the advantages thereof, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference signs designate like parts and in which:
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate particular embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as they become better understood with reference to the following detailed description.
It will be appreciated that common and/or well understood elements that may be useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a more abstracted view of the embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily illustrated to scale relative to each other. It will also be understood that certain actions and/or steps in an embodiment of a method may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrences while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.
Referring firstly to
With reference now to
Referring still to
As noted above, when used in the rock anchor system 10, the retainer device 1 can be placed or screwed onto the outer periphery of the anchor rod 11, as seen in
With reference now to
Once the hole H has been drilled to a sufficient depth for a single anchor rod 11—i.e. with just sufficient length of the rod 11 protruding from the hole H at the rock face F to perform tensioning and securing—the rotation and percussive advancement of the drill bit 12 is halted and the drill rig 14 is operated to rotate the anchor rod 11 and drill bit in the opposite direction as the anchor rod 11 is retracted or withdrawn from the hole H. This causes the retainer device 1 (i.e. via the coil 3 of the body portion 2) to migrate relative to the anchor rod 11 back to a position close to the end 13 adjacent the drill bit 12, as can be seen in
As can be seen with reference to
In this way, the retainer device 1 acts to retain or hold the anchor rod 11 of the rock anchor system 10, especially a self-drilling anchor, in the vertically drilled “up-hole”. This allows an operator to disconnect the proximal end 15 of the anchor rod 11 from the drill rig 14 and to couple or connect the distal end 13 of a second anchor rod 11′ to the proximal end 15 of the anchor rod 11 driven into the hole H. The anchor rods 11, 11′ are of basically the same dimensions and are securely and rigidly coupled or connected in substantial axial alignment. Before securely coupling the two anchor rods 11, 11′ together, a second retainer device 1′ is mounted on an outer periphery of the second anchor rod 11′ in the same way as before. After coupling, the drilling may then continue by rotating the securely coupled anchor rods 11, 11′ to drill the anchor rods further into the rock strata R to extend the hole H for receiving and securing the anchor rods. The second retainer device 1′ is movable relative to the second anchor rod 11′ outside of the hole H and may migrate along the length of the second anchor rod 11′ under rotation, as before. When the hole H is sufficiently deep for the two anchor rods 11, 11′, the rotation and percussive advancement of the drill bit 12 is again halted and the drill rig 14 is operated to rotate the anchor rods 11, 11′ and drill bit 12 in the reverse direction as the anchor rods 11, 11′ are retracted or withdrawn from the hole H. This causes the second retainer device 1′ (i.e. again via the coil of the body portion) to migrate relative to the anchor rod 11′ back to a position close to the distal end 13.
It will be noted that the first retainer device 1 already within the hole H may remain more-or-less stationary bearing against the wall W of the hole H as the hole is drilled deeper. This is because, as the coupled anchor rods 11, 11′ are rotated and advanced during drilling, the first retainer device 1 may again migrate (relatively) along the length of the first anchor rod 11. It will be appreciated that the retainer device 1 already deployed in the hole H would, to some extent, act to resist the retraction of the coupled anchor rods 11, 11′ and could be damaged during that retraction. This is inconsequential, however, firstly because the retraction force that can be applied by the drill rig 14 is far in excess of the resistance force offered by the first retainer device 1, and secondly because the first retainer device 1 has already performed its function of retaining and supporting the first anchor rod 11 in the hole H during the coupling or connection of the second anchor rod 11′. Now the second retainer device 1′ will retain and hold both of the anchor rods 11, 11′ in the hole H during connection of a third anchor rod 11″, as seen in
In this regard, when the coupled anchor rods 11, 11′ are driven back into the hole H via a linear thrust imparted by the drill rig 14, the second retainer device 1′ is essentially fixed or held against axial movement along the second anchor rod 11′ by the interaction of the coil body portion and external thread, as before. Thus, the first and second locking arms or tabs of the second retainer device 1′ deform as shown in
Each of the anchor rods 11, 11′, 11″ is typically of about 2.5 metres or 3 metres in length and is hollow or includes a longitudinal channel or conduit for injecting cement grout or resin. Thus, once the hole H is sufficiently deep and sufficient lengths of anchor rods 11, 11′, 11″ have been inserted, the cement grout or resin is injected through the hollow anchor rods into the hole H to fix the anchor rod in the hole. After the resin or grout has been allowed to cure; the coupled anchor rods 11, 11′, 11″ may optionally be tensioned at the free or proximal end region 15 of the last anchor rod 11″ outside the hole H adjacent the rock face F. A plate and nut fixture (not shown) may then be installed on the exposed end of the tensioned anchor rods at the rock face F.
Referring now to
In this alternative embodiment of the retainer device 1 shown in
With reference now to
Referring further to
In the event that the channel 5 through the body portion 2 of the retainer device 1 does not receive the anchor rod 11 in a clearance fit, but rather in a light interference fit, then the retainer device 1 will tend to rotate with, and be advanced with, the anchor rod 11 as soon as the drilling commences. This will continue until the arms or tabs 6, 7 of the retainer device 1 come into contact with the rock face F, where the fictional resistance will then typically far exceed the light interference fit. That is, the retainer device 1 will remain at the rock face F and the anchor rod 11 will be advanced or pushed through the channel 5 in a sliding manner by the drill rig (i.e. the drill rig will quite easily overcome the resistance offered by the light interference fit as the retainer device 1 is held substantially stationary due to friction with the rock face F—as seen in
The embodiments described with reference to
Drawing
Once this rock anchor system is installed in the hole H, the retainer device will act to prevent the rock anchor system falling out under self-weight, such that the drill rig can move onto installing another rock anchor elsewhere, and the rock anchor system can subsequently be grouted or resin-cured in place within the hole. Once the grout or resin has cured, another rig can be brought into place to tension the rock anchor system 10 via the tensioning assembly comprising bearing plate 22, dome washer 23 and nut 24. It is envisaged that a rock anchor system 10 similar to that of
With reference now to
Referring to drawing
With reference to
Finally, with reference to
With reference again to
Although specific embodiments of the invention are illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternative and/or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Generally, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.
It will also be appreciated that in this document the terms “comprise”, “comprising”, “include”, “including”, “contain”, “containing”, “have”, “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to be understood in an inclusive (i.e. non-exclusive) sense, such that the process, method, device, apparatus or system described herein is not limited to those features or parts or elements or steps recited but may include other features, parts, elements or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, the terms “a” and “an” used herein are intended to be understood as meaning one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise. Moreover, the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on or to establish a certain ranking of importance of their objects.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018223042 | Aug 2018 | AU | national |
| 2019202151 | Mar 2019 | AU | national |
| 2021203289 | May 2021 | AU | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210324739 A1 | Oct 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16557062 | Aug 2019 | US |
| Child | 17362958 | US |
