Patent Application
20240197140
The present invention relates a sanitizing and washing system for reusable food or beverage containers. In particular, the present invention relates to a system which uses ultraviolet (UV) light to sanitize the exterior surfaces of a reusable food or beverage container, and a washing system to clean the interior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container.
With the rapid expansion and size of the to-go food or beverage industry, for example by global businesses including national and international coffee and fast-food chain restaurants, the disposal of single-use drinking containers, especially containers made with plastics, has become a serious problem. This issue is becoming more than just an environmental or public relations issue for the businesses as municipalities have begun to impose taxes on the use of single-use drinking containers. Solutions have been proposed and attempted by manufacturing cups with more environmentally-friendly materials, such as more readily recycled or composted materials. However, the required materials and manufacturing methods have not proven cost-effective as a replacement for existing, commonly used single-use drinking containers. It has also been proven to be difficult to emulate existing desired performance and features using alternate materials.
Systems to provide a means of using reusable drinking containers in place of single-use containers for to-go use have also been proposed and attempted. Such systems are typically comprised of a stock of durable reusable containers which require a deposit from the customer to use for their beverage. When the customer returns the drinking container, the deposit is returned to them. Such systems are typically easy for a customer but increase the labor and required equipment for the retailer to handle and wash the used drinking containers before they can be used again. Such increases have made it a challenge for existing retailers to overcome the cost and infrastructure change of implementing the use of such systems.
Coffee shops, cafes, and other retail establishments that serve beverages often allow customers to bring in their own reusable coffee cups or travel mugs. This trend has a positive impact on reducing the total number of single-use or reusable cups used. Unfortunately, proper cleaning and sanitizing of these reusable cups such that they are safe to be handled and filled by the retail employees requires extensive resources. Additionally, the time and effort required to properly clean and sanitize the cups often prevents users from choosing to bring their own reusable containers.
There is a need for a small countertop proportioned system that quickly sanitizes and washes reusable food or beverage containers while making it convenient for both the customer and the retail employee to use. In order to quickly and efficiently sanitize and wash the reusable food or beverage container, the system uses UV light to sanitize the exterior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container, and uses a washing system to clean the interior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container. This combination of systems can efficiently and effectively sanitize the exterior surfaces to eliminate the potential for the customer spreading germs to the retail employee, while also leaving the exterior surfaces dry and ready to handle. The washing system for the interior surfaces uses water and/or cleaning detergents and the like to clean and remove residue from the interior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container. The interior surfaces may be left wet in order to minimize the time and energy required for the sanitization and washing cycle, or a drying system can be included to substantially dry the interior surfaces prior to use of the reusable food or beverage container.
A reusable food or beverage container sanitizing and washing system includes a housing, a chamber inside the housing, an access door providing access to the chamber, at least one UV light source and at least one washing nozzle disposed within the chamber. The chamber is sized, dimensioned, and configured to envelope a reusable food or beverage container. When the access door is in an open state, it provides access to the chamber and when the access door is in a closed state is blocks access to the chamber. The at least one UV light source is configured to direct UV light at a predetermined intensity level and time duration onto a reusable food or beverage container positioned inside the chamber in such a way as to result in the sanitizing of the exterior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container. The at least one washing nozzle is configured to spray cleaning fluid to wash the interior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container. When the access door is in the closed state, a sanitization and washing cycle is initiated using the UV light source and washing nozzle, and when the sanitization and washing cycle is complete, the access door is moved to the open state.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a sanitizing and washing system further includes a retrieval door disposed on a different side of the chamber than the access door, the retrieval door providing access to the chamber when the retrieval door is in an open state and blocking access to the chamber when the retrieval door is in a closed state. In some such aspects, the access door is configured to receive an unsanitized and unwashed reusable food or beverage container and the retrieval door is configured to allow retrieval of a sanitized and washed reusable food or beverage container after the sanitization and washing cycle. In further aspects, the sanitizing and washing system includes a conveyor configured to receive an unsanitized and unwashed reusable food or beverage container, move the unsanitized and unwashed reusable food or beverage container into the chamber through the access door, and move a sanitized and washed reusable food or beverage container out of the chamber through the retrieval door. In some such aspects, the motion of the conveyor is used to dry the interior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container after the washing cycle. In some aspects, the conveyor comprises a conveyor belt.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the sanitizing and washing system further includes a container centering device disposed within the chamber. In some such aspects, the centering device comprises at least one mechanical arm.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the at least one UV light source comprises an array of UV lights. In some such aspects, an array of UV light is disposed on an interior surface of one or more sides of the chamber.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the predetermined intensity level and time duration result in a UV dose of at least 4 mJ/cm2. In other aspects, the predetermined intensity level and time duration result in a UV dose of about 8 mJ/cm2. In still other aspects, the predetermined intensity level and time duration result in a UV dose of at most 24 mJ/cm2. In further aspects, the predetermined intensity level and time duration result in a UV dose of between about 4 mJ/cm2 and 8 mJ/cm2. In still further aspects, the predetermined intensity level and time duration result in a UV dose of between about 4 mJ/cm2 and 24 mJ/cm2.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the at least one UV light source is disposed on a container profiler that is configured to conform to a shape of the container to place the at least one UV light source in proximity to an outer surface of the container allowing for effective sanitation at a lower intensity level or time duration. In some aspects, the profiler comprises one or more members having at least one UV light source mounted thereon, the members configured to move toward an outer surface of the container to place the UV light in proximity to the outer surface of the container. In some such aspects, the container profiler comprises a plurality of linear moving members. In other such aspects, the container profiler comprises articulating members. In further aspects, the profiler includes one or more sensors for detecting the shape of the container. In still other aspects, the container profiler is configured to rotate around the container to distribute application of UV light.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the at least one washing nozzle is disposed and configured to wash the interior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container. In some such aspects, the washing nozzle is configured to extend into the interior of the reusable food or beverage container when activated. In some aspects, a stabilizer is configured to keep the reusable food or beverage container in position within the chamber during the sanitization and washing cycle.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the sanitizing and washing system further includes a draining base adapted to receive a reusable food or beverage container in a substantially upside-down orientation. In some such aspects, the draining base is configured to rotate for rotating the reusable food or beverage container within the chamber. In still further aspects, the rotating motion of the draining base is used to dry the interior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container after the washing cycle.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a flipping device is included to receive a reusable food or beverage container in a substantially upright position and turn the container over to allow the container to drain during or after the washing cycle.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, one or more dryers are included to dry the interior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container at the end of the washing cycle.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the housing rotates around the chamber and wherein the access door, connected to the housing, receives unsanitized and unwashed reusable food or beverage container in a first position located on a first side of the chamber and rotates to a second position located on second side of the chamber to provide access to a sanitized and washed reusable food or beverage container. In some aspects, sliding members of the housing rotate around the chamber and wherein the sliding members provide an access door which receives unsanitized and unwashed reusable food or beverage container in a first position located on a first side of the chamber and rotate to a second position located on second side of the chamber to provide access to a sanitized and washed reusable food or beverage container. In some such aspects, the sliding members comprise nesting sliding members. In still further such aspects, the at least one UV light source is disposed on an inner surface of an innermost nesting sliding member.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the access door is locked during the sanitization and washing cycle and unlocked after the sanitization and washing cycle is complete. In aspects with a retrieval door, the retrieval door is also locked during the sanitization and washing cycle and unlocked after the sanitization and washing cycle is complete.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the access door automatically transitions from a closed state to an open state to receive a reusable food or beverage container. The automated transitioning can be in response to an activation signal provided by a button, switch or sensor. In certain aspects, the automated transitioning is performed in response to an RFID signal provided by an RFID tag provided in or on the reusable food or beverage container. In aspects with a retrieval door, the retrieval door can be similarly automated.
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the sanitizing and washing system further includes a second chamber inside the housing, a second access door, and at least one UV light source and at least one washing nozzle disposed within the second chamber. The second chamber inside the housing is sized, dimensioned, and configured to envelope a reusable food or beverage container. The second access door provides access to the second chamber when the second access door is in an open state and blocks access to the second chamber when the second access door is in a closed state. The at least one UV light source is configured to direct UV light at a predetermined intensity level and time duration onto a food or beverage container positioned inside the second chamber in such a way as to result in sanitizing of the exterior surfaces of the food or beverage container. The at least one washing nozzle is configured to spray cleaning fluid to wash the interior surfaces of the reusable food or beverage container positioned inside the second chamber. When the second access door is in the closed state, a sanitization and washing cycle is initiated using the UV light source and washing nozzle, and when the sanitization and washing cycle is complete, the second access door is moved to the open state.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method for sanitizing and washing a reusable food or beverage container is provided. The method includes providing a sanitizing and washing system as set forth herein, inserting an unsanitized and unwashed reusable food or beverage container into the chamber, initiating a sanitization and washing cycle sanitizing and washing the reusable food or beverage container, and retrieving the now sanitized and washed reusable food or beverage container from the chamber. In accordance with another embodiment, the method includes a dryer to dry the reusable food or beverage container at the end of a washing cycle. In some such embodiments, the dryer is configured to blow, vacuum, or wipe the cleaning fluid to dry the reusable food or beverage container.
These and other characteristics of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:
Illustrative embodiments of the present invention relate to preventing the spread of harmful germs during the process of reusing cups by utilizing a quick and compact sanitizing and washing system. The doors of a pass-through chamber of the system enable the customer to insert a used food or beverage container, such as a reusable food or beverage container, on the entry (“dirty”) side of the system, and the retail employee to remove the sanitized and washed food or beverage container from the exit (“clean”) side of the system without having to touch any other surface (doors, knobs, handles, etc.) than the food or beverage container itself. The system utilizes UV light sources to quickly sanitize the exterior surfaces of the food or beverage container, and a washing nozzle to spray cleaning fluid to wash the interior surfaces of the container.
The sanitizing and washing system 100 as seen in
In certain embodiments, the sanitizing and washing system 100 is sized and dimensioned to fit on a counter or table top. In some such embodiments, the sanitizing and washing system 100 is configured to be placed and operate on a service counter, or similar, at a food or beverage service location. As such, the sanitizing and washing system has similar dimensions as other countertop devices such as toaster ovens or coffee makers. For example, the sanitizing and washing system 100 may be about 12 inches tall by about 8 inches wide, by about 8 inches deep, or equivalent. In certain such deployments, at least one side of the sanitizing and washing system 100 is accessible from a “customer side” of the counter—that is the side of the service counter that a customer interacts with, while another side of the sanitizing and washing system 100 is accessible from the “employee side” of the counter—that is the side of the service counter that a retail employee interacts with. In certain embodiments, this allows the sanitizing and washing system 100 to act as a pass-through for the transfer of a reusable food or beverage container 108 from a customer to an employee without requiring handling of unsanitized containers 108 by the employee. Other sizes, dimensions, and configurations will be apparent to one skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure.
The example reusable food or beverage container sanitizing and washing system 100 depicted in the figures uses a beverage container for the description and figures merely for the purposes of teaching how the invention can be specifically implemented. However, those of skill in the art will readily appreciate that other food or beverage containers can be implemented in the system 100 described herein with modification to some of the components for the specific size, shape, and configuration of the containers, such that the present invention is intended to be universally applicable and operable for a variety of different food or beverage container configurations and is not limited to the specific beverage container shown and described. It should also be appreciated that for purposes of efficiency, the figures provided herewith depicting a beverage container and corresponding system are fully applicable to all possible food or beverage containers and corresponding systems. For the avoidance of doubt, references to the container 108 and corresponding system 100 herein are transferable to other food or beverage containers, such as but not limited to, pizza boxes, Asian food takeout containers, donut boxes, pastry boxes, to-go restaurant food containers, carbonated beverage cups, coffee cups, iced coffee cups, tea cups, water bottles, hot chocolate cups, other disposable food or beverage containers, and the like, which are considered to all fall within the scope of the present inventive system.
In some embodiments, the access door 103, as well as the retrieval door 104, to the chamber 102 can be automated to open and close automatically to eliminate the need to touch anything but the food or beverage container 108 itself when using the system 100. In some embodiments, the automatic opening and closing of the door(s) makes it possible to have a single access door 103, such as on the top of the housing 101, for both entry and exit, without the risk of spreading germs. In some such embodiments an identification device, such as an RFID tag, bar-code, QR code, or the like on or embedded within the container 108 is read by a reader of the sanitizing and washing system 100 and is used to unlock the access door 103 or retrieval door 104, automatically open the door 103, 104, or otherwise be used to initiate the sanitization and washing cycle of the device. In still other embodiments, the opening or closing of the doors 103, 104 or the initiation of a sanitization and washing cycle is actuated by a switch, button, motion sensor, or optical sensor. In some such embodiments, the action of placing the food or beverage container 108 into the chamber 102 actuates the switch, button, motion sensor, or optical sensor. Whether manually or automatically closed, the access door 103, as well as the retrieval door 104, can be locked during the sanitization and washing cycle as a safety precaution to prevent inadvertent UV exposure to a user. Conversely, there can be an automatic shut-off of the one or more UV light sources 106 and spray from the one or more washing nozzles 116 if the access door 103 or retrieval door 104 are opened before a sanitization and washing cycle is complete. In an embodiment of the invention, the access door 103 and retrieval door 104 are closed between cycles such that the at least one UV light source 106 and/or at least one washing nozzle 116 are used to sanitize and/or wash the interior surfaces of the chamber 102.
One of skill in the art will appreciate that the position of the washing nozzle 116, such as disposed in a fixed position below or substantially flush to the draining base 110 or conveyor 112, fixed in a position extending into the interior of the food or beverage container 108, or movable such that the washing nozzle 116 extends into the interior of the food or beverage container 108 when activated as previously described are applicable to all embodiments of the present invention in keeping with the spirit and scope of the invention. The washing nozzle 116 can be configured to provide the spray of cleaning fluid in a substantially consistent pattern, or can be configured to rotate or oscillate, such as by the force of the spray itself, to provide a dynamically changing spray pattern, as would be appreciated by one of skill in the art.
In embodiments of the invention, the cleaning fluid sprayed from the washing nozzle 116 is water to rinse and remove debris from the interior surfaces. In further embodiments, chemicals are mixed with or used in place of water to more effectively wash and sanitize, such as detergents, rinse aids, sanitizing chemicals, electrolyzed water and the like, as would be appreciated by one of skill in the art. In another embodiment, the cleaning fluid is heated to aid in the removal of debris and sanitization of the interior surfaces of the food or beverage container 108. In another embodiment, the cleaning fluid is heated to the boiling point such that the cleaning fluid is converted to steam to further aid in cleaning and sanitization. In a further embodiment, the steam is pressurized such that it can be heated beyond the boiling point of the cleaning fluid to further enhance the cleaning and sanitization. In another embodiment, mechanical washing means, such as a scrubbing, are used in combination with the cleaning fluid. In additional embodiments, the food or beverage container 108 can be comprised of specialized materials or coatings to enhance washability, such as self-cleaning coatings, hydrophobic coatings, and the like.
In some embodiments, container centering devices, such as the pivoting centering arms 114, shown in
Although all UV radiation, defined as electromagnetic energy with wavelengths from 100-400 nm, may be used for sanitizing, the UV-C range (100-280 nm) is by far the most effective for sanitizing. In particular, for sanitizing the surfaces of a food or beverage container 108, UV-C in the range of 260-280 nm provides the fastest and most effective sanitization. The amount of UV radiation required to achieve a desired level of sanitation is referred to herein as a Dose (typically units: mJ/cm2). The formula for a Dose can be expressed as the following: Dose=Intensity×Exposure Time. Wherein Intensity is the power per area of surface to be sanitized (typical unit: mW/cm2) and the Exposure Time is the time that the surface is exposed to UV light (typical unit: seconds). Intensity is dependent on the particular UV light being used. For simplicity, the power of the light (in mW) can be used, although in reality, things like lens, coatings, age of light source will affect power of light. But for any UV light (no matter the power or other factors), the intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance to the surface (inverse square law function). As such, the closer the light is to the surface, the time required is greatly reduced. For example, at half (½) the original distance, the intensity is quadrupled (4×) so the required time is one quarter (¼) of the original time required. Similarly, if the distance is reduced by half again to a quarter (¼) of the original distance, the intensity is quadrupled again making it sixteen times (16×) more intense, and the exposure time required is one-sixteenth ( 1/16) of the original time required. As such, the time required to sanitize the food or beverage container 108 using UV light is minimized by moving the at least one UV light source 106 in close proximity to the exterior surface. For the purpose of sanitizing a food or beverage container 108 to prevent the spread of germs in a retail environment, such as a coffee shop or cafe, a UV dose of 8 mJ/cm2 will eradicate more than 99% of common viruses and bacteria, such as SARS-COV-2, influenza A, E. coli, RSV, and salmonella. In some retail environments, a lower level of sanitization may be used, such as that provided by a UV dose as low as 4 mJ/cm2 to eradicate more than 90% of the viruses and bacteria previously listed. In other environments where there is an increased concern of the transfer of germs, a higher level of sanitization may be used, such as that provided by a UV dose as high or higher than 24 mJ/cm2 to eradicate more than 99.99% of the viruses and bacteria previously listed.
In one embodiment of the current invention shown in
It should be noted that any of the embodiments described herein can be alternatively embodied in fixed form. Specifically, and for example, looking at the embodiment depicted in
In accordance with example embodiments, the UV light source(s) 106 of the profiler 118 are mounted to multiple movable profiling members which can more accurately adjust to a variety of container profiles, such as the linear motion profiling members 122 shown in
Alternately, in certain embodiments where a standardized food or beverage container 108 is used, the profiler 118 (including members 120, 122, 124) or the chamber 102 itself can have a fixed shape or configuration that conforms to the dimensions of the standardized container 108, such that the one or more UV light sources 106 are in close proximity to the surface(s) of the standardized food or beverage container 108. This would simplify the system 100 as the profiler 118 would not require one or more sensors such as a vision system 125, proximity sensors, or stall sensors incorporated into the profiler 118 used to detect when the profiling arms contact the surface, then back off slightly.
In other embodiments, where the food or beverage container 108 is provided with an identification device, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, bar-code, QR code, or the like, the identification device can be used to identify the food or beverage container 108 including the type or shape of the container 108 such that the profiler 118, stabilizer 136, washing nozzle 116, and centering arms 114 can adjust to conform to the shape of the identified food or beverage container 108. In still other embodiments, the intensity, duration, or a combination of both of the sanitization and washing cycle can be adjusted to an optimized setting for the identified food or beverage container 108.
In accordance with example embodiments of the system 100, such as seen in
In example embodiments, where a minimum and maximum diameter of a food or beverage container 108 fall within a known range, the UV light source 106, is located in a fixed position on an interior side wall of the chamber 102, as shown in
In the same manner that the diameter of the food or beverage container determines the exposure time to the UV light source 106 when rotating on the rotation draining base 110 as previously described for
In accordance with an embodiment of the system 100 as shown in
As only the interior surfaces of the food or beverage container 108 get wet during the sanitization and washing cycle, it is generally not required to dry those surfaces prior to handling or use in order to minimize the duration of the sanitization and washing cycle and overall energy usage of the system. In some embodiments when drying or partial drying is desired, the use of one or more dryers 138 to provide heat or moving air or combination of both can be used as shown in
For retail locations where customers frequently make use of reusable food or beverage containers 108, the time required to achieve the appropriate level of sanitization and washing may be too long when high through-put, or no waiting time to load, is desired.
By having dual systems, such as the stacked systems as shown in
The computing device 1000 is merely an illustrative example of a suitable computing environment and in no way limits the scope of the present invention. An “electronic device”, “remote device,” or “personal electronic device” as represented in figures and description herein, can include a “workstation,” a “server,” a “laptop,” a “desktop,” a “hand-held device,” a “mobile device,” a “tablet computer,” a “processor,” or other computing devices, as would be understood by those of skill in the art. Given that the computing device 1000 is depicted for illustrative purposes, embodiments of the present invention may utilize any number of computing devices 1000 in any number of different ways to implement a single embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to a single computing device 1000, as would be appreciated by one with skill in the art, nor are they limited to a single type of implementation or configuration of the example computing device 1000.
The computing device 1000 can include a bus 1010 that can be coupled to one or more of the following illustrative components, directly or indirectly: a memory 1012, one or more processors 1014, one or more presentation components 1016, input/output ports 1018, input/output components 1020, and a power supply 1024. One of skill in the art will appreciate that the bus 1010 can include one or more busses, such as an address bus, a data bus, or any combination thereof. One of skill in the art additionally will appreciate that, depending on the intended applications and uses of a particular embodiment, multiple of these components can be implemented by a single device. Similarly, in some instances, a single component can be implemented by multiple devices. As such, the figures herein are merely illustrative of an exemplary computing device 1000 that can be used to implement one or more embodiments of the present invention, and in no way limits the invention.
The computing device 1000 can include or interact with a variety of computer-readable media. For example, computer-readable media can include Random Access Memory (RAM); Read Only Memory (ROM); Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM); flash memory or other memory technologies; CDROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical or holographic media; magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices that can be used to encode information and can be accessed by the computing device 1000.
The memory 1012 can include computer-storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. The memory 1012 may be removable, non-removable, or any combination thereof. Exemplary hardware devices are devices such as hard drives, solid-state memory, optical-disc drives, and the like. The computing device 1000 can include one or more processors that read data from components such as the memory 1012, the various I/O components 1020, etc. Presentation component(s) 1016 present data indications to a user or other device. Exemplary presentation components include a display device, speaker, printing component, vibrating component, etc.
The I/O ports 1018 can enable the computing or electronic device 1000 to be logically coupled to other devices, such as I/O components 1020. Some of the I/O components 1020 can be built into the computing device 1000. Examples of such I/O components 1020 include a sensor (including but not limited to: weight sensor, infrared sensor, camera, chemical sensor, microphone, or the like), keypad, touchpad, joystick, recording or storage device, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, printer, wireless device, networking device, and the like, as appropriate.
To any extent utilized herein, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” are intended to be construed as being inclusive, not exclusive. As utilized herein, the terms “exemplary”, “example”, and “illustrative”, are intended to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration” and should not be construed as indicating, or not indicating, a preferred or advantageous configuration relative to other configurations. As utilized herein, the terms “about” and “approximately” are intended to cover variations that may existing in the upper and lower limits of the ranges of subjective or objective values, such as variations in properties, parameters, sizes, and dimensions. In one non-limiting example, the terms “about” and “approximately” mean at, or plus 10 percent or less, or minus 10 percent or less. In one non-limiting example, the terms “about” and “approximately” mean sufficiently close to be deemed by one of skill in the art in the relevant field to be included. As utilized herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extend or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result, as would be appreciated by one of skill in the art. For example, an object that is “substantially” circular would mean that the object is either completely a circle to mathematically determinable limits, or nearly a circle as would be recognized or understood by one of skill in the art. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some instances depend on the specific context. However, in general, the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were achieved or obtained. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when utilized in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result, as would be appreciated by one of skill in the art.
Numerous modifications and alternative embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode for carrying out the present invention. Details of the structure may vary substantially without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and exclusive use of all modifications that come within the scope of the appended claims is reserved. Within this specification embodiments have been described in a way which enables a clear and concise specification to be written, but it is intended and will be appreciated that embodiments may be variously combined or separated without parting from the invention. It is intended that the present invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are to cover all generic and specific features of the invention described herein, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, co-pending U.S. Provisional Application 63/433,791, filed Dec. 20, 2022, for all subject matter common to both applications. The disclosure of said provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63433791 | Dec 2022 | US |
