Patent Grant
6837296
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to aspects of a barrier assembly protecting the edge of an elevated loading platform or mezzanine, where the loading platform is adapted to receive pallets of articles from an elevated load-in side of the loading platform, and where workers/handlers will remove the articles from a handling side of the loading platform. In particular, the barrier assembly provides a protective barrier on the load-in side of the loading platform when workers are removing articles from the handling side of the platform and also provides a barrier on the handling side of the loading platform when the articles are being loaded onto the platform by forklift trucks through the load-in side of the platform.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical distribution center or warehouse may include a plurality of elevated loading platforms or mezzanines that have openings on the load-in side of the loading platforms for receiving pallets of articles from forklift trucks, and that also have openings on the handling side of the loading platforms for facilitating removal of the loaded articles by workers. Even though the workers will typically remain clear from the load-in side of the loading platform while removing the articles therefrom, the openings from the load-in side of the loading platforms for receiving the pallets from the forklift trucks present a potential fall hazard for the workers. Furthermore, even though workers will typically remain clear from the loading platform while pallets are being loaded onto the platform by forklift trucks, openings into the loading platform during this operation present a potential fall hazard for the workers as well as a potential for injuries caused by the loading articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,264 discloses a safety gate assembly that includes first and second safety gates, each of which have rollers that are received within a pair of parallel, inverted U-shaped tracks. The safety gates are coupled together by cables, which are guided between the gates by pulleys positioned above the gates. When one of the safety gates is lifted (providing access to one side of the preselected area) the pulley assembly will operate so as to allow the second safety gate to be lowered into a position blocking entrance to the opposite side of the preselected area. Likewise, when the second safety gate is lifted so as to allow entrance to the preselected area, the cable and pulley assembly will operate so as to allow the first safety gate to be lowered again, thereby restricting entrance to the preselected area from its opposite position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,826, owned by the assignee of the present invention, discloses a safety assembly that includes a pair of parallel guide rails, each shaped generally as an inverted U; a first gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, where each roller is received within a respective one of the guide rails so that the first gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails; a second gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, where each roller is received within a respective one of the guide rails so that the second gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails; and at least one substantially rigid cross-bar pivotally connected between the first and second gate segments. The first gate segment is guided by the guide rails from a first barrier position in which it is positioned entirely within the front vertical portions of the guide rails to an open position in which it is positioned at least partially in the horizontal portion of the guide rails; and the second gate segment is guided by the guide rails from a second barrier position in which it is positioned entirely within the back vertical portions of the guide rails to an open position in which it is positioned at least partially in the horizontal portion of the guide rails. The cross-bar has a length which requires that when the first gate segment is in its barrier position the second gate segment will be in its open position, and vice-versa. Therefore, because the cross-bar is substantially rigid, it will restrict the first and second gate segments from being lifted simultaneously to their open positions.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a barrier assembly that provides a barrier on a handling side of an elevated loading platform when articles are being loaded onto the platform, through a load-in side of the platform, and provides two barriers on the load-in side of the elevated platform when articles are being removed from the loading platform through the handling side of the platform by workers. The two load-in side barriers include a standard personnel barrier and an additional toe plate barrier. Exemplary embodiments also include a barrier assembly that allows the position of the barriers to be locked while in their respective barrier position, thereafter to be unlocked and reciprocated. Exemplary embodiments also included a barrier assembly with motorized operation.
It is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting an edge of a loading platform that includes: a gate reciprocating between a barrier position approximate an edge of a loading platform and an open position away from the edge of the loading platform; and, a toe barrier mounted approximate the edge of the loading platform and operatively coupled to the primary gate to reciprocate between a barrier position, which provides a vertical barrier along a floor of the loading platform approximate the edge of the loading platform, and an open position, which substantially removes the vertical barrier, where the toe barrier is operatively coupled with the gate to reciprocate to its barrier position when the gate is in its barrier position and to reciprocate to its open position when the gate is in its open position.
It is a second aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting a loading platform, where the loading platform has a loading edge and a personnel entrance distal from and substantially parallel to the loading edge, and where the barrier assembly includes: a pair of parallel guide rails, each having a first substantially vertical portion, a second substantially vertical portion opposite the first substantially vertical portion and elevated substantially horizontal portions operatively between the first and second substantially vertical portions; a first gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, where each roller is received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the first gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails from an upper first-side barrier position in which the first gate segment is positioned within the first substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to a first-side open position in which the first gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; and, a toe barrier spanning at least a portion of the distance between lower ends of the first substantially vertical portions of the guide rails, operative to arrive at a lower first-side barrier position, below the upper first-side barrier position, while the first gate segment is approximate its upper first-side barrier position, and operative to return to an open position while the first gate segment is approximate its first-side open position.
It is a third aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting an edge of a loading platform that includes: a barrier reciprocating along at least one rail between a barrier position approximate an edge of a loading platform and an open barrier position away from the edge of the loading platform; and an automatic lock operative to maintain the barrier in its barrier position.
It is a fourth aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting a loading platform, where the loading platform has a loading edge and a personnel entrance distal from and substantially parallel to the loading edge, and where the barrier assembly includes: a pair of parallel guide rails, each having a first substantially vertical portion, a second substantially vertical portion opposite the first substantially vertical portion and elevated substantially horizontal portions extending from the first and second substantially vertical portions; a first gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, each roller being received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the first gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails from a barrier position in which the first gate segment is positioned within the first substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to an open position in which the first gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; a second gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, each roller being received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the second gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails from a barrier position in which the second gate segment is positioned within the second substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to an open position where the second gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; a connector operatively coupling the first gate segment and the second gate segment, such that the first gate segment is in the open position when the second gate segment is in the barrier position, and vice versa; and, an automatic lock operative to lock the first gate segment in its barrier position and to lock the second gate segment in its open position upon the first and second gate segments arriving in said respective barrier and open positions.
It is a fifth aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting a loading platform, where the loading platform has a loading edge and a personnel entrance distal from and substantially parallel to the loading edge, and where the barrier assembly includes: a pair of parallel guide rails, each having a first substantially vertical portion, a second substantially vertical portion opposite the first substantially vertical portion and elevated substantially horizontal portions extending from the first and second substantially vertical portions; a first gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, where each roller is received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the first gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails from a barrier position in which the first gate segment is positioned within the first substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to an open position in which the first gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; a second gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, where each roller is received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the second gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails from a barrier position in which the second gate segment is positioned within the second substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to an open position where the second gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; a coupling assembly operatively coupling the first gate segment and the second gate segment, such that the first gate segment is in the open position when the second gate segment is in the barrier position, and vice versa; and, a motorized drive system operatively coupled to the first gate segment, the second gate segment and/or the coupling assembly to provide automated reciprocation between the barrier and open positions of the first and second gate segments.
It is a sixth aspect of the present invention to provide a method for protecting an edge of an elevated mezzanine, having an elevated loading-side edge and a pick-side, where the method includes the steps of: providing a pick-side barrier that reciprocates between an open position and a barrier position in a pick-side opening, and a loading-side barrier that reciprocates between an open position and a barrier position in a loading-side opening, where the two barriers are operatively coupled such that when the pick-side barrier is in its open position the loading-side barrier is in its barrier position, and when the pick-side barrier is in its barrier position, the loading-side barrier is in its open position; traveling the loading-side barrier to its barrier position and the pick-side barrier to its open position; and, substantially simultaneous to the traveling step, automatically erecting a toe barrier along the floor approximate the loading-side edge.
It is a seventh aspect of the present invention to provide a method for protecting an edge of an elevated mezzanine, having an elevated loading-side edge and a pick-side, where the method includes the steps of: providing a pick-side barrier along at least one rail reciprocating between an open position and a barrier position in a pick-side opening, and a loading-side barrier reciprocating between an open position and a barrier position in a loading-side opening, the two barriers being operatively coupled such that when the pick-side barrier is in its open position the loading-side barrier is in its barrier position, and when the pick-side barrier is in its barrier position, the loading-side barrier is in its open position; traveling the loading-side barrier to its closed position and the pick-side barrier to its open position; and, locking the loading-side barrier in its closed position and the pick-side barrier in its open position during or after the traveling step.
It is an eighth aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting an edge of a loading platform comprising: a gate reciprocating between a barrier position approximate an edge of a loading platform and an open position away from the edge of the loading platform; a toe barrier mounted approximate the edge of the loading platform and operatively coupled to the primary gate to reciprocate between a barrier position, which provides a vertical barrier along a floor of the loading platform approximate the edge of the loading platform, and an open position, which substantially removes the vertical barrier; and, a means for operatively coupling the toe barrier with the gate to reciprocate the toe barrier to its barrier position when the gate is in its barrier position and to reciprocate the toe barrier to its open position when the gate is in its open position.
It is a ninth aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting a loading platform, the loading platform having a loading edge and a personnel entrance distal from and substantially parallel to the loading edge, the barrier assembly comprising: a pair of parallel guide rails, each having a first substantially vertical portion, a second substantially vertical portion opposite the first substantially vertical portion and an elevated substantially horizontal portion operatively interconnecting the first and second substantially vertical portions; a first gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, each roller being received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the first gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails, the first gate segment being guided by the pair of guide rails from an upper first-side barrier position in which the first gate segment is positioned within the first substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to a first-side open position in which the first gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; and, a toe barrier spanning at least a portion of the distance between lower ends of the first substantially vertical portions of the guiding means; and, a means for positioning the toe barrier at a lower first-side barrier position, below the upper first-side barrier position, while the first gate segment is approximate its upper first-side barrier position, and to return to the toe barrier to an open position while the first gate segment is approximate its first-side open position.
It is a tenth aspect of the present invention to provide a method A barrier assembly for protecting an edge of a loading platform comprising: a barrier reciprocating along at least one rail between a barrier position approximate an edge of a loading platform and an open barrier position away from the edge of the loading platform; and, a means for locking the barrier in at least one of its barrier position and its open position.
It is an eleventh aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting a loading platform, the loading platform having a loading edge and a personnel entrance distal from and substantially parallel to the loading edge, the barrier assembly comprising: a pair of parallel guide rails, each having a first substantially vertical portion, a second substantially vertical portion opposite the first substantially vertical portion and elevated substantially horizontal portions extending from the first and second substantially vertical portions; a first gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, each roller being received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the first gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails, the first gate segment being guided by the pair of guide rails from a barrier position in which the first gate segment is positioned within the first substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to an open position in which the first gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; a second gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, each roller being received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the second gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails, the second gate segment being guided by the pair of guide rails from a barrier position in which the second gate segment is positioned within the second substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to an open position where the second gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; a means for operatively coupling the first gate segment and the second gate segment, wherein the first gate segment is in the open position when the second gate segment is in the barrier position, and vice versa; and, a means for operatively locking the first gate segment in its barrier position and to lock the second gate segment in its open position upon the first and second gate segments arriving in their respective barrier and open positions.
It is a twelfth aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting a loading platform, the loading platform having a loading edge and a personnel entrance distal from and substantially parallel to the loading edge, the barrier assembly comprising: a pair of parallel guide rails, each having a first substantially vertical portion, a second substantially vertical portion opposite the first substantially vertical portion and elevated substantially horizontal portions extending from the first and second substantially vertical portions; a first gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, each roller being received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the first gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails, the first gate segment being guided by the pair of guide rails from a barrier position in which the first gate segment is positioned within the first substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to an open position in which the first gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; a second gate segment having at least one pair of rollers positioned on opposite lateral sides thereof, each roller being received by a respective one of the guide rails so that the second gate segment is guided by the pair of guide rails, the second gate segment being guided by the pair of guide rails from a barrier position in which the second gate segment is positioned within the second substantially vertical portions of the pair of guide rails to an open position where the second gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the pair of guide rails; a means for operatively coupling the first gate segment and the second gate segment, wherein the first gate segment is in the open position when the second gate segment is in the barrier position, and vice versa; and, a motorized means for reciprocating least one of the first gate segment, the second gate segment and the coupling assembly to provide automated reciprocation between the barrier and open positions of the first and second gate segments.
It is a thirteenth aspect of the present invention to provide a barrier assembly for protecting a loading platform, the loading platform having a loading edge and a personnel entrance distal from and substantially parallel to the loading edge, the barrier assembly comprising: a means for guiding gate segments having a first substantially vertical portion, a second substantially vertical portion opposite the first substantially vertical portion and an elevated substantially horizontal portion operatively between the first and second substantially vertical portions; a first gate segment having means for mounting the guide means to the first gate segment so that the first gate segment is guided by the guide means from an upper first-side barrier position in which the first gate segment is positioned within the first substantially vertical portions of the guide means to a first-side open position in which the first gate segment is positioned at least partially within the substantially horizontal portions of the guide means; a toe barrier spanning at least a portion of the distance between lower ends of the first substantially vertical portions of the guiding means; and, a means for positioning the toe barrier at a lower first-side barrier position, below the upper first-side barrier position, while the first gate segment is approximate its upper first-side barrier position, and to return to the toe barrier to an open position while the first gate segment is approximate its first-side open position.
Other aspects and advantages of the disclosed inventions will be apparent from the following description, the appended claims and the attached drawings.
It is to be understood that the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention are exemplary in nature and shall not constitute limitations upon the invention. Although certain aspects of the exemplary embodiments are shown in more detail, some features of the embodiments that may not be directly relevant to the invention may have been omitted for the sake of clarity and brevity.
Referring to
As shown in
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Referring specifically to
Following from the above description, it will be appreciated that the toe plate mechanism 82 operates with the barrier assembly substantially as follows: As shown in
As shown in
The barrier position of the toe barrier may be perpendicular to the floor or may be at any angle sufficient to inhibit lateral movement along the floor and toward the edge of the loading platform 62. Further, the toe barrier plate 84 may be hinged with the base plate 86 or with the floor as an operative method of use and installation. As the load-in side gate 76 is reciprocated to its open position, the toe plate mechanism 82 returns to its position as shown in
It has been found that the automatic toe barrier mechanism 82 described above is useful, for example, to block the wheels of manual lifts, used by workers to remove pallets deposited onto the loading platform 62 by fork-lifts, preventing the wheels from rolling below the loading side gate 76 and possibly off the edge of the loading platform 62.
As shown in
Referencing
As shown in
As discussed above, the power actuator 130 may be an electromechanical actuator operatively coupled to a hydraulic, pneumatic or electromagnetic cylinder and piston; or may be a servo motor actuator operatively coupled to a rotary device without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Likewise, the toe board 120 is shown as matching the contour of the mezzanine 122, however, the precise orientation of the toe board to match the precise contour of the mezzanine 122 on two surfaces is not critical to the novelty of the present invention. Further, while the toe board 120 has been explained as being oriented perpendicular with the floor of the mezzanine 122 while in its barrier position, the relative position of the toe board 120 to the floor does not necessitate a perpendicular orientation. The barrier 116 is operative if it inhibits lateral movement along the floor of the mezzanine. This inhibition may be accomplished by utilizing angles of less than 90 degrees when comparing the orientation of the toe board 120 to the floor.
As shown in
The lock assembly 142 is mounted to a structural support 146 and includes a pair of cams 148 positioned within the path or point of travel of the handling side gate 78″, approximate the open position of the handling side gate 78″. Upon reciprocation of the handling side gate 78″ from its barrier position to its open position, the handling side gate 78″ will be captured by the recess 160 of the lock assembly 142. The pair of cams 148 pivot on a cylindrical shaft 150 having a torsion spring 152 coupled thereto to bias the cams 148 upwardly into the path of the handling side gate 78″. The cams 148 are spaced apart by braces 154. When the handling side gate 78″ is being reciprocated from its barrier to open position, an upper rail 156 of the handling side gate 78″ abuts and thereafter rides upon the leading-edge, upper angled surfaces 144 of the cams 148. The spring-biased nature of the lock 142 allows the cams 148 to be displaced downwardly as the upper rail 156 passes thereover, but maintains contact between the cams 148 and the upper rail 156. As the upper rail 156 continues to slide over the cams 148, the bias of the lock is overcome, thereby continuing to apply a downward force upon the cam until the handling gate passes over a crest 158 at the top of the leading-edge, upper angled surface 144 of the cams 148 and falls into the trailing recess 160. After the upper rail 156 passes over the crest 158, the bias of the torsion spring 152 pushes the recess 160 upward to abut and capture the upper rail 156. This recess 160 substantially limits the movement of the handling side gate 78″ back to its barrier position. Also, the shock absorbers or other stops (not shown) contacting the load-in side gate 76″ limit further movement of the handling side gate 78″ beyond its open position. Therefore, this recess 160 effectively locks the handling side gate 78″ in its open position and the load-in side gate 76″ in its barrier position.
The lock assembly 142 may be unlocked by pulling on a cable 162 (using a handle 164 attached to the end of the cable at the handling side of the barrier assembly). The cable 162 is threaded through a series of pulleys 166 and is coupled to the cams 148 at a coupling point 168 so that the cable pulls on the cams (when the handle 164 is pulled) and causes the cams 148 to pivot downwardly on the shaft 150, thereby overcoming the bias of the lock and releasing the upper rail 156 from the recess 160. This enables the handling side gate 78″ to return in the direction toward its barrier position. As the lock 142 is spring-biased to the locking position, the locking feature will be automatically enabled again upon reciprocation of the load-in side gate 76″ to its barrier position.
By positioning the unlocking handle 164 on the handling side of the barrier assembly, it is desired in this exemplary embodiment that personnel unlocking of the lock assembly 118 should not be able do so approximate the load-in side 68″, but be positioned on the handling side 72″ or outside of the loading area 60″. By positioning the handle 164 in such a manner, this exemplary embodiment limits the ability of a single operator to defeat the lock and open the loading-side gate 76″ while in the loading area or near the load-in side opening.
Referencing
Referring specifically to
Referring
Referring specifically to
By positioning the unlocking foot actuator (not shown) on the handling side 72″′ of the barrier assembly 178, it is desired in this exemplary embodiment that personnel unlocking of the lock assembly 180 should not be able do so approximate the load-in side gate 76″′, but be positioned on the handling side 72″′ or outside of the loading area 60″′. By positioning the foot actuator in such a manner, this exemplary embodiment limits the ability of a single operator to defeat the lock and open the loading-side gate 76″′ while in the loading area or near the loading-side gate 76″′.
Referencing
Referring specifically to
Referencing
It is to be understood that while the above exemplary locking mechanisms have made reference to a foot pedal, a pull cord, a button or an actuator to unlock the locking mechanisms, other devices are contemplated for use in the present invention such as simple remote controls in motorized applications and equivalents of manual disengagement.
Referencing
Citing
As discussed above, the power actuator 250 may also be a servo motor actuator operatively coupled to a rotary device without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Likewise, the precise orientation of the bolt 262 inhibiting the movement of the rollers 258 along the rail 256 is not critical to the novelty of the present invention. Further, while the bolt 262 has been explained as being oriented perpendicularly to the line of travel of the rollers 258, the relative position of the bolt 262 to the rollers 258 does not necessitate a perpendicular orientation as the locking feature is simply brought about by inhibiting movement of the rollers 258 in at least a single direction. Orienting the bolt other than perpendicular or at a 90 degree angle may also bring about this inhibition.
It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that while some of the aforementioned explanations do not make reference to the position of a load-in side gate 76″, 76″′, 76″″ in relation to the position of the handling side gate 78″, 78″′, 78″″, the handling side gate is in its open position when the load-in side gate 76″, 76″′, 76″″ is in its closed position, and vice versa.
Referencing
In this exemplary embodiment, the motorized drive assembly 272 includes a drive track, such as a belt 282, driven by a motor 278 to reciprocate a coupling assembly 284 back and forth along a track. The coupling assembly is mounted to a bar 285 extending laterally between parallel segments of the segmented cross bar, which is in turn coupled between the load-in side gate 76* and the handling side gate 78*. The motor 278, controlled by the control panel 280, is operative to move the gates between their respective barrier and open positions by driving the coupling assembly 284 back and forth along the drive track. The control panel 280 is positioned, in this embodiment, approximate the handling side of the barrier assembly. It is desired with this embodiment that when the load-in side gate 76* is in its barrier position and the handling side gate 78 is in its open position, the gates will only be able to be driven by the motor back to their respective open and barrier positions upon manual activation of a control panel 280 control. Thus, the motorized drive assembly 272 acts to lock the barrier assembly when the load-in side gate 76* is in its barrier position and the handling side gate 78* is in its open position as with the various embodiments discussed above.
It should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the components or methods of the above motorized drive assembly may be replaced without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, the coupling assembly 214 could be mounted to the load-in side gate 76* or the handling side gate 78* or may be mounted to a cable coupled between the gate segments if a cable-pulley coupling is used instead of the cross-bar couplings. Also, the drive track may be a chain, cables or other article that helps facilitate reciprocation of the coupling assembly 214 and, in turn, the load-in side gate 76* and the handling side gate 78*.
Referencing
It is further within the scope and spirit of the present invention to provide one or more guide rails for the gates of the present invention to travel. Additionally, it is also within the scope and spirit of the present invention to provide tubular rails, T-shaped rails, I-shaped rails or virtually any other rail configuration enabling guidance to the rollers and/or gates.
It is yet a further aspect of the present invention that the cross-bars or connectors 80, 80″, utilized between the gate segments may be segmented and pivotally connected, as well as utilizing cables and pulleys to connect the gate segments. It is also within the scope and spirit of the present invention to place stops or shock absorbers at each bottom portion of the guide rails to limit downward movement of the associated gate segments to their respective barrier positions.
It will also be within the scope of the present invention to combine any of the various embodiments (or any aspects from the various embodiments) described herein as desired.
Following from the above description and invention summaries, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that, while the methods and apparatuses herein described constitute exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the inventions contained herein are not limited to these precise embodiments and that changes may be made to them without departing from the scope of the inventions as defined by the claims. Additionally, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it not intended that any limitations or elements describing the exemplary embodiments set forth herein are to be incorporated into the meanings of the claims unless such limitations or elements are explicitly listed in the claims. Likewise, it is to be understood that it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of any claims, since the invention is defined by the claims and since inherent and/or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040093798 A1 | May 2004 | US |
