Patent Application
20250075743
This application claims the benefit of Canadian Patent Application No. 3,210,448, filed Aug. 28, 2023. The entire content of the above-referenced application is hereby incorporated by reference.
This invention relates to an anti-tip system for use with movable storage structures including home furniture designed for Ready To Assemble (RTA) furniture (i.e., packed flat in a box for assembly by the consumer). A DIY (do it yourself) assembly for installation of a single piece assembly in a storage structure such as a furniture kit is also provided. A kit for manufacturing single piece assemblies of the anti-tip system is also included. The invention further includes tamper resistant features to inhibit risks of furniture (or other storage units) tipping over and injuring customers and their children.
The following is a brief overview of certain embodiments and aspects of the invention. This overview should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention or possible modifications, substitutions or variants which are not expressly mentioned in this overview but would be understood by persons skilled in the art upon reading the entirety of this application.
There is a need for easily assembled furniture and other storage units which may be used by or encountered by children and other users. There is also a need for DIY easily assembled furniture having anti-tip features.
In one embodiment, the invention includes a tamper resistant anti-tip system for use in a storage structure, the system comprising a tamper resistant closed single piece assembly. The storage structure may have 2 or more retractable compartments (for example, drawers) comprising a first retractable compartment and a second retractable compartment. In this aspect, the system comprises the following features.
In a single piece assembly of the present invention a track is configured for secure attachment when installed within an optional mounting recess provided on an inside side wall of the storage unit. In other variants, the single piece assembly may be configured for mounting on a smooth surfaced inside wall, or an elevated surface on an inside wall, of a storage unit depending on the clearance space between the inside wall and an associated movable storage compartment (for example, a drawer).
An inner side wall includes an inner left side wall, an inner right side wall and an inner rear side wall. An “inner left side” may mean the inner left side when looking at the front of the storage structure, into an opening when a storage compartment, for example, a drawer is opened. The inner right side may mean the inner side of the storage structure which is opposite the inner left side. The inner rear side wall extends between the inner left side wall and the inner right side wall. The inner rear side wall is visible at the back of the interior of the storage structure when a storage compartment is opened. Persons skilled in the art will understand that the available choices for locating the placement of the single piece assembly and the mounting recess will depend on various considerations. For example, choosing a preferred type and location of a mounting recess may depend on the size and placement of the storage compartments, spatial limitations for mounting the single piece assembly on a particular inner side wall, the type of slides supporting the storage compartments and their locations, the preferred choice of materials, and other considerations.
A stack of at least N number of aligned sliding bars comprising at least N−1 number of sliding bars are configured to slide along the track when installed within the track of the single piece assembly. The single piece assembly includes cammed levers acting on drawer slides associated with movable drawers, when the single piece assembly is secured within the mounting recess or other mounting feature provided in the storage unit. The stack of at least N sliding bars includes a first sliding bar associated for selective opening and closing operation with the first retractable compartment and a second sliding bar associated for selective opening and closing operation with the second retractable compartment. It will be understood that the numbers N and N−1 sliding bars are the minimum number of bars needed to span the operational distance within opposing ends of the single piece assembly. In some embodiments more than one bar may be used to span a distance along the track that could be spanned by a single bar.
A sliding bar segment is configured to slide along the track between a fixed first plug and a second movable plug displaced by an affected sliding bar segment. The sliding bar segment is configured to abut against the first sliding bar when all of the retractable compartments are closed.
The system is configured to allow displacement of one or more of the aligned sliding bars along the track limited to a displacement distance defined by a gap between the fixed first plug and the movable second plug when all of the retractable compartments are closed. The gap is closed when one of the storage compartments is opened and the other retractable compartments are inhibited from opening at the same time.
Each of the retractable storage compartments is configured for opening and closing movement along retractable slides. Each slide defines a first linear wall having a riser extending outwardly from the first linear wall. The riser also extends outwardly in parallel along the track. The gap is defined by a displacement distance comprising a displacement increment corresponding to the height of the slide measured at a top of the first linear wall and the distance between the top of the first linear wall and a top of the riser. The gap may also include an increment based on an aggregate of manufacturing tolerances.
The furniture manufacturer designs and positions the hole (size, shape & location) in the furniture side panel to accommodate an aggregate of manufacturing tolerances in all of the components of a furniture unit.
In another embodiment, the invention includes a tamper resistant anti-tip system configured as a single assembly for installation and use in a storage structure. The system may be configured for secure attachment within a mounting recess in an interior sidewall of the storage structure. The storage structure may have 2 or more retractable compartments comprising a first retractable compartment and a second retractable compartment.
In this embodiment, the system comprises the following elements.
A track may be configured as a component within a closed single piece assembly to be secured within the mounting recess. In a preferred embodiment in which the single piece assembly including the track component are secured within the mounting recess. Mounting features may be provided for securing the single piece assembly in alignment with the drawer slides supporting the retractable drawers. Preferably, when the cabinet slide members are secured to the cabinet inside wall, the single piece assemblies are secured in place for proper alignment with the drawer slides. One or more fasteners including other securing features (for example, suitable adhesives, two sided tape) may be used to secure the single piece assembly within the mounting recess. In some aspects, the single piece assembly may be configured to interact with features on an associated interior side wall to fasten the single piece assembly to the storage unit (for example, by snap fit, press fit, or slide fit interaction).
A stack of N−1 aligned sliding bars is configured to slide along the track when the single piece assembly is installed in the storage structure. The stack of sliding bars comprises a first sliding bar associated for selective opening and closing operation with the first retractable compartment and a second sliding bar associated for selective opening and closing operation with the second retractable compartment.
A sliding bar segment abutting against the first sliding bar when the system is installed and all of the retractable compartments are closed. The sliding bar segment is configured to slide along the track between a first plug and a second plug positioned between the first plug and the sliding bar segment. The first plug may be adjustably secured at a first closed end of the track. The second plug may be biased to separate the second plug and the stack of sliding bars from the first plug while the first plug abuts against a second closed end of the track to form a gap between the first plug and the second plug when all of the retractable compartments are closed.
The system is configured to allow displacement of one or more of the aligned sliding bars along the track limited to a displacement distance defined by the gap between the first plug and the second plug when all of the retractable compartments are closed, and the gap is closed when one of the storage compartments is opened.
When the system is installed in the storage structure, each of the retractable storage compartments is configured for selectively opening and closing movement along retractable slides associated with the retractable storage compartments. Each slide defines a first linear wall having a riser atop the first linear wall. The gap is defined by a displacement distance comprising a displacement increment corresponding to the distance between a top of the first linear wall and a top of the riser.
In another aspect, a tamper resistant anti-tip system is configured as a single piece assembly for installation and use in a storage structure. The system is configured for secure attachment within a mounting recess in an inner sidewall of the storage structure. The storage structure includes a first retractable compartment and a second retractable compartment. The system includes the following elements for installation within the storage structure.
A partially enclosed or closed single piece assembly, comprising a track, is configured for secure attachment within the mounting recess using, for example, a single fastener to an inside side wall of the storage structure. Preferably, the single piece assembly comprising the track is closed at a first end and at a second end opposite the first end.
A stack of N−1 aligned sliding bars is configured to slide within the track when installed in the storage structure. The stack of sliding bars comprises a first sliding bar associated for selective opening and closing operation with the first retractable compartment and a second sliding bar associated for selective opening and closing operation with the second retractable compartment.
A sliding bar segment is configured to abut against the second plug to compress the gap and to abut against the first sliding bar when one of the storage compartments in the storage structure is opened. The sliding bar segment is configured to slide along the track and opening the gap between a first plug and a second plug when the storage compartment is opened. The first plug may be adjustably secured adjacent a first closed end of the track and the second plug wherein the second plug is biased to separate the second plug and the stack of sliding bars from the first plug and the second plug is biased to abut the stack of sliding bars against a second closed end of the track when all of the storage compartments are closed.
The system is configured to allow displacement of one or more of the aligned sliding bars along the track wherein the displacement is limited to a displacement distance defined by the gap between the first plug and the second plug when all of the retractable compartments are closed, and the gap is closed (for example, compressed) when one of the storage compartments is opened.
The gap is defined in part by a displacement distance comprising a displacement increment corresponding to the distance between a top of the first linear wall of a retractable slide and a top of the riser extending upwardly from the top of the first linear wall. The gap may be based on a second increment corresponding to an aggregate of manufacturing tolerances.
Where the gap may be increased, the length of the tip of each levered cam associated with a leading edge of a retractable slide may be increased so that the tip is of sufficient length to inhibit opening of the unopened associated storage compartments when another storage compartment is opened.
Alternatively, a single piece assembly may be provided with a range of selectable mounting positions within a mounting recess, so that the single piece assembly may be positioned in an optimal location for optimal engagement between each cammed lever and its corresponding leading edge of an associated storage compartment.
In a preferred embodiment, each sliding bar supports a levered cam having a cam tip which engages the leading edge of the associated retractable slide when the associated storage compartment is closed and the cam tip disengages from the leading edge when the storage compartment is moved to the open position.
A leading edge may be provided on an outwardly projecting activation contact as an engagement structure, for example an outwardly projecting surface on an abutment extending from a side wall of the drawer. The leading edge may be configured as an add-on dummy drawer slide attachment or other outwardly projecting activation contact for use with storage compartments without side-mounted drawer slides. Suitable outwardly projecting activation contacts may be pins, flanges, brackets, or other add-on abutment structures (including abutment structures on a rear facing wall of a storage compartment) that may be used to create a leading edge for an associated storage compartment where, for example, side mounted drawer slides are not provided in the storage structure.
In the preferred embodiments, the storage structure, for example a cabinet, dresser, end tables, or any furniture item with multiple drawers, the furniture manufacturer will provide a mounting recess in the side wall panel with a router or other machinery. The mounting recess may be configured with a feature to ensure that the single piece assembly is secured in a predetermined location within the mounting recess.
The mounting recess may be configured in different features and provided in different locations within the storage structure. By way of example, the mounting recess may be configured as a mounting channel within one or more brackets mounted on the surface of an inner side wall of the storage structure where adequate space is available. Such an arrangement may be particularly useful in applications where storage compartments are movable on undermounted slides and adequate mounting space is available along the rear inner side wall of a storage structure. In some embodiments, the brackets or other mounting features may be mounted on the rear inner side walls of the storage structure so that the single piece assembly and the cammed levers operate in a plane perpendicular to the rear inner side wall and the rear outer side wall of the storage compartment. In the preferred embodiments, the single piece assembly and the cammed levers will be configured for installation so that only one of the cammed levers (and the associated sliding bars) will be activated, and the gap will be closed, when one storage compartment is moved outwardly from within the storage structure, while retaining the other storage compartments in the closed position.
In addition, in many embodiments utilizing drawer slides, the location of the drawer slides will be moved back (toward the rear of the cabinet away from previously, common placement adjacent the front of the cabinet) to provide sufficient room for the cam lever to work. It is possible in some embodiments to hold the self contained single piece assembly snugly in place within the mounting recess by the closely positioned drawer slides, without additional screws. However, in a preferred embodiment, a single screw extending through a preformed hole in the track and into a predrilled screw hole may be used in DIY applications to position and secure the self contained assembly in the preferred location This configuration may apply when a top plug locating pin is not used. Furthermore, the configuration of the mounting recess may be sized to provide a suitable fit for the single piece assembly when that complete assembly is installed within the mounting recess. For example, the mounting recess may be configured for a slide fit, snug fit, snap fit, other fitting with the single piece assembly when the assembly is inserted.
In a preferred embodiment, the first and second plugs are biased to separate with a spring to form a gap G when the drawers are closed (and closing the gap when a single drawer is retracted), and the plugs are held in place within the track abutting against a stacked array including a sliding bar segment, N number of sliding bars of which N−1 sliding bars are configured to slide within the track across a distance equal to the gap, and preferably one sliding bar at an opposite terminal end of the track remains stationary. When a single drawer is retracted to an opened position, a cammed lever on an associated drawer slide is opened, causing the sliding bar segment and the second plug to move toward the first plug, to compress the gap when the drawer is open and to prevent other drawers from opening at the same time.
In another preferred aspect, the contents within the partially enclosed track may be held in position by a top block locating pin to create a gap distance “Y” and limit the displacement of the contents of the track assembly when a drawer is opened (so that the first plug, comprising the top block, and the second plug are moved together in abutment to close the gap G to prevent other drawers from opening).
Preferably, the distance “Y” will also include aggregate manufacturing tolerances of the furniture manufacturer. That is, in some instances, the gap G may be varied by adjustment, for example, increased, above the dimension of the slide member to allow the cammed lever to open sufficiently and permit withdrawal of the selected drawer, when needed. By way of another example, if the furniture manufacturer locates the slides or a mounting feature incorrectly (for example, a pin hole or preformed recess provided in the mounting recess), the “Y” dimension must be preserved or varied, as needed, to accommodate withdrawal of one selected drawer while preventing withdrawal of other drawers within the stacked array.
In a preferred embodiment, the cammed lever may be held upwardly in an open position because of the friction with an abutting cam follower, for example a detent, associated with that cammed lever, when the drawer is withdrawn. Preferably, when the withdrawn drawer is reinserted, the user will trip the lever downwardly to a fully closed position, in alignment with the leading edge of the associated drawer slide, prior to fully closing the associated drawer. Until the withdrawn drawer is fully reinserted into the cabinet, the assembly inhibits the other drawers from being opened.
In another embodiment of the invention in which the drawers in a multi drawer storage unit are not opened or closed by utilizing slides, the single piece system assembly may be associated for activation by “dummy slide profiles” applied to the drawers so that they may provide leading edge profiles to interact with the cammed levers of the single piece system assembly of the present invention. For example, furniture arrangements without side-mounted slides, undermount slides or wood furniture without slides may be fitted with “dummy slide profiles” on the sides of such drawers, each dummy slide profile defining a leading edge profile to engage with an associated cammed lever included in the single piece system assembly. The leading edge profile may be configured to be equivalent in height to a typical Euro drawer slide, and to activate the associated cammed lever and to displace the sliding bar assembly to close the gap, in a manner similar to the interaction created by an actual Euro drawer slide in a typical multi drawer cabinet. That is, both an actual Euro drawer slide and a dummy slide profile would present the same leading edge profile related to the size and operation of the gap.
Similarly, a mounting recess may be provided within an interior side wall of such a storage structure to receive the single piece system assembly between the vertical array of the dummy slide profiles and the adjacent wall of the single piece system assembly of the invention. In these arrangements, the furniture manufacturer may provide a dummy slide profile to each drawer by adding a strip of wood or other material to selectively interact with the cammed levers of the single piece system assembly in a manner similar to an interaction with a typical drawer slide, thereby providing the anti-tip feature to a stacked array of such alternative drawers. In place of the strip of wood, a pin may also be used although in this case the system becomes resettable. A child could then reach in the drawer and reset the cam lever thereby allowing an additional drawer to be opened. The mounting recess in the sidewall could also be moved away from the front of the cabinet (towards the rear) and in these cases a second pin or other shaped activator will be required to return the cam lever to the closed position when the associated drawer is closed.
In some aspects of the invention, an additional locking mechanism may be incorporated for use with the single piece system assembly, to inhibit unauthorized opening of one or more of the drawers in the stacked array of drawers. For example, a keyed lock mechanism may be provided to restrain the first and second plugs in the separated position, to maintain the gap, and thus prevent unauthorized opening of any of the drawers associated with the single piece system assembly.
Persons skilled in the art will understand that the system, including the single piece system assembly of the present invention may provide one or more benefits to manufacturers and to end users such as consumers of DIY furniture kits.
Some of the advantages of the present invention may include, with some embodiments, premanufactured single piece system assembles which do not require the use of fasteners including screws or complicated instructions or steps to correctly assemble a functioning furniture piece with the desired anti-tip features. For example, a single piece stem assembly may be inserted into place for a snug and properly aligned position within a mounting recess provided within an interior side wall of the furniture unit.
A simplified procedure for assembly of the furniture kits is particularly important in the ready-to-assemble and DIY furniture markets exemplified by big box stores and other retailers. It is desirable that a customer cannot install the anti-tip mechanism incorrectly when they assemble the DIY furniture, and especially children's furniture, for use within the home.
Another aspect of the invention provides a kit for manufacturing a range of single piece assemblies from components selected from groups of components having predetermined configurations, sizes, choices in materials, and to meet other specifications which may be set by their customers. These kits may be used by manufacturers to assemble and sell a range of anti-tip systems incorporating varying product types of the single piece assemblies of the present invention, for example as described further below.
Another desirable benefit includes configuring the single piece assembly so that it is not resettable by tampering with any of the internal features of a properly installed assembly when one drawer is opened. For example, a child cannot simply reach inside the opened drawer and flip the associated cammed lever or tamper with any of the other cammed levers to overcome the anti-tip feature and thus allow another drawer to be opened at the same time, which could possibly upset the furniture and endanger the child.
Persons skilled in the art will understand that other advantages or benefits may result during manufacture or use of the invention when applied to, for example, the residential furniture market and that there is a need to provide one or more of these or other advantages or benefits.
The following drawings illustrate examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention.
While these drawings only provide representations of certain features in preferred embodiments of the invention, other aspects of the invention including modifications, substitutions and variations will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reading this specification and the drawings.
With reference to
Each cammed lever 3 swivels on a cam axle, for example, a fastener 27 which is secured to back rest 5. The back rest 5 abuts against cam follower 9, the tip of cammed lever 3 being engaged with the leading edge of corresponding drawer slide 1 when the corresponding drawer slide 1 is closed.
As shown in
In
Reference point B represents the position of the bottom edge of bottom plug 25 when the top plug 23 and bottom plug 25 are brought together so that the gap G is closed. Point C represents the location of the center of the fastener 27 when all of the drawer slides (and their respective drawers) are in the closed position.
In
In
In
In
In
In
In
In other aspects of the invention, mirrored configurations of the single piece assemblies may be provided for installation on a left side, inner wall of a furniture unit. Persons skilled in the art will understand that the mirrored configurations will operate in a similar manner to their respective configurations illustrated in the embodiments described in
In another aspect of the invention, as illustrated in
A wood strip 48 is shown as a mounting support for the single piece assembly 2, to be mounted in mounting recess 50, perpendicular to the rear inner side wall 40 of the storage structure. (Wood strip 48 and single piece assembly 2 are not shown to scale in
The rear outer side wall 52 of the storage compartment is shown having a latch 42 which may be secured to side wall 52 with fasteners engaged with fastening apertures 46 by, for example, a furniture manufacturer. When the single piece assembly 2 is installed in this example, levered cam 3 is engaged with abutment 42a of cam latch 42, when the corresponding storage compartment is in the closed position. When the associated storage compartment is moved to the open position, the cammed lever 3 is activated and the cam follower 9 is displaced to close the gap G to prevent the other cammed levers and their associated storage compartments from opening.
In another embodiment of the invention described with reference to
Given all possible furniture heights, number of drawers and drawer heights, a substantial number of anti-tip SKU's may be required to serve the marketplace with suitable kits compatible with customer furniture and storage unit configurations.
Such anti-tip systems may be sold to furniture manufacturers through hardware distributors.
The substantial number of SKU's which may be necessary for a wide range of different components are difficult or in some cases, impossible, to stock for sale through all distributors. In those instances where such systems are not readily available, those systems, including kits for those systems. may be made to order for customers such as furniture manufacturers.
The anti-tip system can be made available in kit format to be assembled by the furniture manufacturers. Preferably, the kit will provide components of standard sizes.
Mounting recess 22, configured as a groove 22 needs to be at least as long as track 19. Sufficient space at the bottom of groove 22 may allow for different lengths of track 19 without affecting the function of the single piece assembly 2. Preferably, track 19 is slightly longer than the distance from the top of the single piece assembly 2 to the bottom edge of the assembly 2 when it is assembled for installation in the furniture unit. For certain furniture products, for example, the mounting recess 22 and the single piece assembly 2 may be configured to abut against the inside upper wall of the storage unit, to simplify the installation of the single piece assembly 2 in those applications.
By way of further example, slide bars (13, 15) may be available in specific bundles of sizes (for example, 6″, 3″, 2″, 1″ in length). Of course, other sizes may be provided to meet customer needs.
Customers may acquire track 19 in a standard size that fits within the length of the groove in the multi drawer furniture unit and provides sufficient track space to accommodate the required components with a suitable slide fit to limit undesirable play within the single piece assembly once assembled for installation. The internal space of the selected track 19 housing the assembled components of the single piece assembly will be sufficient for the desired slide fit arrangement of the assembled components starting at the top edge of the top block and terminating below the bottom edge of the last slide.
Manufacturers may assemble slide bar components within a suitably configured track 19 to accommodate the number and sizes of the drawers, to service the specific drawer heights. For example, a slide bar assembly for a 7″ drawer may use 1″ and 6″ bars. By way of further example, a 5″ drawer may use 2″+3″ bars. Of course, other configurations are possible for specific drawer heights as required by the customers.
Customers may select the cam lever assemblies (for example, cammed levers 3, lever bases 5, cam followers 9, and cam axles 27) for their storage unit applications. These components would be installed in the appropriate locations.
Once the components have been assembled by the manufacturer, the top end of track 19 may be closed by, for example, crimping or folding using a suitable tool or machine or optionally a top plug 23 with a fastening screw or other closure arrangement to hold all of the components together in the desired spatial array desired for the customer specified single piece assembly 2.
In kits for mounting the single piece assembly 2 on the rear inner side wall of a storage compartment, additional brackets 43, latches 42 and a suitable number of fasteners (not shown) may be provided to facilitate convenience of manufacture for those storage structures.
When a feature or element is herein referred to as being “on” another feature or element, it can be directly on the other feature or element or intervening features and/or elements may also be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being “directly on” another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present. It will also be understood that, when a feature or element is referred to as being “mounted”, “connected”, “attached” or “coupled” to another feature or element, it can be directly mounted, connected, attached or coupled to the other feature or element or intervening features or elements may be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being “directly mounted”, “directly connected”, “directly attached” or “directly coupled” to another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present. Although described or shown with respect to one embodiment, the features and elements so described or shown can apply to other embodiments. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.
Terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. For example, as used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Spatially relative terms, such as “interior”, “inner”, “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the terms “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only unless specifically indicated otherwise.
Although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various features/elements (including steps), these features/elements should not be limited by these terms, unless the context indicates otherwise. These terms may be used to distinguish one feature/element from another feature/element. Thus, a first feature/element discussed below could be termed a second feature/element, and similarly, a second feature/element discussed below could be termed a first feature/element without departing from the teachings of the present systems.
The terms “comprises”, “comprise”, and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification (including the claims), specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Unless the context requires otherwise, “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising,” means various components can be co-jointly employed in the articles (e.g., compositions and systems). For example, the term “comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of any stated elements or steps but not the exclusion of any other elements or steps.
Any of the systems described herein may include all or a sub-set of the components, and these components may be either non-exclusive (e.g., may include additional components) or in some variations may be exclusive, and therefore may be expressed as “consisting of” or alternatively “consisting essentially of” the various components, or sub-components.
Although various illustrative embodiments are described above, any of a number of changes may be made to various embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure as described. Optional features of various device and system embodiments may be included in some embodiments and not in others. Therefore, the foregoing description is provided primarily for exemplary purposes and should not be interpreted to limit the scope of the system as it is described or set forth in the specification and drawings.
Various embodiments may be referred to herein individually or collectively by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept, if more than one is, in fact, disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the specification and drawings.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3210448 | Aug 2023 | CA | national |
