Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SUPPORT CUSHIONS FOR PROVIDING COOLING
TECHNICAL FIELD
[00011 The present invention relates to support cushions for providing
cooling. In
particular, the present invention relates to support cushions, such as
pillows, that make use of
a sleeve surrounding a flexible foam core and having an amount of phase change
material
incorporated into at least one side of the sleeve to provide cooling to the
body of a user, or a
portion thereof resting on the support cushion.
B AC KGR 0 UND
100021 As is generally the case with support cushions and, in particular, with
support
cushions comprised of flexible foam or other body-conforming materials, the
effectiveness
of the support cushion in providing support to the body of a user is partly a
function of how
well the flexible foam responds to the contour of the particular User resting
on the cushion. In
this regard. support cushions made from temperature-sensitive viseoelastic
tbarn are often
particularly desirable as such support cushions are able to change shape
based, at least in part.
upon the temperature of the supported body part. That conformance of the
cushion to the
body of a user, however. ofien causes more of the user's body to be in contact
with the body
support cushion, and thus, less of the body of the user is exposed to the
ambient air around
the cushion. The reduction in the amount of the body of the user exposed to
ambient air in
turn causes many users to find support cushions comprised of visco-elastic
foam to -sleep
Itot- and occasionally such users will choose other types of support cushions,
notwithstanding
the supportive benefits associated with visco-elastic loam and shnilar types
of body-
conforming materials.
[00031 In an effort to remedy users* concerns of -sleeping hot" as a result of
the body-
confirming qualities of their support cushions, many support cushion
manufactures have
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incorporated so-called -cooling- technologies into their products. For
example, many
support cushions now incorporate latent heat storage units, such as phase
change material,
that absorb heat and provide a cooling sensation when in contact with the body
of a user.
Support cushions that include phase change material, however often fail to
provide or
provide a reduced cooling sensation when the phase change material is not
placed in direct
contact with the body of a user. For instance, in a support cushion that makes
use of phase
change material, the support cushion often includes a highly-elastic outer
cover or liner that
protects the support cushion from stains or abrasions, while allowing the
elastic feel of the
support cushion incorporating the PCM to not be diminished. In using such an
outer cover or
liner, however, the cover or liner often inhibits the cooling sensation
offered by the PCM
material by creating an additional layer of insulating material between the
body of the user
and the PCM found in the support cushion.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present invention includes support cushions for providing coaling.
In
particular, the present invention includes support cushions, such as pillows,
that make use of
a sleeve surrounding a flexible foam core and having an amount of phase change
material
incorporated into at least one side of thc sleeve to provide cooling to the
body of a user, or a
portion thereof resting on the support cushion. Thus, the support cushions of
the present
invention allow a user to obtain the benefits of a support cushion that
includes phase change
material, but without the reduction in cooling that may occur as a result of
covering the
support cushion with an insulating material to protect the cushion.
100051 in one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a support cushion
is
provided in the form of a pillow that includes a core comprised of a first
flexible foam and a
sleeve comprised of a second flexible foam. The sleeve of the pillow includes
a first side and
a second side that together encapsulate the core of the pillow. The pillow
also includes a first
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amount of phase change material that is -incorporated into either the first
side, the .second side,
or both the first side and the second side of the sleeve, such that the body
of a user., or a
portion thereof, resting on the side of the sleeve incorporating the phase
change material is
provided with a cooling sensation.
[0006] The core of t-he support cushions is generally- a -molded foam core
having a shape
suitable for accommodating the body of a user. Further, both the core and the
sleeve of the
support cushions are generally comprised of a flexible. -foam that is capable
of suitably
distributing the pressure from a user's body or portion thereof across the
support cushion. In
some embodiments, the -flexible foam is a visco-elastic foam that has a
desired density and
hardness, and that allows pressure to be .distributed uniformly across the
support cushion. In
some embodiments, both the first flexible foam comprising, the core and the
second flexible
foam comprising the sleeve are comprised of a viseo-elastic foam. In this
regard, in certain
embodiments, the visco-elastic foam comprising the sleeve can have a density
less than that
of the viseo-elastic foam comprising the core, such that the visco-elastic
foam comprising the
Sleeve provides a softer surface on 'Which to rest, while the visco-elastic
foam comprising the
core provides a desired amount of support.
[0007] With further respect to the visco-elastic foam included in the core of
the support
cushions, the visco-elastic foam comprising the core can also be configured to
improve the
cooling capabilities of the support cushions. For -example, in some
embodiments, the ViSCO-
elastic .foam .included in the core comprises a plurality of visco-elastic
foam fragments, such
that the core is not comprised of a single continuous piece of visco-elastic
foam, but is.
instead comprised .of a number of fragments of visca-elastic -foam that allow
heat to more
readily dissipate from the sleeve. and throughout the core. In some
einbodiments, to provide-
for enhanced air movement and, consequently, enhanced heat dissipation from
the sleeve and
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through the core of the support cushions, the visco-elastic foam fragments are
comprised of
non-reticulated foam fragments and reticulated foam fragments.
[0008] To further take advantage of the cooling capability of the phase change
material
incorporated into the sleeve. in certain embodiments, the sleeve of the
support cushions
incorporates the phase change material into both the first side and the second
side of the
sleeve, such that a user is provided with a cooling sensation regardless of
which side of the
support cushion is being used to support the user's body or a portion thereof
To further help
ensure that the user is provided with a cooling sensation, in some
embodiments, a liner
comprised of a netting with a second amount of phase change material
incorporated into the
netting surrounds the sleeve, such that litter also provides cooling to a user
resting on thc
support cushion.
[00091 in addition to incorporating PCM material into the sleeves and linet~s
of the
support cushions, in some embodiments, the support cushions can further
comprise an outer
cover that surrounds the liner covering the sleeve. Such outer covers are
typically comprised
of a textile having a sufficient amount of durability to protect the
underlying liner and sleeve
of the support cushions, but are also sufficiently breathable to allow air and
heat to travel
thmugh the outer cover and allow the phase change material in the sleeve and
liner to still
provide cooling to a user. For instance, in certain embodiments, the outer
cover is comprised
of cotton (e.g.. 100 percent c(itton) that allows the phase change material in
the sleeve and
liner to provide cooling to a user resting on the support cushion.
100101 Further features and advantages of the present invention will become
evident to
those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the description, figures,
and non-limiting
examples in this docuinent.
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BRIEF 'DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary support cushion, in the
form of a
pillow, made in accordance with the present invention and with a portion of
the pillow
removed to show the core and the sleeve of the pillow;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the exemplary pillow of
FIG. i taken
along line 2-2 of FIG. i;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another exemplary pillow made in
accordance with
the present invention and with a portion of the pillow removed to show the
core and the
sleeve of the pillow;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the exemplary pillow of
FIG. 3 taken
along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of yet another exemplary
pillow made in
accordance with the present invention; and
[0016] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of exemplary support cushions tbr use
in a chair
and made in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EM130D1MENTS
[0017] The present invention includes support cushions for providing cooling.
In
particular, the present invention includes support cushions, such as pillows,
that make use of
a sleeve surrounding a flexible foam core and having an amount of phase change
material
incorporated into at least one side of the sleeve to provide cooling to the
body of a user, or a
portion thereof resting on the support cushion. Thus. the support cushions of
the present
invention allow a user to obtain the benefits of a support cushion that
includes phase change
material, but without the reduction in cooling that may occur as a result of
covering the
support cushion with an insulating material to protect the cushion.
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100181 Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2. in one exemplary embodiment of the
present
invention, a support cushion is provided in the form of a pillow 10 that
includes a core 20
comprised of a first flexible foam and a sleeve 30 comprised of a second
flexible foam. The
sleeve 30 includes a first side 32 arid a second side 34. The pillow 10 also
includes a first
amount of phase change material that is incorporated into both the first side
32 and the
second side 34 of the sleeve 30, such that the body of a user, or a portion
thereof, resting on
either the first side 32 or the second side 34 of the sleeve 30 of the pillow
10 is provided with
cooling, as described in further detail below.
100191 Both the core 20 and the sleeve 30 of the pillow 10 are generally
comprised of
flexible foam that is capable of suitably distributing the pressure from a
user's body or
portion thereof across the pillow 10. Such flexible foams include, but are not
limited to, latex
foam. reticulated or non-reticulated visco-eiastic foam (sometimes referred to
as memory
foam or low-resilience foam), reticulated or non-reticulated non-visco-elastic
foam,
polyurethane high-resilience foam expanded polymer foams (e.g., expanded
ethylene vinyl
acetate, polypropylene. poi!, styrene, or polyethylene), and the like. In the
embodhnent
shown in FIGS. l and 2, the first flexible foam comprising the core 20 of the
pillow 10 is
comprised of x,isco-elastic foam fragments 22. 24. including both reticulated
visco-elastic
foam fragments 24 and non-reticulated visco-elastic foam fragments 22.
Generally, such
viseo-elastic foam fragments have a hardness of at least about 10 N to no
greater than about
80 N. as measured by exerting pressure from a plate against a sample of the
material to a
compression of at least 40% of an original thickness of the material at
approximately roorn
temperature (i.e., 21'C to 23 C) where the 40% compression is held for a set
period of time
as established by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 2439
hardness
measuring standard. In some embodiments, the visco-elastie foam fragments 22,
24 have a
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hardness of about 10 N, about 20 N, about 30 N. about 40 N, about 50 N, about
60 N. about
70 N. or about 80 N to provide a desired deuce of comfort and body-conforming
qualities.
[0020] The visco-elastic foam fragments 22, 24 described herein for use in the
pillow 10
can also have a density that assists in providing a desired degree of comfort
and body-
conforming qualities, as well as an increased degree of material durability.
In some
embodiments, the density of the visco-elastic foam fragments 22, 24 used in
the core 20 of
the pillow 10 have a density of flO less than about 30 kg/m3 to no greater
than about 150
kg/m3. In some embodiments, the density of the visco-elastic foam used in the
core 20 of the
pillow 10 is about 30 kg/m3, abom 40 kg/ms. about 50 kg/m3, about 60 kg/m3,
about 70
kg/m3. about 80 kgirri', about 90 kg/m3, about 100 kg/m3, about 110 kg/m3,
about 120 kg/ml,
about 130 kg/m'. about 140 kg/m3, or about 150 kg/m3. Of course, the selection
of a viseo-
elastic foam having a particular density will affect other characteristics of
the foam, including
its hardness, the manner in which the foam responds to pressure, and the
overall feel of the
foam, but it is appreciated that a visco-clastic foam having a desired density
and hardness can
readily be selected for a particular application or support cushion as
desired. Additionally, it
is appreciated that the cores of the pillows need not be comprised of
fragments of flexible
foam at all, but can also take the form of more traditional tham-based pillows
that include a
single piece of foam or one or more layers of flexible foam without departing
from the spirit
and scope of the subject matter described herein.
10021] Referring still to FIGS. 1 and 2, in this exemplary embodiment, the
sleeve 30 of
the pillow 10 encapsulates the core 20 of the pillow 10. The sleeve 30 is also
comprised of a
visco-elastic foam. However, the sleeve 30 is comprised of a continuous piece
of visco-
elastic foam, as opposed to visco-elastic foam fragments, and typically has a
density,
hardness, or both that is less than that of the core 20 of the piflow 10, such
that the sleeve 30
provides an even softer surface on which to rest the body of a user or a
portion thereof. For
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example, in certain embodiments, the pillow 10 includes a sleeve 30 that is
comprised of a
viseo-elastic foam with a density of about 35 kg/m3 and a hardness of about 10
N, while the
core 20 is comprised of visco-elastic foam fragments having a density of about
80 kg/m3 and
a hardness of about 13 N.
100221 Regardless of the particular hardness and density of the materials
(e.g., the foams)
used, the visco-elastic foam fragments 22. 24 that comprise the core 20 are
generally secured
to one another and molded to create a molded or integrated foam core and to
prevent the
visco-elastic fragments 22, 24 front moving during use. The core 20 and the
sleeve 30 are
also generally secured to one another to prevent the core 20 and the sleeve 30
from moving
relative to one another during use, Various means of securing one layer of
material to another
can be used in this regard, including tape, hook and loop fasteners.
conventional fasteners,
stitches, and the like, In one particular embodiment, the core 20 and the
sleeve 30 are bonded
together by an adhesive or cohesive bonding material to create a substantially
continuous
assembly where the core 20 and the sleeve 30 are fully adhered to one another.
Such
adhesive bonding materials include, for example, environmentally-friendly,
water based
adhesives, like SABA AQUABOND RSD, a two-component water-based adhesive
product
produced by SABA DINXPERLO BV, B-7090 AA, Dinxperlo. Belgium.
[0023] Turning now to the phase change material included in the sleeve 30 of
the pillow
10, the phase change material is incorporated into both the first side 32 and
the second side
34 of the sleeve 30 to provide a user with a cooling sensation regardless of
whether the user is
resting on the first side 32 or the second side 34 of the pillow 10. In this
regard, the phase
change material is generally positioned and configured to place the body of
the user, or a
portion thereof, resting on the pillow 10 in close proximity to the phase
change material and
avoid the reduction in the cooling capabilities of the phase change material
that may occur as
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a result of incorporating the phase change material into the core 20 of the
pillow 10 and then
covering the core 20 of the pillow 10 with an insulating layer of material.
100241 The phase change material that is incorporated into the first side 32
and the second
side 34 of the SieCVC 30 of the pillow 10 is typically comprised of
microspheres that include
substances having a high heat of fusion and that store or release heat as the
substances
oscillate between solid and liquid form (i.e., phase change materials). As the
phase change
material included in the first side 32 and the second side 34 of the sleeve 30
change from
solid to liquid form (i.e., melt) as the result of heat generated by a user
lying on the pillow 10,
the phase ehange material thus continually absorbs heat and provides a cooling
effect to the
user until all of the phase change material has been transformed from a solid
to a liquid form.
In the first side 32 and the second side 34 of the sleeve 30, the phase change
material is
incorporated into the first side 32 and second side 34 of the sleeve 30 by
infusing and coating
the first side 32 and second side 34 of the sleeve 30 with the microspheres of
phase change
material. However, it is of course contemplated that the phase change material
need not be
infused into and/or used to coat both the first side 32 and second side 34 of
the sleeve 30 to
provide a sufficient amount of cooling to the body of a user lying on the
pillow 10, but can
also be infiised into and/or used to coat only the first side 32 or the second
side 34 of the
sleeve 30 of the pillow 10.
10025j Referring still to FIGS. 1 and 2, to further take advantage of the
cooling
capabilities of the phase change material incorporated into the first side 32
and second side
34 of the sleeve 30, by including reticulated visco-elastic foam fragments 24
in the core 20 of
the pillow 10 the pillow 10 is configured to allow heat to more readily
dissipate from the
phase change material in the sleeve 30 and then throughout the core 20,
Reticulated tbarn
(visco-elastic or otherwise) is a cellular foam structure in which the cells
of the foam are
essentially skeletal. In other words. the cells of the reticulated foam are
each defined by a
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plurality of apertured windows surrounded by cell struts. where the cell
windows of
reticulated foam can be entirely absent (leaving only the cell struts) or
substantially missing.
In some embodiments, the visco-elastic foam fraginents 24 included in the core
20 are
considered -reticulated- if at least 50% of the windows of the cells are
inissintz (i.e., windows
having apertures therethroutth, or windows that are completely missing and
therefore leaving
only the cell struts). Such structures can be created by destruction or other
removal of cell
window material. by chemical or mechanical means, or by preventing the
complete formation
of cell windows during the manufacturing process of die foam.
[00261 Regardless of the manufacturing process used to produce the reticulated
visk.so-
elastic foam fragments, as indicated above, reticulated visco-elastic foam
fragments 24, by
virtue of their reticulated cellular structure, have characteristics that are
well suited for use in
the core 20 of the pillow 10. including the enhanced ability to permit fluid
movement through
the reticulated visco-elastic foam fragments and, consequently, the ability to
provide
enhanced air andior beat movement away from the phase change materials in a
particular
portion ofthe sleeve 30, throughout the core 20. and then to unheated phase
change material
in another portion of the sleeve 30. In this regard, by including the visco-
elastic foam
fragments 24 in the core 20 of the pillow, not only is enhanced air movement
and,
consequently, enhanced heat dissipation provided through the core 20 of the
pillow 1 0, but
the phase change material in discrete heated portions of the sleeve 30, such
as what may
result from a user lying in a particular position on the pillow 10 for a
prolonged period of
time, is prevented from quickly reaching its inciting point and ceasing to
provide cooling to a
user resting on the pillow 10. Of course. other structural elements such as
vertical channels
that provide a path for air to flow through the core of an exemplary pillow
are also
contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention, and can be
included in an
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exemplary pillow without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject
matter described
herein.
to0271 To further ensure that a user resting on the pillow 10 is provided with
a cooling
sensation, and referring still to FIGS. I and 2, the pillow 10 further
includes a liner 40 that
surrounds the sleeve 30 and includes a second amount of phase change material.
The liner 40
serves to protect the sleeve and can be comprised of a number of different
materials into
which phase change material can be incorporated. In one preferred embodiment,
the liner 40
is comprised of a netting that has been passed through a bath including phase
change
material, such that the phase change material adheres to and can subsequently
be fixed to the
netting (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Nos. 8.404,345; 8,329,223: 7,794,507; and
7,186,273, which
are each incorporated herein by this reference in their entirety). The liner
40 also preferably
incorporates one or more flame retardant materials, such that a flame
retardant barrier
surrounds the flexible foam of the sleeve 30 and core 20 of the pillow 10.
Like the sleeve 30
surrounding the core 20, however, by incorporating phase change material
directly in the
liner 40, the liner 40 is also configured to provide cooling to a user resting
on the pillow 10,
while avoiding any reduction in the cooling capabilities of the phase change
material in the
sleeve 30 that may occur as a result of covering the sleeve 30 of the pillow
10 with a
protective or insulating layer of material.
10028j To further avoid any reduction in the cooling capability of the phase
change
materials included in the pillow 10 and to also provide protection for the
liner 40, the pillow
further comprises an outer cover 50 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The outer cover
50 is
typically comprised of a textile having a sufficient amount of durability to
protect the
underlying liner and sleeve of the support cushions, but also 'having a
sufficient amount of
-breathability" to allow air and heat to travel through the outer cover, and
allow the phase
change material in the sleeve 30 and liner 40 to still provide cooling to a
user resting on the
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pillow 10. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. I and 2, the outer cover is
comprised of one-
hundred percent cotton to allow the cooling sensation provided by the phase
change material
in the sleeve 30 and liner 40 to be readily transferred to a user resting on
the pillow 10.
However, it is further contemplated that numerous other textiles, including
silk and textiles
having a lower percentage of cotton can also be readily used to produce a
sufficient outer
cover.
10029] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, in another exemplary embodiment of the
present
invention, an exemplary pillow 110 is provided that includes a core 120
comprised of a
plurality of reticulated visco-elastic foarn fragments 124 and non-reticulated
visco-elastic
foam fragments 122, and a sleeve 130 comprised of a continuous piece of visco-
elastic foam.
Like the pillow 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pillow I I0 includes: a sleeve
130 having a
first side 132 and a second side 134; a liner 140 including an amount of phase
change
material; and an outer cover 150. Unlike the pillow shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,
however, the
first side 132 and the second side 134 of the sleeve 30 are not identical to
one another.
Rather, the pillow 110 and. in particular, the first side 132 of the sleeve
130 has a curved
profile that acts to align the head, neck and shoulders of a user lying on the
first side 132.
Additionally, in the pillow 110, only the first side 132 of the sleeve 130
includes an amount
of phase change material as the curved profile of the pillow 10 is designed to
only allow a
user to rest on the pillow 10 adjacent to the first side 132 of the sleeve
130. Of course, it is
also contemplated that pillows having various other profiles and arrangements
of phase
change material can be provided in accordance with the present invention, and
can be used to
provide support and cooling to a body of a user without departing from the
spirit and scope of
the subject matter described herein,
[MO] Referring now to FIG. 5, M a further exemplary embodiment of the present
invention, an exemplary pillow 210 is provided that also includes a visco-
elasiie foam sleeve
1")
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230. The sleeve 230 has an amount of phase change material incorporated into
the first
surface 232 and the second surface 234 of the sleeve 230, such that the first
surface 232 and
the second surface 234 of the sleeve 230 are again configured to provide
cooling to a user
lying on the pillow 210. The pillow 210 also includes an outer cover 250 that
surrounds the
sleeve 230 and that is comprised of a textile. Additionally, the pillow 210
has a core 220 that
includes a plurality of non-reticulated visco-elastic foam fragments 222. in
the pillow 210.
however, the core 220 further includes a plurality of fibers 226 that, similar
to the reticulated
visco-elastic foam fragments described above, provide enhanced air and/or heat
movement
through the core 220 of the pillow 210. Such fibers can include natural
fibers, such as cotton
or silk fibers, synthetic fibers, such as polyester fibers, or combinations
thereof. In this
regard, in this exemplary embodiment, the core 220 of the pillow 210 is also
surrounded by a
flame retardant material or barrier 228 (e.g., a fire sock) that is positioned
between the core
220 and the sleeve 230, such that the flame retardant barrier 228 surrounds
the core 220, but
yet does not detract from the cooling provided by the phase change material
incorporated into
the sleeve 230.
[0031] As yet another refinement to the present invention, although the
support cushions
shown in FIGS. 1-5 are in the form of pillows 10, 110, 210 and are
dimensionally sized to
support the head of a user, it is contemplated that the features described
herein are equally
applicable to mattresses, seat cushions. seat backs, neck pillows, leg spacer
pillows, mattress
toppers, overlays. and the like. As such, the phrase -support cushion- is used
herein to refer
to any and all such objects having an size and shape, and that are capable of
or are generally
used to support the body of a user or a portion thereof. For example. as shown
in FIG. 6.
support cushions made in accordance with the present invention are
incorporated into a seat
312 and back 314 of a desk chair 310. Each support cushion of the desk chair
310 includes a
core 320 comprised of a plurality of reticulated visco-elastic foam fragments
324 and a
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plurality of non-reticulated visco-elastic foam fragments 322, and a sleeve
330 comprised of
a continuous piece of visco-elastic foam. Similar to the pillows of the
present invention, each
support cushion of the desk chair 310 also includes a first amount of phase
change material
that is incorporated into both the first side 332 and the second side 334 of
each sleeve 330,
such that the portions of the body of a user resting on the support cushions
of the desk chair
310 are provided with a cooling sensation.
[0032] Throughout this document, various references are mentioned. All such
references
are incorporated herein by reference.
100331 One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional
einbodiinents or
implementations are possible without departing from the teachings of the
present invention or
the scope of the claims which follow. This detailed description, and
particularly the specific
details of the exemplary embodiments and implementations disclosed herein, is
given
primarily for clarity of understandina, and no unnecessary limitations are to
be understood
therefrom, for modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the art
upon reading this
disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the
claimed
invention.
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