Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02927384 2016-04-20
A COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE ROAD SIGN PLATFORM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present disclosure is in the field of road worker safety devices
and
in particular, road worker safety devices pertaining to road sign replacement
and
installation.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[002] Road signs are employed to communicate information to drivers
regarding speed limits, highway exits, etc. The positioning of the signs on a
road by the
workers must be done in a manner which displays the cautionary road sign at a
height
predetermined by respective regulatory agencies. Generally, road signs are
bolted to and
supported by two 4x4 or 6x6 wood posts whereby the height of the sign and
bolts holding
the sign are beyond reach from the ground. In many instances, road workers
must rely on
a ladder to reach wood post bolt holes for mounting a road sign or replacing a
road sign
along a stretch of roadway or highway.
[003] Accordingly it is desirable to develop a road sign mounting apparatus
which is lightweight, portable and safe to use while also providing a stable
base to
withstand weather conditions and uneven ground.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[004] A collapsible and portable road sign platform, comprising: a) a
square
or rectangular platform base portion; b) a square or rectangular platform
frame portion
comprising a plurality of platform frame members; c) a left platform bracket
portion and
a right platform bracket portion; and d) a safety railing portion comprising a
plurality of
safety railing frame members, wherein the left platform bracket portion and/or
the right
platform bracket portion are/is adjustable, and wherein the road sign platform
is capable
of being affixed off the ground to a pair of wood posts.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[005] Figure 1 is an illustration of a collapsible and portable road sign
platform 100 of the disclosure herein.
[006] Figure 2A is an illustration of a right platform bracket portion 200.
[007] Figure 2B is an illustration of a portion of a right platform bracket
portion 300.
[008] Figure 3 is an illustration of a portion of a left platform bracket
portion
400 engaged with a 4x4 wood post 119.
[009] Figure 4 is an illustration of a rectangular platform frame portion
500
comprising a plurality of platform frame members of the disclosure herein.
[0010] Figure 5 is an illustration of the inner long parallel outer
frame
member 518 is slidably engaged with an adjustment clamp 520.
[0011] Figure 6 is an illustration of a plurality of platform frame
members 526
and two right corner support portions 524.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0012] The following is a detailed description of certain specific
embodiments
of the collapsible and portable road sign platform disclosed herein. In this
description
reference is made to the drawings.
[0013] In one aspect, disclosed herein is a collapsible and portable
road sign
platform, comprising: a) a square or rectangular platform base portion; b) a
square or
rectangular platform frame portion comprising a plurality of platform frame
members; c)
a left platform bracket portion and a right platform bracket portion; and d) a
safety railing
portion comprising a plurality of safety railing frame members, wherein the
left platform
bracket portion and/or the right platform bracket portion are/is adjustable,
wherein the
road sign platform is capable of being affixed off the ground to a pair of
wood posts, and
wherein an adjustment clamp is slidably engaged with a first long parallel
outer frame
member, and wherein the adjustment clamp comprises a left platform bracket
bracket.
[0014] Turning to the drawings, Figure 1 is an illustration of the
collapsible
and portable road sign platform 100 of the disclosure herein. The road sign
platform 100
is mounted to either a pair of 4x4 wood posts 119 or a pair of 6x6 wood posts
that are
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separated by a distance 112. In particular, the 4x4 wood posts 119 or 6x6 wood
posts are
utilized to mount road signs 116 with a plurality of washers and bolts 118.
The road sign
platform 100 employs a right platform bracket portion 120 and a left platform
bracket
portion 102, which are affixed to the 4x4 wood posts 119 and are capable of
supporting a
square or rectangular platform frame portion 106 in a stable position at about
an angle of
90 degrees relative to the wood posts. Furthermore, the road sign platform 100
comprises
a safety railing portion 110, which is capable of displaying safety signs 108
to alert
oncoming vehicles and others that road workers are in the area. The road sign
platform
100 is capable of supporting one or more users 114 and the square or
rectangular
platform base portion 104, which is mounted to the platform frame portion 106
via bolts
122 and provides a non-slick surface in wet and dry conditions. In some
embodiments,
the collapsible and portable road sign platform is capable of supporting 800
lbs. In some
embodiments, the collapsible and portable road sign platform further comprises
that the
road sign platform is fabricated from metal, plastic, rubber or a combination
thereof. In
some embodiments, the square or rectangular platform base portion is comprised
of
wood, rubber, plastic, metal or a combination thereof. In some embodiments,
the square
or rectangular platform frame portion, the left platform bracket portion and
the right
platform bracket portion, the safety railing portion are fabricated welded
with lx1 square
steel tubing.
[0015] Turning to
the drawings, Figure 2A is an illustration of a right
platform bracket portion 200 and Figure 2B is an illustration of a portion of
the right
platform bracket portion 300. The right platform bracket portion 200 comprises
a main
bracket frame portion 202, a bracket frame portion stop 204, a plurality of
welds 218, an
upper tooth frame portion 210 and a lower tooth frame portion 212. In some
embodiments, the main bracket frame portion 202 is comprised of two lx1 square
steel
tubing sandwiched and welded together. As illustrated with Figures 2A and 2B,
a bracket
frame terminal end portion 216 forms an L-shape with the main bracket frame
portion
202 and an angled bracket frame portion 214, which is adjoined to the main
bracket
frame portion at an angle of between about 20 degrees and 70 degrees relative
to the
angled bracket frame portion 214 and the main bracket frame portion 202
forming a
triangle shaped bracket frame portion. As illustrated, the angled bracket
frame portion
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214 is adjoined to the main bracket frame portion at the recessed area 224 to
provide
further structural support for the platform bracket portion 200. The platform
bracket
portion 200 comprises an upper tooth portion 208 and a lower tooth portion 302
that are
capable of engaging a pair of 4x4 road sign wood posts and/or 6x6 road sign
wood posts.
The upper tooth portion 208 and a lower tooth portion 302 are affixed to the
corresponding upper tooth frame portion 210 and the lower tooth frame portion
212 with
a plurality of bolts and nuts 206, respectively. Moreover, angle 220 and angle
222 are
afforded by the triangle shaped bracket frame portion, whereby angle 226 is a
90 degree
angle. In some embodiments, the angle 220 is between about 10 degrees to about
75
degrees when the platform bracket portion 200 is configured for 4x4 wood posts
and
between about 10 degrees to about 10 degrees to about 60 degrees when the
platform
bracket portion 200 is configured for 6x6 wood posts. Moreover, angle 220 and
angle 222
are afforded by the triangle shaped bracket frame portion. In some
embodiments, the
angle 220 is about 50 degrees when the platform bracket portion 200 is
configured for
4x4 wood posts. In some embodiments, the angle 220 is about 30 degrees when
the
platform bracket portion 200 is configured for 6x6 wood posts.
[0016] In some
embodiments, the platform bracket portion 200 may be
fabricated to engage with 6x6 road sign wood posts, whereby the main bracket
frame
portion 202 has a length of between about 24 inches to about 60 inches, the
bracket frame
terminal end portion 216 has a length of between about 4 inches and to about
12 inches,
the angled bracket frame portion 214 has a length of between about 2 inches to
about 12
inches, the bracket frame portion stop 204 has a length of between about 1
inch to about
inches, the upper tooth frame portion 210 and a lower tooth frame portion 212
have a
length of between about 2 inches to about 12 inches and the recessed area 224
has a depth
of between about 1/32 inches to about 1y2 inches as depicted with Figure 3.
Moreover,
the length between the recess and the 216 is between about 2 inches to about
16 inches.
In some embodiments, the platform bracket portion 200 may be fabricated to
engage with
6x6 road sign wood posts, whereby the main bracket frame portion 202 has a
length of
about 36 inches, the bracket frame terminal end portion 216 has a length of
about 61/4
inches, the angled bracket frame portion 214 is about 63/4 inches, the bracket
frame
portion stop 204 has a length of about 4 inches, the upper tooth frame portion
210 and a
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lower tooth frame portion 212 have a length of about 7 inches and the recessed
area 224
has a depth of about 1/2 inch as depicted with Figure 3. Moreover, the length
between the
recess and the 216 is about 61/4 inches.
[0017] In some embodiments, the platform bracket portion 200 may be
fabricated to engage with 4x4 road sign wood posts, whereby the main bracket
frame
portion 202 has a length of between about 24 inches to about 60 inches, the
bracket frame
terminal end portion 216 has a length of between about 4 inches and to about
12 inches,
the angled bracket frame portion 214 has a length of between about 2 inches to
about 12
inches, the bracket frame portion stop 204 has a length of between about 1
inch to about
inches, the upper tooth frame portion 210 and a lower tooth frame portion 212
have a
length of between about 2 inches to about 12 inches and the recessed area 224
has a depth
of between about 1/32 inches to about 11/2 inches as depicted with Figure 3.
Moreover,
the length between the recess and the 216 is between about 2 inches to about
16 inches.
In some embodiments, the platform bracket portion 200 may be fabricated to
engage with
4x4 road sign wood posts, whereby the main bracket frame portion 202 has a
length of
about 36 inches, the bracket frame terminal end portion 216 has a length of
about 53/4
inches, the angled bracket frame portion 214 is about 5 inches, the bracket
frame portion
stop 204 has a length of about 4 inches, the upper tooth frame portion 210 and
a lower
tooth frame portion 212 have a length of about 7 inches and the recessed area
224 has a
depth of about 1/2 inches as depicted with Figure 3. Moreover, the length
between the
recess and the 216 is about 5 inches.
[0018] In some embodiments, the left platform bracket portion and the
right
bracket portion each comprise i) a main bracket frame portion; ii) a bracket
frame portion
stop; iii) an upper tooth frame portion and a lower tooth frame portion; and
iv) an upper
tooth portion and a lower tooth portion.
[0019] In some embodiments, the left platform bracket portion and the
right
bracket portion each comprise i) a main bracket frame portion; ii) a bracket
frame portion
stop; iii) an upper tooth frame portion and a lower tooth frame portion; and
iv) an upper
tooth portion and a lower tooth portion, wherein a first terminal end of the
main bracket
frame portion comprises a bracket frame terminal end portion forming an L-
shape with
the main bracket frame portion, and wherein a terminal end of the bracket
frame terminal
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end portion is adjoined to an angled bracket frame portion which is adjoined
to the main
bracket frame portion at an angle of between about 20 degrees and 70 degrees
relative to
the angled bracket frame portion and the main bracket frame portion forming a
triangle
shaped bracket frame portion.
[0020] In some embodiments, the left platform bracket portion and the
right
bracket portion each comprise i) a bracket frame portion; ii) a bracket frame
portion stop;
iii) an upper tooth frame portion and a lower tooth frame portion; and iv) an
upper tooth
portion and a lower tooth portion, wherein a first terminal end of the main
bracket frame
portion comprises a bracket frame terminal end portion forming an L-shape with
the main
bracket frame portion, wherein a terminal end of the bracket frame terminal
end portion
is adjoined to an angled bracket frame portion which is adjoined to the main
bracket
frame portion at an angle of between about 20 degrees and 70 degrees relative
to the
angled bracket frame portion and the main bracket frame portion forming a
triangle
shaped bracket frame portion, and wherein the upper tooth frame portion and
the lower
tooth frame portion are affixed at about 90 degrees relative to the triangle
shaped bracket
frame portion at an upper triangle corner and a lower triangle corner.
[0021] In some embodiments, the left platform bracket portion and the
right
bracket portion each comprise i) a main bracket frame portion; ii) a main
bracket frame
portion stop; iii) an upper tooth frame portion and a lower tooth frame
portion; and iv) an
upper tooth portion and a lower tooth portion, wherein a first terminal end of
the main
bracket frame portion comprises a bracket frame terminal end portion forming
an L-shape
with the main bracket frame portion, wherein a terminal end of the bracket
frame
terminal end portion is adjoined to an angled bracket frame portion which is
adjoined to
the main bracket frame portion at an angle of between about 20 degrees and 70
degrees
relative to the angled bracket frame portion and the main bracket frame
portion forming a
triangle shaped bracket frame portion, wherein the upper tooth frame portion
and the
lower tooth frame portion are affixed at about 90 degrees relative to the
triangle shaped
bracket frame portion at an upper triangle corner and a lower triangle corner,
wherein the
upper tooth portion and the lower tooth portion are at a relative angle of
between about
70 degrees and about 110 degrees and the upper tooth portion and the lower
tooth portion
of the left platform bracket portion and the right bracket portion are each
independently
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capable of being engaged with a left wood post and a right wood post of a pair
of road
sign wood posts, and wherein each main bracket frame portion forms about a 90
degree
angle with each corresponding wood post.
[0022] In another aspect, disclosed herein is a wood post bracket,
comprising
i) a main bracket frame portion; ii) a bracket frame portion stop; iii) an
upper tooth frame
portion and a lower tooth frame portion; and iv) an upper tooth portion and a
lower tooth
portion.
[0023] In some embodiments, the wood post bracket, comprises i) a main
bracket frame portion; ii) a bracket frame portion stop; iii) an upper tooth
frame portion
and a lower tooth frame portion; and iv) an upper tooth portion and a lower
tooth portion,
wherein a first terminal end of the main bracket frame portion comprises a
bracket frame
terminal end portion forming an L-shape with the main bracket frame portion,
and
wherein a terminal end of the bracket frame terminal end portion is adjoined
to an angled
bracket frame portion which is adjoined to the main bracket frame portion at
an angle of
between about 20 degrees and 70 degrees relative to the angled bracket frame
portion and
the main bracket frame portion forming a triangle shaped bracket frame
portion.
[0024] In some embodiments, the wood post bracket, comprises i) a main
bracket frame portion; ii) a bracket frame portion stop; iii) an upper tooth
frame portion
and a lower tooth frame portion; and iv) an upper tooth portion and a lower
tooth portion,
wherein a first terminal end of the main bracket frame portion comprises a
bracket frame
terminal end portion forming an L-shape with the main bracket frame portion,
wherein a
terminal end of the bracket frame terminal end portion is adjoined to an
angled bracket
frame portion which is adjoined to the main bracket frame portion at an angle
of between
about 20 degrees and 70 degrees relative to the angled bracket frame portion
and the
main bracket frame portion forming a triangle shaped bracket frame portion,
and wherein
the upper tooth frame portion and the lower tooth frame portion are affixed at
about 90
degrees relative to the triangle shaped bracket frame portion at an upper
triangle corner
and a lower triangle corner.
[0025] In some embodiments, the wood post bracket, comprises i) a main
bracket frame portion; ii) a bracket frame portion stop; iii) an upper tooth
frame portion
and a lower tooth frame portion; and iv) an upper tooth portion and a lower
tooth portion,
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wherein a first terminal end of the main bracket frame portion comprises a
bracket frame
terminal end portion forming an L-shape with the main bracket frame portion,
wherein a
terminal end of the bracket frame terminal end portion is adjoined to an
angled bracket
frame portion which is adjoined to the main bracket frame portion at an angle
of between
about 20 degrees and 70 degrees relative to the angled bracket frame portion
and the
main bracket frame portion forming a triangle shaped bracket frame portion,
wherein the
upper tooth frame portion and the lower tooth frame portion are affixed at
about 90
degrees relative to the triangle shaped bracket frame portion at an upper
triangle corner
and a lower triangle corner, wherein the upper tooth portion and the lower
tooth portion
are at a relative angle of between about 70 degrees and about 110 degrees and
the upper
tooth portion and the lower tooth portion of the left platform bracket portion
and the right
bracket portion are each independently capable of being engaged with a left
wood post
and a right wood post of a pair of road sign wood posts, and wherein each main
bracket
frame portion forms about a 90 degree angle with each corresponding wood post.
[0026] Turning to the drawings, Figure 3 is an illustration of a portion
of a left
platform bracket portion 400 engaged with a 4x4 wood post 119. As illustrated,
the left
platform bracket portion 400 is positioned with the main frame portion 202
being at about
a 90 degree angle relative to the 4x4 wood post 119. As illustrated the angle
of the upper
tooth portion 208 and a lower tooth portion 302 allow for the plurality of
teeth to bite into
the wood post at an angle as pressure and weight are exerted on the main frame
portion
202. Moreover, the lengths of bracket frame terminal end portion 216 and the
angled
bracket frame portion 214 are different to accommodate 4x4 wood posts or 6x6
wood
=
posts.
[0027] In some embodiments, the left platform bracket portion and the
right
platform bracket portion each comprise an upper tooth portion and a lower
tooth portion
capable of being independently being engaged with a left wood post and a right
wood
post of a pair of 4x4 road sign wood posts. In some embodiments, the left
platform
bracket portion and the right platform bracket portion each comprise an upper
tooth
portion and a lower tooth portion capable of being independently being engaged
with a
left wood post and a right wood post of a pair of 6x6 road sign wood posts. In
some
embodiments, the left platform bracket portion and the right platform bracket
portion
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each comprise an upper tooth portion and a lower tooth portion capable of
being
independently being engaged with a left wood post and a right wood post of a
pair of 4x4
road sign wood posts, wherein the upper tooth portion and the lower tooth
portion are at a
relative angle of about 90 degrees. The upper tooth portion and the lower
tooth portion
are each comprised of a steel plate with a length of about 5 inches, width of
about 17/8
inches and a plurality of teeth that have a length of about 3/8 inches and are
evenly
spaced at about a 1/2 inch apart from each other. In this aspect, the length
and spacing are
designed to bite into a wood post, whereby the weight of the road sign
platform 100
exerted on the main bracket frame portion 202.
[0028] Turning to
the drawings, Figure 4 is an illustration of a rectangular
platform frame portion 500 comprising a plurality of platform frame members of
the
disclosure herein. The right platform bracket portion 536 and a left platform
bracket
portion 538 are engaged with a pair of 6x6 wood posts 534 that are separated
by a
distance. As illustrated, the rectangular platform frame portion 500 comprises
a first long
parallel outer frame member 518, a second long parallel outer frame member
510, a left
parallel short outer frame member 512 and a right parallel short outer frame
member 514
interconnected to form a rectangular frame and a plurality of left inner frame
members
530 and a plurality of right inner frame members 530. As depicted with Figures
4 and 6,
the rectangular platform frame portion 500 comprises a plurality of platform
frame
members 526 and two right corner support portions 524. In some embodiments,
the two
right corner support portions 524 further comprise a plurality of right
platform L-brackets
702, which extend between about 1 to about 4 inches from the underside of the
rectangular platform frame portion 500 and extend horizontally between about 1
to about
12 inches. In some embodiments, the plurality of right platform L-brackets 702
extend
about 21/4 inches from the underside of the rectangular platform frame portion
500 and
extend horizontally between about 1 to about 3 inches. Figure 6 further
illustrates bolt
holes 704, which are distributed along the square or rectangular platform
frame portion
106 and used for mounting the square or rectangular platform base portion 104
shown in
Figure 1 via bolts 122. In some embodiments, the plurality of platform frame
members
comprise one or two right corner support portions. As illustrated with Figure
4, the
rectangular platform frame portion 500 comprises T-shaped support portion 508
and 516,
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which like to the two right corner support portions 524 provides additional
structural
rigidity to the rectangular platform frame portion 500 as disclosed herein. In
some
embodiments, T-shaped support portion 508 is comprised of two 1x1 square steel
tubing
sandwiched and welded together. In some embodiments, the plurality of platform
frame
members comprises a left T-shaped support portion. In some embodiments, the
plurality
of platform frame members comprise i) a first long parallel outer frame
member, a
second long parallel outer frame member, a left parallel short outer frame
member and a
right parallel short outer frame member interconnected to form a rectangular
frame; and
ii) a plurality of left inner frame members and a plurality of right inner
frame members.
In some embodiments, the second long parallel outer frame member comprises one
or
more railing sleeves 506 capable of holding the safety railing portion 504 in
an upright
position at about 90 degrees relative to the platform frame portion. In some
embodiments,
the width of the safety railing is about 7 foot 4 inches wide and about 36
inches in height.
Moreover, about an 8 inch portion of the safety railing portion 504 is
inserted into the
railing brackets 506. The square or rectangular platform frame portion is
prevented from
sliding or moving off of the left platform bracket portion and the right
platform bracket
portion with the proximity of the platform to the wood posts, the proximity of
the bracket
frame portion stops 204, the one or more left platform L-brackets 602, and the
plurality
of right platform L-brackets 702.
[0029] Figure 5 is
an illustration of the inner long parallel outer frame
member 518 is slidably engaged with an adjustment clamp 520. In some
embodiments,
the adjustment clamp 520 is tightened at a desired position along the first
long parallel
outer frame member 518 via a bolt or wing nut 608. As depicted with Figure 1,
there is a
platform base adjustment clamp gap 124, whereby the adjustment clamp 520 is
capable
of being adjusted with the square or rectangular platform base portion 104
affixed to the
square or rectangular platform frame portion 106. The adjustment clamp sleeve
606 is
capable of sliding along a distance of the first long parallel outer frame
member 518 with
the bolt or wing nut 608 is loosened. Furthermore, as illustrated the
adjustment clamp 520
comprises one or more left platform L-brackets 602, which may be affixed to
the
adjustment clamp sleeve 606 via weld 604. In some embodiments, the left
platform L-
brackets 602 extends below the outer frame member 518 between about 1 to about
4
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inches and extends horizontally between about 1 to about 12 inches. In some
embodiments, the left platform L-brackets 602 extends below the outer frame
member
518 about 21/4 inches and extends horizontally between about 1 to about 3
inches.
Turning to Figure 4, the adjustment clamp sleeve 606 and the design of the
platform
frame portion affords an adjustment distance 532 allows the adjustment clamp
520 to
move between platform frame members 528 and left parallel short outer frame
member
512.
[0030] In some embodiments, an adjustment clamp is slidably engaged with
a
first long parallel outer frame member, wherein the adjustment clamp comprises
one or
more left platform L-brackets, and wherein the one or more left platform L-
brackets
is/are engaged with the left platform bracket portion.
[0031] In some embodiments, an adjustment clamp is slidably engaged with
a
first long parallel outer frame member, wherein the adjustment clamp comprises
one or
more left platform L-brackets, wherein the one or more left platform L-
brackets is/are
engaged with the left platform bracket portion, and wherein the adjustment
clamp
comprises a tightening mechanism for securing the adjustment clamp at a
desired position
along the first long parallel outer frame member.
[0032] In some embodiments, an adjustment clamp is slidably engaged with
a
first long parallel outer frame member, wherein the adjustment clamp comprises
one or
more left platform L-brackets, wherein the one or more left platform L-
brackets is/are
engaged with the left platform bracket portion, wherein the adjustment clamp
comprises a
tightening mechanism for securing the adjustment clamp at a desired position
along the
first long parallel outer frame member, and wherein the left platform bracket
portion may
be adjusted to affix the road sign platform to a pair of wood posts separated
by a distance
of between about 2 feet to about 10 feet.
DEFINITIONS
[0033] For the purposes of this specification and appended claims,
unless
otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, percentages or
proportions, and
other numerical values used in the specification and claims, are to be
understood as being
modified in all instances by the term "about." Accordingly, unless indicated
to the
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contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification
and attached
claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties
sought to
be obtained. It is noted that, as used in this specification and the appended
claims, the
singular forms "a," "an," and "the," include plural references unless
expressly and
unequivocally limited to one referent. As used herein, the term "include" and
its
grammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of
items in a list
is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added
to the listed
items. As used herein, the term "comprising" means including elements or steps
that are
identified following that term, but any such elements or steps are not
exhaustive, and an
embodiment can include other elements or steps.
[0034] As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all
purposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, all ranges
disclosed
herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of
subranges
thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing
and enabling
the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters,
fifths,
tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be
readily broken
down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be
understood by
one skilled in the art all language such as "up to," "at least," "greater
than," "less than,"
and the like, include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be
subsequently
broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood
by one
skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member.
[0035] While certain embodiments have been illustrated and described, it
should be understood that changes and modifications can be made therein in
accordance
with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the technology in its
broader aspects
as defined in the following claims.
[0036] The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the
particular
embodiments described in this application. Many modifications and variations
can be
made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those
skilled in
the art. Functionally equivalent methods and devices within the scope of the
disclosure,
in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in
the art from
the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to
fall within
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the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only
by the
terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to
which such
claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not
limited to particular
methods or devices, which can of course vary. It is also to be understood that
the
terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular
embodiments only,
and is not intended to be limiting.
[0037] All
publications, patent applications, issued patents, and other
documents referred to in this specification are herein incorporated by
reference as if each
individual publication, patent application, issued patent, or other document
was
specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
Definitions that are contained in text incorporated by reference are excluded
to the extent
that they contradict definitions in this disclosure.
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