Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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RELEASABLE NET APPARATUS AND SYSTEM
Copyright Statement
moil This patent document contains material subject to
copyright
protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of this
patent
document or any related materials in the files of the United States Patent and
Trademark Office, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to netting systems including
releasable netting
systems.
Background
[0003] Outdoor netting systems (e.g., net walls) are used
for protection
throughout the world in different environments. One well-known example of this
includes the use of netting systems with outdoor golf driving ranges to
protect the
areas adjacent the driving ranges from errant golf balls. These
implementations
may be referred to as errant golf ball containment structures. Similar types
of
containment structures are used at baseball fields, soccer fields, football
fields,
areas where unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, drones) may frequent for fugitive
dust and trash containment or to visually obscure sites, and other types of
structures.
[0004] The containment structures may typically include nets
bounded by
ropes attached to steel cables extending between tall steel poles. The poles
may
be embedded in concrete foundations and extend upward to heights of 170'
above finished grade. In this way, the structures may be sturdy and
sufficiently
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tall to capture or otherwise block errant objects (e.g., golf balls) from
entering into
neighboring areas.
[0005] However, many of these outdoor structures may be
implemented in
areas with potentially severe weather conditions that may adversely affect the
structures. For example, in winter storms, snow and ice may freeze to the
netting
thereby increasing the weight supported by the steel cables and poles. In
addition, as the netting becomes laden with ice and snow, the porosity of the
net
may be greatly reduced resulting in increased wind drag. High winds associated
with freezing rain coupled with the ice buildup on the nets may cause a
significant
increase to the horizontal loads applied to the structure, and in extreme
conditions, may cause the poles to be overloaded and to collapse.
[0006] Once collapsed, the poles must be replaced, and the
structure must
be rebuilt resulting in lost revenues and a high cost of repair.
[0007] Accordingly, there is a need for a releasable net
apparatus and
system that may release the nets upon potential overloading of the support
poles
prior to the catastrophic collapsing of the poles. In this way, the nets may
be
released under severe weather conditions and the poles may be left standing.
The cost and effort necessary to restring the nets onto the standing poles may
be
far less than that of replacing the poles, thereby saving time and money.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0008] Various other objects, features and attendant
advantages of the
present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better
understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
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which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout
the
several views, and wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 shows aspects of a netting system according to
exemplary
embodiments hereof;
[0010] FIGS. 2-4 depict close-up views of aspects of the
netting system of
FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 5A-5B show aspects of an attachment mechanism
according to
exemplary embodiments hereof;
[0012] FIG. 6 shows aspects of a releasable attachment
mechanism
according to exemplary embodiments hereof;
[0013] FIGS. 7A-7B show aspects of a weakening element
according to
exemplary embodiments hereof;
[0014] FIG. 8 shows aspects of a releasable attachment
mechanism
according to exemplary embodiments hereof;
[0015] FIG. 9 shows aspects of a weakening element according
to
exemplary embodiments hereof;
[0016] FIGS. 10A-106 show aspects of a releasable attachment
mechanism according to exemplary embodiments hereof;
[0017] FIGS. 11A-116 show aspects of a weakening element
according to
exemplary embodiments hereof; and
[0018] FIG. 12 depicts a close-up view of aspects of the
netting system of
FIG. 1.
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Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments
[0019] In general, the system and associated apparatuses
according to
exemplary embodiments hereof provide releasable netting systems. In some
embodiments, the releasable netting systems are adapted for use as outdoor
containment structures (e.g., golf driving range errant ball containment
screens,
baseball fields, soccer fields, football fields, etc.) or for other purposes.
In some
embodiments the system includes two or more ground-based support structures
(e.g., anchored columns, poles, etc.) adapted to vertically support nets
therebetween to form a net wall.
[0020] In some embodiments, the nets may be peripherally
bounded by
ropes for support, and the ropes may be configured (clipped) to horizontal
support
cables running between the upright support structures. In this way, the nets
may
be strung between the upright support structures to form the net walls.
[0021] In one exemplary embodiment hereof as shown in FIG.
1, the
system 10 includes a support assembly 100, a net assembly 200 and an
attachment assembly 300. In general, the support assembly 100 may provide
support to the net assembly 200, with the net assembly 200 attached to the
support assembly 100 via the attachment assembly 300. The attachment
assembly 300 may be adapted to release the net assembly 200 under
predetermined environmental load conditions while generally leaving the
support
assembly 100 intact. The system 10 also may include other elements and
components as necessary to perform its desired functionalities as described
herein or otherwise.
Support Assembly 100
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[0022] In one exemplary embodiment hereof as shown in FIG.
2, the
support assembly 100 includes two or more upright support structures 102 and
one or more lateral supports 104 extending therebetween.
[00231 In some embodiments, the upright support structures
102 may
include poles, truss towers, lattice towers and/or other types of columns. In
some
embodiments the support structures 102 may be anchored in ground foundations
(e.g., concrete) and/or guyed with cables for increased stability. The
structures
102 may comprise steel, wood, composite materials (e.g., carbon composites),
other types of materials and any combination thereof. In some implementations,
the structures 102 may extend upward distances up to 90', 130', 170' and
above.
The diameter(s) of the structures 102 may be fixed and/or tapered and may be
chosen to provide sufficient support to the system 10. The structures 102 may
be
generally vertical and/or may include portions or sections at other angles
(e.g.,
diagonal cross bars).
[0024] In some embodiments, the lateral supports 104 may
include cables,
chains, cords, ropes and/or other types of supports that may extend between
the
upright structures 102. For example, in one implementation, the lateral
supports
104 may include steel cables. As shown in FIG. 2, the lateral supports 104 may
generally include a first end attached to a first upright support structure
102-1 and
a second end of the attached to an adjacent second upright structure 102-2.
The
first and/or second ends of the lateral supports 104 may be attached at
various
positions on the upright structures 102 depending on the design of the
structure
(e.g., at the top, at intermediate positions, near the bottom, etc.). It is
understood
that the lateral structures 104 may extend continually between a plurality of
adjacent upright structures 102 and that the ends of the lateral structures
104 may
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or may not terminate at any particular upright structure 102 depending on the
design of the overall system 10.
[0025] As will be described in other sections and as shown
in FIG. 2, the
net assembly 200 may be attached to the lateral supports 104 and thereby be
held between the upright structures 102. Accordingly, it is preferable that
the
lateral support structures 104 comprise materials of adequate strength to
support
the net assembly 300. For example, in some embodiments the lateral structures
104 may comprise 5/16" galvanized extra high strength (ENS) steel strands or
other comparable structures.
[0026] In some embodiments, the support assembly 100 may
include a
lateral support 104 generally extending between the tops of adjacent upright
support structures 102, and one or more lateral supports 104 extending between
the upright structures 102 at intermediate locations between the ground and
the
tops of the structures 102. While FIG. 2 depicts one top lateral support 104-1
and
one intermediary lateral support 104-2, it is understood that the system 10
may
include any number of lateral supports 104 extending between any number of
upright supports 102, and that the scope of the system 10 is not limited in
any way
by the number and/or location of lateral supports 104 and/or upright supports
102.
Net Assembly 200
[0027] In one exemplary embodiment hereof, the net assembly
200
includes one or more nets 202 attached to the support assembly 100 to form a
net
wall. In some embodiments, the nets 202 include polymer nets 202 comprising
polypropylene, polyethylene, Kevlar, nylon, textiles, plastic, rubber, steel
(e.g.,
chain link), other materials and any combination thereof. The nets 202 may
include a cord diameter, mesh size and strength profile per design
requirements
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so that the nets 202 may perform their desired functionalities. It also may be
preferable that the nets 202 include UV protective treatments.
[0028] The nets 202 may be bound to support members 204 to
provide
strength and support to the nets 202. For example, FIG. 3 shows the top edge
of
a net 202 bound to a top edge rope 204 and FIG. 4 shows a middle portion of a
net 202 bound to an intermediate rope 204. In some embodiments, the rope
borders 204 may comprise 3/8" braided rope with #24 twisted nylon twine sewn
to
the netting 202 with half clove hitch at 7" intervals. Other materials and/or
methods also may be used to attach the netting 202 to the rope border 204. It
may be preferable that the support members 204 extend the length of each net
202 between the upright support structures 102 to provide continual support
across each net 202 between the structures 102.
[0029] In some embodiments, a single net 202 may extend
between two or
more adjacent upright support structures 102, while in other embodiments, a
plurality of nets 202 may be combined to extend between adjacent upright
structures 102.
Attachment Assembly 300
[0030] In one exemplary embodiment hereof, the attachment
assembly
300 is used to attach the net assembly 200 to the support assembly 100. In
some
embodiments, the attachment assembly 300 includes one or more attachment
mechanisms 302 that may include one or more clips, fasteners, carabiners,
shackles, rings, hoops, loops, grommets, other types of attachment members and
any combination thereof. The shape of the attachment mechanism 302 may be
generally circular, oval shaped, square, rectangular, tear shaped, any other
types
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of shapes and any combination thereof. For example, the attachment mechanism
302 may include a generally oval or tear shaped hoop.
[0031] In one example as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the
attachment
mechanism 302 resembles a carabiner or other type of hoop fastener with a top
304, a bottom 306, a spring-loaded hinged gate 308 and a closed side arm 310.
FIG. 5A depicts the mechanism 302 with the gate 308 closed and FIG. 5B depicts
the mechanism with the gate 308 open. In some embodiments, the gate 308 may
include a non-locking gate 308 so that the top 304 of the attachment mechanism
302 may not be locked within the gate 308, but instead may be simply held and
supported. In this way, as will be described in other sections, the top 304
may be
free to rotate upward and out of the gate 308 as required.
[0032] In some embodiments, the attachment mechanism 302 may
comprise high durability 5/16" carbon steel with smooth rounded edges that may
not adversely wear the rope borders 204 and/or nets 202 to which the
attachment
mechanism 302 may be attached.
[0033] In some embodiments, each attachment mechanism 302
may attach
a particular portion of a net 202 to a corresponding position along a lateral
support
structure 104. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a first attachment mechanism
302-1 may be used to attach a portion of a net 202 to a lateral support
structure
104-1 at position (1), a second attachment mechanism 302-2 may be used to
attach a portion of the net 202 to a lateral support structure 104-1 at
position (2), a
third attachment mechanism 302-3 may be used to attach a portion of the net
202
to a lateral support structure 104-2 at position (3), and a fourth attachment
mechanism 302-4 may be used to attach a portion of the net 202 to a lateral
support structure 104-2 at position (4). In some embodiments, the attachment
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between each net 202 and each lateral support structure 104 may include
attaching the support member 204 configured with the net 202 to the lateral
support structure 104 at the desired location of the attachment. In other
embodiments, the attachment between each net 202 and each lateral support
structure 104 may include attaching the net 302 (e.g., the mesh) directly with
the
lateral support structure 104 at the desired location of the attachment.
[0034] As shown, positions (1) and (2) may be along the top
edge of the net
202 and may attach the top edge of the net 202 (e.g., an upper support member
204 configured with the top edge of the net 202) to the top lateral support
104-1,
and positions (3) and (4) may be along an intermediate (middle) portion of the
net
202 (e.g., an intermediate support member 204 configured with an intermediate
portion of the net 202) and may attach the middle portion of the net 202 to an
intermediate (middle) support structure 104-2. It is understood by a person of
ordinary skill in the art that these configurations of the net 202 with
lateral
supports 104-1, 104-2 at positions (1), (2), (3) and (4) are meant for
demonstration and that the net 202 may be attached to other later supports 104
at
other positions, and that the scope of the system 10 is not limited in any way
by
the number and/or location of attachments between the net 202 and the lateral
supports 104.
[0035] FIG. 3 shows a close-up schematic of a net 202 with a
top edge
bound to a support member 204 (e.g., bound to a rope at points B), and the
support member 204 attached to a lateral support 104 using an attachment
mechanism 302. As environmental forces (wind, frozen rain, snow, etc.) pull
the
net 202 and its accompanying support member 204 away from the lateral support
104, these forces may be represented as a force vector F as shown.
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[0036] FIG. 4 shows a close-up schematic of a net 202 with a
middle
portion bound to a support member 204 (e.g., bound by a rope at points B), and
the support member 204 attached to a lateral support 104 using an attachment
mechanism 302.
[0037] In one exemplary embodiment hereof as shown in FIG.
6, the
attachment mechanism 302 may include a releasable attachment mechanism
312. In some embodiments, the releasable attachment mechanism 312 may
include an attachment mechanism 302 adapted to open, release or otherwise
disengage under particular pre-determined conditions. For example, the
releasable attachment mechanism 312 may be designed to break open when a
specific amount of force F is applied to the mechanism 312. In this way, the
releasable attachment mechanism 312 may be referred to as a "break-away'
attachment mechanism 312. For example, an upward force Fl may be applied to
the top 304 of the mechanism 312 and/or a downward force F2 may be applied to
the bottom 306 of the mechanism 312, and the mechanism 312 may be designed
to break open when the forces Fl and/or F2 exceed a predetermined force
threshold.
[0038] In one exemplary embodiment hereof, the releasable
attachment
mechanism 312 includes at least one weakening element 314. For example, as
shown in FIG. 6, the weakening element 314 may include a slot 316 that passes
through at least a portion of the mechanism's side arm 310 thereby weakening
the
arm 310 in the general area of the slot 316. Using the orientation of the
releasable attachment mechanism 312 as shown in FIG. 6, the slot 316 may pass
from outside the mechanism 312 on the right and through the side arm 310
towards the left (towards the mechanism's median plane).
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[0039] FIG. 7A shows a closeup schematic of the slot 316
within the side
arm 310 of the mechanism 312 of FIG. 6. The slot 316 may include a height of
H1
and a width of W1. Because the slot 316 may not pass entirely through the side
arm 310, a remaining portion of material 318 (also referred to as the bridge
318)
may include a width of W2. In general, the width W1 plus the width W2 equals
the
diameter W3 of the side arm 310.
[0040] FIG. 7B shows the cross section of the slot 316 and
the bridge 318
taken from the perspective of cut-lines B-B in FIG. 7A.
[0041] In one exemplary embodiment hereof as shown in FIG.
8, the
upward (and downward) force FT (i.e., a tension force representing all forces
applied to the mechanism 312) of sufficient magnitude applied to the top 304
of
the releasable attachment mechanism 312 causes a predictable break-away of
the attachment mechanism 312 in the area of the weakening element 314.
Accordingly, the releasable attachment mechanism 312 may be designed to break
(and thereby release) at a specific breaking force FB. That is, by knowing the
breaking force FB at which the releasable attachment mechanism 312 is desired
to break, the dimensions and position of the slot 316 may be designed to
facilitate
such breakage.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 8, the upward force FT applied to
the top 304 may
be modeled as a torque T applied to the top 304 about an axis of rotation A
centered at the bridge 318. With the slot 316 positioned at a vertical
distance Dl
from the point of force, the torque T may generally be given by:
T= r FT sine
Where:
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T is the applied torque;
r is the distance from the axis of rotation to the point of force;
F is the applied force; and
0 is the angle between FT and r
[0043] The lever arm LA1 is also shown as the perpendicular
distance
from the axis of rotation A to the line of action of the upward force FT.
[0044] As the upward force FT is applied, the torque T
causes the top 304
of the releasable attachment mechanism 312 to begin rotating in a generally
clockwise direction as represented by R about the axis of rotation A (centered
at
the bridge 318). Because the gate 308 is non-locking, the top 304 may be free
to
rotate upward and out of the gate 308 without obstruction. This in turn may
cause
the slot 316 to collapse as shown in FIG. 9 causing the axis of rotation A to
jam.
As the torque T continues and with the axis of rotation A jammed, the lever
arm
relocates to the slot 316 and bridge 318 portion (as represented as LA2) and a
tensile force FTs is applied to the bridge 318 as shown. This force Frs may
cause
an associated tensile stress a within the material at the bridge 318.
[0045] As is known in the art, a stress a, which is a force
applied to a per
unit area of a material (e.g., to the area of the bridge 318), produces a
stretching
of the area (e.g., of the bridge 318) referred to as a strain c. Strain is
represented
by the ratio of the difference in length AL caused by the stress a to the
original
length Lo along the direction of the stress a, i.e., c = AL / Lo.
[0046] As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, as the rotation R
continues, the
stress a increases causing an increased strain c, and the bridge 318
experiences
plastic deformation until it breaks. As stated above, by choosing appropriate
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dimensions (H1, W1) and positioning (D1) of the slot 316 and the corresponding
dimensions of the bridge 318 (W2), the releasable attachment mechanism 312
may be designed to predictably break open with the application of a known
breaking force FB. For example, in some embodiments, for a side arm 310 with a
diameter W3 of 0.305" ¨ 0.309" (and preferably about 0.306") and a breaking
force FB of 350# ¨ 430# (and preferably about 388#), the height H1 of the slot
316
may be chosen to equal 0.012" +/- 0.002" and the width W1 of the slot 316 may
be chosen to equal 0.247" +/- 0.008". This may result in a bridge width W2
equal
to about 0.057" +/- 0.004". Looking at this in another way, the height H1 of
the
slot 316 may be about 4% the diameter W3 of the arm 310, and the width W1 of
the slot 316 may be about 81% of the diameter W3 of the arm 310. This may
result in the width W2 of the bridge being about 19% of the diameter W3 of the
arm 310.
[0047] In another example, the slot 316 may be positioned at
a vertical
distance D1 below the point of force of about 0.620".
[0048] It is understood that these example slot dimensions
and/or slot
position(s) are meant for demonstration and that other dimensions and/or
positions of the slot 316 also may be chosen, and that the scope of the
releasable
attachment mechanism 312 and that of the system 10 is not limited in any way
by
the chosen dimensions and/or positioning of the slot 316. In some embodiments,
the slot dimensions and/or slot position(s) may result in different breaking
forces
FB depending on the material(s) used to form the mechanism 312 (e.g., the arm
310 with which the weakening element 314 may be configured). For example, for
an arm 310 comprising stainless steel, the slot dimensions and/or slot
position(s)
shown above may result in a breaking force FB of about 388#.
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[0049] It is understood by a person of ordinary skill in the
art that the
descriptions above regarding the forces F1, F2, FT and/or FB applied to the
releasable attachment mechanism 312 and the resulting torque T, force FTs,
stress cr, strain c and eventual breakage of the releasable attachment
mechanism
312 are meant for demonstration, and that other forces may be applied to the
mechanism 312 that may result in other eventual breakages of the mechanism
312 as required for the mechanism 312 to fulfill its break-away
functionalities
within the system 10. It is also understood that the analysis and modeling of
the
mechanism 312, the weakening element 314 and/or other elements of the
mechanism 312 and the forces described as shown above are meant to provide
an understanding of the mechanism 312 and its functionalities, and that other
analysis and/or modeling of the mechanism 312 may also be used.
[0050] In some embodiments, the shape and form of the
weakening
element 314 may include other architectures that may result in the same or
similar
results. For example, the weakening element 314 may include two or more slots
316 in close proximity on the arm 310 or spaced at distances along the arm
310.
The two or more slots 316 may be positioned on the same side of the arm 310
(e.g., on the outside as shown in other embodiments) or on different sides
(e.g.,
directly opposing one another on opposing sides and/or vertically offset on
opposing sides). In another example, the weakening element 314 may include
one or more slots 316 on the lateral sides of the arm 310 (e.g., perpendicular
to or
at other angles with respect to the slot 316 of FIG. 7B). In other examples,
the
angle of the slot 316 with respect to the arm 310 may include a non-
perpendicular
angle (e.g., diagonal). In another example, the slot 316 may not include a
constant height H1 but may instead include a tapering height that tapers from
a
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larger height at the opening of the slot 316 to a smaller height at the bridge
318
(e.g., wedge-shaped). In another example, the weakening element 314 may
include one or more holes that pass through at least a portion of the arm 310.
In
this example, the one or more holes may result in the formation of one or more
corresponding bridge portions associated with each hole.
[0051] In yet another embodiment as shown in FIG. 11A, the
slot 316 may
include a circumferential slot 316 that extends inward from around the
circumference of the arm 310 with a resulting bridge 318 generally positioned
in
the center of arm's cross-section as shown in FIG. 11B. Other slot
architectures
may also be used.
[0052] It is understood that the weakening element 314 may
include any
type(s) of element(s) and/or structure(s) that may generally weaken the
mechanism's arm 310 so that the arm 310 may break under a defined load. It is
also understood that the scope of the releasable attachment mechanism 312 and
that of the system 10 is not limited in any way by the type(s), shape(s),
form(s),
location(s) and/or any other characteristics of the weakening element 314 that
the
releasable attachment mechanism 312 may employ.
[0053] In on exemplary embodiment hereof as shown in FIG.
12, the
attachment mechanisms of FIG. 2 may each include releasable attachment
mechanisms 316. For example, first attachment mechanism 302-1 may include a
releasable attachment mechanism 316-1, the second attachment mechanism
302-2 may include a releasable attachment mechanism 316-2, the third
attachment mechanism 302-3 may include a third releasable attachment
mechanism 316-3 and the fourth attachment mechanism 302-4 may include a
fourth releasable attachment mechanism 316-4. It is understood that the number
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and location of the releasable attachment mechanisms 316 shown in FIG. 12 are
meant for demonstration and that the system 10 may include any number of
releasable attachment mechanisms 316 as necessary.
[00541 In one exemplary embodiment hereof, by designing the
releasable
attachment mechanism 312 to release (e.g., break away) under predictable load
conditions of a known breaking force FB, the system 10 may be designed to
include a specific number of releasable attachment mechanisms 312 placed at
specific positions within the system 10 so that the releasable attachment
mechanisms 312 may release a net 202 given specific environmental load
conditions. Note that the number and/or placement of the attachment
mechanisms 312 may be site specific as each site of the system 10 may include
different potential environmental load conditions under which the system 10
may
preferably perform.
[0055] For example, in some implementations, the releasable
attachment
mechanisms 312 may be used to connect the netting 202 to the upper lateral
support 104 and/or intermediate lateral support at intervals of approximately
36".
The releasable attachment mechanisms 312 also may be used to connect the
netting 202 to the upright support structures 102 (or to vertical support
cables
configured with the upright support structures 102) at intervals of
approximately
36". In other implementations, the releasable attachment mechanisms 312 may
be placed at non-symmetrical spacings. It is understood that other placement
positions and/or intervals of placement also may be used depending on the
design of the releasable attachment mechanism 312, the application of the
system 10 and/or the environment within which the system 10 may be installed,
and that the scope of the system 10 is not limited in any way by the
positioning
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and/or the placement intervals at which the releasable attachment mechanisms
312 may be configured.
[0056] It is understood that any aspect and/or element of
any of the
embodiments described herein or otherwise may be combined in any way to form
new embodiments easily understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate and understand, upon
reading this
description, that embodiments hereof may provide different and/or other
advantages, and that not all embodiments or implementations need have all
advantages.
[0057] Where a process is described herein, those of
ordinary skill in the art
will appreciate that the process may operate without any user intervention. In
another embodiment, the process includes some human intervention (e.g., a step
is performed by or with the assistance of a human).
[0058] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase
"at least some"
means "one or more," and includes the case of only one. Thus, e.g., the phrase
"at least some ABCs" means "one or more ABCs", and includes the case of only
one ABC.
[0059] As used herein, including in the claims, term "at
least one" should be
understood as meaning "one or more", and therefore includes both embodiments
that include one or multiple components. Furthermore, dependent claims that
refer to independent claims that describe features with "at least one" have
the
same meaning, both when the feature is referred to as "the" and "the at least
one''.
[0060] As used in this description, the term "portion" means
some or all.
So, for example, "A portion of X" may include some of "X" or all of "X". In
the
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context of a conversation, the term "portion" means some or all of the
conversation.
[0061] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase
"using" means
"using at least," and is not exclusive. Thus, e.g., the phrase "using X" means
"using at least X." Unless specifically stated by use of the word "only", the
phrase
"using X" does not mean "using only X."
[0062] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase
"based on"
means "based in part on" or "based, at least in part, on," and is not
exclusive.
Thus, e.g., the phrase "based on factor X" means "based in part on factor X"
or
"based, at least in part, on factor X." Unless specifically stated by use of
the word
"only", the phrase "based on X" does not mean "based only on X."
[0063] In general, as used herein, including in the claims,
unless the word
"only" is specifically used in a phrase, it should not be read into that
phrase.
[0064] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase
"distinct" means
"at least partially distinct." Unless specifically stated, distinct does not
mean fully
distinct. Thus, e.g., the phrase, "X is distinct from Y" means that "X is at
least
partially distinct from Y," and does not mean that "X is fully distinct from
Y." Thus,
as used herein, including in the claims, the phrase "X is distinct from Y"
means
that X differs from Y in at least some way.
[0065] It should be appreciated that the words "first,"
"second," and so on,
in the description and claims, are used to distinguish or identify, and not to
show a
serial or numerical limitation. Similarly, letter labels (e.g., "(A)", "(B)",
"(C)", and so
on, or "(a)", "(b)", and so on) and/or numbers (e.g., "(i)", "(ii)", and so
on) are used
to assist in readability and to help distinguish and / or identify, and are
not
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intended to be otherwise limiting or to impose or imply any serial or
numerical
limitations or orderings. Similarly, words such as "particular," "specific,"
"certain,"
and "given,' in the description and claims, if used, are to distinguish or
identify,
and are not intended to be otherwise limiting.
[0066] As used herein, including in the claims, the terms
"multiple" and
"plurality" mean "two or more," and include the case of "two." Thus, e.g., the
phrase "multiple ABCs," means "two or more ABCs," and includes "two ABCs."
Similarly, e.g., the phrase "multiple PQRs," means "two or more PQRs," and
includes "two PQRs."
[0067] The present invention also covers the exact terms,
features, values
and ranges, etc. in case these terms, features, values and ranges etc. are
used in
conjunction with terms such as about, around, generally, substantially,
essentially,
at least etc. (i.e., "about 3" or "approximately 3" shall also cover exactly 3
or
"substantially constant" shall also cover exactly constant).
[0068] As used herein, including in the claims, singular
forms of terms are
to be construed as also including the plural form and vice versa, unless the
context indicates otherwise. Thus, it should be noted that as used herein, the
singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the
context
clearly dictates otherwise.
[0069] Throughout the description and claims, the terms
"comprise",
"including", "having", and "contain" and their variations should be understood
as
meaning "including but not limited to", and are not intended to exclude other
components unless specifically so stated.
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[0070] It will be appreciated that variations to the
embodiments of the
invention can be made while still falling within the scope of the invention.
Alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose can
replace
features disclosed in the specification, unless stated otherwise. Thus, unless
stated otherwise, each feature disclosed represents one example of a generic
series of equivalent or similar features.
[0071] The present invention also covers the exact terms,
features, values
and ranges, etc. in case these terms, features, values and ranges etc. are
used in
conjunction with terms such as about, around, generally, substantially,
essentially,
at least etc. (i.e., "about 3" shall also cover exactly 3 or "substantially
constant"
shall also cover exactly constant).
[0072] Use of exemplary language, such as "for instance",
"such as", "for
example" ("e.g.,") and the like, is merely intended to better illustrate the
invention
and does not indicate a limitation on the scope of the invention unless
specifically
so claimed.
[0073] While the invention has been described in connection
with what is
presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is
to
be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed
embodiment,
but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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