U.S. patent application number 10/528595 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-10 for screw cap for pressurised containers.
Invention is credited to Gassner, Okten.
Application Number | 20050247663 10/528595 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31984285 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050247663 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gassner, Okten |
November 10, 2005 |
Screw cap for pressurised containers
Abstract
The invention relates to a screw cap for containers with a
threaded neck, in particular PET bottles designed to hold beverages
containing CO.sub.2. Said cap comprises a top plate (1), an
approximately cylindrical cap jacket (2), provided with an interior
thread (3), an approximately cylindrical inner sealing collar (4),
emanating from the top plate (1) and having an annular continuous
region that projects radially outwards and an essentially
cylindrical outer sealing collar (5), which concentrically
surrounds the inner sealing collar (4). The maximum outer radius of
the inner sealing collar and the minimum inner radius of the outer
sealing collar differ only slightly, preferably by less than 2 mm
and in particular by less than 1 mm and the inner and outer sealing
collars (4, 5) are designed to receive the upper region of a bottle
neck (11) in the annular gap formed between said collars. The aim
of the invention is to provide a screw cap, which in general
retains the excellent sealing properties of the known screw cap,
even in extreme environmental conditions and is at the same time
capable of limiting the pressures that occur in a container with a
screw cap, without losing its sealing function. To achieve this,
the cap is provided with devices (6, 7), which limit the axial
depth of penetration of the edge of a bottle neck (11) into the gap
between the inner (4) and the outer sealing collar (5).
Inventors: |
Gassner, Okten; (Odernheim
am Glan, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SIMPSON & SIMPSON, PLLC
5555 MAIN STREET
WILLIAMSVILLE
NY
14221-5406
US
|
Family ID: |
31984285 |
Appl. No.: |
10/528595 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
September 24, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/DE03/03169 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/344 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 41/0421
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/344 |
International
Class: |
B65D 053/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 30, 2002 |
DE |
102 45 595.3 |
Claims
1-9. (canceled)
10. A Screw cap, for containers with a threaded neck that are
designed to hold drinks containing CO.sub.2, said screw cap having
a head plate, a roughly cylindrical cap shell with internal thread,
an essentially cylindrical inner sealing web extending from the
head plate with a continuous annular region projecting radially
outwards and an outer, essentially cylindrical sealing web
concentrically surrounding the inner sealing web, the maximum
external radius of the inner sealing web and the minimum internal
radius of the outer sealing web differing so as to form a
concentric intermediate space in the form of an annular
intermediate space between the inner and outer sealing webs for
receiving an upper region of a bottle neck in the annular
intermediate space while permitting contact of both the inner and
outer sealing webs with the upper portion of the threaded neck
wherein limiting structures are provided for limiting an axial
depth by which the neck penetrates the annular intermediate space
between the inner and outer sealing web.
11. The screw cap of claim 10 where the maximum external radius of
the inner sealing web and the minimum internal radius of the outer
sealing web differ by less than 2 mm and the inner and outer
sealing webs are specifically designed to accommodate the upper
region of the bottle neck in the intermediate space formed between
them.
12. The screw cap of claim 11 where the maximum external radius of
the inner sealing web and the minimum internal radius of the outer
sealing web differ by less than 1 mm.
13. The screw cap according to claim 10, where the structures for
limiting the depth by which the neck penetrates the annular
intermediate space comprise limiting webs extending axially into
the intermediate space from a base of the intermediate space.
14. The screw cap according to claim 13 wherein the limiting webs
have an axial height of between 0.3 and 2 mm.
15. The screw cap according to claim 13 wherein the limiting webs
have a width (measured in peripheral direction) of 0.5 to 3 mm.
16. The screw cap according to claim 13 wherein the limiting webs
are distributed at roughly equal angular distances along the
annular intermediate space.
17. The screw cap according to claim 13, wherein six webs are
provided at angular distances of approximately 60.degree. along the
annular intermediate space.
18. The screw cap according to claim 10 wherein the limiting
structures comprise a continuous annular bead provided radially
outside the outer sealing web, which annular bead has a stop
surface that acts as a stop preventing movement of the outer
sealing web so that the outer sealing web acts to limit penetration
of the neck into the annular intermediate space, the stop surface
of the bead having an axial distance from the base of the
intermediate space which is 0.3 to 2 mm bigger than the axial
distance of an upper thread edge of a threaded neck of the bottle
from the upper rim surface of the threaded neck of a bottle for
which the screw cap is provided.
19. A screw cap according to claim 10 wherein a wall thickness of
the head plate is smaller in a region of the intermediate space
than in a region radially inside the inner sealing web.
20. A screw cap according to claim 19 wherein a wall thickness of
the cap base in a region of the intermediate space is 5 to 15%
smaller than a wall thickness of the cap base in the region
immediately radially inside the inner sealing web.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a screw cap for containers
with a threaded neck, in particular PET (polyethylene terephthlate)
bottles, which are designed to hold drinks containing CO.sub.2,
with a head plate, a roughly cylindrical cap shell with internal
thread, an essentially cylindrical inner sealing web extending from
the head plate with a continuous annular region projecting radially
outwards and an outer, essentially cylindrical sealing web
concentrically surrounding the inner sealing web, the maximum
external radius of the inner sealing web and the minimum internal
radius of the outer sealing web differing only slightly and
preferably by less than 2 mm and in particular by less than 1 mm,
and being designed to accommodate and seal the upper region of a
bottle neck in the thus-formed intermediate space.
[0002] Such a screw cap is already known from European patent
application No. 98 909 299, filed by the same applicant as the
present application and corresponding to U.S. Pat. No.
6,325,226.
[0003] This known closure has outstanding sealing properties which
have resulted in considerable market success. It hardly seems
possible to come up with any feasible means that would further
improve the sealing efficiency and that is not the intention of the
present invention. Rather, the screw cap according to the present
invention uses the same sealing principle, based on the combination
of an inner seal in the form of a radially inner sealing web with a
cross-section resembling an olive, which is therefore also referred
to as a "sealing olive", in conjunction with a cylindrical outer
sealing web, wherein the special geometry of the two sealing webs
and further elements provided on the closure, in combination with
one another, achieve the special sealing action.
[0004] The known screw cap is usually used to close PET bottles
which contain carbonated drinks. These PET bottles and in
particular their threaded necks are standardized and there are only
a few standard types which are overall relatively similar to one
another, although the specific dimensions of the corresponding
closures are in each case adapted precisely to one of these
respective standard types.
[0005] The wall thickness of the bottle neck rim of such PET
bottles is mostly less than 2 and often even less than 1.5 mm, e.g.
1.2 mm. In order to achieve an adequate sealing action, the maximum
external radius of the inner sealing web must be significantly
bigger, i.e. by at least 0.3 to 0.5 mm, than the internal radius of
the bottle neck rim against which the inner sealing web rests in a
sealing manner. The internal radius of the outer sealing web must
simultaneously also be significantly smaller, i.e. mostly by 0.5 mm
or more, than the external radius of the bottle neck rim against
which the outer sealing web rests in a sealing manner. This means
that the intermediate space between the inner web and the outer web
is relatively slim, with typical radial dimensions of only 0.5 mm.
Depending on the wall thickness of the bottle neck rim, it may
naturally also be bigger or somewhat smaller.
[0006] At the same time, another bead is also generally provided,
surrounding the outer sealing web at a distance, the internal
radius of which is bigger than the external diameter of the bottle
neck rim by less than the thickness of the outer sealing web, which
means that the outer sealing web is pressed between the bottle neck
rim and the bead or pushed against the bottle neck by the bead when
the cap is screwed on, thereby contributing to the good sealing
effect. The inner sealing web simultaneously fulfils a centring
function, only the cooperation of all elements of the closure
guaranteeing a surprisingly dramatic improvement in the sealing
properties.
[0007] These outstanding sealing properties of the known closure,
of which the present invention also makes use, may nevertheless
have a detrimental effect under extreme conditions. For example,
extremely high pressures can build up in such a PET bottle under
extremely high outdoor temperatures, particularly if suitably
filled bottles are exposed to direct sunlight, combined with a
particularly high proportion of carbon dioxide in the liquid or
beverage. This causes a very considerable strain, both on the
bottle and on the closure, and can also lead to a clearly visible
bulging in the main body of the bottle. It would therefore seem
desirable to avoid these extremely high pressures, especially in
PET bottles used for beverages.
[0008] In view of the state of the art described above, the object
of the invention is therefore to create a screw cap which on the
one hand generally preserves the outstanding sealing properties of
the known screw cap, even under very rough external conditions, but
is simultaneously also capable of limiting the pressures which
occur in a container closed with the screw cap without loss of
sealing function.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] This object is achieved in that the screw cap is provided
with structures which restrict the axial depth to which a bottle
neck rim penetrates the intermediate space between the inner and
outer sealing web, irrespective of the limiting, achieved alone by
the sealing webs and base of the intermediate space, of such
penetration of the intermediate space by the bottle neck rim.
[0010] More particularly, the invention is a screw cap for
containers with a threaded neck, in particular PET bottles, which
are designed to hold drinks containing CO.sub.2. The screw cap has
a head plate (1), a roughly cylindrical cap shell (2) with internal
thread (3), an essentially cylindrical inner sealing web (4)
extending from the head plate (1) with a continuous annular region
projecting radially outwards and an outer, essentially cylindrical
sealing web (5) concentrically surrounding the inner sealing web
(4). The maximum external radius of the inner sealing web and the
minimum internal radius of the outer sealing web differ only
slightly and preferably by less than 2 mm and more preferably by
less than 1 mm. The inner and outer sealing webs (4, 5) are
specifically designed to accommodate the upper region of a bottle
neck (11) in the annular intermediate space formed between them,
wherein structures (6, 7) are provided which limit the axial depth
by which the bottle neck rim (11) penetrates the intermediate space
between the inner (4) and outer sealing web (5).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a view, in axial direction from inside, of a
closure cap according to the invention,
[0012] FIG. 2 shows a section containing the axis through the
closure cap represented in FIG. 1,
[0013] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged section of the closure cap
according to FIG. 1,
[0014] FIG. 4 shows a screw cap represented partly in section and
screwed onto a bottle neck and
[0015] FIG. 5 shows a section enlargement of the area circled in
FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Irrespective of their influence on reducing the internal
pressure inside a bottle, the structures according to the
invention, which act as an axial stop for a bottle neck on which
the cap is screwed, also have an advantageous effect with regard to
the attachment of the closures by machine. When screwing on a
closure by machine, on which the present invention is based, it can
happen that the closure becomes twisted when being screwed on or
else an annular bead which may be provided externally to the outer
sealing web sits on the upper thread pitch. The latter is
particularly undesirable if the upper thread pitch is not designed
for such a seating but extends with its top end inclined relative
to the closing axis. In this case, the closure can become tilted.
Since the webs according to the invention are provided between the
inner and outer sealing strips, they act as an axial stop which
immediately leads to a sharp increase in torque as the closure is
screwed onto a bottle neck, as soon as the end face of the bottle
neck reaches the webs. It goes without saying that any cylindrical
bead outside the outer sealing strip is designed so that it does
not come into contact with the thread before the end face of the
bottle neck reaches the named webs.
[0017] In principle a statically measured torque, which is
determined in appropriate tests for the particular type of cap, is
set in capping machines for every cap head. However, during the
closing process, an additional torque occurs due to the kinetic
energy, which is to be decelerated, of the rapidly rotating cap
head, and whilst allowance can be made for this, it varies due to
mostly unavoidable fluctuations in the line speed, and in order to
produce a sufficiently high torque even when machines are operating
slowly, a correspondingly high torque value is set which can then
lead to the closure being slightly over-rotated when the machines
are running quickly again. The torque which occurs when the cap is
over-rotated is also referred to in the technical language by the
English term "strip-torque".
[0018] It has transpired that the webs according to the invention
perceptibly increase this torque needed to over-rotate the closure,
which can therefore help to prevent over-rotation, even when
relatively high static torque values are set. Furthermore, the
sharp increase in torque which occurs when the bottle neck mouth
hits the webs according to the invention can also be used to
control the machine in order to halt the screwing-on process at the
beginning of such an increase.
[0019] Even though the measures according to the invention are not
intended as a means of setting the tightness and safety of the cap
against excess pressure, or the mentioned venting effect does not
occur due to the design of the seals, the webs according to the
invention are, from the point of view of an improvement in the
properties, nevertheless useful, in view of the mentioned excess
torque, when screwing on the closures by machine.
[0020] Expediently, the structures are designed so that a distance
of between 0.5 and 1.5 mm is left between the plane defined by the
internal face of the head plate and the plane defined by the upper
bottle neck rim, provided that, in this connection, the base of the
intermediate space between the sealing webs constituting the actual
reference point for the axial position of the bottle neck rim lies
more or less in the inner plane of the head plate. If this is not
the case, the corresponding distance should be better determined
relative to the plane defined by the base of this intermediate
space.
[0021] In the preferred version of the present invention, the
structures for limiting the penetration of the intermediate space
between sealing webs by the bottle neck rim consist of elevations
or webs which extend into the intermediate space from the base of
the intermediate space. In this way, when the closure cap is
screwed onto a bottle neck, these elevations or webs act as stops
for the bottle neck rim that prevent further penetration of the
intermediate space between the sealing webs by the bottle neck rim.
As a result of the material and their dimensions, these stops are
not rigid but are elastically flexible to a certain degree. It has
proved to be expedient if the webs or elevations have an axial
height (measured respectively from the base of the intermediate
space) of between 0.3 and 2.5 mm, preferably in the range of 0.5 to
1.8 mm.
[0022] By base of the intermediate space is meant the section of
the head plate between the sealing webs at its deepest point.
[0023] The width of the webs in peripheral direction should be
sufficient to permit them to act as stops and not, for their part,
to be excessively elastically deformed and pushed in themselves. To
this end, a width of the webs of 0.3 to 2 mm has proved to be
useful.
[0024] In the preferred version, several webs are distributed at
roughly equal angular distances along the annular intermediate
space. In the preferred version of the invention, for example, six
webs are arranged in the intermediate space, in each case at
angular distances of approximately 60.degree. and extend in axial
direction into the intermediate space by approximately 1.5 to 1.8
mm from the deepest base of the intermediate space.
[0025] It has also proved to be expedient if the wall thickness of
the head plate in the region of the intermediate space, to be more
precise the minimum wall thickness of the head plate in this
region, is somewhat smaller than the wall thickness of the head
plate in the rest of the region, that is to say in particular in
the region immediately inside the inner sealing web. The head plate
typically has a largely constant wall thickness of the order of 0.8
to 2.5 mm, mostly between 1 and 1.5 mm, and may have an additional
thickness or camber at the centre, for example. The (minimum) wall
thickness of the head plate in the intermediate space between the
sealing webs is expediently 10 to 50%, preferably approximately 20
to 40%, smaller than radially inside the inner sealing web.
[0026] In an alternative version of the invention, the structures
for limiting the penetration of the intermediate space between the
inner and outer sealing webs by the bottle neck rim are provided
not between these sealing webs but e.g. radially outside the
sealing webs. To this end, there may be provided a bead lying
radially outside the outer sealing web and designed to act as a
stop for the upper threaded edge of a bottle neck rim which is
elastic to a greater or lesser degree, wherein the stop surface of
the bead, which runs essentially in a plane perpendicular to the
screw cap, has from the base of the intermediate space an axial
distance that is 0.3 to 2 mm, preferably 0.5 to 1.5 mm bigger than
the axial distance of the upper threaded edge from the upper rim
surface of the threaded neck of a bottle for which the screw cap is
provided.
[0027] Such a version is suitable in particular for bottle necks,
the thread of which extends over a considerable peripheral section
in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the bottle neck. In such a
thread, the upper flattened thread edge lies over a correspondingly
large peripheral portion against the stop surface of the bead,
thereby ensuring that the axial position of the bottle neck rim
between the two sealing strips is clearly defined. As a result of
the resting either of the thread edge against the stop surface of a
bead or the bottle neck rim directly against the web surfaces
between the sealing webs, the sealing strips are penetrated less
deeply by the bottle neck rim than would be possible without
corresponding stops, the elasticity of the stops still permitting a
certain scope for movement so that the exact axial position of the
bottle neck between the sealing webs in the closure can still be
adjusted within certain narrower limits by screwing down to a
greater or lesser degree or by the rotational position of the cap
thread relative to the bottle neck thread.
[0028] With the conventional closure, penetration by the bottle
neck rim was essentially limited in that the intermediate space
between the two sealing webs became increasingly narrow towards the
head plate, which effectively produced a resistance to prevent the
bottle neck rim from being pushed in further. This being the case,
the top edge of the bottle neck was able to reach a position very
close to the inner plane of the head plate and lay close to the
base of the intermediate space between the sealing webs. As a
result of the dimensions according to the invention, the bottle
neck rim is retained at a distance of the order of 1 mm from the
inner plane of the head plate in axial direction and at a somewhat
bigger distance from the base of the intermediate space between the
two sealing webs, provided that the head plate is of a somewhat
thinner design in the region of this base than in the rest of the
head plate, and thus the base of this intermediate space is
additionally somewhat offset from the inner plane of the head
plate. Naturally, the position relative to the inner plane of the
head plate may deviate from the specified dimensions to a greater
degree if the thickness of the head plate is modified. Ultimately,
the reference point is the base of the mentioned intermediate
space.
[0029] The sealing engagement of the bottle neck rim with the two
sealing webs remains essentially of the same quality as that of the
known closure, although the sealing webs are spread somewhat
less--particularly in the vicinity of where they rest against the
head plate--than would be the case if the bottle neck rim were
allowed to penetrate the intermediate space further to the point at
which the intermediate space is already significantly narrower, so
that in this region, the outer sealing web in particular would be
placed under even more tension and therefore provide an even better
seal.
[0030] As a result of the design according to the invention, once
the internal pressure in a container reaches a certain point, which
may be significantly above 7 bar, due to excessively high
temperatures, some gas is able to escape from the bottle neck and
between the bottle neck rim and sealing webs until the pressure is
sufficiently reduced (specifically to a value somewhat below 7 bar,
for example). The closure according to the invention therefore
ensures that a sufficient and desired excess pressure is always
maintained in the container and only an excessively high excess
pressure is relieved. This allows a small amount of excessive
carbon dioxide to escape, especially if an excessively high amount
of carbon dioxide was released into the liquid. Due to the fact
that a sufficient excess pressure is maintained, however, the
CO.sub.2 is completely or else largely prevented from escaping from
the liquid.
[0031] Further advantages, features and possible applications of
the present invention result from the following description of a
preferred version and related figures.
[0032] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a closure cap denoted as a whole by number
10, which essentially consists of a head plate 1 (also referred to
as a cap base) and a cap shell 2. The cap shell has an internal
thread 3 and a tear-off strip at its bottom edge, which is provided
as a guarantee element, its state indicating whether the closure
has already been opened. As this tear-off strip is known per se and
not relevant to the present invention, it will not be described in
more detail here.
[0033] Two continuously annular sealing webs 4 and 5 extend inwards
from the head plate in axial direction. The radially inner sealing
web is somewhat stronger and also axially longer than the radially
outer sealing web 4. The maximum thickness of the inner sealing web
is e.g. 1 to 1.5 mm, and its minimum thickness is of the order of
0.8 mm, the free bottom edge being of an angled design at its
external face, which is intended to make it easier for the inner
sealing web 4 to slide into a bottle neck. As a result of the
virtually olive-shaped cross section of at least the external face
of the sealing web 4, this sealing web will also be referred to in
the following as a "sealing olive" according to a linguistic usage
that has now become customary. Radially outside the annular sealing
olive 4, there is shown a virtually cylindrical and somewhat
thinner sealing web 5, the free end of which is somewhat angled and
rounded at the internal face, which again is intended to make it
easier for the outer sealing web 5 to slide on the rim of the
bottle neck. The intermediate clearance space between the inner and
outer sealing web 4 and 5 is relatively slim and is at most
essentially no more than 1 mm or even less. The maximum radius of
the inner sealing web differs from the minimum radius of the outer
sealing web by an even smaller amount, this difference typically
being only of the order of 0.5 mm.
[0034] The intermediate space between the inner sealing web 4 and
the outer sealing web 5 is denoted by reference number 9.
[0035] The essential elements of the screw cap according to the
invention just described are again shown in FIG. 3 in an axial top
view of the interior of the screw cap 10. The annular and somewhat
thicker sealing web or sealing olive 4 extending radially from
inside towards the outside is shown and, immediately radially
outside same, the intermediate space 9 as well as the sealing
strips 5 immediately radially outside the intermediate space 9.
Adjoining it towards the exterior is the cap shell 2 with the
internal thread 3 and the inner bead 7.
[0036] In both FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the webs 6 according to the
invention are shown in the intermediate space 9 at angular
distances of approximately 60.degree.. The section plane according
to FIG. 2 runs straight through two oppositely lying webs 6, so
that the axial height of the webs 6 is also shown in FIG. 2.
[0037] FIG. 4 shows the closure cap 10 according to the invention
screwed onto a bottle neck as far as the elastic stops. FIG. 5
shows another enlarged section from FIG. 4. Although the adherence
to specific dimensions is not crucial in every case, it may be
pointed out that the screw cap according to the invention is
represented essentially true to scale in these drawings, FIGS. 1, 2
and 4 showing the closure on a scale of 2:1, FIG. 3 showing the
closure on a scale of 5:1 and FIG. 5 showing the section from FIG.
4 approximately on a scale of 10:1 of the original closure. It can
be seen from this that the thickness D of the head plate is
approximately 1.5 mm, whilst the thickness d of the head plate at
the deepest point of the base of the intermediate space 6 is
somewhat smaller, being e.g. 1.1 to 1.4 mm. The thread 3 of the
screw cap 2 is screwed onto the thread of the bottleneck 11, to the
extent that the bottle neck rim penetrates between the two sealing
webs 4, 5 until it rests against a web 6, of which a total of six
stops 6 are uniformly distributed over the periphery of the
intermediate space 9. 8 denotes an external fluting of the screw
cap 10, the purpose of which is to provide a solid and secure grip
on the screw cap when unscrewing and screwing the screw cap.
[0038] Without the webs or stop elements 6, the bottle neck 11
would be easily able to further penetrate the intermediate space 9
by 0.5 to 1 mm, the outer sealing web 5 in particular being
expanded even further and being placed under tension, thereby
resting more firmly and tightly against the bottle neck rim. The
somewhat thinner wall thickness d of the head plate in the region
of the intermediate space 9 also has the purpose of imparting
additional elasticity and expandability to the head plate in this
region, which also contributes to the firm and tight engagement of
the two inner and outer sealing webs 4, 5 with the bottle neck
rim.
[0039] The webs 6 ensure that this sealing engagement is preserved
on the one hand but not quite as strongly as without the webs 6. As
a result, any excessive excess pressure in the bottle is relieved.
Both the bottle itself and the closure are therefore subjected to
less strain.
[0040] Even though, as already mentioned, adherence to the exact
dimensions, as shown in the figures, does not appear necessary, it
is nevertheless to be assumed that the advantageous effects of the
closure according to the invention are based on the fact that it
reacts relatively insensitively to tolerance deviations of the
bottle neck and also of the actual screw cap itself. This is
presumably due to the fact that, in addition to its other special
geometric features, this closure has elastic properties, as defined
in the claims, because of the material used (polyolefin) and the
wall thicknesses of the sealing webs and head plate in the region
between the sealing webs, as well as the dimensions of the stop
elements or webs, which elastic properties are particularly
favourable to the absorption of tolerance deviations without
detrimentally affecting the sealing function of the closure
according to the invention, whilst ensuring that the seal has some
give at pressures significantly above 7 bar. The relative
dimensions of the elements of the screw cap listed above, as shown
in the figures and in the scales mentioned above, should therefore
be preserved as far as possible within a range of .+-.20%. However,
different relative dimensions could be useful and necessary in
particular if the principles of the present invention are to be
applied to container closures in which container necks have
considerably different dimensions (in particular different
diameters and wall thicknesses) from the embodiments represented
here.
* * * * *