U.S. patent application number 12/385313 was filed with the patent office on 2009-10-22 for refrigerator with reservoir.
This patent application is currently assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Hyun Joo Kim, Dae Sig Shin.
Application Number | 20090260379 12/385313 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41199969 |
Filed Date | 2009-10-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090260379 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Hyun Joo ; et
al. |
October 22, 2009 |
Refrigerator with reservoir
Abstract
A refrigerator is disclosed, which is capable of minimizing
consumption of power while satisfying refrigerating performance of
a freezing compartment by having a reservoir that stores a surplus
refrigerant exceeding a required amount to independently cool the
freezing compartment. The refrigerator includes a refrigerating
compartment, a freezing compartment, and a refrigeration cycle
including first and second evaporators respectively corresponding
to the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment. The
refrigeration cycle includes a first refrigeration cycle to
refrigerate both the first and the second evaporators, and a second
refrigeration cycle to refrigerate any one of the first and the
second evaporators independently, and the second refrigeration
cycle includes a bypass path bypassing the other one of the first
and the second evaporators, and a reservoir mounted on the bypass
path to adjust a circulated refrigerant amount by storing part of
the refrigerant being circulated along the second refrigeration
cycle.
Inventors: |
Kim; Hyun Joo; (Gwangsan-gu,
KR) ; Shin; Dae Sig; (Gangsan-gu, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STAAS & HALSEY LLP
SUITE 700, 1201 NEW YORK AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
Samsung Electronics Co.,
Ltd.
Suwon-si
KR
|
Family ID: |
41199969 |
Appl. No.: |
12/385313 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/196.1 ;
62/335; 62/441; 62/515 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25B 2400/0409 20130101;
F25B 2400/16 20130101; F25D 11/022 20130101; F25B 2600/2507
20130101; F25B 2400/19 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/196.1 ;
62/441; 62/515; 165/104.26; 62/335 |
International
Class: |
F25B 41/00 20060101
F25B041/00; F25D 11/02 20060101 F25D011/02; F25B 39/02 20060101
F25B039/02; F28D 15/00 20060101 F28D015/00; F25B 7/00 20060101
F25B007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 22, 2008 |
KR |
10-2008-37374 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerating compartment; a
freezing compartment; and a refrigeration cycle including first and
second evaporators corresponding to the refrigerating compartment
and the freezing compartment, respectively, the refrigeration cycle
including a first refrigeration cycle to refrigerate both the first
and the second evaporators, and a second refrigeration cycle to
refrigerate any one of the first and the second evaporators
independently, the second refrigeration cycle including a bypass
path bypassing the other one of the first and the second
evaporators, and a reservoir mounted on the bypass path to adjust a
circulated refrigerant amount by storing part of the refrigerant
being circulated along the second refrigeration cycle.
2. A refrigerator, comprising: a first refrigerant pipe of a first
refrigeration cycle to refrigerate a freezing compartment and a
refrigerating compartment simultaneously; and a second refrigerant
pipe of a second refrigeration cycle to refrigerate only the
freezing compartment independently, the second refrigerant pipe
including a reservoir adjusting a circulated refrigerant amount by
storing part of the refrigerant being circulated along the second
refrigeration cycle.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising a
capillary tube mounted to the second refrigerant pipe, and a valve
controlling operations of the first and the second refrigeration
cycles, the reservoir being mounted between the valve and the
capillary tube.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising a
capillary tube mounted to the second refrigerant pipe, and a
freezing compartment evaporator generating cold air to be supplied
to the freezing compartment, the reservoir being mounted between
the capillary tube and the freezing compartment evaporator.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the reservoir
includes a cylindrical main body storing refrigerant liquid being
circulated, an inflow pipe guiding the refrigerant from the second
refrigerant pipe to the main body, and an outflow pipe guiding the
refrigerant from the main body to the second refrigerant pipe.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the inflow pipe
is configured to be longer than the outflow pipe.
7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the inflow pipe
is disposed in a vicinity of a lower part of the main body, and the
outflow pipe is disposed in the vicinity of an upper part of the
main body.
8. A refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerating compartment; a
freezing compartment; a first refrigeration path configured to
refrigerate the freezing and refrigerating compartments
simultaneously in a simultaneous operation; and a second
refrigeration path configured to refrigerate the freezing
compartment independently in an independent operation, wherein an
amount of circulated refrigerant is adjusted according to a type of
the operation.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, further comprising a
valve connected between the first refrigeration path and the second
refrigeration path, the valve causing the refrigerant to be
circulated through one of the first refrigeration path and the
second refrigeration path.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the second
refrigeration path includes a reservoir to store a portion of the
circulated refrigerant.
11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the second
refrigeration path further includes a capillary tube and a freezing
compartment evaporator, the reservoir being provided between the
capillary tube and the freezing compartment evaporator.
12. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the second
refrigeration path further includes a capillary tube and a freezing
compartment evaporator, the reservoir being provided between the
capillary tube and the valve.
13. A refrigeration method for a refrigerator including a freezing
compartment and a refrigerating compartment, comprising:
selectively simultaneously refrigerating the freezing compartment
and the refrigerating compartment in a simultaneous refrigerating
operation; independently refrigerating the freezing compartment in
an independent refrigerating operation; and adjusting an amount of
refrigerant being circulated according to a type of the
refrigerating operation.
14. The refrigeration method according to claim 13, further
comprising storing a portion of the refrigerant in a reservoir
during the independent refrigerating operation.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 2008-0037374, filed on Apr. 22, 2008, in the Korean
Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more
particularly to a refrigerator equipped with a reservoir to prevent
unnecessary circulation of refrigerant during an independent
cooling mode.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, a refrigerator includes a main body divided into
a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment for
preservation of food stuff, doors opening and closing open parts of
the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and a
refrigeration cycle installed at the main body to supply cold air
to refrigerate the freezing compartment and the refrigerating
compartment. Recently, some of the refrigerators are dedicatedly
equipped with an evaporator in the refrigeration cycle to supply
cold air separately to the refrigerating compartment and the
freezing compartment.
[0006] An example of such a refrigerator which includes a
refrigeration cycle equipped with evaporators separately for the
freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment is disclosed
in KR Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2004-64787. Also, KR Patent No.
10-0687934 suggests a refrigerator equipped with a refrigerant
circuit that controls simultaneous cooling and independent cooling
between a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment by
connecting a freezing compartment evaporator with a refrigerating
compartment evaporator through a serial connection.
[0007] A refrigeration cycle of this type of refrigerator includes
a refrigerant supplying pipe supplying a compressed refrigerant to
the freezing compartment evaporator and the refrigerating
compartment evaporator, first and second refrigerant pipes diverged
from the refrigerant supplying pipe to mount the freezing
compartment evaporator and the refrigerating compartment evaporator
thereto, respectively, a connection refrigerant pipe connecting an
outlet of the first refrigerant pipe to an inlet of the second
refrigerant pipe, and a valve disposed between the refrigerant
supplying pipe and the first and the second refrigerant pipes to
open and close the first and the second refrigerant pipes.
[0008] In the above-structured conventional refrigerator, when
simultaneous cooling is required, the refrigerant is flown through
the first refrigerant pipe constructed by serially connecting the
freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment. When
independent cooling is required, on the other hand, the refrigerant
is flown through the second refrigerant pipe which is directly
connected to the freezing compartment evaporator. Since the amount
of refrigerant being circulated is not adjustable according to the
operation type, the amount of refrigerant to be sealed in is
determined based on the simultaneous cooling that requires a
greater refrigeration load.
[0009] However, when performing the independent cooling of the
freezing compartment in the conventional refrigerator, the
refrigerant is circulated by more than required, thereby increasing
a load applied to a compressor. In other words, although only the
freezing compartment evaporator requires the refrigerant, the
refrigerant sealed by an amount for the simultaneous cooling for
both the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment is
actually supplied to the freezing compartment evaporator.
Accordingly, the compressor is excessively operated, thereby
causing waste of power.
SUMMARY
[0010] The present embodiments have been made in order to solve the
above problems. It is an aspect of the embodiments to provide a
refrigerator improved in an operation efficiency, that is, capable
of minimizing power consumption while satisfying a refrigerating
performance of a freezing compartment, by providing a refrigerant
pipe with a reservoir to store therein a surplus refrigerant
exceeding an amount required for independent cooling of the
freezing compartment during the independent cooling of the freezing
compartment, such that a circulated refrigerant amount can be
adjusted in accordance with a refrigeration load.
[0011] Additional aspects and/or advantages will be set forth in
part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious
from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
invention.
[0012] The foregoing and/or other aspects are achieved by providing
a refrigerator, including a refrigerating compartment, a freezing
compartment, and a refrigeration cycle including first and second
evaporators respectively corresponding to the refrigerating
compartment and the freezing compartment, wherein the refrigeration
cycle comprises a first refrigeration cycle to refrigerate both the
first and the second evaporators, and a second refrigeration cycle
to refrigerate any one of the first and the second evaporators
independently, and the second refrigeration cycle comprises a
bypass path bypassing the other one of the first and the second
evaporators, and a reservoir mounted on the bypass path to adjust a
circulated refrigerant amount by storing part of the refrigerant
being circulated along the second refrigeration cycle.
[0013] The foregoing and/or other aspects are achieved by providing
a refrigerator, including: a first refrigerant pipe of a first
refrigeration cycle to refrigerate a freezing compartment and a
refrigerating compartment simultaneously; and a second refrigerant
pipe of a second refrigeration cycle to refrigerate the freezing
compartment independently, the second refrigerant pipe including a
reservoir adjusting a circulated refrigerant amount by storing part
of the refrigerant.
[0014] The refrigerator may further include a capillary tube
mounted to the second refrigerant pipe, and a valve controlling
operations of the first and the second refrigeration cycles, the
reservoir being mounted between the valve and the capillary
tube.
[0015] The refrigerator may further include a capillary tube
mounted to the second refrigerant pipe, and a freezing compartment
evaporator generating cold air to be supplied to the freezing
compartment, the reservoir being mounted between the capillary tube
and the freezing compartment evaporator.
[0016] The reservoir may include a cylindrical main body storing
refrigerant liquid being circulated, an inflow pipe guiding the
refrigerant from the second refrigerant pipe to the main body, and
an outflow pipe guiding the refrigerant from the main body to the
second refrigerant pipe. The inflow pipe may be configured to be
longer than the outflow pipe. The inflow pipe may be disposed in
the vicinity of a lower part of the main body, and the outflow pipe
may be disposed in the vicinity of an upper part of the main
body.
[0017] The foregoing and/or other aspects are achieved by providing
a refrigerator, including: a refrigerating compartment; a freezing
compartment; a first refrigeration path configured to refrigerate
the freezing and refrigerating compartments simultaneously in a
simultaneous operation; and a second refrigeration path configured
to refrigerate the freezing compartment independently in an
independent operation, wherein an amount of circulated refrigerant
is adjusted according to a type of the operation.
[0018] The refrigerator further includes a valve connected between
the first refrigeration path and the second refrigeration path, the
valve causing the refrigerant to be circulated through one of the
first refrigeration path and the second refrigeration path.
[0019] The second refrigeration path may include a reservoir to
store a portion of the circulated refrigerant.
[0020] The second refrigeration path may further include a
capillary tube and a freezing compartment evaporator, the reservoir
being provided between the capillary tube and the freezing
compartment evaporator.
[0021] The second refrigeration path may further include a
capillary tube and a freezing compartment evaporator, the reservoir
being provided between the capillary tube and the valve.
[0022] The foregoing and/or other aspects are achieved by providing
a refrigeration method for a refrigerator including a freezing
compartment and a refrigerating compartment, including: selectively
simultaneously refrigerating the freezing compartment and the
refrigerating compartment in a simultaneous refrigerating
operation; independently refrigerating the freezing compartment in
an independent refrigerating operation; and adjusting an amount of
refrigerant being circulated according to a type of the
refrigerating operation.
[0023] The refrigeration method may further include storing a
portion of the refrigerant in a reservoir during the independent
refrigerating operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] These and/or other aspects and advantages will become
apparent and more readily appreciated from the following
description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, of which:
[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to
the present embodiments;
[0026] FIG. 2 is a structural view of a refrigeration cycle
according to an embodiment;
[0027] FIG. 3 is a structural view of a refrigeration cycle
according to another embodiment;
[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a reservoir of the
refrigerator according to the present embodiments; and
[0029] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the reservoir of the
refrigerator according to the present embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments,
examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
The embodiments are described below to explain the present
invention by referring to the figures.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator according to the present
embodiments includes a freezing compartment 10 and a refrigerating
compartment 20 mounted therein. A freezing compartment evaporator
11 is mounted to a rear side of the freezing compartment 10
refrigerating the freezing compartment 10. A refrigerating
compartment evaporator 21 refrigerating the refrigerating
compartment 20 and a compressor 100 are mounted to a rear side of
the refrigerating compartment 20. In addition, a freezing
compartment fan 12 and a refrigerating compartment fan 22 are
mounted above the freezing compartment evaporator 11 and the
refrigerating compartment evaporator 21, respectively, to supply
air refrigerated by the evaporators 11 and 21 respectively into the
freezing compartment 10 and the refrigerating compartment 20.
[0032] FIGS. 2 and FIG. 3 schematically show the structure of a
refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to the present
embodiments. Referring to the drawings, the refrigeration cycle
includes a plurality of the evaporators 11 and 21, the compressor
100 compressing a refrigerant, a condenser 200 condensing
refrigerant gas supplied from the compressor 100, a plurality of
capillary tubes 41 and 42 decompressing refrigerant liquid supplied
from the condenser 200, and a controller (not shown) operating the
compressor 100 in accordance with temperatures of the freezing
compartment 10 and the refrigerating compartment 20, supplying the
refrigerant to the plurality of evaporators 11 and 21, and
operating the freezing compartment fan 12 and the refrigerating
compartment fan 22 until the freezing compartment 10 and the
refrigerating compartment 20 reach a predetermined reference
temperature, respectively. Here, the refrigerator further includes
a bypass path connected to a valve 30 by one end thereof and to an
inlet of one of the evaporators 11 and 21 by the other end thereof,
bypassing the other one of the evaporators 11 and 21.
[0033] The compressor 100 compresses the refrigerant being
circulated among component parts of the refrigerator, such as the
condenser 200. To this end, high-pressure high-temperature
refrigerant gas, being evaporated by the plurality of evaporators
11 and 21 constituting the refrigerator, is passed into the
compressor 100. The refrigerant gas is compressed into the
high-pressure high-temperature refrigerant gas by the operation of
the compressor 100. The condenser 200 condenses the refrigerant gas
into low-pressure low-temperature refrigerant liquid through heat
exchange between the refrigerant gas supplied from the compressor
100 and air passing through a surface of the condenser 200. The
condenser 200 may be provided with a cooling fan (not shown) to
cool heat from the condenser 200. The refrigerant condensed into
liquid in the condenser 200 is decompressed as the liquid passes
through the plurality of capillary tubes 41 and 42 and flows into
the plurality of evaporators 11 and 21. The evaporators 11 and 21
cool ambient air as the refrigerant supplied from the capillary
tubes 41 and 42 is evaporated. More particularly, the evaporators
11 and 21 include a freezing compartment evaporator 11 generating
cold air supplied to the freezing compartment 10 and a
refrigerating compartment evaporator 21 generating cold air
supplied to the refrigerating compartment 20, respectively. The
evaporators 11 and 21 are arranged in serial. The freezing
compartment evaporator 11 has a relatively greater capacity than
the refrigerating compartment evaporator 21 to have a relatively
greater heat transfer area.
[0034] The valve 30 is connected to a refrigerant supplying pipe 50
by one end thereof. The other end of the valve 30 is connected to a
first refrigerant pipe 51 in connection with the refrigerating
compartment evaporator 21 and the freezing compartment evaporator
11, and a second refrigerant pipe 52 in connection with only the
freezing compartment evaporator 11. The valve 30 is operated under
the control of the controller (not shown) transmitted with signals
from temperature sensors (not shown) provided to the freezing
compartment 10 and the refrigerating compartment 20.
[0035] Here, the refrigeration cycle according to an embodiment
includes a first refrigeration cycle to simultaneously cool both
the freezing compartment 10 and the refrigerating compartment 20,
and a second refrigeration cycle to independently cool the freezing
compartment 10.
[0036] The first refrigeration cycle includes the compressor 100
compressing the refrigerant, the condenser 200 condensing
refrigerant gas supplied from the compressor 100, the valve 30
supplying the refrigerant, the first capillary tube 41
decompressing the refrigerant liquid supplied from the condenser
200, and the freezing compartment evaporator 11 and the
refrigerating compartment evaporator 21 evaporating the refrigerant
liquid supplied from the first capillary tube 41. In order to
operate the refrigerator in the simultaneous cooling mode, the
controller (not shown) opens only a first valve 31 of the valve 30.
In this state, the refrigerant exhausted from the condenser 200 is
circulated through the first capillary tube 41, the refrigerating
compartment evaporator 21, and the freezing compartment evaporator
11, sequentially.
[0037] Similarly to the first refrigeration cycle, the second
refrigeration cycle includes the compressor 100, the condenser 200,
a reservoir 60, the second capillary tube 42, and the freezing
compartment evaporator 11. The independent cooling mode of the
freezing compartment 10 can be achieved by opening only a second
valve 32 of the valve 30 by the controller (not shown). In the
independent cooling mode, the refrigerant exhausted from the
condenser 200 is circulated sequentially through the reservoir 60
and the second capillary tube 42 mounted on the bypass path, and
the freezing compartment evaporator 11, or through the second
capillary tube 42 and the reservoir 60 mounted on the bypass path,
and the freezing compartment evaporator 11.
[0038] As described above, the valve 30 achieves the simultaneous
cooling mode and the independent cooling mode of the freezing
compartment 10 by controlling a refrigerant circulation path
through either of the first and the second refrigeration cycles
under the control of the controller (not shown). The valve 30 can
open and close the first and the second refrigerant pipes 51 and 52
so that the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supplying
pipe 50 is supplied to one of the first and the second refrigerant
pipes 51 and 52. Here, the first refrigerant pipe 51 is mounted
with the first capillary tube 41, provided to convert the
refrigerant supplied from the valve 30 into low-temperature
low-pressure refrigerant, and the refrigerating compartment
evaporator 21, in which the refrigerant passed through the first
capillary tube 41 evaporate by absorbing ambient heat. The second
refrigerant pipe 52 is mounted on the bypass path, and is provided
between the second capillary tube 42 converting the refrigerant
supplied from the valve 30 into low-temperature low-pressure
refrigerant and the reservoir 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the reservoir
60 includes a main body 61 having a cylindrical form to store
therein surplus refrigerant liquid being circulated, an inflow pipe
62 guiding the refrigerant from the second refrigerant pipe 52 to
the main body 61, and an outflow pipe 63 guiding the refrigerant
from the main body 61 to the second refrigerant pipe 52. As shown
in FIG. 2, in addition, the reservoir 60 may be mounted between the
valve 30 and the second capillary tube 42. The inflow pipe 62 of
the reservoir 60 is connected to the valve 30 while the outflow
pipe 63 is connected to the second capillary tube 42. According to
another embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the reservoir 60 may be mounted
between the second capillary tube 42 and the freezing compartment
evaporator 11. In this case, the inflow pipe 62 is connected to the
second capillary tube 42 while the outflow pipe 63 is connected to
the freezing compartment evaporator 11.
[0039] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the reservoir according to
the embodiments, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the reservoir.
As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the reservoir 60 is configured to
have the inflow pipe 62 longer than the outflow pipe 63. The inflow
pipe 62 guiding inflow of the refrigerant is disposed in the
vicinity of a lower part of the main body 61. The outflow pipe 63
guiding outflow of the refrigerant is disposed in the vicinity of
an upper part of the main body 61. Being structured as described
above, the reservoir 60 is capable of storing the surplus
refrigerant exceeding an optimum amount for the independent cooling
of the freezing compartment 10.
[0040] Hereinafter, the refrigerant transfer procedure in the
refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to the
embodiments will be described in detail. First, the refrigerant
compressed in the compressor 100 is transferred to the first
refrigerant pipe 50 passing through the condenser 200. The
refrigerant transferred to the refrigerant supplying pipe 50 can be
supplied to either the first refrigerant pipe 51 or the second
refrigerant pipe 52 according to the operation of the valve 30.
When the valve 30 is controlled by the controller (not shown) to
open the first valve 31 only, the refrigerant passed through the
valve 30 flows into the compressor 100 by sequentially passing
through the first capillary tube 41, the refrigerating compartment
evaporator 21 and the freezing compartment evaporator 11 along the
first refrigerant pipe 51. In this case, the refrigerant passed
through the valve 30 passes through the refrigerating compartment
evaporator 21 and the freezing compartment evaporator 11
serially.
[0041] On the other hand, when the valve 30 opens only the second
valve 32 under the control of the controller (not shown), the
refrigerant passed through the valve 30 flows into the compressor
100 by sequentially passing through reservoir 60, the second
capillary tube 42 and the freezing compartment evaporator 11 along
the second refrigerant pipe 52 mounted on the bypass path, as shown
in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the refrigerant flows into the compressor
100 by sequentially passing through the second capillary tube 42,
the reservoir 60, and the freezing compartment evaporator 11 along
the second refrigerant pipe 52 as shown in FIG. 3. Since the
surplus refrigerant is stored in the reservoir 60, concentration of
the refrigerant being circulated is decreased. Accordingly, the
circulated refrigerant amount can be adjusted in accordance with a
relatively low refrigeration load of the independent cooling mode
of the freezing compartment 10. As a result, power consumption can
be minimized while accomplishing a satisfactory cooling
performance. When the independent cooling mode is converted to the
simultaneous cooling of both the freezing compartment 10 and the
refrigerating compartment 20 by the controller (not shown), the
refrigerant liquid in the reservoir 60 is decompressed and
evaporated. Therefore, the refrigerant can be circulated along the
first refrigeration cycle for the simultaneous cooling.
[0042] In the alternative, the refrigerating evaporator and the
freezing evaporator shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 may be switched, and the
second refrigeration cycle may refrigerate only the refrigerating
compartment evaporator and bypass the freezing compartment
evaporator.
[0043] As can be appreciated from the above description, a
refrigerator according to the embodiments is capable of minimizing
consumption of power while satisfying refrigerating performance of
a freezing compartment by having a reservoir that stores a surplus
refrigerant exceeding a required amount to independently cool the
freezing compartment during the independent cooling operation of
the freezing compartment.
[0044] Although embodiments have been shown and described, it would
be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made
in these embodiments without departing from the principles and
spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the
claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *