U.S. patent application number 13/122224 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-28 for washing appliance.
Invention is credited to Andrew Martin Reason.
Application Number | 20110179830 13/122224 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40019893 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110179830 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reason; Andrew Martin |
July 28, 2011 |
WASHING APPLIANCE
Abstract
A washing appliance (2) is provided which is comprised of a
dedicated reservoir (6) for the washing appliance (2), the
reservoir (16) having an inlet (12) to allow inflow of water and an
outlet (17) to enable outflow of water, and at least one heat
exchange means (10) characterised in that at least one heat
exchange means (10) is adapted and configured to transfer ambient
energy outside the reservoir (6) into the reservoir (6).
Inventors: |
Reason; Andrew Martin;
(Pembrokeshire, GB) |
Family ID: |
40019893 |
Appl. No.: |
13/122224 |
Filed: |
October 1, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
October 1, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2009/051289 |
371 Date: |
April 1, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/15 ;
237/81 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02B 40/54 20130101;
A47L 15/4291 20130101; Y02B 40/44 20130101; D06F 39/006 20130101;
Y02B 40/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
68/15 ;
237/81 |
International
Class: |
D06F 29/00 20060101
D06F029/00; F24D 19/00 20060101 F24D019/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 2, 2008 |
GB |
0817992.1 |
Claims
1. A washing appliance comprising a dedicated reservoir for the
washing appliance, the reservoir having an inlet to allow inflow of
water and an outlet to enable outflow of water, and at least one
heat exchanger to transfer ambient energy outside the reservoir
into the reservoir.
2. An appliance according to claim 1 in which at least one heat
exchanger comprises an energy converter.
3. An appliance according to claim 2 in which the converter means
comprises a photo voltaic cell.
4. An appliance according to claim 1 in which at least one heat
exchanger comprises an inlet arranged to receive a flow of
energy-conveying medium from an energy-emitting apparatus remote
from the appliance, and an outlet arranged to release the flow of
energy-conveying medium once heat energy has transferred into the
reservoir.
5. An appliance according to claim 1 in which at least one heat
exchanger is arranged to transfer heat energy from a source
internal of the washing appliance to the water in the
reservoir.
6. An appliance according to claim 5 which further comprises a
motor and in which at least one heat exchanger is arranged and
configured to transfer heat energy generated by operation of the
motor into the reservoir.
7. An appliance according to claim 1 in which the reservoir is
arranged and configured to act as a ballast to the washing
appliance.
8. An appliance according to claim 1 in which the appliance further
comprises an outer casing with a base, at least one side wall, and
a top, within which are located a receptacle for items to be
laundered, and an agitator of said items; in which the receptacle
is a drum with a curved side wall and first and second end walls, a
side wall is provided with a port through which an end portion of
the drum may reversibly travel between a first withdrawn position
and a second extended position, the distance of travel of the drum
out of the side wall to the extended position being sufficient to
allow access to at least one aperture in the curved side wall of
the drum that is substantially parallel to the direction of travel
of the drum, said aperture is configured and dimensioned to allow
insertion and removal of the items to be laundered, and the
direction of travel of the drum is substantially parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the drum.
9. An appliance according to claim 1 in which the laundry apparatus
further comprises a retainer means at least partially surrounding a
receptacle for items to be laundered and the liquid receptacle is
provided with a port through which an end portion of a drum may
reversibly travel between a first withdrawn position and a second
extended position, that port being aligned with the corresponding
port in a side wall.
10. A water supply system for a washing appliance comprising: a
reservoir having an inlet to receive water and an outlet to enable
flow of water therefrom for use in the appliance; a heat exchanger
configured to enable heat transfer of ambient energy outside the
reservoir to water in the reservoir.
11. A method of pre-heating water for a washing appliance
comprising the steps of: providing a reservoir having an inlet to
received water therefrom for use in the appliance; providing a heat
exchanger to enable heat transfer of ambient energy outside the
reservoir to water in the reservoir; substantially filling the
reservoir with water at the same time as or shortly after water has
been transferred to the washing appliance for use in the washing
cycle.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a washing appliance and, in
particular washing appliances which use heated water.
[0002] The present invention aims to minimise the energy input from
direct paid for energy sources for washing appliances, and in
particular laundry appliances. The present invention is equally
applicable, however, to other washing appliances, for example,
dishwashers.
[0003] In known washing appliances a method or sequence of
operation for a wash cycle is as follows:
[0004] 1 the appliance takes in water (the washing water) from the
water supply to which it is connected;
[0005] 2 the washing water is heated to a predetermined temperature
by, for example, electrical heating elements;
[0006] 3 the items to be washed are washed and the washing water
drained away;
[0007] 4 the appliance takes in more water (the rinse water)
and.
[0008] 5 the items to be washed are rinsed and the rinse water
drained away.
[0009] Usually steps 4 and 5 are repeated. Steps 1 to 3 may be
repeated if a pre wash cycle is included in a particular washing
cycle.
[0010] It is known to, for example as disclosed in GB2124356A
(Busch), JP2002078661A (Zojirushi), and JP2000354580A (Tanikoo) to
seek to reduce the total energy consumption and thus energy input
of washing appliances whilst in a wash cycle by heating the first
water to be used in the washing cycle using, for example an
electrical resistance heater, and once that water has been used to
clean the items to be washed and is ready to be discarded, seeking
to transfer heat energy from that first water to clean water that
will be used to either rinse the items being washed, or to perform
a second wash on those items.
[0011] An alternative known approach to minimising the energy input
for washing appliances is to seek to improve the efficiency of the
conversion of an energy source, for example gas in EP1681006A2
(Premark), into heat energy in the water the washing apparatus is
to use.
[0012] According to the present invention, there is provided a
washing appliance comprising a dedicated reservoir for the washing
appliance, the reservoir having an inlet to receive water and an
outlet to enable flow of water therefrom, and at least one heat
exchange means characterised in that at least one heat exchange
means is adapted and configured to allow the transfer of ambient
energy into the reservoir.
[0013] In particularly preferred embodiments of the present
invention the or a heat exchange is adapted to transfer ambient
energy in the form of heat in the atmosphere within or around the
washing appliance, light energy and in particular sunlight, and/or
waste heat energy generated by any component in the washing
appliance, for example any electric motor, or by a nearby appliance
such as a refrigerator or a tumble dryer.
[0014] In preferred embodiments of the present invention there are
provided at least two heat exchange means each adapted to transfer
heat or energy from different sources into the reservoir.
[0015] The construction of the washing appliance according to the
present invention has the result that the water that is to be used
in a wash cycle is not drawn straight from the water supply but has
sat in the reservoir for a period before being used in a wash
cycle. This has the advantage that the temperature of the water in
the reservoir can be raised slowly by input of ambient heat energy
without detriment to the usability of the washing appliance or the
speed with which it washes once a user has inserted the items to be
washed and started the wash cycle. The use of such a slow heat
energy input has the effect that heat/energy sources which are
either free to the user (for example ambient temperature on a warm
day, or sunlight--both of which are also sustainable sources) or
which are available as a result of other activities (for example
the ambient temperature which results from central heating in a
house or the waste heat from an electric motor) can be used to
replace the requirement in known washing appliances to use
electricity or gas to heat the water to a sufficient temperature
for washing. This has the benefit of both being sustainable, and
reducing costs to a user.
[0016] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the heat exchange means is comprised of a heat pump of
known kind. One kind of known heat pump comprises a closed circuit
around which a refrigerant flows including an evaporation zone in
which the refrigerant absorbs heat energy and a condensation zone
in which the refrigerant releases heat energy. When this kind of
pump is used, the condensation zone is within the reservoir or in
thermal contact with a wall of the reservoir. The heat pump is in
one embodiment so configured that the evaporation zone may be
located remotely from the washing appliance in a suitable location
to harvest waste heat energy, for example adjacent the cooling
grill of a refrigerator or above a domestic boiler.
[0017] In a preferred washing appliance according to the present
invention the appliance further comprises a heating element which
may be activated to heat water passing from the reservoir to be
used in a wash cycle if the temperature of the water has not been
raised sufficiently by the heat exchange means.
[0018] In the context of the present invention and description
thereof, it is to be understood that heating and warming up are
terms describing the adding of heat energy to water, and do not
indicate any particular temperature rise either in relative terms
or bringing that water to an absolute temperature.
[0019] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, heat exchange
between the ambient atmosphere and the reservoir may occur simply
by virtue of any temperature gradient between the ambient
atmosphere surrounding the reservoir and water inside the
reservoir. In such an embodiment, the transfer of heat energy from
the ambient atmosphere to the water may be facilitated by one or
more of a variety of means. Such means may include manufacture of
the reservoir from an efficiently heat conductive material,
configuring the walls of the reservoir to have a large surface area
both inside and outside the reservoir, mounting suitably configured
heat sinks, perhaps in the form of fins of a suitable material such
as aluminium on both inside and outside faces of the reservoir, and
or incorporation heat conductive elements in the structure of one
or maor walls of the reservoir so that one face of the element is
in contact with the ambient atmosphere and one face water inside
the reservoir.
[0020] In an alternative preferred embodiment of the present
invention, a heat exchange means may comprise an energy conversion
means, for example a photo voltaic cell, and a small heater located
in the reservoir connected by electrical wires. In this embodiment
the photo voltaic cell can be arranged to seat on, for example, a
window to maximise the energy it gathers.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment of a washing appliance according
to the present invention, there are provided at least two heat
exchange means and at least one heat exchange means comprises an
inlet or input arranged to receive an energy-conveying medium which
carries waste heat energy from an energy-emitting apparatus and an
outlet arranged to release the energy-conveying medium once heat
has been extracted therefrom. It will therefore be appreciated that
waste heat energy may be transferred from other appliances or heat
sources, such as a tumble drier, a dishwasher, the waste bath or
shower water, or any other appliance or source that emits waste
heat energy. The energy-conveying medium may be a liquid, such as,
for example, in the case of a waste bath water or waste water from
the washing appliance, or alternatively may be a gas such as in the
case of hot air emitted from a dishwasher outlet during the drying
cycle.
[0022] The heat exchange means of such an embodiment of the present
invention preferably comprises a channel arranged to direct the
energy-conveying medium into or adjacent to the reservoir. The
channel is beneficially arranged to pass through the reservoir. In
a simplified embodiment, the heat exchange means is merely a wall
of the reservoir. However, it will be appreciated that
significantly more complex arrangements may be provided in order to
ensure the maximum effectiveness or efficiency of the heat
exchange. The aim is to maximise the surface area between the wall
of the channel which conveys the energy-conveying medium and that
of water in the reservoir. A minimal resistance to flow is
preferred. In one embodiment, the channel is arranged to pass
through the reservoir. In an alternative embodiment, the reservoir
is shaped and configured to extend into the channel for conveying
the energy-conveying medium.
[0023] The heat exchange means may be arranged to transfer heat
from a remote heat source to water in the reservoir. Such a remote
heat source could, for example, as described above, be another
appliance. The heat energy is beneficially transferred from the
remote heat source to water in the reservoir. The remote heat
source may be a white goods appliance. Alternatively, the heat
exchange means may be arranged to transfer heat from a source
internal of the washing appliance to water in the reservoir. In
such an embodiment, the heat exchange means may extend between a
motor case and the reservoir, or may transfer heat energy from the
waste water of the washing appliance to water in the reservoir.
[0024] In one embodiment according to the present invention, the
reservoir may be arranged and configured to act as a ballast to the
washing appliance. The reservoir may be located within the casing
of the washing appliance or, alternatively, may be attached in some
way to the appliance to have the effect of acting as a ballast. The
use of the reservoir as a ballast is particularly important when
the appliance according to the present invention is a laundry
appliance such as a washing machine.
[0025] The present invention extends to a water supply system for a
washing appliance comprising: [0026] a reservoir having an inlet to
receive water and an outlet to enable flow of water therefrom for
use in the appliance; [0027] a heat exchange means configured to
enable heat transfer to water in the reservoir.
[0028] The present invention also extends to a method of preheating
water for a washing appliance comprising the steps of: [0029]
providing a reservoir having an inlet to receive water and an
outlet to enable flow of water therefrom for use in the appliance;
[0030] providing a heat exchange means to enable heat transfer to
water in the reservoir; [0031] substantially re-filling the
reservoir with water, when or shortly after water has been
transferred to the washing appliance for use in the washing
cycle.
[0032] It will be appreciated that the reservoir should either be
re-filled as soon as possible after use of the water in order that
there is maximum time to heat the water ready for subsequent use,
or that the reservoir is so configured that when water is drawn out
of the reservoir via the outlet therein, water enters the reservoir
from a water supply via the inlet. In a particularly preferred
embodiment of the present invention the reservoir includes one or
more internal baffles or flow regulation or flow directing devices
to ensure that the flow path between the inlet and outlet of the
reservoir is circuitous.
[0033] The method may also comprise the step of directing a flow of
energy-conveying medium to the reservoir from an appliance.
[0034] The heat exchange means may be integral or remote from the
appliance and the energy-conveying medium may be a liquid or a
gas.
[0035] The washing apparatus according to the present invention may
further comprise a control means to enable the apparatus to monitor
the temperature of water in the reservoir, such that when the
temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, the wash cycle
starts. This provides the benefit that a wash is started only when
a predetermined quantity of energy has been transferred to the
water in the reservoir, eliminating or reducing the requirement for
extra heating. This control means or a second control means may be
provided to link at least two appliances, such as a tumble
dryer/dishwasher/washing machine. This is arranged to act
intelligently to ensure waste heat generated by one appliance is
transferred to a second appliance.
[0036] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the washing appliance in which the apparatus of the
present invention is employed is a laundry apparatus comprising an
outer casing with a base, at least one side wall, and a top, within
which are located a receptacle for items to be laundered, a means
for agitation of said items and control means; in which the
receptacle is a drum with a curved side wall and first and second
end walls, a side wall of the outer casing is provided with a port
through which an end portion of the drum may reversibly travel
between a first withdrawn position and a second extended position,
the distance of travel of the drum out of the side wall to the
extended position being sufficient to allow access to at least one
aperture in the curved side wall of the drum that is substantially
parallel to the direction of travel of the drum, said aperture is
configured and dimensioned to allow insertion and removal of the
items to be laundered, and the direction of travel of the drum is
substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum.
[0037] In one version of this preferred embodiment, the laundry
apparatus further comprises a liquid retention means at least
partially surrounding the receptacle and the liquid retention means
is provided with a port through which an end portion of the drum
may reversibly travel between a first withdrawn position and a
second extended position, that port being aligned with the
corresponding port in the side wall.
[0038] These and other aspects of the present invention will be
apparent from, and elucidated with reference to, the embodiments
described herein.
[0039] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0040] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a washing appliance
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0041] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a washing appliance
according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
[0042] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a heat exchanger for use
in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0043] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a reservoir and motor of
a washing appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, a washing apparatus 2 (generally
referred to hereafter in this embodiment as a washing machine
although it will be appreciated that the apparatus may equally be
an alternative washing apparatus that uses heated water, such as a
dishwasher) has a drum 4 for washing laundry and a reservoir 6
located proximal to the washing machine 2. The reservoir 6 is
arranged to receive and retain water ready for a subsequent washing
cycle of the washing machine 2. Water in the reservoir 6 may, in
its simplest form, be heated by the ambient temperature when the
walls of the reservoir 6 act as a heat exchanger. In an alternative
embodiment, however, as described in FIG. 1, there is a heat
exchange means 10 having an inlet for receiving a fluid flow, such
as liquid or gas from one or more of a solar panel or collector 9,
a second appliance, such as a tumble dryer, fridge, dishwasher or
bath 11, and/or thirdly a means to receive waste energy from the
motor 13 of the washing machine 2. These arrangements have been
numbered 9, 11 and 13 respectively. In use, water, either partially
or fully, is pumped out of the reservoir 6 and into the drum and
used in the washing sequence. The quantity that is used for the
wash sequence is automatically replenished to the reservoir after
the wash fill has taken place. The reservoir is therefore always
full before the next washing sequence takes place and accordingly
there is provided the advantage of increasing the temperature from
natural heat exchange from the ambient to the water within the
reservoir. It is envisaged that a ten degree rise in temperature is
likely or at least possible. The longer the water lies in the
reservoir between washes, the closer to ambient temperature will be
the temperature in the reservoir. In addition, a heat exchange
means 10 may be beneficially provided which is arranged to receive
energy from, for example, a solar panel 9, the outlet of an
appliance such as a dishwasher 11, or the heat energy from the
motor 13 of the washing machine 2.
[0045] Referring specifically to the appliance, such as the
dishwasher 11, waste hot air from the drying cycle of the
dishwasher or the waste warm water from the dishwasher is
transferred through conduit 15 and through inlet 12 into the heat
exchange means 10. As the waste water passes through the conduit
15, heat transfer takes place with the water in the reservoir and
the waste gas or liquid passes from the heat exchange means 10
through outlet 17. Heat energy is therefore transferred to the
liquid within the reservoir 6. Numerous embodiments of the heat
exchange means 10 are envisaged. In the simplest embodiment, the
heat exchange means is simply the wall of the reservoir 6 and the
warm waste water or gas from, for example, the dishwasher passes
across the wall of the reservoir and through the outlet 17, thereby
having a heating effect of the water within the reservoir 6. More
complex arrangements are envisaged, such as a conduit extending
into the reservoir through which the warm water or gas passes, as
described in more detail below.
[0046] The aim of a heat exchanger is to maximise the surface area
between the wall of the flowing gas or warm fluid and the water in
the reservoir. Resistance to flow should be minimised. Alternative
heat exchangers are envisaged, such as a plate heat exchanger which
comprises a plurality of thin slightly separated plates having a
very large surface area and fluid flow passage for heat transfer
through which the gas or warm waste liquid can pass. It would be
appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous
alternative embodiments of heat exchanges suitable for heating the
liquid in the reservoir can be envisaged.
[0047] In the embodiments as described with respect to FIG. 1, a
separate reservoir 6 is provided which may therefore be retrofit to
appliances, such as dishwashers or washing machines that presently
heat water for use. This reservoir could be provided to fit within,
adjacent to or remote from, the washing appliance.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 2, there is a simplified exemplary
embodiment of the present invention comprising a washing machine 2
having a drum 4 for washing laundry and a reservoir 6, the tank 6
being arranged to additionally act as ballasting means for the
washing machine, which may be provided with one or more
interconnecting hollow containers of a strong, light material (not
shown). The reservoir in the embodiment as indicated in FIG. 2 acts
as a ballast to a washing machine thereby assisting in
stabilisation during rotation of the drum which especially occurs
at high speeds or when the load is out of balance. The water
ballast may be, in addition to or in place of, a traditional steel
or concrete ballast. The ballast reservoir 6 is filled on
installation and this water, either partially or fully, is pumped
out into the drum and used in the washing sequence. This quantity
of water is then automatically replenished to the reservoir 6 once
the wash fill has taken place. The reservoir 6 is therefore always
full before the washing sequence takes place to give maximum
stability and also enables the maximum temperature rise to occur.
This water ballast (in reservoir 6) can negate the requirement for
steel or concrete ballasts. Additionally, there is also provided a
heating means (not shown) which may be provided in or adjacent to
reservoir 6 which is arranged to heat cold water for use during a
wash cycle. There is also provided a channel 8 enabling fluid flow
between the reservoir 6 and drum 4. There is further provided a
heat exchanger 10 which is arranged and configured to be in fluid
communication with the reservoir 6 and arranged to enable heat
transfer between a remote apparatus and the water within the
reservoir 6. The heat exchanger 10 comprises an inlet 12. The inlet
12 may be connected to any apparatus, and the present invention is
not limited in this regard. For example, it is envisaged that
suitable apparatus may be a bath, an air-conditioning unit, a
tumble dryer etc. Such apparatus are commonly found in a home and,
as such, may easily be linked to the heat exchanger 10. However,
the invention is also not limited to this environment and may also
be used on a commercial basis.
[0049] In its simplest form, hot waste water from the wash cycle
may be channelled through inlet 12 to heat exchanger 10.
Eventually, this heated bath water will flow directly into the
drainage system. However, if this water flows to the heat exchanger
and thereby conducts heat energy to water in the reservoir 6, some
of the heat energy that otherwise would be wasted is extracted from
the waste flow. Once the heat energy has been extracted, the waste
water is then allowed to either flow to the drain or,
alternatively, may be filtered and cleaned for other purposes.
Alternatively, if the waste energy received from the other
apparatus is in the form of hot vapour from a tumble dryer, heat
may be extracted from this vapour in the same way.
[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, the laundry
apparatus may be controlled such that laundry is placed in the drum
4 and, when the water within the reservoir 6 has reached sufficient
temperature, the laundry apparatus may start automatically. This
would provide a significant energy benefit over prior art
arrangements, as significant energy must be used to heat the water
for washing the laundry.
[0051] The above embodiment of the present invention has been
described in simple terms only. However, it is envisaged that there
are numerous alternative arrangements possible without departing
from the scope of the appended claims. A second embodiment of the
present invention may remove the requirement for the reservoir 6
and simply enable heat exchange between the cold water inlet to the
drum 4 and waste energy from another appliance. It will be
appreciated, however, that such a system is not as efficient as
defined above by utilising a reservoir 6.
[0052] Referring to FIG. 3, there is a heat exchanger according to
an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect of the present
invention shown schematically. The heat exchanger is arranged to
extend between a motor of the laundry appliance and the reservoir
for holding the water for use in the washing appliance. The heat
exchanger may be constructed of any suitable heat conducting
material, such as a metal and, beneficially, an aluminium alloy. In
certain embodiments, the heat exchanger may be a solid piece of
metal, or alternatively may comprise a fluid therein for effective
heat transfer. In one embodiment, it is envisaged that the water in
the reservoir may access into the heat exchanger and flow to the
motor casing for effective heat transfer. Alternatively, the heat
exchanger can be arranged such that the exchanger extends between
the motor and the water inlet into the laundry appliance. it will
be appreciated, however, that the heating effects associated with
heating water in a reservoir is likely to be more effective than
heating water as it flows from a mains tap to the appliance.
Referring to FIG. 3, there is generally designated the heat
exchanger 20 having a first end 22 arranged to communicate with a
motor (not shown) such that the maximum amount of heat energy is
extracted from the motor as it runs. The heat exchanger 20 may be
connected to the motor by any means including screw type mechanisms
or a conductive adhesive material 24, for example. The heat
exchanger 20 further comprises a neck portion 26 arranged to extend
through an aperture located through a wall of a reservoir which may
be arranged to act as a ballast for the appliance. In an
alternative embodiment, the neck portion 26 may not extend through
the wall of the reservoir. Rather, the second portion 28 of the
heat exchanger may simply contact the outer wall of the reservoir.
However, in a preferred embodiment, the second portion 28 extends
into the reservoir and comprises a plurality of protrusions thereon
arranged to conduct the greatest possible amount of heat energy to
the water in the reservoir. It will be appreciated that any number
of heat exchangers may be used as necessary to act to transfer the
greatest degree of heat energy available from the motor.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary embodiment of part of a
laundry appliance is schematically shown including the motor 40 and
tank 6. The motor 40 is arranged to power the action of the drum 4
during the wash cycle. The heat exchangers 20 as schematically
shown and arranged to provide a heat sink for transferring the heat
energy from the motor into the first portion 22, through the neck
portion 26 and into the second portion 28 in which water is located
such that heat energy can be conducted from a second portion 28 to
the water, thereby raising the associated temperature.
[0054] It will be appreciated that any number of heat exchangers
can be utilised in order to obtain the greatest amount of heat
energy from the motor during operations.
[0055] Major advantages are envisaged for the present invention, as
are numerous implementations of this concept. It should be noted
that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit
the invention, and those skilled in the art will be capable of
designing many alternative embodiments without departing from the
scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Additionally, it will be appreciated that features of each aspect
of the invention and embodiments of each aspect can be interchanged
and/or added to other aspects/embodiments.
* * * * *