U.S. patent application number 13/774211 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-29 for storage unit and refrigerator having the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Sang Woon JEON, Jae Moon LEE.
Application Number | 20130221824 13/774211 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47826943 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130221824 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
JEON; Sang Woon ; et
al. |
August 29, 2013 |
STORAGE UNIT AND REFRIGERATOR HAVING THE SAME
Abstract
A storage unit and refrigerator that allows an internal space of
an accommodating vessel to be divided into a plurality of
sub-spaces by box-shaped division cases are provided. The
refrigerator includes a body, a storage compartment having an open
front, a door pivotably coupled to the body to open and close the
open front of the storage compartment, division cases formed in a
box shape to allow food to be stored therein, and an accommodating
vessel to accommodate the division cases such that an internal
space of the accommodating vessel is divided into sub-spaces. A
bottom face of each of the division cases is provided with a
protrusion, a bottom face of the accommodating vessel is provided
with concave portions. The protrusions are fixed to the concave
portions to allow the division cases to be accommodated in the
accommodating vessel.
Inventors: |
JEON; Sang Woon; (Namyangju,
KR) ; LEE; Jae Moon; (Seoul, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.; |
Suwon |
|
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
Suwon
KR
|
Family ID: |
47826943 |
Appl. No.: |
13/774211 |
Filed: |
February 22, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/404 ;
312/348.3; 312/405 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 31/00 20130101;
A47B 88/90 20170101; F25D 25/025 20130101; A47B 88/994 20170101;
F25D 23/00 20130101; A47B 2210/175 20130101; F25D 25/021
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/404 ;
312/405; 312/348.3 |
International
Class: |
F25D 23/00 20060101
F25D023/00; A47B 88/20 20060101 A47B088/20; F25D 31/00 20060101
F25D031/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 28, 2012 |
KR |
10-2012-0020281 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a body; a storage compartment
provided in the body and having an open front; a door pivotably
coupled to the body to open and close the open front of the storage
compartment; a plurality of division cases formed in a box shape to
allow food to be stored therein; and an accommodating vessel to
accommodate the division cases therein such that an internal space
of the accommodating vessel is divided into a plurality of
sub-spaces by the division cases and to be stored in the storage
compartment along with the division cases, wherein a bottom face of
each of the division cases is provided with a protrusion protruding
downward, a bottom face of the accommodating vessel is provided
with a plurality of concave portions formed in a shape
corresponding to a shape of the protrusion, and the protrusions are
fixed to the concave portions to allow the division cases to be
accommodated in the accommodating vessel.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein each of the
division cases includes the bottom face, front and rear walls and
lateral sidewalls, and is provided with an accommodating space
formed by the bottom face, front and rear walls and lateral
sidewalls to have an open upper face, wherein the bottom face,
front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls are integrally
formed.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion of
the bottom face of each of the division cases is provided with a
quadrangular edge protruding downward, and includes a first
protrusion protruding from inner and outer sides of the edge of the
protrusion to be slanted toward a center of the protrusion, and a
second protrusion protruding from a center of the first protrusion
downward.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein each of the
concave portions provided in the accommodating vessel is provided
with a quadrangular edge grooved downward in a shape corresponding
to the shape of the protrusion, and includes a first concave
portion grooved to be slanted from inner and outer sides of the
edge of the concave portion toward a center of the concave portion
to have a shape corresponding to that of the first protrusion, and
a second concave portion grooved from a center of the first concave
portion downward.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the front and
rear walls are provided with knobs integrated with the front and
rear walls to allow the division case to be placed in and drawn out
of the accommodating vessel.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein an ice vessel to
make ice is accommodated in the accommodating space of the division
case and is detachably supported by the lateral sidewalls of the
division case.
7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the ice vessel
includes an ice making tray to make ice and a support supported by
the lateral sidewalls of the division case.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of
the division cases is formed in a square shape to be accommodated
in the accommodating vessel, and the division case having the
square shape is provided with one protrusion.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of
the division cases is formed in a rectangular shape to be
accommodated in the accommodating vessel, and the division case
having the rectangular shape has a size two times that of the
division case having a square shape and is provided with two
protrusions.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the number of
the concave portions provided in the accommodation vessel is eight
such that the division cases having the square shape are disposed
in two rows and four columns.
11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the
accommodating vessel accommodates the division cases having the
square shape and the division cases having the rectangular shape,
only the division cases having the square shape, or only the
division cases having the rectangular shape.
12. A refrigerator comprising: a body; a storage compartment
provided in the body and having an open front; a door pivotably
coupled to the body to open and close the open front of the storage
compartment; a drawer slidably coupled to the body to open and
close the storage compartment and provided with a storage space
therein; a plurality of division cases accommodated in the storage
space of the drawer to allow food to be stored in the division
cases, the division cases dividing the storage space into a
plurality of sub-spaces; and an ice vessel to make ice, the ice
vessel being detachably coupled to one of the division cases;
wherein a bottom face of each of the division cases is provided
with a protrusion protruding downward, a bottom face of the drawer
is provided with a plurality of concave portions corresponding to a
shape of the protrusion, and the protrusions are fixed to the
concave portions to allow the division cases to be accommodated in
the drawer.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein each of the
division cases includes the bottom face, front and rear walls and
lateral sidewalls, and the ice vessel is supported by the lateral
sidewalls and accommodated in an accommodating space formed by the
bottom face, front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls to have an
open upper face, wherein the bottom face, front and rear walls and
lateral sidewalls are integrally formed.
14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the ice vessel
includes an ice making tray to make ice and a support supported by
the lateral sidewalls of the division case.
15. A storage unit comprising: at least one division case provided
with an accommodating space having an open upper face formed by a
bottom face, front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls and
including a protrusion protruding downward from the bottom face,
the bottom face, front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls being
integrally formed; and an accommodating vessel to accommodate the
division case, the accommodating vessel including a concave portion
grooved in a shape corresponding to a shape of the protrusion,
wherein the at least one division case includes a plurality of
division cases adapted to divide an internal space of the
accommodating vessel into a plurality of sub-spaces and
accommodated in the accommodating vessel such that the protrusion
is fixed to the concave portion.
16. The storage unit according to claim 15, wherein the division
case includes knobs integrally formed on the front and rear walls
to allow the division case to be moved.
17. The storage unit according to claim 15, wherein the protrusion
is provided with a quadrangular edge protruding downward, and
includes a first protrusion protruding from inner and outer sides
of the edge of the protrusion to be slanted toward a center of the
protrusion, and a second protrusion protruding from a center of the
first protrusion downward.
18. The storage unit according to claim 17, wherein the concave
portion is provided with a quadrangular edge grooved downward in a
shape corresponding to the shape of the protrusion, and includes a
first concave portion grooved to be slanted from inner and outer
sides of the edge of the concave portion toward a center of the
concave portion to have a shape corresponding to a shape of the
first protrusion, and a second concave portion grooved from a
center of the first concave portion downward.
19. The storage unit according to claim 15, wherein an ice vessel
to make ice is accommodated in the accommodating space of the
division case, and includes a support detachably supported by the
lateral sidewalls of the division case.
20. A storage unit comprising: a plurality of cases each having one
side open and including a protrusion protruding from one of the
sides; and an accommodating vessel for the plurality of cases, the
accommodating vessel including a portion to receive the protrusion,
wherein at least one of the plurality of cases includes a plurality
of sub-cases adapted to divide an internal space of the
accommodating vessel into a plurality of sub-spaces.
21. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the number of
the concave portions provided in the accommodation vessel is eight
such that the division cases having the square shape are disposed
in two rows and four columns.
22. The refrigerator according to claim 21, wherein the
accommodating vessel accommodates the division cases having the
square shape and the division cases having the rectangular shape,
only the division cases having the square shape, or only the
division cases having the rectangular shape
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to, and claims priority to,
Korean Patent Application No. 2012-0020281, filed on Feb. 28, 2012
in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which
is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a storage
unit and a refrigerator having the same.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] A refrigerator is an appliance equipped with a storage
compartment and a cold air supply unit to supply cold air to the
storage compartment to keep food fresh.
[0006] The storage compartment may be maintained at a certain range
of temperature required to keep food fresh.
[0007] The storage compartment of such a refrigerator may be
provided with an open front, which is normally closed by a door or
drawer to keep the temperature of the storage compartment
constant.
[0008] The internal space of the drawer may be divided by movable
partitions. However, dividing the internal space with partitions
may lead to increase in material cost for components since a fixing
structure for the partitions may be complex. Further, the complex
fixing structure for the partitions may make it difficult to
increase the number of sub-spaces into which the internal space is
divided. Thus, the space may have an unpleasant appearance.
[0009] In addition, juice from food or any liquid in the space
divided by the partitions may flow down and mix under the
partitions.
SUMMARY
[0010] It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a
refrigerator that allows division of an internal space of an
accommodating vessel into a plurality of sub-spaces using
box-shaped division cases.
[0011] Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in
part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious
from the description, or may be learned from practice of the
invention.
[0012] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a
refrigerator includes a body, a storage compartment provided in the
body and having an open front, a door pivotably coupled to the body
to open and close the open front of the storage compartment, a
plurality of division cases formed in a box shape to allow food to
be stored therein, and an accommodating vessel to accommodate the
division cases therein such that an internal space of the
accommodating vessel is divided into a plurality of sub-spaces by
the division cases and to be stored in the storage compartment
along with the division cases, wherein a bottom face of each of the
division cases is provided with a protrusion protruding downward, a
bottom face of the accommodating vessel is provided with a
plurality of concave portions formed in a shape corresponding to a
shape of the protrusion, and the protrusions are fixed to the
concave portions to allow the division cases to be accommodated in
the accommodating vessel.
[0013] Each of the division cases may include the bottom face,
front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls, and may be provided
with an accommodating space formed by the bottom face, front and
rear walls and lateral sidewalls to have an open upper face,
wherein the bottom face, front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls
are integrally formed.
[0014] The protrusion of the bottom face of each of the division
cases may be provided with a quadrangular edge protruding downward,
and include a first protrusion protruding from inner and outer
sides of the edge of the protrusion to be slanted toward a center
of the protrusion, and a second protrusion protruding from a center
of the first protrusion downward.
[0015] Each of the concave portions provided in the accommodating
vessel may be provided with a quadrangular edge grooved downward in
a shape corresponding to the shape of the protrusion, and include a
first concave portion grooved to be slanted from inner and outer
sides of the edge of the concave portion toward a center of the
concave portion to have a shape corresponding to that of the first
protrusion, and a second concave portion grooved from a center of
the first concave portion downward.
[0016] The front and rear walls may be provided with knobs
integrated with the front and rear walls to allow the division case
to be placed in and drawn out of the accommodating vessel.
[0017] An ice vessel to make ice may be accommodated in the
accommodating space of the division case and is detachably
supported by the lateral sidewalls of the division case.
[0018] The ice vessel may include an ice making tray to make ice
and a support supported by the lateral sidewalls of the division
case.
[0019] At least one of the division cases may be formed in a square
shape to be accommodated in the accommodating vessel, and the
division case having the square shape may be provided with one
protrusion.
[0020] At least one of the division cases may be formed in a
rectangular shape to be accommodated in the accommodating vessel,
and the division case having the rectangular shape may have a size
two times that of the division case having a square shape and is
provided with two protrusions.
[0021] The number of the concave portions provided in the
accommodation vessel may be eight such that the division cases
having the square shape may be disposed in two rows and four
columns.
[0022] The accommodating vessel may accommodate the division cases
having the square shape and the division cases having the
rectangular shape, only the division cases having the square shape,
or only the division cases having the rectangular shape.
[0023] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a refrigerator includes a body, a storage compartment provided in
the body and having an open front, a door pivotably coupled to the
body to open and close the open front of the storage compartment, a
drawer slidably coupled to the body to open and close the storage
compartment and provided with a storage space therein, a plurality
of division cases accommodated in the storage space of the drawer
to allow food to be stored in the division cases, the division
cases dividing the storage space into a plurality of sub-spaces,
and an ice vessel to make ice, the ice vessel being detachably
coupled to one of the division cases, wherein a bottom face of each
of the division cases is provided with a protrusion protruding
downward, a bottom face of the drawer is provided with a plurality
of concave portions corresponding to a shape of the protrusion, and
the protrusions are fixed to the concave portions to allow the
division cases to be accommodated in the drawer.
[0024] Each of the division cases may include the bottom face,
front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls, and the ice vessel may
be supported by the lateral sidewalls and accommodated in an
accommodating space formed by the bottom face, front and rear walls
and lateral sidewalls to have an open upper face, wherein the
bottom face, front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls are
integrally formed.
[0025] The ice vessel may include an ice making tray to make ice
and a support supported by the lateral sidewalls of the division
case.
[0026] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a storage unit includes at least one division case provided with an
accommodating space having an open upper face formed by a bottom
face, front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls and including a
protrusion protruding downward from the bottom face, the bottom
face, front and rear walls and lateral sidewalls being integrally
formed, and an accommodating vessel to accommodate the division
case, the accommodating vessel including a concave portion grooved
in a shape corresponding to a shape of the protrusion, wherein the
at least one division case includes a plurality of division cases
adapted to divide an internal space of the accommodating vessel
into a plurality of sub-spaces and accommodated in the
accommodating vessel such that the protrusion is fixed to the
concave portion.
[0027] The division case may include knobs integrally formed on the
front and rear walls to allow the division case to be moved.
[0028] The protrusion may be provided with a quadrangular edge
protruding downward, and include a first protrusion protruding from
inner and outer sides of the edge of the protrusion to be slanted
toward a center of the protrusion, and a second protrusion
protruding from a center of the first protrusion downward.
[0029] The concave portion may be provided with a quadrangular edge
grooved downward in a shape corresponding to the shape of the
protrusion, and include a first concave portion grooved to be
slanted from inner and outer sides of the edge of the concave
portion toward a center of the concave portion to have a shape
corresponding to a shape of the first protrusion, and a second
concave portion grooved from a center of the first concave portion
downward.
[0030] An ice vessel to make ice may be accommodated in the
accommodating space of the division case, and includes a support
detachably supported by the lateral sidewalls of the division
case.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] These and/or other aspects of the invention will become
apparent and more readily appreciated from the following
description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings of which:
[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates a refrigerator according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention;
[0033] FIG. 2 illustrates a container and division cases
accommodated in a drawer according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 3 illustrates a square-shaped division case according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 4 illustrates a rectangular division case according to
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates the division case and container according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates accommodating an ice vessel in the
division case according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0038] FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate a dividing the internal space of
the container in various ways with the division cases according to
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and
[0039] FIG. 11 illustrates division cases and a drawer according to
another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of
the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to
like elements throughout.
[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a refrigerator includes a body 10,
a storage compartment 20 provided in the body 10 and having an open
front, a door 30 pivotably coupled to the body 10 to open and close
the open front of the storage compartment 20, a plurality of
division cases 40 formed in a box shape to allow food to be stored
therein, an accommodating vessel 50 to accommodate the division
cases 40 therein such that the internal space of the accommodating
vessel 50 is divided into a plurality of sub-spaces by the division
cases 40 and to be stored in the storage compartment 20 along with
the division cases 40.
[0042] The body 10 includes an inner case (not shown) forming the
storage compartment 20, an outer case (not shown) forming an outer
appearance of the body 10, and a cold air supply unit (not shown)
to supply cold air to the storage compartment 20.
[0043] The cold air supply unit may include a compressor, a
condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, a fan and a cold air
duct, and a foamed insulation material (not shown) may be provided
between the inner case and outer case to insulate the storage
compartment 20.
[0044] The storage compartment 20 may be divided into an upper
chamber 21, an intermediate chamber 23 and a lower chamber 25
vertically arranged, each of which may preserve food in a cooled or
frozen state as necessary.
[0045] The intermediate chamber 23 and lower chamber 25 may be
opened and closed by a drawer 70 that is slidably movable with
respect to the body 10, and the upper chamber 21 may be opened and
closed by the door 30 pivotably coupled to the body 10.
[0046] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, a storage unit allowing food
to be stored therein may be accommodated in the intermediate
chamber 23 or the lower chamber 25.
[0047] The storage unit may include a plurality of division cases
40 and a plurality of accommodating vessels 50 to accommodate the
division cases 40 therein.
[0048] The division cases 40 may be formed in a box shape to allow
food to be stored therein.
[0049] The division case 40 may be accommodated in the
accommodating vessel 50 to be stored in the storage compartment 20,
and a plurality of division cases 40 may be provided to divide the
internal space of the accommodating vessel 50 into a plurality of
sub-spaces.
[0050] The division case 40 includes a bottom face 41, front and
rear walls 43 and lateral sidewalls 45, which may be integrally
formed. An accommodating space S with an open upper face may be
formed by the bottom face 41, front and rear walls 43 and lateral
sidewalls 45.
[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the division cases 300 may be
formed in a square shape to be accommodated in the accommodating
vessel 50. Each of the square-shaped division cases 300 may be
provided with a protrusion 47.
[0052] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the division cases 400 may be
rectangular to be accommodated in the accommodating vessel 50. Each
of the rectangular division cases 400 may have a size, for example,
two times that of the square-shaped division case 300 and be
provided with two protrusions 47.
[0053] The division cases formed in the square and rectangle shapes
are accommodated in the accommodating vessel 50 to divide the
internal space of the accommodating vessel 50 into a plurality of
sub-spaces.
[0054] The division cases 300 having the square shape and the
division cases 400 having the rectangular shape may be accommodated
together in the accommodating vessel 50. Alternatively, only the
division cases having the square shape or the division cases having
the rectangular shape may be accommodated in the accommodating
vessel 50.
[0055] The bottom face 41 may be provided with a protrusion 41
protruding downward. The protrusion 47 may be fixed to a concave
portion 51 of the accommodating vessel 50 to allow the division
case 40 to be fixed and accommodated in the accommodating vessel
50.
[0056] The protrusion 47, which is provided with a
quadrangle-shaped edge protruding downward, includes a first
protrusion 47a protruding from the inner and outer sides of the
edge of the protrusion 47 to be slanted toward the center of the
protrusion 47, and a second protrusion 47b protruding from the
center of the first protrusion 47a downward.
[0057] The front and rear walls 43 may be provided with knobs 49
integrated with the front and rear walls 43 to allow the division
cases 40 to be placed in, and drawn out, of the accommodating
vessel 50.
[0058] As illustrated in FIG. 6, an ice vessel 60 to make ice may
be accommodated in the accommodating space S of the division case
40.
[0059] The ice vessel 60 includes an ice making tray 61 to make ice
and a support 63 detachably supported by the lateral sidewalls 45
of the division case 40.
[0060] FIG. 6 illustrates that the ice vessel 60 may be
accommodated in the accommodating space S of the division case 40.
The division case 40, itself, may function as an ice vessel to make
ice.
[0061] When the division case 40, itself, functions as an ice
vessel, an ice making device (not illustrated) may be disposed on
the division case 40, and, a user may be provided with more
convenience as supply of water to the division case 40 and movement
of the division case 40 are facilitated.
[0062] When a large amount of water is needed, the division case
40, itself, may be drawn out to retrieve ice.
[0063] The accommodating vessel 50 accommodating the division cases
40 and having an internal space divided into a plurality of
sub-spaces by the division cases 40 may be accommodated in the
drawer 70 and stored in the chamber 23 or 25, along with the
division cases 40.
[0064] The accommodating vessel 50 may be formed to have a size
several times that of the division case 40 to allow the inner space
of the accommodating vessel 50 to be divided into a plurality of
sub-spaces.
[0065] The bottom face of the accommodating vessel 50 to
accommodate the division cases 40 may be provided with a plurality
of concave portions 51 having a shape corresponding to that of the
protrusions 47 of the division cases 40.
[0066] Each of the concave portions 51 may be provided with a
quadrangular edge grooved downward to have a shape corresponding to
that of the protrusion 47, and includes a first concave portion 51
a grooved to be slanted from the inner and outer sides of the edge
of the concave portion 51 toward the center of the concave portion
51 to have a shape corresponding to that of the first protrusion
47a of the protrusion 47, and a second concave portion 51 b grooved
from the center of the first concave portion 51 a downward.
[0067] When the division case 40 is accommodated in the
accommodating vessel 50 such that the protrusion 47 of the division
case 40 is fixed to the concave portion 51 of the accommodating
vessel 50, the first protrusion 47a and second protrusion 47b of
the protrusion 47 are respectively inserted into, and fixed to, the
first concave portion 51a and second concave portion 51b.
[0068] Eight concave portions 51 may be provided to dispose the
square-shaped division cases 40 in two rows and four columns.
[0069] FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate that eight concave portions 51 may
be provided, but embodiments of the present invention are not
limited thereto. For example, depending on the size of the division
case 40, the number the concave portions 51 provided may be
varied.
[0070] As illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 10, the division cases 40 may
be arranged such that the internal space of the accommodating
vessel 50 is divided in various ways.
[0071] The internal space of the accommodating vessel may be
divided in various ways by the division cases, depending on the
number of the concave portions provided in the accommodating vessel
or the configuration of the division cases.
[0072] As illustrated in FIG. 11, the division case 110 may be
directly accommodated in the internal space of the drawer 700 to be
stored in the storage compartment 20, rather than being
accommodated in the accommodating vessel 50.
[0073] The bottom face of the drawer 700 may be provided with a
concave portion 71 having a shape corresponding to that of the
protrusion 47 of the division case 110.
[0074] The configuration of the concave portion 71 provided in the
bottom face of the drawer 700 may be similar as that of the concave
portion 51 provided in the bottom face of the accommodating vessel
50.
[0075] As is apparent from the above description, according to
embodiments of the present invention, improved accommodation of
food may be provided, and stored food may be easily accessed and
moved by unit block.
[0076] In addition, the foods may be stored separately from each
other so as not to be mixed together, and material costs may be
reduced.
[0077] Although a few embodiments of the present invention 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.
* * * * *