U.S. patent application number 14/071505 was filed with the patent office on 2015-05-07 for continuous plasma carrier coating process and apparatus for preparing same.
This patent application is currently assigned to XEROX CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is XEROX CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Chieh-Min Cheng, Joo T. Chung, Thomas C. Dombroski, Brian S. Giannetto, Bernard A. Kelly.
Application Number | 20150125621 14/071505 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53007248 |
Filed Date | 2015-05-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150125621 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chung; Joo T. ; et
al. |
May 7, 2015 |
CONTINUOUS PLASMA CARRIER COATING PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR
PREPARING SAME
Abstract
The disclosure relates to processes of preparing coated carrier
particles by means of plasma activation and apparatus for use
thereof.
Inventors: |
Chung; Joo T.; (Webster,
NY) ; Kelly; Bernard A.; (Ontario, NY) ;
Giannetto; Brian S.; (Livonia, NY) ; Cheng;
Chieh-Min; (Rochester, NY) ; Dombroski; Thomas
C.; (Rochester, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
XEROX CORPORATION |
Norwalk |
CT |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
XEROX CORPORATION
Norwalk
CT
|
Family ID: |
53007248 |
Appl. No.: |
14/071505 |
Filed: |
November 4, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
427/536 ;
118/641; 427/535 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B22F 1/0062 20130101;
B22F 2202/13 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
427/536 ;
427/535; 118/641 |
International
Class: |
C23C 18/04 20060101
C23C018/04 |
Claims
1. A process for preparing a coated carrier particle for use in
developer compositions, comprising: providing a carrier core in a
carrier gas; producing a plasma; irradiating the carrier core with
the plasma to generate a charged carrier core; and continuously
coating the charged carrier core with a polymer to form a polymeric
coating.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the plasma is produced by
microwave energy.
3. The process of claim 1, wherein the carrier core has an average
particle size of from about 20 .mu.m to about 400 .mu.m in
diameter.
4. The process of claim 1, wherein the carrier core comprises a
metal, a polymer, or mixtures thereof.
5. The process of claim 4, wherein the metal is selected from the
group consisting of iron, steel, ferrites, magnetites, nickel, and
mixtures thereof.
6. The process of claim 1, wherein the polymer is selected from the
group consisting of acrylates, polyvinylidine flouride, nylons,
urethanes, and mixtures thereof.
7. The process of claim 1, wherein the the polymeric coating
comprises a copolymer derived from monomers comprising an aliphatic
cycloacrylate and an acidic acrylate monomer.
8. The process of claim 7, wherein the aliphatic cycloacrylate is
selected from the group consisting of cyclohexylmethacrylate,
cyclopropyl acrylate, cyclobutyl acrylate, cyclopentyl acrylate,
cyclohexyl acrylate, cyclopropyl methacrylate, cyclobutyl
methacrylate, cyclopentyl methacrylate, and mixtures thereof,
9. The process of claim 7, wherein the acidic acrylate monomer is
selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic
acid, beta-carboxyethyl acrylate, and mixtures thereof.
10. The process of claim 7, wherein the aliphatic cycloacrylate is
present in an amount of from about 85% by weight to about 99% by
weight of the copolymer.
11. The process of claim 7, wherein the acidic acrylate monomer is
present in an amount of from about 0.1% by weight to about 5% by
weight of the copolymer.
12. The process of claim 1, wherein the the polymeric coating is
present in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight
based on the total weight of the coated carrier particle.
13. The process of claim 1, wherein the polymeric coating has a
thickness of from about 50 mils to about 350 mils.
14. The process of claim 1, wherein the process does not require a
mixing of the carrier core and the coating polymer.
15. A process for preparing a coated carrier particle for use in
developer compositions, comprising: providing a metal core in a
carrier gas; producing a plasma by microwave energy; irradiating
the carrier core with the plasma to generate a charged carrier
core; and continuously coating the charged carrier core with a
polymer to form a polymeric coating.
16. The process of claim 15, wherein the metal core comprises
ferrites.
17. The process of claim 15, wherein the polymer is selected from
the group consisting of acrylates, polyvinylidine flouride, nylons,
urethanes, and mixtures thereof.
18. The process of claim 15, wherein the the polymeric coating is
present in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight
based on the total weight of the coated carrier particle.
19. The process of claim 15, wherein the polymeric coating has a
thickness of from about 50 mils to about 350 mils.
20. An apparatus for preparing a coated carrier particle of claim
1, comprising a reaction tube for feeding of a carrier core and a
carrier gas; a wave guide for producing plasma; a microwave
resonant cavity for exposing the carrier core and carrier gas to
the plasma; a precursor zone for coating the charged carrier core;
and a tubular furnace for adhering the polymeric coating to the
charged carrier core.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The disclosure relates to processes of preparing coated
carriers using plasma. Currently, the coated carrier particles are
prepared using powder coating processes, as disclosed in, for
example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,309,293, the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety. The typical powder
coating processes require multiple steps including the step of
mixing (tumble blend) the carrier core and the polymer, and the
step of coating the carrier core with the polymer at an elevated
temperature.
[0002] There is a need to simplify the current coating process. The
process of the present disclosure has benefits over the powder
coating process by eliminating the step of mixing the carrier core
and the polymer, thereby reducing the process time and labor cost.
The process is also more environmentally friendly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0003] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a plasma carrier coating
process according to certain embodiments of the disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to embodiments illustrated herein, there is
provided a process for preparing a coated carrier particle for use
in developer compositions, comprising providing a carrier core in a
carrier gas; producing a plasma; irradiating the carrier core with
the plasma to generate a charged carrier core; and continuously
coating the charged carrier core with a polymer to form a polymeric
coating.
[0005] In embodiments, there is provided a process for preparing a
coated carrier particle for use in developer compositions,
comprising providing a metal core in a carrier gas; producing a
plasma by microwave energy; irradiating the carrier core with the
plasma to generate a charged carrier core; and continuously coating
the charged carrier core with a polymer to form a polymeric
coating.
[0006] The present disclosure also provides an apparatus for
preparing a coated carrier particle of claim 1, comprising a
reaction tube for feeding of a carrier core and a carrier gas; a
wave guide for producing plasma; a microwave resonant cavity for
exposing the carrier core and carrier gas to the plasma; a
precursor zone for coating the charged carrier core; and a tubular
furnace for adhering the polymeric coating to the charged carrier
core.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0007] The disclosure relates to processes of preparing coated
carrier particles by means of plasma activation and apparatus for
use thereof. The coated carrier particles can be used in developer
compositions, such as xerographic developer composition. The
disclosure provides a process for continuously coating a polymer on
a carrier core by means of plasma activation.
[0008] Embodiments of the disclosure will be explained in more
detail below by means of the drawings. The examples illustrated
herein are provided to facilitate understanding of the disclosure
but not to limit the scope of protection as defined in the claims.
FIG. 1 shows a waveguide based plasma system for preparing coated
carrier particles. Carrier core 1 and gas 2 are fed into a reaction
tube 3 that passes through a microwave resonant cavity 4. The
microwave plasma 5 is generated in a wave guide 6 and sent into the
microwave resonant cavity 4 where it is exposed to the carrier core
1 and gas 2 that has passed into the microwave resonant cavity from
the reaction tube 3. At the intersection between the reaction tube
3 and the microwave resonant cavity 4, the plasma of gas is
ignited. The microwave plasma (or plasma) 5 activates the surface
of the carrier core 1. The activated carrier core 1 then passes
through the polymer precursor zone 7 where it is exposed to a
powder cloud of a coating polymer 8. The polymer 8 is attracted to
carrier core surface due to electrical charge. The polymer 8 forms
a thin coating 8a on the carrier core 1 as it passes through. The
carrier core with polymer on the surface then passes through a
tubular furnace which rapidly melts the polymer coating and adhere
it to the surface and producing coated carrier 9. The temperature
at the tubular furnace is typically in the range of from about
175.degree. C. to about 290.degree. C.
[0009] The process of the present disclosure does not require the
mixing of the carrier core and the coating polymer.
[0010] The term "continuously" refers to the fact that there are no
major disruptions or gaps in depositing the polymer onto the
activated (or charged) carrier core. The thinkness and coverage of
the polymeric coating continuously processed as the carrier core
passes through the polymer precursor zone.
[0011] The term "plasma" as used herein is defined to include any
portion of the gas or vapors which contain electrons, ions, free
radicals, dissociated and/or excited atoms or molecules
produced.
[0012] When sufficient energy is added to a gas, the gas becomes
ionized and enters a plasma state. The excitation energy supplied
to a gas to form a plasma (i.e., ionized gas) can originate from
electrical discharges, direct currents, radio frequencies,
microwaves, or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. In certain
embodiments, the plasma can be generated using microwave energy in
a waveguide, for example, in a cylindrical or rectangular
waveguide. The microwave plasma can be generated using a microwave
with a frequency of from about 1 Mega Giga Hertz to about 300 Giga
Hertz, from about 10 Mega Hertz to about 200 Giga Hertz, or from
about 2.5 Mega Hertz to about 90 Giga Hertz. Typically, the
microwave plasma can be generated at atmospheric pressure. The
gerenation of microwave plasma may not require any heating. The
temperature of the microwave resonant cavity can be in the range of
from about 150.degree. C. to about 260.degree. C.
[0013] Microwave plasma is a type of plasma that has high frequency
electromagnetic radiation in the GHz range, and is capable of
exciting electrodeless gas discharges. If applied in
surface-wave-sustained mode, they are especially well suited to
generate large-area plasmas of high plasma density. If they are
both in surface-wave and resonator mode, they can exhibit a high
degree of spatial localisation. This allows to spatially separate
the location of plasma generations from the location of surface
processing.
[0014] Generally, microwave plasma discharges if the electric field
at a given frequency exceeds the intrinsic breakdown field strength
of the gas.
[0015] A plasma can be fully ionized or partically ionized.
Typically, a plasma is in the range of between about 1% and about
10% ionized when it comes in contact with the carrier core. The
degree of ionization of a plasma is the proportion of atoms that
have lost or gained electrons, and is controlled mostly by the
temperature. Even a partially ionized gas in which as little as 1%
of the particles are ionized can have the characteristics of a
plasma.
[0016] When a plasma comes in contact with a carrier core (i.e.,
irradiation with a plasma), its energy acts on the surfaces of the
carrier core and changes certain properties, such as surface
energy. Upon irradiation with a plasma, the surface energy of the
surface of the carrier increases. Surface energy quantifies the
disruption of intermolecular bonds that occur when a surface is
created. In the physics of solids, surfaces must be intrinsically
less energetically favorable than the bulk of a material (i.e., the
molecules on the surface have more energy compared with the
molecules in the bulk of the material).
[0017] Upon irradiation with a plasma, the carrier core carries
electric charges and ions (charged carrier core), thereby
attracting the surrounding polymer powder onto its surface, and
forming a polymeric coating. A plasma is sometimes referred to as
being "hot" if it is nearly fully ionized, or "cold" if only a
small fraction (e.g., less than 5%, or from about 0.01% to about
2%) of the gas molecules are ionized. The temperature of the plasma
can be adjusted by adusting the wavelength of the microwave. The
wavelength of the microwave is typically ranged from about 0.3 GHz
to about 300 GHz, from about 3 GHz to about 30 GHz.
[0018] Gas
[0019] A variety of gases may be fed into the plasma generator to
form a plasma, which include nitrogen, oxygen, argon, hydrogen. In
general, nitrogen or argon may be used if an inert atmosphere is
desired; oxgen may be used if an oxidizing atmosphere is desired;
and hydrogent may be used if a reduction atmosphere is desired. In
certain embodiments, gas mixtures containing two or more gases may
not be used for producing the plasma.
[0020] Carrier Core
[0021] Various suitable solid core materials may be used for the
carriers of the present disclosure. Characteristic core properties
include those that, in embodiments, will enable the toner particles
to acquire a positive charge or a negative charge, and carrier
cores that will permit desirable flow properties in the developer
reservoir present in an electrophotographic imaging apparatus.
Other desirable properties of the core include, for example,
suitable magnetic characteristics that permit magnetic brush
formation in magnetic brush development processes; desirable
mechanical aging characteristics and desirable surface morphology
to permit high electrical conductivity of any developer including
the carrier and a suitable toner.
[0022] The carrier core may include a metal, a polymer, or mixtures
thereof.
[0023] Examples of metal carrier cores that may be used include
iron and/or steel, such as, atomized iron or steel powders
available from Hoeganaes Corporation or Pomaton S.p.A (Italy), and
ID Hoganas Corporation (Sweden); a ferrite including an alloy of
ferric iron oxide and a metal, such as, copper, zinc, nickel,
manganese, magnesium, calcium, lithium, strontium, zirconium,
titanium, tantalum, bismuth, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium,
strontium, barium, yttrium, lanthanum, hafnium, vanadium, niobium,
aluminum, gallium, silicon, germamium, antimony, combinations
thereof and the like, specific example of ferrites include, such
as, Cu/Zn-ferrite containing, for example, about 11% copper oxide,
about 19% zinc oxide and about 70% iron oxide, including those
commercially available from D.M. Steward Corporation or Powdertech
Corporation, and those commercially available from IEDOWA (Japan),
Ni/Zn-ferrite available from Powdertech Corporation, Sr
(strontium)-ferrite, containing, for example, about 14% strontium
oxide and about 86% iron oxide, commercially available from
Powdertech Corporation, and Ba-ferrite; magnetites, including those
commercially available from, for example, Hoganas Corporation
(Sweden), and IEDOWA (Japan); nickel; combinations thereof, and the
like. Other suitable carrier cores are illustrated in, for example,
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,937,166, 4,935,326, and 7,014,971, the disclosure
of each of which hereby is incorporated by reference in entirety,
and may include granular zircon, granular silicon, glass, silicon
dioxide, combinations thereof and the like. Examples of polymer
carrier cores that may be used include U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,765:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,951: U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,194, the disclosure of
each of which hereby is incorporated by reference in entirety.
[0024] In embodiments, suitable carrier cores may have an average
particle size of, for example, from about 20 .mu.m to about 400
.mu.m in diameter, from about 30 .mu.m to about 300 .mu.m in
diameter, in embodiments, from about 40 .mu.m to about 200 .mu.m in
diameter.
[0025] Polymeric Coating
[0026] The polymeric coating on the carrier core includes a
polymer. Generally, any thermoplastic polymer or thermoset plastic
polymer can be used as materials of the polymeric coating. Examples
of polymers include, but are not limited to, acrylates,
polyvinylidine flouride, nylons (i.e., polyamides), urethanes, and
mixtures thereof, and the like.
[0027] In embodiments, a polymer utilized as the coating of a
carrier core may be derived from a monomer including an aliphatic
cycloacrylate and an acidic acrylate monomer, and optionally carbon
black. Suitable aliphatic cycloacrylates which may be utilized in
forming the polymer coating include, for example,
cyclohexylmethacrylate, cyclopropyl acrylate, cyclobutyl acrylate,
cyclopentyl acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, cyclopropyl
methacrylate, cyclobutyl methacrylate, cyclopentyl methacrylate,
combinations thereof, and the like. Suitable acidic acrylate
monomers which may be utilized in forming the polymer coating
include, for example, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid,
beta-carboxyethyl acrylate, combinations thereof, and the like.
[0028] The aliphatic cycloacrylate may be present in a copolymer
utilized as a polymeric coating of a carrier core in an amount of
from about 85% by weight of the copolymer to about 99% by weight of
the copolymer, in embodiments from about 90% by weight of the
copolymer to about 97% by weight of the copolymer. The acidic
acrylate may be present in such a copolymer in an amount of from
about 0.1% by weight of the copolymer to about 5% by weight of the
copolymer, in embodiments from about 1% by weight of the copolymer
to about 3% by weight of the copolymer.
[0029] The polymeric coating can be applied to the carrier core as
particles of a size from about 40 nm to about 200 nm in diameter.
The polymeric coating thickness can be controlled to from about 50
mils to about 350 mils, from about 100 mils to about 250 mils, or
from about 145 mils to about 195 mils. Coating thickness and
coating coverage can be controlled by weight of polymer(s) used,
heating time and temperature.
[0030] In embodiments, the coated carrier particle may contain from
about 0.5% to about 10% by weight, in embodiments, from about 0.7%
to about 5% by weight, from about 1% to about 4% of the polymeric
coating of the present disclosure.
[0031] Colorants
[0032] In embodiments, the polymeric coating on the carrier core
may include one or more colorants, such as dyes, pigments, mixtures
of dyes, mixtures of pigments, mixtures of dyes and pigments, and
the like. The colorant may be included in the polymeric coating in
an amount of, for example, about 0.1 to about 5% by weight of the
carrier core, from about 0.3 to about 3 wt % of the toner, from
about 0.5 to about 2% by weight of the carrier core, although
amounts outside those ranges may be utilized.
[0033] As examples of suitable colorants, mention may be made of
carbon black like REGAL 330.RTM.; magnetites, such as Mobay
magnetites MO8029.TM., M08060.TM.; Columbian magnetites; MAPICO
BLACKS.TM. and surface treated magnetites; Pfizer magnetites
CB4799.TM., CB5300.TM., CB5600.TM., MCX6369.TM.; Bayer magnetites,
BAYFERROX 8600.TM., 8610.TM.; Northern Pigments magnetites,
NP-604.TM., NP-608.TM.; Magnox magnetites TMB-100.TM., or
TMB-104.TM.; and the like. As colored pigments, there may be
selected cyan, magenta, yellow, red, green, brown, blue or mixtures
thereof. Generally, cyan, magenta, or yellow pigments or dyes, or
mixtures thereof, are used. The pigment or pigments are generally
used as water based pigment dispersions.
[0034] Specific examples of pigments include SUNSPERSE 6000,
FLEXIVERSE and AQUATONE water based pigment dispersions from SUN
Chemicals, HELIOGEN BLUE L6900.TM., D6840.TM., D7080.TM.,
D7020.TM., PYLAM OIL BLUE.TM., PYLAM OIL YELLOW.TM., PIGMENT BLUE
1.TM. available from Paul Uhlich & Company, Inc., PIGMENT
VIOLET 1.TM., PIGMENT RED 48.TM., LEMON CHROME YELLOW DCC 1026.TM.,
E. D. TOLUIDINE RED.TM. and BON RED C.TM. available from Dominion
Color Corporation, Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, NOVAPERM YELLOW FGL.TM.,
HOSTAPERM PINK E.TM. from Hoechst, and CINQUASIA MAGENTA.TM.
available from E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company, and the like.
Generally, colorants that may be selected are black, cyan, magenta,
or yellow, and mixtures thereof. Examples of magentas are
2,9-dimethyl-substituted quinacridone and anthraquinone dye
identified in the Color Index as CI-60710, CI Dispersed Red 15,
diazo dye identified in the Color Index as CI-26050, CI Solvent Red
19, and the like. Illustrative examples of cyans include copper
tetra(octadecyl sulfonamido) phthalocyanine, x-copper
phthalocyanine pigment listed in the Color Index as CI-74160, CI
Pigment Blue, Pigment Blue 15:3, and Anthrathrene Blue, identified
in the Color Index as CI-69810, Special Blue X-2137, and the like.
Illustrative examples of yellows are diarylide yellow
3,3-dichlorobenzidene acetoacetanilides, a monoazo pigment
identified in the Color Index as CI 12700, CI Solvent Yellow 16, a
nitrophenyl amine sulfonamide identified in the Color Index as
Foron Yellow SE/GLN, CI Dispersed Yellow 33
2,5-dimethoxy-4-sulfonanilide phenylazo-4'-chloro-2,5-dimethoxy
acetoacetanilide, and Permanent Yellow FGL. Colored magnetites,
such as mixtures of MAPICO BLACK.TM., and cyan components may also
be selected as colorants. Other known colorants may be selected,
such as Levanyl Black A-SF (Miles, Bayer) and Sunsperse Carbon
Black LHD 9303 (Sun Chemicals), and colored dyes such as Neopen
Blue (BASF), Sudan Blue OS (BASF), PV Fast Blue B2G01 (American
Hoechst), Sunsperse Blue BHD 6000 (Sun Chemicals), Irgalite Blue
BCA (Ciba-Geigy), Paliogen Blue 6470 (BASF), Sudan III (Matheson,
Coleman, Bell), Sudan II (Matheson, Coleman, Bell), Sudan IV
(Matheson, Coleman, Bell), Sudan Orange G (Aldrich), Sudan Orange
220 (BASF), Paliogen Orange 3040 (BASF), Ortho Orange OR2673 (Paul
Uhlich), Paliogen Yellow 152, 1560 (BASF), Lithol Fast Yellow 0991K
(BASF), Paliotol Yellow 1840 (BASF), Neopen Yellow (BASF), Novoperm
Yellow FG 1 (Hoechst), Permanent Yellow YE 0305 (Paul Uhlich),
Lumogen Yellow D0790 (BASF), Sunsperse Yellow YHD 6001 (Sun
Chemicals), Suco-Gelb L1250 (BASF), Suco-Yellow D1355 (BASF),
Hostaperm Pink E (American Hoechst), Fanal Pink D4830 (BASF),
Cinquasia Magenta (DuPont), Lithol Scarlet D3700 (BASF), Toluidine
Red (Aldrich), Scarlet for Thermoplast NSD PS PA (Ugine Kuhlmann of
Canada), E. D. Toluidine Red (Aldrich), Lithol Rubine Toner (Paul
Uhlich), Lithol Scarlet 4440 (BASF), Bon Red C (Dominion Color
Company), Royal Brilliant Red RD-8192 (Paul Uhlich), Oracet Pink RF
(Ciba-Geigy), Paliogen Red 3871K (BASF), Paliogen Red 3340 (BASF),
Lithol Fast Scarlet L4300 (BASF), combinations of the foregoing,
and the like.
[0035] Additives
[0036] In embodiments, the polymeric coating on the carrier core
may further include an additive. Examples of these additives
include metal oxides such as titanium oxide, silicon oxide,
aluminum oxides, cerium oxides, tin oxide, mixtures thereof, and
the like; colloidal and amorphous silicas, such as AEROSIL.RTM.,
metal salts and metal salts of fatty acids inclusive of zinc
stearate, calcium stearate, or long chain alcohols such as UNILIN
700, and mixtures thereof.
[0037] It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed
and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be
desirably combined into many other different systems or
applications. Also, various presently unforeseen or unanticipated
alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may
be subsequently made by those skilled in the art, and are also
intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
[0038] While the description above refers to particular
embodiments, it will be understood that many modifications may be
made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying
claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall
within the true scope and spirit of embodiments herein.
[0039] The presently disclosed embodiments are, therefore, to be
considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the
scope of embodiments being indicated by the appended claims rather
than the foregoing description. All changes that come within the
meaning of and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to
be embraced therein.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
[0040] Ferrite carrier precursor, 100 gram per min of Ferrite core
EMC1010, is carried by carrier gas such as nitrogen. Nitrogen gas
microwave plasma which ignited at the interaction between
intersection tube and cavity activate the surface of Ferrite core
in the reaction tube and the core expose to polymer precursor,
mixture of SLS/Carbon black/Melamine at a ratio of about
80.4%/9.6%/10% by weight, fed to the reaction tube at a rate of
1.22 gram per min to have 1.22% of coating weight on the surface of
the Ferrite core. Polymer coated carrier then expose to
instantaneous heat to melt the polymer on the Ferrite core to
produce powder coated carrier.
[0041] The claims, as originally presented and as they may be
amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications,
improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the
embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that
are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example,
may arise from applicants/patentees and others. Unless specifically
recited in a claim, steps or components of claims should not be
implied or imported from the specification or any other claims as
to any particular order, number, position, size, shape, angle,
color, or material.
[0042] All the patents and applications referred to herein are
hereby specifically, and totally incorporated herein by reference
in their entirety in the instant specification.
* * * * *