U.S. patent application number 14/842923 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-24 for gear casing heat exchanger.
The applicant listed for this patent is Modine Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Timothy Carlson, Christopher Chudy, Siddharth Jain, Frances Kis, Ashutosh Patil, Daniel Raduenz.
Application Number | 20150369354 14/842923 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50879555 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150369354 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chudy; Christopher ; et
al. |
December 24, 2015 |
GEAR CASING HEAT EXCHANGER
Abstract
A gear casing heat exchanger has a mounting flange separating
the heat exchanger into a first side and a second side. A manifold
section is on the first side, and includes an inlet manifold and an
outlet manifold. A heat exchange section is on the second side, and
extends from the mounting flange in a lengthwise direction. A
sealing perimeter is on the second side, and the heat exchange
section is entirely contained within a projection of the sealing
perimeter in the lengthwise direction. The heat exchange section of
the heat exchanger can be inserted through an aperture of a gear
casing to provide a cooled gear assembly.
Inventors: |
Chudy; Christopher;
(Greenfield, WI) ; Raduenz; Daniel; (Franklin,
WI) ; Patil; Ashutosh; (Racine, WI) ; Kis;
Frances; (Burlington, WI) ; Carlson; Timothy;
(Racine, WI) ; Jain; Siddharth; (Lindenhurst,
IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Modine Manufacturing Company |
Racine |
WI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50879555 |
Appl. No.: |
14/842923 |
Filed: |
September 2, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13839139 |
Mar 15, 2013 |
9163716 |
|
|
14842923 |
|
|
|
|
61736335 |
Dec 12, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
165/41 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16H 57/0483 20130101;
Y10T 74/2189 20150115; F16H 57/0417 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F16H 57/04 20060101
F16H057/04 |
Claims
1. A gear casing heat exchanger comprising: a mounting flange
defining a mounting face; a manifold section located to one side of
the mounting face, the manifold section including an inlet manifold
and an outlet manifold; a heat exchange section located to an
opposite side of the mounting face from the manifold section, the
heat exchange section extending perpendicularly from the mounting
face in a lengthwise direction; and a sealing perimeter spaced away
from the mounting face on the same side of the heat exchanger as
the heat exchange section, the sealing perimeter defining a second
length substantially similar to the first length, wherein the heat
exchange section is entirely contained within the projection of the
sealing perimeter.
2. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein the heat
exchange section comprises a plurality of fluid conduits, inlet
ends of the fluid conduits being fluidly connected to the inlet
manifold and outlet ends of the fluid conduits being fluidly
connected to the outlet manifold.
3. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 2, further comprising a
header to receive the inlet and outlet ends of the fluid conduits,
wherein the sealing perimeter is provided on an exterior surface of
the header.
4. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 4, wherein the sealing
perimeter defines a circular profile.
5. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 4, wherein the sealing
perimeter is provided by an o-ring arranged within a
circumferential groove.
6. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 3, each one of the
plurality of fluid conduits comprising: a first straight tube
length extending from the header and having a tube end joined to
the header; a second straight tube length parallel to the first
straight tube length; and a return bend joining those ends of the
first and second straight tube lengths furthest away from the
header.
7. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 6, wherein the second
straight tube length includes a tube end joined to the header.
8. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 1, further comprising: a
bracket arranged at the end of the heat exchange section opposite
the mounting face; and a locator post connected to the bracket.
9. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 2, each of the fluid
conduits comprising a continuous bent tube.
10. A gear casing heat exchanger comprising: a manifold section
having a fluid inlet port, a fluid outlet port, an inlet manifold
fluidly connected to the fluid inlet port, and a fluid outlet
manifold fluidly connected to the fluid outlet port; a plurality of
tubular fluid conduits, each fluid conduit having at least two
straight sections joined by one or more bends and extending from an
inlet end to an outlet end; and a cylindrical header receiving the
inlet and outlet ends of the plurality of fluid conduits, a portion
of the cylindrical header being received into an open end of the
manifold section to fluidly connect the inlet ends of the plurality
of fluid conduits to the inlet manifold and to fluidly connect the
outlet ends of the plurality of fluid conduits to the outlet
manifold.
11. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 10, further comprising
an o-ring arranged within an annular groove circumscribing an
exposed outer surface of the cylindrical header.
12. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the o-ring
is a first o-ring and the annular groove is a first annular groove,
further comprising a second o-ring received into a second annular
groove circumscribing an outer surface of the cylindrical header,
the second o-ring being arranged on that portion of the cylindrical
header received into the manifold section to provide a fluid seal
between the header and the manifold section.
13. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein the
manifold section is an aluminum casting.
14. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein the
manifold section includes a mounting flange which defines a
mounting face.
15. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 14, further comprising
an o-ring arranged within an annular groove circumscribing the
cylindrical header, said annual groove being arranged between the
plurality of tubular conduits and the mounting face.
16. A gear casing heat exchanger comprising: a heat exchange
section arranged within an interior volume of a gear casing, the
heat exchange section including a plurality of fluid conduits; a
manifold section arranged external to said interior volume, the
manifold section including a coolant inlet port and a coolant
outlet port; a mounting flange arranged between the heat exchange
section and the manifold section, the gear casing heat exchanger
being secured to the gear casing through the mounting flange; and
an o-ring seal arranged within a circular aperture extending
through a wall of the gear casing.
17. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 16, further comprising
a cylindrical header to receive inlet and outlet ends of the fluid
conduits, wherein the o-ring seal is provided on an exterior
surface of the cylindrical header.
18. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 16, further comprising:
a bracket arranged at the end of the heat exchange section opposite
the mounting flange; and a locator post connected to the
bracket.
19. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 18, wherein the locator
post is received within a feature of the gear casing in order to
structurally support said end of the heat exchange section.
20. The gear casing heat exchanger of claim 10, wherein the heat
exchange section is removably inserted into the interior volume
through the circular aperture.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of, and claims
priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/839,139, filed
Mar. 15, 2013, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/736,335, filed Dec. 12, 2012, the entire
contents of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Gears are commonly used to effect the transfer of power from
one rotating element to another. Typically, the teeth of a first
gear coupled to a first rotating shaft engage with the teeth of a
second gear coupled to a second rotating shaft. The axes of the
first and second rotating shafts can be parallel, perpendicular, or
at some other angle, depending on the particular needs of the power
transfer apparatus. Multiple such gears are often combined to
accomplish a desired power transfer between an input shaft and one
or more output shafts. This power transfer can effect a desirable
transformation of the rotational velocity and torque, as well as a
change in the orientation of the axis about which the rotation
occurs.
[0003] Gears are typically contained within a housing or gear
casing. The gear casing provides support for the shafts of the
gears, ensuring the engagement of the gear teeth, and prevents
debris from fouling the teeth, among other functions. Examples of
such gear casings can be found in differentials and power transfer
units, among others.
[0004] Differentials are typically used in automobiles, trucks, and
other wheeled vehicles that utilize paired drive wheels in order to
propel the vehicle. The differential operates by transmitting,
through a series of engaging gears, a torque from the drive shaft
of the vehicle to a pair of axially aligned but independently
rotating axles, each of which connects to a driving wheel of the
vehicle. Due to the independent rotation of each of the pair of
axles, the driving wheels attached thereto can be rotated at
non-equal speeds. Such operation is beneficial during, for example,
the negotiation of a curve by the vehicle, when the driving wheel
located radially outward of the curve must rotate at a faster
rotational speed than the driving wheel located radially inward of
the curve in order to prevent either dragging of the outer wheel or
slipping of the inner wheel.
[0005] Power transfer units (PTUs) are used in automobiles, trucks,
and other wheeled vehicles in which multiple spaced apart wheeled
axes of the vehicle are simultaneously driven by the engine and
transmission. As one example, automobiles featuring "all-wheel
drive" typically have a front axle driven directly by the drive
shaft of the vehicle, and a rear axle driven by a power transfer
unit. The power transfer unit operates by transmitting, through a
series of engaging gears, a torque from a first shaft located at
the front of the vehicle and extending in the width direction of
the vehicle, to a second shaft extending perpendicular to the first
shaft towards the rear axle of the vehicle, in order to drive the
rear axle.
[0006] High-viscosity oil is typically contained within the casing
of the differential or PTU to adequately lubricate the engaging
gears therein. The rotation of the gears churns the oil, thereby
ensuring that the meshed gear surfaces are continuously lubricated.
Consequently, a pump or other means to move the oil through the
casing is typically not required.
[0007] Under certain operating conditions, the oil used to
lubricate the gears can become heated to temperatures in excess of
the recommended operating temperature of the oil. Such operating
conditions can include (but are not limited to) high-load operation
of the vehicle, high ambient temperatures, restricted airflow over
the gear casing, and combinations of the above.
[0008] In order to address this problem of overheating the oil,
heat exchangers to transfer heat from the oil to an engine coolant
loop have been known to be incorporated into the gear casing. An
example of such a heat exchanger, shown in Japanese utility model
1991-079052, consists of a flat cooler integrated into the inner
chamber of a differential during manufacture. Such a heat exchanger
can add considerable cost to the vehicle, and is not needed for all
intended uses of the vehicle. It is often not known, at the time
that the vehicle is manufactured, whether or not the eventual
vehicle owner will operate the vehicle in any of the operating
conditions that require cooling of the oil. Furthermore, the
addition of such a cooler to the gear casing after the vehicle has
already been assembled is very problematic, requiring substantial
disassembly of the drivetrain. Thus, there is still room for
improvement.
SUMMARY
[0009] According to some embodiments of the invention, a cooled
gear assembly includes a casing containing engaged gears. An
aperture extends through an outer wall of the casing, and a heat
exchanger partially extends into an interior volume of the casing
through the aperture. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchange
section located within the interior of the casing and a manifold
section located exterior to the casing. The heat exchange section
has multiple fluid conduits. The manifold section includes an inlet
manifold and an outlet manifold. A header of the heat exchanger
fluidly seals the aperture, and inlet and outlet ends of the fluid
conduits are fluidly connected to the inlet and outlet manifolds
through the header.
[0010] In some embodiments, each of the fluid conduits includes a
first and a second straight tube length, and a return bend joining
them. The first straight tube length extends from the header, and
an end of the first tube length is joined to the header. The second
straight tube length is parallel to the first. The return bend
joins the ends furthest from the header. In some embodiments an end
of the second tube length is joined to the header.
[0011] In some embodiments the aperture in the casing is circular.
In some embodiments the heat exchanger includes an o-ring within a
circumferential groove at the outer periphery of the header.
[0012] In some embodiments the heat exchanger is assembled into the
gear assembly by inserting the heat exchange section into the
interior of the casing through the aperture. In some embodiments
the heat exchanger is secured to the casing using a mounting flange
of the heat exchanger located exterior to the casing between the
heat exchange section and the manifold section.
[0013] According to some embodiment of the invention, a gear casing
heat exchanger includes a mounting flange separating the heat
exchanger into a first side and a second side. A manifold section
is on the first side, and includes an inlet manifold and an outlet
manifold. A heat exchange section is on the second side, and
extends from the mounting flange in a lengthwise direction. A
sealing perimeter is on the second side, and the heat exchange
section is entirely contained within a projection of the sealing
perimeter in the lengthwise direction.
[0014] In some embodiments, the heat exchange section includes
multiple fluid conduits. Inlet ends of the fluid conduits connect
to the inlet manifold, and outlet ends of the fluid conduits
connect to the outlet manifold. In some embodiments the heat
exchanger includes a header located on the second side to receive
the inlet and outlet ends of the conduits. In some such embodiments
the sealing perimeter is on an exterior surface of the heat
exchanger, and in some embodiments the sealing perimeter defines a
circular profile. In some embodiments the sealing perimeter is
provided by an o-ring in a circumferential groove.
[0015] In some embodiments, the length of the sealing perimeter is
substantially equal to the length of the heat exchange section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 2. is a cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger of
FIG. 1, along the lines II-II.
[0018] FIG. 3. is a perspective view of the heat exchanger of FIG.
1 installed into a gear casing.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a partially exploded version of FIG. 3.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an oil cooler according to
another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and the arrangement
of components set forth in the following description or illustrated
in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in
various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including,"
"comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to
encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as
well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise,
the terms "mounted," "connected," "supported," and "coupled" and
variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and
indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further,
"connected" and "coupled" are not restricted to physical or
mechanical connections or couplings.
[0022] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a heat exchanger 1 specifically
adapted for installation into the casing of a differential or PTU
for an automobile, truck, or other wheeled vehicle. While the heat
exchanger 1 is especially well-suited for use as a differential or
PTU oil cooler, it should be understood that it can be similarly
used to cool oil within a transmission housing, a crank-case, or
other similar devices. In addition, the heat exchanger 1 can also
find utility as an oil heater by following the same operating
principle when the oil housed in the gear casing is at an
undesirable low temperature, as might occur during start-up of the
vehicle in cold ambient conditions.
[0023] The heat exchanger 1 includes a mounting flange 7 separating
a heat exchange section 8 and a manifold section 9. Coolant ports
12 and 13 are provided in the manifold section 9, and allow for the
connection of the heat exchanger 1 within a coolant loop of the
vehicle. A coolant supply line can be coupled to one of the ports
12, 13 in order to supply a flow of coolant to an inlet manifold
contained within the manifold section 9. Similarly, a coolant
return line can be coupled to the other one of the ports 12, 13 to
receive the flow of coolant from an outlet manifold contained
within the manifold section 9. As best seen in FIG. 2, the manifold
section 9 includes a manifold 25 in direct communication with the
port 12, so that the manifold 25 serves as the inlet manifold when
the port 12 is coupled to the coolant supply line, and serves as
the outlet manifold when the port 12 is coupled to the coolant
return line. The manifold section 9 additionally includes a
manifold 26 in direct communication with the port 13, so that the
manifold 26 serves as the inlet manifold when the port 13 is
coupled to the coolant supply line, and serves as the outlet
manifold when the port 13 is coupled to the coolant return
line.
[0024] In some preferable embodiments the mounting flange 7 and the
manifold section 9 can be provided as a single integrated
component, as shown in FIG. 2. For example, the mounting flange 7
and manifold section 9 can be a cast aluminum component.
[0025] The heat exchange section 8 extends outwardly from the
mounting flange 7 in a lengthwise direction opposing the location
of the manifold section 9. The heat exchange section 8 includes a
plurality of fluid conduits defined by formed tubes 14, each of
which includes first and second straight lengths 15 joined by a
return bend 16 at the end furthest from the mounting flange 7. One
of the first and second straight lengths 15 of each tube 14 is
fluidly connected to the aforementioned inlet manifold, while the
other of the first and second straight lengths 15 of each tube 14
is fluidly connected to the aforementioned outlet manifold, so that
a continuous coolant flow path is provided between the port 12 and
the port 13 through the tubes 14. While the illustrated embodiment
depicts three of the tubes 14, it should be understood that the
number of tubes 14 can vary by application, and can number three,
more than three, or less than three in certain embodiments.
[0026] A bracket 17 is provided at the end of the heat exchange
section 8 located furthest from the mounting flange 7. The bracket
17 includes a series of arcuately formed profiles corresponding to
the plurality of tube lengths 15, and is joined thereby to the
tubes 14 in order to maintain the relative spacing between the
tubes 14 at that end of the heat exchange section 8. A locator post
18 is connected to the bracket and extends away from the tubes 14.
An o-ring 20 is retained within a groove of the locator post
18.
[0027] The tubes 14 are joined to the mounting flange 7 by way of a
header 21. The header 21 is of a circular cross-section, and
includes a plurality of holes 27 sized and spaced to receive the
ends of the straight tube sections 15. A sealing o-ring 19 is
provided in a circumferential groove at the outer periphery of the
header 21.
[0028] In some especially preferable embodiments, the tubes 14, the
bracket 17, the support post 18, and the header 21 are all
constructed of aluminum, and are joined together in a furnace
brazing operation. The header 21 can be joined to the mounting
flange 7 by a mechanical press-fit, or with fasteners, or by
welding, brazing, or other known joining technologies. Optionally,
an additional o-ring 28 can be used in the joining of the header 21
to the mounting flange 7 in order to prevent leakage of coolant
from either of the manifolds 25, 26 in the manifold section 9.
[0029] Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be seen that the heat
exchanger 1 is inserted into a casing 2 of a gear assembly 22, so
that the heat exchange section 8 is contained within the internal
volume 6 of the casing 2. For purposes of clarity, only half of the
casing 2 is shown, and many of the gears and other components
within the gear assembly 22 have been omitted.
[0030] An aperture 23 is provided in the casing 2 and is sized to
receive the heat exchange section 8 of the heat exchanger 1, so
that the heat exchanger 1 can be partially inserted through the
casing 2 into the internal volume 6 of the gear assembly 22. In the
exemplary embodiment the aperture 23 is circular in shape, and of a
slightly larger diameter than the header 21 of the heat exchanger
1. Upon insertion of the heat exchanger 1 into the casing 2, the
header 21 functions as a plug to fill the aperture 23, with the
o-ring 19 being sufficiently deformed by the close fit between the
header 21 and the aperture 23 to provide a fluid seal preventing
egress of the oil from the casing 2.
[0031] The heat exchanger 1 is inserted into the aperture 23 such
that the face 10 of the mounting flange 7 is seated against a
corresponding flat surface 30 of the casing 2. Threaded fasteners
24 are inserted through the holes 11 in the mounting flange 7 and
fastened into corresponding threaded holes in the casing 2 in order
to securely retain the heat exchanger 1 in the casing 2. A recess
29 is provided in the casing wall directly opposite the aperture
23, and is sized to receive the locating post 18, with the o-ring
20 engaging against the walls of the recess 29 in order to provide
structural support to the end of the heat exchanger 1.
[0032] Coolant lines (not shown) can be connected to the ports 12
and 13 in order to plumb the installed heat exchanger 1 into a
coolant circuit of the vehicle. The arrangement of the ports 12, 13
on an opposing side of the mounting flange 7 from the heat exchange
section 8 allows for simple connection of the heat exchanger 1 to
the coolant circuit without requiring the coolant lines to
penetrate the casing 2.
[0033] In some embodiments, the gear assembly 22 is used as a
vehicular differential gear assembly that operates by transmitting
a torque imposed on a shaft 4 to a pair of driving wheels of the
vehicle. The pinion gear 3 is fixedly coupled to the shaft 4 and
rotates along with the shaft. A ring gear (not shown) is oriented
perpendicular to the pinion gear and is engaged therewith to rotate
in response to the rotation of the shaft 4. The driving torque is
transmitted, through rotating gears, to axle shaft gears arranged
at the ends of opposing wheel axles (not shown), one of which
extends through the circular hole 5 to a first drive wheel, the
other of which extends through a similar hole located opposite the
hole 5 in the casing to a second drive wheel.
[0034] In other embodiments, the gear assembly 22 is used as a
vehicular power transfer unit gear assembly that operates by
transferring a torque imposed on a shaft (not shown) extending
through the circular hole 5 of the casing 2. This shaft is driven
by the transmission of the vehicle containing the gear assembly 22,
and is oriented to be parallel to the wheel axles. The power
transfer unit gear assembly 22 is typically located towards the
front of the vehicle in order to be close to the engine and
transmission. A bevel gear (not shown) is fixedly coupled to, and
rotates with, the shaft, and engages the spur gear 3 in order to
impart a torque to the shaft 4. A drive shaft (not shown) is
coupled directly to the shaft 4 and extends to a rear axle of the
vehicle in order to transmit a driving torque to that rear
axle.
[0035] As the ring gear or bevel gear rotates through the casing 2,
lubricating oil contained within the casing 2 is carried and
dispersed through the internal volume 6. As the oil contacts, and
flows over, the outer surfaces of the tubes 14, the heated oil is
cooled by coolant flowing through the tubes 14. By providing a
plurality of spaced apart lengths 15, a large amount of surface
area for heat transfer is made available.
[0036] As can be readily inferred from FIGS. 1-3, the heat exchange
section 8 of the heat exchanger 1 is entirely contained within a
volume bounded by a projection of the outer perimeter of the o-ring
19 (i.e. the sealed perimeter) in the lengthwise direction of the
tubes 14 (the direction that is perpendicular to the face 10).
Thus, a relatively large amount of heat transfer surface area can
be provided within the gear assembly 22 through a relatively small
aperture 23. In the exemplary embodiment, the outer diameter of the
o-ring 19 is 34 mm, resulting in a sealed perimeter of
approximately 107 mm. The length of the heat exchange section 8 is
of a substantially similar dimension, approximately 100 mm. This is
in contradistinction to the aforementioned flat plate integrated
gear casing heat exchangers, which require a sealed perimeter that
is many times greater than the depth of penetration of the heat
exchange section into the internal volume.
[0037] The embodiment of the heat exchanger 1 is especially useful
when the installation of a differential or PTU cooler is desired
after the vehicle is manufactured. As only a small aperture 23 is
required for insertion of the heat exchanger 1, the need to remove
or substantially disassemble the gear assembly 22 is avoided. The
casing 2 can, in some embodiments, be provided with the aperture 23
and the recess 29, with a removable plug provided in the aperture
23. Upon installation of the heat exchanger 1, the plug can be
removed and discarded.
[0038] An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.
5. Where possible, elements of FIG. 5 have been incremented by 100
compared to similar elements in FIGS. 1 and 2. The heat exchanger
101 is fluidly plumbed into a coolant circuit by way of ports 112
and 113, so that one of the ports serves as a coolant inlet port,
and the other serves as a coolant outlet port. In similar fashion
to the heat exchanger 1, the heat exchanger 101 includes a mounting
flange 107 arranged between a manifold section 109 (containing an
inlet manifold and an outlet manifold for the coolant, each of
which is connected to one of the ports 112, 113) and a heat
exchange section 108.
[0039] The heat exchanger 101 employs a plurality of tubes 114 in
the heat transfer section 108, the tubes 114 being similar in
cross-section to the tubes 14 of heat exchanger 1. However, in the
exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, each of the tubes 114 includes four
straight lengths 115, each successive pairs of straight lengths 115
being joined by return bend sections 116.
[0040] The heat exchanger 101 further differs from the heat
exchanger 1 in that a face seal 119 is employed on the planar
surface 110 of the header 121 in the place of the circular o-ring
19. Such a face seal can be preferable in certain instances, such
as when the shape of the heat exchange section 108 includes an
aspect ratio that deviates significantly from square, and is thus
not optimized for insertion through a circular aperture.
[0041] Various alternatives to the certain features and elements of
the present invention are described with reference to specific
embodiments of the present invention. With the exception of
features, elements, and manners of operation that are mutually
exclusive of or are inconsistent with each embodiment described
above, it should be noted that the alternative features, elements,
and manners of operation described with reference to one particular
embodiment are applicable to the other embodiments.
[0042] The embodiments described above and illustrated in the
figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended
as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present
invention. As such, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary
skill in the art that various changes in the elements and their
configuration and arrangement are possible without departing from
the spirit and scope of the present invention.
* * * * *