U.S. patent application number 15/176569 was filed with the patent office on 2016-09-29 for refrigerator ice compartment latch and cover.
This patent application is currently assigned to Whirlpool Corporation. The applicant listed for this patent is Whirlpool Corporation. Invention is credited to Dean A. Martin, Chad J. Rotter.
Application Number | 20160282029 15/176569 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37447053 |
Filed Date | 2016-09-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160282029 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Martin; Dean A. ; et
al. |
September 29, 2016 |
REFRIGERATOR ICE COMPARTMENT LATCH AND COVER
Abstract
An insulated icemaking compartment is provided in the fresh food
compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator. The icemaking
compartment may be integrally fowled with the liner of the fresh
food compartment, or alternatively, may be modular for installation
anywhere in the fresh food compartment. A removable bin assembly
with a front cover normally seals the icemaking compartment to
maintain the temperature in the compartment. A cold air duct formed
in the rear wall of the refrigerator supplies cold air from the
freezer compartment to the icemaking compartment. A return air duct
directs a portion of the air from the icemaking compartment back to
the freezer compartment. An air vent with a damper in the icemaking
compartment directs another portion of air into the fresh food
compartment.
Inventors: |
Martin; Dean A.; (Solon,
IA) ; Rotter; Chad J.; (Amana, IA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Whirlpool Corporation |
Benton Harbor |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Whirlpool Corporation
|
Family ID: |
37447053 |
Appl. No.: |
15/176569 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14961648 |
Dec 7, 2015 |
9395114 |
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15176569 |
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|
14449300 |
Aug 1, 2014 |
9207008 |
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14961648 |
|
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|
12955047 |
Nov 29, 2010 |
8794024 |
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14449300 |
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12694307 |
Jan 27, 2010 |
7870754 |
|
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12955047 |
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11331883 |
Jan 13, 2006 |
7726148 |
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12694307 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 5/22 20180101; F25D
2317/0666 20130101; F25D 27/00 20130101; F25D 2317/0682 20130101;
F25D 2700/02 20130101; F25B 2600/112 20130101; F25C 5/185 20130101;
Y02B 40/32 20130101; F25D 2700/12 20130101; Y10S 292/71 20130101;
Y02B 40/00 20130101; F25D 23/025 20130101; F25D 11/02 20130101;
F25D 2400/02 20130101; F25D 2323/021 20130101; F25D 2700/14
20130101; F25D 2700/122 20130101; F25D 2700/121 20130101; F25D
29/00 20130101; F25C 5/24 20180101; Y10S 292/37 20130101; F25D
17/045 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25C 5/00 20060101
F25C005/00 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator compartment; a freezer
compartment; an ice making compartment in the refrigerator
compartment; and an ice dispenser having a chute, whereby said ice
making compartment has an opening in mating engagement with the
chute; and a seal between the opening and the chute to prevent cold
air from passing from the ice making compartment to the
refrigerator compartment.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1 whereby the refrigerator compartment
includes a door, whereby the ice dispenser is in the door.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1 whereby the chute engages the
opening upon closing of the door.
4. The refrigerator of claim 1 whereby the chute and the opening
are opposingly angled to provide additional sealing upon closing of
the door.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1 further including an intermediate
piece between the chute and the opening to improve the seal between
the chute and the opening.
6. The refrigerator of claim 5 whereby the intermediate piece is
selected from the group consisting of a resilient seal, spring, and
elastic material.
7. The refrigerator of claim 1 whereby the chute further includes a
blocking mechanism to decrease flow of air within the chute.
8. The refrigerator of claim 7 whereby the blocking mechanism is a
flipper door placed at the opening.
9. The refrigerator of claim 1 further including a bin assembly
removably mounted in the ice making compartment for storing
ice.
10. The refrigerator of claim 1 whereby the ice making compartment
comprises an ice maker.
11. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator compartment; a
freezer compartment; an ice making compartment in the refrigerator
compartment; and an ice bin for storing ice removably mounted in
the ice compartment, said ice bin having an insulated front
cover.
12. The refrigerator of claim 11 whereby the insulated front cover
provides an air-tight seal with the ice making compartment.
13. The refrigerator of claim 12 whereby the insulated front cover
comprises a latch mechanism for releasably locking the cover to the
ice compartment, whereby the latch provides an air-tight seal
between the refrigerator compartment and the ice making compartment
when the latch is locked.
14. The refrigerator of claim 12 whereby the ice bin is removable
from the ice making compartment when the latch is unlocked.
15. The refrigerator of claim 11 whereby the front cover comprises
an inner panel and an outer panel.
16. The refrigerator of claim 15 whereby the front cover comprises
insulation between the inner panel and the outer panel.
17. The refrigerator of claim 15 whereby the ice bin comprises a
front plate, and further providing that the inner panel of the
front cover mounts on the front plate of the ice bin.
18. The refrigerator of claim 17 whereby the front plate comprises
an outer perimeter, said outer perimeter comprising a seal.
19. The refrigerator of claim 13 whereby the latch comprises: a
lock bar; a pair of collars on the front cover of the ice bin; and
a catch; whereby the lock bar slides laterally through the collars
to engage the catch and into a locked position, and slides
laterally to disengage the catch and into an unlocked position.
20. The refrigerator of claim 19 whereby the lock bar is biased to
the locked position by a spring.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 14/961,648, filed on Dec. 7, 2015, entitled REFRIGERATOR ICE
COMPARTMENT LATCH AND COVER, which is a continuation of U.S.
application Ser. No. 14/449,300 filed Aug. 1, 2014, now issued as
U.S. Pat. No. 9,207,008 entitled REFRIGERATOR ICE COMPARTMENT LATCH
AND COVER, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.
12/955,047 filed Nov. 29, 2010 entitled REFRIGERATOR ICE
COMPARTMENT LATCH AND COVER, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,794,024,
which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/694,307
filed Jan. 27, 2010, entitled REFRIGERATOR ICE COMPARTMENT LATCH
AND COVER, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,870,754, which is a
continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/331,883 filed Jan. 13,
2006, entitled REFRIGERATOR ICE COMPARTMENT LATCH AND COVER, now
issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,148, which is a continuation-in-part
of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/139,237 filed May 27, 2005,
entitled REFRIGERATOR ICE COMPARTMENT LATCH AND COVER, now issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,620, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/131,701 filed May 18, 2005, entitled
REFRIGERATOR ICE COMPARTMENT LATCH AND COVER, now issued a U.S.
Pat. No. 7,284,390, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Household refrigerators generally come in three structural
styles: (1) a side-by-side model wherein the freezer and
refrigerator compartments are side by side; (2) a top mount model
wherein the freezer compartment is located above the refrigerator
compartment; and (3) a bottom mount model wherein the freezer
compartment is mounted below the refrigerator compartment. An
icemaker is normally provided in the freezer compartment of all
three models. A door mounted ice dispenser is often provided in a
side-by-side refrigerator and in a top mount refrigerator so that a
person can add ice to a glass without opening the freezer or
refrigerator door. However, a door mounted ice dispenser normally
is not been provided in bottom mount refrigerators, since the
freezer door is too low, and there are difficulties in transporting
ice from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment
which precludes a dispenser in the refrigerator compartment door.
However, it is desirable to have an ice dispenser in the
refrigerator compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator.
[0003] Providing an icemaking compartment within the fresh food
compartment of a refrigerator presents numerous issues, both
structural and functional. For example, the fresh food compartment
is normally about 40.degree. F., while an ice compartment needs to
be less than 32.degree. F. in order to make ice effectively and
efficiently and is typically at, or about 0.degree. F. Maintaining
and controlling the temperature within the icemaking compartment
requires insulation, seals, appropriate airflow, and a control
system. Placing the icemaking compartment within the fresh food
compartment of the refrigerator also requires consideration of
electrical connections of the icemaker and the supply of water to
the icemaker. The method of manufacturing of such an icemaking
compartment within the fresh food compartment of a refrigerator
also raises novel and unique considerations which are not factors
for an icemaking compartment mounted in a freezer.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,959 issued to Najewicz discloses a
thermoelectric icemaker placed within the fresh food compartment of
a bottom mount refrigerator that may be dispensed through the fresh
food door. Najewicz forms ice within the fresh food compartment
using the thermoelectric icemaker even though the compartment is
above a freezing temperature. Although Najewicz provides for a duct
that runs from the freezer compartment to the thermoelectric
icemaker, the cold air from the duct is used to remove heat from
the thermoelectric icemaker. Najewicz has many problems that must
be overcome in order to be practical including the removal of
unfrozen water, rapid ice body formation, prolonged ice storage,
etc. The present invention overcomes these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0005] Therefore it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of
the present invention to improve over the state of the art.
[0006] A further object, feature, or advantage of the present
invention is the provision of an improved refrigerator having an
icemaking compartment within the fresh food compartment.
[0007] Another object, feature, or advantage of the present
invention is the provision of a refrigerator having a separate
icemaking compartment maintained at a temperature between 0.degree.
and 32.degree. F.
[0008] A further object, feature, or advantage of the present
invention is the provision of a refrigerator having an insulated
icemaking compartment remote from the freezer compartment.
[0009] A further object, feature, or advantage of the present
invention is the provision of a bottom mount refrigerator having an
icemaking compartment in the fresh food compartment, and having an
insulated and sealed front cover on the icemaking compartment which
can be opened to provide access into the compartment.
[0010] A further object, feature, or advantage of the present
invention is the provision of an icemaking compartment which is
formed separately from and mounted into a fresh food compartment of
a bottom mount refrigerator.
[0011] One or more of these and/or other objects, features, or
advantages of the present invention will become from the
specification and claims that follow.
[0012] The bottom mount refrigerator of the present invention has
an icemaker within an insulated icemaking compartment in the fresh
food or refrigerator compartment. Cold air is supplied to the
icemaking compartment from the freezer compartment via a cold air
duct. A return air duct extends from the icemaking compartment to
the freezer compartment. The icemaking compartment also includes a
vent opening for venting air to the refrigerator compartment. A fan
draws or forces air through the duct from the freezer compartment
to the icemaking compartment. The temperature in the ice making
compartment is between 0.degree. F. to 32.degree. F., which is
colder than the temperature of the refrigerator compartment, but
not as cold as the freezer compartment. The icemaking compartment
is preferably located in an upper corner of the refrigerator
compartment. The door of the refrigerator compartment includes an
ice dispenser to supply ice to a person without opening the
refrigerator compartment door. An ice bin for storing ice is
removably mounted in the ice compartment.
[0013] Preferably, the icemaking compartment is formed integrally
with the liner of the fresh food compartment. Alternatively, the
icemaking compartment is formed separately from and mounted in the
fresh food compartment. The icemaking compartment includes inner
and outer shells, with insulation therebetween. An insulated front
cover for the ice bin has a latch and seal which provide an
air-tight seal with the icemaking compartment when the latch is
locked. The latch can be unlocked to allow removal of the ice bin
and to provide access to the icemaker.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottom mount refrigerator
according to the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom mount
refrigerator having the doors removed.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the cold air duct
and return air duct for the icemaking compartment.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the bottom mount
refrigerator of the present invention with the doors open, and
illustrating the cold air and return air ducts.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG.
4.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG.
4.
[0020] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the icemaker positioned
within the icemaking compartment.
[0021] FIG. 8 is a perspective view from the front of the icemaker
showing the bin and front cover in a closed position.
[0022] FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 14 showing the bin and
front cover in an open position.
[0023] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the ice pan, auger and
motor assembly.
[0024] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the ice pan, auger and motor
assembly.
[0025] FIG. 12 is a rear elevation view of the bin assembly seal
for the icemaking compartment.
[0026] FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along lines 25-25 of FIG.
12.
[0027] FIG. 14 is an elevation view of the ice bin assembly latch
in the locked position.
[0028] FIG. 15 is an enlarged view taken along lines 15-15 of FIG.
14.
[0029] FIG. 16 is an elevation view of the ice bin assembly latch
in the unlocked position.
[0030] FIG. 17 is an enlarged view taken along lines 17-17 of FIG.
16.
[0031] FIG. 18 is an enlarged partial view of the ice bin assembly
seal.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0032] A bottom mount refrigerator is generally designated in the
drawings by the reference numeral 10. The refrigerator 10 includes
a refrigerator or fresh food compartment 12 and a freezer
compartment 14. Doors 16 are provided for the refrigerator
compartment or fresh food compartment 12 and a door 18 is provided
for the freezer compartment 14. One of the doors 16 includes an ice
dispenser 20, which may also include a water dispenser.
Intermediate Temperature Icemaking Compartment
[0033] An icemaking compartment or intermediate compartment 22 is
provided in the refrigerator compartment 12. The icemaking
compartment 22 is shown to be in one of the upper corners of the
refrigerator, or fresh food, compartment 12, but other locations
are also within the scope of this invention. The icemaking
compartment 22 has a front cover 23 that is insulated to prevent
the cold air of the icemaking compartment 22 from passing into the
refrigerator compartment and opening 21 is provided that mates with
chute 19 of the ice dispenser 20. A seal may be provided between
the opening 21 and chute 19 to prevent cold air from passing from
the icemaking compartment to the refrigerator compartment 12. Chute
19 may be adapted to engage opening 21 upon closing of door 16.
Chute 19 and opening 21 may be opposingly angled as to provide
added sealing upon closing of door 16. Additionally, an
intermediate piece may be used to improve the seal be between chute
19 and opening 21. For example, a resilient seal may be used to
assist in achieving this seal. Alternatively, a spring or other
elastic material or apparatus may be utilized between or about the
junction of chute 19 and opening 21. Other alternatives for sealing
between chute 19 and opening 21 should be evident to one skilled in
the art.
[0034] Additionally, chute 19 should have a blocking mechanism
located within or about it to assist in preventing or decreasing
the flow of air or heat transfer within chute 19. For example, a
flipper door that operates by a solenoid may be placed at the
opening 21 to prevent cold air from leaving the icemaking
compartment 22 and entering into the refrigerator compartment.
[0035] Preferably, the icemaking compartment 22 includes an
icemaker 50 (as described below) that forms ice in an environment
that is below freezing.
[0036] The icemaking compartment 22 may be integrally formed
adjacent the refrigerator compartment 12 during the liner forming
process and insulation filling process. In such a process the
intermediate compartment may be separated on at least one side from
the fresh food compartment by the refrigerator liner.
Alternatively, the icemaking compartment 22 may be made or
assembled remotely from the fresh food compartment and installed in
the fresh food compartment 12. For example, this compartment 22 may
be slid into the refrigerator compartment 12 on overhead rails (not
shown) or other mounting. These methods are discussed
subsequently.
[0037] The refrigerator 10 includes an evaporator 24 which cools
the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 14.
Normally, the refrigerator compartment 12 will be maintained at
about 40. degree. F. and the freezer compartment 14 will be
maintained at approximately 0. degree. F. The icemaking compartment
is maintained at a temperature below 32.degree. F. or less in order
to form ice, but is preferably not as cold as the freezer
compartment 14. Preferably this temperature is in the range of
20.degree. F. The walls of the icemaking compartment are insulated
to facilitate temperature control among other aspects. Grates or
air vents 26 are provided in the wall 28 between the refrigerator
compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 14 to allow air
circulation between the compartments.
Air Ducts
[0038] A cold air duct 30 extends between the freezer compartment
14 and the icemaking or specialty compartment 22. More
particularly, the cold air duct 30 has a lower air inlet 32 within
the freezer compartment 14 and an upper outlet end 34 connected to
a fan 36 mounted on the back wall of the icemaker 22. The fan 36
draws cold air from the freezer compartment and forces the cold air
into the icemaker 22 so as to facilitate icemaking. It is
understood that the fan 36 may be located at the inlet end 32 of
the cold air duct 30. The fan 36 controls the air flow from the
freezer compartment 14 to the icemaking compartment 22 and may be a
variable speed fan. The fan can be actuated by conventional means.
The cold air duct 30 preferably resides within the rear wall of the
refrigerator 10, as seen in FIG. 5. The arrow 35 designates the air
flow through the cold air duct 30.
[0039] The refrigerator 10 also includes a return air duct 38
having an upper end 40 connected to the icemaker 22, and a lower
end 42 terminating adjacent one of the air grates 26.
Alternatively, the lower end 42 of the return air duct 38 may
extend into the freezer compartment 14. Preferably, the return air
duct 38 resides within the rear wall of the refrigerator 10, as
seen in FIG. 6.
[0040] The icemaking compartment 22 also has an air vent for
discharging air into the refrigerator compartment 14. Thus, a
portion of the air from the icemaking compartment 22 is directed
through the return air duct 38 to the freezer compartment 14, as
indicated by arrow 43 in FIG. 3, and another portion of the
icemaking compartment air is vented through the opening 44 into the
refrigerator compartment 12, as indicated by arrows 45 in FIG.
3.
[0041] As seen in FIG. 4, the ice is discharged from the icemaker
22 in any conventional manner. Similarly, the ice dispenser 20
functions in a conventional manner.
Icemaker
[0042] As seen in FIG. 7, an icemaker 50 is positioned within the
icemaking compartment 22 with the ice storage area 54 with auger
(not shown) removed for clarity. The icemaker 50 is mounted to an
impingement duct 52. The impingement duct receives freezer air
coming from the freezer compartment through the cold air duct 30
and the fan assembly 36. The opening 44 vents air into the
refrigerator compartment 12. The auger assembly (not shown) is
provided beneath the icemaker 50 along with an ice storage bin with
an insulated cover 23. Impingement on the ice maker, as well as
other aspects of ice making, is disclosed in Applicant's U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/131,701 filed May 18, 2005 entitled
REFRIGERATOR WITH IMPROVED ICEMAKER and is hereby incorporated by
reference.
Ice Bin Assembly
[0043] The ice compartment 22 also includes an ice bin assembly
130. The assembly 130 is removable for assembly, service, and user
access to bulk ice storage. The components of the bin assembly 130
are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The bin assembly 130 includes a tray
or bin 132 for receiving ice from the icemaker 50. An auger 134 is
mounted within the tray 132, with the first end 136 of the auger
134 being received in a motor 138 which is mounted in the upstream
end 140 of the tray 132. The second end 142 of the auger 134 is
mounted in a housing 144 on a front plate 146 of the bin assembly
130. A short piece of auger flighting 143 is provided on the second
end 142 of the auger 134, within the housing 144. The housing 144
includes an outlet opening 148, with a flipper door 150 in the
housing 144 to control opening and closing of the outlet opening
148. The flipper door 150 is mounted upon a shaft 152 extending
through the tray 132. A spring 154 mounted on the shaft 152 engages
the flipper door 150 to normally bias the door 150 to a closed
position over the outlet opening 148. The shaft 152 can be turned
by a solenoid (not shown) so as to move the flipper door 150 to an
open position relative to the outlet opening 148, such that ice can
be discharged from the tray 132 to the dispenser 20.
Front Cover Seal
[0044] A two-piece front cover 162 is provided on the bin assembly
130. The front cover 162 includes an inner panel 164 and an outer
panel 166, as best seen in FIG. 11. Insulation is provided between
the inner and outer panels 164, 166, such that the front cover 162
is insulated. The inner panel 164 mounts onto the front plate 146
of the bin assembly 130. A seal or compressible gasket 168 (FIG.
12) is provided around the outer perimeter of the front plate 146
so that when the bin assembly 130 is installed into the ice box
122, an air-tight seal is provided between the bin assembly 130 and
the front opening 120 of the ice compartment 22. The seal 168 helps
maintain the lower temperature of the icemaking compartment 22, as
compared to the higher temperature of the fresh food compartment
12. Since the ice compartment 22 is at a lower temperature than the
fresh food compartment 12, the two components must be sealed from
one another.
[0045] The front cover 162 includes a latch mechanism for
releasably locking the cover 162 to the ice compartment 22. The
latch mechanism includes a lock bar 170 extending through a pair of
collars 172 on the front plate 146 of the bin assembly 130 for
lateral sliding movement between a locked position engaging a catch
171 on the wall of the ice compartment 22 (FIG. 14) and unlocked
position disengaged from the catch 171 (FIG. 16). The lock bar 170
is normally biased to the locked position by a spring 174. A cam
176 is mounted on a peg 178 on the front plate 146 of the bin
assembly 130 and is adapted to engage a flange or finger 180 on the
end of the lock bar 170. The cam 176 overcomes the bias of the
spring 174 when actuated by a finger button 182 mounted on the
outer panel 166, so as to release the front cover 162 for removal
of the bin assembly 130. Thus, the bin assembly 130 can be slid
into the ice box 122 and positively retained by the lock bar 170
with an air-tight seal to maintain the temperature of the ice
compartment 22. A user can depress the button 182 on the bin
assembly 130 to unlock the lock bar 170 for removal of the bin
assembly 130 from the ice box 122. The seal 168 prevents air
movement at the juncture of the removable bin assembly 130 and the
ice compartment 22. The latch bar 170 ensures that the bin assembly
130 is positively retained (FIGS. 14 and 15) when closed with a
slight compression of the gasket seal 168 (FIG. 18).
Miscellaneous
[0046] Applicant's provisional application Ser. No. 60/613,241
filed Sep. 27, 2004, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPENSING
ICE FROM A BOTTOM MOUNT REFRIGERATOR, is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety. This application and the provisional
application both relate to a refrigerator with a bottom mount
freezer and an icemaking compartment for making ice at a location
remote from the freezer. However, it is understood that the ice
compartment latch and seal of this application can also be used on
a top mount or side-by-side refrigerator.
[0047] The invention has been shown and described above with the
preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many
modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are
within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the
foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes
at least all of its stated objectives.
* * * * *