U.S. patent application number 16/245662 was filed with the patent office on 2020-07-16 for wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption.
This patent application is currently assigned to Zhongshan Candor Electric Appliances Co., Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is Zhongshan Candor Electric Appliances Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Xiong Li, Dakun Wu, Weiwen Wu.
Application Number | 20200224965 16/245662 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 71517428 |
Filed Date | 2020-07-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20200224965 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wu; Weiwen ; et al. |
July 16, 2020 |
WINE COOLER CAPABLE OF REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION
Abstract
A wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption, including a
cooler body, where a temperature adjustment device is disposed
inside the cooler body, at least one cooler door is disposed on a
front side of the cooler body, a plurality of locking components
are disposed around edges of the cooler door, a heat insulating
element used for preventing heat inside the cooler body from being
dissipated to outside the cooler body is correspondingly disposed
on an inner side and/or an outer side of each cooler door, and the
cooler door is detachably fastened to the heat insulating element
as a whole by using the plurality of locking components. The heat
insulating element effectively isolates the heat inside the cooler
body and prevents the heat inside the cooler body from being
dissipated to outside of the cooler body through the cooler
door.
Inventors: |
Wu; Weiwen; (Zhongshan City,
CN) ; Wu; Dakun; (Zhongshan City, CN) ; Li;
Xiong; (Zhongshan City, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Zhongshan Candor Electric Appliances Co., Ltd. |
Zhongshan City |
|
CN |
|
|
Assignee: |
Zhongshan Candor Electric
Appliances Co., Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
71517428 |
Appl. No.: |
16/245662 |
Filed: |
January 11, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2331/803 20130101;
F25D 2300/00 20130101; F25D 2201/00 20130101; F25D 31/007
20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 31/00 20060101
F25D031/00 |
Claims
1. A wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption, comprising:
a cooler body, wherein a temperature adjustment device is disposed
inside the cooler body, at least one cooler door is disposed on a
front side of the cooler body, a plurality of locking components
are disposed around edges of the cooler door, a heat insulating
element used for blocking exchange between heat inside the cooler
body and heat outside the cooler body is attached to an inner side
and/or an outer side of each cooler door, and the heat insulating
element is detachably fastened to the cooler door as a whole by
using the plurality of locking components.
2. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 1, wherein the cooler door is a glass cooler door, the
cooler door comprises a fixed frame of a rectangle structure and a
glass panel disposed inside the fixed frame, the plurality of
locking components are disposed at a periphery of the fixed frame,
and peripheral edges of the heat insulating element are detachably
connected to the fixed frame by using the plurality of locking
components and attached to an outer side surface or an inner side
surface of the glass panel.
3. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 2, wherein the detachable manner includes at least one of
the following: a clamping connection, an adsorption connection, a
buckling connection, a plug connection, and a hinge connection.
4. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 3, wherein when the heat insulating element and the cooler
door are disposed on an outer side surface or an inner side surface
of the cooler door in a clamped manner, at least one clamping
element is disposed at each of three side edges of an outer side
wall or an inner side wall of the fixed frame, the clamping element
comprises a connecting end and a clamping end, the connecting end
is connected to the fixed frame, the clamping end extends inwards
in a centering direction of the fixed frame, and a plurality of
clamping elements cooperate with each other to fasten and clamp the
heat insulating element to the outer side surface or the inner side
surface of the cooler door.
5. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 3, wherein when the heat insulating element and the fixed
frame are disposed on an outer side surface or an inner side
surface of the cooler door in an adsorption manner, one or more
first adsorption elements are disposed at each of peripheral edges
of an outer side wall or an inner side wall of the fixed frame, at
least one second adsorption element is disposed at each of
peripheral edges of a side surface of the heat insulating element,
the second adsorption element and the first adsorption element are
disposed correspondingly, and each second adsorption element and
one first adsorption element attract each other to make the heat
insulating element adsorbed to the outer side surface or the inner
side surface of the cooler door.
6. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 5, wherein the first adsorption element and the second
adsorption element are magnets; or the first adsorption element is
a magnet and the second adsorption element is an iron block; or the
first adsorption element is an iron block and the second adsorption
element is a magnet.
7. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 3, wherein when the heat insulating element and the cooler
door are disposed on an outer side surface or an inner side surface
of the cooler door in a buckled manner, at least one fixing element
is disposed at each of peripheral edges of an outer side wall or an
inner side wall of the fixed frame, each fixing element has a
hollow structure and a fixing hole is disposed in a side wall of
the fixing element, chucking elements whose quantity is the same as
that of fixing elements are respectively disposed at positions,
corresponding to the fixing elements, on a side surface of the heat
insulating element, an elastic clamping part is disposed at a
position, corresponding to the fixing hole, on an outer side wall
of the chucking element; and when the heat insulating element is
connected to the cooler door, the chucking element is inserted into
the fixing element, and the clamping part is clamped in the fixing
hole to fasten the heat insulating element to the outer side
surface or the inner side surface of the cooler door.
8. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 2, wherein an area of the heat insulating element is
matched with an area of the glass panel.
9. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 3, wherein an area of the heat insulating element is
matched with an area of the glass panel.
10. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 4, wherein an area of the heat insulating element is
matched with an area of the glass panel.
11. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 5, wherein an area of the heat insulating element is
matched with an area of the glass panel.
12. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 6, wherein an area of the heat insulating element is
matched with an area of the glass panel.
13. The wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption according
to claim 7, wherein an area of the heat insulating element is
matched with an area of the glass panel.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of wine
cooler technologies, and in particular, to a wine cooler capable of
reducing power consumption.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A wine cooler, as electrical equipment commonly used in
homes, can be used for decoration in addition to wine storage. In
addition, to ensure the storage quality of a wine cooler, a
temperature adjustment device is usually disposed inside an
existing wine cooler. The temperature adjustment device can adjust
temperature of air inside the wine cooler, to ensure that wine
placed inside the wine cooler is in a suitable environment.
However, an existing cooler door is generally made of a glass
material, and due to relatively poor air-tightness of the cooler
door made of a glass material, heat inside the wine cooler is
easily dissipated from the cooler door to outside the cooler body.
As a result, the temperature adjustment device is always in a
high-intensity running state, leading to high power consumption of
the wine cooler and a waste of a large amount of electric
energy.
SUMMARY
(1) Objective of the Present Invention
[0003] To overcome the foregoing advantage, the objective of the
present invention is to provide a wine cooler capable of reducing
power consumption, to resolve a problem that high power consumption
of a wine cooler is caused because heat inside the existing wine
cooler is easily dissipated.
(2) Technical Solution
[0004] To achieve the above objective, the present invention
provides the following technical solution:
[0005] A wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption,
including:
[0006] a cooler body, where a temperature adjustment device is
disposed inside the cooler body, at least one cooler door is
disposed on a front side of the cooler body, a plurality of locking
components are disposed around edges of the cooler door, a heat
insulating element used for blocking exchange between heat inside
the cooler body and heat outside the cooler body is attached to an
inner side and/or an outer side of each cooler door, and the heat
insulating element is detachably fastened to the cooler door as a
whole by using the plurality of locking components.
[0007] Further, the cooler door is a glass cooler door, the cooler
door includes a fixed frame of a rectangle structure and a glass
panel disposed inside the fixed frame, the plurality of locking
components are disposed at a periphery of the fixed frame, and
peripheral edges of the heat insulating element are detachably
connected to the fixed frame by using the plurality of locking
components and attached to an outer side surface or an inner side
surface of the glass panel.
[0008] Further, the detachable manner is clamping connection,
adsorption connection, buckling connection, plug connection, or
hinge connection.
[0009] Further, when the heat insulating element and the cooler
door are disposed on an outer side surface or an inner side surface
of the cooler door in a clamped manner, at least one clamping
element is disposed at each of three side edges of an outer side
wall or an inner side wall of the fixed frame, the clamping element
includes a connecting end and a clamping end, the connecting end is
connected to the fixed frame, the clamping end extends inwards in a
centering direction of the fixed frame, and a plurality of clamping
elements cooperate with each other to fasten and clamp the heat
insulating element to the outer side surface or the inner side
surface of the cooler door.
[0010] Further, when the heat insulating element and the fixed
frame are disposed on an outer side surface or an inner side
surface of the cooler door in an adsorption manner, one or more
first adsorption elements are disposed at each of peripheral edges
of an outer side wall or an inner side wall of the fixed frame, at
least one second adsorption element is disposed at each of
peripheral edges of a side surface of the heat insulating element,
the second adsorption element and the first adsorption element are
disposed correspondingly, and each second adsorption element and
one first adsorption element attract each other to make the heat
insulating element adsorbed to the outer side surface or the inner
side surface of the cooler door.
[0011] Further, the first adsorption element and the second
adsorption element are magnets; or the first adsorption element is
a magnet and the second adsorption element is an iron block; or the
first adsorption element is an iron block and the second adsorption
element is a magnet.
[0012] Further, when the heat insulating element and the cooler
door are disposed on an outer side surface or an inner side surface
of the cooler door in a buckled manner, at least one fixing element
is disposed at each of peripheral edges of an outer side wall or an
inner side wall of the fixed frame, each fixing element has a
hollow structure and a fixing hole is disposed in a side wall of
the fixing element, chucking elements whose quantity is the same as
that of fixing elements are respectively disposed at positions,
corresponding to the fixing elements, on a side surface of the heat
insulating element, an elastic clamping part is disposed at a
position, corresponding to the fixing hole, on an outer side wall
of the chucking element; and when the heat insulating element is
connected to the cooler door, the chucking element is inserted into
the fixing element, and the clamping part is clamped in the fixing
hole to fasten the heat insulating element to the outer side
surface or the inner side surface of the cooler door.
[0013] Further, an area of the heat insulating element is matched
with an area of the glass panel.
(3) Beneficial Effects
[0014] Based on the foregoing technical solution, the beneficial
effects of the present invention are as follows:
[0015] 1. A heat insulating element is disposed on a cooler door of
a wine cooler with a heat insulating function, and can effectively
isolate heat inside the wine cooler, and prevent the heat inside
the cooler body from being dissipated to outside the cooler body,
so as to prevent a temperature adjustment device inside the cooler
body from being in a running state for a long time, and greatly
reduce power consumption of the wine cooler.
[0016] 2. The heat insulating element is fastened to the cooler
door in a manner of clamping connection, adsorption connection,
buckling connection, plug connection, hinge connection, or another
detachable connection, and when there is a need to view wine inside
the wine cooler, the heat insulating element can be removed from
the cooler door, and then the heat insulating element is fastened
to the cooler door after viewing is ended, thereby expanding an
application range of the wine cooler.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The present invention is described with reference to the
accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers
indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally,
the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing
in which the reference number first appears.
[0018] FIG. 1a is a schematic structural diagram of a first
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 1b is a schematic decomposition diagram of a first
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 1c is a cross-section diagram in an A-A direction in
FIG. 1a;
[0021] FIG. 1d is a cross-section diagram in a direction of an I
part in FIG. 1c;
[0022] FIG. 2a is a schematic structural diagram of a second
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0023] FIG. 2b is a schematic decomposition diagram of a second
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0024] FIG. 2c is a cross-section diagram in an A-A direction in
FIG. 2a;
[0025] FIG. 2d is a cross-section diagram in a direction of an II
part in FIG. 2c;
[0026] FIG. 3a is a schematic structural diagram of a third
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0027] FIG. 3b is a schematic decomposition diagram of a third
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0028] FIG. 3c is a cross-section diagram in an A-A direction in
FIG. 3a;
[0029] FIG. 3d is a cross-section diagram in a direction of an III
part in FIG. 3c;
[0030] FIG. 4a is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0031] FIG. 4b is a schematic decomposition diagram of a fourth
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0032] FIG. 4c is a cross-section diagram in an A-A direction in
FIG. 4a;
[0033] FIG. 4d is a cross-section diagram in a direction of an IV
part in FIG. 4c;
[0034] FIG. 5a is a schematic structural diagram of a fifth
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0035] FIG. 5b is a schematic decomposition diagram of a fifth
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0036] FIG. 5c is a cross-section diagram in an A-A direction in
FIG. 5a;
[0037] FIG. 5d is a cross-section diagram in a direction of a V
part in FIG. 5c;
[0038] FIG. 6a is a schematic structural diagram of a sixth
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0039] FIG. 6b is a schematic decomposition diagram of a sixth
embodiment of an exemplary wine cooler capable of reducing power
consumption, according to some implementations of the present
invention;
[0040] FIG. 6c is a cross-section diagram in an A-A direction in
FIG. 5a; and
[0041] FIG. 6d is a cross-section diagram in a direction of an IV
part in FIG. 5c.
REFERENCE SIGNS
[0042] 1: Fixed frame; 2: heat insulating element; 3: clamping
element; 31: screw; 4: glass panel; 5: first adsorption element; 6:
second adsorption element; 7: fixing element; 8: chucking
element.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0043] To make the objective, technical solution, and advantages of
the present invention clearer, the following further describes the
present invention in details with reference to specific
implementations and the accompanying drawings. It should be
understood that the description is only exemplary and is not
intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition,
in the following description, the description of a well-known
structure and technology is omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion
of concepts in the present invention.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 1a to FIG. 6d, a wine cooler capable of
reducing power consumption provided in the present invention
includes: a cooler body, where a temperature adjustment device is
disposed inside the cooler body, at least one cooler door is
disposed on a front side of the cooler body, a plurality of locking
components are disposed around edges of the cooler door, a heat
insulating element 2 used for blocking exchange between heat inside
the cooler body and heat outside the cooler body is correspondingly
disposed on an inner side and/or an outer side of each cooler door,
and the cooler door is detachably fastened to the heat insulating
element 2 as a whole by using the plurality of locking components.
It should be noted that the heat insulating element 2 may be
disposed on an outer side surface and an inner side surface of the
cooler door or may be disposed on both a front side and a rear side
of the cooler door, and the heat insulating element 2 disposed on
any side surface of the cooler body can effectively isolate the
heat inside the cooler body, and prevent the heat inside the cooler
body from being dissipated to outside the cooler body. A position
at which the heat insulating element 2 is disposed is not limited
in this implementation. To ensure air-tightness inside the wine
cooler, preferably, an area of the heat insulating element 2 is
matched with an area of a glass panel of the cooler door.
[0045] The cooler door in the present invention is a glass cooler
door, and the cooler door includes a fixed frame 1 of a rectangle
structure and the glass panel 4 clamped inside the fixed frame 1,
and peripheral edges of the heat insulating element 2 are
detachably connected to the fixed frame 1 and cover a front surface
or a back surface of the glass panel 4.
[0046] The heat insulating element 2 may be made of a plurality of
types of heat insulating materials, for example, the heat
insulating element 2 may be made of a foam material or heat
insulation cotton. By installing the heat insulating element 2, the
heat inside the cooler body can be effectively prevented from being
dissipated to outside the cooler body, and when temperature inside
the cooler body reaches appropriate predetermined temperature, the
temperature adjustment device disposed inside the cooler body can
temporarily stop running or reduce the operating intensity, so as
to greatly reduce a power loss of the wine cooler, to achieve
effects of energy saving and emission reduction.
[0047] To make the wine cooler also have a viewing value, the heat
insulating element 2 is detachably connected to the cooler door,
and the detachable connection between the cooler door and the heat
insulating element 2 may be clamping connection, adsorption
connection, buckling connection, plug connection, hinge connection,
or another detachable connection. During viewing of the wine
cooler, the heat insulating element 2 is removed from the cooler
door, and the heat insulating element 2 is fastened to the cooler
door after viewing is ended, to isolate the heat inside the cooler
body.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 1a to FIG. 1d, in a first implementation
manner, the heat insulating element 2 is connected to the cooler
door in a clamped manner; one end of a clamping element 3 is a
connecting end and another end thereof is a clamping end; when the
heat insulating element 2 is disposed on an outer side surface of
the cooler door, one clamping element 3 is disposed at each of
edges of a left side, a right side, and a bottom side of an outer
side wall of the fixed frame 1. Specifically, the clamping element
3 has a "zigzag" structure; the connecting end of the clamping
element 3 is connected to the fixed frame 1 by using a screw 31,
the clamping elements 3 on the left side and the right side of the
fixed frame 1 are transversely disposed, the clamping element 3 on
the bottom side of the fixed frame 1 is vertically disposed, and
accommodated space for fastening the heat insulating element 2 is
formed between the plurality of clamping elements 3 and the cooler
door. When the heat insulating element 2 is fastened to the cooler
door, the clamping elements 3 on the left side and the right side
press tightly a left side and a right side of the heat insulating
element 2, the clamping element 3 on the bottom side presses
tightly and bears the heat insulating element 2, to fasten the heat
insulating element 2 to the outer side surface of the cooler
door.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 2a to FIG. 2d, in a second implementation
manner, the heat insulating element 2 is disposed on an inner side
surface of the cooler door. Because a structure and a connection
manner used when the heat insulating element 2 is disposed on the
inner side surface of the cooler door is roughly the same as that
used when the heat insulating element 2 is disposed on the outer
side surface of the cooler door, a manner in which the heat
insulating element 2 is disposed on the inner side surface of the
cooler door is not described herein in details.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 3a to FIG. 3d and FIG. 4a to FIG. 4d, in a
third and fourth implementation manners, the heat insulating
element 2 is disposed on an outer side surface or an inner side
surface of the cooler door in an adsorption manner.
[0051] When the heat insulating element 2 is disposed on the outer
side surface or the inner side surface of the cooler door, one or
more first adsorption elements 5 are disposed at each of peripheral
edges of an outer side wall or an inner side wall of the fixed
frame 1, one or more second adsorption elements 6 are disposed at
each of peripheral edges of a side surface of the heat insulating
element 2, the second adsorption element 6 and the first adsorption
element 5 are disposed correspondingly, and each second adsorption
element 6 and one first adsorption element 5 attract each other to
make the heat insulating element 2 adsorbed to the outer side
surface or the inner side surface of the cooler door. Optionally,
the first adsorption element and the second adsorption element 6
may be two magnets that attract each other; or the first adsorption
element 5 is a magnet and the second adsorption element 6 is an
iron block; or the first adsorption element 5 is an iron block and
the second adsorption element 6 is a magnet. During fastening the
heat insulating element 2 to the cooler door, the heat insulating
element 2 may be fastened to the cooler door only through
adsorption between the first adsorption element and the second
adsorption element 6.
[0052] Referring to FIG. 5a to FIG. 5d and FIG. 6a to FIG. 6d, in a
fifth and sixth implementation manners, the heat insulating element
2 is connected to the cooler door in a buckled manner, when the
heat insulating element 2 is disposed on an outer side surface or
an inner side surface of the cooler door, at least one fixing
element 7 is disposed at each of peripheral edges of an outer side
wall or an inner side wall of the fixed frame 1, each fixing
element 7 has a hollow structure and a fixing hole is disposed in a
side wall of the fixing element 7, at least one chucking element 8
inserted into the fixing element 7 is disposed at each of
peripheral edges of a side surface of the heat insulating element
2, a structure of the chucking element 8 is matched with that of
the fixing element 7, an elastic clamping part of a triangular
structure is disposed at a position, corresponding to the fixing
hole, on an outer side wall of the chucking element 8; and when the
heat insulating element 2 is connected to the cooler door, the
chucking element 8 is inserted into the fixing element 7, and the
clamping part is clamped in the fixing hole to fasten the heat
insulating element 2 to the outer side surface or the inner side
surface of the cooler door.
[0053] Technical effects of the present invention are described
below by using a specific example:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Whether a heat insulating element Unit Power
Group is disposed? Specification time consumption Control group The
heat insulating 20 L 24 h 0.900 kwh element is not disposed. Test
group The heat insulating 20 L 24 h 0.598 kwh element is
disposed.
[0054] It can be seen from Table 1 that the power consumption of
the wine cooler is greatly reduced after the installation of the
heat insulating element 2. The power consumption of the wine cooler
in which the heat insulating element 2 is disposed (test group) in
one day is 33% lower than that of the wine cooler in which the heat
insulating element 2 is not disposed (control group). The wine
cooler has an obvious energy saving effect and satisfies a
requirement of green environmental protection. In the present
invention, it can be learned from a large amount of analysis and
test experimental data that, when a capacity of the wine cooler is
larger, the energy saving effect of the wine cooler is more
obvious.
[0055] It should be noted that, the foregoing listed detachable
connection manners and the constituent materials of the heat
insulating element 2 are merely examples. In the present invention,
the heat insulating element 2 may be fastened to the cooler door in
a plurality of detachable connection manners, and the heat
insulating element 2 may alternatively made of different heat
insulating materials. The detachable connection manner of the heat
insulating element 2 and the heat insulating material of the heat
insulating element 2 are not limited in the present invention.
[0056] In some implementations, the current subject matter relates
to a wine cooler capable of reducing power consumption, including a
cooler body, where a temperature adjustment device is disposed
inside the cooler body, at least one cooler door is disposed on a
front side of the cooler body, a plurality of locking components
are disposed around edges of the cooler door, a heat insulating
element used for preventing heat inside the cooler body from being
dissipated to outside the cooler body is correspondingly disposed
on an inner side and/or an outer side of each cooler door, and the
cooler door is detachably fastened to the heat insulating element
as a whole by using the plurality of locking components. The heat
insulating element, detachably disposed on the cooler door, can
effectively isolate the heat inside the cooler body from heat
outside the cooler body, and prevent the heat inside the cooler
body from being dissipated to outside the cooler body through the
cooler door, so as to avoid a loss of a large amount of electric
energy caused because the temperature adjustment device inside the
cooler body is in a running state for a long time. The heat
insulating element is detachably fastened to the cooler door, and a
user can remove the heat insulating element from the wine cooler at
any time when viewing wine in the wine cooler, thereby improving
practicality of the wine cooler.
[0057] It should be understood that the foregoing specific
implementations in the present invention are merely used as
examples for illustration or explanation of the principle of the
present invention, and do not constitute a limitation on the
present invention. Therefore, any modification, equivalent
replacement, or improvement made without departing from the spirit
and the scope of the present invention should fall within the
protection scope of the present invention. In addition, the
appended claims in the present invention are intended to cover all
changes and modification examples falling within the scope and
boundary of the appended claims or an equivalent form of the scope
and boundary.
[0058] In the descriptions above and in the claims, phrases such as
"at least one of" or "one or more of" may occur followed by a
conjunctive list of elements or features. The term "and/or" may
also occur in a list of two or more elements or features. Unless
otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by the context in
which it is used, such a phrase is intended to mean any of the
listed elements or features individually or any of the recited
elements or features in combination with any of the other recited
elements or features. For example, the phrases "at least one of A
and B;" "one or more of A and B;" and "A and/or B" are each
intended to mean "A alone, B alone, or A and B together." A similar
interpretation is also intended for lists including three or more
items. For example, the phrases "at least one of A, B, and C;" "one
or more of A, B, and C;" and "A, B, and/or C" are each intended to
mean "A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C
together, B and C together, or A and B and C together." In
addition, use of the term "based on," above and in the claims is
intended to mean, "based at least in part on," such that an
unrecited feature or element is also permissible.
[0059] Example embodiments of the methods and components of the
present invention have been described herein. As noted elsewhere,
these example embodiments have been described for illustrative
purposes only, and are not limiting. Other embodiments are possible
and are covered by the invention. Such embodiments will be apparent
to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings
contained herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present
invention should not be limited by any of the above-described
exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance
with the following claims and their equivalents.
[0060] The subject matter described herein can be embodied in
systems, apparatus, methods, and/or articles depending on the
desired configuration. The implementations set forth in the
foregoing description do not represent all implementations
consistent with the subject matter described herein. Instead, they
are merely some examples consistent with aspects related to the
described subject matter. Although a few implementations have been
described in detail above, other modifications or additions are
possible. In particular, further features and/or implementations
can be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example,
the implementations described above can be directed to various
combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and/or
combinations and subcombinations of several further features
disclosed above. In addition, the logic flows depicted in the
accompanying figures and/or described herein do not necessarily
require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve
desirable results. Other implementations may be within the scope of
the following claims.
* * * * *