U.S. patent application number 16/695755 was filed with the patent office on 2021-04-29 for dunnage assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to Pine Valley Packaging Limited. The applicant listed for this patent is Pine Valley Packaging Limited. Invention is credited to Steven M Brayford, Michael D Clee, Mitchell L Malkoski.
Application Number | 20210122565 16/695755 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004535002 |
Filed Date | 2021-04-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210122565 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Clee; Michael D ; et
al. |
April 29, 2021 |
DUNNAGE ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A dunnage assembly that is quickly and easily installed within a
shipping container and is easily reworked while remaining secure
and adjustable during use is provided. The dunnage assembly of the
present disclosure may also include a locking mechanism to keep the
sling assembly securely positioned during shipping. Finally,
according to one aspect the dunnage assembly of the present
disclosure may collapse into the base of the shipping container,
allowing it to remain mounted within the shipping container when
the shipping container is collapsed for the return shipment back to
be reused.
Inventors: |
Clee; Michael D; (Caledon,
CA) ; Malkoski; Mitchell L; (Whitby, CA) ;
Brayford; Steven M; (Pefferlaw, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Pine Valley Packaging Limited |
Uxbridge |
|
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
Pine Valley Packaging
Limited
Uxbridge
CA
|
Family ID: |
1000004535002 |
Appl. No.: |
16/695755 |
Filed: |
November 26, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62926193 |
Oct 25, 2019 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/05 20130101;
B65D 88/52 20130101; B65D 90/0053 20130101; B65D 2581/051
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 90/00 20060101
B65D090/00; B65D 88/52 20060101 B65D088/52; B65D 81/05 20060101
B65D081/05 |
Claims
1. A dunnage assembly comprising: a first side rail; a second side
rail spaced apart from the first side rail within a container; at
least one cross bar extending between the first and second side
rails; at least one slider assembly having a first section operably
connected to the at least one cross bar and a second section
operable to engage one of the first side rail and the second side
rail, wherein the first section of the at least one slider assembly
is rotatable relative to the second section; and a sling assembly
supported between the first and second side rails by the at least
one cross bar.
2. The dunnage assembly of claim 1 further comprising: at least two
slider assemblies operably connected to the at least one cross bar
on a first end and a second end thereof, wherein the slider
assembly of the at least two slider assemblies operably connected
to the first end engages the first side rail and the slider
assembly of at least two slider assemblies operably connected to
the second end engages the second side rail.
3. The dunnage assembly of claim 2 wherein the at least two slider
assemblies removably engage the first and second side rails via a
clip body.
4. The dunnage assembly of claim 3 wherein the clip body is
operable to flex over the first and second side rails.
5. The dunnage assembly of claim 4 wherein the at least two slider
assemblies are slidable along the first and second side rails.
6. The dunnage assembly of claim 2 wherein the at least one cross
bar is extendable.
7. The dunnage assembly of claim 6 wherein the at least two slider
assemblies further comprise: a tube arm slidably engaged with the
at least one cross bar.
8. The dunnage assembly of claim 7 wherein the extension of the at
least one cross bar is achieved through the slidable engagement the
at least one cross bar with the tube arm of the at least two slider
assemblies.
9. The dunnage assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one cross
bar is movable between a first position wherein the at least one
cross bar is perpendicular relative to the first and second side
rails and a second position wherein the at least one cross bar is
angled relative to the first and second side rails.
10. The dunnage assembly of claim 9 wherein the at least one cross
bar is moved between the first and second positions relative to the
side rails via slideable engagement between the at least two slider
assemblies and the first and second side rails.
11. The dunnage assembly of claim 10 wherein the sling assembly is
operable to accommodate an item longer than a width of the
container in which the dunnage assembly is installed when the at
least one cross bar is in the second position.
12. The dunnage assembly of claim 2 further comprising: at least
one mounting plate with at least one shoulder disposed through a
mounting aperture defined therein; and wherein the at least one
shoulder is operable to secure one of the first and second rails to
the at least one mounting plate.
13. The dunnage assembly of claim 12 wherein the at least one
shoulder further comprises: a shoulder flange operable to prevent
the at least one shoulder from passing through the mounting
aperture defined at least one mounting plate; and a lock arm
extending forward from the shoulder flange of the at least one
shoulder.
14. The dunnage assembly of claim 13 wherein the lock arm of the at
least one shoulder is configured to engage the second section of at
least one of the at least two slider assemblies.
15. The dunnage assembly of claim 14 wherein the lock arm of the at
least one shoulder is operable to lock the at least one of the at
least two slider assemblies into place relative to the first and
second side rails.
16. The dunnage assembly of claim 2 wherein the at least two slider
assemblies further comprise: a mounting shoulder extending from an
outer surface of the second section; and a slot defined in a base
of the first section operable to engage the mounting shoulder of
the second section.
17. The dunnage assembly of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality
of cross bars extending between the first and second side rai Is; a
plurality of slider assemblies having a first section operably
connected to the plurality of cross bars on a first end and a
second end, and a second section operable to engage the first side
rail on the first end of the plurality of cross bars and the second
side rail on the second end of the plurality of cross bars, wherein
the first section of the plurality of slider assemblies is
rotatable relative to the second section; and wherein the sling
assembly is supported between the first and second side rails by
the plurality of cross bars.
18. The dunnage assembly of claim 17 wherein the plurality of cross
bars are extendable.
19. The dunnage assembly of claim 18 wherein the plurality of cross
bars are movable between a first position wherein the plurality of
cross bars are perpendicular relative to the first and second side
rails and a second position wherein the plurality of cross bars are
angled relative to the first and second side rails.
20. The dunnage assembly of claim 19 wherein the sling assembly is
operable to accommodate an item longer than a width of the
container in which the dunnage assembly is installed when the
plurality of cross bars are in the second position.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 62/926,193, filed on Oct. 25, 2019; the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of
shipping containers, more particularly the present disclosure
relates to adjustable dunnage assemblies for use within a shipping
container. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to
adjustable dunnage assemblies for use within a shipping container
that are easily and quickly mounted, installed, and reworked as
dictated by specific shipping needs.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Dunnage, as used in relation to packaging and shipping,
refers to materials that are used to protect goods being shipped
from physical damage, moisture, contamination, or other
environmental factors. Dunnage may vary depending on the type,
size, and quantity of goods being shipped but may include items
such as paper, plastic, airbags, cardboard, foam, fabric, wood, or
any other suitable material. When shipping multiple smaller
components, it is common to use slings or bags suspended within a
shipping container to keep individual good separate from its
neighbor and to protect the same from damage. These slings or bags
are typically flexible and formed from fabric or other similar
materials and are configured to provide multiple slots to accept
individual goods therein. Often a single container may include more
than one sling assembly, with each sling assembly having multiple
bags to carry large quantities of goods within a single shipping
container.
[0004] Typically, dunnage assemblies are mounted within a shipping
container utilizing a frame, having multiple side rails and cross
bars slidably connected thereto. Typically, the cross bars are
connected to the side rails by a structure that envelops the entire
rail or by sitting or resting on the top of the side rail. While
versions including attachments that completely envelop the rail,
such as rings or the like, are usually more secure, they are
difficult to reconfigure or rework to accommodate different types
of dunnage assemblies or different sizes thereof. Current version
that utilize attachments that sit on, or rest upon, the top of the
side rail are more easily reconfigured but are less secure and are
prone to slippage and/or movement during shipping.
[0005] The side rails themselves, used to secure dunnage assemblies
within the containers, are typically attached directly to the
container via one or more brackets mounted to the side wall
utilizing bolts or the like. Alternatively, the side rails may be
inserted through holes drilled into the sidewalls of the shipping
container. Each of these mounting solutions for the side rails may
require a specific type of shipping container or alternatively may
need to be adjusted when used with containers of varying types
and/or sizes. Further, once these types of side rails are
installed, they are often difficult to uninstall or remove.
[0006] As is common in shipping containers utilizing dunnage
assemblies therein, the sidewalls of the container itself are
configured to collapse to reduce the overall volume of the
container when empty, which helps lower costs of shipping the
containers back to be refilled with additional goods and reused.
Current dunnage assemblies must be removed from the containers
prior to collapsing and either stored or shipped separately from
the containers themselves, thus increasing the cost of using
current dunnage solutions.
SUMMARY
[0007] The present disclosure addresses these and other issues by
providing a dunnage assembly that is quickly and easily installed
within a shipping container and is easily reworked while remaining
secure and adjustable during use. The dunnage assembly of the
present disclosure may also include a locking mechanism to keep the
sling assembly securely positioned during shipping. Finally,
according to one aspect the dunnage assembly of the present
disclosure may collapse into the base of the shipping container,
allowing it to remain mounted within the shipping container when
the shipping container is collapsed for the return shipment back to
be reused.
[0008] In one aspect, an exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure may provide a dunnage assembly comprising: a first side
rail; a second side rail spaced apart from the first side rail
within a container; at least one cross bar extending between the
first and second side rails; at least one slider assembly having a
first section operably connected to the at least one cross bar and
a second section operable to engage one of the first side rail and
the second side rail, wherein the first section of the at least one
slider assembly is rotatable relative to the second section; and a
sling assembly supported between the first and second side rails by
the at least one cross bar.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Sample embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth
in the following description, are shown in the drawings and are
particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the
appended claims.
[0010] FIG. 1 (FIG. 1) is a top isometric view of a dunnage
assembly of the present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 2 (FIG. 2) is a partial overhead plan view of a dunnage
assembly of the present disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 3 (FIG. 3) is a side elevation cross-section view of a
dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line
indicated in FIG. 2.
[0013] FIG. 4 (FIG. 4) is a top isometric view of a slider assembly
of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 5 (FIG. 5) is a top isometric exploded view of the
slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure
from FIG. 4.
[0015] FIG. 6A (FIG. 6A) is a side elevation exploded view of the
slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure
from FIG. 5.
[0016] FIG. 6B (FIG. 6B) is a side elevation exploded view of the
slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure
from FIG. 4.
[0017] FIG. 7A (FIG. 7A) is a bottom cross-section view of the
slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure
taken along the line indicated in FIG. 6A.
[0018] FIG. 7B (FIG. 7B) is a bottom cross-section view of the
slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure
taken along the line indicated in FIG. 6B.
[0019] FIG. 8 (FIG. 8) is a side elevation cross-section view of
the slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present
disclosure taken along the line indicated in FIG. 4.
[0020] FIG. 9 (FIG. 9) is a top isometric view of a shoulder of the
dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 10 (FIG. 10) is a side elevation cross-section view of
the shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure
taken along the line indicated in FIG. 9.
[0022] FIG. 11 (FIG. 11) is a top isometric view of a mounting
plate of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 12 (FIG. 12) is an overhead plan cross-section view of
the slider assembly, shoulder, and mounting plate of the dunnage
assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line indicated
in FIG. 1.
[0024] FIG. 13 (FIG. 13) is a top isometric view of an alternate
embodiment of a slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the
present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 14 (FIG. 14) is a top isometric view of an alternate
embodiment of a shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present
disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 15 (FIG. 15) is a top isometric view of an alternate
embodiment of a mounting plate of the dunnage assembly of the
present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 16 (FIG. 16) is a top isometric view of a second
alternate embodiment of a mounting plate of the dunnage assembly of
the present disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 16A (FIG. 16A) is a top isometric view of the second
alternate embodiment of a mounting plate with additional notches
formed therethrough of the dunnage assembly of the present
disclosure
[0029] FIG. 17 (FIG. 17) is a top isometric view of a hook of the
dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 18 (FIG. 18) is a top isometric view of a lock pin of
the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 19 (FIG. 19) is a partial top isometric operational
view of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0032] FIG. 20A (FIG. 20A) is a side elevation operational view of
the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0033] FIG. 20B (FIG. 20B) is a side elevation operational view of
the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0034] FIG. 21A (FIG. 21A) is a partial top isometric operational
view of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0035] FIG. 21B (FIG. 21B) is a partial top isometric operational
view of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0036] FIG. 22 (FIG. 22) is a partial top isometric operational
view of the mounting plate and shoulder of the dunnage assembly of
the present disclosure.
[0037] FIG. 23 (FIG. 23) is a partial top isometric operational
view of the area of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure
indicated in FIG. 1.
[0038] FIG. 24A (FIG. 24A) is a partial top isometric operational
view of the alternative embodiment of the slider assembly and
shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0039] FIG. 24B (FIG. 24B) is a partial top isometric operational
view of the alternative embodiment of the slider assembly and
shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0040] FIG. 25 (FIG. 25) is an end cross-section operational view
of the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the
dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0041] FIG. 26 (FIG. 26) is a side cross-section operational view
of the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the
dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line
indicated in FIG. 25.
[0042] FIG. 27 (FIG. 27) is a top cross-section operational view of
the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the
dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line
indicated in FIG. 25.
[0043] FIG. 28 (FIG. 28) is an end cross-section operational view
of the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the
dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0044] FIG. 29 (FIG. 29) is an end cross-section operational view
of the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the
dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.
[0045] Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the
drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0046] With reference to FIG. 1, a dunnage assembly is shown and
generally indicated at reference 10. As used herein and discussed
throughout it is contemplated that container 12 may be any standard
or common shipping container typically utilized with a dunnage
system, such as dunnage assembly 10. Therefore, unless otherwise
stated, container 12 is considered to be a general reference to a
shipping container and not a limiting feature of dunnage assembly
10.
[0047] At its most basic, dunnage assembly 10 includes a first side
rail 14, a second side rail 16, a plurality of cross bars 18, a
plurality of slider assemblies 20, a sling assembly 21 that is
configured to create a plurality of bags 24, a first mounting plate
26, a second mounting plate 28, a third mounting plate 30 and a
fourth mounting plate 32. Dunnage assembly 10 may further include a
plurality of shoulders 34 configured to connect the side rails 14,
16 to the mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and/or 32.
[0048] As best seen in FIG. 3, dunnage assembly 10 may be sized to
allow more than one assembly 10 to be housed within a single
container 12. For example, in these configurations, a first dunnage
assembly 10A may have the elements and components as discussed
above, namely, a first side rail 14A, second side rail 16A, a
plurality of cross bars 18A, a plurality of slider assemblies 20A,
a sling assembly 21A, and shoulders 34A. A second dunnage assembly
10B may likewise include a first side rail 14B, second side rail
16B, a plurality of cross bars 18B, a plurality of slider
assemblies 20B, a sling assembly 21B, and shoulders 34B. Both first
and second dunnage assemblies 10A and 10B may be substantially
identical and may share first, second, third, and fourth mounting
plates 26, 28, 30, and 32, as shown in the figures and discussed
further herein. For ease of disclosure, each of these components
will be discussed with general reference to dunnage assembly 10
with the express understanding that the disclosure provided herein
is equally applicable to first and/or second dunnage assemblies 10A
and 10B, unless specifically stated otherwise. Similarly, general
references to the components of dunnage assembly 10, namely, first
side rail 14, second side rail 16, the plurality of cross bars 18,
the plurality of slider assemblies 20, sling assembly 21, bags 24,
first mounting plate 26, a second mounting plate 28, third mounting
plate 30, fourth mounting plate 32, and shoulders 34, are
understood to apply to the same components of first and/or second
dunnage assemblies 10A and 10B, unless specifically stated
otherwise.
[0049] With reference to FIGS. 1-3, first side rail 14 and second
side rail 16 may be substantially cylindrical in shape and may
extend from a first end 36 to a second end 38 of container 12.
First and second side rails 14, 16 may differ in only that first
side rail 14 may be adjacent and parallel to a first side 40 of
container 12 while second side rail 16 may be adjacent and parallel
to a second side 42 of container 12.
[0050] First and second side rails 14, 16 may be formed of any
suitable material provided it is strong enough to resist bending
while fully supporting the weight of the sling assembly 21 and the
associated items being shipped therein. According to one aspect,
first and second side rails 14, 16 may be formed of galvanized
steel and may be solid or tubular according to the desired
implementation. According to another aspect, first and second side
rails 14, 16 may be formed of any material, including but not
limited to, other metals, plastics, wood or other the like. First
and second side rails 14, 16 may be connected to the first and
second ends 36, 38 of container 12 via the first through fourth
mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and/or 32 and the shoulders 34 as
discussed further herein.
[0051] The plurality of cross bars 18 may extend transversely
between first and second sides 40, 42 of container 12, terminating
at or near the first and second side rails 14, 16. Cross bars 18
may be hollow cylindrical tubes and may be formed of any suitable
material including metal, plastic, wood, or the like. According to
one aspect, cross bars 18 may be galvanized steel.
[0052] Cross bars 18 may be connected to first and second side
rails 14, 16 via a plurality of slider assemblies 20, with one
slider assembly 20 at each end of each cross tube 18, as discussed
further below. Cross tubes 18 may be used to support the sling
assembly 21 and bags 24. According to one aspect, the hollow
interior 19 of cross bars 18 may extend the entire length of the
cross bars 18. According to another aspect, a central portion of
cross bars 18 may be solid with hollow openings disposed at each
end of cross bars 18.
[0053] With continued reference to FIGS. 1-3, sling assembly 21 may
have a body 22 and plurality of bags 24 formed therein. Bags 24 may
be separated by a plurality of loops 23 which may serve as the
point of interaction with cross bars 18, as discussed herein. Loops
23 and bags 24 may be formed by folding or otherwise bending sling
body 22 over itself and stitching or otherwise affixing portions of
body together to form loops 23 therein. The additional portions of
body 22 between loops 23, together with a series of side walls 25
may form bags 24, which may store goods therein for shipping. Sling
assembly 22 may be formed from any suitable material, including
fabric, canvas, plastic, or the like, provided it is durable and
able to support the weight of the goods shipped therein. According
to one aspect, sling assembly 22 may be formed of a single piece of
material. According to another aspect, sling assembly 22 may be
formed of individual pieces and assembled into the assembly 22 as
shown.
[0054] Sling assembly 21 may have any number of bags 24 formed
therefrom or therewith as dictated by the particular needs of the
dunnage assembly 10. The number of bags 24 may be limited only by
the space available in any given container 12 being used with
dunnage assembly 10.
[0055] Within reference to FIGS. 4-8, slider assemblies 20 are
shown as a two-piece assembly having a first section 44 and a
second section 46. First section 44 is contemplated as the portion
of slider assembly 20 that operably connects with the cross bars
18, as discussed further below. First section 44 may include a body
48 and a tube arm 50. Body 48 of first section 44 may have a base
52 that is perpendicular to an upright member 54 and fixedly
connected thereto. Base 52 may have a slot 56 defined therein for
pivotal connection to the second section 46 as discussed further
below. Slot 56 may be formed from a top surface 53 of base 52 and a
c-shaped flange 57 formed below the base 52, as best seen in FIG.
7A.
[0056] Tube arm 50 may extend perpendicularly from upright member
54 and may be generally parallel to top surface 53 of base 52. Tube
arm 50 may be sized to fit within the hollow interior 19 of cross
bars 18 and may have a slight taper 58 at the end 60 farthest away
from upright member 54 to facilitate the insertion of tube arm 50
into cross bars 18. According to another aspect not shown in the
figures, tube arm 50 may be a hollow cylindrical tube with an inner
diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of cross bars 18
to facilitate the insertion of cross bars 18 into tube arm 50.
[0057] According to one aspect, tube arm 50 may have a plus-shaped
or T-shaped cross section to facilitate the connection with cross
bars 18, as well as to allow a slidable engagement therewith, as
discussed further below. According to another aspect, tube arm 50
may have any suitable cross section provided tube arm 50 retains
the ability to slidably engage with cross bars 18.
[0058] First section 44, including base 52, upright member 54 and
tube arm 50 may be constructed as a single piece and formed from
any suitable material including plastic, metal, or the like and may
be fabricated using any suitable manufacturing method. According to
one aspect, first section 44 may be molded from nylon as a single
piece. According to another aspect, base 52 and upright member 54
of first section 44 may be formed separately from tube arm 50 and
fixedly connected thereto through any suitable means including
adhesives, epoxy, welding, or mechanical fasteners such as screws,
rivets, or the like.
[0059] Second section 46 is contemplated as the portion of slider
assembly 20 that connects the first section 44 (and cross bars 18)
to the side rails 14 and 16, as discussed below. Second section 46
may have a generally c-shaped clip body 62 which may extend in a
generally downward direction and may be sized to clip over first
and/or second side rails 14, 16 to slidably engage side rails 14,
16. Clip body 62 may have an outer surface 64 and an inner surface
66. Extending upwards from outer surface 64 of clip body 62 may be
a mounting shoulder 68, which may engage within slot 56 defined in
base 52 of first section 44. Specifically, mounting shoulder 68 may
have a plate 70 that engages the slot 56 and a neck 72 that engages
flange 57 of base 52, as discussed further below.
[0060] Second section 46, including clip body 62 and mounting
shoulder 68 may be formed as a single piece using any suitable
manufacturing method and may be formed of any suitable material
such as plastic, metal, or the like. According to one aspect,
second section 46 may be formed of a rigid material provided that
material has enough flexibility to allow clip body 62 to snap over
side rails 14, 16 without permanently deforming or breaking.
According to this aspect, second section 46 may be formed of a
nylon polyamide or a similar polymer.
[0061] As best illustrated in FIGS. 6A-8, the first section 44 and
second section 46 may be assembled into a single slider assembly 20
by engaging the slot 56 of base 52 with the mounting shoulder 68 of
clip body 62. Specifically, as seen in FIGS. 6A and 7A, slot 56 may
be aligned with plate 70 of mounting shoulder 68 and moved towards
and into contact with clip body 62 in the direction of arrow AA
indicated in FIGS. 6B and 7B. As base 52 and mounting shoulder 68
come in contact, flange 57 surrounding slot 56 may engage neck 72
of mounting shoulder 68 while slot 56 envelops plate 70 of mounting
shoulder 68. The C-shaped flange 57 may create a friction lock or
friction clip with the neck 72 to keep the first section 44
securely fastened to second section 46 while still allowing
360.degree. rotation around a vertical axis defined through the
center of mounting shoulder 68, as best seen in FIG. 8 as Axis A.
As discussed further below, the rotation of first section 44
relative to second section 46 may allow for slider assemblies 20 to
be moved along first and second side rails 14, 16 without binding
and may further allow cross bars 18 to be angled relative to first
and second side rails 14, 16 to accept items of greater size.
[0062] With reference to FIGS. 9-12, a representative shoulder 34
and a representative mounting plate, which could be any of first,
second, third or fourth mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and/or 32 are
shown and will now be described. With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10,
shoulder 34 may include a cylindrical body 74, a collar flange 76,
and a lock arm 78. Shoulders 34, including cylindrical body 74,
collar flange 76 and lock arm 78, may be formed as a single piece
out of any suitable material including plastic, polymer, resin,
metal, or the like, and may be formed using any suitable
manufacturing method. Shoulders 34 may have a central opening 80
defined through the cylindrical body 74 and the collar flange 76.
The central opening 80 may be sized to accept an end of the first
or second side rail 14, 16 therein, as discussed further below.
[0063] Lock arm 78 may be attached to an outer surface 82 of
cylindrical body 74 and may extend outwardly therefrom with a first
end 84 of lock arm adjacent the collar flange 76 and a second end
86 of lock arm 78 spaced apart longitudinally therefrom. Second end
86 may have an angled terminus 88 that may be angled back towards
an imaginary center line C extending through the central opening 80
of shoulder 34. The angled terminus 88 may allow lock arm to
interact with slider assemblies 20 to lock them in position as
discussed below.
[0064] With reference to FIG. 11, a representative mounting plate
is shown and indicated as first mounting plate 26. Despite being
indicated therein as first mounting plate 26, it will be understood
that the mounting plate depicted in FIG. 11 could be any of first
mounting plate 26, second mounting plate 28, third mounting plate
30 or fourth mounting plate 32 as each of the first through fourth
mounting plates 26, 28, 30 and 32 are contemplated to be
substantially similar or identical but for their placement within
container 12. More particularly, first and third mounting plates 26
and 30 may be identical to each other while second and fourth
mounting plates 28 and 32 may also be identical to each other.
First and third mounting plates 26 and 30 may be mirror images of
second and fourth mounting plates 28 and 32, but substantially
identical in construction and features otherwise. Therefore, as
used throughout, references to mounting plate 26 is understood to
equally apply to second, third, and fourth mounting plates 28, 30,
and/or 32, unless specifically stated otherwise.
[0065] Mounting plate 26 may have a first side edge 90 spaced apart
from a second side edge 92 and defining therebetween a horizontal
or transverse direction. First side edge 90 may be the side edge
oriented towards the outside of container 12 (and nearest first and
second sides 40 and 42 of container 12) when mounting plate 26 is
installed therein, as discussed below. First mounting plate 26 may
also have a top edge 94 spaced apart from a bottom edge 96 and
defining therebetween a vertical direction. First mounting plate 26
may have an inner face 98 defined as the face oriented towards the
interior of container 12 when installed therein. Inner face 98 may
be spaced apart from an outer face 100, with the outer face 100
being defined as the face of mounting plate 26 oriented towards the
outside or towards the outer walls (e.g. first and second ends 36
and 38) of container 12 when installed therein. Mounting plate 26
may have a rounded corner 102 positioned at the intersection of the
top edge 94 and second side edge 92. This rounded corner 102 may be
oriented to be the innermost top side of mounting plate 26 when
mounting plate 26 is installed within container 12. This rounded
corner 102 may serve to help indicate the proper positioning of
mounting plate 26 for installation in container 12 as well as may
prevent injuries and/or damage to other components of dunnage
assembly 10 by eliminating a sharp corner/edge at the top 94 and
interior (second) side 92 of mounting plate 26.
[0066] Defined through mounting plate 26 may be one or more
shoulder 34 mounting apertures 104 which may be configured to
accept the shoulders 34 therethrough. Mounting apertures 104 may be
defined through the thickness of mounting plate 26 and may be
generally circular with an extended notch 106 corresponding to the
lock arm 78 of shoulders 34. The circular portion 108 of mounting
apertures 104 may be sized to accept the cylindrical body 74 of
shoulders 34 while lock arm 78 may pass through the aforementioned
notch 106. Collar flange 76 of shoulders 34 may be larger than the
circular portion 108 of mounting apertures 104 to prevent shoulders
34 from passing all the way through mounting plate 26 through the
interaction of collar flange 76 with the outer face 100 of mounting
plate 26. As seen throughout the figures, particularly FIGS. 3 and
11, where more than one dunnage assembly 10 e.g. an upper dunnage
assembly 10A and a lower dunnage assembly 10B are to be used,
mounting plate 26 may be equipped with two mounting apertures 104
arranged with one spaced vertically apart from the other. According
to another aspect, mounting apertures 104 may be arranged in any
configuration determined by the specific dunnage needs and
implementation of dunnage assembly(ies) 10.
[0067] With reference to FIG. 12, an overhead cross section of
dunnage assembly 10 is taken along the line indicated in FIG. 1 and
shows the interaction of mounting plate 26, shoulder 34, side rail
14, 16, slider assembly 20 and container 12. The mechanisms of
operation for these components will be discussed further below;
however, as shown in FIG. 12, it can be seen that the collar flange
76 of shoulder 34 is between mounting plate 26 and the first end 36
of container 12 while the remainder of shoulder 34 extends through
the mounting aperture 104 in mounting plate 26 while simultaneously
engaging with clip body 62 of slider assembly 20 and with first
side rail 14.
[0068] With reference to FIGS. 13-15, alternative embodiments of
slider assemblies 20, mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32, and
shoulders 34 are shown and indicated as sliders 220, mounting plate
226 and shoulders 234, respectively. These alternate embodiments
may be substantially similar to their earlier described
counterparts, with the exceptions of the specific differences
discussed herein.
[0069] With references to FIG. 13, slider 220 may have a first
section 244 and a second section 246 that are substantially similar
to tube section 44 and second section 46 of slider assembly 20
except that they may be intricately formed as a single piece,
eliminating slot 56, flange 57 and mounting shoulder 68 and instead
joining upright member 254 directly to the outer surface 264 of
clip body 262. Tube arm 250 may extend from upright member 254 and
may be fixedly attached thereto.
[0070] With reference to FIG. 14, shoulder 234 may be substantially
similar to shoulder 34 with the exception that lock arm 278 may
extend upwards and curve up and away from cylindrical body 274 for
operational connection with upright member 254 of slider 220 (as
best seen in FIGS. 24A and 24B, and discussed further below).
[0071] With reference to FIG. 15, as with mounting plate 26, it
will be understood that references to mounting plate 226 may be
directed to any of first, second, third, or fourth mounting plates
226, 228, 230, and/or 232, and are only referenced as first
mounting plate 226 herein for ease of disclosure and for clarity.
Therefore, unless otherwise stated, this alternative embodiment of
mounting plate 226 may be utilized as first, second, third, and/or
fourth mounting plates 226, 228, 230, and/or 232, as dictated by
the desired implementation. This embodiment of mounting plate 226
may be substantially similar to mounting plate 26 except that
mounting aperture 304 may be oriented such that notch 306 is
aligned vertically to accept lock arm 278 of shoulder 234
therethrough. As with mounting plate 34, mounting plate 234 may
include multiple mounting apertures 304 defined therethrough for
use with additional dunnage assemblies, e.g. dunnage assemblies 10A
and 10B.
[0072] With references to FIGS. 16 and 16A, a second alternative
embodiment of mounting plate is shown and generally indicated at
526. Mounting plate 526 may be similar to mounting plate 26 and/or
226 in construction and materials, but may differ in the ways
discussed below. As with mounting plates 26 and 226, mounting plate
526 may be utilized as a first mounting plate 526, second mounting
plate 528, third mounting plate 530, or fourth mounting plate 532;
however, again for purposes of ease and clarity in this disclosure,
it will be discussed as mounting plate 526 and may apply to each of
the first, second, third, and/or fourth mounting plates 526, 528,
530, and/or 532, unless specifically stated otherwise.
[0073] Mounting plate 526 may differ from previous embodiments of
mounting plate 26 and 226 in that mounting plate 526 may be formed
of two separate pieces, namely, an upper plate 610 and a lower
plate 612 that may be connected or otherwise seated together at a
joint 614 therebetween. Joint 614 may alight with hinge 122 of
container 12, or more particularly hinge 122 of end walls 36, 38 of
container 12 to allow upper plate 610 to rotate downwards relative
to lower plate 612 when collapsing container 12 for return
shipping, as discussed further below with regards to the operation
of container 12 and mounting plates 526. According to another
aspect, joint 614 may be hinged with any suitable hinging mechanism
that allows the upper plate 610 to rotate relative to lower plate
612.
[0074] Another difference between mounting plate 526 and mounting
plates 26 and 226 is that the mounting apertures 104, 304 defined
through mounting plates 26 and 226 respectively have been replaced
by a central channel 616, which may allow shoulders 34 or 234 and
the first and second side rails 14, and 16 to move vertically
therein, as discussed further below. This central channel 616 may
allow the sling assembly 21 and bags 24 to be collapsed into the
interior of container 12 for storage and return shipping as
discussed further below.
[0075] With reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, a securing mechanism is
shown as a rotatable hook 618 (FIG. 17) and lock pin 620 (FIG. 18).
Rotatable hook 618 may be formed of any suitable rigid material
provided it is structurally supportive enough to hold the weight of
sling assembly 21, bags 24, and any goods contained therein, as
discussed further below. Rotatable hooks 618 may be affixed to
mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and/or 532 via a screw, bolt, or
other fastener about which hooks 618 may rotate.
[0076] Locking pin 620 may be any suitable securing mechanism to
hold rotatable hook 618 in position when the sling assembly 21 and
bags 24 are installed as discussed further herein. According to one
example, as shown in FIG. 18, locking pin 620 may be a spring ball
lock pin. According to another aspect, locking pin 620 may be a
bolt, screw, cotter pin, or any other suitable locking device or
securing mechanism. According to another aspect, hook 618 may
include a securing mechanism thereon or formed therewith, or may
interact with mounting plate 523 in such a manner as to allow
locking pin 620 to be omitted.
[0077] With reference to FIG. 16A, mounting plate 526 is shown
having additional notches 606 formed with the central channel 616
to accommodate lock arm 78 when mounting plate 526 is used in
conjunction with slider assemblies 20, as discussed further below.
According to another aspect (not shown), notches 606 may be
configured to allow use of shoulders 234 with mounting plate
526.
[0078] Having thus described the elements and components of dunnage
assembly 10, the assembly and operation thereof will now be
discussed.
[0079] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 19-21B, dunnage assembly 10
may be assembled and installed within container 12 quickly and
easily without regard to the specific brand, type, or configuration
of container 12. To install dunnage assembly 10 within container
12, shoulders 34 may be inserted through the mounting apertures 104
of mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32. Mounting plates 26, 28, 30,
and 32 may then be installed in the corners of container 12 and may
be affixed to the first and second ends 36 and 38 of container 12
using screws (as shown in the figures), bolts, or the like to
secure the mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32 in position. Mounting
plates 26, 28, 30, and 32 may be oriented such that the rounded
corner 102 thereof may be at the top and towards the inside of
container 12.
[0080] First side rail 14 and second side rail 16 may be installed
with the ends thereof inserted into shoulders 34 such that side
rails 14, 16 may extend between two mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and
32 and parallel to a side of container 12. For example, first side
rail 14 may extend from first mounting plate 26 to second mounting
plate 28 along first side 40 of container 12 as best seen in FIG. 1
while second side rail 16 may extend between third mounting plate
30 and fourth mounting plate 32 along the second side 42 of
container 12.
[0081] With the first, second, third and fourth mounting plates 26,
28, 30, and 32, shoulders 34, and first and second side rails 14
and 16 installed within container 12, the sling assembly 21, cross
bars 18 and slider assemblies 20 may be assembled. As best seen in
FIG. 19, to connect sling assembly 21 with cross bars 18 and slider
assemblies 20, the cross bars 18 may first be inserted through the
loops 23 formed between bags 24 in the direction of arrow BB in
FIG. 19. If using two-piece slider assemblies 20, they may be
assembled with the first section 44 and second section 46 married
together as discussed previously herein, prior to inserting the
tube arm 50 into the cross bars 18, in the direction of arrow CC in
FIG. 19. Once assembled and fully inserted therein, the sling
assembly 21, cross bars 18 and slider assemblies 20 will appear
mated as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20A, and 20B. If utilizing one-piece
siders 220, they may simply be inserted in cross bars 18 without
the need for prior assembly.
[0082] Once the sling assembly 21 is assembled with all cross bars
18 and slider assemblies 20 connected thereto, the slider
assemblies 20 may be attached to the first and second side rails
14, 16, as best seen in FIGS. 20A and 20B. Specifically, the clip
body 62 may be placed on top of the side rails 14, 16 (FIG. 20A)
and force may be applied in the direction of arrow DD in FIG. 20B
to cause clip body 62 to engage with side rails 14, 16. In this
position, inner surface 66 of clip body 62 will be in contact with
side rails 14, 16 while clip body 62 will maintain this contact
until removed from side rails 14, 16. The c-shape of clip body 62
further facilitates slidable movement of slider assemblies 20 along
the length of side rails 14, 16, as discussed further herein.
[0083] With reference to FIG. 21A, the fully assembled dunnage
assembly 10 will have the tube arms 50 of slider assemblies 20
inserted into the interior 19 of cross bars 18, which in turn will
be inserted through loops 23 of sling assembly 21.
[0084] When utilizing more than one dunnage assembly 10 in a single
container 12, such as when using dunnage assemblies 10A and 10B, as
illustrated in FIG. 3, each dunnage assembly 10A, 10B, may be
installed in similar fashion, with the shoulders 34 inserted into
the mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32, the mounting plates 26, 28,
30, and 32 and side rails 14 and 16 installed within the container
12, and then the remaining dunnage assembly 10A and 10B components
installed according to the method above. Similarly, other
embodiments, such as mounting plates 226, 228, 230, and 232,
mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532, sliders 220, and/or
shoulders 234 may be similarly installed within container 12.
[0085] With reference to FIGS. 21A-23, the operation of dunnage
assembly 10 will now be described when utilizing slider assemblies
20 as the connection between sling assembly 21, cross bars 18, and
first and second side rails 14, 16. As best seen in FIG. 21A, cross
bars 18 extend through loops 23 on sling assembly 21 delineating
bags 24 from each other while engaging with first and second side
rails 14, 16 via slider assemblies 20. Tube arm 50 may extend a
partial distance into a hollow interior 19 of cross bars 18. When
oriented as shown in FIG. 21A, cross bars 18 extend generally
perpendicularly to first and second side rails 14, 16 and allow
sling assembly 21 and bags 24 to hold goods for shipping. In this
configuration, the goods that may fit in bags 24 may have a maximum
size defined by the width of container 12 or slightly shorter than
the width of the container 12.
[0086] As best seen in FIG. 21B, slider assemblies 20 may be slid
along side rails 14, 16, for example, in the direction indicated by
arrows labeled EE in FIG. 21B. In current dunnage systems, when
sliders are moved, cross bars must be moved equally with the
opposite slider on the opposite side rail moved simultaneously to
keep the cross bars properly aligned. If this is not done in
current systems, the sliders tend to twist and bind with the side
rail, preventing further movement or sliding.
[0087] Contrast this with the slider assemblies 20 of the present
disclosure and it is apparent that the unique two-piece design of
slider assemblies 20 wherein the first section 44 may rotate a full
360.degree. relative to the second section 46 allows these slider
assemblies 20 to be moved along the side rails 14, 16 freely and
without binding. Further, the rotation of first section 44 relative
to second section 46 allows sliders 20 connecting a cross bar 18 to
first side rail 14 to move independently from the sliders 20
connecting the opposite end of the same cross bar 18 to second side
rail 16. The rotation of first section 44 relative to second
section 46 is illustrated by arrows FF in FIG. 21B. Simultaneously
to this rotation, tube arm 50 may slide in and out of the interior
19 of cross tubes 18, as indicated by arrows GG in FIG. 21B. This
combination of rotation FF and sliding GG can allow cross bars 18
to be angled relative to the side rails, as indicated by arrows HH
in FIG. 21B. Meanwhile, slider assemblies 20, or more specifically,
clip body 62 of slider assemblies 20, are able to maintain their
positions relative to side rails 14 and 16 to prevent binding or
other movement restrictions.
[0088] Another advantage of the present dunnage assembly 10 over
current dunnage systems is that the angling of cross bars 18
relative to side rails 14 and 16 further causes bags 24 to be
angled relative to the sides 40 and 42 of the container 12, which
can, in turn, allow dunnage assembly 10 to accommodate goods of a
size slightly larger than the side-to-side width of container 12.
In this configuration, the goods may likewise be angled relative to
the side walls of container 12 allowing slightly larger items to be
shipped.
[0089] With reference to FIGS. 22 and 23, as discussed above,
shoulders 34 may be used to support first and second side rails 14
and 16 within mounting plates 26, 28, 30 and/or 32, however,
shoulders 34 may also be utilized to lock sling assembly 21 and
bags 24 in place during shipment. As best seen in FIG. 22, when
utilizing slider assemblies 20, the lock arm 78 of shoulder 34 may
extend through notch 106 and parallel to the side rails 14, 16
towards the inside of container 12. As seen in FIG. 23, when the
outermost slider 20 is moved (e.g. in direction EE from FIG. 21B)
and into contact with the shoulder 34, lock arm 78 may extend over
the outer surface 64 of clip body 62 where the angled terminus 88
of lock arm 78 may engage the clip body 62 and hold it in place
against shoulder 34. Since the bags 24 of sling assembly 21 are all
interconnected, locking slider assemblies 20 in each of the four
corners of container 12 can prevent sling assembly 21, as a whole,
from moving or shifting during shipment. Further, the side walls 25
of bags 24 may help maintain the positional relationships between
slider assemblies 20, cross bars 18 and cross bars 18 to keep bags
24 more secured during shipping.
[0090] When it is no longer desirable to have the corner sliders 20
locked, the lock arm 78 may be pulled outwards away from the clip
body 62 of slider 20, and the slider 20 may be moved away from
shoulder 34 to release it from its locked position.
[0091] With reference to FIGS. 24A and 24B, when utilizing sliders
220 and shoulders 234, the locking aspects of the sliders 220 and
shoulders 234 may operate similarly except that lock arm 278 would
extend up and over the upright member 254 of second section 246 to
engage and lock slider 220, in place as illustrated in FIG.
24B.
[0092] The unique design of sliders 20, 220 having clip body 62,
262 that snaps down and over side rails 14 and 16 allows for the
side rails 14, 16 to be installed in the container before the sling
assembly 21 and bags 24 are inserted. This allows for dunnage
assembly 10 to be customized for the specific shipping needs,
including easily reworking or reconfiguring dunnage assembly 10 to
accommodate different goods in different shipments. For example,
when a first shipment of goods is complete, sliders 20, 220 may be
removed from side rails 14, 16 and an alternate configuration, e.g.
a different number or size of sling assemblies 10 having a
different number or size of bags 24, may be substituted to
accommodate a different set of goods in a subsequent shipment.
[0093] With reference to FIGS. 25-29, container 12 is contemplated
to be a shipping container, which may typically be constructed to
be collapsed for return shipping. In doing so, container 12 may be
reduced in size and weight to reduce return shipping costs.
Currently, when containers, such as container 12 are used with
dunnage systems disposed therein, present dunnage systems typically
must be removed prior to collapsing container 12 down for return
shipping. Once these dunnage systems are removed, the containers 12
can be collapsed with the ends 36 and 38 folded in first and the
sides 40 and 42 folded down next to reduce the size and volume of
the container.
[0094] Utilizing mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532, as
discussed herein, can allow the dunnage assembly 10 of the present
disclosure to remain within container 12 while the container 12 is
collapsed for return shipping. To accomplish this, dunnage system
10 may be installed as discussed previously herein, with the
exception that shoulders 34 may be installed through central
channel 616 of mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532, which may
then be installed within container 12 by affixing the upper and
lower plates 610 and 612 to the ends 36, 38 of container 12 with
joint 614 aligned with, or in close proximity to, a hinge 122 on
the ends 36, 38 of container 12. Central channel 616 of mounting
plates 526, 528, 530, and 532 allows sling assemblies 22 and side
rails 14 and 16 to drop into the bottom of container 12 prior to
collapsing ends 36 and 38.
[0095] This embodiment may utilize rotatable hooks 618 and locking
pin 620 to keep side rails 14 and 16 in place when dunnage assembly
10 is being used for shipping goods while allowing the rails 14, 16
and dunnage assembly 10 to be collapsed with container 12.
[0096] When used for shipping, side rails 14 16 may be raised into
the desired position within central channel 616 and hooks 618 may
be rotated to support side rails 14 and/or 16 (FIG. 25). Lock pin
620 may be inserted through an opening 621 defined in mounting
plates 526, 528, 530, and 532 to further secure hooks 618 in place
and prevent them from undesired rotation, as best seen in FIGS.
25-27. This arrangement can further support the dunnage assembly 10
and associated goods contained therein during shipping.
[0097] As best seen in FIG. 27, spacers 624 may be used to keep
mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532 slightly separated from
container 12 ends 36, 38 to allow room for the collar flange 76 of
shoulders 34 to move up and down within central slot 616.
[0098] When it is then desired to collapse dunnage assembly 10 into
the bottom of container 12, the lock pins 620 may be removed from
the opening 621, thus allowing hooks 618 to be rotated down and
away from side rails 14 and 16 as indicated by arrow II in FIG. 28.
Side bars 14, 16, and the remaining dunnage assembly 10 components
may then drop into the lower plate 612, thereby collapsing the
dunnage assembly 10 into the bottom or container 12. The movement
of side bars 14 (and 14A as illustrated) is indicated by arrow JJ
in FIG. 28.
[0099] With reference to FIG. 29, now that dunnage assembly 10 (10A
and 10B, as illustrated) is collapsed into the bottom of container
12, the ends 36 and 38 may be rotated about the hinge 122 in the
direction of arrow KK while upper plate 610 may also rotate in the
direction of arrow KK relative to lower plate 612 about joint 614,
thus allowing the ends 36, 38 of container 12 to be collapsed for
return shipment of container 12. Once the ends 36, 38 are so
folded, the sides 40 and 42 of container 12 may be folded in
according to their normal operation. At this point, container 12 is
fully collapsed into its compact form for return shipping with
dunnage assembly 10 and/or assemblies 10A and 10B contained
therein.
[0100] While various inventive embodiments have been described and
illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily
envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing
the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the
advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or
modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive
embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the
art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions,
materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be
exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials,
and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or
applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those
skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no
more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific
inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be
understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of
example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and
equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced
otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive
embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each
individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method
described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such
features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if
such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods
are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive
scope of the present disclosure.
[0101] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be
understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in
documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of
the defined terms.
[0102] The articles "a" and "an," as used herein in the
specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the
contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one." The phrase
"and/or," as used herein in the specification and in the claims (if
at all), should be understood to mean "either or both" of the
elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively
present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases.
Multiple elements listed with "and/or" should be construed in the
same fashion, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so conjoined.
Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements
specifically identified by the "and/or" clause, whether related or
unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a
nonlimiting example, a reference to "A and/or B", when used in
conjunction with open-ended language such as "comprising" can
refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements
other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally
including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to
both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc. As used
herein in the specification and in the claims, "or" should be
understood to have the same meaning as "and/or" as defined above.
For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and/or"
shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at
least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of
elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms
clearly indicated to the contrary, such as "only one of" or
"exactly one of," or, when used in the claims, "consisting of,"
will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or
list of elements. In general, the term "or" as used herein shall
only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. "one
or the other but not both") when preceded by terms of exclusivity,
such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of."
"Consisting essentially of," when used in the claims, shall have
its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
[0103] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the
phrase "at least one," in reference to a list of one or more
elements, should be understood to mean at least one element
selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of
elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and
every element specifically listed within the list of elements and
not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements.
This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present
other than the elements specifically identified within the list of
elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related
or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a
nonlimiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or, equivalently,
"at least one of A or B," or, equivalently "at least one of A
and/or B") can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one,
optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and
optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment,
to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A
present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet
another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than
one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B
(and optionally including other elements); etc.
[0104] When a feature or element is herein referred to as being
"on" another feature or element, it can be directly on the other
feature or element or intervening features and/or elements may also
be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to
as being "directly on" another feature or element, there are no
intervening features or elements present. It will also be
understood that, when a feature or element is referred to as being
"connected", "attached" or "coupled" to another feature or element,
it can be directly connected, attached or coupled to the other
feature or element or intervening features or elements may be
present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as
being "directly connected", "directly attached" or "directly
coupled" to another feature or element, there are no intervening
features or elements present. Although described or shown with
respect to one embodiment, the features and elements so described
or shown can apply to other embodiments. It will also be
appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a
structure or feature that is disposed "adjacent" another feature
may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent
feature.
[0105] Spatially relative terms, such as "under", "below", "lower",
"over", "upper", "above", "behind", "in front of", and the like,
may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element
or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as
illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the
spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different
orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the
orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device in
the figures is inverted, elements described as "under" or "beneath"
other elements or features would then be oriented "over" the other
elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "under" can
encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be
otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations)
and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted
accordingly. Similarly, the terms "upwardly", "downwardly",
"vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "transverse", "longitudinal",
and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only
unless specifically indicated otherwise.
[0106] Although the terms "first" and "second" may be used herein
to describe various features/elements, these features/elements
should not be limited by these terms, unless the context indicates
otherwise. These terms may be used to distinguish one
feature/element from another feature/element. Thus, a first
feature/element discussed herein could be termed a second
feature/element, and similarly, a second feature/element discussed
herein could be termed a first feature/element without departing
from the teachings of the present invention.
[0107] An embodiment is an implementation or example of the present
disclosure. Reference in the specification to "an embodiment," "one
embodiment," "some embodiments," "one particular embodiment," "an
exemplary embodiment," or "other embodiments," or the like, means
that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described
in connection with the embodiments is included in at least some
embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the invention.
The various appearances "an embodiment," "one embodiment," "some
embodiments," "one particular embodiment," "an exemplary
embodiment," or "other embodiments," or the like, are not
necessarily all referring to the same embodiments.
[0108] If this specification states a component, feature,
structure, or characteristic "may", "might", or "could" be
included, that particular component, feature, structure, or
characteristic is not required to be included. If the specification
or claim refers to "a" or "an" element, that does not mean there is
only one of the element. If the specification or claims refer to
"an additional" element, that does not preclude there being more
than one of the additional element.
[0109] Additionally, the method of performing the present
disclosure may occur in a sequence different than those described
herein. Accordingly, no sequence of the method should be read as a
limitation unless explicitly stated. It is recognizable that
performing some of the steps of the method in a different order
could achieve a similar result.
[0110] In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all
transitional phrases such as "comprising," "including," "carrying,"
"having," "containing," "involving," "holding," "composed of," and
the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean
including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases
"consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" shall be closed or
semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the
United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining
Procedures.
[0111] In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used
for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary
limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of
the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes
and are intended to be broadly construed.
[0112] Moreover, the description and illustration of various
embodiments of the disclosure are examples and the disclosure is
not limited to the exact details shown or described.
* * * * *