U.S. patent application number 17/088454 was filed with the patent office on 2022-05-05 for firearm magazine with sectional see-through transparency.
The applicant listed for this patent is Strike Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Shanyao Lee, Alvin Nam Oh.
Application Number | 20220136789 17/088454 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-05-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220136789 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee; Shanyao ; et
al. |
May 5, 2022 |
Firearm Magazine With Sectional See-Through Transparency
Abstract
A device implementable on a firearm includes a magazine
extension housing and a locking plate. The magazine extension
housing is attachable to a bottom opening of a magazine well of a
magazine that is implementable on the firearm. The locking plate is
receivable in a portion of the magazine extension housing such that
the locking plate is configured to lock the magazine extension
housing to the magazine well when the magazine extension housing is
attached to the magazine well of the magazine.
Inventors: |
Lee; Shanyao; (Santa Ana,
CA) ; Oh; Alvin Nam; (Santa Ana, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Strike Industries, Inc. |
Santa Ana |
CA |
US |
|
|
Appl. No.: |
17/088454 |
Filed: |
November 3, 2020 |
International
Class: |
F41A 9/62 20060101
F41A009/62 |
Claims
1. A device implementable on a firearm, comprising: a magazine
comprising a monolithic, one-piece magazine body configured to
contain a plurality of rounds of ammunition cartridges therein,
wherein a first portion of the one-piece magazine body is
transparent while a remaining, second portion of the one-piece
magazine body is opaque and non-see-through such that a content of
the magazine is visible through the first portion but not visible
through the second portion, and wherein each of the first portion
and the second portion is made of a polymer material.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one-piece magazine body is
made of a transparent polymer material.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein a surface of the second portion
of the one-piece magazine body textured to result in the second
portion of the one-piece magazine body being non-transparent, and
wherein a surface of the first portion of the one-piece magazine
body not textured to result in the first portion of the one-piece
magazine body transparent.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the
one-piece magazine body is on one of a plurality of sides of the
one-piece magazine body.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first portion of the
one-piece magazine body is on a back side or a front side of the
plurality of sides which faces a back end or a front end of the
firearm, respectively, when the magazine is attached to the
firearm.
6. The device of claim 4, wherein the first portion of the
one-piece magazine body is on a left side or a right side of the
plurality of sides which faces a left side or a right side of the
firearm, respectively, when the magazine is attached to the
firearm.
7. The device of claim 4, wherein the first portion extends a
partial length of the one of the plurality of sides of the
one-piece magazine body.
8. The device of claim 4, wherein the first portion extends a full
length of the one of the plurality of sides of the one-piece
magazine body.
9. The device of claim 4, wherein the one-piece magazine body is
configured with one or more through holes on or along an edge
between two adjoining sides of the plurality of sides of the
one-piece magazine body.
10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the
one-piece magazine body is on an edge between two adjoining sides
of a plurality of sides of the one-piece magazine body.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the one-piece magazine body is
configured with one or more through holes on or along the edge.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the magazine further comprises:
a base plate, wherein the one-piece magazine body has a first
distal end and a second distal end opposite the first distal end,
and wherein the base plate is coupled to the first distal end.
13. A device implementable on a firearm, comprising: a magazine
comprising a monolithic, one-piece magazine body configured to
contain a plurality of rounds of ammunition cartridges therein,
wherein a first portion of the one-piece magazine body is
transparent while a remaining, second portion of the one-piece
magazine body is opaque and non-see-through such that a content of
the magazine is visible through the first portion but not visible
through the second portion, wherein the one-piece magazine body is
made of a transparent polymer material, wherein a surface of the
second portion of the one-piece magazine body is textured, and
wherein a surface of the first portion of the one-piece magazine
body is not textured.
14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first portion of the
one-piece magazine body is on a back side or a front side of a
plurality of sides of the one-piece magazine body which faces a
back end or a front end of the firearm, respectively, when the
magazine is attached to the firearm.
15. The device of claim 13, wherein the first portion of the
one-piece magazine body is on a left side or a right side of a
plurality of sides of the one-piece magazine body which faces a
left side or a right side of the firearm, respectively, when the
magazine is attached to the firearm.
16. The device of claim 13, wherein the first portion extends a
partial length of the one of a plurality of sides of the one-piece
magazine body.
17. The device of claim 13, wherein the first portion extends a
full length of the one of a plurality of sides of the one-piece
magazine body.
18. The device of claim 13, wherein the one-piece magazine body is
configured with one or more through holes on or along an edge
between two adjoining sides of a plurality of sides of the
one-piece magazine body.
19. The device of claim 13, wherein the first portion of the
one-piece magazine body is on an edge between two adjoining sides
of a plurality of sides of the one-piece magazine body.
20. The device of claim 19, wherein the one-piece magazine body is
configured with one or more through holes on or along the edge.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure is generally related to firearms and,
more particularly, to a firearm magazine with sectional see-through
transparency.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Unless otherwise indicated herein, approaches described in
this section are not prior art to the claims listed below and are
not admitted as prior art by inclusion in this section.
[0003] In the context of firearms, a detachable magazine is an
ammunition storage and feeding mechanism or device that can be
attached to a firearm. In operation, when the magazine is loaded
with ammunition cartridges and attached to the firearm, an internal
spring of the magazine exerts a force on a spring follower, which
in turn pushes one or more rounds of the ammunition cartridges in
the magazine well toward an action chamber of the firearm, thereby
assisting in loading the rounds into the action chamber of the
firearm.
[0004] Traditionally, magazines are made of metal. In order to
allow a user to know how many rounds of cartridges are remaining in
a magazine, if any, some conventional magazines have holes at
certain locations on the magazine metal shell so that the user can
see the cartridge(s) in the magazine and know how many rounds are
in the magazine. Some modern magazines are made of transparent
polymer so that a user can see through the magazine well and know
how many rounds are in the magazine. However, one drawback of this
design is that an adversary or enemy could also see through the
magazine and know whether the shooter has any rounds left.
SUMMARY
[0005] The following summary is illustrative only and is not
intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following summary
is provided to introduce concepts, highlights, benefits and
advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described
herein. Select implementations are further described below in the
detailed description. Thus, the following summary is not intended
to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor
is it intended for use in determining the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
[0006] An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a
magazine that addresses aforementioned issues with conventional
firearm magazines. Under various proposed schemes, a magazine in
accordance with the present disclosure may provide see-through
transparency at certain section(s) of the magazine, but not the
entire magazine, and may not require a high cost of manufacturing
associated with some of the modern magazines.
[0007] In one aspect, a device implementable on a firearm (e.g., a
pistol, rifle, carbine or shotgun) may include a magazine which may
include a one-piece magazine well. The one-piece magazine well may
be configured to contain a plurality of rounds of ammunition
cartridges therein. Moreover, a first portion of the one-piece
magazine well may be transparent while a remaining, second portion
of the one-piece magazine well may be opaque.
[0008] In another aspect, a device implementable on a firearm
(e.g., a pistol, rifle, carbine or shotgun) may include a magazine
which may include a one-piece magazine well. The one-piece magazine
well may be configured to contain a plurality of rounds of
ammunition cartridges therein. Moreover, a first portion of the
one-piece magazine well may be transparent while a remaining, or
second, portion of the one-piece magazine well may be opaque. In
some implementations, the one-piece magazine well may be made of a
transparent polymer material. Additionally, a surface of the second
portion of the one-piece magazine well may be textured and a
surface of the first portion of the one-piece magazine well may be
not textured.
[0009] It is noteworthy that, although description provided herein
may be in the context of certain configurations such as a magazine
used in pistols, the proposed concepts, schemes and any
variation(s)/derivative(s) thereof may be implemented in, for and
by other configurations and designs, such as magazines used in
rifles, carbines and shotguns. Thus, the scope of the present
disclosure is not limited to the examples described herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the present disclosure. The drawings
illustrate implementations of the disclosure and, together with the
description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. It
is appreciable that the drawings are not necessarily in scale as
some components may be shown to be out of proportion than the size
in actual implementation in order to clearly illustrate the concept
of the present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram of various views of a firearm magazine
in accordance with an implementation of the present disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a diagram of variations in design of a firearm
magazine in accordance with an implementation of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED IMPLEMENTATIONS
[0013] Detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed
subject matters are disclosed herein. However, it shall be
understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are
merely illustrative of the claimed subject matters which may be
embodied in various forms. The present disclosure may, however, be
embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as
limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth
herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are
provided so that description of the present disclosure is thorough
and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present
disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the description below,
details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to
avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and
implementations.
[0014] The position terms used in the present disclosure, such as
"front", "forward", "rear", "back", "top", "bottom", "left",
"right", "head", "tail" or the like assume a firearm in the normal
firing position, with the firearm being in a position in which the
longitudinal axis of the barrel of the firearm runs generally
horizontally and the direction of firing points "forward" away from
the operator or user of the firearm. The same convention applies
for the direction statements used herein.
[0015] As used herein, the terms "proximal" and "proximally" may
denote "forward" and "forwardly" with respect to the firearm, and
the terms "distal" and "distally" may denote "rearward" and
"rearwardly" with respect to the firearm. As used herein, the verb
"to comprise" in this description, claims, and other conjugations
are used in its non-limiting sense to mean those items following
the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not
excluded. As used herein, the word "forward" means moving in the
direction that the projectile moves during firing a firearm. As
used herein, the word "proximal" means closer to the reference
point, in this case, the shooter. As used herein, the word "distal"
means farther to the reference point, in this case, the shooter.
Reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" or "an" does
not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements are
present, unless the context clearly requires that there is one and
only one of the elements. The indefinite article "a" or "an" thus
usually means "at least one." Additionally, the words "a" and "an"
when used in the present document in concert with the words
"comprising" or "containing" denote "one or more.
[0016] All numeric values are herein assumed to be modified by the
term "about," whether or not explicitly indicated. The term "about"
generally refers to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art
would consider equivalent to the recited value (i.e., having the
same function or result). In many instances, the terms "about" may
include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure.
The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all
numbers within that range (e.g. 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3,
3.80, 4, and 5). All dimensions given herein are by way of examples
to better illustrate the present disclosure embodiments and shall
not be construed to limit the dimensions of the present disclosure
embodiments to the given numeric values.
Overview
[0017] To address aforementioned issues associated with existing
designs of firearm magazines, under various proposed schemes in
accordance with the present disclosure, a magazine may have a
magazine well that is opaque, or non-transparent, for the most part
while a certain section of the magazine well may be clear,
transparent, or otherwise translucent. Advantageously, the section
that is transparent allows a user or shooter to see through the
magazine well to determine the amount of, or whether any,
ammunition cartridge are contained or otherwise held in the
magazine, while other parties (e.g., people other than the user)
have no such see-through visibility since most part of the magazine
well is opaque.
[0018] Moreover, under various proposed schemes in accordance with
the present disclosure, the magazine well may be monolithic, not
requiring the assembly of multiple pieces or components to form a
magazine well with a section of see-through transparency. That is,
the magazine well may be a one-piece magazine well with one portion
being transparent, or otherwise translucent, and remaining portion
being opaque or non-transparent. For instance, the one-piece
magazine well may be fabricated by injection molding using an
injection mode. One part of the injection mold corresponding to the
transparent portion of the magazine well may have a smooth surface,
and remaining part of the injection mode corresponding to the
opaque portion of the magazine well may have a textured or rough
surface (e.g., by applying a sandblast process or a chemical
corrosion process applied thereon). Advantageously, a magazine well
in accordance with the present disclosure may be fabricated rather
inexpensively (by injection molding) without requiring additional
components.
[0019] In contrast, some modern polymer magazines with a
see-through window may require additional components (e.g., using a
non-transparent material for the magazine well and using a
transparent material for the see-through window) and/or additional
manufacturing steps (e.g., cutting a hole on the magazine well for
the see-through window). For instance, during manufacturing of some
modern magazines, a transparent piece is inserted into a slot or
cutout on a solid wall of a magazine well. This manufacturing
method tends to be expensive and time consuming, especially since
labor is needed to assemble multiple components.
Illustrative Implementations
[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram of various views of a firearm magazine
100 in accordance with an implementation of the present
disclosure.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, magazine 100 may include at least a
monolithic, one-piece magazine well 110 and a base plate 120.
Magazine 100 may be configured, shaped, and dimensioned to be
implemented on a firearm (e.g., a pistol, rifle, carbine or shotgun
that is magazine-fed). The one-piece magazine well 110 may be
configured to contain a plurality of rounds of ammunition
cartridges therein. Moreover, a first portion 112 of the one-piece
magazine well 110 may be transparent while a remaining, or second,
portion 114 of the one-piece magazine well 110 may be opaque.
[0022] Under a proposed scheme in accordance with the present
disclosure, the one-piece magazine well may be made of a
transparent polymer material. The transparent polymer material may
be clear (without color) or tinted (with a color). For instance, a
dark transparent polymer (e.g., which is dark grey or dark brown in
color) may be used in injection molding to produce magazine well
110. Additionally, a surface (e.g., an exterior surface) of the
second portion 114 of the one-piece magazine well 110 may be
textured to result in the second portion 114 of the one-piece
magazine well 110 being non-transparent (e.g., due to a rough,
non-smooth or otherwise textured surface). Moreover, a surface
(e.g., both an interior surface and an exterior surface) of the
first portion 112 of the one-piece magazine well 110 may be not
textured to result in the first portion 112 of the one-piece
magazine well 110 being transparent (e.g., due to a clear, smooth
or otherwise non-textured surface).
[0023] Under a proposed scheme in accordance with the present
disclosure, the first portion 112 of the one-piece magazine well
110 may be on an edge between two adjoining sides of a plurality of
sides (e.g., four sides) of the one-piece magazine well 110. Under
another proposed scheme in accordance with the present disclosure,
the one-piece magazine well 110 may be configured with one or more
through holes 116 on or along the edge.
[0024] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first portion 112 is on
the edge between a left side and a back side of magazine well 110.
Moreover, in the example shown in FIG. 1, magazine well 110 also
has three through holes 116 along the same edge where the first
portion 112, which is transparent, is located. For instance, as
shown in FIG. 1, each the three through holes 116 is positioned to
respectively show the location of a fifth, an eleventh, and a
seventeenth ammunition cartridge when there are at least five,
eleven or seventeen ammunition cartridges loaded in magazine
100.
[0025] Magazine 100 may also include a base plate 120, an elastic
element (not shown), and a magazine follower (not shown). The
one-piece magazine well 110 may have a first distal end (e.g.,
bottom end shown in FIG. 1) and a second distal end (e.g., top end
shown in FIG. 1) opposite the first distal end. Base plate 120 may
be coupled to the first distal end. The elastic element (e.g., a
spring) may be coupled between base plate 120 and the magazine
follower. Accordingly, when one or more of the plurality of rounds
of ammunition cartridges is loaded into magazine 100, the magazine
follower may be pushed toward base plate 120 with the elastic
element compressed between base plate 120 and the magazine
follower.
[0026] FIG. 2 is a diagram of variations in design of a firearm
magazine 100 in accordance with an implementation of the present
disclosure. The following description of some variations in design
of magazine 100 is provided with reference to FIG. 2.
[0027] Under a proposed scheme in accordance with the present
disclosure, a transparent portion of the one-piece magazine well
may be on one of a plurality of sides (e.g., four sides) of the
one-piece magazine well. Under the proposed scheme, the transparent
portion of the one-piece magazine well may be on a back side or a
front side of the plurality of sides which faces a back end or a
front end of the firearm, respectively, when the magazine is
attached to the firearm. In the example shown in part (A) of FIG.
2, the first portion 112 is on the front side of magazine 100, as
it would face the front end of a firearm when magazine 100 is
inserted or otherwise attached to the firearm. In the example shown
in part (D) of FIG. 2, the first portion 112 is on the back side of
magazine 100, as it would face the back end of a firearm when
magazine 100 is inserted or otherwise attached to the firearm.
[0028] Under a proposed scheme in accordance with the present
disclosure, a transparent portion of the one-piece magazine well
may be on a left side or a right side of the plurality of sides
which faces a left side or a right side of the firearm,
respectively, when the magazine is attached to the firearm. Under
the proposed scheme, the transparent portion may extend a partial
length of the one of the plurality of sides of the one-piece
magazine well. Alternatively, the transparent portion may extend a
full length of the one of the plurality of sides of the one-piece
magazine well. In the example shown in part (B) of FIG. 2, the
first portion 112 is on the left side of magazine 100, as it would
face the left side of a firearm when magazine 100 is inserted or
otherwise attached to the firearm. In the example shown in part (F)
of FIG. 2, the first portion 112 is on the right side of magazine
100, as it would face the right side of a firearm when magazine 100
is inserted or otherwise attached to the firearm.
[0029] Under a proposed scheme in accordance with the present
disclosure, the one-piece magazine well may be configured with one
or more through holes on or along an edge between two adjoining
sides of a plurality of sides of the one-piece magazine well. In
the example shown in part (D) of FIG. 2, one-piece magazine well
110 has multiple through holes (e.g., three through holes) along
the edge between the left side and the back side of one-piece
magazine well 110.
[0030] Under a proposed scheme in accordance with the present
disclosure, a transparent portion of the one-piece magazine well
may be on an edge between two adjoining sides of a plurality of
sides of the one-piece magazine well. Under the proposed scheme,
the one-piece magazine well may additionally be configured with one
or more through holes on or along the edge. In the example shown in
part (C) of FIG. 2, the first portion 112 is on the edge between
the left side and the back side of one-piece magazine well 110 with
multiple through holes (e.g., three through holes) along the same
edge.
[0031] It is noteworthy that examples shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2
are for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope
of the present disclosure thereto. That is, although examples shown
in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may appear to be designed for a certain type
of firearms (e.g., pistol), the scope of the present disclosure is
not limited thereto. For instance, magazines in accordance with
various proposed schemes of the present disclosure may be
configured, designed, shaped and dimensioned for various other
types of firearms such as rifles, carbines and shotguns.
Highlight of Features
[0032] In view of the above description and FIG. 1-FIG. 2, certain
features of a firearm magazine extension are highlighted below.
[0033] In one aspect, a device implementable on a firearm (e.g., a
pistol, rifle, carbine or shotgun) may include a magazine which may
include a one-piece magazine well. The one-piece magazine well may
be configured to contain a plurality of rounds of ammunition
cartridges therein. Moreover, a first portion of the one-piece
magazine well may be transparent while a remaining, second portion
of the one-piece magazine well may be opaque.
[0034] In some implementations, the one-piece magazine well may be
made of a transparent polymer material.
[0035] In some implementations, a surface of the second portion of
the one-piece magazine well may be textured to result in the second
portion of the one-piece magazine well to be non-transparent.
Moreover, a surface of the first portion of the one-piece magazine
well may be not textured to result in the first portion of the
one-piece magazine well to be transparent.
[0036] In some implementations, the first portion of the one-piece
magazine well may be on one of a plurality of sides of the
one-piece magazine well.
[0037] In some implementations, the first portion of the one-piece
magazine well may be on a back side or a front side of the
plurality of sides which faces a back end or a front end of the
firearm, respectively, when the magazine is attached to the
firearm.
[0038] In some implementations, the first portion of the one-piece
magazine well may be on a left side or a right side of the
plurality of sides which faces a left side or a right side of the
firearm, respectively, when the magazine is attached to the
firearm.
[0039] In some implementations, the first portion may extend a
partial length of the one of the plurality of sides of the
one-piece magazine well. Alternatively, the first portion may
extend a full length of the one of the plurality of sides of the
one-piece magazine well.
[0040] In some implementations, the one-piece magazine well may be
configured with one or more through holes on or along an edge
between two adjoining sides of a plurality of sides of the
one-piece magazine well.
[0041] In some implementations, the first portion of the one-piece
magazine well may be on an edge between two adjoining sides of a
plurality of sides of the one-piece magazine well. In some
implementations, the one-piece magazine well may be configured with
one or more through holes on or along the edge.
[0042] In some implementations, the magazine may further include a
base plate, an elastic element, and a magazine follower. The
one-piece magazine well may have a first distal end and a second
distal end opposite the first distal end. Accordingly, the base
plate may be coupled to the first distal end. The elastic element
may be coupled between the base plate and the magazine follower.
Moreover, when one or more of the plurality of rounds of ammunition
cartridges is loaded into the magazine, the magazine follower may
be pushed toward the base plate with the elastic element compressed
between the base plate and the magazine follower.
[0043] In another aspect, a device implementable on a firearm
(e.g., a pistol, rifle, carbine or shotgun) may include a magazine
which may include a one-piece magazine well. The one-piece magazine
well may be configured to contain a plurality of rounds of
ammunition cartridges therein. Moreover, a first portion of the
one-piece magazine well may be transparent while a remaining,
second portion of the one-piece magazine well may be opaque. In
some implementations, the one-piece magazine well may be made of a
transparent polymer material. Additionally, a surface of the second
portion of the one-piece magazine well may be textured and a
surface of the first portion of the one-piece magazine well may be
not textured.
[0044] In some implementations, the first portion of the one-piece
magazine well may be on a back side or a front side of a plurality
of sides of the one-piece magazine well which faces a back end or a
front end of the firearm, respectively, when the magazine is
attached to the firearm.
[0045] In some implementations, the first portion of the one-piece
magazine well may be on a left side or a right side of a plurality
of sides of the one-piece magazine well which faces a left side or
a right side of the firearm, respectively, when the magazine is
attached to the firearm.
[0046] In some implementations, the first portion may extend a
partial length of the one of a plurality of sides of the one-piece
magazine well. Alternatively, the first portion may extend a full
length of the one of a plurality of sides of the one-piece magazine
well.
[0047] In some implementations, the one-piece magazine well may be
configured with one or more through holes on or along an edge
between two adjoining sides of a plurality of sides of the
one-piece magazine well.
[0048] In some implementations, the first portion of the one-piece
magazine well may be on an edge between two adjoining sides of a
plurality of sides of the one-piece magazine well. In some
implementations, the one-piece magazine well may be configured with
one or more through holes on or along the edge.
Additional Notes
[0049] The herein-described subject matter sometimes illustrates
different components contained within, or connected with, different
other components. It is to be understood that such depicted
architectures are merely examples, and that in fact many other
architectures can be implemented which achieve the same
functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components
to achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" such
that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two
components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality
can be seen as "associated with" each other such that the desired
functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or
intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated
can also be viewed as being "operably connected", or "operably
coupled", to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and
any two components capable of being so associated can also be
viewed as being "operably couplable", to each other to achieve the
desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable
include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or
physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable
and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically
interacting and/or logically interactable components.
[0050] Further, with respect to the use of substantially any plural
and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can
translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular
to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application.
The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth
herein for sake of clarity.
[0051] Moreover, it will be understood by those skilled in the art
that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended
claims, e.g., bodies of the appended claims, are generally intended
as "open" terms, e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted
as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be
interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be
interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc. It will be
further understood by those within the art that if a specific
number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an
intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence
of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an
aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain
usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more"
to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases
should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim
recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any
particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to
implementations containing only one such recitation, even when the
same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at
least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an," e.g., "a"
and/or "an" should be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or
more;" the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to
introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number
of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those
skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be
interpreted to mean at least the recited number, e.g., the bare
recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at
least two recitations, or two or more recitations. Furthermore, in
those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A,
B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended
in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the
convention, e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C"
would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B
alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C
together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc. In those instances
where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc."
is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense
one having skill in the art would understand the convention, e.g.,
"a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not
be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B
together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C
together, etc. It will be further understood by those within the
art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting
two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims,
or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities
of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms.
For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the
possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."
[0052] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various
implementations of the present disclosure have been described
herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications
may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the
present disclosure. Accordingly, the various implementations
disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true
scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
* * * * *