Intake system of vehicle engine installed in engine compartment

In an intake system of an engine of a vehicle, an intake duct includes a horizontal portion having a front end and a rear end in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and located to extend in the front-rare direction of the vehicle to be opposite to a top face of a battery, and a vertical portion extending curvedly from the front end of the horizontal portion and extending downward in a height direction of the vehicle along a front face of the battery. The vertical portion is formed with an air intake at a bottom thereof in the height direction of the vehicle. The air intake is located at a front side of the battery in the front-rear direction of the vehicle to be higher in the height direction of the vehicle than a bottom edge of the front face of the battery. An opening of the air intake is directed downward in the height direction of the vehicle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application 2011-269912 filed on Dec. 9, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to intake systems of a vehicle engine, and more particularly to such an intake system installed in the engine compartment of a vehicle to introduce external air into an intake manifold of an engine while cleaning it.

BACKGROUND

In the engine compartment of a vehicle, a battery, an intake system, and other objects are disposed in addition to an engine. There are two arrangement examples of these objects in the engine compartment of a vehicle.

The first arrangement example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-195116. In the first arrangement example, an engine and a rectangular-parallelepiped battery are installed in the engine compartment of the front end of a vehicle to be juxtaposed in the width direction of the vehicle. An air cleaner is placed in the engine compartment at the rear side of the battery in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and an intake duct is attached to the air cleaner to extend toward the front end of the vehicle around one side of the battery in the vehicle width direction, so that the opening of the air intake of the intake duct is directed ahead of the battery at the rear side of a headlight unit attached to the front end of the vehicle.

The second arrangement example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H11-294297. In the second arrangement example, an engine and a rectangular-parallelepiped battery are installed in the engine compartment of a vehicle to be juxtaposed in the width direction of the vehicle. An air cleaner is placed in the engine compartment at the rear side of the battery in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and an intake duct, which introduces air into an air cleaner, extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to cover the battery from above.

SUMMARY

However, in the first arrangement example, the opening of the air intake is directed in front of the vehicle at the rear side of the headlight unit attached to the front end of the vehicle. For this reason, the headlight unit may block low-temperature air from flowing into the air intake. This results in reduction in the amount of air introduced in the air cleaner, causing reduction in the engine capability. In addition, in the first arrangement example, because the intake duct extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle around one side of the battery in the vehicle width direction, the top of the battery is exposed in the engine compartment. Thus, if there were an accidental contact between a pedestrian and the front portion of a vehicle with the first arrangement example, the pedestrian could be easily contacted, via the engine hood, to the front edge or one front corner of the high-rigid top of the battery in the vehicle width direction; one front corner is located to be closer to the center of the vehicle than the other front corner is.

In the second arrangement example, the intake duct is merely disposed above the battery. For this reason, if the front end of the vehicle were subjected to external force, the external force could push the intake duct toward the rear side, resulting in exposure of the top of the battery in the engine compartment. In this case, as described above, if there were an accidental contact between a pedestrian and the front portion of a vehicle with the second arrangement example, the pedestrian could be easily contacted, via the engine hood, to the front edge of the top of the battery or one front corner of the top face of the battery in the vehicle width direction, located to be closer to the center of the vehicle than the other front corner is.

In the second arrangement example, because the opening of the air intake is directed in front of the vehicle, air containing foreign particles, such as snow particles, may be likely introduced via the air intake into the air cleaner. This may cause clogging of the air cleaner, resulting in reduction in the engine capability.

In view of the circumstances set forth above, one aspect of the present invention seeks to provide intake systems of a vehicle engine, which are designed to address the problems set forth above.

Specifically, an alternative aspect of the present invention aims to provide such intake systems, which could reduce: impact on a pedestrian if there were an accidental contact between the pedestrian and a corresponding vehicle; and reduce damage of the battery if the front end of the vehicle were subjected to external force. A further aspect of the present invention aims to provide such intake systems, which are capable of preventing foreign particles, such as snow particles, from being introduced into an air cleaner, thus maintaining the engine capability independently of these foreign particles.

According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided an intake system installed in an engine compartment of a front portion of a vehicle in which an engine and a battery are arranged in a width direction of the vehicle. The intake system includes an air cleaner located at a rear side of the battery in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and an intake duct located to extend from the air cleaner to the forward. The intake duct includes a horizontal portion having a front end and a rear end in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and located to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle to be opposite to a top face of the battery. The intake duct includes a vertical portion extending curvedly from the front end of the horizontal portion and extending downward in a height direction of the vehicle along a front face of the battery. The vertical portion is formed with an air intake at a bottom thereof in the height direction of the vehicle. The air intake is located at a front side of the battery in the front-rear direction of the vehicle to be higher in the height direction of the vehicle than a bottom edge of the front face of the battery. An opening of the air intake is directed downward in the height direction of the vehicle.

In the exemplary aspect of the present invention, the horizontal portion and the vertical portion are located to cover at least: an area of each of the top face and the front face of the battery, which is located at a center side of the engine compartment in the vehicle width direction; and an edge of each of the top face and the front face of the battery, which is located at the center side of the engine compartment in the vehicle width direction.

In the exemplary aspect of the present invention, the horizontal portion and the vertical portion are located to cover at least: an area of each of the top face and the front face of the battery, which is located at a center side of the engine compartment in the vehicle width direction; and an edge of each of the top face and the front face of the battery, which is located at the center side of the engine compartment in the vehicle width direction. The horizontal portion and the vertical portion are also formed to expand toward a center of the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle to cover one front corner of the top face of the battery in the width direction of the vehicle. The one front corner is located to be closer to the center of the vehicle than the other front corner is.

In the exemplary aspect of the present invention, a radiator of the vehicle is disposed below an upper member of a frame of the vehicle via a space. The upper member is hanged on the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle. The battery is located such that a part of the front face of the battery faces the space. The part of the front face is lower in the height direction of the vehicle than a top edge of the front face, and the air intake of the intake duct is arranged to be lower than a bottom edge of the upper member and higher than a top of the radiator corresponding to a bottom of the space in the height direction of the vehicle.

In the exemplary aspect of the present invention, a radiator of the vehicle is disposed below an upper member of a frame of the vehicle via a space. The upper member is hanged on the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle. The battery is located such that a part of the front face of the battery faces the space. The part of the front face is lower in the height direction of the vehicle than a top edge of the front face. The air intake of the intake duct is arranged such that the air intake is lower than a bottom edge of the upper member and higher than a top of the radiator corresponding to a bottom of the space in the height direction of the vehicle. The air intake is located between the front face of the battery and a center portion of a space in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The space is defined as a space between a rear face of the upper member and the front face of the battery in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

The intake system according to the exemplary aspect of the present invention could protect a pedestrian and reduce the possibility of the battery being damaged even if there were an accidental contact between the pedestrian and a front portion of the vehicle. The intake system according to the exemplary aspect of the present invention removes foreign particles, such as snow particles from entering air to introduce the entering air, from which these foreign particles have been removed, only into the air cleaner. This improves the capability of the engine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

Intake systems of a vehicle engine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are schematic drawings, and therefore the dimensions of one or more elements illustrated in one drawing need not be identical to those of them illustrated in another drawing. Similarly, the ratios between the dimensions of one or more elements illustrated in one drawing need not be identical to those between the dimensions of them illustrated in another drawing, and the shapes of one or more elements illustrated in one drawing need not be identical to those of them illustrated in another drawing. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction, i.e. the front-rear direction, and the width direction, i.e. the left-right direction, of a corresponding vehicle are illustrated by respective arrows.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, the body of a vehicle1is provided at its front portion with an engine compartment2. In the engine compartment2, an engine3, a battery4, an intake system5including an intercooler7, a radiator6, and other objects, which are need to be located around the engine3, are installed. Referring toFIG. 2, an engine hood8covers the top of the engine3.

The engine3and the battery4are juxtaposed in the left-right direction in the engine compartment2. The radiator6and the intercooler7are disposed inside a radiator grille (not shown) attached to the front end of the engine compartment2.

In the front portion of the body of the vehicle1, the front portion of a frame is provided. The front portion of the frame is made up of an upper member9, a pair of side members10, and a cross member (not shown). The upper member9is hanged on the top of the front end of the vehicle body to extend in the left-right direction, i.e. the vehicle width direction. The side members10are mounted on the respective left and right sides of the vehicle body to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle1(seeFIG. 2). The cross member is joined to each of the front ends of the side members10to extend in the left-right direction, i.e. the vehicle width direction.

Referring toFIG. 2, the engine hood4can be locked to the upper member9. The radiator6is disposed below the upper member9. That is, there is a space11between the top of the radiator6, which is opposite to the bottom of the upper member9, and the bottom of the upper member9. The battery4has a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped shape, and is disposed such that at least part of its front face44, directed in front of the vehicle1, is opposite to the space11; the part of the front face44is lower in the height direction of the vehicle1than a top edge of the front face44.

Referring toFIG. 1, the engine3is comprised of a cylinder head3A of a cylinder block, an intake manifold3B communicating with each cylinder of the cylinder block, and an exhaust manifold3C communicating with each cylinder of the cylinder block. The intake manifold3B is located at the rear side of the cylinder head3A, and the exhaust manifold3C is located in front of the cylinder head3A.

Referring toFIG. 1, the intake system5includes an air cleaner51, an intake duct52, an outlet pipe53for the air cleaner51, a turbo supercharger54, an inlet pipe55for the intercooler7, the intercooler7, and an outlet pipe56for the intercooler7.

The air cleaner51is located at the rear side of the battery4, and the intake duct52is communicably coupled to the air cleaner51. The outlet pipe53is communicably coupled to the air cleaner51. The turbo supercharger54is communicably coupled to the outlet pipe53. The inlet pipe55has one end and the other end, the one end of the inlet pipe55is communicably coupled to the turbo supercharger54, and the other end of the inlet pipe55is communicably coupled to the intercooler7. The outlet pipe56has one end and the other end, the one end of the outlet pipe56is communicably coupled to the intercooler7, and the other end of the outlet pipe56is communicably coupled to the intake manifold3B.

Referring toFIG. 2, the air cleaner51is comprised of a body51A, a cover51B, an air-cleaner element, and a connection tube51C. The body51A has the shape of a rectangular-parallelepiped container with an opening top side, and located in the engine compartment2with the opening top side directed upward in the height direction of the vehicle1. The cover51B is mounted on the opening top side of the body51A to cover it, thus providing an air-cleaner casing inside the combination of the body51A and cover51B. The air-cleaner element is installed in the air-cleaner casing, and adapted to filter impurities contained in air entering itself to clean the entering air. The connection tube51C is communicably coupled to the front side of the body51A to project therefrom upwardly for transferring entering air to the air-cleaner element.

In this embodiment, the intake duct52is made of synthetic resins. The intake duct52has given rigidity enough to hold tubular structure, and has a desired elasticity that allows, if being pressed, the deformed shape to return to its original shape.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 5, the intake duct52according to this embodiment is formed to have a substantially L or U shape in a right-side or left-side view. Specifically, the intake duct52is comprised of a rear curved portion52A, a front curved portion52B, a connection tube52C, a horizontal portion52D, a vertical portion52E, an air intake52F, and a pair of brackets52G and52H. The vertical portion52E can include the front curved portion52B.

The horizontal portion52D is located over the top of the battery4in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle1. One end, i.e. a rear end, of the horizontal portion52D is continuously joined to one end, i.e. a front end, of the rear curved portion52A, and the other end, i.e. the rear end, of the rear curved portion52A is curved downward relative to the horizontal portion52D. One end of the connection tube52C is continuously joined to the other end of the rear curved portion52A.

The other end, i.e. front end, of the horizontal portion52D is continuously joined to one end, i.e. a rear end, of the front curved portion52B, and the other end, i.e. the front end, of the front curved portion52B is curved downward relative to the horizontal portion52D. One end, i.e. a top end, of the vertical portion52E is continuously joined to the other end of the front curved portion52B, and the other end, i.e., the lower end, of the vertical portion52E extends downward in the height direction of the vehicle1. The bottom of the lower end of the vertical portion52E is opening, which serves as the air intake52F. The opening of the air intake52F is directed downward in the height direction of the vehicle1. The brackets52G and52H are attached to both sides of the lower end of the vertical portion52E to extend in front of the vertical portion52E.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 5, the connection tube52C has a substantially cylindrical shape. The other end, i.e. a free end, of the connection tube52C is communicably coupled to the connection tube51C of the air cleaner51. In order to facilitate the coupling of the connection tube52C to the connection tube51C, the connection tube52C can be made of a material higher in flexibility than those of the other portions of the intake duct52.

Referring toFIG. 4, the horizontal portion52D of the intake duct52is formed as a flat hollow duct whose width is greater at the front-side end coupled to the front curved portion52B than at the rear-side end coupled to the rear curved portion52A. Specifically, the front-side half of the horizontal portion52D in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle1is formed with an expansion portion52D1that expands toward the center of the vehicle1, i.e. the right-side in this embodiment, in the vehicle width direction to cover one front corner42of the top face41of the battery4in the vehicle width direction, located to be closer to the center of the vehicle1than the other front corner is.

The horizontal portion52D is also formed to cover a part, i.e. a right-side part, of the front edge43of the top face41of the battery4; the part (right-side part) of the front edge43is located at the center side of the engine compartment2in the vehicle width direction. The horizontal portion52D, which is a flat hollow duct, has given durability enough to withstand load applied thereto from above, and has repulsion and elasticity that would function as a shock absorber if there were an accidental contact between a pedestrian and the engine hood8of the vehicle1.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 6, the vertical portion52E of the intake duct52has a width identical to the width of the front end of the horizontal portion52D. The vertical portion52E is arranged to be substantially orthogonal to the horizontal portion52D via the front curved portion52B. The vertical portion52E is located to face at least an area, i.e. a right-side area, of the front face44of the battery4; the area of the front face44is located at the center side of the engine compartment2in the vehicle width direction. Thus, the horizontal portion52D, the front curved portion52B, and the vertical portion52E cover at least: an area of each of the top face41and the front face44of the battery4, which is located at the center side of the engine compartment2in the vehicle width direction; and an edge of each of the top face41and the front face44of the battery4, which is located at the center side of the engine compartment2in the vehicle width direction.

The vertical portion52E, the front curved portion52B, and the horizontal portion52D are integrally formed. That is, each of the front curved portion52B and the vertical portion52D has given durability enough to withstand load applied thereto. For this reason, each of the vertical portion52E, the front curved portion52B, and the horizontal portion52D has given rigidity enough to hold its shape. Thus, even if the front end of the vehicle1were subjected to external fore from its front side so that force based on the external force acted on the intake duct52to move it in the rear direction of the vehicle1, the vertical portion52E and the front curved portion52B could be held to abut on the front face44of the battery4. That is, the vertical portion52E and the front curved portion52B could serve as a portion caught on the battery4.

As illustrated inFIGS. 2,3,5, and6, the air intake52F formed at the bottom of the lower end of the vertical portion52E is located to be higher than the bottom edge44A of the front face44of the battery4. In addition, the air intake52F is arranged to be lower than the bottom edge of the upper member9and higher than the top of the radiator6corresponding to the bottom of the space11in the height direction of the vehicle1. Particularly, referring toFIG. 5, the air intake52F is located between the front face44of the battery4and a center line (center) C. The center line C is defined to face the air intake52F and to pass through half of a line L; the line L is defined between the front face44of the battery4and a rear face of the upper member9opposite to the front face44to pass through the center axis of the air intake52F. Referring toFIG. 4, the lower end of the vertical portion52E is fixed to the bottom of the rear face of the upper member9via the brackets52G and52H and bolts57.

Next, the remaining members of the intake system5disposed downstream of the air clear51will be described. To the cover51B of the air cleaner51, one end of the outlet pipe53is communicably joined. The outlet pipe53extends via the upper side of the engine3, so that the other end is communicably joined to an inlet port of the turbo supercharger54mounted on the right-side of the front of the engine3. To an outlet port of the turbo supercharger54, one end of the inlet pipe55for the intercooler7is communicably coupled. The other end of the inlet pipe55is communicably coupled to an inlet coupler (not shown) of the intercooler7; the intercooler7is mounted on the lower side of the front of the radiator6. To an outlet coupler (not shown) of the intercooler7, the intake manifold3B, located at the rear side of the top of the engine3, is communicably coupled. Thus, air entering the air cleaner51via the intake duct52is cleaned by the air cleaner51, and thereafter transferred via the elements53to55and7to the intake manifold3B.

Next, operations and technical effects of the intake system5configured set forth above will be described hereinafter.

If there were an accidental contact between a pedestrian and the front end of the vehicle1, the pedestrian would be contacted to the vehicle1from the front end to its rear side, so that external force would be transferred to the vehicle1toward its rear side in the front-rear direction as illustrated by arrow F1inFIGS. 2 and 5. Thereafter, if the pedestrian moved from the front end to the engine hood8, external force would be transferred from the top of the vehicle1to the bottom thereof as illustrated by arrow F2inFIGS. 2 and 5. As described above, the battery4has a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped shape, and relatively high rigidity in comparison to other in-vehicle parts, and is disposed vertically in the engine compartment2. Thus, if there were an accidental contact between a pedestrian and the front end of the vehicle1, so that the pedestrian were contacted to the battery4, impact on the pedestrian could be increased.

In addition, because the engine3and the battery4are arranged in the vehicle width direction in the engine compartment2, the battery4is located to be offset to one side in the vehicle width direction. For example, in this embodiment, the battery4is located to be offset to the left side in the vehicle width direction (seeFIGS. 1 and 3). Thus, if there were an accidental contact between a pedestrian and the front end of the vehicle1, so that the pedestrian were contacted to intersections between the top face41, the front face44, and an inner side face45in the vehicle width direction (seeFIG. 4) of the battery4; the intersections include one front corner42of the top face41of the battery4in the vehicle width direction, located to be closer to the center of the vehicle1than the other front corner is. Because the intersections include edges, if the pedestrian were contacted to any edge in the intersections, impact on the pedestrian could be increased.

In order to address these circumstances, as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 4, the intake system5is configured such that the intake duct52is comprised of: the horizontal portion52D extending, from the air cleaner51, over the top of the battery4toward the front side in the front-rear direction of the vehicle1; the front curved portion52B; and the vertical portion52D extending from the front curved portion52B downwardly along the front face44of the battery4. If a pedestrian were contacted to the engine hood8so that external force were applied to the battery4, the components52D,52B, and52E serve as a cushion member that prevents the pedestrian from being contacted to the intersections of the battery4including edges via the engine hood8. Thus, even if a pedestrian were contacted to a part of the engine hood8, which is opposite to the battery4, the horizontal portion52D and the front curved portion52B of the intake duct52could absorb impact based on the contact, thus protecting the pedestrian. In addition, the components52D,52B, and52E of the battery4protect the battery4from external force applied from the upper side of the battery4.

In the intake system5according to this embodiment, at least part of the air intake52F is located to face the front face44of the battery4in the vehicle width direction, and the opening of the air intake52F is directed downward (seeFIG. 6). Thus, if air A containing foreign particles, such as snow particles, enters the engine compartment2via the space11during the vehicle1running as illustrated inFIG. 5, the arrangement of the air intake52F causes the foreign particles B, such as snow particles, to hit the front face44of the battery4, so that the foreign particles B fall. Thus, it is possible to prevent foreign particles, such as snow particles, from entering the air intake52F, and to supply air, from which foreign particles, such as snow particles have been removed, to the air cleaner51. This prevents clogging of the air-cleaner element of the air cleaner51due to foreign particles, such as snow particles, thus maintaining the engine capability independently of these foreign particles.

In addition, the arrangement of the air intake52F causes entering air via the space11to hit the front face44of the battery4, resulting in temporary retention or reduction in speed of the entering air via the space11. Thus, it is possible to smoothly introduce only a large amount of low-temperature air into the air intake52F. Moreover, the arrangement of the air intake52F causes entering fresh air via the space11to hit the front face44of the battery4, resulting in holding down the increase in temperature of the battery4, thus improving the capability of the battery4.

The opening of the air intake52F is arranged between the bottom of the upper member9or the space11and the front face44of the battery4in the front-rear direction of the vehicle1. The arrangement of the air intake52F smoothly introduces low-temperature air passing through the space11between the upper member9and the radiator6into the air intake52F, thus improving the engine capability. Particularly, the arrangement of the air intake52F prevents air A1, which has passed through the radiator6to be heated, from being introduced from the air intake52F into the intake duct52as illustrated inFIG. 5.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 5, if external force F1were applied to the battery4from the front side toward the rear side of the vehicle1, the front curved portion52B and the vertical portion52E could abut on the front face44of the battery4to be caught on the battery4. The front curved portion52B and the vertical portion52E, which serve as a portion to be caught on the battery4, could prevent the intake duct52from moving, from the upper side of the battery4, toward the rear side of the vehicle1even if external force F1were applied to the battery4. Thus, even if external force F1were applied to the front portion of the vehicle1in front of the vehicle1, the front curved portion52B and the vertical portion52E, which cover at least an area of each of the top face41and the front face44of the battery4, which is located at the center side of the engine compartment2in the vehicle width direction, could reduce adverse affect of the external force F1on the battery4.

In addition, the air intake52F is arranged, in the height direction of the vehicle1, to be within the bottom of the upper member9, disposed to be lower than the top of the battery4, and the top of the radiator6corresponding to the bottom of the space11, in other words, within the top of the space11and the top of the radiator6corresponding to the bottom of the space11. This arrangement of the air intake52F results in an extension of the bottom of the lower end of the vertical portion52E, i.e. the air intake52F, downward in the height direction of the vehicle1as long as the air intake52F is prevented from being subjected to heated air having passed through the radiator6.

Referring toFIG. 5, the air intake52F is located to be closer to the front face44of the battery4other than to the center line C defined to pass through half of the line L; the line L is defined between the front face44of the battery4and the rear face of the upper member9opposite to the front face44to pass through the center axis of the air intake52F. The location of the air intake52F results in a reduction in the distance between the portion to be caught on the battery4, which is comprised of the front curved portion52B and the vertical portion52E, and the front face44of the battery4in the front-rear direction of the vehicle1. This results in the portion to be caught on the battery4being substantially orthogonal to the horizontal portion52D. Thus, even if the front portion of the vehicle1were subjected to external force in front of the vehicle1, the vertical portion52E could be prevent from moving, by a large amount, in the rear direction of the vehicle1due to impact based on the external force, thus reliably covering at least the one front corner42of the top face41of the battery4in the vehicle width direction, and a part of the front edge43of the top face41of the battery4, which is located at the center sided of the engine compartment2in the vehicle width direction.

The intake system5according to this embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the descriptions and figures of which are not limited to the present invention. Skilled persons in the art could derive, from the descriptions and figures of the intake system5according to this embodiment, various alternative embodiments, other embodiments, and operational techniques.

For example, the intake system5according to this embodiment is comprised of the turn supercharger54and/or the intercooler7, but the turn supercharger54and/or the intercooler7can be eliminated from the intake system5.

In this embodiment, the horizontal portion52D, the front curved portion52B, and the vertical portion52E of the intake duct52is formed as a flat hollow duct, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Specifically, the inner duct52can be provided at its inner wall with ribs for enhancing elasticity and rigidity. In addition, the inner hollow space of each of the front curved portion52B, and the vertical portion52E of the intake duct52can be divided by partitions into a plurality of spaces in the vehicle width direction; each of the plurality of spaces extends in the direction of the length of a corresponding one of the front curved portion52B, and the vertical portion52E of the intake duct52.

While an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure has been described herein, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described herein, but includes any and all embodiments having modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alternations as would be appreciated by those in the art based on the present disclosure. The limitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.