Icemaker system with wide range condensing temperatures

A refrigeration system having two alternatively actuable condensers operating at different condensing temperatures and pressures includes a compensatory metering arrangement for preventing significant changes of refrigerant fluid flow rate to the system evaporator when the system switches from one condenser to the other. Compensation is effected by changing the size of the metering orifice as necessary to accommodate the different condenser operating pressures. In one embodiment a thermostatic expansion valve is modified to include a damping factor preventing rapid changes in the valve position. Damping is achieved with a liquid-filled damping chamber having a damping diaphragm as one wall secured to the valve actuator rod. Opening of the valve requires the damping diaphragm to compress the liquid which is permitted to leak from the damping chamber at a controlled rate to slow the valve actuation rate. The system has particular utilization in the formation and collection of purified ice pieces from unpurified water and the formation of purified water by the selective melting of ice pieces using rejection heat from one of the alternatively operative condensers. In an alternative system embodiment, electrical heating of the collection bin is employed to melt ice pieces.

Other related applications include my co-pending U.S. patent applications 
Ser. No. 07/471,884 and Ser. No. 07/471,885, both filed Jan. 29, 1990 as 
continuation-in-part applications of the aforesaid application Ser. No. 
07/278,447. 
The subject matter of all four of the aforesaid applications is expressly 
incorporated herein in its entirety. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controllably 
varying the flow rate and pressure of refrigerant fluid delivered to an 
evaporator in a refrigerant system of the type wherein two condensers 
operating at different temperatures and pressures are alternatively 
actuated. The invention has particular utility in systems of the type 
disclosed in my aforementioned prior patent applications wherein purified 
ice pieces are formed from tap water and then selectively melted to 
provide purified water. 
In my aforesaid patent applications I disclose systems wherein heat to melt 
ice pieces is derived from a condenser employed in the ice-maker 
refrigeration cycle. Provision is made to maintain the condensing 
temperatures (and, therefore, the condensing pressures) at appropriately 
high levels while the condenser rejection heat is employed to melt the ice 
pieces. These high temperatures and pressures serve to maintain an 
adequate flow of refrigerant fluid through the metering device to the 
evaporator of the refrigeration system. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus 
for permitting the refrigerant condensing function to occur at relatively 
low temperatures in the ice-melting condenser while maintaining adequate 
flow through the refrigerant metering device to the evaporator. 
In accordance with the present invention, condensing is permitted at 
relatively low temperatures by placing the melting condenser in direct 
contact with the bottom of the ice piece collection bin. Adequate 
refrigerant flow is maintained by utilization of unusually large metering 
orifices. The system is adaptable to higher condensing temperatures, at 
such time as when ice is not being melted by the condenser, by 
automatically decreasing the size of the metering orifice. When a lower 
condensing temperature is employed, less power is consumed by the 
refrigerant compressor which is no longer required to pump against the 
high discharge pressure present with higher condensing temperatures. In 
one embodiment of the invention, a wide range thermostatic expansion valve 
automatically adapts to the varying condensing temperatures to control the 
metering orifice size. The valve responds to the temperature of the 
refrigerant fluid to open and close the metering orifice accordingly. A 
damping mechanism is employed in the valve to limit its actuation rate at 
the onset of opening and closing to prevent overfeeding of refrigerant 
fluid to the evaporator immediately after changeover occurs from one 
condenser to the other. 
An alternative ice-melting system is also disclosed wherein an electrical 
heater, rather than a second condenser is employed to melt ice. This 
embodiment is particularly useful to reduce construction costs for small 
capacity systems.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In order to facilitate reference to the disclosure material incorporated 
herein from my U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,099 and my other above-described patent 
applications, reference numerals up to and including numeral "86" 
appearing in the accompanying drawings are chosen to correspond to those 
reference numerals employed in the aforesaid patent to designate like 
elements. Higher reference numerals appearing in the accompanying drawings 
designate elements not present in the aforesaid patent. 
Referring now to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, an ice maker includes 
an evaporator tube 2 contacting the dry or control surface of a vertical 
ice-forming plate 3 at multiple spaced locations. For some applications a 
plurality of such plates may be employed. Unpurified water discharged as a 
jet or stream from nozzle 4 flows down along the wet or ice-forming 
surface of plate 3, whereby ice pieces 5, 6, 7 and 8 are formed at the 
spaced areas corresponding to the locations of contact between evaporator 
tube 2 and plate 3. Refrigerant vapor from evaporator 2 flows back to a 
compressor 9 where it is compressed and then directed to a condensing 
system described in detail below. Liquid refrigerant returning from the 
condensing system is conveyed by liquid line 11 to a metering device 12, 
typically an expansion valve, and then back to evaporator 2 in a 
conventional closed circuit refrigeration flow path. Excess water flowing 
over the growing ice pieces 5, 6, 7 and 8 carries away impurities before 
they can be trapped and then drains into sump 13. Water from sump 13 is 
drawn by pump 14 and pumped back to nozzle 4 to form a continuous circuit 
of unpurified water flow. 
After a predetermined time has elapsed for ice pieces 5, 6, 7 and 8 to grow 
to adequate size, a harvest of the ice pieces is initiated. A cam 15A of a 
timer 15 actuates switch points 15B to break an electrical energizing 
circuit for pump 14. With pump 14 deactuated, water in transit from pump 
14 to nozzle 4, and water flowing over the ice pieces 5, 6, 7 and 8, flows 
back to raise the level in sump 13. As a consequence, a siphon 16 is 
activated to dump the remainder of the water from sump 13 to a drain. 
Timer 15 simultaneously activates switch point 15B to deactivate pump 14 
and switch point 15C to energize a hot gas valve 17, thereby allowing hot 
refrigerant gas to be shunted around the condenser system and expansion 
valve 12 to flow directly into evaporator 2. The warming effect of this 
hot gas detaches the ice pieces from plate 3, permitting them to fall into 
ice collection bin 18. Meanwhile, the water in sump 13 is replenished by 
tap water from pipe 19 under the control of a float valve 20. After a 
predetermined ice piece harvest interval, cam 15A of timer 15 reverses the 
settings of the switch points, de-energizes hot gas valve 17 and 
reactivates pump 14 so that ice making may be resumed. A repetitive cycle 
of harvest and ice making is thus continued until ice collection bin 18 is 
full, at which time the ice pieces come into contact with the ice quantity 
sensor of bin switch 21 which opens to cause compressor 9 to be 
deactuated. The ice pieces thusly collected, because they are continuously 
washed by the stream delivered from nozzle 4 as the pieces are being 
formed, have a much higher purity than that of the original tap water. The 
ice making apparatus thus far described is of a type commonly employed and 
well known. Similarly, any other type of ice maker using a recirculating 
flow of pumped water, and therefore capable of producing a supply of pure 
ice pieces, can be employed in connection with the present invention. 
Any ice that melts in bin 18 drains through a pipe 22 having an inlet at 
the bottom of the bin. The drained water flows into a bottle 23 or other 
container resting on a platform 24 hinged at a positionally fixed point 
25. By "positionally fixed" it is meant that the hinge or pivot point 25 
is stationary relative to the common cabinet or housing for all of the 
components described herein. With container 23 full, its weight overcomes 
the resilient bias force of a balance spring 26 and pulls platform 24 
clockwise (as viewed in the drawing) to swing the platform downward. This 
downward movement causes a downward movement of a control link 27 
connected to platform 24 at a connecting pivot 28, the latter being 
movable relative to the common system housing. The opposite end of control 
link 27 is attached to a movable pivot point 31 which is attached to 
rocker arm 29. Downward movement of control link 27 causes clockwise 
rotation of rocker arm 29 about a positionally fixed pivot point 30. This 
clockwise rotation of rocker arm 29 holds switch 68 open. Electrical 
current flow to solenoid valves 69 and 70 is thus interrupted so that 
these valves remain de-energized. With bin switch 21 close, indicating 
that the bin is less than full of ice pieces, compressor 9 continue to 
run. Solenoid valve 70 is a normally open valve; therefore, since it is 
de-energized, valve 70 permits refrigerant fluid, discharged by compressor 
9, to flow to condenser 71. Solenoid valve 69 is a normally closed valve; 
therefor, since it is de-energized, it is closed. Condenser 71 may be 
either air-cooled or water-cooled. Refrigerant liquid flows from condenser 
71 to liquid line 11, then to metering device 12 and evaporator 2 in the 
ice-making function previously described. 
If bottle 234 is less than full, its weight is overcome by the resilient 
bias force of balance spring 26 which pulls platform 24 counter-clockwise 
(as viewed in the drawing) to swing the platform upwardly. Upward movement 
of the platform causes an upward movement of control link 27 and a 
counter-clockwise rotation of rocker arm 29. In response to rotation of 
rocker arm 29, an override switch 32 closes, thereby bypassing bin switch 
21 to permit compressor 9 to run regardless of the state of the bin 
switch. Counter-clockwise rotation of rocker arm 29 also permits switch 68 
to close, thereby completing a circuit to energize both solenoid valves 69 
and 70. When the normally open solenoid valve 70 is energized, it closes 
to shut off refrigerant flow to condenser 71. When the normally closed 
solenoid valve 69 is energized, it opens to allow flow of compressed 
refrigerant vapor through pipe 73 to condenser coil 102 secured in direct 
contact with the bottom of ice collection bin 18. Condenser coil 102 acts 
as a condenser rejecting heat of condensation to melt ice pieces in bin 
18. Ice resting at the bottom of bin 18 is thereby melted at a relatively 
fast rate, and the resulting purified water is drained by a pipe 22 into 
container 23. 
As ice melts at the bottom of pin 18, the weight of ice pieces in the bin 
causes more pieces to continually move downwardly to the bin bottom. 
Meanwhile, the ice-making function continues so that a supply of fresh ice 
pieces is collected in the bin. Condensed liquid refrigerant from 
condenser coil 102 flows through pipe 103 and check valve 76 to liquid 
line 104. Check valve 76 serves to block backflow into condenser coil 102 
during system shut down. Liquid refrigerant flows in liquid line 104 to a 
second metering device 105, and then back to evaporator 2 in a continuous 
refrigeration circuit. Metering device 105 can be an expansion valve, 
capillary tube, or other type of throttling device, but it differs from 
metering device 12 in that its orifice, through which the liquid 
refrigerant passes, must be much larger or, in the case of an expansion 
valve, capable of opening to a much larger opening than provided in 
metering device 12. This is required because, when condenser coil 102 is 
functioning as the system condenser, the high-side pressure is quite low 
due to a low condensing temperature as compared to the higher pressure and 
temperature in condenser 71. Accordingly, with only the lower pressure 
available to propel refrigerant liquid through the metering device, the 
orifice or opening must be much larger if the same flow rate to the 
evaporator is to be maintained. With a typical refrigerant fluid such as 
refrigerant R-502, and with the evaporator operating at 20.degree. F. and 
a low-side pressure of 53 psi, condenser coil 102 typically operates at 
40.degree. F. and has a high-side pressure of 80 psi. The resulting 
pressure differential is 27 psi. Condenser 71, on the other hand, 
typically operates at a 100.degree. F. with a high-side pressure of 216 
psi, providing a pressure differential of 163 psi. 
When water container 23 become full, is weight once again overcomes the 
bias force of balance spring 26, causing platform 24 to drop (i.e., pivot 
clockwise about fixed pivot 25). Control link 27 is thereby pulled 
downwardly, rotating rocker arm 29 clockwise to open switch 68 and 
de-energize solenoid valves 69, 70 and terminating the ice-melting 
function. Override switch 32 also opens, leaving control of the ice making 
function to bin switch 21. 
Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 of the 
accompanying drawings to which reference is now made. The overall 
operation of this embodiment is identical to that described for the 
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 except that a single liquid line 11 and a 
single expansion valve 106 are employed rather than the two metering 
devices 12 and 105 and their associated liquid lines 11 and 104 (FIG. 1). 
An additional check valve 72 is also employed for this embodiment. 
Expansion valve 106 is capable of controlling a relatively constant flow 
of refrigerant liquid, regardless of the wide range of pressure 
differentials encountered between the high-side and the low-side 
pressures, when condenser coil 102 or condenser 71 are used alternatively 
as described above in connection with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 
1. Expansion valve 106 is a wide-range thermostatic expansion lave of the 
type described in detail below in relation to FIG. 3. 
In the ice-making, non-melting mode of operation of the system illustrated 
in FIG. 2, refrigerant vapor from evaporator tube 2 is drawn by compressor 
9, compressed and then discharged through valve 70 to condenser 71. 
Condensed liquid refrigerant flows through check valve 72, through liquid 
line 11, and then through expansion valve 106 to evaporator tube 2 in a 
conventional refrigeration cycle. As described above, the differential 
between the pressures in liquid line 11 and evaporator tube 2 is 
relatively large when condenser 71 is in operation. When the system is 
switched to an ice-making, ice-melting mode of operation, compressor 9 
discharges the compressed vapor through valve 69 and pipe 73 to condenser 
coil 102. Condensed liquid refrigerant flows through pipe 103, check valve 
76, liquid line 11 and expansion valve 106 to evaporator tube 2. The 
differential between the pressures in liquid line 11 and evaporator 2 is 
relatively small when condensing occurs at the lower temperature of 
condenser coil 102 (as previously described). Regardless of these 
disparate pressure differentials, expansion valve 106 allows only the 
appropriate amount of liquid refrigerant to flow into evaporator tube 2 in 
these alternative melting and non-melting modes of operation. Temperature 
bulb 107 senses the temperature of suction vapor leaving the evaporator 2. 
Check valves 72 and 76 prevent backflow into condensers 71 and 102, 
respectively, during their alternative functions and during system shut 
down. 
Referring now to FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings, expansion valve 106 
essentially comprises an oversized thermostatic expansion valve with a 
damping mechanism for slowing down the rate of opening to: (a) prevent 
overfeeding of refrigerant fluid until the system is settled in balanced 
operation during starting of the system; and (b) prevent hunting. Liquid 
refrigerant from liquid line 11 enters inlet port 108 and flows to valve 
seat 109 which combines with valve head 110 to form the variable metering 
orifice of the valve. Power element diaphragm 111 responds to vapor 
pressure on its upper side from the refrigerant liquid charge in 
temperature bulb 107. (It is to be noted that use of such terms as "upper 
side", "underside", "upward", "downward", etc., relates only to 
orientations in FIG. 3 for simplified understanding and are not to be 
construed as preferred actual orientations of the valve and valve 
components). Downwardly mechanical pressure form diaphragm 111 is 
transferred via collar 112 and push-rods 113 and 114 to valve head 110, 
tending to move the valve head toward an open valve position. Control 
spring 115 provides a bias force in the opposite direction. Outlet port 
116 connects directly to evaporator tube 2. The vapor pressure present in 
the evaporator is present on the underside of diaphragm 111 by virtue of 
passage 117 connecting the space under diaphragm 111 to the valve body 
interior in the region of outlet port 116. The extent of movement of valve 
head 110 away from valve seat 109, and thus the extent of valve opening or 
orifice size, depends upon the combined effects of: (1) downward pressure 
on diaphragm 111 as a function of the temperature sensed by bulb 107; (2) 
upward pressure on diaphragm 111 as a function of evaporator pressure; and 
(3) upward force from bias spring 115. Adjustable collar 118 has a male 
screw thread engaging a female screw thread in the body. The tension on 
control spring 115 can be altered by rotation of collar 118, thus allowing 
superheat adjustments to be made. 
The operation of valve 106 as thus far described is the same as the 
operation of a conventional thermostatic expansion valve, except that the 
essential elements of valve 106, such as diaphragm 111, valve seat 109, 
valve heat 110 and bias spring 115 are larger than would be employed in a 
conventional refrigeration system of corresponding tonnage. This is 
necessarily so because valve 106, when employed with low temperature 
condenser coil 102 (FIG. 2), must permit flow of the required quantity of 
liquid refrigerant for that tonnage, but must have a pressure differential 
between its inlet and outlet that is much lower than normal. However, when 
valve 106 is employed with the normal temperature condenser 71, its larger 
sizing causes problems such as overfeeding of refrigerant fluid when the 
system is starting up, and hunting when overfeed is followed abruptly by 
starving, then overfeed, etc., in a repetitive cycle of over-compensation. 
In order to prevent this, a damping arrangement is provided and includes 
annular damper diaphragms 119 and 120. Alternatively, metal bellows may be 
employed instead of the diaphragms 119 and 120. Valve head 110 is attached 
to valve stem 121 so that any downward movement of the valve head 110, 
corresponding to opening of the valve orifice, is accompanied by movement 
of stem 121. Valve stem 121 is attached to the centers of damper 
diaphragms 119 and 120 by connections that are sealed to hold against 
fluid pressure, such that the movable center sections of these diaphragms 
move upward and downward with like movements of valve head 110. The 
stationary outer sections of damper diaphragms 119 and 120 are clamped to 
the valve body at points 125, 126, 127 and 128. 
The valve body includes an annular wall 129 located in the space between 
the diaphragms 119 and 120 and subdividing the space to form an upper 
damping chamber 130 and a lower damping chamber 131. Chambers 130 and 131 
are filled with a stable liquid such as refrigeration oil. An O-ring 132 
seals an aperture provided in wall 129 about stem 121 and permits the stem 
to freely move upward and downward. Transfer of liquid between the upper 
and lower chambers 130 and 131 is provided by an adjustable orifice 133. 
Equalizer tube 134 and passage 135 allow the dry sides of damper 
diaphragms 119 and 120 to be maintained at the pressure existing in 
evaporator 2. 
In operation, with the system at rest, and with temperatures and pressures 
equalized between evaporator tube 2 and temperature bulb 107, the power 
element diaphragm 111 is relaxed. Accordingly, control spring 115 
maintains valve head 110 in the closed position. When the compressor 
begins operation, pressure is reduced in evaporator tube 2 and, therefore, 
at the underside of power element diaphragm 111. This causes valve head 
110 to tend to move downward to open the valve. However, such movement is 
resisted by damper diaphragms 119 and 120. Diaphragm 119 cannot move 
freely because of the liquid trapped beneath it, and diaphragm 120 is held 
by vapor pressure on its underside and vacuum on its upper side. However, 
orifice 133 slowly conducts fluid from upper chamber 130 to lower chamber 
131, thereby enabling a slow movement of the damper diaphragms 119, 120 to 
provide a slow and controlled opening of the valve. The rate of valve 
opening can, of course, be adjusted by appropriately setting adjustable 
orifice 133. Assuming operation with the low temperature condenser tube 
102, as the valve slowly opens, there is a tendency for the system to 
become starved for refrigerant. This does not present a real problem, only 
a lower than normal evaporator pressure for a very short time. When valve 
106 reaches an orifice size consistent with its superheat setting, 
pressures and forces equalize and the valve orifice size remains constant. 
As the system settles down, and as minor changes occur in operating 
conditions, the valve adapts its orifice size to maintain constant 
superheat in the evaporator, but these changes occur slowly so that 
hunting is avoided. The closing of valve 106 is initiated if the 
temperature at bulb 107 is reduced or if the pressure in evaporator tube 2 
is increased. In either case, the damping process is reversed and liquid 
from the lower chamber 131 is transferred to upper chamber 130. The time 
required for valve 106 to proceed from its fully open position to its 
fully closed position, or from its fully closed position to its fully open 
position, may range from ten seconds to several minutes. With a wide range 
expansion valve such as valve 106, actual superheating is greater at large 
orifice openings than at small orifice openings because of the increases 
in force applied by bias spring 115 as it is compressed. This difference 
can be minimized by the use of a longer than normal control spring. Such 
springs have less pressure variation throughout their movement range. 
An alternative improvement of valve 106 is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein 
valve stem 121 is contoured to serve as a metering pin as it moves through 
the aperture in wall 129. O-ring 132 and adjustable orifice 133 are 
omitted, and the varying clearance between valve stem 121 and the aperture 
in wall 129 provides the path for liquid transfer between chambers 130 and 
131. A tapered profile is provided on valve stem 121 so that the diameter 
at its bottom section 138 is smaller than the diameter at its top section 
139. Small bottom section 138 is aligned with wall 129 (as shown in FIG. 
4) when valve 106 is in its completely closed position. The additional 
clearance at this position results in a rapid initial rate of opening of 
valve 106, up to a small orifice size, thereby reducing the tendency of 
the system to starve for refrigerant during system start up operation. 
Then, as valve 106 continues to open, but while still at a relatively 
small orifice size, larger section 139 becomes aligned with wall 129, 
reducing the clearance and, therefore, the rate of opening. By this 
method, valve opening and closing rates at the smaller orifice sizes are 
relatively fast while opening and closing rates at the larger orifice 
sizes are relatively slow. Alternatively, the profile on valve stem 121 
may be constructed in such form to control valve modulation rates in any 
desired manner. For example, valve stem 121 may have a straight parallel 
profile so that the opening rate is constant, in which case the clearance 
between valve stem 121 and wall 129 is a simple, non-adjustable substitute 
for adjustable orifice 133. 
An alternative embodiment for expansion valve 106 is a conventional 
electrical expansion valve. Such valves are motorized metering devices 
with refrigerant liquid flow controlled by an electronic microprocessor 
responsive to sensors monitoring system conditions. Such devices are 
well-known. 
If the advantages of a damped expansion valve, such as the embodiment 
described in relation to FIGS. 3 and 4, are required in an application 
where a wide range of pressure differentials are not encountered, the 
damping system described herein can be applied to any conventional valve 
of a size suitable for the tonnage of the system employed. Metering device 
12, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is representative of such an application. 
A simplified ice-melting arrangement of the present invention is 
illustrated in FIG. 5 to which specific reference is now made. Compressor 
9 draws refrigerant vapor from evaporator tube 2 and compresses and 
discharges it to condenser 46 which may be either air-cooled or 
water-cooled. Refrigerant liquid flows from condenser 46 through a liquid 
line 11 to metering device 12 and then to evaporator tube 2 in a 
conventional refrigeration cycle as part of an ice-making function similar 
to such functions described above in relation to other embodiments. Ice 
collection bin 18 contains the ice produced in this ice-making function. 
In the same manner described in relation to FIG. 1, when water container 
23 is less than full, platform 24 is drawn upward by balance spring 26, 
thereby pushing upward on control link 27 and causing rocker arm 29 to 
rotate counter-clockwise. In this embodiment, the counter-clockwise 
rotation of rocker arm 29 allows an electrical switch 141 to close, 
causing electrical current to flow through switch 141 and energize an 
electrical heating element 142 attached to the bottom of bin 18. Heat 
produced by element 142 warms the bottom of bin 18, thereby melting some 
of the ice within the bin. Water from the melting ice flows via pipe 22 to 
container 23. When container 23 is full, its weight overcomes balance 
spring 26 causing platform 24 to swing downward, thereby moving control 
link 27 downward and causing rocker arm 29 to rotate clockwise. This 
rotation of rocker arm 29 forces switch 141 to open, de-energizing heating 
element 142 and terminating the ice-melting function. The ice-making 
function is normally controlled by pin switch 21 as previously described 
in relation to other embodiments, and when the ice-melting function is 
operating, override switch 32 causes the compressor 9 to run continuously 
so that ice is produced to replace the ice melted during the ice-melting 
function. This embodiment is less energy efficient than those employing 
non-electric sources of heat for ice-melting. However, low construction 
costs can outweigh the additional operational cost of electrical power for 
ice-melting, particularly with small capacitor systems. Such systems 
consume a minimal amount of energy when only a small amount of purified 
water is required. 
A typical procedure for handling the recovered pure water is to employ a 
one gallon water bottle 23 (FIG. 1) positioned inside the cabinet on 
platform 24. An alternative water storage arrangement (see FIG. 6) employs 
a water tank 80 mounted permanently inside the cabinet with a float 82 
detecting the level of water within. Float 82 is suspended from arm 83 
secured at one side of fixed pivot point 84, the other side of which is 
connected to the actuator link 27 via connecting arm 85. Movement of float 
82 is a substitute function for movement of platform 24 in the embodiment 
illustrated in FIG. 1. 
In addition to the utilization of the present invention for the production 
of purified water, as described above, ice pieces may be removed from bin 
18 for other purposes via bin door 86. These arrangements are described in 
detail in my aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,099. 
Having described preferred embodiments of a new and improved ice maker 
system with wide range condensing temperatures, constructed in accordance 
with the present invention, it is believed that other modifications, 
variations and changes will be suggested to those skilled in the art in 
view of the teachings set forth herein. It is therefore to be understood 
that all such variations, modifications and changes are believed to fall 
within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended 
claims.