Abstract:
A dispensing closure comprising a closure base, a dispensing disk, a magnet, and a fastener. The magnet and closure base sandwich the dispensing disk, which are all held together with the fastener. A user fills ajar with items to be dispensed and stored and then mounts the dispensing closure onto the jar with a jar screw band. To dispense the items, the user rotates the dispensing disk to an open position and then inverts the jar. To store and display, the user rotates the dispensing disk to a closed position and then attaches the jar with the magnet to a surface attracted to a magnet. The design allows for manual seal and storage in any orientation (horizontally, vertically, or some other odd angle) and for the dispensing disks to be easily switched. The dispensing closure may further comprise a spacer, which enables easier rotation of the dispensing disk.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCES CITED 
     U.S. Patent Documents
         131,744 10/1872 Cooley   2,029,219 01/1936 Bourland 221/64   3,445,023 05/1969 Giessler et al 215/40   D291,536 08/1987 Crawford D9/440   5,027,966 07/1991 Yadock 220/230   5,368,203 A 11/1994 Friedrich et al 222/179.5   5,407,107 A 04/1995 Smith 222/548   7,748,569 B2 07/2010 Sunatori 222/242.3   8,381,949 B2 02/2013 Sunatori 222/242.3   8,439,209 B2 05/2013 Strollo 211/75   8,528,775 B2 09/2013 Martin 220/23.4   8,701,924 B2 04/2014 Dalbec 220/483
 
(Continued)
       

     FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 
     CA 2,349,889 A1 12/2009 Sunatori 
     (Continued) 
     OTHER PUBLICATIONS 
     
         
         How to Make a Wall-Mounted Magnetic Spice Rack, The Kitchn, publication date: Nov. 16, 2009; copyright year on webpage shown: 2015, retrieved Feb. 16, 2015 from the internet: &lt;URL: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-wallmounted-magn-101525&gt;. 
       
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is in the technical field of closures for storage containers. More particularly, the invention relates to closures for storage containers designed to dispense items from the container and store the container magnetically. 
     Cooking spices and other items are often stored in containers with specially designed closures that help dispense a container&#39;s contents. Often containers, such as spice containers, are stored in kitchen cabinets or on some sort of specially designed rack, which can take up cabinet or counter space. Similar storage jars can be found in other areas of the home such as peg boards in garages that sometimes have jars mounted to them and filled with loose parts like nuts and bolts. 
     A wide array of canning jars are available to consumers. Most of these jars have a standard system whereby ajar closure is attached to the jar with a jar screw band. 
     A number of patents disclose various kinds of magnetically hanging storage systems, some with dispensing closures. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,701,924 discloses a “Portable Magnetic Storage Device and a Method of Storing Material.” The storage system comprises a cap with a gasket, ajar, and a magnetic device embedded in the cap that allows for magnetic storage of material stored within the bottle sealed with the cap. The design does not include a dispensing capability without completely removing the cap from the jar and the cap design includes a gasket, which is unnecessary for enclosing and storing dry dispensable materials. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,381,949 discloses a “Magnetically-Hanging Spice Dispenser with a Continuously-Variable Hole-Size Selector.” The dispenser includes a plate with magnets, a cylindrical container, a cap with dispensing holes, a magnet attached to the cap, and a circular elastic cover with holes. The elastic cover with holes rotates to align and overlap at various levels with the cap&#39;s dispensing holes to provide a continuously-variable flow. The elastic cover is also meant to provide a way of sealing the container in a stably closed position. The design requires that this elastic cover be made out of an elastic material so that it can deform into a convex protuberance. The design necessitates the deformation of the elastic cover in order to rotate-making the cap difficult to place into an open position from the close position or, over time, weakening the seal when the elastic cover is in the close position. Furthermore, material to be dispensed will accumulate under the deformed elastic cover making it even more difficult to rotate and troublesome to clean. The design is meant for mounting on a horizontal surface only. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,748,569 discloses a “Self-Sealing Auto-Aligning Magnetically-Hanging Spice Dispenser.” The assembly includes a plate with magnets, a cylindrical spice container, a cap with dispensing holes and a circular cover, and a magnet attached to the cap. The circular cover can be rotated to cover a portion of the dispensing surface area. The circular cover does not act as a seal but rather as a method of providing a continuously variable flow. The design is meant for mounting on a horizontal surface only and the ‘self-seal’ design is not compatible with storage on a vertical surface as the spices will spill out before the seal is made. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,203 discloses a “Spice Rack with Magnetically Held Spice Containers.” The assembly comprises a removable closure body for a spice container and a stationary tubular holder with a magnet. The spice container is detachably secured to a stationary tubular holder. The magnet is retained within a specially designed tubular holder, which can only accommodate one shape and one size and is difficult to clean. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,528,775 discloses a “Container Assembly.” The spice rack assembly includes a rack and at least one container magnetically coupled to the rack. The magnet is at the base of the container on the opposite end of where the spices are dispensed through the container&#39;s lid. The design requires specially made caps and jars and therefore does not offer the possibility of a taking advantage of the wide array of jars already available on the market. 
     Canadian Patent 2,349,889 discloses a “Magnetically Hanging Spice/Sauce Dispenser System.” The disclosure includes a hanging dispenser system comprising a horizontally mounted plate and a container assembly capable of magnetically attaching to the plate. The design lacks jar closures especially a closure capable of selecting dispensing openings in order to dispense the jars contents. The design is meant for mounting on a horizontal surface only and the ‘self-seal’ design is not compatible with storage on a vertical surface as the container&#39;s contents will spill out before the seal is made. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a dispensing closure that dispenses items from ajar and mounts to a surface attracted to a magnet for storage and display. The combination of features allows both the dispensing of materials (spices, small parts, and other dispensable items) and the magnetic storage of the jar container on a surface attracted to a magnet. 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide a closure for the wide array of canning jars readily available to consumers, by taking advantage of existing canning jars and the method by which they are sealed with metal screw bands. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide a hanging dispenser with a manual-seal closure that allows for the storage of a jar in any orientation without the spilling of the jar&#39;s contents. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dispensing closure with a magnet capable of storing the jar on any surface attracted to a magnet It is another objective of the present invention to provide a dispensing closure with a variety of openings (a plurality of small holes, one large hole, or a combination thereof) in order to control the rate of flow of dispensing of the jar&#39;s contents. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide the ability to augment a canning jar in order to store and display items as an item of décor. 
     A dispensing closure for jars that stores the jar magnetically comprises a closure base, a dispensing disk, a magnet, and a fastener. The closure base is a substantially circular surface with a main dispensing hole cut through it. The dispensing disk is divided into two or more sections, which may or may not be of equal size. The dispensing disk&#39;s sections may include a section with one large hole and/or one or more sections with sets of smaller holes. The magnet and closure base sandwich the dispensing disk and all three are held together with the fastener, which still allows the dispensing disk to rotate. A user fills a jar with items to be dispensed and stored and then mounts the dispensing closure onto the jar with a jar screw band. To dispense the items, the user rotates the dispensing disk to an open position, selecting the desired dispensing method, and then inverts the jar. To store and display, the user rotates the dispensing disk to a closed position, manually sealing the jar, and then attaches the jar with the magnet to a surface attracted to a magnet. The design allows for attachment to a surface attracted to a magnet in any orientation (horizontally, vertically, or some other odd angle). The dispensing closure may further comprise a spacer, which provides space between the magnet and the closure base and allows for the easier rotation of the dispensing disk. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Drawings 
       Figures 
         FIG. 1  is an upright perspective view of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded upright perspective view of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded flipped perspective view of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 5  is an upright perspective view of the dispensing closure installed on a jar; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the dispensing closure installed on ajar and attached to a surface attracted to a magnet; 
         FIG. 7A  is an exploded upright perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 7B  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 8A  is an exploded upright perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 8B  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 9A  is an exploded upright perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 9B  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 10A  is an exploded upright perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the dispensing closure; 
         FIG. 10B  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment of the dispensing closure. 
     
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     Reference Numerals 
     
         
           100 —closure base 
           102 —main dispensing hole of closure base  100   
           104 —rounded outer edge of closure base  100   
           130 —dispensing disk 
           132 —large dispensing hole of dispensing disk  130   
           134 —set of smaller dispensing holes of dispensing disk  130   
           136 —section without holes of dispensing disk  130   
           138 —rotation tabs of dispensing disk  130   
           150 —magnet 
           160 —fastener 
           206 —dispensing-disk recess of closure base  100   
           208 —fastener hole of closure base  100   
           242 —fastener hole through dispensing disk  130   
           252 —fastener hole through magnet  150   
           262 —countersunk head of fastener  160   
           312 —recessed ring inner edge of closure base  100   
           314 —recessed ring outer edge of closure base  100   
           316 —fastener housing of closure base  100   
           590  —jar 
           592  —jar screw band 
           694 —surface attracted to a magnet 
           744 —spacer opening in dispensing disk  130   
           770 —spacer 
           772 —fastener hole through spacer  770   
           874 —upper half of spacer  770   
           876 —magnet recess of spacer  770   
           918 —spacer member of closure base  100   
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The details of the dispensing closure can be referenced in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 7A ,  FIG. 7B ,  FIG. 8A ,  FIG. 8B ,  FIG. 9A ,  FIG. 9B ,  FIG. 10A , and  FIG. 10B .  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show an exemplary embodiment of a closure base  100 , a dispensing disk  130 , a magnet  150 , and a fastener  160  from an upright perspective view and exploded upright perspective view, respectively. Exemplary closure base  100  is a substantially circular surface with a main dispensing hole  102  cut through it. Closure base  100  may have a dispensing-disk recess  206 , in which the dispensing disk  130  is made to sit. At the center of closure base  100  is a fastener hole  208  for fastener  160 . Closure base  100  may have a rounded or tapered outer edge  104  for a better fit when installed on ajar. The dispensing disk  130  is divided into two or more sections, which may or may not be of equal size. The exemplary dispensing disk  130  is shown with three sections including a single large dispensing hole  132  cut through dispensing disk  130 , a set of smaller holes  134 , and a section without holes  136 . The sections of dispensing disk  130  may be separated with rotation tabs  138 , which protrude above the top surface of dispensing disk  130  and assist with the rotation of dispensing disk  130 . At the center of dispensing disk  130  is a fastener hole  242  for fastener  160 . In the exemplary embodiment of the dispensing closure, magnet  150  is a disk with a diameter larger than fastener hole  242  of dispensing disk  130 , so as to overlap and keep in place dispensing disk  130  sandwiched between magnet  150  and closure base  100 . Magnet  150  may have fastener hole  252  for fastener  160  and that fastener hole  252  may be countersunk so that the top of fastener  160  sits flush with the top of magnet  150 . Fastener  160  may be used to hold together all assembly components or some subset of assembly components with others fastened with an adhesive or by other means. Fastener  160  may be any number of fasteners including but not limited to a screw and threaded insert (shown), screw and nut, rivet, brad, split pin, pin and clip, or a self-attaching fastener. 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-section view of the dispensing closure. This figure provides a better view of how the exemplary embodiment&#39;s components fit together. Shown are closure base  100  with main dispensing hole  102 . Closure base  100  may have recessed ring inner edge  312  and recessed ring outer edge  314  in order to form a better seal with a jar. Closure base  100  may also have a closure base fastener housing  316 , which may enclose a portion of the exemplary fastener  160 — FIG. 3  shows a screw and threaded insert as the exemplary fastener  160 . Seated on top of closure base  100  is dispensing disk  130 . Dispensing disk  130  may have large dispensing hole  132  and rotation tabs  138 . On top of the dispensing disk is magnet  150 . The diameter of magnet  150  is larger than the diameter of fastener  160 ; magnet  150  and closure base  100  sandwich dispensing disk  130 . The assembly is held together with fastener  160 . 
       FIG. 4  shows closure base  100 , dispensing disk  130 , magnet  150 , and fastener  160  from an exploded flipped perspective view. The bottom of closure base  100  may have recessed ring inner edge  312  and/or recessed ring outer edge  314 , which are made to wrap around the top lip of a jar and form a seal. Also shown is the main dispensing hole  102  cut through closure base  100  and fastener housing  316 . Dispensing disk  130  is also shown with flipped perspectives of the two or more sections in which dispensing disk  130  may be divided. The example dispensing disk  130  shown includes a single large dispensing hole  132 , a set of smaller holes  134 , and a section without holes  136 . Magnet  150  is a disk with a diameter larger than fastener hole  242  of dispensing disk  130  as to overlap and keep in place dispensing disk  130 , which is sandwiched between magnet  150  and closure base  100 . Magnet  150  may have fastener hole  252  for fastener  160 . Fastener  160  may be used to hold together all assembly components or some subset of assembly components with others fastened with an adhesive or by other means. Fastener  160  may have countersunk head  262  and fastener  160  is made to lie flush with the top surface of the upper-most component in the assembly subset. Fastener  160  may be any number of fasteners including but not limited to a screw and threaded insert (shown), screw and nut, rivet, brad, split pin, pin and clip, or a self-attaching fastener. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the dispensing closure installed on ajar  590 . Shown are closure base  100 , dispensing disk  130 , magnet  150 , and fastener  160  secured to the top of jar  590  with a jar screw band  592 . 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the dispensing closure installed on jar  590 . Jar screw band  592  holds the dispensing closure secure on top of jar  590 . Shown is the top of magnet  150 , which protrudes above the top of the jar screw band  592 . 
       FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 7B  show an alternative exemplary embodiment of the dispensing closure.  FIG. 7A  is an exploded upright perspective and  7 B is a cross-section perspective of the dispensing closure comprising one additional component, an exemplary spacer  770 . The exemplary spacer  770  is a substantially cylindrical disk with a hole  772  for fastener  160 . The exemplary embodiment of spacer  770  is smaller in diameter than magnet  150 . The thickness of the spacer  770  is slighter greater than the thickness of dispensing disk  130 . Spacer  770  holds apart magnet  150  and closure base  100 , which sandwich dispensing disk  130 ; by providing an additional amount of space, spacer  770  helps facilitate the rotation of dispensing disk  130 . The exact thickness of spacer  770  may be dependent on the materials and surface finishes of magnet  150  and closure base  100 . 
       FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  show another alternative exemplary embodiment of the dispensing closure.  FIG. 8A  is an exploded upright perspective and  8 B is a cross-section perspective of the dispensing closure comprising, again, one additional component, another exemplary spacer  770 . The exemplary spacer  770  in  FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  has a larger diameter than magnet  150 . The upper half  874  of spacer  770  has a larger diameter than hole  744  of dispensing disk  130  so that it overlaps and keeps in place dispensing disk  130 . The upper half  874  of spacer  770  may have a rounded or tapered edge. Spacer  770  also has magnet recess  876 , in which magnet  150  is inserted. Spacer  770  has a fastener hole  772  for fastener  160 —the hole may be countersunk to allow fastener  160  to lay flush with the top of magnet recess  876  of spacer  770  so that magnet  150  may be alternatively fastened to the assembly with an adhesive. The bottom half  874  of spacer  770  is substantially cylindrical and the thickness of the bottom half  874  of spacer  770  is slighter greater than the thickness of dispensing disk  130 . The upper half of spacer  770  and closure base  100 , which sandwich dispensing disk  130 , helps facilitate the rotation of dispensing disk  130 . The exact thickness of the bottom half  874  of spacer  770  may be dependent on the materials and surface finishes of spacer  770  and closure base  100 . Additionally,  FIG. 8A  and FIG.  8 B demonstrate another alternative embodiment of dispensing disk  130  in which the section with a set of smaller holes  134  are different from the previous exemplary embodiments in that the holes are larger and there are fewer of them. 
       FIG. 9A  and  FIG. 9B  show another alternative exemplary embodiment of the dispensing closure.  FIG. 9A  is an exploded upright perspective and  9 B is a cross-section perspective of the dispensing closure in which closure base  100  comprises one additional component, an exemplary spacer member  918 . The exemplary spacer member  918  is a substantially cylindrical disk with a hole  208  for fastener  160 . Spacer member  918  is smaller in diameter than magnet  150 . The thickness of the spacer member  918  is slighter greater than the thickness of dispensing disk  130 . Spacer member  918  holds apart magnet  150  and the rest of the main body of closure base  100 , which sandwich dispensing disk  130 ; by providing an additional amount of space, spacer member  918  helps facilitate the rotation of dispensing disk  130 . The exact thickness of spacer member  918  may be dependent on the materials and surface finishes of magnet  150  and closure base  100 . Additionally,  FIG. 9A  and  FIG. 9B  demonstrate another alternative embodiment of dispensing disk  130  and closure base  100 . The exemplary dispensing disk  130  only has two sections: one section has a single large dispensing hole  132  and the other section is without holes  136 . The two sections may be separated with rotation tabs  138 . The main dispensing hole  102  in closure base  100  has been re-proportioned to be similar in size to the single large dispensing hole  132  of dispensing disk  130 . 
       FIG. 10A  and  FIG. 10B  show yet another alternative exemplary embodiment of the dispensing closure.  FIG. 10A  is an exploded upright perspective and  10 B is a cross-section perspective of the dispensing closure. There are several differences in this exemplary embodiment compared to those presented previously. First, this exemplary embodiment shows a tubular rivet as fastener  160 . Second, there is no dispensing disk recess  206  in closure base  100 . Third, the exemplary closure base  100  only has recessed ring outer edge  314  and lacks recessed ring inner edge  312  (shown in previous exemplary embodiments). 
     In more detail, the user would fill the jar  590  with items to be dispensed by removing jar screw band  592  and the dispensing closure from the top of jar  590 , fill jar  590  with the item or items to be dispensed, and re-install the dispensing closure on jar  590  with jar screw band  592 . Alternatively, the user could use rotation tabs  138  to align large dispensing hole  132  of dispensing disk  130  with main dispensing hole  102  of closure base  100 , fill jar  590 , and again use rotation tabs  138  of dispensing disk  130  to rotate the disk so that the section without holes  136  covers main dispensing hole  102  of closure base  100 , creating a manual seal. 
     For storage and display, the user would ensure that dispensing disk  130  was rotated with rotation tabs  138  so that the section without holes  136  covers main dispensing hole  102  in closure base  100 , creating a manual seal method of sealing the container with the dispensing closure. This manual seal allows the user to seal and then store the jar and dispensing assembly in any orientation (horizontally, vertically, or some other odd angle). After manually sealing the jar, the top of magnet  150  is placed on a surface attracted to a magnet  694  for storage as shown in  FIG. 6 . When the item within the jar  590  is needed, the user removes the assembly from surface attracted to a magnet  694  and, holding jar  590  in an upright position, uses rotation tabs  138  to rotate dispensing disk  130  until the desired dispensing method is selected, including large dispensing hole  132  or set of smaller holes  134  of dispensing disk  130 . Then the assembly is inverted so that the items within jar  590  can pass through main dispensing hole  102  and either large dispensing hole  132  or set of smaller holes  134 . 
     The dispensing closure may also be designed so that the user may remove fastener  160  and replace dispensing disk  130  with a different dispensing disk  130  that has different size holes, allowing the user to customize the rate of flow of the items dispensed from the jar. 
     In further detail, main dispensing hole  102  of closure base  100  and the large dispensing hole  132  of dispensing disk  130  may be the same size and shape and may take up to half of the disk area in closure base  100  and dispensing disk  130  when dispensing disk  130  only has two sections (as is shown in  FIG. 9A  and  FIG. 9B ). The dispensing disk  130  set of smaller holes  134 , when present, may be substantially circular or another shape. 
     Closure base  100 , dispensing disk  130 , fastener  160 , and spacer  770  may be made from plastic, rubber, metal, wood, ceramic, glass, or a variety of other rigid or semi-rigid materials. Magnet  150  may be made from any magnetic material or a material attracted to a magnet. 
     Other alternative embodiments of the present invention include:
         Dispensing disk  130  with only two sections or four or more sections. For example, in a two-section version of the present invention the sections could be either a large dispensing hole and a section without holes, or a section with a smaller set of holes and a section without holes. As another example, dispensing disk  130  could be divided into four sections with dispensing disk  130  having a large dispensing hole  132 , a set of smaller holes with a larger diameter, a set of smaller holes with a smaller diameter, and a section without holes  136 .   Jar screw band  592  designed as part of the closure itself and not as a separate component.   A design where main dispensing hole  102  and/or large dispensing hole  132  include a flat edge for leveling a measuring spoon.   A design where the user may remove fastener  160  and replace dispensing disk  130  with a different dispensing disk  130  that has a different size set of smaller holes  134 , allowing the user to customize the rate of flow of the items dispensed from the jar.   A design of closure base  100  that has recessed ring inner edge  312  and/or recessed ring outer edge  314  or neither edge.   A closure assembly where some or all of the components are held together with a combination of fasteners including adhesive, a self-attachment mechanism, screw and threaded insert, screw and nut, rivet, brad, split pin, a pin and clip, or other similar fasteners.   A closure base  100  with fastener housing  316 , which holds a portion of a multi-piece fastener  160 . For example, if fastener  160  were a screw and nut, then fastener housing  316  may be designed to hold the nut in place.   Dispensing disk  130  large dispensing hole  132  and/or set of smaller holes  134  may be in the shape of a logo, picture, label, or some other decorative shape.   Dispensing disk  130  section without holes  136  may include a logo, picture, label, or some other decorative shape.   A design where surface attracted to a magnet  694  is magnetized and magnet  150  is made of metal for use with a magnet as opposed to being a permanent magnet.   Designs where the dispensing closures components are made of one or more of a variety of materials including plastic, metal, wood, glass, ceramic, or some other rigid or semi-rigid material.   A design where the dispensing closure further comprises a substantially cylindrical spacer  770  with a slightly larger thickness than the thickness of dispensing disk  130 .   A design where the closure base further comprises a substantially cylindrical spacer member  918  with a slightly larger thickness than the thickness of dispensing disk  130 .   A design where the closure base further comprises a threaded screw-band surface.       

     The advantages of the dispensing closure include, without limitation, the ability to store and easily dispense items within the jar  590  and then mount the jar  590  to a surface attracted to a magnet  694  to save space, provide easy access to the item, and use as an item of décor. The dispensing closure is more useful than most closures because it has a magnet mounted to its top that allows for storage on a surface attracted to a magnet  694 . The dispensing closure&#39;s manual seal capability allows the jar assembly to be mounted on any surface in any orientation. Furthermore, the dispensing closure is designed to be used with the wide array of canning jars already available to consumers. Another advantage is that dispensing disk  130  may be designed so that the user can easily switch dispensing disks so as to customize the rate of flow of the item to be dispensed. 
     In broad embodiment, the present invention is a dispensing closure that dispenses items from a jar and that mounts the jar magnetically to a surface attracted to a magnet for storage and display. 
     While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiments, methods, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiments, methods, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.