Patent Publication Number: US-11035576-B2

Title: Cooking appliance with side opening retractable door

Description:
FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to cooking appliances having side-opening doors. 
     INTRODUCTION 
     Cooking appliances have developed since antiquity to provide a better experience for their users. These developments have occurred in nearly every aspect of the appliance, from the cooking cavity itself to the heating source used. Modern cooking appliances have developed several key features that provide a safer environment and a more efficient use of space. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides systems, apparatuses, and methods relating to cooking appliances having side-opening doors. 
     In some embodiments, an appliance may include: an appliance body having a cavity formed therein; a side-opening appliance door configured to selectively cover the cavity by pivoting between an open position and a closed position on a vertically-oriented hinge; a door storage space having an open mouth disposed at a lateral side of the appliance body; a roller assembly coupled to the hinge of the appliance door and having one or more rollers engaged with a track disposed in the door storage space; wherein the appliance door includes an abutment portion configured to pivot with the door and to arrest opening of the door by physically contacting the hinge when the door is aligned with the track of the door storage space, such that the appliance door is transitionable into and out of the door storage space along a path defined by the track. 
     In some embodiments, an appliance may include: an appliance body; a side-opening appliance door coupled to the appliance body and rotatable on a vertically-oriented hinge; a door storage space having an open mouth disposed on a lateral side of the appliance body; and a roller assembly coupled to the hinge of the appliance door and having one or more rollers engaged with a track disposed in the door storage space; wherein the appliance door is transitionable between a closed configuration, in which a rear face of the appliance door is disposed against a front face of the appliance body, and a fully open configuration, in which the appliance door is oriented in alignment with the track, and further transitionable between the fully open configuration and a stowed configuration, in which the door is inserted into the door storage space along the track; and wherein the appliance door is arrested in the fully open configuration by an abutment portion of the door coming into contact with the vertical hinge. 
     In some embodiments, a method for operating a door of a cooking appliance may include: opening a side-opening door of a cooking appliance, wherein the door has a vertical hinge, until the door is substantially orthogonal to a front face of the cooking appliance and is arrested by a portion of the door coming into contact with the hinge; and applying a first force aligned with a plane of the door to cause the door to travel in a first direction along a path defined by a track guiding a roller assembly coupled to the door hinge, such that the door is inserted into a door storage space on a lateral side of the cooking appliance. 
     Features, functions, and advantages may be achieved independently in various embodiments of the present disclosure, or may be combined in yet other embodiments, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of an illustrative cooking appliance having a single door in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front oblique isometric view of the appliance of  FIG. 1  with the door in a closed position. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the appliance of  FIG. 1  with the door in an opened position. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the appliance of  FIG. 1  with the door in a retracted position. 
         FIG. 5  is a rear oblique isometric view of the appliance of  FIG. 1  showing rollers seated in tracks. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the appliance of  FIG. 1  depicted from a rear oblique perspective. 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart depicting steps in an illustrative method for operating an appliance door. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various aspects and examples of a cooking appliance having a side-opening, retractable door are described below and illustrated in the associated drawings. Unless otherwise specified, a cooking appliance in accordance with the present teachings, and/or its various components, may contain at least one of the structures, components, functionalities, and/or variations described, illustrated, and/or incorporated herein. Furthermore, unless specifically excluded, the process steps, structures, components, functionalities, and/or variations described, illustrated, and/or incorporated herein in connection with the present teachings may be included in other similar devices and methods, including being interchangeable between disclosed embodiments. The following description of various examples is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. Additionally, the advantages provided by the examples and embodiments described below are illustrative in nature and not all examples and embodiments provide the same advantages or the same degree of advantages. 
     This Detailed Description includes the following sections, which follow immediately below: (1) Definitions; (2) Overview; (3) Examples, Components, and Alternatives; (4) Advantages, Features, and Benefits; and (5) Conclusion. The Examples, Components, and Alternatives section is further divided into subsections A through C, each of which is labeled accordingly. 
     Definitions 
     The following definitions apply herein, unless otherwise indicated. 
     “Substantially” means to be more-or-less conforming to the particular dimension, range, shape, concept, or other aspect modified by the term, such that a feature or component need not conform exactly. For example, a “substantially cylindrical” object means that the object resembles a cylinder, but may have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. 
     “Comprising,” “including,” and “having” (and conjugations thereof) are used interchangeably to mean including but not necessarily limited to, and are open-ended terms not intended to exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. 
     Terms such as “first”, “second”, and “third” are used to distinguish or identify various members of a group, or the like, and are not intended to show serial or numerical limitation. 
     “AKA” means “also known as,” and may be used to indicate an alternative or corresponding term for a given element or elements. 
     “Coupled” means connected, either permanently or releasably, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components. 
     “Resilient” describes a material or structure configured to respond to normal operating loads (e.g., when compressed) by deforming elastically and returning to an original shape or position when unloaded. 
     Directional terms such as “up,” “down,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and the like should be understood in the context of the particular object in question. For example, an object may be oriented around defined X, Y, and Z axes. In those examples, the X-Y plane will define horizontal, with up being defined as the positive Z direction and down being defined as the negative Z direction. 
     Overview 
     In general, a cooking appliance, e.g., an oven, in accordance with the present teachings may include an outer housing and an inner cavity, wherein a door storage space between the inner cavity and the outer housing is configured to receive a door of the appliance when in a retracted configuration. The door is disposed on a front face of the appliance, and is configured to close the inner cavity. The door is transitionable between a first position, external to the cavity and the housing, and a second position, where the door is disposed inside the door storage space, utilizing a hinge-roller assembly and a track. The track is mounted in the door storage space, such that the track is disposed external to the insulation of the inner cavity but inside the outer housing of the appliance. In some examples, the door storage space may be disposed in a wall of a building (e.g., when the oven is a wall oven). The track may be mounted directly to the outer housing. 
     During normal operation, the door is extended (i.e., unretracted) and pivotable about an axis of rotation defined by a vertical hinge, such that a user may open and close the door as desired. In a storage configuration (i.e., when the door is retracted), the door storage space houses the door inconspicuously and provides the user with unimpeded access to the inner cavity and the space around the cavity opening. The door of an appliance can become an easy point of injury when heated, and unimpeded access to and around the inner cavity provides a safer alternative to leaving the door open and extending into the human-occupied space. 
     The full operating range of the door is provided by way of the hinge-roller assembly and the track. The hinge-roller assembly includes a body or carriage having rollers that ride in channels of the track. The hinge is coupled to an outermost side of the hinge-roller assembly, such that as the assembly is retracted into the appliance, the hinge is the last piece of the assembly to enter the door storage space (before the door). 
     The hinge-roller assembly is seated in the tracks such that the entire assembly can retract into the space between the inner cavity and the outer housing. The door is attached to the hinge-roller assembly via the hinge. This allows the door to rotate fully open, and when fully opened, to translate along a linear path defined by the tracks. The retracting motion of the door may be manually effected, or may be automated, semi-automated, or assisted with a biasing mechanism (e.g. springs, pneumatics, etc.). The biasing mechanism may be contained within the track, coupled to the door, coupled to the hinge-roller assembly, or disposed in any suitable place inside or outside the appliance. 
     Transitioning of the door between positions may be locked or selectively impeded with a locking mechanism, such that the door is restricted to one (or more) positions. The locking mechanism may be engaged through the use of friction locks, user-engaged pins, or any other suitable mechanism. The locking mechanism may be contained within the track, coupled to the housing of the appliance, coupled to the door, or disposed in any suitable place inside or outside the appliance. 
     Appliances described herein may include a damping system configured to control rotational motion of the door e.g., to prevent damage or injury. This damping system may include a shock absorber or spring configured to dampen motion of the door as it closes or opens, so the door is prevented from slamming and/or placing excess stress on the hinge mechanism. The damping system may be incorporated into the hinge, coupled to the door, or disposed in any other suitable place inside or outside the appliance. In some examples, a second damping system may be provided to control the translational motion of the door as it slides into and/or out of the door storage space. This second damping system may be incorporated in the track, coupled to the door, or disposed in any other suitable place inside or outside the appliance. 
     Examples, Components, and Alternatives 
     The following sections describe selected aspects of a side opening, retracting appliance door as well as related systems and/or methods. The examples in these sections are intended for illustration and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Each section may include one or more distinct embodiments or examples, and/or contextual or related information, function, and/or structure. 
     A. Illustrative Cooking Appliance with a Side Opening, Retracting Door 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , this section relates to a cooking appliance having a side opening door configured to retract into the appliance. 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of an illustrative one-door, side opening appliance  100 . A heat insulated inner cavity  102  (see  FIG. 2 ) may be configured to be mounted inside an outer housing  103 , wherein inner cavity  102  has a front face  104  with a front opening which allows a user access to inner cavity  102 . Front face  104  may include a frame  130  having a plurality of vents disposed thereon and an opening or slot  132  formed in a lateral portion of front face  104  (see  FIG. 2 ). Frame  130  may be configured to adjoin outer housing  103  to form a front face of appliance  100 . 
     Appliance  100  may have a heat insulated door  106  disposed across the front opening of inner cavity  102  which closes the inner cavity. Door  106  comprises a body  108 , a handle  110 , and a viewing window  112 . Inner cavity  102  may have support grooves  114  (see  FIG. 2 ) on the inner side-walls, e.g., to support cooking racks (not shown). 
       FIG. 2  is a front oblique isometric view of appliance  100 . Door  106  may be coupled to and pivotable about a hinge  116 . Hinge  116  defines an operable range of rotation of door  106  about a rotational axis, and may be coupled to a hinge-roller assembly  120 . Hinge-roller assembly  120  may further comprise a body  118  and a plurality of rollers  134 . Body  118  and rollers  134  may be referred to as a roller carriage. 
     Body  118  of hinge-roller assembly  120  may include a plate, a bracket, multiple plates, or any other suitable support structure on which hinge  116  and rollers  134  may be mounted. Door  106  may be transitionable between a plurality of unretracted positions about the rotational axis, including a closed position  124  and an opened position  126  (see  FIG. 3 ). Hinge-roller assembly  120  may be disposed in slot  132  when door  106  is in positions  124  and  126  (or between the two). Hinge  116  may include a spring or other biasing mechanism configured to bias door  106  against unintentionally opening. Alternatively or additionally, hinge  116  may bias door  106  against unintentionally closing. 
     Door body  108  may include one or more abutment portions  128  adjacent hinge  116  and configured to abut one or more portions of hinge  116  when door  106  is in the fully opened position, thereby arresting further movement. Abutment portions  128  are configured to keep door  106  from rotating beyond a position that is substantially aligned with the path formed by tracks  138 . Abutment portions  128  may include any suitable structure configured to arrest motion of door  106  by contacting hinge  116  and/or front face  104 . In this example, abutment portions  128  are formed by recesses or cutouts in door body  108 , such that a rear side of the front face or panel of door body  108  is exposed. The recesses or cutouts in body  108  are configured to receive the knuckles of hinge  116 , such that the abutment portions lie substantially flat along (or adjacent to) a tangent line of each hinge knuckle. In the present embodiment, two abutment portions  128  are formed on the corners of door  106 , adjacent hinge  116 . Alternatively, or additionally, more or fewer abutment portions  128  may be formed at any point along the hinge-side edge of door  106 . In some examples, the abutment portion includes the entire hinge-side edge of door  106 , i.e., formed as a single stopping surface. 
     As door  106  is transitioned from closed position  124  to open position  126 , abutment portions  128  follow the rotational axis of hinge  116  and forms a tangent plane with respect to the contour of the hinge knuckle. As door  106  reaches the open position  126 , the abutment portions contact the hinge knuckles and mechanically halt the transition of door  106 , preventing continued rotation of door  106 . When in opened position  126 , abutment portions  128  restrict the door from opening beyond a position substantially perpendicular to front face  104 . 
     Slot  132  is an opening to (or mouth of) a door storage space  136  disposed between inner cavity  102  and outer housing  103 . Two or more tracks  138  (also referred to as track portions) may be disposed inside door storage space  136 . A plurality of rails  140  are disposed on each track  138 . Tracks  138  may be mounted to inner cavity  102  and/or outer housing  103 . In some embodiments a single track may be used. Hinge-roller assembly  120  may be seated in tracks  138 , such that rollers  134  are seated in rails  140 ; wherein the rollers  134  and rails  140  facilitate the translational motion of door  106  along a linear axis and define the operable range of translation of door  106 . 
       FIG. 3  is an isometric view of door  106  in opened position  126 . In opened position  126 , door  106 , hinge-roller assembly  120 , and tracks  138  align in a generally coplanar fashion, such that door  106  is retractable into door storage space  136  along a path formed by the channels of the track portions. In some embodiments, hinge  116  may be a friction hinge, spring hinge, or other type of hinge configured such that door  106  is held in opened position  126  to allow retraction while inhibiting unwanted motion along the rotational axis. In opened position  126 , the front opening is unobstructed, providing access to inner cavity  102 . 
       FIG. 4  is an isometric view of door  106  in a retracted position  144 . In retracted position  144 , the living space in front of appliance  100  is unobstructed and the user has a lower risk of contacting door  106 . Hinge-roller assembly  120  may retract fully into door storage space  136 , allowing door  106  to enter door storage space  136 . When in retracted position  144 , movement of door  106  about the hinge may be inhibited. 
     Door storage space  136  may be formed such that door  106  only partially enters door storage space  136  when in retracted position  144 , while handle  110  remains outside of door storage space  136 . This allows the user easy access to handle  110  to pull door  106  out of retracted position  144 , e.g., when ready to transition door  106  back to closed position  124 . In some embodiments, there may be a temporary locking mechanism that locks door  106  in retracted position  144  such that unwanted motion of door  106  along the linear axis may be discouraged. This locking mechanism may include, for example, indentations in rails  140  that hold rollers  134  in place while door  106  is in retracted position  144 . 
       FIG. 5  is a rear oblique isometric view of appliance  100  further showing rollers  134  seated in rails  140 . Rollers  134  and rails  140  may be configured such that the weight of door  106  is supported across multiple rails. 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded view of hinge-roller assembly  120 , door  106 , tracks  138 , and inner cavity  102  depicted from a rear oblique perspective. Each member of the plurality of rollers  134  may have an associated axle bearing  142  disposed therein to facilitate low-friction rotation of rollers  134 . 
     B. Illustrative Method 
     This section describes steps of an illustrative method  700  for retracting an appliance door into a door storage space; see  FIG. 7 . Aspects of the cooking appliance with a side-opening, retracting door described in the previous section may be utilized in the method steps described below. Where appropriate, reference may be made to components and systems that may be used in carrying out each step. These references are for illustration, and are not intended to limit the possible ways of carrying out any particular step of the method. 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating steps performed in an illustrative method, and may not recite the complete process or all steps of the method. Although various steps of method  700  are described below and depicted in  FIG. 7 , the steps need not necessarily all be performed, and in some cases may be performed simultaneously or in a different order than the order shown. 
     At step  702 , the door of a cooking appliance (e.g., an oven) is transitioned from a closed position to an opened position. This transition includes rotating the door about a substantially vertical hinge. The door and hinge are external to the appliance such that the radial path traced by the door as it transitions from the closed position to the opened position is entirely external to the appliance and defines a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the appliance. When in the opened position, the door aligns with a linear path defined by a track, wherein the track is disposed within a door storage space internal to the appliance. The inner cavity of the appliance is accessible to a user. The door may be stopped from opening beyond a position perpendicular to a face of the appliance, e.g., by one or more abutment portions configured to mechanically halt action of the door in the opening direction. 
     At step  704 , the door is pushed into the door storage space, guided by the track disposed within the space. The door may only partially enter the door storage space, such that a handle on the door remains outside the door storage space to be available to the user. 
     At step  706 , the door is pulled out of the door storage space, guided by the track disposed within the space. The door is pulled out of the appliance until the entire door and hinge are positioned external to the door storage space and the door and hinge are aligned with the path defined by the track. 
     At step  708 , the door is transitioned from the opened position to the closed position by pivoting about the hinge. The rotational motion of the door is similar to step  702 , though applied in reverse. When in the closed position, the inner cavity of the appliance is closed. The steps of method  700  may then be repeated if desired. 
     C. Illustrative Combinations and Additional Examples 
     This section describes additional aspects and features of a side-opening appliance with a retracting door, presented without limitation as a series of paragraphs, some or all of which may be alphanumerically designated for clarity and efficiency. Each of these paragraphs can be combined with one or more other paragraphs, and/or with disclosure from elsewhere in this application, in any suitable manner. Some of the paragraphs below expressly refer to and further limit other paragraphs, providing without limitation examples of some of the suitable combinations. 
     A1. A cooking appliance comprising: 
     an outer housing having a front face with an opening; 
     an inner cavity contained within the housing; 
     a door storage space separating the inner cavity from the outer housing, wherein the opening of the inner cavity and the opening of the outer housing align such that the inner cavity is accessible through the opening of the outer housing, 
     a hinge-roller assembly which includes a body having rollers and a hinge which defines an axis of rotation attached thereon, 
     a track having rails configured to mate with the rollers disposed in the door storage space defining a linear axis; 
     wherein the hinge-roller assembly mounts to the track and follows the linear axis, and 
     a door configured to transition from a closed position to an open position; 
     wherein the door is attached to the hinge-roller assembly via the hinge such that the door, from the opened position, can be retracted into the door storage space along the linear axis defined by the track. 
     A2. The appliance of paragraph A1, wherein the door is side-opening. 
     A3. The appliance of paragraph A1, wherein the appliance is wall-mounted with the outer housing mounted inside a wall cavity. 
     A4. The appliance of paragraph A1, wherein the hinge acts as a biasing mechanism to hold the door in the closed position until sufficient force in applied to overcome the bias. 
     A5. The appliance of paragraph A1, wherein there is a locking mechanism that locks the door in the door storage space. 
     A6. The appliance of paragraph A3, wherein the locking mechanism is a potential well embodied as indentations in the rails that seat the rollers. 
     B0. A method of retracting an appliance door into a door storage space contained within a cooking appliance, the method comprising: transitioning the door from a closed position to an open position along a radial path defined by a hinge; and pushing the door along a linear path into the door storage space. 
     B2. The method of paragraph B0, wherein the door is side-opening. 
     B3. The method of paragraph B0, wherein the appliance is wall-mounted. 
     C0. An appliance, comprising: 
     an appliance body having a cavity formed therein; 
     a side-opening appliance door configured to selectively cover the cavity by pivoting between an open position and a closed position on a vertically-oriented hinge; 
     a door storage space having an open mouth disposed at a lateral side of the appliance body; 
     a roller assembly coupled to the hinge of the appliance door and having one or more rollers engaged with a track disposed in the door storage space; 
     wherein the appliance door includes an abutment portion configured to pivot with the door and to arrest opening of the door by physically contacting the hinge when the door is aligned with the track of the door storage cavity, such that the appliance door is transitionable into and out of the door storage space along a path defined by the track. 
     C1. The appliance of C0, wherein the appliance comprises a wall-mounted oven. 
     C2. The appliance of C0, wherein the abutment portion comprises a front plate of the appliance door. 
     C3. The appliance of C2, wherein the abutment portion comprises a flat surface formed by a cutout portion of the appliance door exposing the front plate of the appliance door to the hinge. 
     C4. The appliance of C0, wherein the track comprises two parallel track portions, each track portion having an upper and a lower channel. 
     C5. The appliance of C4, wherein the plurality of rollers are guided by the upper and lower channels of each track portion. 
     C6. The appliance of C0, wherein the hinge comprises a pair of hinge knuckles disposed in corresponding cutouts of the appliance door. 
     C7. The appliance of C0, wherein the door is orthogonal to a front face of the appliance when aligned with the track of the door storage space. 
     C8. The appliance of C0, wherein the track has a C-shaped cross section. 
     C9. The appliance of C0, wherein a front plate of the appliance door extends over and hides the vertical hinge when the appliance door is in a closed position. 
     D0. A method for operating a door of a cooking appliance, the method comprising: 
     opening a side-opening door of a cooking appliance, wherein the door has a vertical hinge, until the door is substantially orthogonal to a front face of the cooking appliance and is arrested by a portion of the door coming into contact with the hinge; and 
     applying a first force aligned with a plane of the door to cause the door to travel in a first direction along a path defined by a track guiding a roller assembly coupled to the door hinge, such that the door is inserted into a door storage space on a lateral side of the cooking appliance. 
     D1. The method of D0, wherein the portion of the door that comes into contact with the hinge comprises a front plate of the door. 
     D2. The method of D1, wherein the front plate of the door is exposed to the hinge by a cutout in a body of the door. 
     D3. The method of D0, further comprising applying a second force aligned with the plane of the door to cause the door to travel in a second direction along the path defined by the track guiding the roller assembly coupled to the door hinge, such that the door is removed from the door storage space. 
     D4. The method of D0, wherein a handle of the door remains outside the door storage space when the door is inserted into the door storage space. 
     E0. An appliance comprising: 
     an appliance body; 
     a side-opening appliance door coupled to the appliance body and rotatable on a vertically-oriented hinge; 
     a door storage space having an open mouth disposed on a lateral side of the appliance body; 
     a roller assembly coupled to the hinge of the appliance door and having one or more rollers engaged with a track disposed in the door storage space; 
     wherein the appliance door is transitionable between a closed configuration, in which a rear face of the appliance door is disposed against a front face of the appliance body, and a fully open configuration, in which the appliance door is oriented in alignment with the track, and further transitionable between the fully open configuration and a stowed configuration, in which the door is inserted into the door storage space along the track; 
     wherein the appliance door is arrested in the fully open configuration by an abutment portion of the door coming into contact with the vertical hinge. 
     E1. The appliance of E0, wherein the door is oriented orthogonal to the front face of the appliance body when in the fully open configuration. 
     E2. The appliance of E0, wherein the track includes a track portion having a C-shaped cross section. 
     E3. The appliance of E0, wherein the appliance comprises a wall-mounted oven. 
     E4. The appliance of E0, wherein the abutment portion comprises a front plate of the appliance door. 
     E5. The appliance of E4, wherein the abutment portion comprises a flat surface formed by a cutout portion of the appliance door exposing the front plate of the appliance door to the hinge. 
     E6. The appliance of E0, wherein the track comprises two parallel track portions, each track portion having an upper and a lower channel. 
     E7. The appliance of E6, wherein the plurality of rollers are guided by the upper and lower channels of each track portion. 
     E8. The appliance of E0, wherein the hinge comprises a pair of hinge knuckles disposed in corresponding cutouts of the appliance door. 
     E9. The appliance of E0, wherein a front plate of the appliance door extends over and hides the vertical hinge when the appliance door is in a closed position. 
     Advantages, Features, and Benefits 
     The different embodiments and examples of the described herein provide several advantages over known solutions for a side-opening appliance door that is configured to retract into an appliance. For example, illustrative embodiments and examples described herein allow the inner cavity of an appliance to be completely unobstructed for a user to access. 
     Additionally, and among other benefits, illustrative embodiments and examples described herein allow a wall-mounted appliance to be installed in a smaller area considering the door, when retracted, does not obstruct the region directly in front of the appliance. 
     Additionally, and among other benefits, illustrative embodiments and examples described herein allow the user reduced risk of burns from accidental contact with the door considering the door is housed in the door storage space while the user accesses the inner cavity of the appliance. 
     No known system or device can perform these functions. However, not all embodiments and examples described herein provide the same advantages or the same degree of advantage. 
     CONCLUSION 
     The disclosure set forth above may encompass multiple distinct examples with independent utility. Although each of these has been disclosed in its preferred form(s), the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. To the extent that section headings are used within this disclosure, such headings are for organizational purposes only. The subject matter of the disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein. The following claims particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations regarded as novel and nonobvious. Other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed in applications claiming priority from this or a related application. Such claims, whether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure.