Patent Publication Number: US-2020298081-A1

Title: Sports hitting training system for lightweight balls

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application having Ser. No. 62/676,797 filed May 25, 2018, U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 16/108,832 filed Aug. 22, 2018, and U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 16/287,675, filed Feb. 27, 2019, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention generally relates to sporting equipment, and more particularly, to a sports hitting training system. 
     Description of Prior Art and Related Information 
     Many who are engaged in sports train their form to improve performance. To improve form, many turn to equipment that replicates a particular sports movement. For example, in many sports, hitting a ball is a common part of the sport. However, hitting a standalone ball usually means the ball is launched far away from the person training. 
     There exist a number of training tools that prevent a ball-type object from travelling far from the person. For example, there are baseball hitting sticks of hard rubber that include a one-piece mold protuberance on the end of a stick and paint seams on the protuberance to resemble a baseball. Another person needs to hold the opposite end of the stick. The person holding the stick can easily fatigue and the level of the “ball” becomes inconsistent. 
     Other training aids in general may tether a rope to a ball. The distance the ball is hit is limited by the length of the rope. While effective at preventing one to have to go far and retrieve the ball, the ball generally needs to be reeled in and reset into position. This can lead to a lot of wasted time in a training session; especially where the user wants to practice a high frequency of repetitions. 
     As can be seen, there is a need to improve on the efficiency provided by current sports hitting training systems. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, a hitting training system is disclosed. The system comprises a base including six sidewalls, wherein the six sidewalls include at least three pairs of diametrically opposing sidewalls; a flexible mast projecting upward from the base, wherein the mast is selectively removable from the base as a standalone device; a ball affixed to an end of the mast, distal from the base, wherein hitting the ball from a default position of the mast bends the flexible mast and the mast is configured to return to the default position after the ball is hit; and an adjustable mount assembly coupled to the base and configured to: receive a free end of the mast, wherein the free end is opposite the end to which the ball is affixed, and adjustably rotate angularly relative to the base, wherein a position of the ball is adjustable by user operation of the adjustable mount assembly. 
     In another aspect, a hitting training system is disclosed. The system comprises: a polygonal base, the polygonal base including six or more sidewalls; a basket positioned over the polygonal base, the basket configured for receipt of a plurality of balls; and an adjustable mount assembly coupled to the base and configured to: receive a first end of the mast, and rotate the mast to an angle of inclination relative to the base. 
     In yet another aspect, a hitting training system is disclosed. The system comprises: a base including six sidewalls, wherein the six sidewalls include at least three pairs of diametrically opposing sidewalls; a flexible mast projecting upward from the base, wherein the mast is selectively removable from the base as a standalone device; a ball affixed to a first end of the mast, distal from the base, wherein hitting the ball from a default position of the mast bends the flexible mast and the mast is configured to return to the default position after the ball is hit; a mount block including one or more recesses in a side surface of the mount block; a cam block including one or more protuberances aligned with the one or more recesses of the mount block; and a hollow stem attached to the cam block, wherein the hollow stem is configured to receive a second end of the mast, wherein the cam block is movable along the side surface of the mount block to re-align the one or more protuberances with the one or more recesses and reposition the hollow stem from a first angle relative to the base to a second angle relative to the base, wherein the first angle is different than the second angle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a hitting training system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2A  is a top view of an exemplary ball used in the system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2B  is a bottom view of the ball of  FIG. 2B . 
         FIG. 2C  includes juxtaposed partial side views of a ball attached to and exploded from a mast used in the system of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective side view of a basket from the system of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3B  is a perspective side view of the basket of  FIG. 3A  with a cover in place in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 4A  is a top view of the basket of  FIG. 3A  depicting angles for a polygonal base in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 4B  is the perspective side view of the basket of  FIG. 3A  depicting receipt of a collar in the center of the basket relative to the angles of  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective top view of a polygonal base used in the basket of  FIG. 3A  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective top view of a polygonal basket base in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 7A  is a partial side view of a hitting training system in accordance with another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 7B  is a partial side view of a hitting training system in accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 7C  is a partial side view of a hitting training system in accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 7D  is a partial side view of a hitting training system in accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 8A  is a side view of the hitting training system of  FIG. 7A  with a mounting system in accordance with another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 8B  is a perspective top view of the system of  FIG. 8A  mounted to a chain link fence in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 8C  is a perspective top view of the system of  FIG. 7C  mounted to a chain link fence in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 8D  is a perspective top view of the system of  FIG. 7D  mounted to a chain link fence in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of a modular hitting training system in accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a front perspective view a handheld section of the modular hitting training system of  FIG. 9  according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a top perspective view of the modular hitting training system of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional, front partial view of the modular hitting training system of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 13  is a side, partial perspective view of a basket of the modular hitting training system of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 14  is a top perspective view of the basket of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a bottom view of the basket of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 16  is a top view of a base for an adjustable mount assembly in accordance with other embodiments. 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective top view of a hitting system base including an adjustable mount assembly in accordance with other embodiments. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective left side, exploded view of the hitting system base and adjustable mount assembly of  FIG. 17 . 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective left side, exploded view of the hitting system base and adjustable mount assembly of  FIG. 17 . 
     
    
    
     The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology may be practiced without these specific details Like or similar components are labeled with identical element numbers for ease of understanding. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a hitting training system  100  (sometimes referred to simply as the “system”) for sports is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. In general, the system  100  includes a base  115 , a flexible mast  120 , and a sports-based ball  150  (referred to generally as a “ball”). In some embodiments, a basket  110  may be positioned over the base  115  (or may be integrated into a one-piece unit with base  115 ). 
     The basket  110  and/or the base  115  may be weighted. For example, the basket  110  may include a hollow interior for carrying a multitude (plurality) of the type of ball being trained with. In the illustration shown, the system  100  is configured for training tennis swings and the ball  150  is a modified tennis ball. The basket  110  may be filled with other tennis balls (which may be unmodified) adding weight and stability to the system  100 . As will be appreciated, the basket  100  simultaneously provides a convenient device for carrying tennis balls to a practice site in addition to providing a support for the flexible mast  120 . 
     In some embodiments, the basket  110  may include a substantially open-ended top. Wires or spokes  130  projecting inward from a periphery of the basket  110  top may be arranged into a suspension system meeting at a central hub  140  (such as a collar with a set screw seen in more detail in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ). One end of the flexible mast  120  (proximal end) may be set into position in the central hub  140  and may project upwardly therefrom. The ball  150  may be positioned on the opposite end of the flexible mast  120  (the distal end). The flexible mast  120  may be plastic, rubber, or some combination of plastic or rubber sheathing a metal core. 
     In operation, as the ball  150  is struck from its default position (vertical/perpendicular from the ground), the flexible mast  120  will bend in the direction of force applied until the bend force limit is reached, at which point the flexible mast  120  snaps back toward its default position bringing the ball  150  back with it. As will be appreciated, since a real tennis ball  150  is used, damage to the fragile strings of a tennis racquet are avoided which could occur using for example, a hard plastic or rubber protuberance. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C , details of the ball  150  mounted to the flexible mast  120  are shown according to an exemplary embodiment. In some embodiments, the ball  150  may be pierced on opposite sides of the ball with through holes  155 . The distal end of the flexible mast  120  (the end opposite the base  115 ) may include a threaded boss  125 . Some embodiments may include a seat  145  intermediate the ends of the mast  120 . The seat  145  may be for example a washer that is stopped by an expanding circumference of the mast  120  or may be affixed to the mast  120 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the seat  145  may be proximate the distal end. For example, diameter of the ball  150  may be the distance used to position the seat  145  from the distal end. The flexible mast  120  may be passed through the through holes  155  until the ball  150  abuts the seat  145 . On the opposite side of the ball  150 , a cap  160  may be threaded on (or press fit depending on the embodiment) to the end  125  to secure the ball  150  into place against the seat  145 . 
     In some embodiments, the suspension system, flexible mast  120  and ball  150  may be removable from the basket  110  so that the basket  110  may be used in a conventional manner as a device to carry balls. As will be appreciated, some embodiments may retrofit elements of the system  100  to a pre-existing basket  110 , thus providing the benefits disclosed without needing to purchase an entirely new system. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B and 5 , details of the basket  110  and base  115  are shown according to exemplary embodiments. In some embodiments, the basket  110  and/or base  115  may include a cover  170 . In the embodiment shown, the cover  170  is spherical in theme with the concept of a round ball. The cover  170  may include an opening  180  aligned with the center  117  ( FIG. 4A ) of the base  115 . It will be understood that the flexible mast  120  may pass through the opening  180  if the user wishes to have the cover  170  in place during use. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the base  115  includes five or more sidewalls  185 . As will be appreciated, including five or more sidewalls  185  resists the various forces created by the ball  150  ( FIG. 1 ) being struck. The angles shown represent the vectors resisting an arbitrary direction toward which the ball is struck. As may be appreciated, round bases or rectangular bases may in some embodiments, suffer in that the base of such designs may travel a short distance in the direction of the ball being struck. This can be inconvenient. However, embodiments with five or more sidewalls  185  create a braking force to keep the system  100  in place.  FIG. 5  shows a top perspective view of the base  115  with six sidewalls  185  without a basket  110  attached. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a base  215  is shown according to another exemplary embodiment. The base  215  is similar to the base  115 , except that the base  215  may be a standalone base and basket in one. The base  215  includes five or more sidewalls  285 . It will be understood that the interior may be substantially hollow to carry for example, balls. The interior is obstructed from view by a cover  290  which has the same shape formed by the sidewalls  285 . During use as a hitting system, the cover  290  may be removed and a suspension system similar to the one shown in  FIG. 1  may be attached. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D , various hitting systems ( 200 ,  300 ,  400 , and  500 ) are shown according to exemplary embodiments using different sports balls. In general, each system ( 200 ,  300 ,  400 , and  500 ) may include the flexible mast  120  (described above) attached to a handle  210 . Each system ( 200 ,  300 ,  400 , and  500 ) may include respectively its own ball (baseball  250  for batting; softball  350  for batting; soccer ball  450  for striking (kicking); and golf ball  550  for driving) for its respective sport being trained. As can be appreciated, aspects of the embodiments can be used for striking a ball with other equipment (such as a bat, racquet, or golf club) and for striking a ball without equipment (for example, kicking the soccer ball). In some embodiments, the system ( 200 ,  300 ,  400 , and  500 ) may be handheld by another user holding the handle  210 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D , in other embodiments, the systems ( 200 ,  400 , and  500 ) may be used by a single user (in other words, without another person holding it), with the help of additional features. It will be understood that the system  300  for softball may also be contemplated under the following description but is omitted from these figures for sake of illustration and its redundancy with the use of system  200  for baseball. Using system  200  as an example representative of the other system ( 300 ,  400 , and  500 ) as shown in  FIG. 8A , the system  200  may include in addition to the features described in  FIG. 7A , a clamp  220  (or other mounting fixture). Some embodiments may also include a tension system  230  (such as a bungee cord with hooks). Referring to  FIGS. 8B, 8C, and 8D , each respective system  200 ,  400 , and  500  may be attached to a freestanding structure such as a chain link fence by securing the clamp  220  through openings in the fence or to the fence&#39;s structure. The system  200 ,  300 , or  400  may project out from the fence so that the ball  250 ,  450 , or  550  and mast  120  may be parallel to the ground surface supporting the fence. In operation, as the ball ( 250 ,  450 ,  550 ) is struck, the flexible mast  120  may bend until the mast  120 &#39;s resistance returns the ball to its default position. As may be understood, the systems  200 ,  400 , and  500  may want to swing when the ball is hit. As shown in  FIG. 8B , the tension system  230  may be wrapped around the handle  210  and the hooks attached to the fence under tension. As the ball is hit, the system&#39;s movement may be restricted by the opposing force of the bungee cord. 
       FIGS. 9-15 , show a hitting training system according to another embodiments. As may be appreciated, some sports have light weight balls which traditionally are practiced or played with by hand. For example, some balls may be made of lightweight plastic material. A lightweight ball in this context is generally understood to be one ounce or less. For some activities, the balls may include just a shell with a hollow interior. The shell may be made even lighter by perforation, including a plurality of holes in the shell allowing air to travel through the shell. Sports including a pickle ball, wiffle ball, and many practice balls for other sports (including golf, baseball, softball, etc.) may use similar type balls with a variety of holes in the design that may be incorporated to prevent the ball from travelling far after being struck.  FIG. 9  shows an exemplary embodiment of a hitting training system  600 . The hitting training system  600  is similar to the hitting system  100  except that a lightweight ball  650  is mounted to the mast  120  coupled to the basket  610 . The basket  610  may include a base  115  similar to the base  115  disclosed above. As an example, the lightweight ball  650  mounted is a pickle ball. While a pickle ball is shown, it will be understood that other types of lightweight balls may be mounted onto the mast  120 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 9-12 , some embodiments of the hitting training system  600  may be modular. For example, the mast  120  may include a handle  210  (similar to the embodiments in  FIGS. 7A-7D ), except that the handle  210  may be modified for insertion into and detachment from a mount  620  in the basket  610 . For example, the handle  210  may include a threaded female boss on its proximal end which may be screwed onto a threaded male boss  205  at the bottom of the mount  620  (See  FIG. 12 ). When removed from the basket  610 , the combination of the mast  120 , handle  210 , and lightweight ball  650  may be considered a distinct hitting training system  700  which may operate similar to the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 7A-7D . The mast  210  may in some embodiments include a detachable mount system on its distal end (similar to, for example, the combination of mechanisms disclosed with respect to  FIG. 2C  for securing the ball to the end of the mast). The securing mechanism may be configured to include a seat or washer larger than the diameter of the pre-existing holes in the ball  650 . As a result, the system  600  may use off-the shelf lightweight balls which already have perforations. Extra balls may be stored in the basket  610  when not in use on the end of the mast  120 . The hitting training system  700  may measure approximately forty-four inches from the proximal end to the distal end (proximate the lightweight ball  650 ). As may be appreciated, aspects of the hitting training system  600  provide both the stability of the basket (for example, such as shown in  FIG. 1 ) with the portability and convenience of hand-held training systems such as those shown in  FIGS. 7A-7D . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 9-15 , some aspects of the basket  610  may include elements for ease of portability. Some embodiments may include an opening in the basket wall defining a handle  630  from which one may carry or move the basket  610  between locations. In some embodiments, the basket  610  may include an interiorly projecting lip  615  coupled proximate an upper edge of the basket. The lip  615  may provide a detent to hold a cover (not shown) to prevent any balls within the basket  610  from falling out during transportation of the system  600 . The cover may also be used to store balls  650  which may be detached from the mast  120 . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 9-15 , the basket  610  may be constructed with an exterior finish that resembles the lightweight ball  650  mounted to the system. For example, the wall defining the basket may include dimples  640  which from a distance may appear to be holes such as those found on a pickle ball. In some embodiments, the dimples  640  may be substituted with holes but as may be appreciated, the presence of holes may limit the number of balls carried within the basket  610 . 
     While lightweight balls may not travel as far as traditional balls after being stuck, even lightweight balls with holes still travel and require the user to retrieve them, often from multiple locations because the struck balls do not travel along the same line after each swing. As may be appreciated, the embodiments show hitting systems which may eliminate the need to retrieve lightweight balls during training. When struck, the mast  120  may flex and return to its default position allowing the user to repeatedly practicing striking the ball without having to re-mount the ball to the system. As may be appreciated, one is not usually motivated to a lightweight ball because many activities that use a lightweight ball may not typically need to engage in repetitive swings because such balls are not usually used in competitive sports. However, pickle ball for example, is a competitive sport which will be aided by a mounted ball  650  that allows the user to repeat his or her swing without needing to retrieve the ball after being struck. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 16-19 , an alternate embodiment of the system is shown. The basket  710  and base  715  are similar to the basket  110  and base  115  shown in  FIGS. 1, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, and 5 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 16-18 , any of the various hitting system embodiments may include an adjustable mount assembly  720 . The adjustable mount assembly  720  may be configured to provide adjustable positioning of the ball attached to the distal end of the mast, relative to the base  715 . Thus, the user may be provided a means to practice hitting balls at different distances from their own position and elevations from the ground. A great amount of flexibility is provided to practice many different hitting scenarios and swinging techniques. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustable mount assembly  720  may comprise a block mount  770  onto which a movable cam block  790  is coupled. The cam block  790  may include a plurality of protuberances  795  arranged on a circular or semi-circular pattern. Some embodiments may comprise only a single protuberance  795 , however, it will be appreciated that a plurality of protuberances  795  provides a more secure fastening between the block mount  770  and the cam block  790 . The mount block  770  may include a plurality of recesses  775  which are positioned to receive one or more of the protuberances  795 . 
     A hollow stem  750  may be attached to the cam block  790 . The stem  750  may be configured to receive the handle on the end of the mast of any of the previously disclosed embodiments. In some embodiments, the stem  750  may include threading on the free end of the structure. Some embodiments may include a locking collar  760  which may include a threaded through hole  765  for receiving the handle/mast and once the handle/mast is received, the threads of the locking collar may mate with the threaded end of the stem  750  to secure the mast into place. 
     A knob  780  may be coupled to the cam block  790 . In operation, the cam block  790  may be configured to be pulled slightly out and away (released from a locked in position) from the mount block mount  770  by a user pulling on the knob  780 . Once the cam block  790  is released, the knob  780  may rotate the cam block  790  so that the protuberances  795  are rotated freely in space (or slide along a surface of the cam mount  720 ) into an angular position of the user&#39;s selection so that the stem  750  holding a mast positions a ball on its end at angle relative to the base  715  of the user&#39;s choosing. A default angular position of the stem  750  may be perpendicular to gravity (or a gravity vector). For example, 90 degrees from the ground. Changing the angle may mean that the stem  750  has an angle of inclination less than or greater than 90 degrees from the ground. Once the angle of the stem  715  and mast is set, the user may push the knob  780  in so that the protuberances  795  of the cam block  790  are received in the recesses  775  locking the adjustable mount assembly into place. 
     As will be appreciated, the adjustable mount assembly  720  allows a user to adjust the position of the ball while the overall hitting system maintains its stability when the ball is struck. The center of mass is negligibly shifted as the stem  750  is angled so that once the ball is struck, the base  715  maintains its traction on the underlying surface. The system does not topple over when the ball is struck event though the ball is off-center from the base  715 . Yet, the user may continuously practice hitting the ball from an off-centered position repeatedly within a short time unlike many other hitting systems. Moreover, it should be appreciated that while some other systems merely raise and lower a ball along an axis perpendicular to gravity (for example, directly up and down from the ground), aspects of the adjustable mount assembly  720  provide positioning that may be simultaneously lateral and elevated because of the angular displacement of the stem  750 . 
     Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different ones of the disclosed elements. 
     The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification the generic structure, material or acts of which they represent a single species. 
     The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to not only include the combination of elements which are literally set forth. In this sense, it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly under stood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. 
     Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. 
     The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what incorporates the essential idea of the invention. 
     Terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “above,” “below” and the like as used in this disclosure should be understood as referring to an arbitrary frame of reference, rather than to the ordinary gravitational frame of reference. Thus, a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, and a rear surface may extend upwardly, downwardly, diagonally, or horizontally in a gravitational frame of reference. Similarly, an item disposed above another item may be located above or below the other item along a vertical, horizontal or diagonal direction; and an item disposed below another item may be located below or above the other item along a vertical, horizontal or diagonal direction. 
     A phrase such as an “aspect” does not imply that such aspect is essential to the subject technology or that such aspect applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to an aspect may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. An aspect may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa. A phrase such as an “embodiment” does not imply that such embodiment is essential to the subject technology or that such embodiment applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to an embodiment may apply to all embodiments, or one or more embodiments. An embodiment may provide one or more examples. A phrase such an embodiment may refer to one or more embodiments and vice versa. A phrase such as a “configuration” does not imply that such configuration is essential to the subject technology or that such configuration applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to a configuration may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A configuration may provide one or more examples. A phrase such a configuration may refer to one or more configurations and vice versa. 
     The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example or illustration.” Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. 
     All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.” Furthermore, to the extent that the term “include,” “have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.