Patent Publication Number: US-11654347-B2

Title: Playing card dispenser and display apparatus

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a divisional application of currently pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/282,275, filed on Sep. 30, 2016. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This present invention generally relates to card dispenser and display devices and systems, and more specifically relates to apparatuses for securely loading, maintaining, removing and displaying standard playing cards during the playing of a card game, such as Gin Rummy. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Playing cards have been very popular for centuries and are a basis for a large number of games, often for prizes, scores and compensation. Playing cards have typically been defined as being one of two different standard kinds, Poker-type playing cards having the approximate dimension of 3½ inches high by 2½ inches wide, and Bridge-type playing cards which are approximately 3½ inches high and 2¼ inches wide. During the playing of many playing card games, playing cards will need to be dispensed, maintained and displayed to players. Particularly, when a playing card (e.g., a Knock Card for a Gin Rummy game) needs to be displayed for the purposes of game play, it usually reveals important information for the players to consider and analyze, often determining further game strategies. As such, for the integrity and fairness of the game, it is necessary to avoid accidentally (or purposefully) displaying playing cards (or any portion of the playing cards such as its color, suit, number or value) that are not intended to be shown to the players. In so doing, it is important to adequately, simultaneously display the card to a number of players in different player locations around one or more tables, with the card readily viewable by all viewers and located in a stable position. By way of example, the game of Gin Rummy is typically played utilizing two teams of 2, 3 or more players on each team, where the players are simultaneously playing one hand against their respective opponent. When all of the players have completed their hand, the common Knock Card is changed for the next hand. This can be accommodated by preferably, moving the current Knock Card to the back of the Knock deck, to expose the next card behind it—or by drawing the last card in the Knock deck to the front of the Knock deck—to overlay and cover the immediately prior Knock Card. Regardless of how the old Knock Card is succeeded by the new Knock Card, it is crucial that upcoming cards in the deck, at either the front or the rear of the Knock deck, are not revealed to any of the players. 
     If one has knowledge of what the next or any subsequent Knock Card will be, this knowledge could affect how the current hand could be played. It is even more crucial if a “spade” card, which typically carries double points in a hand, is prematurely exposed. Depending on the situation, a player who knows what the next or subsequent cards are may choose to end a current hand by “knocking” instead of taking a risk on playing for gin. If a “must-gin Ace” is prematurely exposed, this could also affect how the current hand is played. In both of these examples, amongst others, the premature exposure of Knock Cards is most crucial when a team is in a “blitz” situation, which typically doubles the points for the entire game. The number of points a player collects can often be determinative of the level of either prizes or monetary compensation the player receives. 
     The present playing card dispenser and display apparatus levels the playing field for Gin Rummy card players by preserving the integrity of the game. It ensures that a skilled player can win by placing safeguards against other players gaining an unfair advantage by the premature exposure of a Knock Card destined for a subsequent hand. It guards against a potentially dishonest player working with cards that are not secure, who could otherwise be able to take advantage of the Knock Card sequence—or otherwise manipulate the Knock Card or the conventional glass or other holder, to see upcoming Knock Cards. 
     Conventionally, players would either display the playing card(s) (such as the knock card) on a flat surface (e.g., a table), which is not a very effective or convenient way for the viewers, or use a simple upright object (e.g., a whiskey or cocktail glass) to hold and display the playing card(s) needed to be seen by all of the players. For instance, it is common to use a whiskey glass to hold a full deck of playing cards, and to move and display the knock card. However, in practice, the size and shape of a whiskey glass is not tailored to fit a standard playing card deck, or several standard-size playing cards. As such, when the Knock Card deck is placed and displayed in the whiskey glass, the cards can move or shift within the glass, thereby resulting in an inadvertent premature displaying of the future Knock Card(s) behind the forward-most playing card. This inadvertent or intentional exposure could provide an unfair advantage to one or more particular players and also disturb the gaming process. Thus, the conventional ways for dispensing and displaying future Knock Cards are neither convenient nor secure—and could serve to affect the integrity of the game, by affecting the outcome of a particular deal and any subsequent deals. It is especially crucial to avoid the premature exposure of future Knock Cards when changing the Knock Card, whether it is changed front to back, or vice versa. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     The invention comprises a card dispenser and display apparatus for securely loading, maintaining, removing and displaying a deck of standard-sized game cards during the playing of a card game. The apparatus according to this invention includes a generally horizontal planar base having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a housing on the top surface of the planar base—for dispensing and displaying one or more standard playing cards from a standard deck (of either Poker-style or Bridge-style cards) therewithin, while facilitating the changing of the displayed card. An adapter insert is contemplated for converting the housing from accepting Poker-style playing cards to the slightly smaller Bridge-style playing cards. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the housing includes a rear wall substantially adjoining the planar base, wherein the rear wall forms an angle ranging from about zero (0°) degrees to about one hundred eighty (180°) degrees, relative to the planar base; a front wall substantially parallel to the rear wall; two opposite side walls substantially parallel to one another, carefully sized to closely and telescopically receive a standard playing card deck, with the sides extending between the front wall and the rear wall to join same respectively, the side walls being spaced apart from one another just slightly more than the approximate width of a standard playing card; a bottom wall substantially proximate to the planar base, the front, rear, side and bottom walls collectively forming a deck storage and displaying region. 
     The deck storage and displaying region as defined by the front, rear, side and bottom walls is configured to contain a plurality of standard playing cards, up to an entire deck, having a uniform height and width, in which at least one of the front, side and/or rear walls is lower than the uniform height of the plurality of playing cards. The width and the height of the housing are configured to enable a user to manually lift a card from the front of the housing, and to move the card to the back of the housing. Alternatively, a user may manually lift a card from the rear of the deck, at the rear of the housing, to move the card to the front of the housing, to cover up the immediately prior Knock Card with the new Knock Card. Further, the front wall enables the displaying of at least the top portion of the forward-most playing card to reveal its value and suit, while blocking at least the bottom portion of the forward-most playing card to preclude the inadvertent, premature displaying of any playing cards behind the forward-most playing card. 
     In some embodiments, where the apparatus is at least partly made of a transparent material, and the housing includes a front shield or visual barrier to cover at least the bottom portion of the front wall, so that when the forward-most card is lifted from the front of the housing, the front shield blocks the inadvertent displaying of the bottom or sides of any of the remaining cards in the deck. 
     In some embodiments, each side wall of the housing further includes a side shield to block at least a bottom portion of the side of the housing, to block the view of the side of the cards. 
     In some embodiments, the bottom wall of the housing integrally comprises at least part of the planar base. In some preferred embodiments, the bottom wall of the housing forms a generally right angle relative to the rear wall of the housing. 
     In yet other embodiments of the invention, the angle between the rear wall and the planar base ranges from about sixty-five (65°) degrees to about eighty-five (85°) degrees. The angle between the rear wall and the planar base can be either fixed or adjustable, through the use of hinges and adjustable ridges or strips in the base. 
     In some embodiments, each side wall of the housing is in the shape of a rectangle, a parallelogram, or a trapezoid. In some embodiments, each side wall of the housing is in a shape of a trapezoid. 
     In one preferred embodiment, at least one of the front wall and the rear wall of the housing is shaped as a rectangle. In yet other embodiments, the front wall or the rear wall of the housing includes a cut-out portion for lifting or placing the cards, either individually, or as a deck. Still, in other embodiments, the front wall and the rear wall are of the substantially same height. 
     In some embodiments, each side of the apparatus further includes a triangle-shaped side wing extending between the rear wall and the planar base. 
     In other embodiments of the invention, the housing is movable or rotatable relative to the planar base. For instance, the apparatus may include a back support element for supporting the housing. The back support element may be bendable, flexible or hinged. In some more specific embodiments, the back support element is pivotally attached to the rear wall of the housing or the planar base. The back support element may include a hinge to collapse a supporting leg at the point of attachment to the housing as well as capable of pivoting relative to the base. In other embodiments, the back support element is fixed and attached to the rear wall of the housing and the planar base. Further, there may be one or more stop elements on the planar base, for adjustably maintaining the position of the housing relative to the planar base. The stop element may include a notch, a groove, a strip, or a ledge. The stop element may include a non-skid layer as the top surface of said planar base. The angle between the rear wall and the planar base then may be adjusted by positioning the housing or the support element at different stop elements. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the planar base has a non-slip bottom surface, or includes one or more non-slip tabs. 
     In some embodiments, the planar base, walls, cover or wings of the apparatus may include a region for accommodating promotional notation or other designs and/or text, such as a casino name, a restaurant, or a country club logo. 
     The invention also contemplates the use of small strips of either plastic or other material as an insertable adapter for raising the height of the bottom wall, or for narrowing the distance between the side walls, to accommodate the height or width respectively of an alternatively sized deck—or to convert the housing from one sized for a Poker-type playing card to one sized for a Bridge-type playing card. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings illustrate by way of example and not limitation. For the sake of brevity and clarity, every feature of a given structure is not always labeled in every figure in which that structure appears. Identical reference numbers do not necessarily indicate an identical structure. Rather, the same reference number may be used to indicate a similar feature or a feature with similar functionality, as may non-identical reference numbers. 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a first embodiment of card dispenser and display apparatus according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is an elevated front view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  1   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is an elevated side view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  1   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is an elevated rear view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  1   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a top plan view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  1   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a bottom view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  1   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  7    is a perspective view of another embodiment of card dispenser and display apparatus according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  8    is an elevated front view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  7   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  9    is an elevated side view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  7   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  10    is an elevated rear view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  7   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  11    is a top plan view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  7   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  12    is a bottom plan view of the card dispenser and display apparatus of  FIG.  7   , according to various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  13    is a perspective view of a housing width insert adapter for adjusting the width of the housing to accommodate a non-standard or different standard playing card deck width. 
         FIG.  14    is a perspective view of a housing height insert adapter for adjusting the height of the housing to accommodate a non-standard or different standard playing card deck height. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Furthermore, in the detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and other features have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present playing card dispenser and display apparatus. 
     Generally speaking, various embodiments of the present invention provide for a card dispenser and display apparatus for securely loading, maintaining, removing and displaying standard sized game cards during the playing of a card game, such as Gin Rummy. Particularly, the cards are standard playing cards (e.g., knock cards for Gin Rummy games). A user may place a deck of playing cards into the housing in a front-facing manner. When the deck is placed in the housing, at least a top portion of the forward-most playing card is revealed to show its value and suit, while at least a bottom portion of the forward-most playing card is blocked to preclude the inadvertent pre-mature displaying of any playing cards behind the forward-most playing card, while the cards are maintained within the deck, until (and while) the Knock Card is changed. During the playing of the game (e.g., Gin Rummy games), the user can preferably lift the forward-most playing card and move it to the back of the housing, thereby displaying the next front card of the deck. The apparatus according to this invention is configured to avoid accidentally, purposefully or mistakenly revealing other cards behind the forward-most playing card, thereby ensuring the fairness of the game, while maximizing viewing by all of the players. 
       FIGS.  1 - 6    show card dispenser and display apparatus  100  according to the present invention.  FIG.  1    shows a perspective view of the card dispenser and display apparatus  100 , and  FIGS.  2 - 6    show the front, side, rear, top, and bottom view of apparatus  100 , respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , card dispenser and display apparatus  100  includes generally horizontal planar base  10 , and housing  20  for dispensing and displaying a deck of standard playing cards from therewithin. Particularly,  FIGS.  1 ,  2  and  4    show apparatus  100  containing a deck of standard playing cards in housing  20 , displaying forward-most card  32  as the eight of diamonds. Promotional text region  33  is likewise shown. 
     Generally, horizontal planar base  10  includes top surface  11  and bottom surface  12 , as shown in  FIGS.  1 ,  3  and  6   . When in use, apparatus  100  is usually placed on a flat surface (e.g., a table). To increase the stability of apparatus  100 , preferably, bottom surface  12  of apparatus  100  (see  FIGS.  2  and  3   ) may be made of a non-slip material, or include one or more non-slip tabs or pads. For instance, as shown in  FIG.  6   , there are four friction pads  13  attached to the bottom of base  10 . 
     Housing  20  is positioned atop surface  11  of base  10 , as shown in  FIGS.  1 - 6   . More specifically, housing  20  includes front wall  21 , rear wall  22 , bottom wall  23 , and two opposite side walls  24  and  25 . Those five walls collectively form an inner space—a deck storage and displaying region—having a width, as determined by the spacing between side walls  24  and  25 , which is just slightly larger than the width of a standard playing card, so as to snugly, yet telescopically, receive the deck. 
     Front wall  21  of housing  20 , as well as other parts of housing  20 , and apparatus  100 , may be made of an opaque material, as long as the top portion of the top forward-most portion of playing card  32  is sufficiently revealed to display its value and suit. For instance, as shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , front wall  21  is made of an opaque material, and is substantially lower than the height of standard playing card  32 . As such, the top portion of the forward-most playing card is sufficiently revealed to show that the card is the eight of diamonds. Further, as shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , front wall  21  is in the shape of a rectangle. In other embodiments, front wall  21  may also include a cut-out portion for more easily grabbing and lifting (or inserting) the card, or the deck as a whole. 
     Rear wall  22  of housing  20 , as shown in  FIGS.  3  and  4   , is substantially parallel to front wall  21 . Moreover, as shown in  FIGS.  4  and  5   , rear wall  22  may include a cut-out portion, such as slot  26 , for more easily grabbing the cards, either individually or by the deck, as a whole. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1  and  3   , rear wall  22  substantially adjoins base  10 , forming an angle relative to base  10 . That angle serves to improve the comfort and the convenience for a user to view the Knock Card during the playing of the game. Specifically, that angle may range from zero (0°) degrees to about one hundred eighty (180°) degrees, or more preferably from about sixty-five (65°) degrees to about eighty-five (85°) degrees. The angle between rear wall  22  and base  10  may be fixed or adjustable. In some embodiments, the housing may be movable or rotatable relative to the planar base. 
     To support or adjust rear wall  22 , as shown in  FIGS.  1 ,  3  and  4   , housing  20  may also include a back support element, such as supporting leg  27 , pivotally attached to rear wall  22 , at hinge  28 , and likewise pivotally attached to base  10  at hinge  29 . In some embodiments, back support element  27  may be bendable or flexible. With back support element  27  being pivotally attached to the rear wall of the housing and/or the planar base at hinges  28  and  29  (as shown in  FIGS.  1  and  3   ), a manufacturer or user of the apparatus can collapse the supporting leg, for storage or shipping of apparatus  100 . 
     In other embodiments, top surface  11  of base  10  may include non-slip material  46 , or have one or more stop elements (e.g., a notch, a groove, a strip or a ledge) such as strips  30  and  31  along top surface  11  of planar base  10 , adjustably maintaining the position of the housing or the support element. As such, the angle between the rear wall and the planar base may be adjusted by positioning the housing or the support element at different stop elements, to enhance the viewing of displayed card  32 . 
     As shown in  FIGS.  4  and  5   , rear wall  22  may include a cut-out portion (e.g., slot  26 ) for a user to more easily grab the cards, either individually or by the deck. 
     Regarding the side walls of housing  20 , as shown in  FIGS.  1 ,  2  and  4   , two opposite side walls  24  and  25  are substantially parallel to one another, and are spaced apart from one another just slightly wider than the approximate width of a standard playing card, such as either a Poker-style or Bridge-style playing card. As such, undesired skewing or shifting of the playing cards in the housing is limited, thereby reducing the risk of the inadvertent premature displaying of any playing cards behind the forward-most playing card. While some playing card decks are thicker than others, it is contemplated that the depth of the housing will be of such a dimension to accommodate most such standard thicknesses. Alternatively, the use of an additional adapter insert is contemplated to accept a thinner deck, where any such adapter can be adhered to the insides of the front, rear, side or bottom walls by an adhesive layer for example, to accommodate variations in the height, width or depth of a deck. 
     Further, according to this invention, each side wall  24 ,  25  of housing  10  may be shaped as a rectangle, a parallelogram, or a trapezoid. For instance, as shown in  FIG.  3   , opposite side walls  24  and  25  both have a rectangular shape. 
     Bottom wall  23  of housing  20 , as shown in  FIGS.  1  and  3   , is substantially proximate to top surface  11  of base  10 . Preferably, the angle between bottom wall  23  and rear wall  22  is about 90 degrees, so that there is no skewing of the cards when the deck of playing cards is placed in the housing. This further precludes the inadvertent premature displaying of any playing cards behind forward-most playing card  32 . 
     Optionally, apparatus  100  may further include a country club logo or other indicia at a suitable place, such as top surface  11  of base  10 , before front wall  21 , at logo position  33 . 
       FIGS.  7 - 12    show another embodiment of card dispenser and display apparatus  200 , according to the present invention.  FIG.  7    shows a perspective view of the card dispenser and display apparatus  200 , and  FIGS.  8 - 12    show the front, side, rear, top, and bottom view of apparatus  200 , respectively. 
     Card dispenser and display apparatus  200  includes a generally horizontal planar base  40 , and housing  50  for dispensing, maintaining and displaying a deck of standard playing cards from therewithin, including forward-most card  32 . Particularly,  FIGS.  7 ,  8  and  9    show apparatus  200  containing a deck of standard playing cards in housing  50 . The deck storage and display region formed by the walls of housing  50  accommodates thickness  35  of a standard playing card deck contained therewithin, through depth  37  ( FIG.  9   ) between front wall  51  and rear wall  52 . Likewise, side walls  54  and  55  are spaced apart to width  36  to closely receive the standard playing cards, while preventing shifting. 
     Generally, horizontal planar base  40  includes top surface  41  and bottom surface  42 , as shown in  FIGS.  7 ,  9  and  12   . To increase the stability of apparatus  200  on a surface (e.g., a table), bottom surface  42  of base  40  may be made of a non-slip material, or includes one or more non-slip tabs. For instance, as shown in  FIGS.  7  and  12   , there are nine friction pads  43  located at the bottom of base  40 . 
     Housing  50  is positioned on top surface  41  of base  40 , as shown in  FIGS.  7 - 12   . Housing  50  includes front wall  51 , rear wall  52 , bottom wall  53 , and two opposite side walls  54  and  55 . Those five walls collectively form an inner space—i.e., a deck storage and displaying region—which has a width closely approximate to the width of a standard playing card. 
     Front wall  51  of housing  50 , as well as other parts of apparatus  200 , may be fabricated of a substantially transparent material. As such, forward-most playing card  32  in housing  50  is also partially visible through the transparent portion of front wall  56 . As shown in  FIG.  7   , forward-most playing card  32  (i.e., eight of diamonds) is also visible through the transparent portion of front wall  51 . As shown in  FIGS.  7  and  8   , front wall  51  includes a front shield or barrier region  56  to block at least the bottom portion of forward-most playing card  32 , thereby precluding the inadvertent premature displaying of any playing cards behind the forward-most playing card, while removing the forward-most playing card, toward relocating it, after use, to the back of housing  50  adjacent back wall  52 . Though less preferred, the Knock Card can also be changed by drawing a card from the rear of the Knock deck and placing it over the front of the current Knock Card. Using that technique, the display of the cards in front of the rear card should be precluded. Further, as shown in  FIGS.  7  and  8   , front wall  51  is in the shape of a rectangle. In some other embodiments, front wall  51  may also include a cut-out portion for a user to more easily grab and lift the card, or the deck as a whole. 
     Side walls  54  and  55  of housing  50 , as shown in  FIGS.  7  and  9    are opposite one another, and are substantially parallel to each another. Side walls  54  and  55  are spaced apart from one another at distance  36 , the approximate width of a standard playing card. This serves to limit or avoid the undesired migration or shifting of the playing cards, and reduces the risk of the inadvertent premature displaying of any of the playing cards positioned behind forward-most playing card  32 . Each of side walls  54  and  55  of housing  50  may be in the shape of a rectangle, a parallelogram, or a trapezoid. For instance, as shown in  FIG.  9   , side walls  54  and  55  each have a trapezoidal shape. Further, similar to front wall  51 , when the housing is substantially transparent, preferably each of side walls  54  and  55  may also include a side shield (e.g.,  57 ) to block at least the bottom side portion of the forward-most playing card, as well as the cards behind it. 
     As shown in  FIG.  9   , rear wall  52  is substantially parallel to front wall  51  and may be also in the shape of a rectangle, as shown in  FIG.  10   . As shown in  FIGS.  7  and  9   , rear wall  52  may adjoin base  40  to form an angle relative to base  40 . That angle may range from about zero (0°) degrees to about one hundred eighty (180°) degrees, or more preferably from about sixty-five (65°) degrees to about eighty-five (85°) degrees, thereby improving the position from which users can view the card(s) displayed by apparatus  200  during the playing of the game. 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS.  7 ,  9  and  11   , to support or balance rear wall  52 , housing  50  may include two opposite side wings (e.g., triangle-shaped side wings  58  and  59 ), and, optionally, top cover  60  extending between rear wall  52  and base  40 . Apparatus  200  may also include a country club logo on top cover  60 , at logo position  61  ( FIG.  10   ), or on side walls  54  and  55 , or front wall  51 . 
     Bottom wall  53  of housing  50  is shown in  FIGS.  7  and  9   , substantially proximate to base  40 . Preferably, the angle between bottom wall  53  and rear wall  52  is about 90 degrees, so that there is no skewing or shifting of the cards within the deck, when playing cards are placed in, and maintained by, housing  50 . This could further preclude the inadvertent premature displaying of any playing cards behind the forward-most playing card. 
     In some other embodiments, while the angle between the rear wall and the base is less than 90 degrees, the bottom wall may have a tapered thickness, in order to form a generally 90-degree angle between the bottom wall and the rear wall, and to ensure that there is no skewing of the playing cards in the housing. 
       FIG.  13    shows width adapter insert  44  for insertion into housing  20  to adjust the width of the apparatus to accommodate a different size or format of deck, as also shown, in phantom, in  FIG.  2   . Insert  44  can be attached through the use of a peel-off-exposable adhesive. 
       FIG.  14    shows height adapter insert  45  for insertion into housing  20  to adjust the height of the apparatus to accommodate a different size or format of deck, as also shown, in phantom, in  FIG.  2   . Insert  45  can likewise be attached in the inside of the housing through a suitable adhesive. 
     The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.