Patent Publication Number: US-11642808-B1

Title: Drink container piercing device

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to a device and method for preparing a drink container to accept a drinking straw. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a drink container piercing device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Drinking water and beverages are commonly distributed in containers with removable caps, typically formed of plastic. For a user to consume the contents of such containers, it is necessary to remove the cap from the container, allowing the contents to be poured out of the container opening, or be accessed through a drinking straw inserted through the opening. However, removal of the cap creates an increased risk of spillage if the container is overturned or otherwise upset. Furthermore, if the cap is misplaced or discarded, the container cannot be recapped for later consumption. This frequently results in the container with partially consumed contents being wastefully thrown away. 
     A need therefore exists for a handheld device which allows a user to pierce the cap of a container to create an opening through which the drinking straw is inserted and secured. Such a device would be comfortable and stable in the user&#39;s hand, and have a safe, retractable tip for piercing the cap which is operable using either the user&#39;s thumb or palm. 
     In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned. 
     While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     An aspect of an example embodiment in the present disclosure is to provide a device for preparing a drink container to receive a drinking straw, the drink container having a container body, a container interior with contents, and a cap with a cap top. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a drink container piercing device comprising a device body with a device body first end and a device body second end, and a piercing assembly disposed at the device body first end having a central projection and an arcuate blade. The arcuate blade is curved, and is adapted to pierce the cap top and cut the cap top in a rotational manner centered around the central projection, to produce a circular aperture in the cap top which reveals the container interior. The drinking straw is then inserted through the circular aperture to allow the user or another person to access the contents. 
     It is another aspect of an example embodiment in the present disclosure to provide a device which pierces the cap without causing any pieces of the cap to fall into the container interior. Accordingly, the arcuate blade produces a circular cut portion, and the central projection is adapted to retain the circular cut portion as the piercing assembly is withdrawn from the cap top, thereby preventing the cut portion from falling into the container interior. 
     It is yet another aspect of an example embodiment in the present disclosure to provide a device which prevents accidental contact with the piercing assembly when the device is not in use. Accordingly, the device body has an interior channel, and the piercing assembly is held within the interior channel in a retracted position. The piercing assembly is advanced to an extended position when in use, causing the central projection and the arcuate blade to project outwardly past the device first end. 
     It is a further aspect of an example embodiment in the present disclosure to provide a device which is held by a user&#39;s hand in a stable manner. Accordingly, the device body has a first finger projection and a second finger projection, and a pushrod which advances the piercing assembly. The user places a finger against each of the first and second finger projections, and places a palm or thumb against the pushrod. 
     The present disclosure addresses at least one of the foregoing disadvantages. However, it is contemplated that the present disclosure may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claims should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed hereinabove. To the accomplishment of the above, this disclosure may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows. 
         FIG.  1 A  is a diagrammatic perspective view of a drink container piercing device showing a device body and a pair of finger supports, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  1 B  is a diagrammatic perspective view of the drink container piercing device viewed from below, showing a first surface disposed at a first end of the device body, with a first aperture and a second aperture disposed on the first surface, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded view of the drink container piercing device, showing a pushrod and piercing assembly with an arcuate blade and a central projection, further showing a retraction spring and a spring stop flange, the pushrod and the piercing assembly are aligned with an interior channel disposed in the device body, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  3 A  is a diagrammatic depiction of the drink container piercing device viewed from the front and slightly below, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  3 B  is a cross sectional view of the drink container piercing device, showing the pushrod and piercing assembly in a retracted position disposed within the interior channel of the device body, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  4 A  is a diagrammatic perspective view of the drink container piercing device, showing an actuation support attached to the pushrod for assisting a user in pushing the pushrod and piercing assembly towards an extended position, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  4 B  is a cross sectional view of the drink container piercing device, showing the pushrod and the piercing assembly in the extended position causing the central projection and the cutting blade to protrude outwardly past the first surface of the device body, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a diagrammatic perspective view of a drink container with a cap and a cap top surface, further showing the drink container piercing device in alignment with the cap, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the drink container piercing device lowered to create a contact between the first surface of the device body and the cap top surface, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  7 A  is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the pushrod and piercing assembly lowered to the extended position, allowing the piercing assembly to penetrate the cap, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  7 B  is a cross section view of the drink container piercing device and the container, showing the arcuate blade and the piercing tip extending past the cap top surface and into a container interior, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  8    is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the container being rotated in relation to the drink container piercing device, causing the arcuate blade to cut horizontally across the cap, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  9    is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the drink container piercing device being lifted upwardly away from the cap while extracting a cut portion and producing a circular aperture in the cap, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  10    is a diagrammatic perspective view of the piercing assembly, showing the cut portion attached to the central projection near the piercing tip, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  11 A  is a diagrammatic perspective view of the container, showing the circular aperture in the cap which provides access to the container interior, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
         FIG.  11 B  is a diagrammatic perspective view of the container and a drinking straw, depicting the straw inserted through the circular aperture and into the container interior, in accordance with an embodiment in the current disclosure. 
     
    
    
     The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various example embodiments. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure is thorough, complete and fully conveys the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS.  1 A- 1 B , and  FIGS.  11 A- 11 B  illustrate a drink container piercing device  10  with a piercing assembly  48 , for use with a drink container  100  having a cap  104 , a container body  102 , and a container interior  103  within the container body  102 . The piercing assembly  48  of the drink container piercing device  10  is adapted to pierce the cap  104  and create a circular aperture  116  thereon which provides access to the container interior  103 , further allowing a drinking straw  114  to be inserted through the circular aperture  116  into the container interior  103 . The drinking straw  114  is a tube formed of plastic, metal, paper, or other suitable material, and has a straw first end  114 A and a straw second end  114 B. To minimize spillage of the contents, the circular aperture  116  may be formed with a diameter which substantially matches a diameter of the drinking straw  114 . 
     The container  100  represents a bottle, jar, or other apparatus used to store contents within the container interior  103 , corresponding to water, beverages, or other consumable liquids. The container body  102  has a container upper portion  102 A and a distally oriented container lower portion  102 B, and the container interior  103  is disposed therebetween. The cap  104  covers the container upper portion  102 A, and blocks access to the container interior  103 . 
     Turning briefly to  FIG.  7 B  while continuing to refer to  FIG.  11 A , the cap  104  has a substantially flat cap top  106 T with a cap top outer face  108 A, and a cap top inner face  108 B disposed inwardly towards the container interior  103 . The container body  102  may be formed of plastic, metal, glass, or other material, while the cap  104  may be formed of a material such as plastic which is sufficiently soft to allow the cap  104  to be pierced or cut by a user operating the drink container piercing device using hand strength. 
     Turning to  FIGS.  1 A-B  and  FIG.  2   , the drink container piercing device  10  comprises a device body  12  having a device body first end  16 A, a distally oriented device body second end  16 B, and an outer surface  14 A extending therebetween. In a preferred embodiment, the device body  12  further has a first surface  18 A positioned at the device body first end  16 A. The first surface  18 A is substantially flat, and is oriented perpendicularly across the device body first end  16 A. The piercing assembly  48  is positioned closer to the device body first end  16 A than the device body second end  16 B, and comprises an arcuate blade  54  and a central projection  50  with a piercing tip  50 T. The piercing assembly  48  is configured such that the arcuate blade  54  and the piercing tip  50 T project outwardly away from the first surface  18 A. The arcuate blade  54  and the central projection  50  are formed of a material with high hardness suitable for use with cutting implements, such as steel, another suitable metal, a ceramic, or other material which will be known to a person of ordinary skill in the art in the field of the invention. 
     Turning to  FIG.  1 B ,  FIGS.  3 A-B , and  FIGS.  4 A-B  while continuing to refer to  FIG.  2   , in one embodiment, the device body  12  is partially hollow, and further has an inner surface  14 B opposite the outer surface  14 A which defines an interior channel  30  extending from the device body first end  16 A towards the device body second end  16 B. The interior channel  30  allows the piercing assembly to retract to a retracted position  62 , causing the arcuate blade  54  and the central projection  50  to withdraw inwardly past the device body first end  16 A and the surface  18 A, thus preventing inadvertent or accidental contact therewith when the drink container piercing device  10  is not in use. The piercing assembly  48  is further configured to advance from the retracted position  62  into an extended position  64 , causing the central projection  50  and the arcuate blade  54  to extend outwardly beyond the device body first end  16 A and the first surface  18 A. The first surface  18 A has at least one access aperture  19  which allows the central projection  50  and the arcuate blade  54  to withdraw into, or extend out of, the interior channel  30 . In one embodiment, the at least one access aperture  19  further includes a first aperture  20  and a second aperture  22 . The central projection  50  and the arcuate blade  54  are positioned to extend outwardly or retract inwardly through the first aperture  20  and the second aperture  22  respectively. The second aperture  22  has a curved shape to allow the arcuate blade  54  to pass therethrough. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the drink container piercing device  10  further has a retraction spring  32  positioned within the interior channel  30  which exerts a retracting force which pushes the piercing assembly  48  inwardly towards the device body second end  16 B. The piercing assembly  48  remains in the retracted position  62  unless the retracting force is overcome. In one embodiment, the retraction spring  32  may be a coiled compression spring having a spring first end  34 A and a spring second end  34 B. The spring first end  34 A may be oriented towards the device body first end  16 A, while the spring second end  34 B may be oriented towards the device body second end  16 B. In certain embodiments, the device body  12  may have a spring rest surface  46  projecting inwardly toward the interior channel  30 . The spring first end  34 A may abut against the spring rest surface  46 . 
     In one embodiment, the piercing assembly  48  has a pushrod  40  which is positioned within the interior channel  30  and passes centrally through the retraction spring  32 . The pushrod  40  has a pushrod first end  42 A which is connected to the piercing assembly  48 , and a distally oriented pushrod second end  42 B which extends away from the piercing assembly  48  and projects outwardly away from the device body second end  16 B. The device body  12  may have a second surface  18 B with a pushrod channel  18 C disposed at the device second end  16 B, allowing the pushrod second end  42 B to pass through the pushrod channel  18 C. 
     The pushrod  40  may also have a spring stop  44  positioned between the pushrod first end  42 A and the pushrod second end  42 B. The spring second end  34 B abuts against the spring stop  44 , allowing the retracting force to be applied against the pushrod  40 . The retracting force thus causes the pushrod  40  and the piercing assembly  48  to withdraw away from the device body first end  16 A, and places the piercing assembly  48  in the retracted position  62 . 
     In one embodiment, the spring stop  44  is configured as a flattened cylinder or disk with a central channel through which the pushrod  40  extends. The spring stop  44  is secured to the pushrod  40  within the interior channel  30 , between the piercing assembly  48  and the device body second end  16 B. In one embodiment, the spring stop  44  is capable of sliding along the pushrod  40 , and a spring stop block  45  is attached to the pushrod  40  between the spring stop  44  and the pushrod second end  42 B. The spring stop block  45  may be a crescent shaped retaining ring or other component attached to the pushrod  40 , which prevents the retracting force exerted by the retraction spring  32  from displacing the spring stop  44  upwardly beyond the spring stop block  45 . 
     The user may cause the piercing assembly  48  to enter the extended position  64  by applying an advancing force to the pushrod second end  42 B towards the device body first end  16 A. The advancing force overcomes the retracting force, and the pushrod  40  causes the central projection  50  and the arcuate cutting blade  54  to project outwardly past the device body first end  16 A. To facilitate application of the advancing force, the pushrod  40  may have an actuation support  36  positioned at the pushrod second end  42 B. The actuation support  36  has a support surface  38  against which the user&#39;s palm, thumb, or other finger may be placed, thus allowing the user to comfortably apply force against the pushrod  40 . The actuation support  36  may be configured as a knob, cylinder, curved thumb rest, or other suitable structure for supporting the hand or finger. 
     Referring to  FIG.  1 A  while also referring to  FIGS.  3 A-B  and  FIGS.  4 A-B , in a preferred embodiment, the device body  12  also has a pair of finger supports  24  which allow the user to stabilize the drink container piercing device  10  in the user&#39;s hand. The pair of finger supports  24  comprise a first finger support  24 A and a second finger support  24 B which each project laterally away from the outer surface  14 A of the device body  12 . The user may grasp the drink container piercing device  10  by placing the palm or the thumb upon the actuation support  36  of the pushrod  40 , while also placing one finger in contact with each of the finger supports  24 . While applying the advancing force downwardly against the pushrod  40 , the user simultaneously pushes upwardly against the first and second finger supports  24 A,  24 B using the fingers in contact therewith. 
     Furthermore, the first finger support  24 A may have a first projection  26 A while the second finger support  24 B may have a second projection  26 B. The first projection  26 A and the second projection  26 B extend away from the first finger support  24 A and the second finger support  24 B respectively, and project downwardly towards the device body first end  16 A. The first finger support  24 A, the first projection  26 A, and the device body  12  define a first retaining space  28 A, while the second finger support  24 B, the second projection  26 B, and the device body  12  define a second retaining space  28 B. By placing a finger in each of the first and second retaining spaces  28 A,  28 B, the user is able to exercise increased control over the drink container piercing device  10  while also preventing the fingers from slipping off the first or second finger supports  24 A,  24 B. 
     Note that in an alternate embodiment, the finger supports  24  may be omitted from the drink container piercing device  10 , and the user may grasp the device body  12  directly between the palm and the fingers while using the thumb to apply the advancing force against the pushrod  40 . 
     Turning to  FIG.  10    while also referring to  FIG.  1 A  and  FIG.  2   , in one embodiment, the piercing assembly  48  has a head  49  with an outer face  49 F from which the central projection  50  and the arcuate blade  54  extend. The head  49  may be a flange, block, or cylinder with a flat surface forming the outer face  49 F. In a preferred embodiment, the outer face  49 F is circular, and the central projection  50  is located centrally upon the outer face  49 F, arranged coaxially with the pushrod  40 . The central projection  50  may be a rod which is square, polygonal, or circular in shape. The central projection  50  terminates in the piercing tip  50 T, and the piercing tip  50 T may be conical or pyramidal in shape. 
     The central projection  50  has a piercing tip base portion  50 TB positioned between the piercing tip  50 T and the head  49 . The piercing tip has a diameter which is narrowest at the piercing tip, and gradually widens towards the base portion  50 TB. The central projection  50  further has an extraction surface  52  disposed between the base portion  50 TB and the head  49 , and which is oriented away from the piercing tip  50 T towards the outer face  49 F. In one embodiment, the extraction surface  52  is tapered, and has a diameter which gradually diminishes from the base portion  50 TB towards the head  49 . In other embodiments, in lieu of the tapered configuration, the extraction surface  52  may be substantially flat. In a preferred embodiment, the piercing tip  50 T projects further from the head  49  than the arcuate blade  54 . 
     The arcuate blade  54  has a curved aspect, and is configured to cut in a rotational manner centered around the central projection  50 . The arcuate blade  54  is capable of cutting in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. In a preferred embodiment, the arcuate blade  54  has a first side  56 A, a second side  56 B, a third side  56 C, and a blade surface  57 . The first and second side  56 A,  56 B extend from the head  49  of the piercing assembly  48 , and are substantially parallel. The third side  56 C is located distally in relation to the head  49 , and extends between the first and second sides  56 A,  56 B. 
     The blade surface  57  is curved, and extends between the first, second, and third sides  56 A,  56 B,  56 C, and the head  49 . The arcuate blade  54  has a first blade edge  58  positioned along the third side  56 C, and a second blade edge  60  positioned along the first side  56 A. The first blade edge  58  is configured to cut in the vertical direction, while the second blade edge  60  is configured to cut in the horizontal direction. In a preferred embodiment, the first side  56 A has a length which is greater than a length of the second side  56 B, thus causing the first blade edge  58  to slope angularly from the first side  56 A towards the second side  56 B. 
     Turning to  FIGS.  5 - 6   , the user may utilize the drink container piercing device  10  by first grasping the device  10  and then aligning the device body first end  16 A with the cap  104  of the container  100 . The user then places the first surface  18 A in contact with the cap top outer face  108 A. At this point, the piercing assembly  48  is the retracted position  62 . 
     Turning to  FIGS.  7 A-B  while also referring to  FIG.  4 B , the user then exerts an advancing force upon the actuation support  36  of the pushrod  40  which overcomes the retraction spring  32  and causes the piercing assembly to enter the extended position  64 . The piercing tip  50 T of the central projection  50  and the arcuate blade  54  advance downwardly past the first surface  18 A, and penetrate the cap top  106 T of the cap  104 . The piercing tip  50 T creates a piercing point  118  through the cap top  106 T, allowing the central projection  50 , the piercing tip base  50 TB, and the extraction surface  52  to extend past the cap top inner face  108 B and into the container interior  103 . 
     Turning to  FIG.  8    while also referring to  FIG.  4 B  and  FIG.  7 B , the first blade edge  58  of the arcuate blade  54  penetrates the cap top  106 T from the vertical direction, extends past the cap top inner face  108 B, and creates a curved cut  118 C in the cap top  106 T. Penetration of the arcuate blade  54  into the container interior  103  also positions the second blade edge  60  perpendicularly to the cap top  106 T, which allows the second blade edge  60  to cut in the horizontal direction to extend the curved cut  118 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the user rotates the container  100  in a rotation direction  66  against the second blade edge  60  to extend the curved cut  118 C in a rotational manner until the curved cut  118 C forms a complete circle centered around the piercing point  118 . While rotating the container  100 , the user maintains a steady grip on the drink container piercing device  10  and continually applies the advancing force to overcome the retracting force of the retraction spring  32 . Alternatively, in some usage cases, the user may also rotate the drink container piercing device  10  in a direction opposite the rotation direction  66  while also rotating the container  100 . 
     Turning to  FIG.  9    and  FIG.  10   , once the curved cut  118 C has been completed, the curved cut  118 C forms a cut portion  110  which is circular in shape and comprises material which has been separated from the cap top  106 T. The piercing point  118  is positioned centrally through the cut portion  110 . The cut portion  110  has a cut portion outer surface  112 A oriented towards the device body first end  16 A, and a cut portion inner surface  112 B oriented opposite thereof. The completion of the curved cut  118 C also forms a circular aperture  116  in the cap top  106 T surrounding the cut portion  110 . The user then separates the device body first end  16 A from the cap  104  and withdraws the piercing assembly  48  from the container interior  103 . 
     As the central projection  50  is withdrawn away from the cap top  106 T, the cut portion  110  remains attached to the central projection  50 , and separates from the cap top  106 T to reveal the circular aperture  116 . The extraction surface  52  of the central projection abuts against the cut portion inner surface  112 B, thereby preventing separation of the cut portion  110  from the central projection  50  and ensuring that the cut portion  110  does not fall through the circular aperture  116  and into the container interior. 
     Note that in one alternate embodiment, the piercing tip base  50 TB may have a diameter which matches the diameter of the central projection  50 , thereby omitting the extraction surface  52 . The material of the cap  104  may be sufficiently flexible to cause the piercing point  118  to close inwardly around the central projection  50 , creating a frictional force which causes the cut portion  110  to remain attached to the central projection  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  3 A-B  while also referring to  FIGS.  9 - 10   , the user may release the advancing force exerted upon the pushrod  40 , causing the retraction spring  32  to return the piercing assembly  48  to the retracted position. As the central projection  50  is withdrawn into the interior channel  30 , the cut portion outer surface  112 A abuts against the first surface  18 A, pushing the cut portion  110  outwardly past the piercing tip  50 T and causing the cut portion  110  to detach from the central projection  50 . 
     Turning to  FIGS.  11 A-B  while also referring to  FIG.  10   , the circular aperture  116  provides access through the cap  104  into the container interior  103 . The user is able to insert the drinking straw  114  through the circular aperture to consume the contents of the container  100 . 
     In one embodiment, the arcuate blade  54  may be configured such that the circular aperture  116  has a diameter which is substantially equal to the diameter of the drinking straw  114 . For example, the arcuate blade  54  may have an arc length, as measured between the first and second sides  56 A,  56 B, which is sufficient to ensure that the circular aperture  116  has a circumference which is equal to a circumference of the drinking straw  114 . The drinking straw  114  is therefore able to form a tight fit with the circular aperture  116  which reduces spillage or leakage of the contents of the container  100 . The tight fit may also stabilize the drinking straw  114 . 
     It is understood that when an element is referred hereinabove as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. 
     Moreover, any components or materials can be formed from a same, structurally continuous piece or separately fabricated and connected. 
     It is further understood that, although ordinal terms, such as, “first,” “second,” “third,” are used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, “a first element,” “component,” “region,” “layer” or “section” discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings herein. 
     Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, are used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It is understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. 
     Example embodiments are described herein with reference to cross section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, example embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions as illustrated herein, but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as flat may, typically, have rough and/or nonlinear features. Moreover, sharp angles that are illustrated may be rounded. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the present claims. 
     In conclusion, herein is presented a drink container piercing device. The disclosure is illustrated by example in the drawing figures, and throughout the written description. It should be understood that numerous variations are possible, while adhering to the inventive concept. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present disclosure.