Patent Publication Number: US-2023143630-A1

Title: Automatic shelving system for a vehicle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/276,855, filed on Nov. 8, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to an automatic shelving system for a vehicle, such as a delivery vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a smart shelving system that simplifies a process of loading and unloading parcels from storage racks in the vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS.  1 A- 1 F , delivery vehicles are known in the art for delivering parcels to recipients. Delivery vehicles typically include a passenger compartment that is located in front of a cargo area. The cargo area usually includes a series of shelves for supporting a plurality of trays that contain parcels. Upon arrival at a delivery destination associated with a specific parcel, an operator of the vehicle typically enters the cargo area, identifies which tray the parcel is located in, manually removes the tray from the vehicle and delivers the parcel to the recipient. This approach can be physically and mentally taxing on the operator as well as time consuming. Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements to shelving systems for vehicles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     This section provides a general summary of the disclosure and is not intended to be interpreted as a comprehensive listing of its full scope or of all of its objects, aspects, features and/or advantages. 
     It is an aspect of the disclosure to provide a system which assists operators in unloading trays from a vehicle in a simple, fast and convenient manner. 
     It is another aspect of the disclosure to provide a system which allows an operator to easily and ergonomically move trays from the vehicle to a transportation device such as a trolley. 
     According to these and other aspects of the disclosure, a smart shelving system for storing and unloading parcels from a vehicle is provided. The system includes a storage rack which is located in the vehicle and includes a plurality of shelves stacked on top of one another in spaced relationship with one another. Each of the shelves has a side edge. A plurality of trays for holding the parcels are positioned on the shelves. The side edge of at least one of the shelves is aligned with at least one opening of the vehicle. At least one unloading mechanism is configured to move the trays from the shelves and through the at least one opening to a location outside of the vehicle. 
     According to the above and other aspects of the disclosure, another smart shelving system for storing and unloading parcels from a vehicle is provided. The smart shelving system includes a pair of storage racks for being lined up along a side of a cargo area of the vehicle. The storage racks includes a plurality of shelves stacked on top of one another. A plurality of trays for holding the parcels are positioned on the shelves. A gap is defined between the pair of storage racks. An overhead track for being connected to a ceiling of the vehicle extends along the gap between the storage racks. A transporting device is coupled with and moveable along the track for retrieving the trays from the shelves and delivering the trays to unloading locations of the vehicle. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations thereof such that the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS.  1 A- 1 F  are perspective views illustrating use of conventional shelving systems of vehicles; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of a vehicle including a shelving system according to an aspect of the disclosure, illustrating an operator removing a tray from the vehicle and loading the tray onto a trolley; 
         FIG.  3    is a rear view of a vehicle including the shelving system illustrating the removal of trays from the vehicle with an unloading mechanism; 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of the shelving system illustrating a plurality of visual indicators used to indicate a status of the trays; 
         FIG.  4 A  is a perspective, magnified view of the shelving system illustrating the visual indicators; 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of the shelving system illustrating the transfer of one of the trays from the unloading mechanism to a trolley; 
         FIG.  6    is a further perspective view of the shelving system illustrating the transfer of one of the trays from the unloading mechanism to the trolley, and further illustrating a roll-up style door on the vehicle in a rolled/open position; 
         FIG.  7    is a further perspective view of the shelving system illustrating the transfer of one of the trays from the unloading mechanism to the trolley, and further illustrating a lift-up/clam shell style door on the vehicle in a pivoted/open position; 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view of the vehicle including the shelving system and illustrating a rear space for additional storage; 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective view of a vehicle including the shelving system and a cart including a plurality of the trays set to be loaded into the shelving system; 
         FIGS.  10 A- 10 D  illustrate a process of unloading trays with the shelving system; 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective view of a vehicle with an automatic storage and retrieval shelving system; 
         FIG.  12    is a top, sectional view of the vehicle with the automatic storage and retrieval shelving system; 
         FIG.  13    is a side, partial view of the vehicle with the automatic storage and retrieval shelving system; 
         FIG.  14    is a perspective, partial view of the vehicle with the automatic storage and retrieval shelving system; and 
         FIG.  15    is a flow diagram of an example method of using the subject shelving system. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several view of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     Example embodiments of a smart shelving system embodying the teachings of the present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments are only provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that the example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms that may be combined in various ways, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. 
     As best shown in  FIGS.  2 - 10 D , a first example embodiment of a smart shelving system  10  for storing, loading and unloading a plurality of trays  12  in a vehicle  14  is generally shown. The vehicle  14  may, for example, may be a delivery vehicle  14  for delivering packages to predetermined addresses. As shown in  FIG.  2   , the vehicle  14  may be a van  14  including a passenger compartment  16  and a cargo area  18 . Other types of vehicles may also be employed. The vehicle  14  may be manually or self-driven. In the instance in which it self-driven, it may follow a predetermined route via instructions from a control system  17  (discussed in further detail below). A rear end of the cargo area  18  may include one or more rear openings  20  and associated rear doors  22 . Likewise, sidewalls  24  of the cargo area  18  may include or more side openings  26  and associated side doors  28 . Moreover, an opening may be provided between the cargo area  18  and the passenger compartment  16 . As such, convenient loading and unloading may be provided from openings at all sides the cargo area  18 . 
     The smart shelving system  10  further includes one or more storage racks  30  that are located in the cargo area  18  of the vehicle  14 . Each storage rack  30  includes a frame having a plurality of vertical end supports  32  extending in a vertical direction generally parallel to one another and defining a perimeter of the frame. Each storage rack  30  further includes a plurality of shelves  34  that are stacked on top of one another in spaced relationship with one another. As shown, the shelves  34  are sized for supporting/storing a plurality of trays  12 . The trays  12  may be configured to contain items/parcels which are set for delivery to specific destinations. Each of the shelves  34  has a side edge  36  adjacent to one of the sidewalls  24  of the cargo area  18 . As shown, a plurality of the side edges  36  of the shelves  34  are aligned with a side opening  26  of the cargo area  18 . Any number of side openings  26  may be provided as needed to provide access to all of the trays  12 , e.g.,  FIGS.  6  and  7    show a plurality of side openings  26  arranged adjacent to one another along a side of the vehicle. 
     As shown in  FIG.  8   , an open space  38  may be provided between the storage racks  30  and the rear door  22  of the vehicle  14  which may be used as a cargo area for various items, including empty trays  12 , out of sequence trays  12  and oversized parcels. 
     As schematically shown, for example in  FIGS.  10 B- 10 D , each of the shelves  34  may include a conveying mechanism  39  for moving the trays  12  to different locations along the shelves  34  and for receiving or sliding the trays  12  off the shelves  34 . The conveying mechanism  39  may also be configured to move the trays  12  onto and off unloading mechanisms  40  (discussed in further detail below). The conveying mechanism  39  is connected to a control system  47  (schematically shown in  FIG.  2   ) for selectively controlling the conveying mechanism  39 . 
     As schematically illustrated in  FIG.  2   , the control system  47  may include a parcel database  49  that includes information about the parcels in the vehicle including, but not limited to, a tray location of the parcel, a destination of the parcel, a weight and contents. The control system  47  may also include a tracking module  51  which is configured to identify a location of the vehicle  14  at all times, such as via a global positioning system. As will be discussed in further detail below, the control system  47  may be configured to identify when trays  12  and their associated parcels should be removed based on information provided via the parcel database  49  and tracking module  51 . The control system  47  may also be configured to deploy unloading mechanisms  40  to provide the trays  12  to the operator at a location that is conveniently accessible to an operator based on a detected location of the vehicle  14 . For example, the control system  47  may be configured to identify the presence of the vehicle  14  at a specific delivery address, and activate the unloading mechanism  40  associated with a specific tray  12  containing a parcel that is associated with the address such that the tray  12  and parcel are easily and quickly received by the operator such that the operator may complete the delivery to a delivery location at the address. As schematically illustrated in  FIG.  2   , the system  10  may further include a scanning system  46  that is electrically connected to the control system  47  for allowing operators to actively scan in and out trays  12  and/or associated parcels as they are loaded and unloaded into the cargo area  18 , and update the parcel database  49  based on the readings. Each of the trays  12  and parcels may have an associated scanning such as a bar code, QR code, or other equivalent device that correlates with the parcels in the tray  12  and their destinations. The control system  47  may be configured to populate the parcel database  49  and as parcels are received and removed from the vehicle  14 , and configured to plan routes and determine an appropriate location for each of the trays  12  on the shelves  34  based on this data. 
     As best shown in  FIGS.  3  and  5 - 7   , one or more of the unloading mechanisms  40  are configured to move the trays  12  from the shelves  34  to a location outside of the vehicle  14  to assist an operator in removing the trays  12  from the vehicle  14 . Each unloading mechanism  39  is connected to the control system  47  for selectively controlling the unloading mechanism  39 . The unloading mechanism may be configured to move the trays  12  in any direction, e.g., vertically and horizontally, in unison or separately. Furthermore, the unloading mechanism may be automatically deployed via instructions from the control system  17  to an associated motor, or may be manually deployed. 
     As shown, the unloading mechanisms  40  may each have a deformable parallelogram type shape, however, other types of structures may be employed. For example, the unloading mechanisms  40  may telescopingly extend out of the vehicle  14  in a linear direction and may also be adjusted vertically in a telescoping manner. As shown in the example embodiment, the unloading mechanism  40  may include a platform  41  that is configured to support the trays  12  and one or more pivoting members  43  that are pivotably connected to the platform  41  and shelves  34  and configured to provide the movement of the unloading mechanism  40  out of the vehicle  14 . More particularly, as schematically shown, like the shelves  34 , the platform  41  of the unloading mechanisms  40  may each include a conveying device  45  (schematically shown in  FIG.  3   ) for moving the trays  12  onto and off the platform  41  of the unloading mechanism  40 , such as onto a trolley  46 . In an alternate arrangement, there are no shelves  34 , and the platforms  41  serve as shelves on their own. As shown, in addition to laterally moving the trays  12  outside of the vehicle  14 , the unloading mechanism  40  may be configured to vertically move the tray  12  such that they are positioned at a height that is easy and ergonomic for an operator to handle and remove the tray  12 . This vertical movement of the unloading mechanism  40  and trays  12  may occur while the unloading mechanism is located out of the vehicle  14 . For example, a desired vertical movement of the unloading mechanism  40  may be established based on a height of the operator and may be selected to easily load the tray  12  onto a trolley  46  or other transporting device. The unloading mechanism  40  may be self-deployed via a motor in response to instructions from the controller  45  or may be manually moved by the operator. In any case, vertical downward movement of the unloading mechanism  40  may be assisted by gravity. The unloading mechanism  40  may be constructed to handle various weights of trays  12 . The unloading mechanisms  40  may be located in alignment with one or more of the openings  20 ,  26  at any location of the vehicle  14 , e.g., along one or more openings across an entire sidewall of the vehicle  14 . Accordingly, the unloading mechanism  40  provides a smooth, simple manner of moving trays  12  in and out of the cargo area. 
     A visual tracking system  53  is provided to assist the operator in unloading parcels at predetermined times and/or locations of the vehicle  14 . The visual tracking system  53  is associated with the control system  47  for automating use of the visual tracking system  45 . As best shown in  FIGS.  4  and  4 A , the visual tracking system  53  may include any number of visual indicators  42 , such as LEDs, along the side edges  36  of the shelves  34 . The visual indicators  42  may be configured to illuminate in various colors and for various reasons in response to instructions from the control system  47 , thus contributing to an error proof inventory management system. For example, the control system  47  may be configured to display a green light when a tray  12  is ready for removal from the vehicle  14 , e.g., upon arrival at a predetermined address based on a detected location of the vehicle  14  with the parcel database  49  and tracking module  51 . The light indicators  42  may also be configured to display a red light when a tray  12  is not ready for removal. The light indicator  42  may also be configured to display various predetermined colors to indicate other pieces of information such as when a tray  12  is empty, jammed in a shelf, or when a tray  12  exceeds a predetermined weight, or it may indicate contents of the tray  12 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS.  2 - 3  and  5 - 7   , a transporting device such as trolley  46  is configured to receive and support trays  12  from the unloading mechanism  40  to allow operators to conveniently move the trays  12 . The trolley  46  includes a pair of vertical rails  48  that extend vertically in spaced and parallel relationship with one another. The trolley  46  further includes a pair of wheels  52  at a base of the vertical rails  48  for providing movement of the trolley  46 . The trolley  46  also includes one or more horizontal supports  54  that extend transversely from the vertical rail  48  and are vertically slideable along the vertical rails  48  for receiving and supporting trays from the shelves  34 . The trolley  46  further includes one or more clamping mechanisms  56  that are slideable with the horizontal supports  54  along the vertical rails  48 . The clamping mechanisms  56  may be configured to couple with the trays  12  to pull the trays  12  from the unloading mechanism  40  and/or to hold the trays  12  in place on the horizontal supports  54  while the tray  12  is raised and lowered with the horizontal support  54  and while the trolley  46  is moved. The vertically lowered position of the trays  12  provided by the unloading mechanism  40  provides an ergonomic height setup for receiving the tray  12  on the trolley  46 . The trolley  46  is arranged such that various numbers of trays  12  may be stacked on top of one another. According to an embodiment, the horizontal supports  54  and associated clamping mechanisms  56  may be removable from the trolley  46  to assist in stacking the trays. The clamping mechanism  56  uses visual controls to lock and unlock as needed. The visual controls may be in the form of illuminated buttons and/or an associated display screen that are configured to inform a user as to whether or not the clamping mechanism  56  is activated and to allow the user to activate/deactivate the clamping mechanism  56 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS.  6 - 7   , at least one door  22 ,  28  overlies the at least one door opening  20 ,  26 . According to a first embodiment shown in  FIG.  6   , the at least one door  22 ,  28  may be a roll-up style door  28  which is configured to roll into a compact position adjacent to a ceiling in the cargo area  18 . This style of door  22 ,  28  advantageously may use readily available standard commercial components, presents a large surface for advertising materials, requires little space to be rolled up thus maximizing space in the cargo area, and allows simple, easy ergonomic operation for rolling and unrolling. According to a second embodiment shown in  FIG.  7   , the at least one door  22 ,  28  may include a lateral lift-up/clam shell door  28  that is pivotally connected to the vehicle  14  adjacent to a roof of the vehicle  14  and configured to pivot between a closed position in which the door  28  closes the side opening  26  and an open position in which the door  28  extends outwardly relative to the vehicle  14 . A pair of struts  58  are configured to aid in opening the door  28 . This style of door  28  is aesthetically appealing, as it generally has no impact on styling of the vehicle  14 , it can be used as rain shelter while opened, and it may include overhead lighting  60  for assisting operators while working in the dark. It should be appreciated that any number of doors  22 ,  28  and associated openings  10 ,  26  may be provided along any region of the vehicle  14 . For example, doors and openings may occupy entire sidewalls or rear ends of the vehicle to provide many unloading points. The doors  22 ,  28  may be electrically connected to the control system  17  to autonomously open in response to a detection that the vehicle  12  has arrived at a predetermined location. Furthermore a door indicator  44  (e.g., as shown in  FIG.  8   ) may be located on or adjacent to each of the doors  22 ,  28  and may be connected to the control system  47  for indicating to a user which doors  22 ,  28  should be opened in order to access a tray  12  and parcel that is ready for removal based on a location of the vehicle  14 . 
       FIGS.  10 A- 10 D  illustrate processes for loading and unloading trays  12  from the cargo area  18  of the vehicle  14 . Such processes may include First In First Out (FIFO) and Last In First Out (LIFO). According to the FIFO process, trays  12  that are loaded onto the shelves  34  first are arranged such that they are the first to be removed from the vehicle  14  according to a predetermined delivery route.  FIGS.  10 A- 10 D  illustrate an example of a FIFO process. As shown in  FIG.  10 A , the trays  12  in column  1  are loaded first, followed by columns  2  and  3 . As shown in  FIG.  10 B , upon arrival at a first destination, the trays  12  of the top two rows of column  1  are removed with the unloading mechanism  40 . As shown in  FIG.  10 C  after unloading of the first trays  12 , the trays  12  from column  2  are moved to column  1 , and those from column  3  are moved to column  2 . Such movements of the trays  12  may occur automatically with the conveyor devices  39 ,  53  in response to instructions from the control system  47 . This process is repeated, as illustrated in  FIG.  10 D  until all of the trays  12  are removed. On the other hand, according to a LIFO process, trays  12  that are loaded onto the shelves  34  last are arranged such that they are the first to be removed from the vehicle  14  according to the predetermined delivery route. According to this method, the trays  12  may be loaded and removed from either side of the vehicle  14 . 
     As previously noted, openings  20  may be at the rear of the cargo area  18 , a front of the cargo area  18  (into the passenger compartment  16 ) or along sidewalls  24  to make it easy for operators to unload the trays  12  at various locations. Furthermore, specific parcel/tray  12  locations may be selected based on a direction the vehicle  14  is pointing upon arrival at a destination. For example, a tray  12  may be positioned on a left-side shelf  34  in a situation in which the right side of the vehicle  14  is adjacent to a road in order to minimize a risk of operator injury from passing cars. 
     An automatic storage and retrieval system  10 ′ is illustrated in  FIGS.  11 - 14   . According to this system, a pair of storage racks  30  are each lined up along a side of the cargo area  18  of the vehicle  14 . Each of the storage racks  30  includes a plurality of rows and columns of shelves  34  stacked up on top of one another. As shown, the shelves  34  may be many sizes to accommodate trays  12  and associated parcels of various sizes. A gap  62  is defined between the pair of storage racks  30 . As with the previously discussed shelves, the shelves  34  of the subject embodiment may include conveying elements for moving the trays  12  along the shelves  34 . An overhead track  64  is connected to a ceiling of the vehicle  14  and extends along a length of the gap  62  between front and rear ends of the cargo area  18 . The overhead track  64  may extend in other directions to other locations of the vehicle  14  to allow trays  12  to be moved in any direction (e.g., along at least three axes). An unloading mechanism, hereinafter referred to as a transporting mechanism  68  is slideably connected to the track  64  for moving within the cargo area  18 . The transporting mechanism  68  may take various forms but in the example embodiment is comprised of a plurality of vertical tracks  70  extending in spaced and parallel relationship with one another. A horizontal carrier  72  is vertically moveable along the vertical tracks  70 . The transporting mechanism  68  is configured to pull trays  12  from the shelves  34  and move them to one of a plurality of unloading locations at the openings  22 ,  26  in the vehicle. More particularly, the control system  47  may detect that a parcel is ready for delivery upon arrival of the vehicle at a predetermined location and move the transporting mechanism  68  into alignment with a shelf  34  upon which the parcel is located. The conveying element  39  of the shelf  34  may then be configured to move the tray  12  onto the transporting mechanism  68  and the transporting mechanism  68  may then move the tray  12  to one of the openings  22 ,  26  such that an operator may remove the tray  12  from the vehicle  14 . The transporting mechanism  68  may also include its own conveying device to facilitate the movement of trays  12  that are positioned on the transporting mechanism  68 . Furthermore, the transporting mechanism  68  may be configured to receive and expel trays in other ways. Again, the door  22 ,  28  associated with the opening may be automatically or manually opened upon arrival at the predetermined destination. A door indicator  44  may indicate to the operator which door  22 ,  28  is ready to be opened. It should be appreciated that this system permits the tray  12  to be delivered to whichever opening/door  22 ,  28  is most convenient to the operator. For example, it may be desirable for a tray  12  to be delivered to an opening that is opposite a road to ensure safety of the operator. The control system  47  may be configured to automatically deliver trays  12  to specific openings  22 ,  26 , or may be manually programmed by the operator. It should be appreciated that the previously described scanning system  46  may also be employed with this arrangement. 
     The transporting mechanism  68  may be configured to move the trays  12  to unloading locations at the front end (into the passenger compartment  16 ), rear opening  20  and side openings  26  of the vehicle  14 . Furthermore, as shown, the transporting mechanism  68  may be configured to extend outside of the vehicle  14  through the opening  20 ,  26  upon arrival of the vehicle  14  at the predetermined destination. According to this arrangement, the transporting mechanism  68  may be configured to extend outside of the vehicle  14  and/or the overhead track  64  may be configured to extend out of the vehicle  14  upon opening of the door  22 ,  28  to permit the transporting mechanism  68  to extend outside of the vehicle  14 . Accordingly, the transporting mechanism  68  is capable of providing three-dimensional displacement of the trays  12 . By providing automatic retrieval of the trays  12 , the need for an operator to look for a specific tray  12  is eliminated. As shown, the vertical mobility of the horizontal carrier  72  permits the trays  12  to be delivered to an operator at a specific desired ergonomic height, e.g., onto the trolley  46 . The control system  44  may further be configured to retrieve a tray  12  while the vehicle  14  is in motion to an upcoming destination such that the tray  12  is ready for receipt by the operator upon arrival at the destination. 
     With reference to  FIG.  15   , a method for using the subject smart shelving system  10  is provided. As shown, the method may include the step of  100  populating the parcel database  49  as parcels are loaded into the trays  12 . As previously noted, the parcel database  49  may include various types of information associated with the parcels/trays  12  including, but not limited to, a destination of the parcels, weights, contents and tray  12  location on the shelves  34 . The method may also include  102  identifying when the vehicle  14  has arrived at a predetermined location with the control system  17 . It should be appreciated that prior to this step, the vehicle  14  may automatically drive to the destination based on instructions from the control system  17  based on the parcel database  49  and/or an operator may be instructed on how to navigate to the destination. The method may also include  104  identifying which trays  12  include parcels that should be delivered to the destination. The method may also include  106  activating a door indicator  44  to inform the operator of which door to stand near to receive the parcel. Alternatively the system  10  may be configured to allow the operator to select a door, and to deliver the tray  12  to the operator, e.g., via the transporting mechanism  68  and/or conveyor devices  39 ,  45 . The method may also include  106  opening a door associated with the location of the tray  12 . As previously noted, the door may be manually or automatically opened via instructions from the control system  17  and an associated motor. The method may also include  108  illuminating a visual indicator  42  associated with the tray  12  that should be removed to indicate to the operator that the tray should be removed. The method may also include  110  loading the tray  12  which should be unloaded onto an unloading mechanism  40 /transporting mechanism  68 . As previously noted, this may include the use of one or more conveyor devices  39 ,  45  to move the tray  12  onto the unloading mechanism  40 /transporting mechanism  68 . The method may also include  112  activating the unloading mechanism  40 /transporting mechanism  68  to deliver the tray  12  to the operator. The method may also include  114  moving the tray  12  from the unloading mechanism  40 /transporting mechanism  68  to the trolley  46  or other transporting device. Again, this may include the use of conveying devices and/or a clamping mechanism  56 . Once the tray  12  has been delivered by the operator, the vehicle  14  may depart to another destination and the process may be repeated. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in that particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed and that features of different embodiments may be combined with one another. 
     When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or later, or intervening element or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to described 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 may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. 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 of the example embodiments. 
     Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be 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. Spatially relative terms may be 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 may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. 
     The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.