Patent Publication Number: US-11041668-B2

Title: Ice machine

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure generally relates to ice making and dispensing devices. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Ice vending machines can output prepackaged containers of ice and/or produce ice that is packaged at the vending machine. When packaged at the ice machine, the ice machine includes an ice maker and a hopper. Ice exits the hopper and is dispensed through a chute. A container is positioned at a lower end of the chute to catch the dispensed ice therein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to some examples of the present disclosure, an ice machine includes a cabinet having a cabinet door coupled thereto through a hinge assembly. A frame is positioned within the cabinet and includes a base portion and a support portion. A hopper is supported by the support portion of the frame. The hopper includes an ice dispensing interface. A housing is operably coupled with the cabinet door and defines an ice harvesting chamber. A chute is coupled with the housing and is in communication with the ice dispensing interface. A container hanging assembly is operably coupled with the chute. An attachment rod is coupled to the housing and is positioned on an opposing side of the chute from the container hanging assembly. A drain is defined by a bottom portion of the housing. 
     According to some examples of the present disclosure, an ice machine includes a cabinet having a cabinet door coupled thereto through a hinge assembly. A frame is positioned within the cabinet and includes a base portion and a support portion. The frame is laterally offset relative to a lateral compartment centerline. A hopper is supported by the support portion of the frame and has an ice dispensing interface. A chute is coupled with a housing and in communication with the ice dispensing interface. 
     According to some examples of the present disclosure, an ice machine includes a cabinet having a cabinet door hingedly coupled thereto. A frame is positioned within the cabinet and supports a hopper. The hopper includes an ice dispensing interface. A housing is operably coupled with the door and defines an ice harvesting chamber. A chute is coupled with the housing and is in communication with the ice dispensing interface. An attachment rod extends through a rear wall of the housing and includes a retainer on an end portion thereof. The retainer is disposed vertically above a lower portion of the chute. 
     These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of an ice machine having a cabinet and a door, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 1B  is a rear perspective view of the ice machine, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 2A  is a front perspective view of the ice machine with the door in an open position, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 2B  is a front perspective view of the ice machine with the door in the open position and having a filter assembly, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 3  is a front side perspective view of the ice machine with a frame positioned within the cabinet, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 4  is rear side perspective view of the cabinet of the ice machine, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the cabinet, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the cabinet and the frame taken along the line VI-VI of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a side plan view of the cabinet, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view of the cabinet door, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of the ice machine, according to some examples; 
         FIG. 10  is a front plan view of the ice machine, according to some examples; and 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the cabinet and the frame taken along the line XI-XI of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EXAMPLES 
     For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in  FIG. 1 . However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary examples of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the examples disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. 
     As required, detailed examples of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed examples are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to a detailed design and some schematics may be exaggerated or minimized to show function overview. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
     In this document, relational terms, such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like, are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element. 
     As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed. For example, if a composition or assembly is described as containing components A, B, and/or C, the composition or assembly can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination. 
     The following disclosure describes a free-standing ice machine that may be placed virtually anywhere. The ice machine can be used by a consumer to purchase freshly bagged ice and, in some cases, chilled water that is ready for consumption. In some examples, the ice machine includes a cabinet and supports a cabinet door hingedly coupled thereto. A frame is positioned within the cabinet and includes a base portion and a support portion. A cooling module is supported by the support portion of the frame and includes an ice maker and a hopper. The hopper is operably coupled with an ice dispensing interface. A trough is coupled with the base portion of the frame and is fluidly coupled with a fluid outlet. A housing is operably coupled with the door and defines an ice harvesting chamber. A chute is coupled with the housing and is in communication with the ice dispensing interface of the cooling module. A container hanging assembly is coupled with the chute. A chamber door is hingedly coupled to the cabinet door and is configured to provide access to an ice harvesting chamber in an open position. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG. 1A , an ice machine  10  includes a cabinet  12  that defines a compartment  14 . The compartment  14  may be accessed through a front access opening  16  and/or a top access opening  18 . A cabinet door  20  is coupled to the cabinet  12  through a hinge assembly  22  having one or more hinges and provides selective access to the compartment  14  of the cabinet  12  through the front access opening  16 . 
     The cabinet door  20  may further define a void that allows access to an ice harvesting chamber  24 . A chamber door  26  is hingedly coupled to the cabinet door  20  and can provide access to an ice harvesting chamber  24  in an open position. When not in use, the chamber door  26  may be placed in a closed position to assist in retaining chilled air within the cabinet  12 . In some instances, the cabinet door  20  may rotate in a first direction (e.g.,  28 ) about a vertical axis and the chamber door  26  may rotate in a second, opposing direction (e.g.,  30 ) about a vertical axis. 
     In some instances, when the cabinet door  20  is placed in the closed position, one or more locks  32 ,  34 ,  36  may be used to prevent unwanted opening of the cabinet door  20 . For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 1A , a first lock  32  may be positioned on an opposite side of the cabinet door  20  from the hinge assembly  22 . The first lock  32  may be configured as a plug lock or a handle lock that includes a lock body that is fixed to the door  20  and retains the cabinet door  20  in the closed position through retainment within a void  38  defined by the cabinet  12 . 
     Second and third locks  34 ,  36  may be disposed vertically above and/or below the first lock  32 . In some instances, the second and third locks  34 ,  36  are of a varying type from the first lock  32 . For example, the second and third locks  34 ,  36  may be configured at padlocks having locking bodies coupled to the cabinet door  20  that interact with anchor assemblies that are fixed to the cabinet  12 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 1B , a cooling module drain pipe  51  may be coupled with the cooling module  50  that is disposed at least partially above the cabinet  12 . In some instances, the cooling module drain pipe  51  extends along an exterior portion of the cabinet and through an opening in the cabinet  12  such that a first portion of the drain pipe  51  is fluidly coupled to the cooling module externally from the cabinet and a second opposing portion of the drain pipe  51  is positioned within the compartment  14 . It will be appreciated that in some examples, the drain pipe  51  may be concealed within the compartment or maintain a position external from the compartment  14  without departing from the teachings provided herein. 
     A frame  46  can be positioned within the compartment  14  and includes any number of portions for supporting various components of the ice machine  10 . In some examples, the frame  46  may be formed of any material and can be fixed to the cabinet  12  or free-standing. As illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , a frame  46  may be fixed in an offset position relative to a lateral compartment centerline  48 . In some instances, the frame  46  may be positioned on an opposing side of the cabinet  12  from the hinge assembly  22  supporting the cabinet door  20  thereby allowing access to various components that are supported by the frame  46 . For example, in the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the frame  46  can support a cooling module  50  that includes an ice maker  52  and/or a hopper  54 . The ice maker  52  may include any device capable of freezing water to form ice. The amount of ice produced is controlled by limit switches that sense the amount of ice that is stored in the hopper  54  ready for delivery, the limit switches being operable to either activate or deactivate the ice maker  52 , as production warrants. Ice produced in the ice maker  52  is deposited into the hopper  54 , which may be insulated. 
     An agitator  56  may be positioned in the hopper  54  and is rotated using a motor  58 . In some examples, the agitator  56  may periodically agitate the ice contained in the storage bin is to keep the ice in a fluid state and to maintain the ice in a level orientation with respect to the storage bin. Maintaining the ice at a level orientation generally ensures that the hopper  54  is maintained in a substantially predefined capacity. 
     In some examples, the hopper  54  includes an ice dispensing interface  60  having a flap  62  thereon that is positioned over an exit aperture of the hopper  54 . The flap  62  may be moved between a closed position in which the flap  62  prevents ice from exiting the hopper  54  through the exit aperture and an open position in which ice may exit the hopper  54  through the aperture. In some examples, the ice dispensing interface  60  can be biased in a closed position and coupled with an electrically actuable device, such as a servo motor, that moves the flap  62  between the closed position and an open position. In some instances, a user may be capable of choosing various amounts of ice to be dispensed from the hopper  54 . In such instances, the flap  62  may be moved for the closed position to the open position for predefined periods of time correlating the amount of ice chosen by the user. Additionally or alternatively, the agitator  56  may be operated for various predefined times to move a desired amount of ice through the aperture. It will be appreciated that the amount of ice moved through the aperture can be detected or monitored through any type of sensor positioned within the hopper  54 , along the chute, in the chamber  24 , or at any other location. 
     A protective structure  40  may be operably coupled with the cabinet  12  and surround the cooling module  50 . For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 1A , the protective structure  40  may define a cavity  42  and include a grill  44 . When the cooling module  50  is in use, heat is rejected therefrom that is transferred to the ambient environment proximate to the cooling module  50 , which allows for a more efficient ice machine  10 . In some instances, the cabinet  12 , the one or more doors  20 ,  26 , and the protective structure  40  may each be formed a metallic, polymeric, and/or any other practicable material. 
     In some examples, such as the ones illustrated in  FIGS. 1A, 2A, and 2B , a gasket  69  may be disposed around the perimeter of the front access opening  16 , and/or the top access opening  18  or portions of either opening. The gasket  69  may be disposed between the cabinet  12  and the cabinet door  20  when the cabinet door  20  is placed in a closed position. Likewise, the gasket  69  may additionally or alternatively be positioned between the protective cover and the cabinet  12  when the protective cover is placed in an assembled position. The gasket  69 , when positioned in any location, may be configured to further prevent heat transfer between the compartment  14  of the cabinet  12  and the ambient environment surrounding the cabinet  12 , a softer closing, assist with masking offsets/tolerances, prevent noise, vibration, or harshness when the cooling module  50  is in use, and/or assist with any other function. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2A-7 , the frame  46  includes a base portion  64  and a support portion  66 . The base portion  64  includes a pedestal  68  that anchors one or more legs extending upwardly therefrom. In some examples, the cabinet  12  and the pedestal  68  can be integrally formed or a common component. A bottom portion of the one or more legs is operably coupled with the pedestal  68  to provide additional rigidity to the legs. In various embodiments, the bottom portion of the one or more legs may have a width that is greater than a width of an intermediate portion of the one or more legs. The wider bottom portions may allow for additional fastening of the legs to the pedestal  68  and/or provide a sturdier base than a narrower leg. 
     Additional supports  70  may couple to the legs on opposing end portions of the supports. For example, a first support  70   a  may extend from a rearward leg to a forward leg, as illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . A second support  70   b  may extend between a pair of forwardly positioned legs. The additional supports may be integrally formed with one or more of the legs or later attached thereto. 
     In the examples illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , a trough  72  is coupled with one of the supports  70   b . The through may be formed with or fixed to the second support and include a base section and a plurality of walls extending upwardly therefrom. The base section may be non-parallel to the pedestal  68  of the frame  46  to assist in directing fluids therein towards a fluid outlet  74  that is coupled with the trough  72 . The fluid outlet  74  may be configured to remove fluids from the cabinet  12 . 
     The support portion  66  is supported by the base portion  64  of the frame  46  on a lower portion and supports the cooling module  50  on an opposing upper portion. The support portion  66  can include one or more brackets that couple with the cooling module  50  and/or the base portion  64  of the frame  46 . In addition, the support portion  66  may house the motor  58  and/or any other practicable components. 
     In some examples, such as the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , various components can be disposed within the cabinet  12  in an offset relationship from the frame  46  (i.e., the various components may be positioned within the compartment  14  but laterally or longitudinally offset from the frame  46 ). For example, a control panel  76  can be positioned on an opposite side of the compartment  14  from the frame  46 . The control panel  76  may include various switches and controls for controlling the various components of the ice machine  10 . In the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the control panel  76  can be housed in an enclosed housing  78 , which may protect the control panel  76  from containments and/or water vapor within the compartment  14 . 
     A water valve assembly  80  may be positioned in a laterally offset orientation from the frame  46  within the cabinet  12  and fluidly coupled with a water supply that is external to the compartment  14 . The water valve assembly  80  can include a control valve and/or a flow meter for measuring a water pressure within the valve assembly. 
     In some examples, a sump  128  is defined by the cabinet  12 . The cooling module drain pipe  51  fluidly coupled with the cooling module  50  and/or a drain hose  55  fluidly coupled with the hopper  54  may direct unwanted fluid to the sump  128 . A sump pump  130  is configured to remove the unwanted fluid from the sump  128 . In various examples, the sump pump  130  may include an inlet hose  132  that is positioned at or near the bottom of the sump  128 . The sump pump  130  may include a float switch assembly  134 , which forms part of an electric circuit including a power cord which supplies electric power to the pump motor upon the water level in the sump  128  rising to a first predetermined level. This causes the pump  130  to discharge water from the sump  128  through a discharge pipe  136  to a storm drain or other water dispersal facility. The float switch assembly  134  interrupts the application of electric power to the pump motor when the water level in the sump falls to a second predetermined level below the first predetermined level. 
     In some examples, such as the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the valve assembly  80  may be coupled with a conduit that supplies water to a water filtration assembly  82 . The water filtration assembly  82  may include a particulate filter for removing dirt, sand, rust and other large and fine particles from the water and in some cases a carbon filter for removing chlorine. The water filtration assembly  82  may additionally or alternatively include a filter that utilizes granular activated charcoal, silver-impregnated ceramic, deionization, distillation or reverse osmosis, or a combination thereof and include any number of filtration canisters through which the water may pass. 
     The cabinet door  20  may also support various components of the ice machine  10  which may have a first portion that is accessible on an exterior side of the cabinet door  20  and a second portion that is accessible from the interior side of the cabinet door  20 . For instance, in the examples illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the various components may include illuminable signage  84 , a payment station  86 , and/or a switch assembly  88 . The illuminable signage  84  may display any desired information to an on-looker of the ice machine  10  through the use of a light assembly. The light assembly may be illuminated any time the ice machine  10  is in service, during predefined time periods, or during low-light conditions, such as at night. In examples in which the light assembly is illuminated during low-light conditions, the light assembly may be operably coupled with a light sensor. 
     The payment station  86  is configured to accept bills, coins, credit cards, and other forms of payment. In some examples, the payment station  86  may include a payment interface in which prices for various quantities of ice may be set. Additionally, the payment interface may be coupled with a remote electronic device and the prices and/or any other information may be provided or updated from the remote electronic device. 
     Upon receipt of payment, ice can be dispensed into a container, bag, cup, bin, ice chest, etc. and delivered to the consumer through actuation of the switch assembly  88 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the switch assembly  88  is in the form of an electronic push-button, though it should be understood that any suitable input device, such as a toggle switch, rocker switch, or microswitch could also be utilized. In some examples, the switch assembly  88  may additionally, and/or alternatively, be configured as a capacitive sensor. The capacitive sensor provides a sense activation field that encompasses an area proximate the switch assembly  88  and can detect capacitive changes resulting from a conductor, such as a finger of a user, being within the sense activation field of the capacitive sensor. It will be appreciated, however, that additional or alternative types of proximity sensors can be used for detecting various other signal changes, such as, but not limited to, inductive sensors, optical sensors, temperature sensors, resistive sensors, the like, or combinations thereof. 
     A housing  90  is operably coupled with the cabinet door  20  and, in combination with the cabinet door  20 , defines an ice harvesting chamber  24 . For example, as illustrated in  FIGS. 8-11 , the housing  90  includes a rear wall  92 , an upper wall  94 , a lower wall  96 , and a pair of side walls  98 . The upper wall  94  may define an opening through which a chute  100  extends. The lower wall  96  may define a drain  102  that may be aligned with the trough  72  such that any fluid exiting the drain  102  can be caught by the trough  72  when the cabinet door  20  is placed in the closed position. 
     The chute  100  can be in communication with the ice dispensing interface  60  of the cooling module  50  and extend through the housing  90  to terminate within the ice harvesting chamber  24 . The chute  100  has a body  104  that can be defined by a rear wall  106 , a front wall  108 , and a pair of side walls  110  coupling with the rear and front walls  106 ,  108 . The chute  100  has an upper portion  112  that extends above the housing  90 , as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , and a lower portion  114  that terminates within the ice harvesting chamber  24 , as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . In some examples, such as the one illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the side walls may extend vertically above the front and/or the rear wall  106  proximate the upper portion  112 . In such instances, the side walls may be positioned on opposing sides of the flap  62  and assist in guiding ice from the hopper  54  through the chute  100  when the flap  62  is moved to the open position. 
     In some examples, such as the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , a brace  116  may extend away from a rear wall  92  of the housing  90 , or any other wall of the housing  90 , on an opposing side of the housing  90  from the chute  100 . The brace  116  may be integrally formed with any portion of the housing  90  or later attached thereto. 
     An attachment rod  118  is coupled with the brace  116  on a first end portion and extends through the rear wall  92  of the housing  90 . However, in some examples, the attachment rod  118  may be coupled with a brace  116  or the housing  90  within the ice harvesting chamber  24  rather than extending through the housing  90 . The attachment rod  118  may be elongated and capable of holding one or more containers  120  thereon and may be formed from a polymeric material, an elastomeric material, a metallic material, combinations thereof, or any other practicable material. In some examples, the ice machine  10  may include more than one attachment rod  118  for supporting a common container  120  or various containers  120 . 
     A retainer  122  is positioned on a second end portion. The retainer  122  may have a width that is greater than the width of the attachment rod  118 . Accordingly, when one or more containers  120  are placed on the attachment rod  118 , the increased width of the retainer  122  may removable maintain the containers  120  on the attachment. In some examples, the retainer  122  may be positioned vertically above the lower portion  114  of the chute  100  and/or between the chute  100  and the rear wall  92  of the housing  90 . 
     In various examples, one or more containers  120  may be maintained on the attachment rod  118  and generally prevented from falling off of the attachment rod  118  by the retainer  122 . In some instances, the containers  120  may be preassembled on the attachment rod  118  such that a new attachment rod  118  with one or more containers  120  thereon is attached to the brace  116  when additional containers  120  are needed. In other instances, additional containers  120  may be attached to the attachment rod  118  such that the rod may be used multiple times. 
     In various examples, the chute  100  can include a container hanging assembly  124  thereon, which may be integrally formed with the chute  100  or later attached thereto. For example, as illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the container hanging assembly  124  extends from the second end portion of the chute  100  in the form of a pair of hooks  126 . The hooks  126  can include a first segment that extends away from the second portion of the chute  100  and a second segment that extends upwardly from the first segment. 
     In use, a container  120  hangs from the attachment rod  118 . When a user is to collect ice that is dispensed from the chute  100 , the user attaches a portion of the container  120  to the container hanging assembly  124  while the container  120  is still retained on the attachment rod  118  to generally vertically align an opening of the container  120  with the opening of the chute  100 . Next, the user utilizes the actuation switch to dispense ice into the container  120 . Once the ice is within the container  120 , the container  120  is removed from the attachment rod  118  and the container hanging assembly  124  and removed from the ice harvesting chamber  24 . 
     The ice machine of the present disclosure may offer a variety of advantages. For instance, use of the ice machine may allow for easy access to containers within the ice harvesting chamber. By hanging the containers, the containers may be generally removed from the bottom wall of the housing preventing the containers from contributing to excess fluid buildup in the ice harvesting chamber by maintaining an open drain. The reduced fluid buildup may allow for a higher perceived value and/or reduce the potential for mold buildup. 
     The ice machine provided herein may also allow for better operation through the combination of the housing forming the ice harvesting chamber and the chute that directs ice from the hopper into the ice harvesting chamber. Such configurations may increase the percentage of ice that is retained within the container upon dispensing from the hopper. 
     In addition, the offset frame assembly provided in some examples of the ice machine allows for various components to be used and/or supported by the frame while maintaining space within the compartment for various other components. The offset frame may also reduce the amount of material needed to support the components of the ice machine thereby reducing the cost of the ice machine. 
     It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described invention and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary examples of the invention disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials unless described otherwise herein. 
     For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms: couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated. 
     Furthermore, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected” or “operably coupled” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Some examples of operably couplable include, but are not limited to, physically mateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactable components. 
     It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the invention as shown in the exemplary examples is illustrative only. Although only a few examples of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connectors or other elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system might be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary examples without departing from the spirit of the present innovations. 
     It will be understood that any described processes or steps within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present invention. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting. 
     It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.