Patent Publication Number: US-11390098-B2

Title: Nail printer

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-157892 filed on Aug. 27, 2018. The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-157892 is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a nail printer for printing on a nail of a finger. 
     Background Information 
     Generally, a nail printer applies a manicure by printing on the nails of the fingers of the user&#39;s hand (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-194938 (Patent Literature 1), for example). The nail printer comprises a housing and a print head that is disposed inside the housing. An opening for inserting a finger is formed in the front face of the housing. The print head discharges ink toward the nail of the finger disposed inside the housing through the opening while moving in two-dimensionally inside the housing. 
     The user inserts his or her five fingers into the opening of the housing one at a time, for example, and the nails of the five fingers are printed with colors, patterns, or the like. 
     SUMMARY 
     With the conventional nail printer described above, when the user has a finger inserted into the opening of the housing, if another nail of another finger that has already been printed but is not yet dry should come into contact with the front face of the housing, there is a risk that the printing applied to that nail of the finger may be rubbed off. Accordingly, the user must keep his or her fingers tightly bent so that the nails of the fingers not inserted into the opening of the housing will not touch the front face of the housing. 
     However, having to keep tightly bent those fingers that are not inserted into the opening of the housing is a problem in that it imposes a significant physical burden on the user. 
     One object is to provide a nail printer with which there is less physical burden on the user during printing. 
     In view of the state of the known technology and in accordance with one aspect, a nail printer is a nail printer for printing on a nail of a finger. The nail printer includes a housing and a printer component. The housing includes a front face and a back face. The housing has an opening on the front face for inserting the finger in a specific direction and a pair of slanted wall portions that are disposed on both sides of the opening. The slanted wall portions are inclined downward with respect to the specific direction from the front face to the back face. The printer component is disposed inside the housing. The printer component performs printing on the nail of the finger disposed inside the housing through the opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a nail printer according to a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the nail printer according to the first embodiment as viewed from a different angle from that in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the internal structure of the nail printer according to the first embodiment in a state in which part of a housing has been removed; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the nail printer according to the first embodiment, taken along IV-IV line in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the nail printer according to the first embodiment, illustrating a state in which the nail printer is being used; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the main components of the nail printer according to the first embodiment, taken along VI-VI line in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of the main components of a nail printer according to a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of a nail printer according to a third embodiment; and 
         FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view of the main components of the nail printer according to the third embodiment, taken along IX-IX line in  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Specifically, all of the embodiments described below are general or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, layout positions and connection modes of the constituent elements, and so forth given in the following embodiments are all just examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Of the constituent elements in the following embodiments, those not mentioned in an independent claim will be described as optional constituent elements. 
     First Embodiment 
     1-1. Configuration of Nail Printer 
     First, the configuration of a nail printer  2  according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 .  FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the nail printer  2  according to the first embodiment.  FIG. 2  is a first perspective view of the nail printer  2  according to the first embodiment as viewed from a different angle from that in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the internal structure of the nail printer  2  according to the first embodiment in a state in which part of a housing  4  has been removed.  FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the nail printer  2  according to the first embodiment, taken along IV-IV line in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the nail printer  2  comprises the housing  4  and a printing component  6  (e.g., printer component). The nail printer  2  can communicate wirelessly with an external terminal (not shown) such as a smartphone. The user can operate the nail printer  2  by using an application installed on the external terminal as a user interface. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 , the housing  4  is made of plastic, for example, and is formed in a box shape. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , a power switch  8  for turning the nail printer  2  on and off is disposed on the top face  4   a  of the housing  4 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , an opening  12  for inserting a finger  10  (see  FIG. 3 ) of the user&#39;s hand in a specific direction (the positive direction of the Y axis) is disposed on the front face  4   b  of the housing  4 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , a placement plate  14  is disposed below the opening  12  (the negative side of the Z axis), and a hold-down plate  16  is disposed above the opening  12  (the positive side of the Z axis). The placement plate  14  is movable in the up and down direction (e.g., a vertical direction) with respect to the opening  12  and is biased by a spring (not shown) in the direction of moving closer to the hold-down plate  16 . The placement plate  14  and the hold-down plate  16  define the opening  12  therebetween. The placement plate  14  is movable with respect to the hold-down plate  16 . The placement plate  14  is biased toward the hold-down plate  16 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the user inserts the finger  10  into the opening  12  of the housing  4  with the finger  10  extended straight so that the nail  18  of the finger  10  is facing up, and places the pad side of the finger  10  on the placement plate  14 . The insertion direction of the finger  10  is the direction from the front face  4   b  of the housing  4  toward the back face  4   c  (the face on the opposite side from the front face  4   b ) (see  FIG. 4 ). Consequently, a portion of the finger  10  that includes the nail  18  (for example, the portion from the tip of the finger  10  to near the first knuckle) is disposed inside the housing  4 . At this point, the placement plate  14  is biased toward the hold-down plate  16  so that the area near the first knuckle of the finger  10  is squeezed from above and below by the placement plate  14  and the hold-down plate  16 , for example. Thus, the placement plate  14  and the hold-down plate  16  vertically sandwich the finger  10  while the finger  10  is disposed inside the housing  4  through the opening  12 . 
     The nail  18  of the finger  10  disposed inside the housing  4  is imaged by an imaging device (not shown) disposed above the nail  18 . The image data for the nail  18  captured by the imaging device is wirelessly transmitted to an external terminal and displayed on the display unit of that external terminal. The user adjusts the position of the nail  18  of the finger  10  with respect to the placement plate  14  while looking at the image data for the nail  18  displayed on the display unit of the external terminal. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a pair of slanted wall portions  20  and  22  (or slanted outer walls) are disposed on either side of the opening  12  of the housing  4  in the left and right direction (the X axis direction or horizontal direction). As shown in  FIG. 4 , each of the pair of slanted wall portions  20  and  22  is disposed at a position slightly more to the back face  4   c  side than the front face  4   b  of the housing  4 , and slants obliquely downward with respect to the insertion direction (the Y axis direction) of the finger  10 , facing from the front face  4   b  toward the back face  4   c  of the housing  4 . The inclination angle θ of the slanted wall portions  20  and  22  with respect to the insertion direction of the finger  10  is less than 90°, and is 45°, for example. Each lower end of the pair of slanted wall portions  20  and  22  extends to near the bottom face  4   d  of the housing  4 . 
     In this embodiment, the lateral width (the width in the X axis direction) of the slanted wall portion  20  is greater than the lateral width of the slanted wall portion  22 , but this is not the only option. The lateral width of the slanted wall portion  20  may be less than the lateral width of the slanted wall portion  22 , or the lateral width of the slanted wall portion  20  and the lateral width of the slanted wall portion  22  may be the same. 
     Also, in this embodiment, the slanted wall portions  20  and  22  are each formed in a flat shape, but this is not the only option, and they may instead be formed in a curved shape, for example. 
     Also, as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 , a pair of side walls  24  and  26  is disposed between the opening  12  of the housing  4  and the pair of slanted wall portions  20  and  22 , respectively. The side walls  24  and  26  respectively extend downward (in the negative direction of the Z axis) from both sides in the left and right direction of the opening  12 , and project more to the outside of the housing  4  (in the negative direction of the Y axis) than the slanted wall portions  20  and  22 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the printing component  6  is a printing unit or printer for performing a manicure by printing colors, patterns, or the like, for example, on the nail  18  of the finger  10  disposed inside the housing  4  through the opening  12  of the housing  4 . In this embodiment, the printing method of the printing component  6  is an inkjet method in which printing is performed by spraying fine droplets of ink onto the nail  18  of the finger  10 . 
     The printing component  6  is disposed movably inside the housing  4 . The printing component  6  has a carriage  28  and a head  30  (see  FIG. 4 ) disposed on the carriage  28 . An ink cartridge  32  filled with various colors of ink is replaceably installed on the carriage  28 . The head  30  discharges the ink supplied from the ink cartridge  32  downward. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the carriage  28  is movable in the X axis direction and the Y axis direction inside the housing  4  by an X axis drive mechanism  34  and a Y axis drive mechanism  36 . 
     The X axis drive mechanism  34  has an X axis guide shaft  38 , an X axis motor  40 , and a timing belt  42 . The X axis guide shaft  38  is supported by a scanning table  44  disposed inside the housing  4 , and extends in a long, slender shape in the X axis direction (a direction substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction of the finger  10 ). The carriage  28  is movably supported by the X axis guide shaft  38 . The X axis motor  40  is, for example, a servomotor, and is supported by the scanning table  44 . The drive force of the X axis motor  40  is transmitted to the carriage  28  via the timing belt  42 . Thus, the carriage  28  moves back and forth in the X axis direction along the X axis guide shaft  38  with respect to the scanning table  44 . 
     The Y axis drive mechanism  36  has a Y axis guide shaft  46 , a Y axis motor (not shown), and a gear unit  48 . The Y axis guide shaft  46  is supported by the housing  4  and extends in a long, slender shape in the Y axis direction (the insertion direction of the finger  10 ). The scanning table  44  is movably supported by the Y axis guide shaft  46 . The Y axis motor is, for example, a servomotor, and is supported by the housing  4 . The drive force of the Y axis motor is transmitted to the scanning table  44  via the gear unit  48 . Thus, the scanning table  44  moves back and forth in the Y axis direction along the Y axis guide shaft  46  integrally with the carriage  28 . 
     Printing is applied to the nail  18  of the finger  10  by discharging ink from the head  30  of the printing component  6  toward the nail  18  of the finger  10  in a state in which the carriage  28  is moving back and forth in the X axis direction while moving in the negative direction of the Y axis. 
     Also, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a maintenance unit  50  for maintaining the head  30  of the printing component  6  is disposed inside the housing  4 . The maintenance unit  50  cleans (wipes) and protects (caps) the head  30 . The maintenance unit  50  is disposed near the slanted wall portion  20 , and can move back and forth in the Y axis direction. 
     1-2. Nail Printer Usage Method 
     The method for using the nail printer  2  according to the first embodiment will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the nail printer  2 , illustrating how the nail printer  2  according to the first embodiment is used.  FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the main components of the nail printer  2  according to the first embodiment, taken along VI-VI line in  FIG. 5 . 
     We will now describe, for example, a situation in which the five fingers of the left hand of the user (thumb  10   a , forefinger  10   b , middle finger  10   c , ring finger  10   d , and little finger  10   e ) are inserted in that order into the opening  12  of the housing  4  and sequentially printed on the nails  18  of the five fingers by the nail printer  2  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     In the example shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the user has inserted the middle finger  10   c  of the left hand into the opening  12  of the housing  4 . Let us assume that at this point printing has already been performed by the nail printer  2  on the nail  18   a  of the thumb  10   a  and the nail  18   b  of the forefinger  10   b.    
     As described above, the slanted wall portions  20  and  22  are disposed on either side in the left and right direction of the opening  12  of the housing  4 . Consequently, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the user can lightly extend the forefinger  10   b  that is not inserted into the opening  12  of the housing  4  along the slanted wall portion  20 , and can also lightly extend the ring finger  10   d  and the little finger  10   e  that are not inserted into the opening  12  of the housing  4  along the slanted wall portion  22 . At this point, even if the forefinger  10   b  is lightly extended, the nail  18   b  of the forefinger  10   b , which has been printed but is not yet dry, will be unlikely to come into contact with the slanted wall portion  20 , so there is little risk that the printing applied to the nail  18   b  of the forefinger  10   b  will be rubbed off. 
     Therefore, since the user does not have to keep the forefinger  10   b , the ring finger  10   d , and the little finger  10   e  which are not inserted into the opening  12  of the housing  4  in a firmly bent state, the physical burden of the user during printing can be reduced. 
     The user may squeeze the side wall portions  24  and  26  from both sides with the index finger  10   b  and the ring finger  10   d  in a state in which the middle finger  10   c  has been inserted into the opening  12  of the housing  4 . This allows the orientation of the index finger  10   b  and the ring finger  10   d  to be made more stable. 
     Similarly, when the user inserts the thumb  10   a , the index finger  10   b , the ring finger  10   d , or the little finger  10   e  (that is, a finger other than the middle finger  10   c ) into the opening  12  of the housing  4 , the physical burden on the user during printing can be reduced just as described above. 
     1-3. Effect 
     As described above, with this embodiment, the slanted wall portions  20  and  22  are disposed on either side in the left and right direction of the opening  12  of the housing  4 . Each of the slanted wall portions  20  and  22  is slanted obliquely downward with respect to the insertion direction of the finger  10  (Y axis direction), from the front face  4   b  to the back face  4   c  of the housing  4 . 
     Consequently, the user can lightly extend the fingers  10  not inserted into the opening  12  of the housing  4  (such as the index finger  10   b , the ring finger  10   d , and the little finger  10   e  in the example shown in  FIG. 5 ) along the slanted wall portion  20  (or the slanted wall portion  22 ). As a result, since the user does not have to maintain the fingers  10  in a firmly bent state, it is possible to reduce the physical burden on the user during printing. 
     Also, since each of the slanted wall portions  20  and  22  is inclined obliquely downward with respect to the insertion direction of the finger  10 , space for disposing the maintenance unit  50  and so forth can be ensured near the slanted wall portion  20  (or the slanted wall portion  22 ). As a result, the nail printer  2  can be made more compact. 
     Second Embodiment 
     2-1. Configuration of Nail Printer 
     The configuration of a nail printer  2 A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of the main components of the nail printer  2 A according to the second embodiment. For the sake of convenience, the internal structure of the nail printer  2 A is not shown in  FIG. 7 . In the embodiments that follow, those components that are the same as in the first embodiment are numbered the same, and will not be described again. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , with the nail printer  2 A in this embodiment, slanted wall portions  20 A and  22 A are slantably supported by the front face  4   b  of a housing  4 A via hinges  52  and  54  (an example of a movable mechanism). The user can, for example, manually tilt the slanted wall portion  20 A around the hinge  52  and can tilt the slanted wall portion  22 A around the hinge  54 . Thus, the hinges  52  and  54  pivotally support the slanted wall portions  20 A and  22 A with respect to the front face  4   b  of the housing  4 A. 
     In this embodiment, the slanted wall portions  20 A and  22 A are each manually tilted, but this is not the only option. For example, the slanted walls  20 A and  22 A may be able to be tilted automatically by a dedicated motor (not shown) constituting a movable mechanism. Alternatively, for example, slanted wall portions  20 A and  22 A may be designed so that they can be automatically tilted in conjunction with the movement of the carriage  28  (see  FIG. 3 ) in the Y axis direction. 
     2-2. Effect 
     In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ of the pair of slanted wall portions  20 A and  22 A with respect to a specific direction (the Y axis direction) can be varied as desired, according to the size of the user&#39;s hand, for example. As a result, when the user lightly extends those fingers  10  not inserted into the opening  12  of the housing  4 A (such as the forefinger  10   b ) along the slanted wall portion  20 A (or the slanted wall portion  22 A), the nails  18  of those fingers  10  (such as the nail  18   b ) will be even less likely to come into contact with the slanted wall portion  20 A (or the slanted wall portion  22 A). 
     Third Embodiment 
     3-1. Configuration of Nail Printer 
     The configuration of a nail printer  2 B according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the nail printer  2 B according to the third embodiment.  FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view of the main components of the nail printer  2 B according to the third embodiment, taken along IX-IX line in  FIG. 8 . For the sake of convenience, the internal structure of the nail printer  2 B is not shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , with the nail printer  2 B in this embodiment, a housing  4 B has a pair of projections  56  and  58  that respectively project from the slanted wall portions  20 B and  22 B toward the outside of the housing  4 A. The projections  56  and  58  respectively extend in a long, slender shape in a direction (the X axis direction or horizontal direction) substantially perpendicular to the inclination directions of the slanted wall portions  20 B and  22 B. Thus, the projections  56  and  58  extend in the horizontal direction of the nail printer  2 B along the slanted wall portions  20 B and  22 B, respectively. 
     Also, the projections  56  and  58  can slide along the respective inclination directions of the slanted wall portions  20 B and  22 B. More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the projection  56  is formed on the outer face of the slanted wall portion  20 B, and is slidably fitted into a groove  60  extending in a long, slender shape along the inclination direction of the slanted wall portion  20 B. The projection  58  is formed on the outer face of the slanted wall portion  22 B, and is slidably fitted into a groove  62  extending in a long, slender shape along the inclination direction of the slanted wall portion  22 B. 
     3-2. Effect 
     In this embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 9 , when a finger  10  not inserted into the opening  12  of the housing  4 B (such as the index finger  10   b ) is lightly extended along the slanted wall portion  20 B (or the slanted wall portion  22 B), the back side of that finger  10  (near the first knuckle of the finger  10 , for example) comes into contact with the projection  56  of the slanted wall  20 B (or the projection  58  of the slanted wall  22 B). Consequently, a gap is formed between the nail  18  of that finger  10  (such as the nail  18   b ) and the slanted wall portion  20 B (or the slanted wall portion  22 B), so the nail  18  of that finger  10  will be even less likely to touch the slanted wall portion  20 B (or the slanted wall portion  22 B). 
     Also, the positions of the projections  56  and  58  can be easily adjusted by sliding the projections  56  and  58  along the respective inclination directions of the pair of slanted wall portions  20 B and  22 B as dictated by the size of the user&#39;s hand and so forth, for example. 
     In this embodiment, the projections  56  and  58  are able to slide along the respective inclination directions of the slanted wall portions  20 B and  22 B, but the projections  56  and  58  may instead be fixed to the slanted wall portions  20 B and  22 B. 
     MODIFICATION EXAMPLES 
     The nail printers  2 ,  2 A, and  2 B according to the first to third embodiments of the present disclosure are described above, but the present invention is not limited to or by these embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be combined with each other. 
     For instance, in the above embodiments, the printing method of the printing component  6  is inkjet, but this is not the only option, and another printing method may be adopted instead. 
     The present invention can be applied, for example, as a nail printer for printing on a nail of a finger. 
     In view of the state of the known technology and in accordance with one aspect, a nail printer is a nail printer for printing on a nail of a finger, the nail printer comprising a housing with a front face and a back face, the housing having an opening on the front face for inserting the finger in a specific direction and a pair of slanted wall portions that are disposed on both sides of the opening, the slanted wall portions being inclined downward with respect to the specific direction from the front face to the back face, and a printer component disposed inside the housing, the printer component performing printing on the nail of the finger disposed inside the housing through the opening. 
     With this aspect, since the slanted wall portions are disposed on either side of the opening of the housing, the user can lightly extend those fingers that are not inserted into the opening of the housing, along the slanted wall portions. As a result, the user does not have to keep those fingers that are not inserted into the opening of the housing tightly bent, so there is less physical burden on the user during printing. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment according to the nail printer mentioned above, the nail printer further comprises a movable mechanism changing an inclination angle of the slanted wall portions with respect to the specific direction. 
     With this aspect, the inclination angle of the slanted wall portions with respect to the specific direction can be varied as desired, according to the size of the user&#39;s hand, for example. As a result, when the user lightly extends those fingers not inserted into the opening of the housing along the slanted wall portions, the nails of those fingers will be less likely to come into contact with the slanted wall portions. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment according to any one of the nail printers mentioned above, the housing further has a pair of projections that respectively project from the slanted wall portions toward outside of the housing. 
     With this aspect, when the user lightly extends those fingers not inserted into the opening of the housing along the slanted wall portions, the back side of those fingers will hit the projection of the slanted wall portions. This makes it less likely that the nails of those fingers will touch the slanted wall portions. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment according to any one of the nail printers mentioned above, the projections are slidable along the slanted wall portions. 
     With this aspect, the positions of the projections can be easily adjusted by sliding the projections along the slanted wall portions according to the size of the user&#39;s hand, for example. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment according to any one of the nail printers mentioned above, the housing further has a pair of side walls that are respectively disposed between the opening and the slanted wall portions and that respectively project toward outside of the housing with respect to the slanted wall portions. 
     With this aspect, in a state in which the user has inserted a finger into the opening of the housing, another two fingers that are not inserted into the opening of the housing hold the side wall portions from both sides, and this allows these other two fingers to be kept more stably in the same orientation. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment according to any one of the nail printers mentioned above, the printer component has a carriage that is movably disposed inside the housing, and a head that is disposed on the carriage and discharges ink toward the nail of the finger. 
     With this aspect, inkjet printing can be performed on the nail of the finger. 
     The nail printer of the present disclosure reduces the physical burden on the user during printing. 
     In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts unless otherwise stated. 
     As used herein, the following directional terms “forward”, “rearward”, “front”, “rear”, “up”, “down”, “above”, “below”, “upward”, “downward”, “top”, “bottom”, “side”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “perpendicular” and “transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a nail printer in an upright position. Accordingly, these directional terms, as utilized to describe the nail printer should be interpreted relative to a nail printer in an upright position on a horizontal surface. The terms “left” and “right” are used to indicate the “right” when referencing from the right side as viewed from the front of the nail printer, and the “left” when referencing from the left side as viewed from the front of the nail printer. 
     The term “attached” or “attaching”, as used herein, encompasses configurations in which an element is directly secured to another element by affixing the element directly to the other element; configurations in which the element is indirectly secured to the other element by affixing the element to the intermediate member(s) which in turn are affixed to the other element; and configurations in which one element is integral with another element, i.e. one element is essentially part of the other element. This definition also applies to words of similar meaning, for example, “joined”, “connected”, “coupled”, “mounted”, “bonded”, “fixed” and their derivatives. Finally, terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean an amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed. 
     While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, unless specifically stated otherwise, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired so long as the changes do not substantially affect their intended function. Unless specifically stated otherwise, components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them so long as the changes do not substantially affect their intended function. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa unless specifically stated otherwise. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.