Patent Publication Number: US-9836000-B2

Title: Fixing device and image forming apparatus

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese patent application No. 2015-166790 filed on Aug. 26, 2015, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to a fixing device configured to fix a toner image on a sheet and an image forming apparatus including the fixing device. 
     Conventionally, an electrographic image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a printer, includes a fixing device configured to fix a toner image on a sheet. 
     The fixing device commonly includes a detecting mechanism configured to detect the sheet so as to confirm passing of the sheet. For example, the detecting mechanism includes a sensor including a light emitting part and a light receiving part and an actuator configured to be swingable between a position where the actuator does not block a light directed from the light emitting part toward the light receiving part and another position where the actuator blocks the light directed from the light emitting part toward the light receiving part. 
     Additionally, the fixing device commonly includes a guide member configured to be rotatable between a position where the guide member covers a sheet conveying path and another position where the guide member exposes the sheet conveying path so as to facilitate JAM processing. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressuring member, a fixing device main body, a guide member and a detecting mechanism. The fixing member is configured to be rotatable. The pressuring member is configured to be rotatable and to come into pressure contact with the fixing member so as to form a fixing nip. The fixing device main body is configured to rotatably support the fixing member. The guide member is supported by the fixing device main body so as to be rotatable between a closing position where the guide member covers a sheet conveying path formed in the fixing device main body and an opening position where the guide member exposes the sheet conveying path formed in the fixing device main body. The detecting mechanism is configured to detect a sheet. The detecting mechanism includes a sensor and an actuator. The sensor includes a light emitting part and a light receiving part. The actuator is supported by the guide member so as to be swingable between a non-blocking position where the actuator does not block a light directed from the light emitting part toward the light receiving part and a blocking position where the actuator blocks the light directed from the light emitting part toward the light receiving part. The rotation center of the guide member is arranged at a different position from a swing center of the actuator. When the actuator rotates integrally with the guide member according to a rotation of the guide member between the closing position and the opening position, the actuator passes between the light emitting part and the light receiving part. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus includes the fixing device. 
     The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is shown by way of illustrative example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing an outline of a color printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view showing a fixing device and its periphery, in the color printer according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the fixing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a state where an actuator is in a non-blocking position, in the fixing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a state where the actuator is in a blocking position, in the fixing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing a control system of the fixing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view showing a track of a bent part of a detected piece when the actuator swings with respect to a guide member, in the fixing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view showing a track of the bent part of the detected piece when the actuator rotates integrally with the guide member, in the fixing device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, with reference to drawings, a structure of a color printer  1  (an image forming apparatus) will be described. Hereinafter, a near side in  FIG. 1  will be set as a front side of the color printer  1 . Arrows Fr, Rr, L, R, U and Lo optionally added to each drawing indicate a front side, a rear side, a left side, a right side, an upper side and a lower side of the color printer  1 , respectively. 
     As shown in FIG. 1 , the color printer  1  includes a box-formed printer main body  2 . In a lower part of the printer main body  2 , a sheet feeding cartridge  3  to store a sheet is arranged. In an upper part of the printer main body  2 , a first sheet ejecting tray  4  is arranged, and above the first sheet ejecting tray  4 , a second sheet ejecting tray  5  is arranged. In a right end part of the printer main body  2 , a cover  6  configured to be openable and closable is arranged. 
     In the printer main body  2 , an intermediate transferring belt  7  (an image carrier) is bridged over a plurality of rollers. Below the intermediate transferring belt  7 , four image forming parts  8  are arranged for respective colors of toners (for example, four colors of magenta, cyan, yellow, black) along a lower part of the intermediate transferring belt  7 . In each image forming part  8 , a photosensitive drum  9  is rotatably arranged. Around the photosensitive drum  9 , a charger  10 , a development device  11 , a primary transferring part  12 , a cleaning device  13  and a static eliminator  14  are arranged in order of a primary transferring process. Above the development device  11 , four containers  18  are arranged. In each container  18 , the toner with the color corresponding to each image forming part  8  is contained. Below the four image forming parts  8 , an exposure device  19  is arranged. 
     At a right side part of the printer main body  2 , a sheet conveying path  20  (hereinafter, simply called as a “conveying path  20 ”) is arranged. At an upstream end of the conveying path  20 , a sheet feeding part  21  is arranged. At an intermediate stream part of the conveying path  20 , a secondary transferring part  22  is arranged at a right end side of the intermediate transferring belt  7 . At a downstream part of the conveying path  20 , a fixing device  23  is arranged. 
     The conveying path  20  branches off, at a part closer to a downstream side than the fixing device  23 , into a first branched path  24  as a lower side branched path and a second branched path  26  as an upper side branched path. The second branched path  26  is connected with a portion of the conveying path  20  via a duplex conveying path  28  arranged at a right side of the conveying path  20 , the portion being closer to an upstream side than the secondary transferring part  22 . 
     Next, printing operation of the color printer  1  will be described. 
     When power is supplied to the color printer  1 , various parameters are initialized, and initial determination, such as temperature determination of the fixing device  23 , is carried out. Subsequently, when image data is inputted and a printing start is directed from a computer or the like connected with the color printer  1 , image forming operation is carried out as follows. 
     First, the surface of the photosensitive drum  9  is electrically charged by the charger  10 . Then, exposure corresponding to the image data is carried out on the photosensitive drum  9  by a laser (refer to an arrow P) from the exposure device  19 , thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum  9 . Next, by the toner supplied from each container  18 , the electrostatic latent image is developed by the development device  11  to a toner image having a corresponding color. The toner image is primarily transferred on the surface of the intermediate transferring belt  7  in the primary transferring part  12 . The above-mentioned operation is repeated in order by each image forming part  8 , thereby forming the toner image with full color on the intermediate transferring belt  7 . Incidentally, the toner and electric charge remained on the photosensitive drum  9  are eliminated by the cleaning device  13  and the static eliminator  14 . 
     On the other hand, a sheet fed from the sheet feeding cartridge  3  by the sheet feeding part  21  is conveyed to the secondary transferring part  22  in a suitable timing for the above-mentioned image forming operation. Then, in the secondary transferring part  22 , the toner image with the full color on the intermediate transferring belt  7  is secondarily transferred to the sheet. The sheet with the secondarily transferred toner image is conveyed to a downstream side on the conveying path  20  to enter the fixing device  23 , and then, the toner image is fixed on the sheet in the fixing device  23 . The sheet with the fixed toner image enters either one of the first branched path  24  or the second branched path  26 . The sheet entering the first branched path  24  is ejected to the first sheet ejecting tray  4 . The sheet entering the second branched path  26  is ejected to the second sheet ejecting tray  5  or conveyed to the duplex conveying path  28  for duplex printing. 
     Next, the fixing device  23  will be described in detail. An arrow Y assigned in  FIG. 2  indicates a sheet conveying direction. An arrow I optionally assigned in each drawing indicates an inside of a front and rear direction, and an arrow O optionally assigned in each drawing indicates an outside in the front and rear direction. Incidentally,  FIGS. 4 and 5  are perspective views seen from a back side, and therefore a left and right relationship in these drawings is reversed from an actual left and right relationship. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a right face (outer face) of the fixing device  23  is covered by the above-mentioned cover  6 . The fixing device  23  includes a fixing device main body  31 , a heat roller  32  (fixing member) accommodated at a left side part of the fixing device main body  31 , a pressuring roller  33  (pressuring member) accommodated at a right side part of the fixing device main body  31 , a guide member  35  covering an upper side of the fixing device main body  31 , and a detecting mechanism  36  accommodated at an upper part of the fixing device main body  31 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the fixing device main body  31  is formed in a box shape elongated in the front and rear direction. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , at a front part and a rear part of the fixing device main body  31 , side plates  42  (only the front side plate  42  is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) are arranged. Each side plate  42  is roughly vertically arranged with respect to the front and rear direction. Each side plate  42  is arranged at the outside of the heat roller  32  and the pressuring roller  33  in the front and rear direction. To the front side plate  42 , an attachment member  43  is fixed from a front side (the outside in the front and rear direction). An upper part of the attachment member  43  protrudes closer to an upper side than an upper end part of the front side plate  42 . 
     At a right side part of the fixing device main body  31  (a left side part in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ), and at the inside in the front and rear direction of each side plate  42 , tongue pieces  44  are arranged. Each tongue piece  44  is roughly vertically arranged with respect to the front and rear direction. Each tongue piece  44  is provided with an axial hole  45 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the heat roller  32  is formed in a cylindrical shape. The heat roller  32  includes a core material which has a cylindrical shape and is made of metal, such as aluminum or iron, and a release layer which covers this core material and is made of a fluorine resin, such as PFA. 
     Inside the heat roller  32 , a pair of upper and lower heaters  46  are accommodated, and each heater  46  heats the heat roller  32 . Each heater  46  is composed of a halogen heater or a ceramic heater, for example. At an upper side of the heat roller  32  (a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction), a separating member  47  is arranged, and this separating member  47  separates the sheet from a surface of the heat roller  32 . 
     Both front and rear end parts of the heat roller  32  are attached to the side plates  42  of the fixing device main body  31 , respectively, via a first bearing  48 . Thus, the heat roller  32  is rotatably supported by the fixing device main body  31 . The heat roller  32  is rotatable around a rotation axis A extending in the front and rear direction. That is, in the present embodiment, the front and rear direction is a direction of the rotation axis of the heat roller  32 . 
     The pressuring roller  33  is formed in a columnar shape. The pressuring roller  33  includes a core material which has a columnar shape and is made of metal, such as aluminum or iron, an elastic layer which is provided around this core material and is made of a silicon rubber and the like, and a release layer which covers this elastic layer and is made of a fluorine resin, such as PFA. The pressuring roller  33  comes into pressure contact with the heat roller  32  so as to form a fixing nip N between the heat roller  32  and the pressuring roller  33 . 
     At a front end side and a rear end side of the pressuring roller  33 , swing members  50  are respectively arranged. Each swing member  50  is swingably supported by the fixing device main body  31 . The pressuring roller  33  is rotatably supported by each swing member  50  via a second bearing  51 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the guide member  35  is formed in a shape elongated in the front and rear direction. The guide member  35  includes a main body part  91  elongated along the front and rear direction, a pair of arm parts  92  protruding downward from both front and rear end parts of the main body part  91 , and bosses  93  protruding from lower end parts of the arm parts  92  toward the outside in the front and rear direction. 
     In an outer face of the main body part  91  of the guide member  35 , multiple conveying ribs  94  are arranged in a row at intervals in the front and rear direction. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a left side part of each conveying rib  94  faces the conveying path  20  and the second branched path  26 , and an upper part of each conveying rib  94  faces the duplex conveying path  28 . Thus, each conveying rib  94  composes a part of the conveying path  20 , the second branched path  26  and the duplex conveying path  28 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , each boss  93  of the guide member  35  engages with an axial hole  45  of each tongue piece  44  of the fixing device main body  31 . Thus, the guide member  35  is supported by the fixing device main body  31  so as to be rotatable around an axis line D passing each center of the axial hole  45  of each tongue piece  44  and each boss  93 . Incidentally, in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , only the front boss  93  of the guide member  35  is shown, and other portions of the guide member  35  are omitted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the guide member  35  is rotatably arranged between a closing position (see a solid line in  FIG. 2 ) where the guide member  35  covers the conveying path  20  formed in the fixing device main body  31 , and an opening position (see a two-dot chain line in  FIG. 2 ) where the guide member  35  exposes the conveying path  20  formed in the fixing device main body  31 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the detecting mechanism  36  includes a sensor  100 , and an actuator  101  arranged at a lower rear side of the sensor  100 . 
     The sensor  100  of the detecting mechanism  36  is attached to a rear face (a face at the inside in the front and rear direction) of the attachment member  43 . Thus, the sensor  100  is held by the front side plate  42  of the fixing device main body  31  via the attachment member  43 . 
     The sensor  100  of the detecting mechanism  36  includes a light emitting part  102 , and a light receiving part  103  arranged at a lower right side of the light emitting part  102  (a lower left side in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ), and the light receiving part  103  receives light L from the light emitting part  102 . That is, the sensor  100  according to the present embodiment is a so-called “PI sensor (Photo Interrupter Sensor)”. 
     The actuator  101  of the detecting mechanism  36  includes a shaft  104  elongated along the front and rear direction, a pressed piece  105  protruding from a rear part (a part at the inside in the front and rear direction) of the shaft  104  to an outer diameter side, and a detected piece  106  protruding from a front end part (an end part at the outside in the front and rear direction) of the shaft  104  to the outer diameter side. 
     The shaft  104  of the actuator  101  of the detecting mechanism  36  is rotatably attached to the guide member  35  (not shown except for the front boss  93  in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). Thus, the actuator  101  is supported by the guide member  35  so as to be swingable around an axis line E passing a center of the shaft  104 . The axis line E (a swing center of the actuator  101 ) is arranged at a different position from that of the axis line D (a rotation center of the guide member  35 ). 
     The pressed piece  105  of the actuator  101  of the detecting mechanism  36  is formed in a straight bar shape. The pressed piece  105  is arranged in a minimum passing region (a region through which the sheet with a minimum size passes). As shown in  FIG. 2 , at an upper side (a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction) of the fixing nip N, the pressed piece  105  protrudes into the conveying path  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a longitudinal first end part (base end part) of the detected piece  106  of the actuator  101  of the detecting mechanism  36  is fixed to the shaft  104 . A longitudinal roughly center part of the detected piece  106  is provided with a step part  107 . A longitudinal second end part (distal end part) of the detected piece  106  is provided with a bent part  108  bent toward the front side (the outside in the front and rear direction). The detected piece  106  is arranged outside a maximum passing region (a region in which the sheet with a maximum size passes). 
     The actuator  101  of the detecting mechanism  36  is swingably arranged between a non-blocking position (see  FIG. 4 ) where the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  does not block the light L directed from the light emitting part  102  of the sensor  100  toward the light receiving part  103 , and a blocking position (see  FIG. 5 ) where the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  blocks the light L directed from the light emitting part  102  of the sensor  100  toward the light receiving part  103 . The actuator  101  is held at the non-blocking position (see  FIG. 4 ) by biasing force of a torsion coil spring  109  wound around an outer circumference of the shaft  104 . 
     Next, a control system of the fixing device  23  will be described with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
     The fixing device  23  includes a control part  111 . The control part  111  is connected to a storage part  112  composed of a storage device, such as a ROM or a RAM, and the control part  111  is configured to control each part of the fixing device  23  based on a control program or control data stored in the storage part  112 . 
     The control part  111  is connected to each heater  46 , and each heater  46  is powered on based on a signal from the control part  111  and each heater  46  heats the heat roller  32 . 
     The control part  111  is connected to a detecting part  113 . The detecting part  113  has a function of detecting opening or closing of the cover  6 , and a detection result of the detecting part  113  is outputted to the control part  111 . 
     The control part  111  is connected to the sensor  100  of the detecting mechanism  36 , and a detection result of the sensor  100  is outputted to the control part  111 . 
     The control part  111  is connected to a driving source  114  composed of a motor or the like. The driving source  114  is connected to the heat roller  32  via a driving gear  115 . 
     An operation of fixing the toner image on the sheet in the fixing device  23  configured as described above will be described. 
     To fix the toner image on the sheet, the driving source  114  is rotated. When the driving source  114  is rotated in this way, a rotation of the driving source  114  is transmitted to the heat roller  32  via the driving gear  115 , and the heat roller  32  is rotated (see an arrow B in  FIG. 2 ). When the heat roller  32  is rotated in this way, the pressuring roller  33  coming into pressure contact with the heat roller  32  rotates in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the heat roller  32  (see an arrow C in  FIG. 2 ). 
     Further, to fix the toner image on the sheet, each heater  46  is powered on. When each heater  46  is powered on in this way, each heater  46  heats the heat roller  32 . When the sheet passes through the fixing nip N in this state, the sheet and the toner image are heated and pressured, so that the toner image is fixed on the sheet. 
     Next, operation of detecting the sheet by using the detecting mechanism  36  of the fixing device  23  configured as described above will be described. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in a state before the sheet passes through the fixing device  23 , the actuator  101  is held at a non-blocking position by biasing force of the torsion coil spring  109 , and the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  does not block the light L directed from the light emitting part  102  of the sensor  100  toward the light receiving part  103 . Hence, an output from the sensor  100  to the control part  111  is HIGH. 
     By contrast with this, while the sheet is passing through the fixing device  23 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , the sheet (see a leader line S in  FIG. 5 ) passing through the fixing nip N presses the pressed piece  105  of the actuator  101  to the upper side(the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction). According to this, the actuator  101  swings around the shaft  104  from the non-blocking position to the blocking position, and the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  blocks the light L directed from the light emitting part  102  of the sensor  100  toward the light receiving part  103 . Hence, the output from the sensor  100  to the control part  111  changes from HIGH to LOW. 
     Meanwhile, when the sheet has passed through the fixing device  23 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the biasing force of the torsion coil spring  109  swings the actuator  101  from the blocking position to the non-blocking position, and the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  does not block the light L directed from the light emitting part  102  of the sensor  100  to the light receiving part  103 . Hence, the output from the sensor  100  to the control part  111  switches from LOW to HIGH. 
     Thus, the actuator  101  swings between the blocking position and the non-blocking position every time the sheet passes through the fixing device  23 . According to this, the detecting mechanism  36  detects sheets. 
     Next, an operation of performing JAM processing in the fixing device  23  configured as described above will be described. 
     To perform the JAM processing, the cover  6  is opened first as indicated by the two-dot chain line in  FIG. 1 . Next, the guide member  35  of the fixing device  23  is rotated from the closing position (see the solid line in  FIG. 2 ) to the opening position (see the two-dot chain line in  FIG. 2 ). Thus, the conveying path  20  formed in the fixing device main body  31  is exposed. In this state, the sheet is removed from the conveying path  20 . When removal of this sheet is finished, the guide member  35  is rotated from the opening position to the closing position, and the cover  6  is finally closed. Thus, the JAM processing is finished. 
     Next, a track of the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  of the actuator  101  in the fixing device  23  configured as described above will be described. 
     A region surrounded by a bold line R 1  in  FIG. 7  indicates the track of the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  in case where the actuator  101  swings between the non-blocking position (see a solid line in  FIG. 7 ) and the blocking position (see a two-dot chain line in  FIG. 7 ) with respect to the guide member  35  (that is, in case where a sheet is detected) in a state where the guide member  35  is in the closing position. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  is inserted between the light emitting part  102  and the light receiving part  103  of the sensor  100 . Hence, there is no concern that an interference between the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  and the light emitting part  102  or the light receiving part  103  of the sensor  100  blocks a swing of the actuator  101 . 
     A region surrounded by a bold line R 2  in  FIG. 8  indicates the track of the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  in case where the actuator  101  rotates integrally with the guide member  35  (that is, in case where JAM processing is performed) with a rotation of the guide member  35  between the closing position (see a solid line in  FIG. 8 ) and the opening position (see a two-dot chain line in  FIG. 8 ). As shown in  FIG. 8 , the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  passes between the light emitting part  102  and the light receiving part  103  of the sensor  100 . Hence, there is no concern that the interference between the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  and the light emitting part  102  or the light receiving part  103  of the sensor  100  blocks a rotation of the guide member  35 . 
     As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the rotation of the guide member  35  from being blocked by the interference between the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  and the light emitting part  102  or the light receiving part  103  of the sensor  100  without using a link mechanism. Consequently, it is possible to prevent both of a rise in manufacturing cost of the fixing device  23  caused by introduction of the link mechanism and a sheet detection failure. 
     Further, each conveying rib  94  of the main body part  91  of the guide member  35  forms a part of the duplex conveying path  28  for performing the duplex printing to the sheet. By applying such a configuration, it is possible to reliably guide the sheet along the duplex conveying path  28 . 
     Further, the sensor  100  is held by the front side plate  42  of the fixing device main body  31  via the attachment member  43 . By applying such a configuration, it is possible to arrange the sensor  100  at the outside in the front and rear direction of the heat roller  32 , and easily secure an installation space of the sensor  100  compared to a case where the sensor  100  is arranged such that the position of the sensor  100  in the front and rear direction overlaps that of the heat roller  32 . 
     Further, when the sheet presses the pressed piece  105 , the actuator  101  is configured to swing around the shaft  104  from the non-blocking position to the blocking position, so that the bent part  108  of the detected piece  106  blocks the light L directed from the light emitting part  102  toward the light receiving part  103 . By applying such a configuration, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the actuator  101 . 
     Further, as shown in  FIG. 2 , in a state where the guide member  35  is in the opening position (see a two-dot chain line in  FIG. 2 ), the guide member  35  and the cover  6  interfere with each other so as to restrict closing of the cover  6 . Meanwhile, when the guide member  35  rotates from the opening position (see the two-dot chain line in  FIG. 2 ) to the closing position (see the solid line in  FIG. 2 ), the guide member  35  moves to a position where the guide member  35  does not interfere with the cover  6 , so that the cover  6  becomes closable. By applying such a configuration, if the detecting part  113  detects that the cover  6  is closed, the guide member  35  is naturally in the closing position. That is, the detecting part  113  which detects opening or closing of the cover  6  can check whether or not the guide member  35  is in the closing position. 
     In the present embodiment, when the sheet presses the pressed piece  105 , the actuator  101  swings from the non-blocking position to the blocking position. In other embodiments, when the sheet presses the pressed piece  105 , the actuator  101  may swing from the blocking position to the non-blocking position. 
     In the present embodiment, the rotation of the driving source  114  is transmitted to the heat roller  32 , and the heat roller  32  and the pressuring roller  33  coming into pressure contact with the heat roller  32  are rotated. In other embodiments, the rotation of the driving source  114  may be transmitted to the pressuring roller  33 , and the pressuring roller  33  and the heat roller  32  coming into pressure contact with the pressuring roller  33  may be rotated. 
     In the present embodiment, the heat roller  32  is used as the fixing member. In other embodiments, a fixing belt may be used as the fixing member. 
     In the present embodiment, a configuration of the present disclosure is applied to the color printer  1 . In other embodiments, the configuration of the present disclosure may be applied to another image forming apparatus, such as a monochrome printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, an MFP (multi-function peripheral) or the like. 
     While the present disclosure has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.