Abstract:
A vending machine dispenser mechanism in the form of a roller for receiving and dispensing bottles or cans from a vertical stack. The roller dispensing mechanism comprises a driven roller having a roller support at each end which are supported by horizontally extending front and rear support members each of which include a plurality of spaced apart apertures in which the roller supports are rotatably mounted. The apertures can include keyhole shaped openings in each of the support members, a combination of keyhole and circular openings, or various other aperture shapes and combinations which together permit fast and easy roller installation and removal. The dispensing rollers contain two or more slots or pockets, or sub-pockets, that will sequentially receive and dispense a bottle or can one at a time in a controlled and positive manner as the roller is driven through a plurality of specific degrees of rotation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present invention is related to the following co-pending U.S. Patent applications which is all commonly owned with the present application, the entire contents thereof being hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/684,904, entitled “Double Thick Vending Machine stack Wall,” filed on Apr. 13, 2015; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/684,965, entitled “Vending Machine Adjustable Depth Retainer,” filed on Apr. 13, 2015. 
     
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
       [0002]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright or mask work protection. The copyright or mask work owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright or mask work rights whatsoever. 
       FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0003]    This disclosure relates to structures used in vending machines for dispensing selected products from a stacked set or array of products held or retained there above and within a product holding area of a vending machine. 
       INTRODUCTION 
       [0004]    This invention relates to vending machines, and in particular, to vending machines that can be stocked with vertical stacks of vendable products and with vertical stacks of products retained in columns in a product storage area therein. 
         [0005]    Vertical stacks are one way to store and dispense products in vending machines and for many products is an efficient and effective way to store a maximum number of products. This is an important as the more items that can be stored in the machine the less often is the need to restock. 
         [0006]    In a vending machine, internal column walls are employed to define product storage magazines or zones. More specifically, a series of column walls are arranged at spaced positions within a vending cabinet and serve as partitions to contain, separate, and support a stack of products to be dispensed. 
         [0007]    The present invention has been designed to dispense cans or bottles held in such stacked columns in an orderly and controllable fashion. 
         [0008]    There are a variety of vending dispensing techniques, but the present invention provides a positive vend, of one can or bottle at a time, it can dispense from multiple columns of stacked products, the dispensing mechanism is easily installed, replaced and permits a maximum of stacked bottles or cans to be held yet easily dispensed. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTLY PREFERRED EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES 
         [0009]    The invention is better understood by reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a frontal perspective showing the outside of a vending machine; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the inside of a vending machine taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a partial frontal perspective showing a portion of the product holding area of a vending machine including several of the plurality of stacking walls, several of the plurality of product compartments, and one of the dispensing mechanisms described herein; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a an enlarged view of one end of a product dispensing roller and the drive motor and is connection to the roller; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a two pocket dispensing roller; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is top plan view of the roller shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a longitudinal cross sectional view thereof; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a four pocket dispensing roller; 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is top plan view of the roller shown in  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a longitudinal cross sectional view thereof; 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is a cross sectional view taken along line  14 - 14  in  FIG. 13 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  is a cross sectional view taken along line  15 - 15  in  FIG. 13 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 16A  shows a diagrammatic cross section of one embodiment for a bottle roller mounting technique; 
           [0026]      FIG. 16B  shows a diagrammatic cross section of one embodiment for a can roller mounting technique; 
           [0027]      FIG. 17  shows a diagrammatic cross section of an alternative mounting arrangement for a two compartment roller ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 18  shows a two pocket roller at a 0° position; 
           [0029]      FIG. 19  shows a two pocket roller at a 15° position; 
           [0030]      FIG. 20  shows a two pocket roller at a 90° position; 
           [0031]      FIG. 21  shows a two pocket roller at a 195° position; 
           [0032]      FIG. 22  shows a two pocket roller with sub compartments for cans each at a 0° position; 
           [0033]      FIG. 23  shows a diagrammatic cross sectional view of the roller in  FIG. 22  with the front two compartments filled; 
           [0034]      FIG. 24  shows the roller of  FIG. 22  at a 135° position; 
           [0035]      FIG. 25  shows the roller of  FIG. 22  at a 180° position; 
           [0036]      FIG. 26  shows the roller of  FIG. 22  at a 315° position; 
           [0037]      FIG. 27  shows the roller of  FIG. 22  once again back at a 0° position; 
           [0038]      FIG. 28  shows a diagrammatic cross sectional view along line  28 - 28  in  FIG. 27  showing a partial stack of cans with the bottom most can being retained in a pocket at a 0° roller position and product control flaps; 
           [0039]      FIG. 29  shows the same diagrammatic cross sectional view as in  FIG. 28  in which a first can being dispensed at a 135° roller position while a second can is being retained by a product control flap; and 
           [0040]      FIG. 30  shows the same diagrammatic cross sectional view as in  FIGS. 28 and 29  in which a second can is being dispensed at a 180° roller position. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     A. Overview 
       [0041]    To gain a better understanding of the invention, a preferred embodiment will now be described in detail. Frequent reference will be made to the drawings. Reference numerals or letters will be used throughout to indicate certain parts or locations in the drawings. The same reference numerals or letters will be used to indicate the same parts and locations throughout the drawings, unless otherwise indicated. 
       B. Environment 
       [0042]    The preferred embodiment now described will be with respect to a vending machine and in particular to a product dispensing roller mechanism that can be installed and removed with relative ease relative to the interior of a vending machine The scale of the embodiment, therefore, is to be understood with respect to this type of article. 
       C. Structure 
       [0043]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show such a closed front vending machine  10  as being comprised of a case or cabinet  12  that includes a front door  14  and a rear cabinet  16 . Front door  14  is pivotally mounted to the rear cabinet by top and bottom hinges  18  and  19 , respectively. Front door  14  includes an inner door  15  that can be pivotally attached either to an inside portion of an outer portion  17  of the front door, or to the rear cabinet  12 , and in either case by hinges (not shown). The outer portion  17  is designed to overly the inner door  15  with the latter being an insulating door that will close over the front of the product holding section  21 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , to keep the contents of a product holding section  21  cold when vending cold or frozen products. The vending equipment  10  can also include a suitable refrigeration unit  17 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , to maintain desired temperatures within the product holding section  21 . 
         [0044]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3  the main rear cabinet is  16  that is itself comprised of separate top wall  20 , opposing side walls, a rear wall  26  and a bottom wall  28 , as well as a plurality of height adjustable feet  27 . The front door  14  and the rear portion  16  collectively define the outer casing structure  12  for the vending machine  10 . 
         [0045]    The front door  14  includes a front panel  30  that is retained in a frame formed from opposing sides  34  and  36 , a top  38  and a bottom or base plate  40 . Door  14  also includes and supports a coin changer including a change return  42 , a suitable keypad  43 , a control panel  44 , a display  45 , a coin acceptor and return assembly  47 , and a retrieval door mechanism  50 . Door  14  has sufficient internal space to mount other parts of the vending machine such as, for example, control electronics, the coin changer assembly, a bill validator  46 , or other devices as may be desired. The front panel  30  can also include exemplary bottles  60  and bottle selection buttons  62  and exemplary cans  64  and can selection buttons  66 . 
         [0046]    The vending machine  10  includes a product holding section  21 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , that can be comprised of a plurality of spaced apart product containment or stacking walls, three of which are shown at  80 A- 80 C, which are discussed in the above identified co-pending applications, which have been incorporated herein by reference thereto. Adjacent ones of these stacking or containment walls, for example  80 A and  80 B will serve to form there between a product holding compartment for example as shown at  92 A in  FIG. 3  and compartment  92 B which is defined between stacking walls  80 B and  80 C. These product holding compartments  92 A and  92 B can hold vertically extending stacks of cans, for example as shown in compartment  92 A at  100  in  FIG. 3  or bottles  102  in compartment  92 B. Also shown in  FIG. 3 , and other figures herein, each compartment  92 A and  92 B can include an adjustable rear wall  300  that is described in detail in the co-pending patent application Ser. No. 14/684,965, that is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto. 
         [0047]    Located below the product holding section  21  is a drop zone area  52  at the bottom of which is a product directing ramp or panel  54  that is an angled sheet, for example of metal or plastic, whose angle of inclination from back to front will direct a dispensed product falling from the product holding section  21  forwardly through a swinging door  51  that can, for example, be pivotally mounted below insulated interior wall  15  so as to swing outwardly and permit the dispensed product to roll or otherwise move toward a front product retrieval area  56  and onto floor  58  thereof from which the dispensed product can be retrieved via an opening in the door  14 . 
         [0048]    The vending machine  10  can also include a suitable vend detection or sensing system. One such system, as shown in phantom at  70 , is a vibration sensor attached to the bottom side of ramp or plate  54  to sense when a product has fallen onto that ramp or plate  54 . A vend sensing system could also be of an infrared type as is diagrammatically shown generally at  72  in  FIG. 2  and includes suitable emitter/detector units,  74 / 76 , respectively, extending along each of the two opposing sides or ends of the space or drop zone  52 , which will create a plane of infrared radiation operating across the depth and width of the drop zone  52  so that along with suitable control equipment the system will sense passage of a dispensed product falling through the field of radiation. 
         [0049]      FIG. 3  shows a partial view of the internal product holding area with parts having been cut away for clarity.  FIG. 3  also shows a selection panel  44  along with the key pad  43 , the selection buttons  62  and  66 , a control board  104  that includes various control interface components  106  and electrical connections  108 , including, for example, the control panel  44 , the key pad  43 , the coin acceptor assembly  47 , the drop sensor  70 , and drive motor assemblies  110  that will drive dispensing rollers, one of which is shown in phantom at  140 .  FIG. 3  also shows a holding flap  250  that is attached to and extends below a limited portion of the bottom of stacking wall  80 A, as well as the roller support structure, and both will be more fully discussed hereinafter. 
         [0050]      FIG. 4  shows an enlarged view of one of the dispensing rotor drive motors  110  as including a mounting frame  112 , an electric motor  114  as well as driven gearing assemblies  116  and  118 . One end  141  of dispensing roller  140  is also shown along with outwardly extending cylindrical member  143  that includes a drive slot  113  centrally positioned thereon and that is shaped to receive the drive member  111  of the motor assembly  110 , and an outer surface  153  that will provide rotational support for one end of roller  140 . 
         [0051]      FIGS. 5-10  show a two pocket or slot dispensing roller while  FIGS. 11-15  show a four pocket or slot dispensing roller. 
         [0052]    Turning first to  FIGS. 5-10  a two pocket dispensing roller  140  includes an outer cylindrical body  142  with its left or front end, as shown, including an end or front wall  141  having an outwardly extending cylindrical roller support member  143  formed centrally thereon. The cylindrical body  142  includes an opening  144  to a first and front pocket or slot  145  that extends axially for a distance that is slightly more than half of the length of the roller  140 . A portion of a second or rear pocket or slot  146  is partially visible through the front pocket  145  and the remainder of the second or rear pocket  146  is shown in phantom with the opening thereto  147  being located approximately 180 degrees from the first opening  144  into the front pocket  145 . As can be seen in  FIG. 5  there is an overlapping of the two front and rear pockets  145 / 146 , with a narrow portion of the cylindrical body  142  extending there along on each side of the over lapping area as shown at  148  and  149 . 
         [0053]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show both a first front pocket  145  and a second or rear pocket  146  as well as the over lapping portion.  FIGS. 6 and 7  also show a right side end wall  150  having an outwardly extending cylindrical roller support member  151 . The outer surfaces  153  and  154  of the cylindrical roller support members  143  and  151 , respectively, will form bearing surfaces by which the roller  140  will be supported and on which it will rotate. 
         [0054]    When vending cans using this two pocket roller design two cans can share the same pocket. In that case it is possible for one can to slide axially once a first can is vended if the machine is rocked. A solution to this potential issue is to provide an axially extending groove  154  and  155  on an inside portion of each pocket  145  and  146 , spaced about 2.325 inches in from the end walls, and each groove  154 / 155  will receive and support a spring clip  156  therein comprised of a flat section  157  and a raised portion  158 . Spring clip  156  is held in place by a post or pin  159  that extends downwardly from the flat section  157  and fits into a socket  160 . Spring clips  156  will prevent a can from sliding axially pocket to the other. For example, if rotor  140  had been rotated so that the second can back from one end is vended from pocket  146  the rear-most can is still retained. However, should someone then rock the vending machine the rear-most can might slide axially from where it was held and then out through the same opening  146  through which the previous can had just been dispensed. Spring clip  156  will prevent this axial sliding from happening as the raised portion  158  will place a force on the front most can to hold it in place. 
         [0055]      FIGS. 8-10  show various cross sectional views at lines  8 - 8 ,  9 - 9  and  10 - 10  in  FIG. 7 . In  FIG. 8  pocket  145  is in upward position ready to receive a can or bottle. In  FIG. 9  pocket  146  is in a downward position form which a can or bottle could have just been dispensed.  FIG. 10  looks to the right and shows the recess  155  into which spring clip  156  will be received. 
         [0056]    The roller  140  is designed to work, as one example, with two 24 ounce bottles, that have a 2.88 inch diameter, as well as four 12 ounce cans that have a 2.59 inch diameter. The pocket openings  144  and  147  are preferably about 2.95 inches wide and the outer diameter of roller  140  is preferably about 3.35 inches. The overall length of roller  140  is 20.5 inches and the axial length of pockets  145  and  146  is about 9.4 inches measured from each end  141  and  150 , respectively, making the axial length of the overlap area about 1.7 inches. It should also be understood that the depth of the pockets  145  and  146  are designed so that the outer surface of a can or bottle retained therein will be aligned with the outer circumference of the roller  140 . In this way rotation of roller  140  and the retained cans or bottles will smoothly rotate under the remaining stack there above and will not lift that stack of cans or bottles. 
         [0057]      FIGS. 11-15  show details of the four pocket dispensing roller  120  shown previously in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 11  shows a front end wall  160  from which a cylindrical member  162  extends with its outer surface  164  providing a bearing surface supporting roller  120 . That outer surface  164  can also be provided with a rotation support groove  191 . At the rear end of roller  120  is a rear end wall  121  from which a cylindrical roller support member  122  extends. That cylindrical roller support member  122  can have an outer surface  125  that could also be provided with a roller support groove  190 . Further, the cylindrical member  162  can also be provided with a drive slot  152  which can be operatively connected to a motor drive member  111  as shown previously in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0058]    Roller  120  includes four pockets and from right to left in  FIG. 11  those pockets are  170 ,  172 ,  174  and  176  with the openings thereto being shown at  171 ,  173 ,  175  an  177 , respectively. The four pocket roller  120  has been designed exclusively for 12 ounce cans and the outer diameter is about 3.2 inches and each pocket is about 2.7 inches wide. The roller  120  has an overall length of 21.5 inches, and each opening has an axial length of about 6 inches.  FIGS. 12 and 13  show the locations of the four pockets  170 ,  172 ,  174  and  176 , the end cylindrical members  122  and  162  end walls  121  and  160 , and the relative positions for the pockets. 
         [0059]      FIGS. 14 and 15  show cross sectional views at  14 - 14  and  15 - 15  in  FIG. 13  and these are similar to the cross sectional views of the two pocket roller but with slightly different dimensions as noted above. 
         [0060]    With reference again to  FIGS. 2 and 3  there are a front and rear support roller members  180  and  182  that are connected to the vending machine frame so as to extend horizontally across the front and back, respectively, of the bottoms of stacking walls  80 A- 80 C. Each support member  180 / 182  includes a plurality of apertures in which the dispensing rollers will be installed and within which they will rotate. One such an aperture is shown, for one example, in  FIG. 20  at  184  which has an enlarged upper portion  185  and a smaller diameter lower portion  186  with portions  185  and  186  defining what can be referenced as a keyhole form of an opening The upper portion  185  has a larger diameter than the cylindrical members  122 / 162  for roller  120  and  143 / 151  for roller  140  while the smaller diameter lower portion  186  will receive the outer surface  125 / 164  for roller  120 , and  153 / 154  for roller  140  of its cylindrical members ‘ 143 / 151 , respectively. It is also possible, as was described previously, to form a groove shown at  190 / 191  in the outer support surfaces  125 / 164 , respectively for roller  120 , and to also form grooves in cylindrical roller support members  143 / 151 , for roller  140 , as shown at  188  and  189 , respectively, that would slidably interfit with the peripheral edges of the lower portion  186  of the key hole type apertures  184 . 
         [0061]    The rear cylindrical roller support members can be rotatably supported by one of several approaches. One as shown in  FIG. 16A  for bottles provides a plurality of spaced apart keyholes  184  in the rear support member  182  into which the rear cylindrical roller support members  151  for rollers  140  or  122  for rollers  120  can be installed as described above. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 17  roller  140  dispensing bottles, and in  FIG. 23  for roller  140  dispensing cans the rear cylindrical roller support member  151  for roller  140 , or likewise for the rear cylindrical roller support member  122  for roller  120 , can be axially slid into a circular aperture  194  which has a diameter close to but slightly larger than cylindrical roller support members  151 / 122 . 
         [0062]    Using either of these mounting arrangements permits a roller  120  or  140  to be easily installed by simply placing the rear cylindrical roller support member  151 / 122  into one of the plurality of apertures in the rear support member  182  and then placing the front cylindrical roller support member  143 / 162  axially into the upper opening  185  and then dropping the slot  188 / 190  vertically into the lower opening  186  and the roller is installed. Removal is simply the reverse of raising the front end of roller  140 / 120  to disengage slot  188 / 190  from the lower opening  186  and once the cylindrical roller support member  143 / 162  was within the upper opening  185  the roller  140 / 120  can be slid axially out of the front support member  180 . 
         [0063]    With reference to  FIGS. 18-21  the rotation sequence of the two pocket roller can be appreciated. In  FIG. 18 , which shows roller  140  in a 0° position, a bottle  200  has been received by or has dropped into the foremost pocket  145 , and a second bottle  202  had previously been received in the rear most pocket  146 . As roller  140  is rotated to a 15° position as shown in  FIG. 19  the rear most bottle  202  has now been dispensed from pocket  146  by falling through opening  147 . 
         [0064]    In  FIG. 20  roller  140  has been further rotated to a 90° position where the foremost pocket  145  has been further rotated but bottle  200  is still retained and has not yet been dispensed. Also, the next rear most bottle  206  has not yet been received within pocket  146 .  FIG. 21  shows roller  140  having been rotated to a 195° position. Here the foremost pocket will have been rotated sufficiently to permit the foremost bottle  200  to now be dispensed by falling through opening  144  and the next rear most bottle  206  has been received within the rear most pocket  146 . 
         [0065]    As the two pocket roller  140  continues to be rotated this cycling between receiving and dispensing foremost and rearmost bottles or cans will continue. It should also be understood that the drive motor assembly for roller  140  will, once a product has been selected and there has been confirmation that the correct payment has been received, continue to rotate roller  140  until a sensor has determined a product has been dispensed. That could be a signal form the vibration sensor  70  or from the infrared system  72 / 76 . When such a signal is sensed the motor drive will then stop and further rotation of roller  140  will cease until the next vend cycle has been initiated. 
         [0066]      FIGS. 22-30  show a dispensing sequence where the two pocket roller  140  will dispense four axially positioned 12 ounce cans. For ease of an explanation each of the front and rear pockets in roller  140 ,  145  and  146  respectively, will each be sub divided into a pair of sub-pockets, with the fore most sub-pocket being  145 A, the next rear most sub-pocket will be  145 B, the next rear most sub-pocket will be  146 A, and the rear or most rearward sub-pocket will be  146 B. In this way four cans can be held in roller  140  using the four axially positioned sub-pockets  145 A,  145 B,  146 A and  146 B when looking from the front to the rear of roller  140 . 
         [0067]    In  FIG. 22  roller  140  is positioned at a 0° position which is also shown in cross section in  FIGS. 16B and 23 . The four sub-pockets are indicated there are no cans currently retained in pockets  146 B and  146 A, but can  230  is in pocket  145 B and can  232  is in pocket  145 A.  FIGS. 28, 29 and 30  show the sequence that will be followed for cans  230  and  232 . 
         [0068]    As roller  140  is rotated to a 135° position as shown in  FIG. 24  the opening  144  of the foremost pocket  145 A will be rotated so that the foremost can  232  will pass through opening  144 . However, the next rear most can  230  will not be allowed to drop through its opening  144  and out of pocket  145 B due to the presence of a flap member  250  which, along with the far edge of opening  144  of pocket  145 B as shown in  FIG. 29 , will further retain that next rearmost can  230  within pocket  145 B for another 45° of rotation of roller  140 . 
         [0069]    Roller  140  will then be rotated another 45° to a 180° position as is shown in  FIGS. 25 and 30  where the flap  250  and the edge of opening  144  will release can  230  that will then drop onto plate  54  and be dispensed to a consumer. In this same 180° position the two rear most pockets  146 A and  146 B will now receive the next cans from the stacked column of cans remaining there above with cans  234  and  236  falling into pockets  146 A and  146 B, respectively. 
         [0070]    As roller  140  is next rotated to a 315° position as shown in  FIG. 26 , the rear most can  234  will be dispensed by falling through opening  147 . However, as was the case for can  230  being further retained by flap  250  at the 135° position, as shown in  FIG. 29 , can  236  will also be further retained by flap  250  and an opposing part of opening  147 , as was the case for flap and the opposing part of opening  144  in  FIG. 29 . Flap  250  will work to accomplish the further retaining of the middle positioned cans within pockets  145 B and  146 A as flap  250  extends a sufficient distance axially to span those middle two sub-pockets  145 B and  146 A. It should be understood that the dispensing delay flap  250  could be divided into two spaced apart flaps as is shown in phantom at  252  and  254  in  FIG. 22  where flap  252  would work with the front most sub-pocket  145 A and flap  254  would work with the rear most sub-pocket  146 B to permit the middle sub-pockets to dispense their cans at a point in time sooner than the adjacent front and rear most sub-pockets, and to delay the release of the cans from those sub-pockets  145 A and  146 B for another 45° degrees of rotation. 
         [0071]    As the roller is then further rotated to again arrive back to a 0° position as shown in  FIG. 27  the next fore most can  236  in sub-pocket  146 A, that had been retained by flap  250 , will be released, as was can  230  in  FIG. 30 , and can  236  will be dispensed. 
         [0072]    The four pocket roller  120  has pockets  170 ,  172 ,  174  and  176  that will sequentially received cans from the stack of cans remaining there above and in a like manner dispense cans as roller  120  is rotated through various degrees of rotation. The circumferential spacing of the pockets  170 - 176  can be arranged at 90° offsets, or they can be located at 90°+/−30°, or at other degrees of offset depending upon the precise product being vended or the cycle desired for vending. 
         [0073]    When introducing elements of various aspects of the present invention or embodiments thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements, unless stated otherwise. The terms “comprising,” “including” and “having,” and their derivatives, are intended to be open-ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, and/or steps and mean that there may be additional features, elements, components, groups, and/or steps other than those listed. Moreover, the use of “top” and “bottom,” “front” and “rear,” “above,” and “below” and variations thereof and other terms of orientation are made for convenience, but does not require any particular orientation of the components. The terms of degree such as “substantially,” “about” and “approximate,” and any derivatives, as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed. For example, these terms can be construed as including a deviation of at least +/−-5% of the modified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the word it modifies. 
         [0074]    While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.