Abstract:
A necktie knot stay apparatus that functions to prevent any significant slipping of a necktie knot, which may otherwise occur as the result of a wearer&#39;s regular movement. The necktie knot stay apparatus provides a comfortable solution where the wearer does not have to over-tighten the necktie knot in order to prevent the necktie knot from slipping. The necktie knot stay apparatus operates to allow the wearer to wear a necktie at a comfortable tightness around the neck while enhancing visual appearance by not allowing the necktie knot to slip beyond a desired position. When properly applied, the necktie knot stay apparatus is concealed by the necktie knot and is easily attached and removed. Further, the necktie knot stay apparatus is of relatively simple design and construction comprising a substantially smooth body contoured to facilitate the easy application of the device into the necktie knot.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This disclosure claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/397,660, filed Jun. 15, 2010, entitled “NECKTIE KNOT STAY,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to the field of clothing accessories, and more specifically to necktie knot stays (also sometimes referred to as tie knot stays, knot stays, tie stays, necktie knot holding devices, and necktie holders, among other names). The disclosure is directed to a device that is adapted to be inserted under or into the backside portion of a necktie knot to maintain the necktie knot in place firmly against the top collar button of the necktie wearer&#39;s/user&#39;s (generally referred to herein as the “wearer”) shirt and that is adapted to be generally hidden from view when in use. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Neckties are worn to enhance dress wear as part of business attire, uniform, formal/semi-formal wear, or normal fashion wear. Although a variety of necktie knots can be applied, all such necktie knots resemble slipknots and tend to loosen and slip downwardly with regular neck and body movement, detracting from the visual appearance of the wearer and/or necessitating repetitious adjusting of the knot by the wearer. The vertical and/or horizontal slipping motion creates a gap between the top of the shirt collar and the necktie knot which creates an unkempt appearance and requires the wearer to continuously tighten/retighten the necktie to achieve the desired necktie knot position. 
         [0004]    Various approaches have been taken and devices developed in the past in an attempt to tackle this problem. Tie pins and tie clips, for example, are well known in the art, but these generally only function to keep the front of a necktie in position on the front of a wearer&#39;s shirt and do not address the problem of the necktie knot loosening; further, such accessories are not generally adapted or designed to be concealed when in use. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,912,730 discloses a pressure relieving tie holder, wherein one end of the holder engages the top collar button of a shirt and the other end comprises a hook for supporting the necktie knot of a worn necktie. The holder provides additional support to the necktie knot and operates to maintain the position of a knot of a necktie close to the collar such that the necktie does not appear to sag; however, this holder does not actually prevent the necktie knot itself from loosening. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,444,548 discloses a necktie accessory having a cuneiform head, for preserving the neatness of neckwear. In use, the accessory operates to extend the folds of the front of a necktie, just below necktie knot, and holds the knot in place over the collar button. This accessory engages the front of a worn necktie to prevent the knot from loosening. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,046 discloses a necktie stay formed from flexible wire for retaining a necktie in an extended position below the knot, but which can also secure the necktie knot from vertical movement. In this necktie stay, tension against the necktie is provided by an expansion spring. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,110,902 discloses a necktie knot stay which also utilizes a spring mechanism to provide tension to keep the necktie knot in place. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,557,635 discloses a necktie retainer formed from wire for holding a necktie knot in place. The retainer may be inserted into a necktie knot and engages with a lower shirt button to hold the retainer in place. 
         [0010]    The prior art approaches generally suffered from various disadvantages, ranging from discomfort to the wearer, damage to the necktie (front), difficulty or inconvenience of application, and device visibility. Consequently, such devices have proven to not be entirely satisfactory or commercially successful. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0011]    The present disclosure is directed to a necktie knot stay apparatus and methods for affixing the same. The necktie knot stay apparatus functions to prevent any significant slipping (vertical and/or horizontal) of a necktie knot, which may otherwise occur as the result of a wearer&#39;s regular neck and body movement. The present disclosure provides a comfortable solution where the wearer does not have to over-tighten the necktie knot to the point of discomfort in order to prevent the necktie knot from slipping. The necktie knot stay apparatus operates to allow the wearer to wear a necktie at a comfortable tightness around the neck while enhancing visual appearance by preventing the necktie knot from slipping beyond a desired position. 
         [0012]    An embodiment of the present disclosure allows such a device to be concealed from view when worn by a wearer. When properly applied, the device is concealed by the necktie knot. 
         [0013]    An embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a device that is easily attached and removed, and therefore convenient to use. Further, the embodiment is of relatively simple design and construction. The embodiment allows a device that has a substantially smooth body, contoured to facilitate the easy application of the device into the necktie knot. 
         [0014]    An embodiment of the present disclosure provides for a device that will accommodate various necktie materials, sizes and types of knots (including the Four-in-Hand knot, the Windsor knot and the Half-Windsor knot, among others). 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a first view of an embodiment of the present disclosure showing a necktie knot stay body separated from a jewelry finding clutch back; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a second view of an embodiment of the present disclosure showing the jewelry finding clutch back engaged with the necktie knot stay body at a pin; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a third view of an embodiment of the present disclosure showing the jewelry finding clutch back engaged with the necktie knot stay body at the pin; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are views of two distinct embodiments of the pin that attaches the necktie knot stay to the jewelry finding clutch back; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of an embodiment of the present disclosure showing the necktie knot stay as applied to the back side of a necktie tongue before the pin is pierced through the necktie tongue; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a front view of an embodiment of the present disclosure showing the pin of the necktie knot stay pierced through the necktie tongue; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a front view of an embodiment of the present disclosure showing the pin of the necktie knot stay pierced through the necktie tongue and the jewelry finding clutch back engaged with the necktie knot stay body at the pin; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present disclosure showing the necktie knot stay apparatus; 
           [0023]      FIG. 8B  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present disclosure showing the necktie knot stay apparatus; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8C  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present disclosure showing the necktie knot stay apparatus; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 8D  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present disclosure showing the necktie knot stay apparatus. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]      FIG. 1  presents a view of an embodiment of a two-part necktie knot stay  2  comprising a necktie knot stay body  10  and a jewelry finding clutch back  6  (also sometimes referred to as a clutch back, clutch, or clasp, among other names). FIGS.  2  and  3  present alternative views of an embodiment of the necktie knot stay  2 , showing the jewelry finding clutch back  6  engaged with the necktie knot stay body  10  and the shape and contouring that facilitates functioning and proper concealment of the necktie knot stay  2  when in use. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the necktie knot stay body  10  may be an elongated body adapted to lie substantially vertically against a shirt front (not shown) and proximate to a shirt collar (not shown). The necktie knot stay body  10  may comprise a lower end and an upper end. The upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  may be adapted to engage with a necktie (not shown) and the lower end may be adapted to be positioned against the shirt front. The lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10  may be positioned beneath the upper end relative to a standing necktie-wearer, so that the lower end may be proximate to the bottom of the shirt collar and the upper end may be proximate to the top of the shirt collar. 
         [0028]    The necktie knot stay body  10  may further comprise a front leg  12  and a rear leg  14 . The front leg  12  may be angled upwards from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and may be adapted to angle upwardly and away from the shirt front. The rear leg  14  may extend substantially vertically from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and may be adapted to substantially lay proximate to the shirt front. Together, the front leg  12  and the rear leg  14  may create an angled opening  16  extending from the upper end of elongated body. 
         [0029]    The necktie knot stay body  10  may further comprise a pin  8  (also sometimes called a post) extending substantially perpendicularly from a lower portion of the necktie knot stay body  10  at a front side of the necktie knot stay body  10  opposite and away from the shirt front. The necktie knot stay body  10  and the pin  8  may form an approximately 90° angle between the two elements. The pin  8  may include a pointed tip pointing away from the necktie knot stay body  10  and the shirt front. 
         [0030]    The necktie knot stay apparatus  2  may further comprise a jewelry finding clutch back  6 . The jewelry finding clutch back  6  may comprise an aperture adapted to receive and clasp onto the pointed tip of the pin  8 , thereby securing the jewelry finding clutch back  6  to the pin  8 . The jewelry finding clutch back  8  may further be configurable such that the jewelry finding clutch back  6  may be disengaged and detached from the pin  8 . 
         [0031]    Together, the elongated body, the front leg  12 , and the rear leg  14  of the necktie knot stay body  10  may generally form a Y-shaped body when viewed from a side relative to the wearer&#39;s necktie when in use. In an embodiment, the front leg  12  may be longer than the rear leg  14 . The edges of the necktie knot stay body  10  may be squared, rounded, or a combination of both, and the functionality of the necktie knot stay  2  will remain intact. 
         [0032]    In an embodiment, the pin  8  may be permanently affixed to the necktie knot stay body  10 , or in an alternative embodiment, the pin  8  may be removably connected to the necktie knot stay body  10 . The pin  8  may also comprise a head located opposite the pointed tip and proximate to the lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10 . The head may provide a greater surface area to permanently affix or removably connect the pin  8  to the necktie knot stay body  10 . The lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10  may be shaped in any shape configurable to permanently affix or removably connect the head of the pin  8  to the lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10 . 
         [0033]    The necktie knot stay body  10  may be manufactured from any number of materials, including metals such as silver, pewter, gold, zinc, etc., in addition to alternative materials such as plastic or synthetic-type materials. Such materials may be cast, cut, injected, or pressed into the required shape. Additional manufacturing techniques can be used to develop the necktie knot stay including metal stamping and forming, lost wax casting or investment casting, or molding, in addition to various similar methods. The necktie knot stay body  10  may also be any number of colors or finishes, including matte or exposed metal. 
         [0034]    The pin  8  may be available in a variety of lengths and thicknesses and may be manufactured from any number of materials, including metals such as nickel-plated metal, gold-plated metal, brass, etc. The pin  8  may also be any number of colors or may remain exposed metal. 
         [0035]    The jewelry finding clutch back  6  may be one of a number of clutch backs known in the art, and may be manufactured from a number of materials (such as nickel-plated metal, gold-plated metal, brass, etc.) and be of a various colors. The jewelry finding clutch back  6  may also be in the form of flat or ball jewelry clutch backs or butterfly clutch backs, among others. The jewelry finding clutch back  6  may also be any number of colors or may remain exposed metal. 
         [0036]    In selecting suitable materials from which the necktie knot stay  2  and its component parts may be manufactured, considerations may include durability, strength, ease of manufacture (e.g. moldability, shapability), non-marking, illustriousness (relatively non-shiny materials and/or matte finishes may sometimes be preferred from the perspective of keeping the necktie knot stay hidden from view), safety (e.g. lead-compliant and/or non-allergen-based), weight, and cost, among others. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  present two alternative embodiments of the pin  8 . In a first embodiment shown in  FIG. 4A , the pin  8  may be a nail-shaped pin  8  with the head opposite the pointed tip, as previously discussed. In a second embodiment shown in  FIG. 4B , the pin  8  may also further comprise a spike  26  opposite the pointed tip and proximate the head of the pin  8 . The spike  26  may be angled upwards and away from the lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and away from the shirt front. The spike  26  may be a part of the head located opposite the pointed tip, or in an alternative embodiment, the spike  26  may be separate from the head located opposite the pointed tip. 
         [0038]    The spike  26  may be available in a variety of lengths and thicknesses and may be manufactured from any number of materials, including metals such as nickel-plated metal, gold-plated metal, brass, etc. The spike  26  may also be any number of colors or may remain exposed metal. 
         [0039]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of an embodiment showing the necktie knot stay  2  as applied to the back side of a necktie tongue  24  before the pin  8  is pierced through the necktie tongue  24 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 6  is a front view of an embodiment showing the pin  8  of the necktie knot stay pierced through the necktie tongue  24 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 7  is a front view of an embodiment showing the jewelry finding clutch back  6  engaged with the necktie knot stay body at the pin. 
         [0042]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5-7 , in use, the necktie-wearer may first put on a necktie  18  around a shirt collar (not shown) and tie the necktie  18  in a knot  20  as usual, using whichever form of knot  20  is desired. The necktie  18  may be tightened to the desired level, which typically means the knot  20  is tightened against the top button on the front of the wearer&#39;s shirt. In practice, the wearer may find that tightening the knot  20  ever so slightly more than the desired level produces the best results, as this may account for a very slight amount of “give” when the necktie knot stay  2  is applied to the necktie. After tightening the knot  20  around the shirt collar, the wearer may lift a wide, front side of the necktie  28  over one of the wearer&#39;s shoulder and straighten the necktie tongue  24  (narrow, back end) of the necktie  18 . 
         [0043]    The necktie knot stay  2  may be positioned close to the base of the necktie knot  20  and on the backside thereof, with the pin  8  adapted to be inserted through the rear of the necktie tongue  24  and away from the shirt collar and the wearer&#39;s body. The pin  8  of the necktie knot stay  2  may be pierced through necktie tongue  24  only, and not through the front of the necktie  28 , thus avoiding any possible damage to the externally-presented front of the necktie  28 . Once the pin  8  is inserted through the necktie tongue  24 , the pointed tip of the pin is adapted to be received by jewelry finding clutch back  6  at the aperture in the jewelry finding clutch back  6 . Clasping the jewelry finding clutch back  6  onto the pin  8  may prevent the necktie knot stay  2  from falling off the necktie  18 . 
         [0044]    The necktie knot stay  2  will preferably be oriented such that the angled opening  16  is facing up relative to a standing wearer, with the rear leg  14  proximate the shirt face and the front leg  12  is angled upwards and away from the shirt face. Irrespective of the type of knot  20  is used to tie the necktie  18 , there will generally be a substantially horizontal piece of necktie fabric  22  located at the base and rear of the knot  20 . This is generally found to be the case with neckties tied using the relatively more common Windsor and Half-Windsor knots; however, it is appreciated that with the Four-in-Hand knot, the angle of the piece of necktie fabric may be perhaps closer to about 45°. Regardless of the knot  20  chosen, the necktie knot stay  2  will function in the same general fashion. 
         [0045]    The angled opening  16  is adapted to engage this substantially horizontal piece of necktie fabric  22 , such that the substantially horizontal piece of necktie fabric  22  is wedged or “caught” within the angled opening  16  of the necktie knot stay body  10  and the front leg  12  of the necktie knot stay body  10  is placed in front of the substantially horizontal piece of necktie fabric  22 , relative to the wearer&#39;s neck. Positioning the necktie knot stay body  10  as such may create tension between the substantially horizontal piece of necktie fabric  22  and the angled opening  16 . This tension may help to maintain the orientation of the necktie knot stay  2  and may provide a means for helping the necktie knot stay  2  remain in position relative to the necktie  18  when the necktie knot stay  2  is properly fastened, thus preventing the necktie knot  20  from loosening. 
         [0046]    In addition to engaging the substantially horizontal piece of necktie fabric  22  with the angled opening  16  to prevent the necktie knot  20  from loosening, the pin  8  may be adapted not to travel past the necktie knot  20 , thus preventing the necktie tongue  24  from moving further into the necktie knot  20 . In effect, this may prevent movement of the necktie tongue  24  relative to the necktie knot  20 , thus preventing the necktie knot  20  from loosening. 
         [0047]    Combined, the angled opening  16  and the pin  8  may help maintain the necktie knot stay  2  in its proper position and orientation, and thus help keep the necktie knot stay  2  in a position where it is concealed from view from the front of the necktie  28 . As previously mentioned, the pin  8  would not pierce the front of the necktie  28  and would be concealed from view from the front of the necktie  28 . The necktie knot  20  may then optionally be slightly loosened into the desired position and the necktie knot  20  may be pulled snugly around the necktie knot stay body  10  adding to the concealment of the necktie knot stay  2  and increasing user comfort. 
         [0048]    Referring back to  FIG. 4B , in an embodiment where the pin  8  may be optionally provided with the spike  26 , the spike  26  may further engage with the rear of the necktie tongue  24 , thereby giving additional stability to the necktie knot stay  2  when it is in use. 
         [0049]    To take off the necktie  18 , the front of the necktie  28  can be optionally pulled over one of the wearer&#39;s shoulders and the necktie knot  20  is tightened to expose the necktie knot stay body  10  and then the jewelry finding clutch back  6 . The jewelry finding clutch back  6  may be detached from the pin  8 , the pin  8  may be pulled through the necktie tongue  24  from the rear relative to the front of the necktie  18 , and the necktie knot stay body  10  may be removed. The necktie  18  may then be simply removed in the usual fashion from around the wearer&#39;s shirt collar. 
         [0050]    Referring back to  FIGS. 1-3 , it can be seen that the front leg  12  may be slightly longer and presents a larger surface area than the rear leg  14 . The preferred size of the front and rear legs may be dictated by various factors. On the one hand, it is desirable that the front leg  12  and rear leg  14  present a certain surface area so that when in use, they help to keep the necktie knot stay  2  in place, and form a sufficiently large angled opening  16  for the substantially horizontal piece of necktie fabric  22  to wedge into. On the other hand, their dimensions are limited by a desire to keep the necktie knot stay  2  concealed from view when in use. The contouring of the necktie knot stay body  10  also facilitates the necktie knot stay  2  to be easily grasped between two fingers during application, thus contributing to ease of application of the necktie knot stay  2 . 
         [0051]    In a preferred embodiment, the necktie knot stay body  10  may comprise various length (an orientation from the wearer&#39;s chest to neck, generally) measurements. The necktie knot stay body  10  may have a length of 16 mm from the lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10  to the tip of the front leg  12  and may have a length of 12.6 mm from the lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10  to the tip of the rear leg  14 . The necktie knot stay body  10  may further have a length of 8.7 mm from the lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10  to the bottom of the angled opening  16 . The front leg  12  may have a length of 8 mm from the bottom of the angled opening  16  to the tip of the front leg  12 , and the rear leg  14  may have a length of 3.9 mm from the bottom of the angled opening  16  to the tip of the rear leg  14 . 
         [0052]    In a preferred embodiment, the necktie knot stay body  10  may also comprise varies width (an orientation from the wearer&#39;s shoulder to shoulder, generally) measurements. The width at the lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10  may be 3.3 mm. The width at the second upper end of the necktie knot stay body may be 2.8 mm. The width at the tip of the front leg  12  may be 5.7 mm. The width at the tip of the rear leg  14  may be 4.4 mm. 
         [0053]    In a preferred embodiment, the necktie knot stay body  10  may also comprise various thicknesses (an orientation from the wearer&#39;s neck outwards, generally), including 1.25 mm at the lower end of the necktie knot stay body  10 , 2.75 mm at the base of the angled opening  16 , 1.2 mm at the tip of the front leg  12 , and 1.1 mm at the tip of the rear leg  14 . The distance of the angled opening  16  at its widest opening between the tip of the front leg  12  and the tip of the rear leg  14  may be 5.8 mm. 
         [0054]    In a preferred embodiment, the pin  8  may have a length of 11.1 mm from the necktie knot stay body  10  to the pointed tip of the pin  8 . The pin  8  may have a diameter of approximately 1 mm. The head of the pin  8  may have a diameter of approximately 3 mm. The spike  26  may have a length of approximately 1 mm. 
         [0055]    In a preferred embodiment, the jewelry finding clutch back  6  may have a first diameter of 10.6 mm on a rear side proximate the wearer&#39;s shirt front and a second diameter of 6.8 mm on a front side opposite the wearer&#39;s shirt front when the necktie knot stay  2  is being worn. The jewelry finding clutch back  6  may have a thickness of 6.7 mm between the front side and the rear side. The central aperture of the jewelry finding clutch back  6  may be configured to be any thickness configurable to receive the pin  8 . 
         [0056]    In each of the proceeding paragraphs, the various measurements are only measurements for a preferred embodiment, and each measurement may have a variance of up to 15%, 30%, or even greater, either larger or smaller, from the measurements disclosed in the preferred embodiments. 
         [0057]      FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the necktie knot stay apparatus  2 . As described above in  FIGS. 1-7 , the necktie knot stay apparatus  2  comprises the jewelry finding clutch back  6 , the pin  8 , and the elongated body of the necktie knot stay body  10 . In the embodiment, the front leg  12  comprises a continuous hoop angled upwards and away from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and adapted to angle upwardly and away from the shirt front. The rear leg  14  similarly comprises a continuous hoop extending substantially vertically from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and adapted to substantially lay against the shirt front. The front leg  12  and the rear leg  14  are adapted to create the angled opening  16 . 
         [0058]      FIG. 8B  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the necktie knot stay apparatus  2 . As described above in  FIGS. 1-7 , the necktie knot stay apparatus  2  comprises the jewelry finding clutch back  6 , the pin  8 , and the elongated body of the necktie knot stay body  10 . In the embodiment, the front leg  12  comprises two prongs angled upwards and away from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and adapted to angle upwardly and away from the shirt front. The rear leg  14  similarly comprises two prongs extending substantially vertically from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and adapted to substantially lay against the shirt front. The prongs of the front leg  12  and the prongs of the rear leg  14  are adapted to create the angled opening  16 . 
         [0059]      FIG. 8C  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the necktie knot stay apparatus  2 . As described above in  FIGS. 1-7 , the necktie knot stay apparatus  2  comprises the jewelry finding clutch back  6 , the pin  8 , and the elongated body of the necktie knot stay body  10 . In the embodiment, the front leg  12  is angled upwards and away from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and adapted to angle upwardly and away from the shirt front. The rear leg  14  extends substantially vertically and at a slight angle away from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and adapted to substantially lay against the shirt front. The front leg  12  and the rear leg  14  are adapted to create the angled opening  16 . 
         [0060]      FIG. 8D  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the necktie knot stay apparatus  2 . As described above in  FIGS. 1-7 , the necktie knot stay apparatus  2  comprises the jewelry finding clutch back  6 , the pin  8 , and the elongated body of the necktie knot stay body  10 . In the embodiment, the front leg  12  comprises a prong angled upwards and away from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and adapted to angle upwardly and away from the shirt front. The rear leg  14  similarly comprises two prongs extending substantially vertically from the upper end of the necktie knot stay body  10  and adapted to substantially lay against the shirt front. The prong of the front leg  12  and the prongs of the rear leg  14  are adapted to create the angled opening  16 . 
         [0061]    While various embodiments in accordance with the disclosed principles have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and are not limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the invention(s) should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the claims and their equivalents issuing from this disclosure. Furthermore, the above advantages and features are provided in described embodiments, but shall not limit the application of such issued claims to processes and structures accomplishing any or all of the above advantages. 
         [0062]    Additionally, the section headings herein are provided for consistency with the suggestions under 37 C.F.R. 1.77 or otherwise to provide organizational cues. These headings shall not limit or characterize the invention(s) set out in any claims that may issue from this disclosure. Specifically and by way of example, although the headings refer to a “Technical Field,” such claims should not be limited by the language chosen under this heading to describe the so-called technical field. Further, a description of a technology in the “Background” is not to be construed as an admission that technology is prior art to any invention(s) in this disclosure. Neither is the “Summary” to be considered as a characterization of the invention(s) set forth in issued claims. Furthermore, any reference in this disclosure to “invention” in the singular should not be used to argue that there is only a single point of novelty in this disclosure. Multiple inventions may be set forth according to the limitations of the multiple claims issuing from this disclosure, and such claims accordingly define the invention(s), and their equivalents, that are protected thereby. In all instances, the scope of such claims shall be considered on their own merits in light of this disclosure, but should not be constrained by the headings herein.