Ultra-slim fastener and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

An ultra-slim fastener for a bra comprises male and female parts mounted on fabric pieces. The male part comprises a planar body having a downwardly depending leg terminating in an outwardly projecting foot extending parallel to the body. The female part comprises a substantially planar frame defining a cavity for reception of the foot. The cavity is roofed in towards the innermost end of the frame only, thereby defining an open mouth towards the outermost frame end. In embodiments, a fabric strip forms a backing for the frame and the bottom of the cavity is closed off. The second piece further comprises an overlay mounted partially above the frame and on the fabric strip, sandwiching the frame between the overlay and the fabric strip. Embodiments are provided for use with reversible garments. Such a fastener will be very thin yet very strong.

Claims

1. An ultra-slim fastener for securing a first piece and a second piece of a garment together, the second piece comprising a fabric strip and an overlay, at least one of the fabric strip and the overlay having an aperture, the fastener comprising: a male part configured to be mounted on the first piece and a female part configured to be mounted on the second piece; the male part comprising a substantially planar body having an outermost body end, a downwardly depending leg disposed at the outermost body end and terminating in an outwardly projecting foot extending substantially parallel to the plane of the body; the female part comprising a substantially planar frame having a top, an outermost frame end, an innermost frame end, and defining a cavity for reception and retention of the foot, the cavity being partially roofed in towards the innermost frame end and having a roof and a bottom, thereby defining an open mouth towards the outermost frame end; the foot, the cavity, and the open mouth being dimensioned so that insertion of the foot into the cavity must be realized by inclining the body of the male part relative to the frame of the female part before bringing the male part and the female part together, retention of the foot in the cavity is realized by pivoting the inserted male part from an inclined orientation to a co-planar orientation with respect to the female part using the roof of the cavity as a fulcrum, and release of the foot from the cavity is realized by pivoting the inserted male part from the co-planar orientation back to the inclined orientation using the roof of the cavity as a fulcrum before moving the male part and the female part apart; and, the frame of the female part configured to be mounted to the second piece such that the frame is sandwiched between the fabric strip and the overlay, and the aperture corresponds with the open mouth.

2. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1 in which the female part is configured to be mounted to the second piece so that the fabric strip forms a backing for the frame and the bottom of the cavity is closed off by the fabric strip.

3. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1 in which the frame comprises an upstanding collar surrounding the open mouth.

4. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 3 in which a portion of the upstanding collar nearest the innermost frame end extends further upwardly from the frame than the remainder of the upstanding collar.

5. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1 in which the cavity of the frame comprises a first downwardly depending flange adjacent the outermost frame end and a second downwardly depending flange, the second downwardly depending flange being positioned adjacent the innermost frame end and being dimensioned to protrude downwardly from the frame by the same distance as the first downwardly depending flange.

6. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1 in which the cavity has a side wall adjacent the outermost frame end which slopes towards the outermost frame end from top to bottom, and the foot has a heel portion that slopes away from the outermost body end from top to bottom.

7. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1 in which the substantially planar body has an upwardly extending flange adjacent the outermost body end.

8. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1 in which the depth of the male part from the uppermost point on the male part to the lowermost point of the foot is no more than 0.0027 m deep.

9. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1 in which the depth of the female part from the uppermost point on the frame to the lowermost point of the second piece connected to the frame is no more than 0.0034 m deep.

10. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1 in which the foot of the male part has a lateral width which decreases outwardly from near the leg to a toe portion of the foot.

11. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 10 in which the foot has sides extending outwardly from the leg to the toe portion and wherein the sides are rounded, angled inwardly, or curved inwardly.

12. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 1 in which the body of the male part includes two longitudinal channels positioned on opposing sides of the foot.

13. An ultra-slim fastener for securing two ends of a garment together, the fastener comprising: a first piece having a male part mounted thereon, the first piece configured for attachment to one of the ends of the garment; a second piece comprising a fabric strip, an overlay, and at least one female part, at least one of the fabric strip and the overlay having an aperture, the second piece configured for attachment to other of the ends of the garment; the male part comprising a substantially planar body having an outermost body end, a downwardly depending leg disposed at the outermost body end and terminating in an outwardly projecting foot extending substantially parallel to the plane of the body; the female part comprising a substantially planar frame having a top, an outermost frame end, an innermost frame end, and defining a cavity for reception and retention of the foot, the cavity being partially roofed in towards the innermost frame end and having a roof and a bottom, thereby defining an open mouth towards the outermost frame end; the foot, the cavity, and the open mouth being dimensioned so that insertion of the foot into the cavity must be realized by inclining the body of the male part relative to the frame of the female part before bringing the male part and the female part together, retention of the foot in the cavity is realized by pivoting the inserted male part from an inclined orientation to a co-planar orientation with respect to the female part using the roof of the cavity as a fulcrum, and release of the foot from the cavity is realized by pivoting the inserted male part from the co-planar orientation back to the inclined orientation using the roof of the cavity as a fulcrum before moving the male part and the female part apart; and, the frame of the female part mounted to one of the fabric strip or the overlay, the frame being sandwiched between the fabric strip and the overlay, and location of the aperture corresponding with the open mouth.

14. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 13 in which the depth of the fastener from the uppermost point on the male part to the lowermost point of the second piece connected to the female part when the male part and the female part are engaged is no more than 0.0035 m deep.

15. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 13 in which the second piece comprises a laminate of tricot fabric and microfiber fabric, the first piece comprises a fabric strip, and the fabric strip of the first piece comprises at least one of tricot fabric and microfiber fabric.

16. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 13, further comprising: a plurality of female parts arranged in a longitudinally spaced row, alternately mounted to the fabric strip and the overlay, and positioned so that mouths of each female part alternately open forwardly and rearwardly; and, the leg of the male part depending both upwardly and downwardly from the body and terminating in two legs opposed about the body.

17. The ultra-slim fastener of claim 13, further comprising: a pair female parts, one of the female parts mounted to the fabric strip and the other of the female parts mounted to the overlay, the female parts positioned so that the cavities are aligned longitudinally and the mouth of one female part opens forwardly while the mouth of the other female part opens rearwardly; and, the leg of the male part depending both upwardly and downwardly from the body and terminating in two legs opposed about the body.

18. A method of manufacturing an ultra-slim fastener for securing two ends of a garment together, the method comprising: a. providing a fabric strip and an overlay sheet; b. providing a female part comprising a substantially planar frame having a top, an outermost frame end, an innermost frame end, and defining a cavity for reception and retention of the foot, the cavity being partially roofed in towards the innermost frame end and having a roof and a bottom, thereby defining an open mouth towards the outermost frame end; c. cutting out an aperture at least one of the fabric strip and the overlay sheet; d. bonding the overlay sheet to the fabric strip along at least one edge of both the overlay sheet and the fabric strip; e. placing the frame of the female part on one of the fabric strip or the overlay sheet with the open mouth in alignment with the aperture; f. bonding the frame of the female part to one of the fabric strip or the overlay sheet; g. drawing the fabric strip over the other side of the frame of the female part so that a bond line along the bonded edge of both the overlay sheet and the fabric strip is sandwiched between the overlay sheet and the fabric strip; h. bonding the fabric strip to the other side of the frame and bonding the overlay sheet to the fabric strip along any remaining un-bonded edges, so that the frame of the female part is sandwiched between the fabric strip and the overlay sheet, thereby forming a first piece configured for attachment to one of the ends of the garment; i. providing a male part comprising a substantially planar body having an outermost body end, a downwardly depending leg disposed at the outermost body end and terminating in an outwardly projecting foot extending substantially parallel to the plane of the body; j. providing the foot, the cavity, and the open mouth being dimensioned so that insertion of the foot into the cavity must be realized by inclining the body of the male part relative to the frame of the female part before bringing the male part and the female part together, retention of the foot in the cavity is realized by pivoting the inserted male part from an inclined orientation to a co-planar orientation with respect to the female part using the roof of the cavity as a fulcrum, and release of the foot from the cavity is realized by pivoting the inserted male part from the co-planar orientation back to the inclined orientation using the roof of the cavity as a fulcrum before moving the male part and the female part apart; and, k. mounting the male part to a second piece configured for attachment to other of the ends of the garment.

19. The method of claim 18 further including: in step (d), bonding the overlay sheet to the fabric strip along three edges of the overlay sheet and three edges of the fabric strip thereby forming a pouch; and, in step (g), turning the pouch inside out, thereby drawing the frame inside the pouch.

20. The method of claim 18 in which the overlay sheet is bonded to the fabric strip along one edge but spaced apart from the edge, thereby forming a flap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] FIG. 1 is a front view of a female part of a fastener;

[0065] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the female part of FIG. 1;

[0066] FIG. 3 is a front view of a male part of the fastener;

[0067] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the male part of FIG. 3;

[0068] FIG. 5 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a male part of the fastener;

[0069] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the male part of FIG. 5;

[0070] FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the male part of FIGS. 3 & 4;

[0071] FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the male part of FIGS. 5 & 6;

[0072] FIG. 9 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the female part;

[0073] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the male part being brought into engagement with the female part;

[0074] FIG. 11 is a front view of another embodiment of the male part;

[0075] FIG. 12 is a rear view of the male part of FIG. 11;

[0076] FIG. 13 is a front view of another embodiment of the male part;

[0077] FIG. 14 is a rear view of the male part of FIG. 13;

[0078] FIG. 15 is a front view of another embodiment of the male part;

[0079] FIG. 16 is a rear view of the male part of FIG. 15;

[0080] FIG. 17 is a right side view of the male part of FIG. 11;

[0081] FIG. 18 is a front view of another embodiment of the female part engaged with the male part;

[0082] FIG. 19 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line XIX-XIX of FIG. 18;

[0083] FIG. 20 is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 18 with the male part engaged on the reverse side of the female part;

[0084] FIG. 21 is a front view of another embodiment of the female part engaged with the male part; and,

[0085] FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line XXII-XXII of FIG. 21.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0086] Referring to FIGS. 1 & 2, there is shown a female part of the fastener, indicated generally by the reference numeral 100, comprising a substantially planar frame 101 mounted directly onto the face of a fabric strip 103. There is further provided an overlay 105 mounted onto the top of the frame and onto the face of the fabric strip 103, sandwiching the frame 101 between the overlay 105 and the fabric strip 103. The frame 101 has a cavity (as will be shown in greater detail with reference to FIG. 9 below) partially roofed in, thereby defining an open mouth 107. The overlay 105 comprises an aperture 109 corresponding with the frame's open mouth. A plurality of weld lines 111 illustrate the areas where at least two of the frame, the overlay, and the fabric strip have been joined together. One of the weld lines 111 is spaced apart from the innermost end 113 of the female part thereby forming a flap 115 that may be used to connect the female part to a portion of a garment 117 (shown in dashed outline).

[0087] Referring to FIGS. 3 & 4, there is shown a first embodiment of a male part of the fastener, indicated generally by the reference numeral 200. The male part comprises a substantially planar body 201 having at its outermost body end 203 a downwardly depending leg (see below discussion of FIG. 7) terminating in an outwardly projecting foot 205. The outwardly projecting foot extends substantially parallel to the plane of the body 201. The substantially planar body 201 is connected to a first piece 207, in this case a piece of tricot fabric, by weld joints 209. The first piece 207 may then be used to connect the male part to a portion of a garment 211 (shown in dashed outline).

[0088] Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown an enlarged, side cross-sectional view of the male part 200 of the fastener. It can be seen that an upper component 213 of the tricot fabric first piece 207 is bonded to an upper side 215 of the body 201. The first piece 207 is then turned back on itself, and a lower component 217 of the first piece 207 is then bonded to a lower side 219 of the body 201. Importantly, it can be seen from FIG. 7 that the male part comprises a downwardly depending leg 221 at the outermost body end 203 which terminates in an outwardly projecting foot 205 extending substantially parallel to the plane of the body. The outwardly projecting foot 205 comprises a heel portion 223 and a toe portion 225. The heel portion 223 is inclined rearwardly top to bottom from the outermost end of the male part 200. Finally, there is provided an upwardly extending flange 227 protruding from the upper surface of the substantially planar body coincident with the downwardly depending leg 221.

[0089] Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6, & 8, there is shown a second embodiment of a male part of the fastener, indicated generally by the reference numeral 300, where like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before. The male part 300 differs from the male part 200 in that the substantially planar body 301 is slightly greater in lateral width than the planar body of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3, 4, & 7. Furthermore, instead of having a first piece 207 made from a tricot fabric, the first piece 207 in this instance is constructed from a microfiber fabric. In addition to the foregoing, the upper component 213 of the first piece 207 is separate from the lower component 217 of the first piece 207 and the upper and lower components 213 & 217 extend further from the end of the substantially planar body 301 thereby forming a flap 303 that may be used for connection of the male part to a garment 211.

[0090] Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown an enlarged, side cross-sectional view of a female part of the fastener according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 100. As outlined above in relation to FIGS. 1 & 2, the female part 100 of the fastener comprises a substantially planar frame 101 mounted directly onto the face of a fabric strip 103. There is further provided an overlay 105 mounted onto the top of the frame 101 and onto the face of the fabric strip 103, sandwiching the frame 101 between the overlay 105 and the fabric strip 103. In the embodiment shown, there are three frames mounted in a row. This is not intended to be limiting and more or fewer frames may be provided depending on the degree of adjustability required.

[0091] Each of the frames 101 further comprises a cavity 119 for reception of a foot of a male part. The cavity 119 is partially roofed in by roof 121 and there is defined an open mouth 107 for permitting access to the cavity 119. A circumferential upstanding collar 123 is provided which surrounds the open mouth 107 and protrudes upwardly therefrom. This collar protects the fabric overlay placed over the frame and the fabric strip. The collar 123 protrudes upwardly further towards the inner end 125 of the female part than it does towards the outer end 127 of the female part. An enlarged portion 129 of the collar nearest the inner end of the female part acts as a backstop for the male part when the male part 200 or 300 is being joined together with the female part 100. The cavity side wall 131 positioned closer to the outer end 127 of the female part is angled from top to bottom towards the outer end 127. This will facilitate engagement of the male and female parts once the male and female parts come under tension.

[0092] It can be seen that the frame comprises a first downwardly depending flange 133 on the side of the cavity adjacent the outermost end of the female part and the frame 101 comprises a second downwardly depending flange 135 positioned on the side of the cavity adjacent the innermost end of the frame 101. The flange 133 provides additional structural rigidity to the frame 101 and the flange 135 is dimensioned to protrude downwardly from the frame by the same distance as the flange 133 so that the frame 101 may be kept level with respect to the fabric strip 103. It can be seen that the fabric strip 103 provides a backing for the frame 101 and the bottom of the cavity 119 is closed off by the fabric strip.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a fastener, indicated generally by the reference numeral 400. The view is similar to that shown in FIG. 9 but with a male member 200 about to be inserted into the frame 101 of the female member 100. It can be seen that the male member is inclined at an angle to the horizontal so that it can be inserted into the cavity 119 through the open mouth 107 of the cavity. The toe portion 225 is inserted first into the open mouth and when a bridge 229 of the foot portion engages with the roof 121 of the cavity, the foot will be pivoted in a clockwise direction using the roof 121 as a fulcrum. The heel 223 will abut against the collar 123 and the collar or the heel will be sufficiently resiliently deformable to allow the heel to snap in place beyond the collar so that the foot is lying substantially horizontal in the cavity. In other words, the male and female parts will be substantially in line with each other rather than being in the inclined position. Once in position, the fastener will resist inadvertent release, as the foot will be engaged in the cavity and the foot (and in particular the heel portion 223 and bridge portion 229) together with the cavity side wall 131, the collar 123, and the roof 121 will act to hold the foot in the cavity and the male part 200 and female part 100 together. Furthermore, the fabric strip 103 will also act to prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the male part from the female part as it will act against a pivoting motion of the male part from a parallel configuration to an inclined configuration. It will also act to press the bridge portion 229 of the male part against the roof 121 which helps to maintain the parts together.

[0094] FIGS. 11 & 12 show front and rear views, respectively, of another embodiment of the male part, indicated generally by the reference numeral 400, where like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before. In embodiments 200 & 300 of FIGS. 3-6, foot 205 has a substantially rectangular shape. In male part 400, foot 205 has a lateral width which decreases outwardly from a wider width near the leg 221 to a narrower width at toe portion 225. The reduced width of toe portion 225 simplifies alignment and insertion of the toe portion into mouth 107 of the female part. Toe portion 225 of male part 400 has sides 231 which are rounded or outwardly curved from the narrower to wider width regions.

[0095] FIGS. 13 & 14 show front and rear views, respectively, of another embodiment of the male part, indicated generally by the reference numeral 500; and FIGS. 15 & 16 show front and rear views, respectively, of yet another embodiment of the male part, indicated generally by the reference numeral 600. In each of male parts 500 & 600, foot 205 has a lateral width which decreases outwardly from a wider width at leg 221 to a narrower width at toe portion 225. In male part 500, sides 231 connecting the narrower to wider regions are substantially straight and angled inwardly. In male part 600, sides 231 are inwardly curved. Both of these configurations permit easier opening and closing of the fastener.

[0096] FIG. 17 is a right side view of male part 400, the right side views of male parts 500 & 600 being identical. Male part 400 has two longitudinal channels 233 in body 201, positioned on opposing sides of foot 205. Channels 233 have a reduced thickness relative to other regions of body 201. The relatively thin structure in the regions of channels 233 provides a flexible region which bends resiliently under stress, thereby further facilitating the coupling and decoupling of the fastener. In addition, the flexibility of the male provides additional comfort to the wearer, especially when moving around.

[0097] FIGS. 18-20 illustrate an embodiment of the fastener for use with reversible garments, wherein when the garment is reversed the male part is still engagable with the side of the female part opposite the body of the wearer. FIG. 18 is a front view of such an embodiment, and FIG. 19 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line XIX-XIX of FIG. 18. Four frames 101a-d are included in female part 100 and are mounted in a longitudinally spaced row. Frames 101b and 101d are mounted onto the face of fabric strip 103, as discussed in reference to FIG. 9. Frames 101a and 101c are mounted onto overlay 105 such that mouths 107a and 107c open to the rear of female part 100 (shown in hidden lines in the front view of FIG. 18). The frames mounted on fabric strip 103 are positioned alternately with frames mounted on overlay 105, such that the frames alternate between having forwardly and rearwardly open mouths.

[0098] In the shown embodiment, leg 221 of male part 200 depends both upwardly and downwardly from body 201. Leg 221 terminates in two feet 205f and 205r. Foot 205r is configured substantially as described in discussion of FIG. 7, and foot 205f is substantially a mirror image of 205r taken about the plane of body 201. This arrangement enables the male to engage the female from either the front or rear of the female.

[0099] FIG. 20 is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 18 with the male part engaged on the reverse side of the female part. In FIG. 18, foot 205r of the male is shown engaged with frame 101d of the female, while in FIG. 20 foot 205f is engaged with frame 101c of the female. Foot 205r may alternately be engaged with frame 101b, and, similarly, foot 205f may alternately be engaged with frame 101a.

[0100] Fabric strip 103 may be differently styled from overlay 105, such as in color, texture, pattern, or material. Upper component 213 of male part 200 may be of similar style to overlay 105, while lower component 217 may be styled like fabric strip 103. Frames which are visible from one side of the garment may be styled to coordinate with fabric visible on the same side (e.g. frames 101a & 101c may be color coordinated with fabric 103). The exposed side of male part 200 may be similarly coordinated. This configuration presents two differing yet cohesive appearances when the garment is worn in one orientation or in reverse (inside-out), thereby providing a reversible garment.

[0101] FIGS. 21 & 22 illustrate another embodiment of the fastener for use with reversible garments, FIG. 21 being a front view of female part 100 engaged with male part 200 and FIG. 22 being an enlarged cross-sectional view along line XXII-XXII of FIG. 21. Male part 200 includes two feet, 205f and 205r, configured as discussed above. Female part 100 includes eight frames, mounted in pairs in a longitudinally spaced row. Four frames, designated 101r, are mounted onto fabric strip 103 such that mouths 107r open to the rear. The other four frames, designated 101f, are mounted onto overlay 105 such that mouths 107f open to the front. Male foot 205r is engagable with any of frames 101f, as shown in FIG. 22. When the garment is reversed, male foot 205f is engagable with any of frames 101r. In the shown configuration of female part 100, each frame 101f is aligned with a frame 101r, such that rooves 121 are directly opposed on either side of the female part. Cavities 119 are aligned, and open mouths 107 which are not engaged with a foot of the male form a clear aperture through which skin may be visible when worn. Styles of the fabrics, female frames, and male bodies may be coordinated as discussed above to achieve two cohesive reversible appearances, from the front or rear.

[0102] It will be understood that various modifications could be made to the fastener according to the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the examples shown, there are shown three positions (i.e. frames 101) in the female member 100 for reception of the male part of the fastener. More or fewer frames 101 could be provided to provide a more or less adjustable fastener. It is envisaged however that the fastener as shown provides a degree of adjustability and is considered to be an adjustable fastener. It is further envisaged that the fastener could be used for shoulder straps and is not limited to a back or front fastener for a brassiere, for example. The fastener is preferably made out of plastic material. If desired, an additional layer of padding material could be provided for comfort. Although this will increase the depth of the fastener, for example the padding layer may be of the order of 0.0005 m thick or more leading to a fastener that could be of the order of 0.005 m thick or more, the padding may provide a more comfortable fastener for the wearer thereby improving the desirability of the fastener. An ultra-slim fastener will be understood to be a fastener having a thickness of the order of 0.005 m (5 mm) or less. In the drawings, some of the dimensions (in millimeters) of the embodiments of fastener are shown however these are not necessarily deemed limiting and other dimensions of fastener could be provided to good effect.

[0103] In order to manufacture a fastener according to the invention, the method comprises the steps of cutting out an aperture in an overlay sheet before bonding the overlay sheet to a fabric strip along at least one edge of both the overlay sheet and the fabric strip. The frame of the female part is then placed on the overlay sheet with the open mouth of the frame in alignment with the aperture in the overlay sheet. The frame of the female part is bonded to the overlay sheet. Once bonded, the fabric strip is drawn over the other side of the frame of the female part so that the bond line along the bonded edge of both the overlay sheet and the fabric strip is sandwiched between the overlay sheet and the fabric strip. Finally, the fabric strip is bonded to the other side of the frame, and the overlay sheet is bonded to the fabric strip along any remaining un-bonded edges. It is envisaged that in one implementation, the initial step of bonding the overlay sheet to the fabric strip along at least one edge of both the overlay sheet and the fabric strip will entail bonding the overlay sheet to the fabric strip along three edges of the overlay sheet and the fabric strip thereby forming a pouch. Thereafter, the step of drawing the fabric strip over the other side of the frame of the female part so that the bond line along the bonded edge is sandwiched between the overlay sheet and the fabric strip comprises turning the pouch inside out, thereby drawing the frame inside the pouch. This is seen as a particularly useful method of manufacturing the female part of the fastener. The male part is constructed by bonding the fabric to the substantially planar body. In all cases, ultrasonic welding is seen as a useful choice for bonding the components together.

[0104] In the specification the terms comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising and the terms include, includes, included and including are all deemed totally interchangeable and should be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

[0105] The embodiments of the fastener described herein and garments incorporating same are exemplary and numerous modifications, combinations, variations, and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve an equivalent result, all of which are intended to be embraced within the scope of the appended claims. Further, nothing in the above-provided discussions of the fastener and construction method should be construed as limiting the invention to a particular embodiment or combination of embodiments. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.