Ornament assembly

Abstract

A method for decorating a housing using a decorative ornament assembly includes a base and plurality of decorative elements irremovably disposed therein. The width and depth of the base is less than or equal to the width and depth of inner surface dimension of the housing such that the bottom inner surface area of the housing is entirely covered by one or more bases. A decorative elements on the decorative ornament assembly is configured for use in easy removal of the assembly from the housing.

Claims

1. A method for decorating or redecorating a housing in a loose-gravel free aquarium, the method comprising the steps of: providing the housing having at least one bottom for defining an inner surface area and at least one sidewall, providing a plurality decorative ornament assemblies having a visual design, accessing any one or any combination of the plurality of decorative ornament assemblies, the decorative ornament assemblies creating an environmental theme and each including at least one base and one or more decorative elements, the at least one base having a bottom surface as well as an outer periphery, the at least one base forming a solid structure to which said one or more decorative elements are affixed in a position thereon and upwardly extend therefrom, the one or more decorative elements being permanently affixed to the at least one base such that when decorating or redecorating each decorative ornament assembly is removed as a single unit and the one or more decorative elements being supported only by the at least one base; at least one of said decorative elements being spaced from said outer periphery of its respective at least one base, the plurality of decorative ornament assemblies having a combined base and bottom surface such that the combined bottom surface of the combined base has the same size and shape as that of the bottom inner surface area of the housing; said plurality of decorative ornament assemblies being located inside said housing such that the bottom inner surface area of said housing is entirely covered by the combined bottom surface of said plurality of decorative ornament assemblies, wherein the outer periphery of the plurality of decorative ornament assemblies combined base slidably abuts said at least one sidewall of the housing or any of the bases of the combined bases abuts at least one other base of the combined base, or both; removing any one of said plurality of decorative ornament assemblies from said housing by grabbing said at least one of said decorative elements spaced from said at least one base outer periphery, in order to lift out said decorative ornament assembly allowing for decorating or redecorating the aquarium and wherein the housing and decorative ornamental assemblies are useable in a non-aquarium environment by not using water and fish, animals or reptiles in the housing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: the at least one base of the decorative ornament assembly including one or more of: non loose gravel, sand, marbles, stones, plastic or paper that are secured together.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the decorative elements are one or more of plants, rocks, sunken ships, treasure chests, statues, signage and castles.

4. A method for decorating or redecorating and cleaning a fish tank housing in a loose-gravel free aquarium, the aquarium including a housing having at least one bottom for defining an inner surface area and at least one sidewall, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality decorative ornament assemblies, accessing any one or any combination of the plurality of decorative ornament assemblies, the decorative ornament assemblies creating an environmental theme and each including at least one base and one or more decorative elements, the at least one base having a bottom surface as well as an outer periphery; the at least one base forming a solid structure to which said one or more decorative elements are affixed in position thereon and upwardly from the top of the at least one base, the one or more decorative elements being permanently affixed to the at least one base such that when decorating or redecorating each decorative ornament assembly is removed as a single unit; without the aid of a separate supporting structure, at least one of said decorative elements being spaced from its respective outer periphery of said at least one base, the plurality of decorative ornament assemblies having a combined base and bottom surface such that the combined bottom surface of the combined base has the same size and shape as that of the bottom wall inner surface area of the housing; said first ornament assembly being located inside said housing wherein the bottom inner surface area of said housing is entirely covered by the combined bottom surface of the plurality of ornament assemblies at wherein the outer periphery of the combined based of the plurality of ornament assemblies slidably abuts said at least one sidewall of the housing and any of the bases of the combined bases abuts at least one other base of the combined base; and the one or more decorative elements being supported only by the at least one base; removing said one or more fish, reptiles or animals from said housing; removing any one or any combination of the plurality of decorative ornament assemblies from said housing by grabbing said at least one of said decorative ornament elements spaced from its respective at least one base outer periphery in order to lift out said decorate ornament assemblies; cleaning the housing and the selected one or combination of decorative ornament assemblies and replacing the cleaned selected one or combination of decorative ornament assemblies in the housing; or redecorating by placing a different decorative ornament assembly or combination of assemblies from the plurality of decorative ornament assemblies or by placing an additional decorative ornament assembly in the housing, and replacing the one or more fish, reptiles or animals; wherein the unique ornamental design of the selected one of decorative ornament assemblies or different decorative ornament assembly or assemblies or the additional decorative ornament assembly creates a decor that is acceptable; and wherein the above listed steps create a desired decorative environment, allows for cleaning the aquarium without harming the fish, reptiles or animals, and decorating or redecorating a decorative environment of the housing.

5. The method of claim 4, further including the steps of: selecting the additional decorative ornament assembly having another design that is the same as or different from any of the decorative ornament assemblies of the plurality of decorative ornament assemblies, said additional decorative ornament assembly creating an environmental theme and including at least one base and one or more decorative elements, the at least one base having a bottom surface as well as an outer periphery, the at least one base of the additional ornament assembly forming a solid structure, to which said one or more decorative elements are affixed in position thereon and upwardly extend therefrom, the one or more decorate elements being supported only by the at least one base and permanently affixed thereto; at least one of said decorative elements being spaced from said outer periphery of said at least one base, the bottom surface of the additional decorative ornament assembly at least one base having the same size and shape as that of the bottom inner surface area of the housing; and wherein the step of redecorating further comprises: inserting said additional decorative ornament assembly into said housing such that the bottom inner surface area of said housing is entirely covered by the bottom surface of said additional decorative ornament assembly the method further comprising the steps of: adding water to said housing before replacing said fish, reptiles or animals, and adding said one or more fish, reptiles or animals back into the housing.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the steps of: wherein the bottom inner surface area of said housing is entirely covered by the combined bottom surface of said decorative ornament assemblies at least one combined base or by the additional decorative ornament assembly base, wherein the outer periphery of the plurality of decorative ornament assemblies includes at least one combined base made of the bases or the additional decorative ornament assembly base slidably abuts said at least one sidewall of the housing; and wherein any of the bases of the combined bases abuts at least one other base of the combined base of the bases of the combined bases or at least one sidewall; and adding said one or more fish, reptiles or animals back into the housing.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising: the at least one base of the decorative ornament assembly including one or more non-loose gravel, sand, marbles, stones, plastic or paper that are secured together.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising the decorative elements are one or more of plants, rocks, sunken ships, treasure chests, statues, signage and castles.

9. A method for decorating and cleaning a housing; the housing including a bottom having an inner surface area and a plurality of sidewalls, the method comprising the steps of: providing first and second decorative ornament assemblies, accessing the first and second decorative ornament assemblies, each decorative ornament assembly including at least one base and one or more decorative elements, each of the at least one base having a bottom surface delimited at an outer periphery, the at least one base of the decorative ornament assembly forming a solid structure to which said one or more decorative elements are affixed in position thereon and upwardly extend from the top of the at least one base, the one or more decorative elements being permanently affixed to the at least one base such that when decorating or redecorating each decorative ornament assembly is removed as a single unit; at least one of said decorative elements being spaced from said outer periphery of its respective at least one base; the combined bottom surface of the at least one combined base of the first and second decorative ornament assemblies having, when abutting one another, the same size and shape as that of the bottom wall inner surface area of the housing; the first and second decorative ornament assemblies creating an environmental theme; said first and second ornament assemblies being located inside said housing and abutting each other such that the bottom inner surface area of said housing is entirely covered by the combined bottom surface of said first and second decorative ornament assemblies at least one combined base with the outer periphery of each respective decorative ornament assembly at least one base slidably abutting the plurality of sidewalls of the housing; removing the first and second decorative ornament assemblies from said housing by grabbing said respective at least one of said decorative elements of each of said first and second decorative ornament assemblies located spaced from said at least one base outer periphery in order to lift out said decorative ornament assemblies; and removing the water from said housing; cleaning the housing; and replacing the first or second or both decorative ornament assemblies; wherein the bases of the first and second decorative ornament assemblies when abutting each other form the at least one combined base.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: the at least one base of the decorative ornament assemblies being one or more of: non-loose gravel, sand, marbles, stones, plastic or paper that are secured together.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the decorative elements are one or more of plants, rocks, sunken ships, treasure chests, statues, signage, and castles.

12. A method for decorating or redecorating a housing having a bottom which defines an inner surface area and at least one sidewall, the method comprising the steps of: providing first and second decorative ornament assemblies, accessing the first and second decorative ornament assembles, the decorative ornament assemblies creating a unique environmental theme and each including at least one base and one or more integral decorative elements, the at least one base having a bottom surface as well as an outer periphery, the at least one base of the one or more decorative elements forming a solid structure to which said one or more decorative elements are affixed in position thereon and upwardly extend from the top of the at least one base, the one or more decorative elements being supported only by the at least one base; the one or more decorative elements being permanently affixed to the at least one base such that when decorating or redecorating each decorative ornament assembly is removed as a single unit; at least one of said decorative elements being spaced from said outer periphery of said at least one base, the combined bottom surface of the at least one combined base having the same size and shape as that of the bottom inner surface area of the housing; said ornament assemblies being located inside said housing such that the bottom inner surface area of said housing is entirely covered by the combined bottom surface of said decorative ornament assemblies at least one combined base with the outer periphery of the ornament assembly at least one combined base slidably abutting said at least one sidewall of the housing; and any of the bases of the combined bases abuts at least one other base of the combined bases or any of the bases of the combined bases abuts at least one sidewall of the housing; removing either said first or second ornament assembly and integral at least one base from said housing by grabbing said at least one of said decorative elements spaced from its respective at least one base outer periphery in order to lift out said solid at least one base and integral ornament assembly; redecorating by placing a different decorative ornament assembly with an integral at least one base in the housing; wherein the above steps address cleaning an aquarium and decorating or redecorating the decorative environment after cleaning the decorative ornament assemblies and housing; wherein the decorative environment achieves an acceptable decor, and wherein the housing and decorative ornament assemblies are useable in a non-aquarium environment not using water and fish, reptiles or animals in the housing.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: the at least one base of the decorative ornament assembly including one or more of: non-loose gravel, sand, marbles, stones, plastic or paper that are secured together.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the decorative elements are one or more of plants, rocks, sunken ships, treasure chests, statues, signage and castles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly of the present invention;

(2) FIG. 1B is a front perspective view of the decorative ornament assembly of FIG. 1A arranged in a housing;

(3) FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 2B is a front perspective view of the decorative ornament assembly of FIG. 1A arranged in a housing;

(5) FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly of the present invention located in a housing;

(6) FIG. 4. is a front perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly of the present invention;

(7) FIGS. 5A and 5B are a front perspective views of a fifth and sixth embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly of the present invention;

(8) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a known aquarium shape;

(9) FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a decorative ornament assembly arranged in the aquarium of FIG. 6;

(10) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly arranged in a housing;

(11) FIG. 9 is another known housing in which a decorative ornament assembly having a shape contoured to a portion of the inner surface area;

(12) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the housing of FIG. 9 showing an eighth embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly of the present invention arranged therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(13) Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the thicknesses of layers and regions in the drawings are exaggerated for clarity.

(14) The decorative ornament assembly not only allows for an aesthetically pleasing appearance in a housing or on a surface, but also reduces the cost of purchasing several items to create such a decorative element, significantly reduces the time, expertise, imagination, creativity, and know-how required to create the desired decorative look and allows for easy removal from a container or from a surface to clean the container or surface and to clean or replace the decorative element.

(15) FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly 100 of the present invention. The decorative ornament assembly 100 includes a base 110 that may have varying shapes, widths, depths, and heights depending on its intended use and stylization. The base 110 can be comprised of gravel, sand, marbles, stones, plastic, paper, and/or a similar substance or another material which are bound together using various methods and materials that are well known in the art, such as epoxy or resin bonding, glue, or use of any other adhesive material to form a solid structure and into which design elements 120 are irremovably disposed. The design elements 120 can include, for example, plants, statutes, signage, castles, sunken ships, treasure chests or other decorations are then irremovably disposed on or partially disposed in the base 110. As such, because the design elements 120 stand freely in conjunction with the base 110, they do not require repositioning or the aid of another structure to support the design elements 120 creating various environmental themes, such as an ocean, coral reefs, sunken cities, surfing, sailing, lighthouses on a cliff, forest, etc.

(16) During manufacture of the decorative ornament assembly 100, the decorative elements 120 may be irremovably disposed on or partially in the base 110 by heating the base material, inserting the decorative elements 120 in or on the base material and then cooling the base 110 so the base material hardens and secures the decorative elements 120 therein or thereon. Alternatively, the decorative elements 120 may be inserted into, or attached to, the base 110 material, and then a resin, glue, or other adhesive material may be added to the base 110 so that it hardens into a single decorative ornament assembly.

(17) As shown in FIG. 1B, the base 110 of the decorative ornament assembly 100 is configured such that it encompasses the entire surface area of a bottom wall within a housing 130, such as an aquarium, thereby providing a customized and professionally decorative appearance. Moreover, the decorative ornament assembly 100 can be selectively removed and replaced with an alternative decorative ornament assembly which is also sized to fit on and cover the entire inner bottom surface area of the housing 130.

(18) The base 110 of the ornament assembly 100 has a predetermined width, depth, and height wherein these dimensions allow it to fit along or within the bottom inner surface area of a housing, such as a glass tank or container of other material. The ornament assembly 100 may be sized to fit inside standard sized aquariums (i.e. 2.5, 5, or 10 gallon tanks) or custom shaped tanks and/or other housings or containers comprised of various materials (e.g., glass, composite, plastic, etc.).

(19) FIG. 1B is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention located in a housing (e.g., a glass container, a glass tank, vase, or a container of another material). As shown in FIG. 1B, the base 110 of the decorative ornament assembly 100 has a width and depth which conforms to the inner surface dimensions of the bottom of the housing 130. If this housing 130 is an aquarium, the user can then add water and fish to the container to complete the aquarium setup.

(20) As the base 110 of the decorative ornament assembly 100 is affixed to the decorative elements 120, a user can simply remove the decorative ornament assembly 100 from a housing 130 by grabbing either the base 110 or decorative elements 120. Removal of the entire decorative ornament assembly 100 from the housing in one step greatly simplifies the process of redecorating or cleaning a housing. For example, when the housing 130 is an aquarium, a user could easily clean the housing 130 by removing any contents thereof, such as fish/animals, removing the decorative ornament assembly 100, and then draining the water contained in the housing 130. The user would then be able to easily clean the entire decorative ornament assembly 100 and the housing 130 and then re-insert the cleaned decorative ornament assembly 100 into the housing 130 that has been cleaned or insert an alternative decorative ornament assembly into the housing 130.

(21) In another embodiment, the base 110 of the decorative ornament assembly 100 can have one or more holes to allow for the insertion of a connecting a device for easier extraction of the decorative ornament assembly 100 from the housing 130. The hole can include a helical ridge or other fastening ridges, allowing a connecting device to fasten into the base 110. In addition, the hole can have a varying depth or extend through the base 110. In instances where the decorative ornament assembly 100 is used in an aquarium, a through hole in the base 110 allows water to pass through the base 110, minimizing resistance when removing the decorative ornament assembly 100 from a housing 130.

(22) The base 110 can be of varying sizes or shapes, including rectangular, square, circular, or any other particular shape in order to fully cover the bottom inner surface of a housing of any shape.

(23) FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly 200. The decorative ornament assembly 200 includes a base 210 comprised of gravel and other materials and decorative elements 220 that are fixed to the base 210 and/or each other (e.g., by an adhesive or formed together). By combining the base 210 with decorative elements 220, the decorative ornament assembly 200 can act as a stand-alone decorative ornament or as a decorative centerpiece, such as those often found in restaurants, homes, bars, hotels, and other similar establishments. In such a case, a decorative ornament assembly 200 with various decorative elements 220 can be purchased and quickly and easily set into place without the need to purchase individual items or assemble the items to create a stand-alone decorative ornament or decorative centerpiece. The decorative ornament assembly 200 can be easily replaced, if and when needed, with an alternative decorative ornament assembly, for example, to reflect the different seasons of the year, holidays, occasions, sports, travel, or changes in personal taste in decor.

(24) FIG. 2B depicts the decorative ornament assembly 200 arranged within a housing 230. The housing 230 has a square shaped bottom surface area, and the base 210 of the decorative ornament assembly 200 includes a base 210 that has a width and depth that completely encompasses the inner surface area of the bottom of the housing 230.

(25) Although a square open housing 230 is shown in FIG. 2B, the decorative ornament assembly 200 can be arranged in a variety of housings, such as aquariums, terrariums, vases, or any other container. Regardless of the housing in which the decorative ornament assembly 200 is arranged, the user would again gain the benefit of being able to place a complete decorative ornament assembly 200 that includes the base 210 and decorative elements 220 into a housing as opposed to having to purchasing those decorative elements individually and arranging those elements in the housing.

(26) FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of a decorative ornament assembly 300 and a decorative element 320. The housing 330 is comprised of panels that can be comprised of, for example, glass, silicon glass, plastic or other material. As shown, the housing 330 has a rectangular shaped bottom surface area, and the base 310 of the decorative ornament assembly 300 is manufactured to fit within the inner surface area of the housing 330.

(27) Due to manufacturing and shipping limitations, along with concerns regarding weight of the decorative ornament assembly, the base of a decorative ornament assembly can only be so large. For example, a single decorative ornament assembly is not intended for use in large containers, such as a 50-gallon aquarium that has an inner width of 37 inches and a depth of 19 inches because the weight of the ornament assembly would make it difficult for a user to lift the assembly and/or place the assembly in such a container. If a single decorative ornament assembly that includes a base of about one inch in thickness and is made of polypropylene was used in conjunction with such a container, the base of the decorative ornament would have a volume of 703 cubic inches. Polypropylene has a weight of approximately 0.494 ounces per cubic inch. As such, in this example, the weight of the base alone, excluding additional weight provided by any decorative elements attached to the decorative ornament assembly, would be approximately 347 ounces, or nearly 22 pounds. If the base is made of a denser material, such as marbles or gravel, the weight would dramatically increase. Both the cumbersome size and weight of such a large decorative ornament assembly and corresponding base would obviate the benefits of the disclosed invention.

(28) In order to cover a large surface area without concern of having to lift a single heavy object and/or risk damaging a surface of a housing when arranging the object thereon, multiple decorative elements can be placed adjacent to each other. As shown in an embodiment in FIG. 4, a first decorative ornament assembly 400 and a second decorative ornament assembly 402 are arranged adjacent to each other in a housing 430. The first decorative ornament assembly 400 includes a base 410 that has a width that is less than width of the inner surface area of the housing 430, but is still manufactured to fit within the inner surface area of the housing 430. The second decorative ornament assembly 402, which is placed adjacent the first ornament assembly 400, includes a base 412 that has a width less than the width of the inner surface area of the housing 430 so as to also fit within the housing 430. The width and length of bases 410 and 412 conforms to the inner surface dimensions of the bottom of the housing 430 and are manufactured in a manner that, when placed contiguously, the bases 410 and 412 fully cover the inner bottom surface of the housing 430. Use of multiple decorative ornament assembly's to fully cover the inner surface area of the housing 430 will keep the weight of each decorative ornament assembly at a minimum. Decorative elements 420 and 422 are also provided.

(29) In order to ensure a decorative ornament assembly that comprises multiple pieces remains adjacent to each other when arranged in a container, the pieces can be fastened to each other by any known means including the use of adhesives, locking mechanisms, magnets, etc. or combined by a hinge system (e.g., living hinge, mechanical hinge system).

(30) In an embodiment, the decorations, including, but not limited to, ornaments and plants, can be releasably connected to the base so that the base and decorations can be shipped and/or packaged separately and various decorations can be replaced/interchanged to vary the décor as desired. This could possibly aid in packaging of the decorations in a further attempt to avoid damage to the decorations and reduce shipping fees.

(31) For example, the base can include openings that can receive a connector from a plant (e.g., male-female connecting system), the base can include projections that extend into a receptor attached to the end of a plant, the base can include magnets that interact with decorations having magnets of an opposite polarity, dowels or the like can be used to connect decorations and the base or any other connection method that is known or may become known can be used to releasably attach decorations to the base.

(32) The aforementioned advantages of the current invention also apply as will be described in further detail below, if the decorative ornament assembly of the present invention is used in connection with other containers, such as terrariums, globes, drums, or as a stand-alone decorative ornament, as opposed to with aquariums.

(33) As shown in embodiments in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, a decorative ornament assembly, here indicated by reference numerals 500A and 500B, respectively, can include a base 502A, 502B, respectively, that has a depth that can be arranged in a housing that includes a contoured and/or curved sidewall. As such, the base 502A, 502B can substantially encompass an inner surface area of the housing without leaving a gap between the base 502A, 502B and the bottom portion of the housing or requiring gravel, sand, or the like to be placed beneath the base 502A, 502B as a filler, defeating the purpose of the one-piece ornament assembly.

(34) The decorative ornamental assemblies of the present invention may have varying shapes, widths, depths, and heights depending on their intended use and stylization. For example, a base 704 of a decorative ornament assembly 700 as can be seen in FIG. 7 that is designed for use with a known housing 700 (see FIG. 6 which illustrates housing 600) can include sloping contoured sidewalls 706 such that the base 704 tapers toward a bottom portion of the housing 700. If traditional decorative elements were used in place of the decorative element 702 shown in FIG. 7, cleaning a housing such as the one shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 can be very time consuming and require extensive rearrangement and/or replacement of decorative elements.

(35) FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of another known housing 800 in which a decorative ornament assembly 802 is arranged. As can be seen, the decorative ornament assembly 802 includes a base 804 with sloping sidewalls 806 that substantially contour to an interior space of the housing 800.

(36) FIG. 9 illustrates another known housing 900 that includes a first semi-circular or domed shaped portion 902 that has a first rim 906 and a second semi-circular or dome-shaped portion 904 that has a second rim 908 which is contractable with and seals within or around the first rim 906 of the first semi-circular or domed shaped portion 902. Although the container 900 is shown to rest on a base, 910. the container can be hung and/or not contain a base as well.

(37) FIG. 10 depicts a decorative ornament assembly 1000 that is arranged in the housing 900 of FIG. 9. As shown, in order to substantially account for the interior space of the housing 900, the decorative ornament assembly 1000 has a base 1002 with sloping sidewalls 1004 and a substantially linear bottom wall 1006.

(38) The base of all embodiments can be comprised of gravel, sand, marbles, stones, plastic, paper, and/or a similar substance or another material which are bound together using various methods and materials that are well known in the art, such as epoxy or resin bonding, glue, or use of any other adhesive material to form a solid structure and into which design elements are irremovably disposed. The design elements for all embodiments can include, for example, plants, statutes, signage, castles, sunken ships, treasure chests or other decorations are then irremovably disposed on or partially disposed in the base. As such, because the design elements stand freely in conjunction with the base, they do not require repositioning or the aid of another structure to support the design elements creating various environmental themes, such as an ocean, coral reefs, sunken cities, surfing, sailing, lighthouses on a cliff, forest, etc.

(39) Although embodiments of decorative ornament assemblies are shown herein to include substantially linear bases, bases with sloping or conical sidewall, etc., the decorative ornament assemblies of the present invention can include a base having any configuration, including bases with varying depths and shapes to be arranged in a variety of housings, such as aquariums, terrariums, vases, or any other container.

(40) Although the description above and figures contains much specificity, the details provided should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments, but merely as describing some of the features of the embodiments. The description and figures should not to be taken as restrictive and are understood as broad and general teachings in accordance with the present invention. While the embodiments have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that modifications and variations to such embodiments, including, but not limited to, the substitutions of equivalent features and terminology may be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.