Method and compositions of preserving wine

Abstract

Resveratrol and/or pterostilbene are added to wines to preserve the wine from oxidation, bacteria and fungi, as well as to deliver resveratrol to an animal. The resveratrol and/or pterostilbene are also added to red wine to preserve the polyphenols present in red wine. The resveratrol and/or pterostilbene can be added to grape must prior to fermentation and/or to fermented wine prior to bottling.

Claims

1. A method for producing red wine that is free of added sulfite and for preserving the polyphenols in red wine, the method comprising: a. contacting grape must with an agent added for bacteriocidal activity, the agent selected from the group consisting of resveratrol, pterostilbene and mixtures thereof; b. adding a wine producing yeast to the grape must from step (a); c. fermenting the grape must from step (b) to produce wine, the wine containing a quantity of the agent, which quantity is enhanced relative to any natural quantity of the agent in the wine, with the proviso that no sulfites are added at any time during or after production of the wine, and the red wine does not contain any sulfate conjugates of polyphenols formed from added sulfites; wherein malolactic fermentation occurs during step (c), wherein the red wine that is free of added sulfite comprises from 1 gram/L to about 11.5 grams/L of resveratrol, pterostilbene or mixtures thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the red wine has greater color intensity than red wine containing added sulfites.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the red wine has an absorbance at 420 of greater than 0.2, or an absorbance at 520 of greater than 0.3.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon having an absorbance at 520 of greater than 0.3.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon having an absorbance at 420 of greater than 0.2.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the wine is a Shiraz having an absorbance at 520 of greater than 0.400.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the wine is a Shiraz having an absorbance at 420 of greater than 0.2.

8. The red wine that is free of added sulfite prepared from the method of claim 1, wherein the agent consists essentially of resveratrol.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the red wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon having an absorbance at 520 of greater than 0.3.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the red wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon having an absorbance at 420 of greater than 0.2.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the red wine is a Shiraz having an absorbance at 520 of greater than 0.4.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the red wine is a Shiraz having an absorbance at 420 of greater than 0.2.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the red wine is a Shiraz having an absorbance at 420 of greater than 0.23.

14. The method of any of claims 3 or 1, wherein the red wine is free of added lactobacteria.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The present invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawing are not necessarily to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. Like numerals denote like features throughout the specification and drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(2) Resveratrol, 3,4-dihydroxystilbene, also known as 3,4,5-stilbenetriol, is a phytoalexin produced naturally by several plants when under attack by bacteria or fungi. Resveratrol has also been produced synthetically (see Farina et al., Nat. Prod. Res. 20(3): 247-252, 2006).

(3) Pterostilbene is a stilbenoid compound that is an analogue of resveratrol. Other names for pterostilbene are 4-[(E)-2,(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethenyl]phenol; 3,4-dimethoxy-4-stilbenol; and 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-trans-stilbene.

(4) In grapes, resveratrol is found in the skin and seeds. The amount found in grape skins varies with the grape cultivar, its geographic origin, and exposure to fungal infection. The amount of time wine spends in contact with grape skins is an important determinant of its resveratrol content.

(5) Table 1 illustrates resveratrol content in several types of wines

(6) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Beverage Total Resveratrol, mg/L Muscadine wine 14.1-40.sup. Red wines (Global) 1.98-7.13 Red wines (Spanish) 1.92-12.59 Red grape juice (Spanish) 1.1-8.69 Rose wines (Spanish) 0.43-3.52 Pinot noir 0.40-2.0 White wine (Spanish) 0.05-0.80

(7) As can be seen from Table 1, ordinary non-muscadine red wine contains between 0.4 and 12.59 mg/L of resveratrol, depending upon the grape variety. White wine contains much less resveratrol. This is because red wine is fermented with the skins, allowing the wine to absorb the resveratrol, whereas white wine is fermented after the skins have been removed from the grapes. Additionally, red grape skins have more resveratrol than white grape skins. However, wine grapes that have been sprayed with pesticides that prevent fungal infection contain little, if any, resveratrol, because there is no need for the grapes to protect themselves from fungal infection by producing resveratrol. Wine grapes grown in dry climates have less resveratrol than those grown in humid areas.

(8) It can readily be seen that the amount of resveratrol in wines is extremely low, so that additional resveratrol or pterostilbene must be added to wines to preserve the wine from oxidation, bacteria and fungi. This is true for red wines, rose wines, and white wines.

(9) Quantitative studies of resveratrol in plants have found that there are only one to two parts pterostilbene per ten parts of resveratrol. The relationship between the two compounds and their unequal content in plants is unclear, but it remains the subject of ongoing studies. Dark-skinned grapes are likely to contain the most pterostilbene. For reasons that are not clear, pterostilbene is normally not found in wine. This may be because it is unstable in light and air, which makes it less likely to survive the wine making process.

(10) The following examples are for purposes of illustrating the invention, and are not meant to be limiting in any way.

EXAMPLE 1

(11) Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz were each aged in French barrels (225 liter). One barrel of the Cabernet Sauvignon was preserved with resveratrol, and one was preserved with sodium metabisulfite. One barrel of Shiraz was preserved with resveratrol, and the other barrel of Shiraz was preserved with sodium metabisulfite. All of the barrels were aged for twelve months.

(12) The Cabernet and Shiraz treated with resveratrol had a much more intense color than the Cabernet and Shiraz preserved with sodium metabisulfite.

(13) The wines preserved with resveratrol had a fresh and fruity taste. The wines preserved with metabisulfite had a slight sulfur smell which was eliminated by allowing the wine to breathe for a few minutes prior to drinking.

EXAMPLE 2

(14) One gram (1000 mg) of resveratrol was dissolved in one liter of 12.5% alcohol non-sulfated Cabernet Sauvignon. While the variety of wine would not make much difference, the alcohol content of the wine might have some effect on spoilage, as a wine having a higher concentration of alcohol would need less resveratrol to control spoilage.

(15) The resveratrol enriched wine was stored in an open bottle at room temperature. The wine retained its taste and color for more than five months, despite the exposure to atmospheric oxygen and ambient bacteria and fungi. This is in contrast to similar wines to which sulfite has been added which, once exposed to oxygen, began to deteriorate within a few hours.

EXAMPLE 3

(16) All the different studies indicated that resveratrol can successfully replace SO2 in the preservation of wine, and that resveratrol is a superior preservative for wine.

(17) The following parameters were compared: ph, density, Brix and browning (indication of oxidation) in different waves lengths: 280 nm, 420 nm 520 nm and 62 nm.

(18) The pH is a measure of the acidity of wine. If wine is too low in acid, it tastes flat and dull. If a wine is too high in acid, it tastes too tart and sour. If the pH of a wine is above about 4.0, the wine becomes unstable with respect to microorganisms; a low pH inhibits growth of microorganisms.

(19) The principal acids found in grapes, and therefore in wine, are tartaric acid, potassium hydrogen tartrate (cream of tartar), malic acid and potassium hydrogen malate. Tartaric acid and malic acid are produced by the grapes as they develop. The warmer the climate in which the grapes grow, the higher is the sugar content and the lower is the acidity. Conversely, grapes grown in a cooler climate have a lower sugar content and a higher acidity. A winemaker can manipulate the acidity and sugar levels to produce a wine having the desired characteristics.

(20) Malolactic fermentation is a natural process by which acidity is adjusted. This process lowers the acidity by converting malic acid to lactic acid and carbon dioxide. Nearly all red wines undergo malolactic fermentation.

(21) Brix is a measure of the sugar content of the grape juice at harvest. At normal fruit maturity, growth ceases and accumulation of sugar cease at about 25 Brix. Further increases in sugar content result from water loss as the grape develops into a raisin, which is only desirable in late harvest wines. The desirable range for table wines is between 19.5 and 23.5 in free-run grape juice prior to fermentation.

(22) Density, or specific gravity, of a wine increases as the amount of sugar in the wine increases. The density falls during fermentation as the yeasts convert the sugar to alcohol. Finished wine should have a density of between about 1.010 and 0.990, for sweet and dry wine, respectively.

(23) Oxidative browning in wine has traditionally been controlled by addition of sulfur dioxide to the wine. Browning is due to oxidation of the polyphenolic compounds present in wines. In organoleptic terms, this phenomenon translates into a process of continuous oxidation, a loss of aromatic freshness, and, in the final stages, in the appearance of precipitates of condensed phenolic material in the bottled wine.

(24) Extensive testing was conducted by The Israel Wine Institute on red wines to determine the preservative effects of resveratrol on red wines, particularly in persevering the polyphenols contained in these wines. Two red grapes, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz were used.

(25) The study ran 12 batches for each kind of wine: 3 controls, with no additives; 3 with 100 ppm SO.sub.2, the accepted industry standard; 3 with low dose resveratrol, 300 ppm; and 3 with high dose resveratrol, 3000 ppm. The resveratrol was added in about 1:1 stoichiometric ratio and 10 times the stoichiometric ratio of the sulfite used.

(26) Fermentation was in 225 L barrels. After 12 months of fermentation the wines were tested as described above.

(27) The color of the cabernet sauvignon and shiraz preserved with resveratrol was much more intense for the wines preserved with resveratrol than for the control wines or the wines preserved with sodium metabisulfite.

(28) The wines preserved with resveratrol had a fresh and fruity fragrance, as opposed to a slight sulfuric odor and taste in the wines preserved with sodium metabisulfite. It is the slight amount of SO.sub.2 present in wines preserved with metabisulfite that makes it desirable to decant the wines prior to serving.

(29) The results of the analytical studies tabulated above show the differences in colors among the wines treated with metabisulfite and resveratrol.

(30) In addition to the difference in the wavelength of the absorption of anthocyanadins and other pigments of the differently preserved wines, it was also discovered from the absorption spectra that the metabisulfite metabolites, primarily SO.sub.2, reacted with the polyphenols to form sulfate conjugates by attacking the hydroxyl groups of the polyphenols, which renders the anthocyanadins and the proanthocyanadins substantially less active antioxidants.

(31) Clearly, the wine preserved with resveratrol is considerably richer in nonconjugated antioxidants than wine preserved with metabisulfite. For this reason, wines preserved with resveratrol are probably more nutritionally valuable than wines preserved with metabisulfite. It should also be noted that resveratrol is a strong antioxidant in its own right, as well as a known precursor to the important telomerase enzyme.

(32) The amount of pterostilbene added to wine should be about 15% more than the amount of resveratrol.

(33) Treatment No. 1 was a control, with no addition of any type of preservative.

(34) Treatment No. 2 was a two-stage treatment with metabisulfite, the current standard for preserving wines. Stage 1, the metabisulfite was added prior to fermentation at a rate of 50 mg/L. After malic and lactic fermentation 75 mg/L of metabisulfite was added.

(35) Treatment No. 3 was addition of resveratrol. Before fermentation; 180 mg/L resveratrol was added prior to putting the wine into barrels for fermentation. After fermentation, 176 g/L resveratrol was added.

(36) Each treatment was repeated five times. The results are shown in Tables 2-7.

(37) Tables 8-10 show the results when about 15% Petit Verdu was added to improve the color of wine made from cabernet sauvignon grapes. This is a conventional blend, with the cabernet sauvignon grapes predominating in the wine.

(38) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Details of Treatment of Variety Cabernet Sauvignon weight of grapes Wine Grape (kg) No. Repetition Variety Treat 30 1 I Cabernet Control 30 2 II Sauvignon (no additive) 30 3 III 30 4 IV 30 5 V 90 6 I Addition of 90 7 II SO.sub.2 90 8 III 90 9 IV 90 10 V 90 11 I Addition of 90 12 II Resveratrol 90 13 III 90 14 IV 90 15 V

(39) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Details of Treatment of Variety Shiraz weight of grapes Wine Grape (kg) No. Repetition Variety Treat 30 1 I Shiraz Control 30 2 II (no additive) 30 3 III 30 4 IV 30 5 V 90 6 I Addition of 90 7 II SO.sub.2 90 8 III 90 9 IV 90 10 V 90 11 I Addition of 90 12 II Resveratrol 90 13 III 90 14 IV 90 15 V

(40) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Brix Test, Total Acidity (T.A.) pH of Potassium in new wine (Thawed Juice) K T.A. (%) Serial (mg/l) pH (g/l) Brix Treat No. 1790 4.00 3.1 22.8 Control 1 1760 4.09 3.1 21.2 2 1930 4.12 3.1 21.8 3 1820 4.08 2.9 21.5 4 2050 4.15 3.2 22.5 5 1790 4.00 3.1 22.8 Addition of 6 1760 4.09 3.1 21.2 SO.sub.2 7 1930 4.12 3.1 21.8 8 1820 4.08 2.9 21.5 9 2050 4.15 3.2 22.5 10 1790 4.00 3.1 22.8 Addition of 11 1760 4.09 3.1 21.2 Resveratrol 12 1930 4.12 3.1 21.8 13 1820 4.08 2.9 21.5 14 2050 4.15 3.2 22.5 15

(41) We believe that the low acidity value obtained was a result of the testing on thawed new wine due to seasons. The HPLC Analysis showed volumes of 4 g of tartaric acid.

(42) TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Analysis during fermentation process were done to test the in sugar during fermentation as detailed below 12.10.09 11.10.09 After After 3 days after Serial decanting pressing 07.10.09 06.10.09 fermentation Treat No. 995.2 994.8 Control 1 995.1 995.2 2 995.2 995.3 1020.4 1040 3.84 3 995.1 994.8 4 994.7 994.9 5 994.6 995.2 1000.4 1006.9 Addition of SO.sub.2 6 995.2 995.3 997.4 1004.4 7 995.2 995.2 1015.1 1034 3.78 8 995.1 995.3 9 994.6 995.2 10 995.2 Addition of 11 995.6 Resveratrol 12 995.2 997.4 1002.9 1016.7 1037 3.81 13 994.6 998.4 1005.4 14 994.6 998.4 1005.4 15

(43) TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Tests of progressing of Malic and Lactic Fermentation Qualitative Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) showed completion of fermentation. Qualitative results were confirmed by quantitative HPLC. Results of Qualitative Analysis of Malic and Lactic acid in Cabernet Sauvignon Lactic Acid Malic Acid Treat 1.57 0.05 Control 1.41 0.03 Addition of SO.sub.2 1.47 0.05 Addition of Resveratrol

(44) TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Data of Color of Particles (?) of Cabernet Sauvignon Malvidin-3- Average glucoside Color Intensity particle Sample Serial Amount (mg/l) 520 420 weight (g) wine No. 37.4 0.129 0.042 1.22 Control 1 67.1 0.175 0.060 1.15 2 59.4 0.163 0.054 1.19 3 65.8 0.173 0.056 1.18 4 60.6 0.165 0.056 1.22 5 37.4 0.129 0.042 1.22 Addition of 6 67.1 0.175 0.060 1.15 SO.sub.2 7 59.4 0.163 0.054 1.19 8 65.8 0.173 0.056 1.18 9 60.6 0.165 0.056 1.22 10 37.4 0.129 0.042 1.22 Addition of 11 67.1 0.175 0.060 1.15 Resveratrol 12 59.4 0.163 0.054 1.19 13 65.8 0.173 0.056 1.18 14 60.6 0.165 0.056 1.22 15

(45) Petit Verdu was added to improve color of Cabernet wine Petit Verdu

(46) TABLE-US-00008 TABLE 8 Brix Test, pH, K, total acidity (T.A.) for new wine, Petit Verdu K T.A. Brix Serial (mg/l) pH (g/l) (%) Treat No. 2700 3.86 4.63 24.3 Petit 1 2690 3.94 4.73 24.7 Verdu 2

Analysis of Wines

(47) TABLE-US-00009 TABLE 9 Results of Testing Cabernet Blend and Alcoholic Fermentation (22.11.09) Total Reducing Phenols Sugars V.A. T.A. Specific Alcohol SO.sub.2F SO.sub.2T (mg/l) (g/l) (g/l) (g/l) pH Gravity (%) (mg/l) (mg/l) Treat 1615 1.46 0.60 6.32 3.67 995.0 12.8 26.0 75 SO.sub.2 1938 1.27 0.60 5.95 3.73 994.5 12.6 0.0 10 Resveratrol

Color Analysis

(48) TABLE-US-00010 TABLE 10 Color Analysis of Cabernet Blend Wines (22.11.09) 620 520 420 Treat 0.032 0.207 0.159 SO.sub.2 0.076 0.315 0.217 Resveratrol

Brix Test, pH, K, Total Acidity (T.A.) for New Wine

(49) TABLE-US-00011 TABLE 11 Brix Test, pH, K, total acidity (T.A.) for new wine, Shiraz (08.09.09) T.A. Serial K PH (g/l) (%) Prix Treat No. 2120 3.89 3.77 23.6 Control 1 2100 3.81 3.92 23.3 2 2220 3.79 4.65 23.5 3 2240 3.79 4.61 23.9 4 2050 3.79 4.85 23.7 5 2120 3.89 3.77 23.6 Addition of 6 2100 3.81 3.92 23.3 SO.sub.2 7 2220 3.79 4.65 23.5 8 2240 3.79 4.61 23.9 9 2050 3.79 4.85 23.7 10 2120 3.89 3.77 23.6 Addition of 11 2100 3.81 3.92 23.3 Resveratrol 12 2220 3.79 4.65 23.5 13 2240 3.79 4.61 23.9 14 2050 3.79 4.85 23.7 15

Analysis of Fermentation Process

(50) TABLE-US-00012 TABLE 12 Analysis Tests of Regular Intervals of Density to Test Sugar During Fermentation as Shown Below Density Density after 1st (???) after Serial decanting pressing pH Treat No. 0.9927 0.9941 3.81 Control 1 0.9932 0.9946 3.82 2 0.9932 0.9944 3.91 3 0.9932 0.9952 3.86 4 0.9932 0.9951 3.98 5 0.9933 0.9954 3.88 Addition of 6 0.9933 0.9954 3.79 SO.sub.2 7 0.9933 0.9958 3.95 8 0.9938 0.9952 3.94 9 0.9938 0.9952 3.84 10 0.9937 0.9946 3.91 Addition of 11 0.9937 0.9945 3.83 Resveratrol 12 0.9932 0.9943 3.97 13 0.9933 0.9945 3.91 14 0.9932 0.9950 3.85 15

(51) Following Analysis to Test Progress of Fermentation:

(52) Qualitative Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) that shows completion of fermentation confirmed by quantitative HPLC.

(53) TABLE-US-00013 TABLE 13 Results of Qualitative Analysis Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) for (???) of Malic and Lactic Acids 29.09.09 21.09.09 Serial Lactic Malic Lactic Malic Treat No. + Traces + Control 1 + + + 2 + Traces + 3 + Traces + 4 + Traces + 5 + Traces + Addition of 6 + Traces + SO.sub.2 7 + Traces + 8 + Traces + 9 + Traces + 10 + Traces + Addition of 11 + Traces + Resveratrol 12 + Traces + 13 + Traces + 14 + Traces + 15

(54) TABLE-US-00014 TABLE 14 Color Data of Shiraz Particles Malvidin-3- glucoside Color Amount Amount Intensity Serial (mg/g) (mg/l) 520 420 (???) Sample No. 5.2 209.7 0.396 0.105 1.10 Control 1 5.9 236.8 0.438 0.115 1.10 2 6.1 243.2 0.448 0.125 1.09 3 6.2 247.1 0.454 0.114 1.08 4 5.1 205.2 0.389 0.106 1.09 5 5.2 209.7 0.396 0.105 1.10 Addition of 6 5.9 236.8 0.438 0.115 1.10 SO.sub.2 7 6.1 243.2 0.448 0.125 1.09 8 6.2 247.1 0.454 0.114 1.08 9 5.1 205.2 0.389 0.106 1.09 10 5.2 209.7 0.396 0.105 1.10 Addition of 11 5.9 236.8 0.438 0.115 1.10 Resveratrol 12 6.1 243.2 0.448 0.125 1.09 13 6.2 247.1 0.454 0.114 1.08 14 5.1 205.2 0.389 0.106 1.09 15

Analysis of Wine

(55) TABLE-US-00015 TABLE 15 Results of Analysis of Shiraz Wine Before Adjusting pH Total Reducing Phenols Sugars V.A. T.A. Specific Alcohol SO.sub.2F SO.sub.2T (mg/l) (g/l) (g/l) (g/l) pH Gravity (%) (mg/l) (mg/l) Treat 1600 1.77 0.73 4.78 4.03 0.9934 14.0 16.0 64 SO.sub.2 1961 1.81 0.79 4.68 4.04 0.9932 13.9 0.0 3 Resveratrol

(56) TABLE-US-00016 TABLE 16 Color Analysis of Shiraz (22.11.09 620 520 420 Treat 0.168 0.222 0.168 SO.sub.2 0.237 0.401 0.237 Resveratrol

(57) It is clear from the above that adding resveratrol preserved the anthocyanadins in red wines, which compounds give red wines their distinctive color. These anthocyanadins, as noted above, are preserved because of the greater color intensity of the wines preserved with resveratrol. The same results can be expected from the addition of pterostilbene in about 11.5% of the resveratrol added.

(58) It is clear from the results shown in Tables 2-16 that the resveratrol was more effective than the control or the metabisulfite in preserving the colors and thus the polyphenols in red wines.

(59) In addition to preserving the wine, the added resveratrol provides additional benefits to those consuming the wine. Thus, adding resveratrol to wine enhances the nutritional benefits of wine.

(60) Thus, in addition to the findings described above that wine can be preserved with Resveratrol and/or pterostilbene instead of the commonly used sodium meta bi-sulfate, two additional advantages over the conventional (sodium meta bi-sulfate) method were also established. The data obtained from our studies of exemplary red wines, e.g., Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, demonstrated that preservation with resveratrol and/or pterostilbene yielded a higher intensity of the wine color, and also reducing or eliminating the need for an additional step of malolactic fermentation.

(61) In the comparison of wine prepared using resveratrol to control wine prepared using bi-sulfates, (applying the exact same conditions and pH) the intensity of the purple pigment of the resveratrol-made wine was considerably higher than that of the control group. As discussed above, the greater color intensity of the wines preserved with resveratrol indicated that the anthocyanins were also preserved by the resveratrol. Further studies have demonstrated that resveratrol does not react with these molecules. In contrast, sodium meta bi-sulfate causes (to some extent) these molecules to precipitate out to form a sediment. This slow process makes the wine less intense in pigment. Thus, preservation with resveratrol provides a higher level of anthocyanins, which are beneficial anti-oxidants that increase the aging capacity of the wine, and exhibit significant human health benefits.

(62) Another important process in wine-making is the Malolactic fermentation. Malic acid is naturally present in the grape must, but it adds an unpleasant taste to the wine. Wine makers often convert malic acid to lactic acid that possesses a more pleasant taste. As discussed above, nearly all red wines undergo malolactic fermentation. As discussed above, the conversion is usually carried out by introducing a lactobacteria (most commonly the Oenococus-Oeni lactobacteria) to the wine after an initial fermentation step. It has also been found that while the sulfates suppress the malolactic conversion, thereby requiring an additional step for the Malolactic Fermentation, the resveratrol is a specific inhibitor of the acetobacter xilum and possesses no anti-bacterial properties against any lactobacilus. Therefore, in wine preserved with resveratrol and/or pterostilbene, the malolactic fermentation can take place during the initial alcohol-fermentation process. That is, no separate step of malic and lactic fermentation needs to be carried out when wine is preserved with resveratrol and/or pterostilbene.

(63) The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without undue experimentation and without departing from the generic concept and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments.

(64) The preceding merely illustrates the principles of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes and to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.

(65) This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the figures of the accompanying drawing, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as lower, upper, horizontal, vertical, above, below, up, down, top and bottom as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., horizontally, downwardly, upwardly, etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as connected and interconnected, refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

(66) Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention.