MODULAR EXPANSION ASSEMBLY FOR GEAR PUMP

Abstract

A modular expansion assembly for a gear pump is provided. The modular expansion assembly includes a case extension, a set of elongated replacement gears, and a set of elongated replacement shafts. The case extension is removably attached between a main case of the gear pump and a faceplate assembly of the gear pump. The case extension includes a second chamber that aligns with a first chamber of the main case to form a continuous combined chamber. The set of replacement gears is configured to extend axially the substantial length of the continuous combined chamber, and the set of replacement shafts is configured to extend through the continuous combined chamber into bores of the faceplate assembly and bores of a backplate assembly of the gear pump. When installed on a gear pump, the modular expansion assembly allows for increased volumetric displacement without requiring changes to connecting piping systems.

Claims

1. A pump, comprising: a main case having a first chamber configured to receive a first set of gears of a first axial length; a faceplate assembly; a backplate assembly; and a case extension removably attached between the main case and the faceplate assembly, wherein the case extension includes a second chamber that aligns with the first chamber to form a continuous combined chamber, and wherein the combined chamber is configured to receive a second set of gears of a second axial length.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein the pump is configured to operate with the first set of gears and without the case extension to provide a first maximum volumetric displacement, and wherein the pump is configured to operate with the second set of gears and with the case extension to provide a second maximum volumetric displacement.

3. The pump of claim 1, wherein the faceplate assembly and backplate assembly are configured to: support a first set of shafts for rotating the first set of gears, and support a second set of shafts for rotating the second set of gears.

4. The pump of claim 1, wherein the faceplate assembly includes faceplate bolt holes, wherein the case extension includes extension bolt holes extending through the case extension and oriented to align with the faceplate bolt holes, and wherein the pump is configured to receive bolts through the faceplate bolt holes and extension bolt holes and be secured into the main case.

5. The pump of claim 1, further comprising: a first gasket between the case extension and the faceplate assembly, and a second gasket between the case extension and the faceplate assembly.

6. The pump of claim 1, further comprising: a set of gears configured to extend axially the substantial length of the continuous combined chamber.

7. The pump of claim 1, further comprising: a set of shafts configured to extend through the continuous combined chamber into bores of the faceplate assembly and bores of the backplate assembly.

8. The pump of claim 1, wherein the second set of gears has straight spur teeth.

9. The pump of claim 1, wherein the second set of gears has helically oriented teeth or herringbone teeth.

10. The pump of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first chamber and a cross-sectional shape of the second chamber are identical.

11. A modular expansion assembly for a gear pump, comprising: a case extension removably attached between a main case of the gear pump and a faceplate assembly of the gear pump, wherein the case extension includes a second chamber that aligns with a first chamber of the main case to form a continuous combined chamber; a set of replacement gears configured to extend axially the substantial length of the continuous combined chamber; and a set of replacement shafts configured to extend through the continuous combined chamber into bores of the faceplate assembly and bores of a backplate assembly of the gear pump.

12. The modular expansion assembly of claim 11, wherein the case extension includes extension bolt holes extending through the case extension and oriented to align with bolt holes on the faceplate assembly.

13. The modular expansion assembly of claim 12, wherein the extension bolt holes are further configured to align with threaded connection holes on the main case.

14. The modular expansion assembly of claim 11, further comprising: a set of elongated bolts configured to be inserted through the faceplate assembly and case extension into threaded connection holes on the main case.

15. The modular expansion assembly of claim 11, further comprising: a set of elongated alignment pins configured to be inserted through the faceplate assembly and case extension into alignment holes on the main case.

16. The modular expansion assembly of claim 11, wherein each gear in the set of replacement gears includes one of helically oriented teeth, herringbone teeth, or straight spur teeth.

17. A method for reconfiguring a volumetric displacement capacity of a gear pump, the method comprising: disconnecting a faceplate assembly from a main case of a gear pump; removing a shaft and gear set from the main case; inserting an elongated shaft and gear set into the main case; sliding a case extension over the elongated shaft and gear set adjacent to the main case, wherein the case extension includes a second chamber that aligns with a first chamber of the main case to form a continuous combined chamber; applying the faceplate assembly onto the elongated shafts and against case extension; aligning the faceplate assembly, the case extension, and the main case; and securing the faceplate assembly and case extension to the main case.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein disconnecting the faceplate assembly includes removing a set of bolts from the faceplate assembly, and wherein securing the faceplate assembly and case extension includes inserting a set of elongated bolts through the faceplate assembly and case extension and into the main case.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: inserting a compressible gasket between the case extension and the faceplate assembly; or inserting the compressible gasket between the main case and the case extension.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein inserting the elongated shaft and gear set into the main case includes: inserting an elongated drive shaft, of the elongated shaft and gear set, into a bore in a backplate of the gear pump.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] FIGS. 1A and 1B are side views of a gear pump according to implementations described herein;

[0004] FIG. 2 is an end view of the gear pump illustrated in FIGS. 1A or 1B;

[0005] FIG. 3 is a side view of an extension assembly of the gear pump illustrated in FIG. 1A;

[0006] FIG. 4 is an end view of the extension assembly of FIG. 3;

[0007] FIG. 5A and 5B are end and cross-sectional views of a case extension of the case extension assembly of FIG. 3;

[0008] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a gear pump, according to another implementation, without the extension assembly installed;

[0009] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a gear pump of FIG. 6 with the extension assembly installed;

[0010] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a gear pump including the extension assembly, according to another implementation; and

[0011] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a process for adding an extension assembly to a gear pump, according to an implementation described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. Also, the following detailed description does not limit the invention.

[0013] Gear pumps, such as spur gear and helical gear pumps, are traditionally offered in different sizes within a family of pumps. For example, a pump family may include different pumps rated for 32 gallons-per-minute (gpm), 40 gpm, or 48 gpm volumetric displacement for a given rotation speed (i.e., 100 revolutions-per-minute). The different size pumps may have different case dimensions with different inlet and outlet locations. Typically, to upgrade to a pump with an increased flow rate at the given rotational speed (e.g., from a 40 gpm size to a 48 gpm size), an existing installation site must be reconfigured to accommodate the larger case and different port locations for the new pump.

[0014] Systems and methods described herein provide a modular expansion kit, for a gear pump, that allows customers to gain a greater volumetric displacement in an existing system while maintaining the same connection points. According to an implementation, a pump includes a main case, a faceplate assembly, a backplate assembly, and a case extension. The case extension may be removably attached between the main case and the faceplate assembly. The main case may have a first chamber configured to receive a first set of gears of a first axial length (e.g., to support an initial flow rate). The case extension may include a second chamber that aligns with the first chamber to form a continuous combined chamber. The combined chamber may be configured to receive a second set of gears of a second axial length (e.g., to support a larger flow rate).

[0015] For example, to increase the flow rate of an existing 48 gpm size pump, a technician can remove the faceplate of the pump and pull out the existing gears and shafts. A case extension may be attached to the main casing of the 48 gpm size pump, and a longer set of gears and shafts may be inserted to support an increased flow rate (e.g., a 65 gpm rate). Using a set of elongated bolts, for example, the technician may secure the faceplate to the original case with the case extension therebetween.

[0016] The modular expansion kit not only allows end users to increase the size of a pump without having to change hookup locations for the pump, but also gives users the option to return the pump to the original lower flow rate if needed for a particular application. Different size extension kits may be provided for different pumps and pump families to give customers options for their maximum volumetric displacement without changing entire systems. Other advantages, characteristics and details will emerge from the description provided below with reference to the attached drawings and examples. However, the present invention is not to be deemed limited thereto.

[0017] Exemplary embodiments for a gear pump 100 with a modular expansion assembly 300 are described with reference to FIGS. 1A through FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 1A, pump 100 may include a faceplate assembly 110, a main case 120, and a backplate assembly 130. As shown in FIG. 1B and described further herein, pump 100 may also be equipped with modular expansion assembly 300.

[0018] Referring collectively to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 8, main case 120 includes a gear chamber 122 with apertures in fluid communication with an inlet port 124 and an outlet port 126. Main case 120 may include a front surface 125 and a rear surface 127 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). Main case 120 may be formed (e.g., cast, machined, etc.) as a single piece or may be formed by joining multiple body sections to form gear chamber 122. Inlet port 124 and outlet port 126 are not limited by their size or shape, and their locations may be generally on opposite sides of gear chamber 122 (as shown in FIG. 8) or in perpendicular planes (as shown in FIG. 2) somewhere between front surface 125 and rear surface 127. Spaced apertures in gear chamber 122 register with inlet port 124 and an outlet port 126, with the inlet port 124 being open to an inlet passage of pump 100, and the outlet port 126 being open to an outlet passage of pump 100.

[0019] As best shown in FIGS. 1A and 6, main casing 120 is configured to include a pair of gears 142, 144 journaled in gear chamber 122. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, gear 142 is mounted to rotate with a drive shaft or axle 152 at its center. Gear 144 is similarly mounted for rotation with an idler shaft 154.

[0020] Gears 142 and 144 have peripheral teeth that intermesh so that the rotation of one of the gears (e.g., gear 142) that may be linked to a pump motor (e.g., via shaft 152) causes rotation of the other gear (e.g., gear 144) about shaft 154. The teeth of gears 142 and 144 may have uniform sizes and may be machined to intermesh for all angular positions in a rotation of the gears 142, 144. Gears 142 and 144 may have either helically oriented teeth (e.g., FIGS. 3, 8) or straight spur teeth (e.g., FIG. 6, 7), although implementations are not limited to these shapes. For example, herringbone gear teeth may also be used. In one implementation, gears 142 and 144 may be formed of the same material, such as cast iron, steel, ceramic, plastic, etc. In other implementations, gears 142 and 144 may be formed from different materials.

[0021] Gears 142 and 144 may be formed to provide a profile with a radius of curvature nearly equal to the radius of curvature of rounded wall sections within portions of gear chamber 122. During operation, fluid is drawn from inlet port 124 into chamber 122. As gears 142 and 144 rotate, fluid is trapped in cavities between the gear teeth and rounded wall sections of chamber 122. The drawn fluid is swept from inlet port 124 by intermeshing gears 142, 144 through chamber 122 to outlet port 126 where the fluid is forced out of main case 120.

[0022] Drive shaft 152 and idler shaft 154 may be supported on opposite ends by faceplate assembly 110 and backplate assembly 130. Drive shaft 152 and idler shaft 154 may each be made of the same material, such as steel or another rigid material. In other implementations, drive shaft 152 and gear 142 may be integrated in a single piece and/or idler shaft 154 and gear 144 may be integrated as a single piece.

[0023] As seen in FIG. 6, faceplate assembly 110 may include a structure to close off one side of main case 120, at front surface 125, while supporting drive shaft 152 and idler shaft 154. In one implementation, faceplate assembly 110 may include a bore 112 with a bearing 113 to support drive shaft 152. Faceplate assembly 110 may also include bore 114 with a bearing 115 to support idler shaft 154. As shown in both FIG. 1A and 6, in one configuration, gear chamber 122 is closed on its front side by faceplate assembly 110 with a fluid-tight seal, as understood by one skilled in the art. For example, faceplate assembly 110 may include a set of bolt holes 118 (FIG. 8) near the periphery of faceplate assembly 110 and extending longitudinally (e.g., substantially parallel to bores 112 and 114) through faceplate assembly 110. Main case 120 may include a set of threaded connection holes 128 opening at the front surface 125 and extending at least partially into main case 120 from front surface 125 toward the rear surface 127. Bolts 162, inserted through the bolt holes 118 into connection holes 128, connect faceplate assembly 110 to main case 120 and align bores 112 and 114 for receiving shafts 152 and 154, respectively.

[0024] The number and/or arrangement of holes 118/128 may vary depending on the size and/or configuration of pump 100. In any configuration, the number of bolts holes 118 and connection holes 128 may be the same, such that the set of bolt holes 118 in faceplate assembly 110 is configured to align with the set of connection holes 128 in main case 120. As shown, for example, in the configuration of FIGS. 2 and 4, faceplate assembly 110 and main case 120 may each include eight (8) holes 118/128 and two (2) index holes 119/129 (also referred to as alignment holes). Index holes 119/129 may be used to align main case 120 with faceplate assembly 110. Index holes 119/129 may be configured to receive alignment pins 164. Index holes 119/129 may have, for example, a smaller diameter bore and/or small tolerances than holes 118/128 for precise alignment. Two sets of index holes 119/129 can provide adequate alignment with minimal precision (e.g., as compared to having three or more index holes). Connection holes 118/128 are provided to increase the clamping force between two segments (i.e., main case 120 and a faceplate assembly 110) and evenly distribute clamping force around the component. Thus, index holes 119/129 are used for alignment and nominal clamping force, with pins 164 being installed first into index holes 119/129 during assembly, while holes 118/128 generally provide clamping force and are not relied upon for alignment.

[0025] In one implementation, main case 120 and faceplate assembly 110 may be bolted together and sealed using a compressible gasket 170 therebetween. Gasket 170 provides a resilient compressible material at the interface between main case 120 (e.g., front surface 125) and faceplate assembly 110. Gasket 170 may include a continuous substantially elliptical body that includes an interior opening 172 generally conforming to the cross-sectional shape of chamber 122 with holes 173 in a pattern corresponding to connection holes 128. Gasket 170 may be constructed of any suitably durable and elastomeric material, such as silicone, butyl rubber polyamide, polyester, olefin, styrenics, urethane, or a composite of a thermoplastic and cured rubber. More specific examples include room temperature vulcanization silicone, uncured ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer (EPDM) blended with polypropylene, styrene-butadiene-styrene block polymer, styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block polymer, cured ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer/polypropylene blend, cured isobutylene isoprene rubber/polypropylene blend, and cured nitrile butadiene rubber/polyvinylchloride blend. When gasket 170 is mated between main case 120 and faceplate assembly 110, gasket 170 forms a fluid-tight seal between the connected surfaces, preventing fluid leakage from pump 100. In another implementation, a fluid-tight seal may be achieved when a washer, copper layer, liner, or sealant (e.g., a curable liquid or spay) is inserted between main case 120 and faceplate assembly 110 when joined together.

[0026] Similar to faceplate assembly 110, backplate assembly 130 may include a structure to close off another side of main case 120, at rear surface 127, while supporting drive shaft 152 and idler shaft 154. In one implementation, backplate assembly 130 may include a bore 132 with a bearing 133 to support drive shaft 152. Backplate assembly 130 may also include a bore 134 with a bearing 135 to support idler shaft 154. As shown in both FIGS. 1A and 1B, gear chamber 122 is closed on its rear side by backplate assembly 130 with a fluid-tight seal, as understood by one skilled in the art. For example, backplate assembly 130 may include a set of bolt holes 138 near the periphery of backplate assembly 130 and extending longitudinally (e.g., substantially parallel to bores 132 and 134) through backplate assembly 130. Main case 120 may include a set of connection holes 128 opening at the rear surface 127 and extending at least partially into main case 120 from rear surface 127 toward the front surface 125. Bolts 162, inserted through the bolt holes 138 into connection holes 128, connect backplate assembly 130 to main case 120 align bores 132 and 134 for receiving shafts 152 and 154, respectively. In one implementation, main case 120 and backplate assembly 130 may be bolted together and sealed using a compressible gasket 170 therebetween.

[0027] In the configuration of FIGS. 1A and 6, gear chamber 122 is closed on both its front surface 125 and rear surface 127 by faceplate assembly 110 and backplate assembly 130, respectively. Thus, in the configuration of FIGS. 1A and 6, the axial length of gears 142 and 144, and their corresponding maximum volume displacement capability, is limited to the width of chamber 122.

[0028] According to implementations described herein, increased volume displacement capacity for pump 100 may be achieved by removing gears 142 and 144, and corresponding shafts 152 and 154, and adding modular expansion assembly 300 of FIG. 3, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 7, for example. Modular expansion assembly 300 may include a case extension 310, a set of elongated gears 342 and 344, and corresponding shafts 352 and 354. In some implementations, modular expansion assembly 300 may be provided with a kit that also includes one or more additional gaskets 170, a set of elongated bolts 362 and elongated alignment pins 364 to facilitate installation, as described further herein.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1B and 7, case extension 310 is attached on the front side of gear chamber 122 (e.g., at surface 125) between main casing 120 and faceplate assembly 110. As shown in FIG. 5A, for example, case extension 310 may include an extension chamber 322 that is configured to align with gear chamber 122 of main case 120 to form a continuous combined chamber 122/322 that accommodates elongated gears 342 and 344. Extension chamber 322 may include rounded wall sections (e.g., that match the radius of curvature of rounded wall sections in chamber 122) to enable transport of fluid, and no inlet port or outlet port. Elongated shafts 352 and 354 are provided to extend through combined chamber 122/322 and be supported by respective bearings 113 and 115 in faceplate assembly 110 and bearings 133 and 135 in backplate assembly 130. The cross-sectional shape of extension chamber 322 (e.g., perpendicular to the axes of elongated shafts 352 and 354) and the cross-sectional shape of gear chamber 122 may be identical. As shown in FIG. 7, for example, gear 342 is mounted for rotation about a drive shaft or axle 352 at its center. Gear 344 is similarly mounted for rotation about an idler shaft 354.

[0030] Similar to main case 120, case extension 310 may be formed (e.g., cast, machined, etc.) as a single piece or may be formed by joining multiple body sections to form extension chamber 322. Faceplate assembly 110, main case 120, backplate assembly 130, and case extension 310 may be formed from the same material, such as cast iron, to provide consistent material properties. Elongated gears 342 and 344 may include the same diameter and pattern as gears 142 and 144, respectively. Similarly, elongated shafts 352 and 354 may include the same diameter as shafts 152 and 154, respectively.

[0031] Case extension 310 may have a thickness, T (FIG. 5B), in the axial direction. The thickness may define a proportional increase in volume of combined chamber 122/322 over chamber 122 individually. The axial length of elongated gears 342 and 344 may each extend past the axial length of gears 142 and 144 by the thickness T of case extension 310 (and possible thickness of a compressed additional gasket 170 at the interface of main case 120 and case extension 310). Similarly, the axial length of shafts 352 and 354 may each extend past the axial length of shafts 152 and 154 by the thickness T of case extension 310 (and possible thickness of a compressed additional gasket 170).

[0032] With faceplate assembly 110, gears 142/144, and shafts 152/154 removed from pump 100, elongated gears 342/344 and elongated shafts 352/354 may be inserted into main casing 120, with ends of elongated shafts 352 and 354 positioned in bores 132 and 134, respectively. A gasket 170 and case extension 310 may be slid over the exposed end of elongated gears 342/344 and elongated shafts 352/354 to match rear surface 327 (FIG. 5B) against front surface 125 of main case 120. Faceplate assembly 110 may then be mated to front surface 325 of case extension 310 with elongated shafts 352 and 354 positioned into bores 112 and 114, respectively.

[0033] Case extension 310 may be secured between main casing 120 and faceplate assembly 110 with a fluid-tight seal at each interface. In one implementation, case extension 310 may include a set of bolt holes 318 and alignment holes 319 around the periphery of case extension 310 and extending longitudinally through case extension 310. The pattern of holes 318/319 may match the pattern of holes 118/119 and holes 128/129 used for faceplate assembly 110 and main case 120, respectively. Elongated alignment pins 364 may be inserted through alignment holes 119 of faceplate assembly 110 and alignment holes 319 of case extension 310 and into alignment holes 129 of main case 120 to align faceplate assembly 110 and case extension 310 to main case 120. Similarly, elongated bolts 362 may be inserted through the bolt holes 118 and bolt holes 318 into connection holes 128 to secure the components together. The overall length of elongated bolts 362 and elongated alignment pins 364 may generally exceed the length of bolts 162 and alignment pins 164 by thickness T of case extension 310.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a process 900 for converting a gear pump from a first volumetric displacement capacity to a second volumetric displacement capacity, according to an implementation described herein. Process 900 may include disconnecting a faceplate assembly from the main case of a gear pump (block 910) and removing a shaft and gear set from the main case (block 920). For example, a technician may remove bolts 162 and alignment pins 164 from faceplate assembly 110 and remove faceplate assembly 110 from main case 120. The technician may then remove the original shaft and gear set (e.g., gears 142 and 144, drive shaft 152, and idler shaft 154) from main case 120. In one implementation, the technician may detach backplate assembly 130 from main case 120 to facilitate removal of the shaft and gear set.

[0035] Process 900 may further include inserting an elongated shaft and gear set into the main case (block 930). For example, a technician may select a modular expansion assembly 300 with an elongated shaft and gear set (e.g., elongated gears 342 and 344, drive shaft 352, and idler shaft 354) corresponding to a selected increased volumetric displacement rating for pump 100. Gears 342 and 344 may be interleaved, and the elongated shaft and gear set may be slid into chamber 122 of main case 120, with the ends of drive shaft 352 and idler shaft 354 extending into bores 132 and 134 of backplate assembly 130. In one implementation, the technician may detach backplate assembly 130 from main case 120 to facilitate insertion of the elongated shaft and gear set into bores 132 and 134 and then reconnect backplate assembly 130 to main case 120.

[0036] Process 900 may also include sliding a case extension over the elongated shaft and gear set (block 940) and applying the faceplate onto the elongated shafts and against case extension (block 950). For example, a technician may slide case extension 310 from modular expansion assembly 300 over the elongated shaft and gear set to abut rear surface 327 against front surface 125 of main case 120. In one implementation, a gasket 170 may be inserted between main case 120 and case extension 310. Ends of drive shaft 352 and idler shaft 354 may then be inserted into bores 112 and 114 of faceplate assembly 110, and faceplate assembly 110 may be slid along shafts 352/354 until faceplate assembly 110 contacts front surface 325 of case extension 310. In one implementation, another gasket 170 may be inserted between case extension 310 and faceplate assembly 110.

[0037] Process 900 may additionally include aligning the faceplate assembly, the case extension, and the main case (block 960) and securing the faceplate assembly and case extension to the main case (block 970). For example, elongated alignment pins 364 may be inserted through alignment holes 119 of faceplate assembly 110 and alignment holes 319 of case extension 310 and into alignment holes 129 of main case 120 to align main case 120/case extension 310 and faceplate assembly 110/case extension 310. Elongated bolts 362 may be inserted through the bolt holes 118 and bolt holes 318 into connection holes 128 to secure the components together.

[0038] In implementations described herein, a modular expansion assembly for a gear pump is provided. The modular expansion assembly includes a case extension, a set of elongated replacement gears, and a set of elongated replacement shafts. The case extension is removably attached between a main case of the gear pump and a faceplate assembly of the gear pump. The case extension includes a second chamber that aligns with a first chamber of the main case to form a continuous combined chamber. The set of replacement gears is configured to extend axially the substantial length of the continuous combined chamber, and the set of replacement shafts is configured to extend through the continuous combined chamber into bores of the faceplate assembly and bores of a backplate assembly of the gear pump. When installed on a gear pump, the modular expansion assembly allows for an increased volumetric displacement without requiring changes to connecting piping systems.

[0039] In another implementation, a method for reconfiguring the volumetric displacement capacity of a gear pump is provided. The method may include disconnecting a faceplate assembly from a main case of a gear pump, removing a shaft and gear set from the main case, inserting an elongated shaft and gear set into the main case, and sliding a case extension over the elongated shaft and gear set adjacent to the main case. The case extension may include a second chamber that aligns with a first chamber of the main case to form a continuous combined chamber. The method may also include applying the faceplate assembly onto the elongated shafts and against case extension; aligning the faceplate assembly, the case extension, and the main case; and securing the faceplate assembly and case extension to the main case.

[0040] The foregoing description of exemplary implementations provides illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments described herein to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the embodiments. For example, while series of blocks have been described with regard to the processes illustrated in FIG. 9, the order of the blocks and/or signals may be modified according to other embodiments (e.g., the order of blocks 930 and 940 may be switched). Further, non-dependent blocks may be performed in parallel. Additionally, other processes described in this description may be modified and/or non-dependent operations may be performed in parallel.

[0041] Although the invention has been described in detail above, it is expressly understood that it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that the invention may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. Various changes of form, design, or arrangement may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the above-mentioned description is to be considered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

[0042] As set forth in this description and illustrated by the drawings, reference is made to an exemplary embodiment, an embodiment, embodiments, etc., which may include a particular feature, structure or characteristic in connection with an embodiment(s). However, the use of the phrase or term an embodiment, embodiments, etc., in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to all embodiments described, nor does it necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiment(s). The same applies to the term implementation, implementations, etc.

[0043] The terms a, an, and the are intended to be interpreted to include one or more items. The term and/or is intended to be interpreted to include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated items. The word exemplary is used herein to mean serving as an example. Any embodiment or implementation described as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or implementations.

[0044] Use of ordinal terms such as first, second, third, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, the temporal order in which instructions executed by a device are performed, etc., but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.

[0045] No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such.