[001] The present teachings relate- generally to a baffling, sealing, or reinforcement member that includes one or more flow channel structures selectively formed in a carrier for achieving improved connection between the carrier and an expandable material attached thereto,

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[002] The transportation -industry continues to require methods of baffling, reinforcement and sealing that provide improved functionality while simultaneously providing reduced weight and cost, Often, whe attempting to reduce the weight of a part, the use of dissimilar materials in combination provide the requisite baffling, reinforcement, and/or sealing, whil achieving an overall reduction in weight. As _. a result, numerous challenges arise from attempts to combine and attach dissimila materials. In the event that such combinations of dissimilar materials are not properly secured to one another, the part may fail to fill a cavity as intended,

[003] Existing methods for securing dissimilar materials to one another are taught in U.S, Patent o. 8,131 ,897, The ¾97 patent teaches insertion of a strip of uneured thermally expandable material into a channel formed within a carrier. Additional methods are disctesed in U.S. Patent No. 6,413,611 , which teaches well-known post and tab structures extending from a support flange surrounding a marginal rim of a baffle structure. That patent also teaches the importance of avoiding an expandable material over an inner portion of its synthetic resin carrier. In this regard, the patent appears to deem it critical that the expandable band be continuously circumscribing. Many designs and structures for improving attachment between a carrier and second dissimilar material require complex fooling and geometries and further fail to effectively achieve the desired sound deadening, vibration damping or reinforcement. There is fuss a need for improved means of securing dissimilar materials to one another, while utilizing simplified fooling and manufacturing processes. Further, according to the latter p paatteenntt,, tthhee rreeqquuiirreemmeenntt ooff aa ccoonnttiinnuuoouuss ppeerriipphheerraall b baanndd aanndd tthhee aavvooiiddaannccee o off eexxppaannddaabbllee mmaatteerriiaall oovveerr tthhee iinntteerriioorr aarreeaa ffoorreecclloosseess aannyy ^' aattttaacchhmmeenntt tteecchhnniiqquueess b by w whhiicchh eeiitthheerr ccoovveerraaggee oovveerr aann i innteterriioorr ppoorrttiioonn,, aann aattttaacchhmmeenntt ooff mmaatteerriiaall t too tthhee ccaarrrriieerr iinn tthhee iinntteerriioorr aarreeaa,, oorr bbootthh _** iiss ppoossssiibbllee.. TThhiiss aaccccoorrddiinnggllyy lliimmiitts tthhee uuttiilliittyy ooff rreessuullttiinngg ppaarrttss.. FFoorr eexxaammppllee,, aa ppaarrtt hhaavviinngg eexxppaannddaabbllee mmaatteerriiaa!l oovveerr aann IInntteerriioorr ppoortrtiioonn ^' aappppeeaarrs? ttoo bbee pprreevveenntteedd bby tthhee t teeaacchhiinnggss ooff UU..SS.. PPaatteenntt NNoo.. 66.441133,,8611 11 ·. iitt iiss tthheerreeffoorree ddeessiirraabbllee ttoo mmaakkee aa ppaarrtt tthhaatt aalllloowwss aatt lleeaasstt ppaarrttiiaall ccoovveerraaggee ooff aann iinntteerriioorr ppoorrttiioonn wwiitt aann eexxppaannddaabbllee mmaatteerriiaall wwhhiillee aallssoo pprroovviiddiinngg sseeccuurree aattttaacchhmmeenntt ooff e exxppaannddaabbllee mmaatteerriiaall ttoo tthhee ccaarrrriieerr..

[004] The present teachings meet the above needs by providing a unique approach to the manufacture of parts that makes use of in situ attachment of expandable materia! ^' to the carrier that also allows for enhanced functionality of the expandable material over a greater portion of the part. In a first aspect, the present teachings contemplate a baffle assembly for use in a cavit of a transportation vehicle, comprising carrier including an inner portion that includes a first outward facing surface and at least one sloping channels defined in and recessed relative to the first surface. The carrier may include a peripheral portion that generally surrounds the inner portion and includes at feast one outwardly projecting ^' ledge; the inner portion and the peripheral portion being connected along at least one barrier wail thai at least partially circumscribes the inner portion and which intersects with at least one of the sloping channels, The carrier may also include at ieast one finger member that Is located within in the inner portion and project outwardly from within at leas one of the sloping channels at an angle betwee 0 and 180" relative to the outwardly projecting ledge. The baffle assembly may comprise a resinous material that includes a polymer that i) is adapted for thermal expansion upon activation by heat that is located within at least one sloping channels, (ii) is located on at least a portion of the outwardly projecting ledge; and (ii.i) at ieast partially covers the at least one finger member and (iv) is retained on the carrier at least partially due to a mechanical connection with th at least one finger member. 005] The first surface of the inner portion, may be generally flat. Alternatively, the first surface of the Inner portion may include an undulating profile a cho may have a surface topography thai varies along the surface. The outwardl projecting ledge may only partially circumscribe the at least one barrier waif. The baffle may be free of any projecting ledge thai substantially circumscribes the peripheral portion. The at least one finger member may be oriented at an angle of approximately 90° relative to the first outward facing surface. The at least one finger may be configured as an elongated free- ended member that deforms in response to flow of the resinous material. The at least one finger member may project from a wall defining the sloping channel outwardly in a direction toward the first surface. The at least one finge member may have a hook shaped free end portion when at least partially covered by the resinous material, The resinous material may include a plurality of masses that are located on the outwardly projecting ledge and are intermittently spaced relative to each other. The resinous material may be such that it can be melted for injection molding at a first temperature, and thereafter be activated by heating at an activation temperature above the first temperature for causing it to expand. The earner ma include an integrated mechanical attachment device that projects away from the inner portion and is substantially juxtaposed with either or both of the inner portion or at least one of the sloping channels so that the attachment device can be located within a hole of a wall defining a cavity of a transportation vehicle, and the resinous material will be in opposing relation to the hole for filling the hole upon activation of the resinous material by exposure to a temperature above its activation temperature. The at least one finger member may have a generall circular cross-section, a generally rectangular cross-section, or some other geometric configuration. It may vary along its height in a manne that allows if to flex during flow of molten expandable material.

[006] In a second aspect of the present teachings, there Is contemplated a method of making a baffle assembly for use in a cavit of a transportation vehicle, comprising the steps of injection molding a carrier including an inner portion that includes a. first surface and a plurality of sloping channels defined in the first surface, The carrier may also include a peripheral portion that generally surrounds the inner portion and includes ai least one outwardly projecting ledge; the inner portion and the peripheral portion being connected along at least one wall that at least partially circumscribes the inner portion and which intersects with ai least one of the sloping channels. The carrier may include at least one finger mem er that is located within in the inner portio and projects outwardly from within at least one of the sloping channels at an angle between 0 and 180" relative to the outwardly projecting ledge. Th method of making the baffle assembl ma comprise a step of injection molding onto the carrier a resinous material that includes a polymer that i adapted for tfiermal expansion upon activation by heat, by introducing the resinous material in a molten state via at least one gate in a mold so that the resinous material flows through the plurality of sloping channels, locates itself on at least a portion of the outwardly projecting ledge; and at least partially covers the at least one finger member, The method may also include a step of solidifying the resinous material so that it is retained on the carrier at least partially due to a mechanical connection with the at least one finger member, while retaining its -ability to activate upon being subjected to heat in a paint bake curing oven during subsequent vehicle assembly operations,

[0Q7] The teachings herein contemplates a device and method for the sealing of cavities with a combination comprising a carrier and a resinous material, the carrier material having one or more sloping channels defined thereon and on© or more finger members projecting outwardly from within at least one of the sloping channels. The baffle assembly disclosed herein may allow for effective baffling and/or sealing of cavity with one or more dissimilar materials more effectively secured to one another for Improved sealing.

(008] Fig, 1 shows a perspective vie of an illustrative example of the baffle assembly of the present teachings.

[0091 Fig, 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the baffle assembly shown at Fig. 1.

[0010] Fig. 3A shows a perspective view of the baffle assembly of Fig, 1 prior to the molding of any resinous material onto the carrier.

[0011] Fig. 38 shows a magnified vie of the baffle assembly of Fig. 3.A.

[0012] Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the baffle assembly of Fig, 3A, [00 3] The explanations and illustrations presented herein are ^' intended to acquaint others skilled in th art wit the invention, its principles, and its practical application. Those skilled in the art may adapt and apply the invention in its numerous forms, as may be best suited to the requirements of a particular use. Accordingly, the specific embodiments of the present invention as set forth am not Intended as being exhaustive or limiting of the teachings. The scop of the teachings should, therefore, fee determined not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. The disclosures of all articles and references, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference for all purposes. Other combinations are also possibl as will be gleaned from the following claims, which are also hereby Incorporated by reference into this written description,

foo t 4] This application is related to and claims the benefit of the priority date of U.S. Provisional Application Serial Mo. 0i/S1 ^' 3,13 f led on March 20, 2012. The entirety of that application is hereby incorporated oy reference for all purposes,

[0015 The present teachings provide for improved mechanical attachment between one or more dissimilar materials in formation of a baffle assembly. The baffle assembl disclosed herein ma include a carrier bonded to a resinous material and one or more separately attached or integrally formed fasteners for securing the sealing assembly within a cavity. The carrier may include an inner portion having a first outward facing surface and at least one sloping channels defined in and recessed relative to the first ^' surface. The carrier ma also include at least one finger member that is located within in the inner portion and projects outwardly from within at least one of the sloping channels. The carrier may include a peripheral portion that generally surrounds the inner portion and Includes at least one outwardly projecting ledge such that the inner portion and th peripheral portion are connected along at least one barrier wall that at least partially circumscribes the inner portion and which intersects with at least one of the sloping channels. [0018] The baffle assembly includes a carrier, which may have a substantially consistent and planar surface topography, or may include a variable surface topography which may Include one or mor raised and/or lowered portions, The earner ma he formed of a first material and is generally contacted with a second material that may be dissimilar from the first material that forms the earner. The carrier may have an inner surface which may hav a first outwardly facing surface and a second outwardly facing surface that generall opposes the first outwardly facing surface. The inner surface may be at least partially ^' surrounded by a peripheral portion. The second material (e.g., the dissimilar material) may foe located onto the carrier such that it contacts one or more of the inner surface and the peripheral portion, in an effort to avoid the risk of detachment from the carrier, the second material may be located onto both the peripheral portion and the inner portion.

P017] The inner portion may Include one or more features to securely engage the second material. Such features may includ one o more channels formed onto the inner portion. The channels may be located in a recessed relationship with the surface of the Inner portion. The channels may be of a consistent depth along the carrier or may be of a variable depth. The channels may include a sloping depth, such that the depth of the channels decreases a the channels approac the peripheral portion. Each channel may be formed having a simila depth cross-section. Alternatively, different channels ma have differing depth cross-sections. The depth of the channels may range from about 0,001 mm to about 10mm. The depth of the channels may rang from about 0.01 mm. to about 3mm, The depth of the channels at the deepest point may be from about 1mm to about 5mm.

[0018] The channels may extend from the peripheral portion to a central portion of the carrier, such that the channels extend across an entire diameter of the carrier, Alternatively, the channels may only extend across a portion of the carrier. As an example, the channels may extend inward from the peripheral portion. The channels may extend inward less than about 20m _; less than about 10mm, or even less than about 5mm. The channels may extend from a central portion of the carrier and may onl extend less than about 20mm, less than about 10mm, or even less than about 5mm, [0019] In addition to the channels, the earner may also include one or more members for further securing the second material to the carrier. The members may be located within the channels, separate from the channels, or both. The members may be formed in any configuration for ma imizing contact with the second material. As an example, the surface area Of the member may be increased so that the area of contact between the member and the second material is maximized. As a example _. , the member may be formed a finger member which may be a flag, a pin, a post a ook, a fin, or any other extension that can receive and engage the second material As another example, the flow of the seoond material over the member may cause a portion of the member to he bent or folded so that the area of contact between the member and the second material is maximized. The member may deflect during and In response to flow of molten expandable material. The member may become elastica!ly or plastically deformed by the flow of the expandable materia!. It may thus resist return to its Initial molded shape before the expandable material hardens to its gree state (an uncured, yet hardened state). The member or at least a portion of the member may be integrall formed with the carrier, Alternatively* _, the membe may be separately formed from the carrier. It may be possible to locate one or more of the members on an outer portion of the part (e.g., on a ledge that is external of the inner portion),

[0020] As referenced above, the carrier may include a peripheral portion that surrounds the inner portion of the carrier. The second matenal may thus also be located along the peripheral edge. More specifically, the peripheral portion may include an outwardly projecting ledge and the second material may be located onto the outwardly projecting ledge. Th second material may be located In a non-continuous manner along the outwardly projecting ledge. The second material may be located in a continuous band along the outwardly projecting ledge. The peripheral portion ma be connected to the inner portion along a barrier wall which may extend substanti lly around the inner portion or may extend only partially around the inner portion. One or more of the peripheral portion, the outwardly projecting ledge and the barrier wall may be free of any additional extensions (e.g., members).

(0021 A fastening device may b included that is integrally formed with the carrier or separately formed from the carrier. The fastening device may extend from the peripheral portion, The fastening device may be located in a different plane than the mr portion of the carrier or ma be located in the same plane as the inner portion of the carrier. The fastening devic ma be offset o the plane of the Inner portion, The fastening device may extend substantiall parallel to the inner portion of the carrier or may extend substantially perpendicular to the Inner portion of the carrier. The fastening device may extend at a skew angl relative to the inner portion of the carrier. The fastening device may include an arrowhead fastener, a tree-fastener, a clip, a hook or the like. The fastening device may include an opening for receiving an extension from within a cavity info which the baffle assembly Is located, The fastening device may be provided as a magnetic materia! or an adhesive material that can attach (e,g„ adhere or magnetically secure) the baffle assembl to a cavity. n such an embodiment, the magnetic material or the adhesive materia! may be interspersed within th carrier or the second material. Alternatively, th magnetic material or the adhesive material may be disposed upon the carrier and/or the second material or ma be otherwise connected to the carrier and/or the second material.

[0022] The baffle assembly may be substantially free of any structure on the carrier for preventing flow of the second material onto the inne portion of the carrier. Certain portions of the carrier may be substantially free of any structure for securing the second materia! ^' to the carrier. As an example,.. the peripheral portion may be substantially free of any structural members for securing the second material to the carrier. The outwardly projecting ledge may be substantially free of any structural member for securing the second material to the carrier. The barrier wall may be substantially free of any st uctural member for securing the second material to the carrier,

[0023] Formation of the materials of the present teachings may include a variety of processing steps depending on the desired configuration of the materials. Various processes such as molding (e.g., compression, injection or other molding), extrusion or the like may be used to form the carrier material and the second material. The carrier and second material may be formed from a multi-shot injection molding process. More specifically, by forming the stafctures for securing the second materia! onto the carrier (e,g.. _: the channels and the finger members) on the inner portion of the carrier, the molding process is simplified because no lifters are necessary for removing the resulting baffle assembly from the mold.

[0024] The size and shape of the baffle assembly may depend upon th desired location of the device within a cavity. The perimeter of the baffle assembly may be shaped so that t fits mihln and conforms to a cross-section of a cavity. The baffle assembl may be shaped so that in the event that the second material is an expandable material, the expandable material expands directly into areas thai are ^" traditionally difficult to access {e.g., small areas withi a; cavity that are difficult to seal due to the siz and shape of the area). The second material may be located onto the inner portion so that the second material can be activated to expand over and onto the inner portion. The second material may be located onto the peripheral portion so that the second material can h activated to expand beyond the outwardly projecting ledge to reac areas of the cavity that may not be directly contacted by the carrier. The baffle assembly may be located within a cavity with one or more fasteners so that the perimeter of the. baffle assembl does not contact the cavity wall prior to expansion of the second material,

0025] The baffle assembly may include one or more openings along the inner portion of the carrier. The openings may be present so as to reduce the amount of material required to effectively seal a cavity, thereby reducing the weight Of the device. The second materia] may expand to cover the one o more openings. Alternatively, the baffle assembly ma include edges, slots, or attachments that guide the expansion of the second material and thus prevent the second material from covering the one or more openings. The one or more openings may be present so that fluid (e.g., e-coat fluid) can drain from one side of the baffle assembly to the other prior to expansion of the second material. The one or more openings may allow for devices or materials within a cavity to pass from one side of the baffle assembly to another side of the baffle assembly before or after expansion of the second material. As an example, the one or more openings may allow for drain tube passage. The one or more openings may also provide access points within a cavity for welding purposes.

[0028] The carrier ma comprise a rigid polymeric material. The carrier may comprise flat metal sheet. The carrier may also include a mesh material. The carrier may include a variety of other materials such as polymers, elastomers, fibrous materials (e.g.,■e th or woven materials}, thermoplastics, plasties, nylon, and combinations thereof. The carrier may be flexible to al!o for bending of the baffl assembly to fit within .desired small s aces of a cavity.

[0027} After placement of the baffle assembly into a cavity, the second material may be an activaiabie material that expands according to a predetermined set of conditions. For example, exposure to certain levels of heat may cause, the second materia! to expand. The ^■ voiumetrie expansion of the second material may vary depending upon the sealing and/or baffling needs of a particular cavity. The second material may expand at least about 100%. The second material ma expand less than about 2000%. The second material may expand at feast about 500%, at least about 1000%, or more. The second material may expand less than about 1000% or even less than about 500%.

[0028] The second material may be a resinous generally dry to the touch or tacky and may be shaped in any form of desired p ttern* placement, or thickness, but is preferably of substantially uniform thickness. Though other heat-activated materials are .possible for the second material, a preferred heat activated material is an expandable polymer or plastic, and preferably one that Is foamable. The second material ma be a relatively high expansion foam having a polymeric formulation that includes one or more of a epoxy resin, an acetate ( .g. ethylene vinyl acetate), a thermoplastic polyetber, an aoryiate and/or a mefhacrytate (e.g., a copolymer of butyl acrylate and methyl acrylate), an epoxy/efastorner adduet, and one or more fillers (e.g., a clay filler, and/or a nanopartlole-contalning filler). Preferred thermally expandable ^■ materials, are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,313,865; 7,125,481 ; and 7,199,165 incorporated by reference herein for ail purposes. For example, and without limitation, the foam may also be an EVA rubber based material, including an ethylene copolymer or terpolyme that ma possess an alpha-olefin. As a copolymer or terpolymer, the polymer is composed of two or three different monomers, i.e., small molecules with high chemical reactivity that are capable of linking up with similar molecules. Suitable expandable materials include those available from L&L Products, ins, under the designations L7220, L2821 , 11068, 1205, L2010, L2105, L2108A, -12808, L281 1 , 14200, L4141 , 141-81, 14315, LSS10, L5520, 15540, L5600, 15801 , L7102, and L7104, 100293 The expandable materia! can be formed of other materials provided that the material selected is heat-activated or otherwise activated by an ambient condition (e,g _> moisture, pressure, time or the like) and cures under appropriate conditions for th selected application. One such material is- the epoxy based resin disclosed n U.S. Patent o. 6,131 ,897, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. Some other possible materials include, but are not limited to* polyolefsn materials, copolymers and terpolymers wit at feast on monomer type an alpha-olefn, pnenoS/formaldehyde materials, phenoxy materials, and poiyurethane materials with high glass transition temperatures, Additional materials may also be used such as those disclosed in U S, Patent Nos, 5,766,719; ¾755,488; 5,575,526; and 5,932,680, incorporated by reference herein for all purposes,

[0030] In applications where the expandable material is a heat activated material, an important consideration involved with the selection and formulation of the material is the temperatur at which a material cures and, if expandable, the temperature of expansion. Typically, the material becomes reactiv (cures, expands or both) at higher processing temperatures, such as those encountered in an automobile assembly plant, when the material Is processed along with the automobile structures at elevated temperatures or at higher applied energy levels, e.g., during coating (e.g., e-coat, paint or cfearcoat) curing steps. While temperatures encountered in an automobile assembly operation may b in the range of about 146,89 C to 204.44° C (about 3GQ° F to 400° F) for body shop applications (e.g., e-eoat) and, for paint shop applications, are commonly about 93.33* C (about 200° R or slightly higher (e.g., 1.20° C-150° C).

[0031] The baffl assembly of the present teachings may be installed into an automotive vehicle although it may be employed for other articles of manufacture such as boats, buildings, furniture, storage containers or the like. The baffle assembly may be used to seal and/or baffle a variet of components of an automotive vehicle including, without limitation, body components (e.g., panels), frame components (e.g., hydroforn ed tubes), pillar structures (e.g., A, B, C or D-pillars), bumpers, roofs, bulkheads, instrument panels, wheel wells, floor pans, door beams, hem flanges, vehicle beltline applications, doors, door sills, rockers, decklids, hood or the like .of the automotive vehicle. [0032] Fig, 1 shows the baffle assembly 10 having a carrier 12 and including a resinous material layer 14 located thereon. The carrier 12 includes an Inner portion 16 having a first outwardly facing surface 18, The carrier 12 is shown having an Integrated fastener 20 formed along the peripheral portion 22. As shown n Fig, 2, the first outwardly facing surface 18 includes a sloping channel 24 recessed within the first outwardly facing surface. Th sloping channel 24 is shown having a finger member 26 located within the channel for engaging the resinous material 14 located within the channel,

[0033] Fig, 3A depicts a carrier 12 of an exemplary baffle assembly 10 prior to forming any secondary dissimilar material onto the carrier. As shown, the carrier 12 ma include a plurality of sloping channels 24 located onto the inner portion 18 of the carrier. The sloping channels 24 may he recessed within the first outwardly facing surface 18 of the carrier. The carrier of Fig, 3 further depicts the peripheral portion 22 generally surrounding the inner portion 18 and having an outwardly projecting; ledge 28, The inner portion 18 and the peripheral portion 22 are shown connected along a barrier wall 30 that at least partially circumscribes the ^' inner portion and which Intersects with each of the sloping channels 24,

[0034] At Fig, SB, an exemplar sloping channel 2 Is shown. The slopping channel 24 intersects the harrier wall 30. A finger member 26 is located within the slopping channel 24 and the finger member extends from the sloping channel at an angle a that Js about 90° relative to the outwardly projecting ledge 28. The finger member 28 and slopping channel 24 act to engage and mechanically attach the resinous material (not shown) to the baffle assembly,

[0035] Fig, 4 depicts the baffl assembly 0 having a carrier 12, shown prior to the attachment of the resinous material. The carrier 10 includes an inner portion 18 having a first outwardly facing surface 18, A peripheral portion 22 substantially surrounds the inner portion 16. The peripheral portion 22 includes an outwardly projecting ledg 28, The inner portion 18 and peripheral portion 2 are connected along a barrier wall 30. The inner portion 18 Includes sloping channels 24 located thereon, which are shown recessed within the Inner portion 16 for receiving the resinous material (not shown), |0036] Any numerical values recited herein include ail values from the lower value to the upper value in increments of one unit provided that there is a separation of at least 2.

I S units between any tower value and any higher value, As an example, if it is stated that the amount of ia .component or a valu of a process variable such as, for example, temperature, pressure _. , time and the like is, for example, rom: 1 to 90, preferably from 20 to 80, more preferably from 30 to 70, it is intended that values such as 15 to 86, 22 to 68, 43 to Si , 30 to 32 etc. er expressly enumerated in this specification, For values which are less than one _s one unit is considered to be 0,0001 , 0.001 , 0.01 or 0.1 as appropriate. These are only examples of what is specificall intended and ail possible combinations of numerical values between the lowest value and the highest value enumerated are to be considered to b expressly stated In this application in a similar manner. As can be seen, the teaching of amounts expressed as "parts by weight" herei also contemplates the same ranges expressed in terms of percent by weight, Thus, an expression in the Detailed Description of the Invention of range in terms of a " ^' parts by weight of the resulting polymeric blend composition" also contemplates a teaching of ranges of same recited amount of V in percent by weight of the resulting polymeric blend composition."

[0037] Unless otherwise stated, ail ranges include both endpoints and all numbers between the endpoints. The use of "about" or "approximately" i connection with a range applies to both ends of the range. Thus, "about 20 to 30" is intended to cover "about 20 to about 30", inclusive of at least the specified endpoints,

[0038] The disclosures of all article and references, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference for all purposes. The term "Consisting essentially of" to describe a combination shall include the elements, ingredients, components or steps identified, and such other elements ingredients, components or steps that do not ^" materially ^" affect the basic and novel characteristics of the combination. The us of the terms "comprising" or "including" to describe combinations of elements, ingredients, components or steps herein also contemplates embodiments that consist essentially of the elements,- ingredients, components or steps, By use of the term "may" herein, it is intended thai any described attributes that "may' ^* be included are optional.

[0039] Plural elements, ingredients, components or steps can be provided by a single integrated element, ingredient, component or step. Alternatively, a single integrated element, ingredient, component or step might be divided into separate plural elements, Ingredients components or steps. The disclosure of "<r or "one" to describe an element,: ingredient, component or step is not Intended to foreclose additional elements, ingredients, components or steps.

{0040} it is understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive, Many embodiments as well as many applications besides the examples provided will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description... The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined wit reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of -equivalents to which such claims ^' are entitled. The disclosures of all articles and references, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference for all purposes. Th omission in the following claims of any aspect of subject matter that is disclosed herein is not a disclaimer of such subject matter, nor should it be regarded that the inventors did not consider such syblect matter to he part of the disclosed inventive subject matter.