Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority from US Application No. 63/065387 filed 13 August 2020 and entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING SEALS BETWEEN ADJACENT BUILDING PANELS which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. For purposes of the United States of America, this application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of US application No. 63/065387 filed 13 August 2020 and entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING SEALS BETWEEN ADJACENT BUILDING PANELS.

Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to systems and methods for providing seals between adjacent building panels. The invention has example applications for providing seals between prefabricated building panels.

Background

[0003] Constructing a building is typically an extensive project involving significant amounts of time and/or resources (labour, energy, materials, etc.). Moreover, the carbon footprint of a building built using existing systems and methods can be large.

[0004] Reducing the amount of time and/or resources required to construct an energy efficient building can be desirable. Reducing the carbon footprint of a building can also be desirable. One way to reduce the amount of time and/or resources required is to construct the building using prefabricated building panels. To provide effective insulating and/or weatherproofing characteristics for a building constructed with prefabricated building panels, adjacent panels must be properly sealed to meet performance specifications such as water permeability, air permeability, etc. [0005] Another way to reduce the carbon footprint of a building is to install retrofit building panels to the exterior of the building. Retrofit building panels also must be properly sealed to meet performance specifications.

[0006] There is a general need for sealing assemblies which can provide water-tight and/or air-tight seals between adjacent prefabricated building panels and/or adjacent retrofit building panels. There is a need for practical and cost effective ways to seal building panels together using systems and methods that improve on existing technologies.

Summary

[0007] The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the abovedescribed problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.

[0008] Aspects of the invention include without limitation:

• systems and methods for sealing adjacent building panels;

• sealing materials which improve desired performance characteristics of a building constructed with prefabricated building panels or a retrofit building;

• sealing assemblies which improve desired performance characteristics of a building constructed with prefabricated building panels or a retrofit building.

[0009] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following detailed descriptions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an exterior of a building. [0012] Fig. 2A is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary sealing assembly provided between adjacent building panels which form part of the Fig. 1 building. Fig. 2B is a schematic plan view of the Fig. 2A sealing assembly.

[0013] Figs. 3A-D are schematic illustrations depicting various ways of providing the Fig. 2A sealing assembly between building panels.

[0014] Fig. 4 is a side view of an exemplary sealing assembly provided at an interface between adjacent vertical panels.

[0015] Fig. 5 is a top view of an exemplary sealing assembly provided at an interface between adjacent vertical panels.

[0016] Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of an exemplary fireproof sealing assembly provided between adjacent building panels which form part of the Fig. 1 building.

[0017] Fig. 7 is a side view an example of providing the Fig. 2A sealing assembly between a vertical panel and a horizontal panel.

[0018] Figs. 8A-J depict exemplary variations of the Fig. 2A sealing assembly.

Detailed Description

[0019] Throughout the following description specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an exterior 4 of a building 2, such as a residential apartment building, a single story house, an institutional building, etc. Exterior 4 may be a building wrap where building 2 is a retrofit building. Exterior 4 of building 2 comprises multiple pre-fabricated building panels 6 which may be attached to building 2 and/or coupled together through suitable mechanical fasteners, adhesives, etc. For the purposes of facilitating the description, building panels 6 described herein may be broadly categorized as horizontal panels 6A and vertical panels 6B, 6C.

[0021] Horizontal panels 6A refer to building panels which are oriented to extend across a width and a depth of a building. Examples of horizontal panels 6A include: panels which are mounted on top of or form a roof of a building (i.e. roof panels), panels which are attached below or form the floor of a balcony, etc. [0022] Vertical panels 6B, 6C refer to building panels which are oriented to extend along a height of a building. Vertical panels 6B, 6C are further categorized as either above grade building panels 6B or below grade building panels 6C. Above grade building panels 6B are located entirely above the grade level 1 of a building. Below grade building panels 6C are at least partially located below the grade level 1 of a building. Examples of above grade building panels 6B include panels which are mounted to or form the exterior walls of a building (i.e. wall panels). Examples of below grade building panels 6C include panels which are mounted to or form the foundation of a building (i.e. foundation panels).

[0023] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the categorizations discussed above are used for the purpose of facilitating the description and should not be interpreted in the literal sense. The invention described herein may be adapted to provide seals between building panels which are not strictly vertically oriented and/or building panels which are not strictly horizontally oriented (e.g. building panels which are inclined).

[0024] Fig. 2A is a schematic perspective view of a sealing assembly 10 which is provided between adjacent building panels 6-1, 6-2 according to an example embodiment of the invention. Building panels 6-1 , 6-2 may be an example of adjacent roof panels 6A, an example of adjacent wall panels 6B, an example of adjacent foundation panels 6C, etc. Sealing assembly 10 is provided at a gap 7 between adjacent building panels 6-1 , 6-2. For the purposes of facilitating the description, opposed surfaces of adjacent building panels 6- 1 , 6-2 which define gap 7 are referred to herein as surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. For example, with reference to Fig. 2A, gap 7 is defined between an upper surface 8-1 of panel 6-1 and an undersurface 8-2 of panel 6-2. Each surface 8-1 , 8-2 has a longer dimension corresponding to either the length or width of panel 6-1 , 6-2 and a shorter dimension corresponding to the thickness of panel 6-1 , 6-2. In an embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2A, building panels 6-1 , 6-2 depict adjacent wall panels 6B stacked on top of one another so the longer dimension of surfaces 8-1 , 8-2 corresponds to the width of building panels 6-1 , 6-2. In Fig. 2A, the longer dimension is identified by direction reference 101 and the shorter dimension is identified by direction reference 102. As indicated above, direction reference 102 corresponds to the thickness of panel 6 extending between an exterior surface of panel 6 (i.e. a surface facing an exterior side 11 A) and a surface of building 2 on which panel 6 is mounted. Direction 101 may also be referred to herein as longitudinal direction 101 as it denotes the direction that elongated components of assembly 10 described below extend longitudinally. In some embodiments direction 102 extends perpendicular to direction 101 and may also be referred to herein as a transverse direction 102.

[0025] In the example embodiment shown in Fig. 2A, sealing assembly 10 comprises a first sealing member 12A transversely spaced from a second sealing member 12B in direction 102. As described further below, sealing members 12A, 12B provide a backing for applying sealants thereto. First sealing member 12A and second sealing member 12B are typically arranged in spaced-apart parallel relation with the length of each sealing member 12A, 12B in alignment with dimension 101 , although this is not necessary. In a currently preferred embodiment, sealing members 12 are cylindrically shaped. Where sealing members 12 are cylindrically shaped, the distance between first and second cylindrical sealing members 12A, 12B may be sized relative to their diameter (e.g. the distance between first and second cylindrical sealing members 12A, 12B exceeds no more than, for example, about ten times their diameter). In some embodiments, the distance between first and second cylindrical sealing members 12A, 12B does not exceed twice the diameter of cylindrical sealing members 12. For example, first and second cylindrical sealing members 12A, 12B may have diameters which are in the range of about 1/2” to about 11/ . The distance between first and second cylindrical sealing members 12A, 12B may accordingly exceed no more than about 1 ” to about 3”.

[0026] Sealing members 12 are typically made of suitably compressible and suitably flexible materials such as closed cell polyurethane foam or the like. In some embodiments, sealing members 12 are made of suitably insulated materials which provide thermal insulation. In some embodiments, sealing members 12 are backer rods.

[0027] In some embodiments, sealing members 12 are sized according to the size of gap 7 to fit snuggly between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. In some embodiments, sealing members 12 are oversized relative to gap 7. For example, the diameter of sealing members 12 may be larger than the size of gap 7 such that sealing members 12 are compressed when inserted between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. Compressing sealing members 12 between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2 can advantageously improve the air tightness and/or water tightness of sealing assembly 10. Compressing sealing members 12 between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2 can also advantageously help affix or otherwise minimize unwanted movement (e.g. sliding) of sealing members 12 between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. Minimizing movement of sealing members 12 can help provide a stable backing or substrate for application of sealants 16 as described elsewhere herein. [0028] Sealing assembly 10 may also include a foam tape 14 for placement between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2 within gap 7. In the example embodiment shown in Fig. 2A, foam tape 14 is transversely spaced apart from the second sealing member 12B in direction 102. Preferably foam tape 14 is provided at a location which is more proximate to building 2 than sealing members 12 are to building 2. Like sealing members 12, foam tape 14 has a length in alignment with direction 101 . In one embodiment, foam tape 14 has the shape of a rectangular prism. Where foam tape 14 is rectangular shaped, foam tape 14 may be defined as having a length extending in direction 101 , a width extending in direction 102, and a thickness or height extending between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2.

[0029] Foam tape 14 is made of suitably compressible and/or suitably flexible materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or the like. Foam tape 14 is preferably closed-cell to help prevent air, water and/or vapor from passing through sealing assembly 10. In some embodiments, foam tape 14 is a compressible foam sealant such as polyurethane or neoprene. In some embodiments, foam tape 14 comprises compressible mineral fiber insulation. In some embodiments, foam tape 14 comprises a pre-compressed foam gasket such as Emseal™ expanding tape.

[0030] Foam tape 14, in its uncompressed state, must be thick enough to span gap 7 between building panels 6-1 , 6-2. Foam tape 14 may be oversized relative to gap 7. For example, the thickness of foam tape 14 may be larger than the size of gap 7 such that foam tape 14 is compressed when provided between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. When provided between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2, foam tape 14 may be compressed (along the direction of its thickness) by a percentage which is typically in the range of 20% to 60% to achieve air, water and/or vapor tightness between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. In a currently preferred embodiment, foam tape 14 is compressed by about 50% when inserted between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. For example, a foam tape 14 having an uncompressed thickness of about 3/4” may be compressed to a thickness of about 3/8” when it is provided between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. In some embodiments, foam tape 14 is made of a material which expands to fit gap 7 after it is inserted between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2.

[0031] In some embodiments, foam tape 14 is attached to a surface 8-1 of one of the adjacent building panels 6 (i.e. building panel 6-1) via adhesive. In these embodiments, foam tape 14 is compressed at the surface 8-2 of the other one of the adjacent building panels 6 (i.e. building panel 6-2). Attaching foam tape 14 to surface 8-1 via adhesive can advantageously allow foam tape 14 to be preinstalled on building panel 6 such that foam tape 14 is automatically provided between panels 6-1 , 6-2 when panels 6-1 , 6-2 are coupled together (e.g. when panels 6-1 , 6-2 are positioned adjacent to each other). This can in some cases expedite the process of providing sealing assembly 10 between adjacent building panels 6-1 , 6-2.

[0032] In some embodiments, the thickness of foam tape 14 is the same as the diameter of cylindrical sealing members 12. In some embodiments, the width of foam tape 14 is greater than the thickness or height of foam tape 14. In some embodiments, the distance between the second sealing member 12B and the rectangular foam tape 14 is smaller than the width of the rectangular foam tape 14. In some embodiments, the distance between the second sealing member 12B and the rectangular foam tape 14 is the same as the distance between first and second sealing members 12A, 12B.

[0033] Sealing assembly 10 may further comprise one or more layers of sealants 16 provided between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2 of adjacent building panels 6-1 , 6-2. As depicted in Fig. 2B, sealants 16 may be applied between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2 by applying sealants 16 against sealing members 12. This causes sealants 16 to spread around sealing members 12 and attach to surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. Sealing members 12 may exert a reaction force on sealants 16 when sealants 16 are pressed against sealing members 12. This can in some cases provide a better seal between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2.

[0034] In the example embodiment shown in Fig. 2B, sealants 16 are provided at an exterior side 11 A of each sealing member 12, but not at an interior side 11 B of sealing member 12. As depicted in Fig. 2B, exterior side 11 A is defined as the side which is more distal from building 2 whereas interior side 11 B is defined as the side which is more proximate to building 2. Sealants 16 extend in direction 101 along the length of sealing members 12. Preferably sealants 16 extend along at least a substantial portion of the length of sealing members 12. In some embodiments sealants 16 may extend along the entire length of sealing members 12.

[0035] Sealants 16 preferably comprise materials suitable for providing airtight and/or watertight sealing between adjacent building panels 6-1 , 6-2 when sealants 16 are pressed against or otherwise applied to sealing members 12. Sealants 16 typically comprise suitable weatherproofing materials such as polyurethane blends, acrylic blends, polyurethane caulking (e.g. Sikaflex™, Masterseal™ NP1 , Spectrum™), silicone based sealants, urethane based sealants, acrylic based sealants, polysulphide based sealants, polymer based sealants, silicone, etc. Sealants 16 may optionally comprise fireproofing materials such as intumescent fire stop caulking or the like (e.g. Dymonic™ caulking). Sealants 16 may optionally have adhesive qualities which can help adhere adjacent building panels 6-1 , 6-2 together.

[0036] In some embodiments, one or more layers of sealants 16 may comprise a weep hole. The weep hole can drain out moisture inside sealing assembly 10. For example, sealant 16-A located most distal from building 2 may comprise a weep hole which can drain moisture accumulated between first sealing member 12A and sealant 16-B.

[0037] As described elsewhere herein, sealing assembly 10 can be provided between the surfaces 8 of adjacent building panels 6 of various orientations. Figs. 3A-D show exemplary ways of providing sealing assembly 10 between adjacent building panels 6.

[0038] In the example shown in Fig. 3A, sealing assembly 10 is provided along the length of adjacent horizontal panels 6A-1 , 6A-2 which are mounted on top of or otherwise form a horizontal surface (e.g. a roof) of building 2. In the Fig. 3A example, longitudinal direction 101 extends along the length of panels 6A-1 , 6A-2.

[0039] In the example shown in Fig. 3B, sealing assembly 10 is provided along the width of adjacent horizontal panels 6A-1 , 6A-2 which are mounted on top of or otherwise form a horizontal surface (e.g. a roof) of building 2. In the Fig. 3B example, longitudinal direction 101 extends along the width of panels 6A-1 , 6A-2.

[0040] In the example shown in Fig. 3C, sealing assembly 10 is provided along the width of adjacent vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-2 which are mounted to or otherwise form an exterior wall of building 2. In the Fig. 3C example, longitudinal direction 101 extends along the width of panels 6B-1 , 6B-2.

[0041] In the example shown in Fig. 3D, sealing assembly 10 is provided along the height of adjacent vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-3 which are mounted to or otherwise form an exterior wall of building 2. In the Fig. 3D example, longitudinal direction 101 extends along the height of panels 6B-1 , 6B-3. [0042] Fig. 4 is a side view of an example of a sealing assembly 10 provided to extend along the width of adjacent vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-2 (e.g. the configuration shown in Fig. 3C). In the example embodiment shown in Fig. 4, vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-2 are retrofit panels mounted to the exterior wall of building 2 through attachment means 20. As depicted in Fig. 4, vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-2 may comprise an insulating core layer 9B sandwiched between cementitious layers 9A, 9C. In these embodiments, portions of attachment means 20 may be integrally formed with vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-2. In these embodiments, sealing asssembly 10 may be provided only along a portion of the surfaces 8-1, 8-2 of vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-2, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0043] In the Fig. 4 example embodiment, first sealing member 12A of sealing assembly 10 is provided at the interface between outer cementitious layer 9A and insulating core 9B. This provides a backing which allows an outer layer of sealant 16A to be applied between and/or attach to the outer cementitious layer 9A of vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-2. In the Fig. 4 example embodiment, second sealing member 12B is provided to contact insulating core 9B, but not cementitious layers 9A, 9C. This provides a backing which allows an inner layer of sealant 16B to be applied between and/or attach to the insulating core 9A of vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-2. Like second sealing member 12B, foam tape 14 is provided to contact insulating core 9B, but not cementitious layers 9A, 9C in the Fig. 4 example embodiment.

[0044] In some embodiments, a coating 17 is provided along surfaces 8 of building panels 6. Coating 17 may comprise a liquid applied membrane (LAM) suitable for preventing moisture from entering the interior of panels 6. In such embodiments, sealants 16 attach to coating 17 when applied between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2. This can provide a better seal between building panels 6-1 , 6-2 in cases where sealants 16 adhere favorably to the material of coating 17.

[0045] Fig. 5 is a top view of an example of sealing assembly 10 arranged to extend along the height of adjacent vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-3 (i.e. the configuration shown in Fig. 3D). Vertical panels 6B-1, 6B-3 are mounted to the exterior wall of building 2 through an attachment mechanism 20.

[0046] In the Fig. 5 example embodiment, first sealing member 12A of sealing assembly 10 is provided at the interface between outer cementitious layer 9A and insulating core 9B. This provides a backing which allows an outer layer of sealant 16A to be applied between and attach to the outer cementitious layer 9A of vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-3. Second sealing member 12B is provided between the insulating core 9B of vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-3. This provides a backing which allows an inner layer of sealant 16B to be applied between and attach to the insulating core 9A of vertical panels 6B-1 , 6B-3. Foam tape 14 is provided to contact both insulating core 9B and a frame 9D of panels 6B-1 , 6B-3.

[0047] Sealing assembly 10 may in some cases comprise a layer of mineral wool insulation 18 as shown in the Fig. 5 example embodiment. Mineral wool insulation 18 is typically transversely spaced apart from foam tape 14 in direction 102. Mineral wool insulation 18 extends in direction 101 along the length (e.g. height of panels 6B-1 , 6B-3 in the Fig. 5 example) of surfaces 8. Although not necessary, mineral wool insulation 18 is typically provided at the interior side 10B of sealing assembly 10 (i.e. mineral wool insulation 18 is more proximate to building 2 compared to foam tape 14 and sealing members 12). In the Fig. 5 example embodiment, mineral wool insulation 18 is provided to contact both frame 9D and interior cementitious layer 9C.

[0048] Mineral wool insulation 18 is typically made of materials capable of providing thermal and sound insulation such as CONROCK™. Mineral wool insulation 18 is preferably noncombustible. For example, mineral wool insulation 18 may have a melting point which is typically in the range of 1100°C to 1300°C. Mineral wool insulation 18 is preferably made of a material which does not shrink or lose shape over its life time (i.e. a dimensionally stable material). Mineral wool insulation 18 is preferably vapor permeable. This can advantageously discourage the growth of mold on mineral wool insulation 18.

[0049] Sealing assembly 10 may comprise mineral wool insulation 18 where it is desirable to provide a fire joint and/or fire protection between adjacent building panels 6-1 , 6-2. Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of an exemplary sealing assembly 10A which may be provided as a fire joint between adjacent building panels 6-1 , 6-2.

[0050] Sealing assembly 10A comprises sealing member 12A (e.g. a backer rod) spaced apart from a layer of mineral wool insulation 18 along direction 102. Sealing member 12A is provided at the exterior side 11 A of sealing assembly 10A (i.e. at the side more distal from building 2). Sealing member 12A is provided to receive exterior sealant 16A at the exterior side 11 A of sealing member 12A as described elsewhere herein. [0051] In the Fig. 6 example embodiment, mineral wool insulation 18 is provided at the interior side 11 B of sealing assembly 10A (i.e. at the side more proximate to building 2). Mineral wool insulation 18 is provided to improve the fireproofing characteristics of sealing assembly 10A. The fireproofing characteristics of sealing assembly 10A may be reinforced by providing one or more layers of fire rated caulking 16C. In the example embodiment shown in Fig. 6, fire rated caulking 16C is provided at both an exterior side 11 A (i.e. the side facing cylindrical foam 12A) and an interior side 11 B (i.e. the side facing building 2) of mineral wool insulation 18. In some embodiments, fire rated caulking 16C is applied directly on mineral wool insulation 18.

[0052] The width (i.e. transverse dimension in direction 102) of fire rated caulking 16C is typically small compared to the width of mineral wool insulation 18. For example, the width of fire rated caulking 16C may be about 1/2” and the width of mineral wool insulation 18 may be about 3” to about 5 ¹ /2” for sealing assemblies 10A provided to seal building panels having a width of about 8”.

[0053] A wide range of variations are possible within the scope of the present invention. These variations may be applied to all of the embodiments described above, as suited, and include, without limitation:

• a membrane such as a liquid applied membrane may be applied over the exterior side 11 A of sealing assembly 10 (e.g. for building panels 6 which are provided as roof panels).

• sealing assembly 10 may be provided between a horizontal building panel 6A and a vertical building panel 6B (e.g. see Fig. 7).

• sealing assembly 10 may be provided between adjacent foundation panels 6C.

• sealing assembly 10 in any embodiments described herein may comprise mineral wool insulation 18.

• sealing members 12 may comprise intumescent backer rods such as backer rods made of fiberglass wrapped basalt rod.

• sealants 16 may comprise or otherwise be substituted with fire rated caulking 16C.

• sealants 16 may be applied between surfaces 8-1 , 8-2 at the interior side 11 B of building panels 6.

• spray foam insulation 19 may be provided to fill the spacing between the various components of sealing assembly 10 (e.g. sealing members 12, foam tape 14, sealants 16).

• the relative positions of various components of sealing assembly 10 (e.g. sealing members 12, foam tape 14, sealants 16, mineral wool insulation 18, etc.) may be rearranged. Examples ways of rearranging selected components of sealing assembly 10 are shown in Figs. 8A-J.

• sealing assembly 10 may optionally comprise additional rubber-based sealing materials such rubber gaskets and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) to provide a better seal in some cases.

• sealing members 12A, 12B and/or foam tape 14 do not need to be arranged in exact parallel spaced-apart relation or in exact longitudinal alignment with direction 101.

Interpretation of Terms

[0054] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims:

• “comprise”, “comprising”, and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”;

• “connected”, “coupled”, or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling or connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof;

• “herein”, “above”, “below”, and words of similar import, when used to describe this specification, shall refer to this specification as a whole, and not to any particular portions of this specification;

• “or”, in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list;

• the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” also include the meaning of any appropriate plural forms.

[0055] Words that indicate directions such as “vertical”, “transverse”, “horizontal”,

“upward”, “downward”, “forward”, “backward”, “inward”, “outward”, “left”, “right” , “front”, “back”, “top”, “bottom”, “below”, “above”, “under”, and the like, used in this description and any accompanying claims (where present), depend on the specific orientation of the apparatus described and illustrated. The subject matter described herein may assume various alternative orientations. Accordingly, these directional terms are not strictly defined and should not be interpreted narrowly.

[0056] Specific examples of systems, methods and apparatus have been described herein for purposes of illustration. These are only examples. The technology provided herein can be applied to systems other than the example systems described above. Many alterations, modifications, additions, omissions, and permutations are possible within the practice of this invention. This invention includes variations on described embodiments that would be apparent to the skilled addressee, including variations obtained by: replacing features, elements and/or acts with equivalent features, elements and/or acts; mixing and matching of features, elements and/or acts from different embodiments; combining features, elements and/or acts from embodiments as described herein with features, elements and/or acts of other technology; and/or omitting combining features, elements and/or acts from described embodiments.

[0057] Various features are described herein as being present in “some embodiments”. Such features are not mandatory and may not be present in all embodiments. Embodiments of the invention may include zero, any one or any combination of two or more of such features. This is limited only to the extent that certain ones of such features are incompatible with other ones of such features in the sense that it would be impossible for a person of ordinary skill in the art to construct a practical embodiment that combines such incompatible features. Consequently, the description that “some embodiments” possess feature A and “some embodiments” possess feature B should be interpreted as an express indication that the inventors also contemplate embodiments which combine features A and B (unless the description states otherwise or features A and B are fundamentally incompatible).

[0058] It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions, omissions, and sub-combinations as may reasonably be inferred. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole. permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are consistent with the broadest interpretation of the specification as a whole.