阅读说明：本技术 可移除接头片以及具有其的电池组件 (Removable tab and battery assembly having the same ) 是由 J.M.梅瑟 D.戈德法布 D.N.克莱恩 于 2018-05-02 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种电池组件包括：电池,该电池具有由周向边缘包绕的顶表面；以及可移除接头片,该可移除接头片附接到顶表面。可移除接头片包括：第一接头片端和相反设置的第二接头片端；抓握区域,该抓握区域邻近于第一接头片端设置；以及电池单元附接区域,该电池单元附接区域邻近于第二接头片端设置且附接到电池的顶表面。电池单元附接区域具有第一和第二相反设置的侧壁,其中第一侧壁和第二侧壁中的至少一个远离电池的周向边缘向内弯曲,使得电池的顶表面的一部分暴露于电池的周向边缘与侧壁之间。(A battery assembly comprising: a cell having a top surface surrounded by a peripheral edge; and a removable tab attached to the top surface. The removable tab comprises: a first tab end and an oppositely disposed second tab end; a grip region disposed adjacent to the first tab end; and a battery cell attachment region disposed adjacent to the second tab end and attached to a top surface of the battery. The cell attachment region has first and second oppositely disposed sidewalls, wherein at least one of the first and second sidewalls is bent inward away from a peripheral edge of the cell such that a portion of a top surface of the cell is exposed between the peripheral edge and the sidewall of the cell.)

1. A battery assembly, comprising:

a battery comprising a top surface surrounded by a circumferential edge; and

a removable tab attached to the top surface, the removable tab comprising:

a first tab end and an oppositely disposed second tab end;

a grip region disposed adjacent to the first tab end; and

a cell attachment region disposed adjacent to the second tab end and attached to the top surface of the battery, the cell attachment region having first and second oppositely disposed sidewalls, wherein at least one of the first and second sidewalls is disposed inwardly away from the peripheral edge of the battery such that a portion of the top surface of the battery is exposed between the peripheral edge of the battery and the sidewall.

2. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein about 5% to about 75% of the top surface of the battery is exposed and the remainder of the top surface is covered by the removable tab.

3. The battery assembly of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one of the first and second sidewalls is curved inwardly away from a circumferential edge of the cell, and the at least one of the first and second sidewalls has a radius of curvature of about 0.1m to about 10 mm.

4. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall are both curved and have the same radius of curvature.

5. The battery assembly of any of claims 1-3, wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall are both curved and have different radii of curvature.

6. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the gripping region has a length of about 10mm to about 35 mm.

7. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the battery cell attachment region has a width of about 0.2mm to about 10mm as measured by a straight line extending from a center point of curvature of the first sidewall to a center point of curvature of the second sidewall.

8. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the removable tab has a total length of about 8mm to about 40 mm.

9. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the removable tab comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: biaxially oriented polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate, polyesters, polyolefins, polyethylene and coextrusions, laminates and other combinations thereof.

10. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the top surface of the battery and the cell attachment region.

11. The battery assembly of claim 10, wherein the adhesive extends onto the gripping region, and wherein the adhesive is covered by a barrier tape in the gripping region.

12. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the tab has a thickness of about 0.1mm to about 1 mm.

13. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the battery is a metal/air battery and includes air holes in the top surface, and the cell attachment region is disposed over and covers the holes.

14. The battery assembly of claim 13, wherein the metal/air cell is a zinc/air button cell.

15. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the distance between the first and/or second sidewall to the circumferential edge is about 0.1mm to about 10mm, as measured from a straight line extending from a center point of curvature of the sidewall to the circumferential edge.

16. The battery assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of the cell attachment region extends beyond a top surface of the battery in a parallel direction.

17. A method of using the battery assembly of any one of claims 1-16, comprising:

grasping the battery assembly through the grasping area of the removable tab;

inserting the battery assembly into a battery case;

removing the removable tab by applying a peel force to the cell attachment region while applying pressure to a portion of the top surface of the battery exposed between the peripheral edge and the curved sidewall.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pressure is applied by a user's fingertip.

19. A removable tab comprising:

a first tab end and an oppositely disposed second tab end;

a grip region disposed adjacent to the first tab end;

a cell attachment region disposed adjacent to the second tab end, the cell attachment region adapted to attach to a top surface of a battery, wherein the cell attachment region has a first sidewall and an oppositely disposed second sidewall, and at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall is bent inward such that a portion of the top surface of the battery is exposed when the cell attachment region is attached to the top surface of the battery.

20. The removable tab of claim 19, wherein the first sidewall and/or the second sidewall has a radius of curvature of about 0.1mm to about 10 mm.

21. The removable tab of claim 19 or claim 20, wherein the first and second sidewalls are both curved and have the same radius of curvature.

22. The removable tab of any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the first and second sidewalls are both curved and have different radii of curvature.

23. The removable tab of any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein the gripping region has a length of about 10mm to about 35 mm.

24. The removable tab of any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein the battery cell attachment region has a width of about 0.2mm to about 10mm as measured by a straight line extending from a center point of curvature of the first sidewall to a center point of curvature of the second sidewall.

25. The removable tab of any one of claims 19 to 24, wherein the removable tab has an overall length of about 8mm to about 40 mm.

26. The removable tab of any one of claims 19 to 25, wherein the removable tab comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: biaxially oriented polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate, polyesters, polyolefins, polyethylene and coextrusions, laminates and other combinations thereof.

27. The removable tab of any one of claims 19 to 26, wherein the battery cell attachment region comprises a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive for attaching the removable tab at the battery cell attachment region to a battery.

28. The removable tab of any of claims 19 to 27 wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive layer is covered with a barrier tape.

29. The removable tab of any one of claims 19 to 28 wherein the tab has a thickness of about 0.1mm to about 1 mm.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to removable tabs (tabs) for batteries and battery assemblies having the same, and more particularly to a removable tab that facilitates exposing a portion of a top surface of a battery.

Background

Over the last 15 years, the number of individuals with hearing loss (loss) has nearly doubled. Many suffering from hearing loss are elderly and in men and women with increasing age, especially after 65 years of age, hand function declines. Even with tabs such as easy tab (Duracell u.s. Operations, Inc.), which are relatively long tabs that are attached to the battery for easy handling by the consumer, this loss of hand function can make it more difficult to replace the hearing aid battery. Conventional hearing aid tabs (such as EasyTab) are typically attached to the battery such that the entire top surface of the battery is covered by and adhered to the tabs. Despite the fact that relatively long tabs facilitate insertion of the battery into the hearing aid by the consumer, insertion of the battery into the hearing aid continues to pose handling challenges, including frequent accidental dropping of the battery and associated tabs, and thus can lead to significant consumer frustration, particularly for elderly consumers.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a battery tab that is constructed and arranged to facilitate removal of the tab from the battery once the battery is placed in its desired location, such as in a hearing aid.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery assembly includes: a cell having a top surface surrounded by a peripheral edge; and a removable tab attached to the top surface. The removable tab comprises: a first tab end and an oppositely disposed second tab end; a grip region disposed adjacent to the first tab end; and a battery cell (battery cell) attachment region disposed adjacent to the second tab end and attached to a top surface of the battery. The cell attachment region has first and second oppositely disposed sidewalls, wherein at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall is disposed inwardly away from a peripheral edge of the cell such that a portion of a top surface of the cell is exposed between the peripheral edge and the sidewall of the cell.

According to another embodiment, a removable tab includes: a first tab end and an oppositely disposed second tab end; a grip region disposed adjacent to the first tab end; and a battery cell attachment region disposed adjacent to the second tab end and attached to a top surface of the battery. The cell attachment region has first and second oppositely disposed sidewalls, wherein at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall is disposed inwardly away from a peripheral edge of the cell such that a portion of a top surface of the cell is exposed between the peripheral edge and the sidewall of the cell.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 is a front view of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 is a rear view of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 is a side view of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 5 is a top view of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a battery assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 7 is a perspective view of a battery assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 8A is a top view of a battery tab according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 8B is a bottom view of the tab of fig. 8A;

fig. 9A is a top view of a battery tab according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 9B is a bottom view of the tab of fig. 9A;

fig. 10A is a schematic view of a conventional battery tab, showing various dimensions of the tab; and

fig. 10B is a schematic view of a tab showing various dimensions of the tab according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1, a battery assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a battery 12 having a top surface 14 and a removable tab 16 attached to the top surface 14 of the battery 12.

The removable battery tabs 16 disclosed herein may be used with any suitable battery type and/or size. For example, the battery may be a hearing aid battery. In one aspect, the hearing aid battery is a metal/air battery, for example, the hearing aid battery may be a zinc air button cell. Additionally, button cells come in a variety of sizes, as is known in the art. The size of the removable tab 16 may be adjusted depending on the size of the battery to which it is attached. Such adjustments may include modifying the width and/or length of the battery attachment region of the tab. Additionally or alternatively, the overall tab length may be adjusted as desired depending on the battery size. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery assembly is provided that includes a battery and a removable tab. According to other embodiments, a removable tab is provided for subsequent attachment to the battery.

Referring to fig. 1, the cell 12 includes a top surface 14 surrounded by a peripheral edge 15. The removable tab 16 includes a first tab end 18 and an oppositely disposed second tab end 20. The removable tab 16 includes: a grip region 22, the grip region 22 being disposed adjacent the first tab end 18; and a cell attachment region 24, the cell attachment region 24 being disposed adjacent to the second tab end 20. The gripping area 22 is a portion of the removable tab 16 that is not coextensive with the battery cell attachment area 24. More particularly, the gripping region 22 does not overlap any portion of the removable tab that is coextensive with the first surface 14 of the battery 12. The cell attachment region 24 is attached or adapted to be attached to the top surface 14 of the battery 12. The cell attachment region 24 of the tab 16 includes first and second oppositely disposed sidewalls 26, 28. At least one of the sidewalls 26, 28 is disposed inwardly from the peripheral edge 15 of the cell 12 such that a portion 30 of the top surface 14 of the cell is exposed between the peripheral edge 15 of the cell 12 and the edges 26, 28, 29 of the tab 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the two sidewalls 26, 28 are bent inward from the peripheral edge 15 of the cell 12 such that a portion 30 of the top surface 14 of the cell is exposed between the peripheral edge 15 of the cell 12 and the edges 26, 28, 29 of the tab 16. Other non-curved methods of positioning edges 26, 28, 29 inwardly away from circumferential edge 15 are also contemplated herein. For example, the edges 26, 28, 29 may have substantially linear edges, with the linear sidewall edges disposed inwardly away from the circumferential edge 15. The exposed surface 30 advantageously provides an area that a user can depress to hold the battery 12 in a desired position while applying a peel force to remove the tab 16 from the battery 12. Referring to fig. 4 and 6, the grip region 22 is parallel to the plane of the top surface 14 of the battery 12.

Referring to fig. 5, in various embodiments, at least one edge 26, 28, 29 is bent inward toward the center of the cell 12 to provide an exposed area 30. In some embodiments, the curvature of the edges 26, 28, 29 may substantially reflect the curvature of a (mirror) finger, such as a thumb, when the finger is used to hold the battery in place after insertion of the battery into a device, such as a hearing aid. In various embodiments, as shown in the figures, both the first and second sidewalls 26, 28 are curved inward to provide two exposed surfaces 30 of the battery 12. Referring to fig. 7, an embodiment is shown in which the end edge 29 of the tab is bent inward toward the center of the cell. For example, the radius of curvature of the first and/or second edges 26, 28, 29 may be about 0.1mm to about 10mm, about 1mm to about 5mm, about 6mm to about 10mm, about 0.1mm to about 1mm, about 1mm to about 8mm, and about 0.3mm to about 1.5 mm. Other suitable radii of curvature include about 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5 and 10 mm. Where both the first and second side edges 26, 28 are disposed inwardly to expose a portion 30 of the top surface 14, the first and second side edges 26, 28 may have the same or different radii of curvature. Similarly, where one or both of the side edges 26, 28 and the end edge 29 are curved inwardly, they may have the same or different radii or curvatures.

About 5% to about 75% of the top surface 14 of the battery 12 may be exposed, with the remainder of the top surface 14 covered by the removable tab 16. Other suitable amounts of exposed top surface 30 include about 10% to about 70%, about 15% to about 60%, about 5% to about 10%, about 10% to about 20%, about 5% to about 50%. For example, about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, or 75% of the top surface 30 of the cell may be exposed. The amount of exposed top surface 30 may depend in part on, for example, the type and size of the battery. For example, the amount of top surface 30 exposed in a metal/air cell that includes holes (not shown) in the top surface 14 that must be covered by the removable tab 16 may be determined by the size and arrangement of the holes on the top surface 14.

Referring to fig. 4, the overall length L of tab 16 may vary depending on the size of battery 12 to which tab 16 is to be attached. In general, the removable tab 16 may have a length of about 8mm to about 40mm, about 8mm to about 15mm, about 22mm to 30mm, about 25mm to 35mm, about 20mm to 25mm, and about 30mm to about 35 mm. Other suitable lengths include, for example, about 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40 mm.

The battery cell attachment region 24 may have any suitable length L_bThe length depends on the size of the battery to which the removable tab 16 is to be attached. Generally, the cell attachment region 24 may have a length L_bWhich corresponds to the diameter D of the battery 12 (shown in fig. 6) to which it is attached. For example, a common hearing aid battery diameter includes about 5.8mm,7.9mm and 11.6 mm. In various embodiments, the battery cell attachment regions 24 may have substantially the same or the same length. In some embodiments, the battery cell attachment region 24 may extend past the peripheral edge 15 of the top surface 14 of the battery 12 in a direction parallel to the top surface 14 such that the length of the battery attachment region 24 is longer than the diameter of the battery 12 to which it is attached or adapted to be attached, so as to further facilitate application of a peel force to the battery cell attachment region 24 by twisting and/or pulling the removable tab 16 via the grip region 22, while at the same time holding the battery 12 in place in a device, such as a hearing aid, by applying pressure to the exposed top surface 30. Generally, the battery cell attachment region 24 may have a length of about 4mm to about 15mm, about 5mm to about 10mm, about 5.5mm to about 12mm, about 4mm to about 8mm, and about 10mm to about 15 mm. Other suitable lengths include about 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 mm.

Referring again to fig. 5, the battery cell attachment region 24 can have a width W of about 0.2 to about 10mm, about 0.5mm to about 10mm, about 0.7 to about 5mm, about 1mm to about 9mm, about 2mm to about 8mm, about 4mm to about 6mm, about 5mm to about 10mm, or about 0.5mm to about 6mm, as measured by a straight line extending from a center point of the first edge 26 to a center point of the second edge 28. Other suitable widths include about 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 mm. In the illustrated embodiment, the width is measured from a center point of curvature of the first edge 26 to a center point of curvature of the second edge 28.

Turning back to FIG. 4, the length L of the grip region 22_gAnd may also vary depending on the size of the battery to which removable tab 16 is attached or adapted to be attached. For example, the grip region 22 may have a length of about 2mm to about 35mm, about 2mm to about 9mm, about 4mm to about 20mm, about 10mm to about 35mm, about 15mm to about 30mm, about 10mm to about 20mm, about 15mm to about 20mm, about 10mm to about 15mm, about 12mm to about 18mm, and about 13mm to about 17 mm. Other suitable lengths include about 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 mm.

For example, if the removable tab 16 is applied to a 675 size battery cell, the gripping region 22 can have a length L measured from the peripheral edge 15 of the battery 12 to the first tab end 18 of about 12.7mm to about 19.1mm or about 15.9mm_g. In another exemplary embodiment, tab 16 can be applied to a smaller size button cell, such as size 10 (which has a 5mm diameter and 3.5mm height) or size 13 (which has a 7mm diameter and 5mm height). For example, the removable tab 16 may have the same length of grip area as for a 675 size battery. Different removable tab lengths may also be provided.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the grip region is directly adjacent to the cell attachment region 24 and extends outward from the peripheral edge of the battery 12. It is also contemplated herein that the grip region begins a distance away from the peripheral edge of the battery, for example, where the battery cell attachment region extends beyond the peripheral edge of the battery (as described above). It is also contemplated herein that an intermediate region may be provided between battery cell attachment region 24 and grip region 22.

The removable tab 16 may have a thickness of about 0.1mm to about 1mm, about 0.5m to about 0.9mm, about 0.2mm to about 0.8mm, about 0.4mm to about 1mm, about 0.3mm to about 0.7mm, or about 0.1mm to about 0.5 mm. Other suitable thicknesses include about 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, and 1 mm.

Removable tab 16 may comprise any suitable material or laminate. For example, the removable tab 16 may comprise a thermoplastic material. In embodiments, the removable tab 16 may comprise a material selected from the group consisting of: biaxially oriented polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate, polyesters, polyolefins, polyethylene and coextrusions, laminates and other combinations thereof. Any number of layers may be included in the laminate, such as adhesive layers, tie layers, printed layers, strength or stiffness enhancing layers, foam layers, and combinations thereof. For example, removable tab 16 may have a laminate construction as described in U.S. patent No. 6,329,095, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In an embodiment, removable tab 16 may include an adhesive in cell attachment region 24 that is used to attach tab 16 to top surface 14 of battery 12. In some embodiments, the adhesive may extend into the gripping region 22 and may be covered by a second layer, such as a barrier tape (not shown), disposed on all or only a portion of the gripping region 22. Suitable adhesives include, but are not limited to, pressure sensitive adhesives, such as acrylic-based pressure sensitive adhesives.

In use, a consumer may grasp the battery assembly at the grasping area 22 of the removable tab 16 and insert the battery assembly 10 into the battery compartment. The consumer may then apply a peel force to remove the removable tab 16 while applying pressure to the exposed portion 30 of the top surface 14 of the battery 12 disposed between the peripheral edge 15 and the edges 26, 28, 29 of the removable tab 16. The ability to apply pressure directly to the top surface 14 of the battery (e.g., using one's fingers) advantageously allows the consumer to stabilize the battery 12 in place in the battery case while applying a peel force to remove the tab 16, and without interfering with the removal of the tab (which, as with conventional battery tabs, must also be by pressing down on a portion of the tab).

In various embodiments, the removable tab 16 may be provided with a textured layer or coating in the gripping region. For example, the removable tab may have a coating or additional layer of material applied to the top or bottom surface of the primary tab material, at least in the gripping region 22. The textured (textilize) coating or layer may have an average surface roughness of about 0.6 microns to about 6 microns, about 0.8 microns to about 1.8 microns, about 1 micron to about 2 microns, about 0.7 microns to about 1.2 microns, about 0.8 microns to about 1 micron, about 0.6 microns to about 1.5 microns, or about 1.5 microns to about 2 microns. Other suitable roughnesses include about 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, and 6 microns.

Examples of the invention

Six sizes 312 of battery cell tabs according to embodiments of the present disclosure were made. Fig. 8A and 8B are photographs of one of the tabs. Tab dimensions are provided in table 1 below.

Table 1: size 312 cell

Battery with a battery cell	L1Bond length (mm)	L2-non-adhesive length (mm)	LTTotal tab length (mm)	WTWidth of joint sheet (mm)	W1Width of cell-widest (mm)	W2Width of cell-narrowest (mm)
							1	9.50	16.00	25.44	7.62	5.58	4.22
2	9.53	16.07	25.45	7.61	5.53	4.31
							3	9.59	15.90	25.46	7.65	5.64	4.49
4	9.73	15.84	25.53	7.6	5.55	4.33
							5	9.66	15.93	25.51	7.7	5.52	4.43
6	9.72	15.93	25.51	7.73	5.45	4.09
							Average	9.62	15.95	25.48	7.65	5.55	4.31
Standard deviation of	0.10	0.08	0.04	0.05	0.06	0.14

Six sizes 13 of battery cell tabs according to embodiments of the present disclosure were made. Fig. 9A and 9B are photographs of one of these tabs. Tab dimensions are provided in table 2 below. Fig. 10A shows the locations of the dimensions listed in tables 1 and 2 for a conventional battery cell, and fig. 10B shows the locations of the dimensions listed in tables 1 and 2 for a tab according to the present disclosure.

Table 2: size 13 battery cell

Battery with a battery cell	L1Long adhesionDegree (mm)	L2-non-adhesive length (mm)	LTTotal tab length (mm)	WTWidth of joint sheet (mm)	W1Width of cell-widest (mm)	W2Width of cell-narrowest (mm)
							1	9.41	16.15	25.56	7.67	5.46	4.32
2	9.62	16.18	25.54	7.69	5.43	4.36
							3	9.78	16.18	25.44	7.7	5.46	4.3
4	9.46	16.3	25.54	7.59	5.51	4.38
							5	9.42	16.23	25.52	7.71	5.5	4.32
6	9.41	16.12	25.49	7.64	5.42	4.27
							Average	9.52	16.19	25.52	7.67	5.46	4.33
Standard deviation of	0.15	0.06	0.04	0.05	0.04	0.04

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Alternatively, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm".

Each document cited herein (including any cross-referenced or related patent or application and any patent application or patent to which that application claims priority or benefit) is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any embodiment disclosed or claimed herein or that it teaches, suggests or discloses any such embodiment alone or in any combination with any other reference or references. Furthermore, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern (govern).

While particular embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this disclosure.