阅读说明：本技术 一种缓释型杀菌除味凝胶制剂及其制备方法 (Slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation and preparation method thereof ) 是由 谢志坚 钱峰 于 2021-09-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公布了一种缓释型杀菌除味凝胶制剂,以重量百分比计,包括如下组分：植物提取液1-6%、活性成分50-80％、增稠剂0.1-2％、保湿剂0.5-5％、润湿剂1-5％、中和剂0.5-3%、香精0.2-2%,余量为去离子水；所述植物提取液为鹿蹄草提取液与选自桉树油、迷迭香汁、薄荷油、松香汁、芦荟提取物、茶树油及樟树油中至少一种的混合液。本发明选取植物提取液和精油作为天然除臭原料,不含有害物质或掩蔽剂,将杀菌除味材料以凝胶为载体组合在一起,组成缓释凝胶,使其可以在有人环境下同时对室内空气进行病毒消杀、除味和促使PM2.5颗粒的沉降,达到清洁室内空气的目的,本发明凝胶制剂无毒环保,综合去除异味过程立竿见影,对去除甲醛、苯、氨等有显著效果。(The invention discloses a slow-release sterilization and odor removal gel preparation which comprises the following components in percentage by weight: 1-6% of plant extract, 50-80% of active ingredient, 0.1-2% of thickening agent, 0.5-5% of humectant, 1-5% of wetting agent, 0.5-3% of neutralizer, 0.2-2% of essence and the balance of deionized water; the plant extractive solution is mixed solution of herba Pyrolae extractive solution and at least one of oleum Eucalypti, herba Rosmarini officinalis juice, oleum Menthae Dementholatum, lignum Pini nodi juice, Aloe extract, tea tree oil and lignum Cinnamomi Camphorae oil. The plant extract and the essential oil are selected as natural deodorizing raw materials, no harmful substances or masking agents are contained, and the sterilizing and deodorizing materials are combined together by taking the gel as a carrier to form the slow-release gel, so that the gel can simultaneously carry out virus killing and deodorizing on indoor air and promote the sedimentation of PM2.5 particles in a human environment, and the purpose of cleaning the indoor air is achieved.)

1. A slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation is characterized in that: the composite material comprises the following components in percentage by weight: 1-6% of plant extract, 50-80% of active ingredient, 0.1-2% of thickening agent, 0.5-5% of humectant, 1-5% of wetting agent, 0.5-3% of neutralizer, 0.2-2% of essence and the balance of deionized water; the plant extractive solution is mixed solution of herba Pyrolae extractive solution and at least one of oleum Eucalypti, herba Rosmarini officinalis juice, oleum Menthae Dementholatum, lignum Pini nodi juice, Aloe extract, tea tree oil and lignum Cinnamomi Camphorae oil.

2. The slow-release bactericidal odor removal gel formulation of claim 1, wherein: the plant extract is a mixed solution of wintergreen extract and eucalyptus oil according to the weight ratio of 0.5-1: 0.6-1.

3. The slow-release bactericidal odor removal gel formulation of claim 1, wherein: the active ingredient is ethanol or isopropanol.

4. The slow-release bactericidal odor removal gel formulation of claim 1, wherein: the thickening agent is one or more of carbomer, vegetable gum, starch, pectin, gelatin, chitin, chitosan, collagen, silica gel and corn starch.

5. The slow-release bactericidal odor removal gel formulation of claim 1, wherein: the humectant is any one or a mixture of more of propylene glycol, glycerol, polyethylene glycol and amino acid.

6. The slow-release bactericidal odor removal gel formulation of claim 1, wherein: the neutralizing agent is triethanolamine and/or sodium hydroxide.

7. The slow-release bactericidal odor removal gel formulation of claim 1, wherein: the wetting agent is a mixture of polysorbate and glycol.

8. The slow-release bactericidal odor removal gel formulation of claim 1, wherein: the conductivity of the deionized water is <0.5 US/cm.

9. A method for preparing a slow-release bactericidal odor-removing gel formulation as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: comprises the following steps:

step S1, heating deionized water to 40-50 ℃, scattering a thickening agent on the surface, standing and wetting for 3-5 min, stirring until the thickening agent is completely dissolved, and then naturally cooling to 22-25 ℃ for later use;

step S2, taking half of the active ingredients, respectively adding the plant extract and the wetting agent into the active ingredients, and fully stirring until the active ingredients are dissolved for later use;

step S3, adding the residual active ingredients in the step S2 into the solution prepared in the step S1, and keeping the temperature and fully stirring for 6-10 min; then adding a humectant, and continuously stirring for 3-5 min; then adding the solution prepared in the step S2, and stirring for 3-5 min; then adding essence, and stirring for 3-5 min; finally, slowly adding a neutralizing agent into the mixture while stirring until gel is formed;

and step S4, standing the formed gel and filling.

10. The use of the slow-release bactericidal odor removal gel formulation of claim 1 wherein the slow-release bactericidal odor removal gel formulation is atomized and sprayed into the air.

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of air sterilization and deodorization, in particular to a slow-release type sterilization and deodorization gel preparation and a preparation method thereof.

Background

Since the global outbreak of new crown epidemic situation in the early 2020, all communities have higher awareness of air safety, and air is both a necessary condition for human survival and an important medium for spreading diseases. In a living room, an environment with proper temperature and humidity is a hotbed for breeding microorganisms, so that the sterilization and disinfection of air are of great significance for preventing infectious diseases. With the increasing pollution of the environment and the pollution of various decoration materials, the air source becomes an invisible killer which influences the health of human bodies. With the increasing environmental awareness and the increasing standard of living, the importance of cleaning air for human health is becoming increasingly recognized.

At present, the existing gas scavenging agent such as CN 100544772C, CN 101530624B has good effect on removing sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde and TVOC, but the used raw materials have high requirements on production equipment and also contain raw materials such as melamine which are harmful to human bodies.

Although there are many methods to remove harmful gases, for example, air purification products are used, the purification technologies adopted by the air purifier products at home and abroad at present mainly include: ultraviolet purification, photocatalyst purification, plasma purification, filtration purification, electrostatic dust collection, adsorption purification, negative ion purification, ozone purification, molecular complexation and HIMOP rapid lamp purification. According to the function of the air purifier, the air purifier can be divided into: passive decontamination, active decontamination, and dual decontamination (active decontamination + passive decontamination). The method mainly comprises the following steps according to applicable environments: the automobile, household and commercial type is suitable for places such as families, office buildings, hotels, shopping malls, automobile interiors and the like. Generally has the functions of circulation refreshing, filtration, sterilization, spectrum sterilization, peculiar smell elimination, smoke dust elimination, air regeneration and the like. However, the price of the air purifier product is generally higher.

In addition, the disinfectant liquid spray is mainly used for killing various places, but the liquid disinfectant spray is quick in volatilization and free of persistence, people cannot be present in the killing process, and killing personnel need to wear thick protective clothing to avoid skin injury.

Based on the problems, the invention provides a sustained-release sterilization and odor removal gel preparation and a preparation method thereof, the preparation utilizes natural deodorization raw materials of plant extracts and essential oil, does not contain harmful substances or masking agents, and combines the sterilization and odor removal materials by taking gel as a carrier to form sustained-release gel, so that the sustained-release gel can simultaneously carry out virus killing and odor removal on indoor air and promote PM2.5 particles to settle in human environment, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning the indoor air. The current air filtering device for sterilizing and deodorizing formaldehyde in a gel state is difficult to see in the market.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a sustained-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation and a preparation method thereof aiming at the defects in the prior art, the preparation utilizes natural deodorization raw materials of plant extracts and essential oil, does not contain harmful substances or masking agents, and combines the sterilization and odor removal materials by taking gel as a carrier to form sustained-release gel, so that the sustained-release gel can simultaneously carry out virus killing and odor removal on indoor air and promote the sedimentation of PM2.5 particles in human environment, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning the indoor air.

In order to achieve the purpose, the invention adopts the following technical scheme:

a slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation is prepared from the following raw materials in percentage by weight: 1-6% of plant extract, 50-80% of active ingredient, 0.1-2% of thickening agent, 0.5-5% of humectant, 1-5% of wetting agent, 0.5-3% of neutralizer, 0.2-2% of essence and the balance of deionized water; the plant extractive solution is mixed solution of herba Pyrolae extractive solution and at least one of oleum Eucalypti, herba Rosmarini officinalis juice, oleum Menthae Dementholatum, lignum Pini nodi juice, Aloe extract, tea tree oil and lignum Cinnamomi Camphorae oil.

The preparation disclosed by the invention uses the natural plant extracts and the natural essential oil deodorizing raw materials, and is matched with other components, so that the preparation has the characteristics of sterilization, deodorization and environmental protection.

Preferably, the plant extract is a mixed solution of wintergreen extract and eucalyptus oil according to the weight ratio of 0.5-1: 0.6-1.

Further, the active ingredient is ethanol or isopropanol; ethanol or isopropanol and the plant extract of the invention complement each other, further improve the sterilization and odor removal effects of the preparation, and ethanol is preferred in the invention.

Further, the thickening agent is any one or a mixture of more of carbomer, vegetable gum, starch, pectin, gelatin, chitin, chitosan, collagen, silica gel and corn starch; the thickeners of the present invention are useful for forming gels, preferably carbomers. The carbomer has high affinity, can form a stable high molecular structure with a neutralizer, and has low raw material cost.

Further, the humectant is any one or a mixture of more of propylene glycol, glycerol, polyethylene glycol and amino acid; the humectant disclosed by the invention is used for absorbing water in the ambient environment and keeping the water under a common humidity condition, and is non-toxic, odorless, non-irritant and safe to use.

Further, the neutralizing agent is triethanolamine and/or sodium hydroxide; according to the invention, triethanolamine is preferably used as a neutralizer, the triethanolamine has an excellent neutralization effect on acidic polymer gel containing carbomer and the like, and the triethanolamine forms a stable polymer structure through neutralization with carboxyl of carbomer, so that the application effects of thickening and moisture retention are achieved.

Further, the wetting agent is a mixture of polysorbate and glycol; the wetting agent can enable the gel preparation to be better attached to the surface of an object, and enhances the sterilization and odor removal effects.

Further, the conductivity of the deionized water is <0.5 US/cm.

The invention also provides a preparation method of the slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation, which comprises the following steps:

step S1, heating deionized water to 40-50 ℃, scattering a thickening agent on the surface, standing and wetting for 3-5 min, stirring until the thickening agent is completely dissolved, and then naturally cooling to 22-25 ℃ for later use;

step S2, taking half of the active ingredients, respectively adding the plant extract and the wetting agent into the active ingredients, and fully stirring until the active ingredients are dissolved for later use;

step S3, adding the residual active ingredients in the step S2 into the solution prepared in the step S1, and keeping the temperature and fully stirring for 6-10 min; then adding a humectant, and continuously stirring for 3-5 min; then adding the solution prepared in the step S2, and stirring for 3-5 min; then adding essence, and stirring for 3-5 min; finally, slowly adding a neutralizing agent into the mixture while stirring until gel is formed;

and step S4, standing the formed gel and filling.

Furthermore, the prepared sterilization and odor removal gel preparation is applied to an air filtering device, so that the sterilization and odor removal gel preparation is atomized and sprayed in the air.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the beneficial effects that:

1. the invention provides a slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation, which selects plant extract and essential oil as natural deodorization raw materials, does not contain harmful substances or masking agents, combines the sterilization and odor removal materials together by taking gel as a carrier to form slow-release gel, so that the slow-release gel can simultaneously carry out virus killing and odor removal on indoor air and promote PM2.5 particles to settle in a human environment, and the purpose of cleaning the indoor air is achieved.

2. The invention belongs to an 'actual non-toxic grade' environment-friendly deodorant, has obvious effect on removing formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia and the like, and has an instant effect on comprehensively removing peculiar smell. The practical inhalation is nontoxic, has no allergic reaction and has obvious space sterilization effect.

3. The sustained-release sterilization and odor removal gel preparation has sustainability, and solves the problems that the liquid is fast to volatilize and is not beneficial to providing disinfection for a long time.

4. The slow-release sterilizing and deodorizing gel preparation does not leave spots, does not hurt the skin, does not contain ozone, does not damage textile fibers, decoration and the like after being used.

5. The preparation method is simple, easy to operate, easy to obtain raw materials, low in cost and wide in industrial application prospect.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions of the present invention will be described clearly and completely with reference to the following embodiments, and it should be understood that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

The test methods or test methods described in the following examples are conventional methods unless otherwise specified; the reagents and materials, unless otherwise indicated, are conventionally obtained commercially or prepared by conventional methods.

Example 1

The embodiment provides a slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation which comprises the following raw material components in parts by weight: 1% of wintergreen extracting solution, 1% of eucalyptus oil, 50% of ethanol, 0.1% of carbomer, 0.5% of propylene glycol, 1% of polysorbate, 1% of ethylene glycol, 0.5% of triethanolamine, 0.2% of essence and 44.7% of deionized water.

Example 2

The embodiment provides a slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation which comprises the following raw material components in parts by weight: 2% of wintergreen extracting solution, 2% of eucalyptus oil, 60% of ethanol, 1% of carbomer, 2% of amino acid, 1% of polysorbate, 1% of ethylene glycol, 1% of triethanolamine, 1% of essence and 29% of deionized water.

Example 3

The embodiment provides a slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation which comprises the following raw material components in parts by weight: 2% of wintergreen extracting solution, 2% of eucalyptus oil, 1% of peppermint oil, 60% of ethanol, 2% of carbomer, 2% of polyethylene glycol, 1% of polysorbate, 1% of ethylene glycol, 2% of triethanolamine, 1% of essence and 26% of deionized water.

Example 4

The embodiment provides a slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation which comprises the following raw material components in parts by weight: 2% of wintergreen extracting solution, 2% of eucalyptus oil, 0.5% of peppermint oil, 0.5% of rosemary juice, 70% of ethanol, 2% of carbomer, 2% of polyethylene glycol, 1% of polysorbate, 0.5% of ethylene glycol, 2% of triethanolamine, 0.5% of essence and 17% of deionized water.

Example 5

The embodiment provides a slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation which comprises the following raw material components in parts by weight: 3% of wintergreen extracting solution, 3% of eucalyptus oil, 70% of isopropanol, 1% of pectin, 1% of chitosan, 1% of propylene glycol, 1% of polyethylene glycol, 1% of polysorbate, 0.5% of ethylene glycol, 2% of sodium hydroxide, 0.5% of essence and 16% of deionized water.

Example 6

This embodiment provides a method for preparing the sustained-release bactericidal odor-removing gel preparation described in any one of embodiments 1 to 5, which specifically includes:

step S1, heating deionized water to 40-50 ℃, scattering a thickening agent on the surface, standing and wetting for 3-5 min, stirring until the thickening agent is completely dissolved, and then naturally cooling to 22-25 ℃ for later use;

step S2, taking half of the active ingredients, respectively adding the plant extract and the wetting agent into the active ingredients, and fully stirring until the active ingredients are dissolved for later use;

step S3, adding the residual active ingredients in the step S2 into the solution prepared in the step S1, and keeping the temperature and fully stirring for 6-10 min; then adding a humectant, and continuously stirring for 3-5 min; then adding the solution prepared in the step S2, and stirring for 3-5 min; then adding essence, and stirring for 3-5 min; finally, slowly adding a neutralizing agent into the mixture while stirring until gel is formed;

and step S4, standing the formed gel and filling.

The working principle of the slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation is as follows: the filter screen made of the gel block is blown by a fan, positive odor removing molecules volatilized into the air are captured and quickly adsorbed when contacting with the odor molecules in the air, the odor molecules in the air are wrapped, the odor molecule structure is damaged, the odor molecules are not activated any more, the odor molecules cannot return to the air again, various odors containing ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, mercaptan, trimethylamine, formaldehyde, benzene and the like are quickly neutralized and decomposed, and the filter screen is nontoxic, does not leave spots after being used, does not damage the skin, does not contain ozone, does not damage textile fibers, decoration and the like, so that the effects of sterilization, odor removal and formaldehyde removal are achieved. The gel has the advantages of persistence, and overcomes the disadvantages of rapid volatilization of liquid and no contribution to long-term disinfection. The active deodorization molecules in an atomized state are fully contacted with each other to adsorb and couple peculiar smell, and the active deodorization molecules and the peculiar smell molecules quickly react to generate a nontoxic, harmless and tasteless substance. No spot, no irritation to eye skin, no damage to leather fabric metal, and no secondary pollution.

In order to further verify the excellent application performance of the sustained-release bactericidal odor-removing gel preparation, a series of performance verification tests are developed. The slow-release type sterilization and odor removal gel preparation prepared by the invention is tested by Guangzhou microbiological analysis and detection center.

First, acute inhalation toxicity test

Detection basis and method: reference is made to "Disinfection Specification" 2002 edition, second part 2.3.2;

detecting items and requirements: mouse acute inhalation toxicity experiment (nebulization): static contamination method.

The specific operation is as follows:

1. the test substance: as is.

2. Experimental animals and breeding environment:

2.1 SPF-class animal housing, laboratory animals use license numbers: SYXK (Yue) 2016-;

2.2 animal species strains: SPF grade KM mice; 10 males and 10 females, weight range 18-22 g; animal certification number: 44007200090216, respectively;

2.3 animal sources: the experimental animal is provided by the Guangdong province medical experimental animal center (the experimental animal production license number: SCXK 2018-;

2.4 feed source and feed qualification prove that: the feed is purchased from cooperative medical bioengineering, Limited liability company of Jiangsu province, and the production license number is as follows: a soyage (2019)01008, certification No. 120210116035;

2.5 breeding environment: the temperature is 20-26 ℃, and the relative humidity is 40-70%.

3. The method comprises the following steps:

3.1 test method: reference is made to "Disinfection Specification" 2002 edition, second part 2.3.2;

3.2 dose level: according to the requirements of the method, a one-time limit method (namely, one-time inhalation for 2h to obtain toxic concentration of 10000 mg/m)³)；

3.3 test procedure: by adopting a static contamination method, 280g of the tested substance is placed in a contamination cabinet to naturally volatilize for 6 hours, and the volatilization amount of the tested substance is measured to be more than 3000mg to reach the contamination concentration of 10000mg/m³. And putting the animal into a tested animal for 2h of one-time contamination, observing the poisoning expression, the death number and the death time of the animal after contamination, and weighing the weight of the animal at D0, D7 and D14 after contamination. The observation period was 14D.

4. And (4) evaluating the results: LC50 was calculated from the mortality of animals in each dose group.

5. The test results are shown in table 1:

TABLE 1

As is clear from Table 1, the test results show that the acute inhalation toxicity of the test substance (as it is) to SPF-class KM mice is LC502h > 10000mg/m³All tested animals have no obvious toxic symptoms or death in the observation period of 14 days, and the preparation is proved to be actually nontoxic.

Second, space virus removal (influenza A virus H1N1 sterilization efficacy) identification test

Detection basis and method: reference standard T/SAEPI 005-;

detecting items and requirements: the gel product is put into a peculiar smell control sterilization machine purchased from the market, the maximum air flow is operated for 1 hour, and the gel product is placed in a 30-cube experimental bin, and the experimental result is shown in table 2:

TABLE 2

As can be seen from Table 2, this experiment proves that the gel preparation of the present invention has the effects of removing viruses and sterilizing air.

Third, causing allergic/allergic reactions

The inspection basis is as follows: reference is made to disinfection Specification 2002, second part 2.3.6;

evaluation basis: refer to disinfection technical Specification 2002 edition;

detecting items and requirements: directly smearing the gel product on the unhaired back of a guinea pig for 6 hours;

the specific operation is as follows:

1. the test substance: as is.

2. Experimental animals and breeding environment:

2.1 general level animal house, the experimental animals use license number: SYXK (yue) 2016-: shenzhou Lu 790 in Huangbu area, Guangzhou city;

2.2 animal species strains: guinea pigs of Hartley; 16 males and 16 females; body weight range: 200-300 g; animal certification number: 44817200001283, respectively;

2.3 animal sources: the experimental animal is provided by an animal farm (the production license number of the experimental animal is SCXK (Yue) 2017-0042) of the family of the Longchengxing in the white cloud area of Guangzhou city;

2.4 feed source and feed qualification prove that: the feed is purchased from cooperative medical bioengineering, Limited liability company of Jiangsu province, and the production license number is as follows: a soyage (2019)01008, certification No. 120210507013;

2.5 the breeding environment has a temperature of 20-26 deg.C and a relative humidity of 40-70%.

3. The method comprises the following steps:

3.1 test method: reference is made to the "Disinfection Specification" 2002 edition, second part, 2.3.6;

3.2 test procedure:

1) and (3) induction contact: the left side of the back of the experimental animal is unhaired 24 hours before the experiment, and the unhairing range is 3cm multiplied by 3 cm. Taking 0.5g of a test object, wetting the test object by using normal saline, applying the test object on a depilation area of 2cm multiplied by 2cm at the left side of the test object, covering the test object with two layers of gauze and a layer of non-irritating plastic film, sealing and fixing the test object by using the non-irritating adhesive tape for 6 hours, then removing residual test object by using warm water, and repeating the steps of 7 th day and 14 th day in the same way.

2) And (3) exciting contact: at 14d after the last induction, 0.5g of the test object is taken, moistened by normal saline, applied to a depilation area of 2cm multiplied by 2cm on the right side of the test animal (depilation is carried out 24h before the test), covered by two layers of gauze and a layer of non-irritating plastic film, sealed and fixed by a non-irritating adhesive tape for 6h, and then the residual test object is removed by warm water. A control group is also provided, the method being identical to the test sample, but only with priming contact and no induction contact.

4. And (4) evaluating the results: skin reactions were observed after 24h and 48h and scored according to the skin reaction scoring scale. Dividing the number of animals with skin reaction more than or equal to 1 by the number of the experimental animals, calculating the sensitization rate, and judging the sensitization intensity according to a skin sensitization reaction grading standard table. When the sensitization rate is 0%, it is judged that no skin allergy is seen. The test results are shown in table 3:

TABLE 3

As can be seen from Table 3, the skin allergy test of the test article on Hartley guinea pig showed no skin allergy, and it was confirmed that the gel formulation of the present invention did not damage human skin.

Fourth, the ammonia removal rate

Detection basis and method: reference standard QB/T2761-;

detecting items and requirements: placing the gel product at 1.5m³The experiment was carried out in a test chamber.

The results of the experiment are shown in table 4:

TABLE 4

As can be seen from table 4, the gel formulation of the present invention has excellent ammonia removal and deodorization performance.

Benzene removal test

Detection basis and method: reference is made to the standard QB/T2761-.

The results of the experiment are shown in table 5:

TABLE 5

As can be seen from table 5, the gel formulation of the present invention has excellent benzene removal performance.

In conclusion, the sustained-release sterilization and odor removal gel preparation provided by the invention selects plant extract and essential oil as natural deodorization raw materials, does not contain harmful substances or masking agents, and belongs to an actual non-toxic environment-friendly odor removal agent. Has very obvious effect on removing formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia and the like, has instant effect in the process of comprehensively removing peculiar smell, has no toxicity in actual inhalation, has no allergic reaction, and has obvious space sterilization effect. The Standard of American occupational safety and health regulation Standard (OSHA's Hazardous Communication Standard 29CFR 1910.1200), Chinese toxicity test method (GB15193.3-1994), Chinese performance test method (GB15979-2002) and Chinese formaldehyde removal test method (GB/T16129-1995) are met.

The invention combines the sterilizing and deodorizing materials together by taking the gel as a carrier to form the slow-release gel, so that the slow-release gel can simultaneously carry out virus killing and deodorizing on indoor air and promote the PM2.5 particles to settle in the environment of people, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning the indoor air. The preparation method is simple, easy to operate, easy to obtain raw materials, low in cost and wide in industrial application prospect.

The above description is only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention, and any modifications, equivalents, improvements and the like that fall within the spirit and principle of the present invention are intended to be included therein.