Merchandising System

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application 63/711,146, filed on Oct. 23, 2024. The disclosure of this prior application is considered part of the disclosure of this application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a merchandising system and, more particularly, to a modular dispensing system.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

Shelving is used extensively for stocking and storing products or merchandise in a variety of stores. Such stores often use a forward feed device to control the storage and distribution of such products. In particular, the forward feed devices are used to automatically move merchandise forward on a shelf after an item is removed. In some instances, the forward feed device must accommodate merchandise of different shapes and sizes. Accordingly, while known forward feed devices have proven useful for their intended purpose, a need for continuous improvement in the pertinent art remains.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the disclosure provides a merchandising system including a mat including a first end, a second end spaced from the first end, a first side, and a second side spaced from the first side, a front rail assembly coupled to the first end of the mat, a rear rail assembly coupled to the second end of the mat, and one or more adapters coupled to the front rail assembly and the rear rail assembly. The one or more adapters including a receptacle extending along a first axis and a track coupled to the receptacle and extending along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

The merchandising system may include one or more of the following optional aspects. For example, the receptacle includes a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface that extends between the first surface and the second surface. The receptacle can include an opening extending into the receptacle with respect to the first axis. The first surface can include a first slot and the second surface can include a second slot, the first slot and the second slot each extending into the opening. The first slot can include one or more teeth and a floor spaced from the one or more teeth. The merchandising system can further include a divider extending into the opening and retained between the one or more teeth and the floor.

According to at least one aspect, the one or more adapters can include one or more first adapters arranged on the front rail assembly and one or more second adapters arranged on the rear rail assembly, the one or more first adapters being paired with the one more second adapters. The merchandising system can further include one or more dividers coupled to and extending between the one or more first adapters and the one or more second adapters.

According to another aspect, the track can include a first segment including a proximal end coupled to the receptacle and a distal end spaced from the proximal end, and a second segment including a proximal end coupled to the first segment and a distal end spaced from the proximal end of the second segment. The distal end of the first segment can include a first channel and the distal end of the second segment can include a second channel opposing the first channel.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a merchandising system including a mat including a first end, a second end spaced from the first end, a first side, and a second side spaced from the first side, a front rail assembly coupled to the first end of the mat, the front rail assembly including a lens, including a wall and a base coupled to the wall. The merchandising system further including a rear rail assembly coupled to the second end of the mat and one or more pairs of adapters coupled to the front rail assembly and the rear rail assembly.

The merchandising system may include one or more of the following optional aspects. For example, the wall can include a first segment having a proximal end and a distal end and a second segment having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the second segment being coupled to the distal end of the first segment. The second segment can be arranged at an angle with respect to the first segment.

According to at least one aspect, the wall can include a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The base can further include one or more front arms coupled to the first surface, the one or more front arms defining a front arm opening between the one or more front arms and the first surface, and one or more rear arms coupled to the second surface, the one or more rear arms defining a rear arm opening.

According to another aspect, the one or more front arms depend from the first surface toward the proximal end of the first segment.

According to at least one example, the front rail assembly can further include one or more shelf brackets coupled to the front arm opening and extending toward the second end of the mat.

According to another example, one or more of the rear arms of the base further includes a first rail. The rear rail assembly can further include a support, a lower arm coupled to the support, and an upper arm coupled to the support and having a second rail. The one or more pairs of adapters can be coupled to the first rail and the second rail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected configurations and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a merchandising system in a retail environment according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is a rear perspective view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a bottom perspective view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a side view of a lens according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B is an enlarged, fragmentary side view of the lens according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a rear perspective view of a shelf bracket according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the shelf bracket of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is a side view of an end rail according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5A is a front perspective view of an adapter according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5B is a front view of the adapter of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5C is a side view of the adapter of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5D is a top view of the adapter of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a divider according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is an enlarged, fragmentary side view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 7B is an enlarged, fragmentary side view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1A; and

FIG. 7C is a rear, fragmentary perspective view of the merchandising system of FIG. 1B.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of configurations of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that the specific details and the example configurations should not be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a merchandising system 100 is generally shown. The merchandising system 100 can be installed in a retail environment, such as a shelf 12 of a refrigerator or freezers. For instance, the merchandising system 100 can be arranged on a top surface 14 of the shelf 12, or on another suitable base surface. The shelf 12 may be located in a store or another suitable location where consumers are able to purchase merchandise. As shown in FIG. 1, the top surface 14 of the shelf 12 extends from a front edge 16 to an opposite rear edge 18. As discussed throughout, the direction from the front edge 16 to the rear edge 18 defines a longitudinal direction while the direction parallel to the front edge 16 and the rear edge 18 defines a lateral direction. In some implementations, the shelf 12 may include apertures 20 (FIG. 1C) extending through the top surface 14 and arranged in series adjacent to each of the front edge 16 and/or the rear edge 18 of the shelf 12. Portions of the merchandising system 100 may be secured to the shelf 12 via fasteners engaging with the apertures 20 (FIG. 1C). The merchandising system 100 may be secured to the shelf 12 in any suitable manner, and the merchandising system 100 may be selectively detached from the shelf 12 and moved, for example, to another shelf or other surface.

With reference to FIG. 1A, the merchandising system 100 includes a first or front end 102 adjacent the front edge 16 of the shelf 12 and a second or rear end 104 opposite the front end 102 and adjacent the rear edge 18 of the shelf 12. Additionally, the merchandising system 100 includes a first or right side 106 and a second or left side 108 spaced laterally from the first side 106. The merchandising system 100 generally includes a mat 200 extending between the front end 102 and the rear end 104, a first or front rail assembly 300 arranged at the front end 102, a second or rear rail assembly 400 arranged at the rear end 104, and one or more adapters 500 arranged at the front and rear ends 102, 104. As described in more detail below, the merchandising system 100 is generally configured so that a user (e.g., a store associate) add, subtract, and/or adjust a width of rows to maintain support and spacing of merchandise, for example.

With reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, the mat 200 includes a top surface 202 and bottom surface 204 opposite the top surface 202. The mat 200 further includes a first or front end 206, a second or rear end 208 spaced from the front end 206, a first or right side 210, and a second or left side 212 spaced from the first side 210. While not readily shown in the figures, the mat 200 can also include grooves or projections on the top surface 202 that help reduce friction between the mat 200 and merchandise arranged thereon, for example.

With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the front rail assembly 300 includes a first or front lens 302 and one or more shelf brackets 304 coupled to the front lens 302. The front lens 302 extends between the first side 106 and the second side 108 of the merchandising system 100. More particularly, the front lens 302 is configured to be coupled to the front end 206 of the mat 200 and extend between the first side 210 and second side 212 of the mat 200. With reference to FIG. 2A, the front lens 302 includes a base 306 and a barrier or wall 308 that is coupled to and extends away from the base 306. The barrier 308 includes a first or front side 310 and a second or rear side 312 opposite the front side 310. In the present illustrative configuration, the barrier 308 includes one or more segments. For instance, the barrier 308 includes a first segment 314 arranged transverse (i.e., at an angle) relative to the mat 200 (FIG. 1A). While the illustrated example shows the first segment 314 being generally perpendicular to the mat 200, the first segment 314 may be provided at an oblique angle providing either a forward or rearward tilt. The first segment 314 has a proximal end 314a and a distal end 314b that is spaced from the proximal end 314a. Optionally, the barrier 308 can include a second segment 316 that includes a proximal end 316a and a distal end 316b. The proximal end 316 a is coupled to the distal end 314 b of the first segment 314 so that the second segment 316 is arranged at an oblique angle a with respect to the first segment 314. According to one aspect, the angle a can be between 40-60 degrees. In general, the barrier 308 is configured to prevent merchandise from sliding off of the front end 102 of the merchandising system 100.

With continued reference to FIG. 2A, the base 306 includes one or more front arms 318 extending from the front side 310 of the barrier 308. The one or more front arms 318 extend between the first side 106 and the second side 108 of the merchandising system 100 and, more particularly, the one or more front arms 318 can extend between the first side 210 of the mat 200 and the second side 212 of the mat 200, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In the present illustrative configuration, as shown in FIG. 2B, the one or more front arms 318 depend away from the front side 310 of the barrier 308 and toward the proximal end 314a of the first segment 314. In other words, the one or more front arms 318 include a proximal end 318a attached to the front side 310 and a distal end 318b spaced from the proximal end 318a and arranged adjacent to the proximal end 314a of the first segment 314. The distal end 318b can include a prominence or protrusion 320 that extends between the first side 106 and second side 108 toward the front side 310 of the barrier 308. A front arm opening 322 is arranged between the one or more front arms 318 and the front side 310 of the barrier 308 and, as will be discussed in more detail below, is configured to receive a portion of the one or more shelf brackets 304. The protrusion 320 can be configured to engage and/or correspond with the one or more shelf clips 304. According to one aspect, the one or more front arms 318 are cantilevered with respect to the barrier 308 such that the front arm opening 322 includes a first width 324 between the distal end 318b or protrusion 320 and the front side 310 and a second width 326 between the one or more front arms 318 and the front side 310 that is spaced from the first width 324 (i.e., closer to the proximal end 318a). The second width 326 can be larger than the first width 324. According to another aspect, the one or more front arms 318 is resilient and can flex, bend, and/or deflect away from the barrier 308 and return to the first width 324.

With continued reference to FIG. 2B, the base 306 further includes a rear clip 328 including one or more rear arms 330, 332, 334. For instance, in the present illustrative embodiment, the base 306 includes a first rear arm 330, a second rear arm 332, and a third rear arm 334 all coupled to and extending away from the rear side 312 of the barrier 308. The one or more rear arms 330, 332, 334 extend between the first side 106 and the second side 108 of the merchandising system 100 and, more particularly, the one or more rear arms 330, 332, 334 can extend between the first side 210 of the mat 200 and the second side 212 of the mat 200, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In the present illustrative configuration, as shown in FIG. 2B, the one or more rear arms 330, 332, 334 extend transversely from the rear side 312 and toward the rear end 104 of the merchandising system 100. The first rear arm 330, the second rear arm 332, and the third rear arm 334 are arranged between the proximal end 314a and the distal end 314b of the first segment 314. The first rear arm 330 includes a proximal end 330a and a distal end 330b spaced from the proximal end 330a. The proximal end 330a can be arranged at or adjacent to the proximal end 314a of the first segment 314, as shown in FIG. 2B. The first rear arm 330 includes a first or upper surface 336a and a second or lower surface 336b opposite the upper surface 336a. The first rear arm 330 is cantilevered with respect to the first segment 314 and can include a prominence or protrusion 338 at the distal end 330b that extends upward from the upper surface 336a. The protrusion 338 can be configured to engage and/or correspond with a groove or slot (not shown) on the bottom surface 204 of the mat 200, for example.

With continued reference to FIG. 2B, the second rear arm 332 includes a proximal end 332a coupled to the rear side 312 of the barrier 308 and a distal end 332b that is spaced from the proximal end 332a. In assembly, the distal end 332b can be configured to contact and/or receive at least a portion of the front end 206 of the mat 200, for example.

With continued reference to FIG. 2B, the third rear arm 334 includes a proximal end 334a and a distal end 334b spaced from the proximal end 334a. The proximal end 334a can be coupled to the rear side 312 of the barrier 308 between the first rear arm 330 and the distal end 314b of the first segment 314. The third rear arm 334 includes a first or upper surface 340a and a second or lower surface 340b opposite the upper surface 340a. The third rear arm 334 is cantilevered with respect to the first segment 314. Optionally, the third rear arm 334 can include a tapered portion 342 at the distal end 334b that may be desirable during assembly when arranging the mat 200 in an opening 344 positioned between the upper surface 336a of the first rear arm 330 and the lower surface 340b of the third rear arm 334. The third rear arm 334 can be arranged with respect to the first rear arm 330 such that the opening 344 includes a first width 346 and a second width 348 that is greater than the first width 346.

The third rear arm 334 also includes a first or front rail 350 that is coupled to and extends upwardly toward the distal end 314b of the first segment 314. The front rail 350 also extends between the first side 106 and the second side 108 of the merchandising system 100 and, more particularly, the front rail 350 can extend from the first side 210 of the mat 200 to the second side 212 of the mat 200, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The front rail 350 includes a first or lower segment 352 coupled to and extending upwardly from the upper surface 340a of the first rear arm 334. The front rail 350 also includes a second or upper segment 354 that is coupled to the first or lower segment 352. According to one aspect, as shown in FIG. 2B, the first segment 352 and the second segment 354 are coupled together to form a T-shape. As will be discussed in more detail below, the one or more adapters 500 can be configured to slide onto, snap onto, or otherwise be arranged on the front rail 350 between the first side 106 and the second side 108 of the merchandising system 100.

With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, an illustrative example of the shelf bracket 304 is provided and includes a plate 356 having a front end 358 and a rear end 360 spaced from the front end 358. The plate 356 also extends between a first side 362 and a second side 364 spaced from the first side 362. One or more holes 366 can be arranged in the plate 356 and extend through an upper surface 368 and a lower surface 370 opposite of the upper surface 368. The one or more holes 366 can correspond with one or more pins (not shown) that can be arranged on the top surface 14 of the shelf 12, for example. A flange 372 can be arranged at the front end 358 and extend upwardly and generally perpendicular from the upper surface 368. The flange 372 can be configured so that it can be arranged in and/or received by the front arm opening 322. For instance, the flange 372 can include a folded portion 374 having a lip 376 that extends between the first side 362 and the second side 364. In assembly, the flange 372 can be inserted in the front arm opening 322 so that the folded portion 374 slides past the protrusion 320 and the lip 376 prevents the shelf bracket 304 from being easily removed from the front arm opening 322. The shelf bracket 304 also includes one or more legs 378 that are coupled to the plate 356 near the rear end 360. The one or more legs 378 can be arranged between the first side 362 and the second side 364 and can be configured to correspond with the one or more apertures 20 arranged in the shelf 12. In other words, the one or more legs 378 can be desirable for securing the shelf bracket 304 and the merchandising system 100 to the shelf 12.

With reference to FIG. 4, an illustrative example of the rear rail assembly 400 is provided and includes a support 402 and a rear clip 404. The rear rail assembly 400 extends between the first side 106 and the second side 108 of the merchandising system 100 and, more particularly, the rear rail assembly 400 can extend between the first side 210 of the mat 200 and the second side 212 of the mat 200, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The support 402 includes a first or lower end 402a and a second or upper end 402b spaced from the lower end 402b. The rear clip 404 includes a first or lower arm 406 arranged at the lower end 402a of the support 402 and a second or upper arm 408 arranged at the upper end 402b of the support 402. The lower arm 406 includes a proximal end 406a and a distal end 406b spaced from the proximal end 406a. The proximal end 406a can be coupled to the support 402at the lower end 402b, as shown in FIG. 4. The lower arm 406 includes a first of lower surface 410 and a second or upper surface 412 opposite the lower surface 410. Optionally, the lower arm 406 can include a protrusion 414 arranged at the distal end 406a and extending upwardly from the upper surface 412. The protrusion 414 can engage and/or correspond with a portion of the bottom surface 204 of the mat 200.

The upper arm 408 includes a proximal end 408a and a distal end 408b spaced from the proximal end 408a. The proximal end 408a can be coupled to the support 402 at the upper end 402b, as shown in FIG. 4. The upper arm 408 includes a first or lower surface 416 and a second or upper surface 418 opposite the lower surface 416. Optionally, the upper arm 408 can include a tapered portion 420 at the distal end 408b that may be desirable during assembly when arranging the mat 200 in an opening 422 positioned between the upper surface 412 of the lower arm 406 and the lower surface 416 of the upper arm 408. The lower arm 406 can be arranged with respect to the upper arm 408 such that the opening 422 includes a first width 424 and a second width 426 that is greater than the first width 424.

The upper arm 408 includes a second or rear rail 428 that is coupled to and extends upwardly away from the upper surface 418. The rear rail 428 also extends between the first side 106 and the second side 108 of the merchandising system 100 and, more particularly, the rear rail 428 can extend from the first side 210 of the mat 200 to the second side 212 of the mat 200, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The rear rail 428 includes a first or lower segment 430 coupled to and extending upwardly from the upper surface 418 of the upper arm 408. The rear rail 428 also includes a second or upper segment 432 that is coupled to the first or lower segment 430. According to one aspect, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower segment 430 and the upper segment 432 are coupled together to form a T-shape. As will be discussed in more detail below, the one or more adapters 500 can be configured to slide onto, snap onto, or otherwise be arranged on the rear rail 428 between the first side 106 and the second side 108 of the merchandising system 100.

With reference to FIG. 5A, an illustrative example of the one or more adapters 500 is provided and is configured to be arranged on the front rail assembly 300 (FIG. 1A) and the rear rail assembly 400 (FIG. 1A). Each of the adapters 500 include a first or upper end 502 and a second or lower end 504 spaced from upper end 502 with respect to a longitudinal axis 506. Each of the adapters also include a first side 508 and a second side 510 spaced from the first side 508 with respect to a lateral axis 511. The one or more adapters 500 each include a receptacle 512 that is arranged toward the upper end 502 and a track 514 that is arranged toward the lower end 504.

With reference to FIG. 5A, the receptacle 512 includes a first or front surface 516, a second or rear surface 518, and a third or upper surface 520 arranged between the front surface 516 and the rear surface 518. The front surface 516 extends between the first side 508 and the second side 510. Similarly, the rear surface 518 extends between the first side 508 and the second side 510. An opening 522 is arranged in the upper surface 520 and extends into the receptacle 512 along the longitudinal axis 506. A first or front slot 524 is arranged in the front surface 516 and extends into the opening 522. The front slot 524 can also define a floor 526 that is configured to receive and support a portion of a divider 600 (FIG. 1), for example. A second or rear slot 528 is arranged in the rear surface 518 and extends into the opening 522. According to at least one aspect, the front slots 524 and the rear slots 528 can correspond so that portions of the sides 508, 510 defining the receptacle 512 can deflect outwardly with respect to the lateral axis 511. One or more teeth 530 are disposed adjacent to the upper surface 520 and extend into the front slot 524 from opposite sides 508, 510 to oppose one another, as shown in FIG. 5D. The one or more teeth 530 can each include a ramp 532 to facilitate the installation of a portion of one of the dividers 600 and a lower lip 534 to help retain the divider 600 in the opening between the one or more teeth 530 and the floor 526, as shown in FIG. 5B.

With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5C, the track 514 includes a first or rear segment 536 having a proximal end 536a and a distal end 536b spaced from the proximal end 536a. The proximal end 536a of the first segment 536 is coupled to the receptacle 512. The distal end 536b of the first segment 536 includes a first channel 538 that extends continuously through a width of the adapter 500 from the first side 508 to the second side 510 adjacent to the lower end 504. The track 514 includes a second or front segment 540 having a proximal end 540a and a distal end 540b spaced from the proximal end 540a. The proximal end 540a of the second segment 540 is coupled to the first segment 536 between the proximal end 536a and the distal end 536b and depends away from the first segment 536, as shown in FIG. 5C. The distal end 540b of the second segment 540 includes a second channel 542 that is aligned with the first channel 538. A gap 544 is positioned between the first segment 536 and the second segment 540 and is configured to receive the lower segment 352, 430 of the front rail 350 or the rear rail 428, for example. The first channel 538 and the second channel 542 can be configured to receive the upper segment 354, 432 of the front rail 350 or the rear rail 428, for example. As best shown in FIG. 5C, the distal ends 536b, 540b of the front and rear segments 536, 540 may include ramp surfaces defining a portion of the gap 544, whereby a width of the gap 544 tapers along the direction from the lower end 504 toward the channels 538, 542. Thus, the tapered shape of the gap 544 provides a guide for inserting the rails 350, 428 into the channels 538, 542. Further, the ramp surfaces function to bias the distal ends 536b, 540b outwardly as the upper segments 354, 432 of the rails 350, 428 pass through the gap 544.

With reference to FIG. 6, an illustrative example of the one or more dividers 600 is provided. Each divider 600 can include a first or front end 602 and a second or rear end 604 spaced from the front end 602. A first leg 606 can be arranged at the front end 602 and a second leg 608 can be arranged at the rear end 604. According to one aspect, the first leg 606 and second leg 608 are generally perpendicular to each other. Middle segment 610 is coupled to and extends between the first leg 606 and the second leg 608. According to another aspect, the middle segment 610 is generally perpendicular to the first leg 606 and the second leg 608.

In assembly, with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7C, the front rail assembly 300 is arranged on the front end 206 of the mat 200. More particularly, the mat 200 are arranged between the first rear arm 330 and the third rear arm 334 of the front rail assembly 300. Additionally, the front end 206 of the mat 200 can contact the second rear arm 332 of the front rail assembly 300. The one or more shelf brackets 304 are inserted in the front arm opening 322 past the lip 376. The track 514 of one of the one or more dividers 500 can be aligned with and slide or traverse along the front rail 350 to a position between the first side 210 and the second side 212. The first leg 606 of one of the one or more dividers 600 can be inserted into the opening 522 of the receptacle 512. With reference to FIG. 7C, the front end 602 of the divider 600 is retained between the one or more teeth 530 and the floor 526.

In assembly, with reference to FIG. 7B, the rear rail assembly 400 is arranged on the rear end 208 of the mat 200. More particularly, the mat 200 can be arranged between the lower arm 406 and the upper arm 408. The rear end 208 of the mat 200 can contact the support 402. The track 514 of one of the one or more dividers 500 can be aligned with and slide or traverse along the rear rail 428 to a position between the first side 210 and the second side 212. The second leg 608 of one of the one or more dividers 600 can be inserted into the opening 522 of the receptacle 512.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the one or more adapters 500 can be arranged in pairs along the front rail 350 and the rear rail 428. In other words, the one or more adapters 500 can include on or more first adapters arranged on the front rail 350 and one or more second adapters arranged on the rear rail 428. Each of the one or more first adapters corresponds with one of the one or more second adapters so that one of the dividers 600 can be coupled to and arranged between the pairs of adapters 500 and form rows for merchandise, for example.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary configurations only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. Additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” “attached to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, attached, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” “directly attached to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed herein could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example configurations.

The foregoing description has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected configuration, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.