Meta Patent | Method of rounding metal edge and eliminating taping at fatp
Publication Number: 20260084198
Publication Date: 2026-03-26
Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies
Abstract
A method of the subject technology includes placing a workpiece between a bending block including a tooth and a stage of a bending tool. The method further includes adjusting a position of the workpiece to place a burr of the workpiece under the tooth of the bending block and pushing the bending block against the workpiece to bend the burr to prevent damage to an adjacent non-metal part.
Claims
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Description
BACKGROUND
Technical Field
The present disclosure is related generally to metal works, and more specifically, to a method of rounding a metal edge and eliminating taping at final assembly test and pack (FATP).
Related Art
Metal components are used in many consumer products including mixed reality (MR), including virtual reality (VR), devices and wearable devices such as watches and other electronic devices. For metal components, after cutting, there will be a burr on the opposite of the trimming tool. The burr is problematic, especially when the architecture dictates the need for wrapping a flexible printed circuit (FPC) around the metal edge, which can result in breaking a cut in the FPC. Traditionally, the metal edge is hemmed to make it round so that the FPC is not affected by the sharp edges.
It is known, however, that the hemming technique is only appropriate for rather soft metal such as aluminum and is not applicable to high-strength metals such as stainless steel and tungsten, for example, as it can cause cracking along the bending radius. This problem is usually solved by taping the sharp edges, for example, by using polyamide tapes at the assembly line.
Using tapes is time consuming, costly and adds to the weight of the parts. Accordingly, a more practical and less costly technique for taking care of sharp hemmed metal edges is desired.
SUMMARY
An aspect of the subject technology is directed to a method including placing a workpiece between a bending block including a tooth and a stage of a bending tool. The method further includes adjusting a position of the workpiece to place a burr of the workpiece under the tooth of the bending block and pushing the bending block against the workpiece to bend the burr to prevent damage to an adjacent non-metal part.
Another aspect of the disclosure is related to a method which includes manufacturing a plurality of irregular metal pieces. The method further includes bending a corner of a plate workpiece to accommodate mounting an adjacent part and attaching an irregular metal piece of the plurality of irregular metal pieces at the bent corner of the plate workpiece. An irregularity of the irregular metal piece matches the bent corner.
Yet another aspect of the disclosure is related to an apparatus which includes a bending block including a tooth having a curvature configured to move toward a workpiece and a stage configured to support the workpiece. The bending block is configured to bend a burr of a slot of the workpiece to prevent long-term damage to a non-metal part passing through the slot, and a radius of the curvature of the tooth is dependent on a thickness and a material of the workpiece.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an example trimmed, pierced or punched metal piece, as discussed herein.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a metal mid-frame plate used in an MR device with a FPC slot, as discussed herein.
FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of a metal mid-frame with an FPC slot, a sharp edge adjacent to the FPC passing through the slot, a flange created to mitigate the sharp edge and the problem with the flange, as discussed herein.
FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are schematic diagrams illustrating an example technique for rounding metal edges, according to some aspects of the subject technology.
FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D are schematic diagrams illustrating a technique for achieving round metal edges, according to some aspects of the subject technology.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating stages of implementing a method of rounding metal edges, according to some aspects of the subject technology.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are a schematic diagram and a chart illustrating a side forging technique and a corresponding stress-strain plot, according to some aspects of the subject technology.
FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C are schematic diagrams illustrating an example cold draw method and its applications, according to some aspects of the subject technology.
FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams illustrating a cold heading technique to make irregular screws and nuts, according to some aspects of the subject technology.
FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating a cam action to push a slider horizontally, according to some aspects of the subject technology.
FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of rounding metal edges, according to some aspects of the subject technology.
FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a midpalate of a wearable device, according to some aspects of the subject technology.
In the figures, elements having the same or similar reference numerals are associated with the same or similar attributes, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a full understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one ordinarily skilled in the art, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the disclosure. Embodiments as disclosed herein will be described with the description of the attached figures.
According to some aspects, the subject technology is directed to a method of rounding a metal edge and eliminating taping at FATP. The disclosed technology uses a practical solution to make the cutting edge rounded so that no taping is needed. The subject technology includes tools for slightly bending the edge of the cut metal piece, and then forging it back to have a round edge without increasing the edge thickness, which can cause limitations in certain applications of the piece. The disclosed method is especially beneficial when there is no room for hemming or for the material to grow in the thickness direction. The technique of the subject technology is applicable to many metal components used, for example, in consumer electronic devices such as MR (e.g., VR) devices, wearable devices (e.g., watches) and other devices.
The subject technique has a number of benefits including less cost, less product weight and less time consumption to implement.
Now turning to the description of the figures, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view 100 of an example trimmed, pierced or punched metal piece, as discussed herein. The trimmed, pierced or punched (hereinafter, pierced) metal piece 102 is a sheet metal 102 with a thickness T (e.g., about a few mm). The pierced metal piece 102 is pierced using a tool 104, which is punched through to form a hole or a slot in the pierced metal piece 102.
Within the thickness T, a rollover depth thickness T1 (e.g., about 0.1 T), a burnish depth T2 (e.g., about 0.2 T) and a fracture depth T3 (e.g., about 0.7 T) are shown. The burnish hole D1 can be less than or about the thickness T. The breakout dimension D2 is larger than the burnish hole D1 and the sides of the hole make an angle A1 with a vertical (e.g., in the direction of the thickness T) line. The punching through the pierced metal piece 102 causes formation of burrs 106 with a height H1 (e.g., about 1 mm). The burs 106 can cause damage to an FPC passing through the slot formed in the pierced metal piece 102 and therefore needs to be taped, for example, by a polyamide tape during the FATP of the manufacturing process. This solution is costly, time consuming and adds to the weight of the product. The subject disclosure provides one or more techniques for rounding the burs 106, as discussed herein.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a metal mid-frame plate 200 used in an MR device with an FPC slot, as discussed herein. The metal mid-frame plate 200 (hereinafter plate 200) includes a slot 210 for passing through an FPC, for example, from the front side to the rear side of the plate 200. The plate 200 can be used in a number of devices, such as an MR (e.g., VR) device. The width W1 of the plate 200 is, for example, within a range of about 140 to 160 mm. The dimension D1 of the plate 200 is, for instance, within a range of about 70 to 90 mm, and a thickness T1 of the plate 200 is, for example, within a range of about 9 to 12 mm. The slot 210 can be formed by the punch through process discussed above with respect to FIG. 1 that causes burrs around the slot. The current method of rounding the burred edges has some limitations as discussed herein.
FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of a metal mid-frame 300A with an FPC slot, a scenario 300B with a sharp edge adjacent to the FPC passing through the slot, a metal mid-frame 300C with a flange created to mitigate the sharp edge, and a scenario 300D depicting the problem with the flange, as discussed herein. The metal mid-frame 300A is the same as the plate 200 and includes the slot 210 for an FPC to pass through. FIG. 3B shows the scenario 300B where the FPC 302 passing through the slot 210 has contact with the non-flanged edge 304 of the slot 210. The sharp edge can damage the FPC 302 in the long term and can cause disruption in operation of the system it supports. As mentioned above, the traditional solution is using a tape to cover the edge and preventing the damage to the FPC 302, which adds to the cost and weight and slows the manufacturing process.
FIG. 3C shows a metal mid-frame 300C with a slot 210, where the edges of the slot 210 are flanged to prevent burrs. This solution works fine unless, as shown in the scenario 300D of FIG. 3D, an object such as another part 310 that needs to be placed at an angle close to one edge of the slot 210 could not be properly mounted due to an extra thickness of the flange if it was created at the edge 312 of the slot 210. This is a server limitation that may not be resolved even by using a tape. The disclosed solution, as discussed below, can readily mitigate this problem.
FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are schematic diagrams illustrating an example technique for rounding metal edges, according to some aspects of the subject technology. The disclosed technique of the subject technology is described in three stages 400A, 400B and 400C. The stage 400A includes placing the material 402 (e.g., a metal plate) with a burr 404 on a stage 406 of a bending tool including a bending block 408 and a fixed support 410.
In the stage 400B, the bending block 408 is pushed down to exert force on the burr 404 in order to bend the burr 404. It should be noted that the curvature 411 of a tooth 409 of the bending block 408 is crucial in forming the bent burr. The curvature 411 can be optimized for a thickness and the type of the material 402. For example, a radius of the curvature 411 can be larger for stronger and/or thicker materials. Further, the amount of force exerted by the bending block 408 is dependent on the thickness and the type of the material 402. The harder and thicker the material, the more force has to be exerted. Therefore, the amount of force for each case (thickness and/or hardness) can be optimized to achieve a satisfactory result, that is, the burr 404 is bent enough to prevent contact with an FPC passing through the corresponding slot.
In the stage 400C, the bending of the burr 404 is improved by side forging. During this stage, a part 412 of the side forging tool is pressed down, which in turn moves a part 414 to exert a horizontal (toward the fixed support 410) force on the burr 404, therefore improving the bending of the burr 404 by further pushing the burr 404 inside toward the fixed support 410.
FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D are schematic diagrams illustrating a technique for achieving round metal edges, according to some aspects of the subject technology. FIG. 5A shows a plate 500A with a slot 510, the cross-sectional view 500B of which BB is shown in FIG. 5B. As shown in the cross-sectional view 500B, the edges of the slot 510 are coined from both sides, which did not work to prevent burrs, as depicted in the image 500C. The image 500C is a microscopic image clearly showing a burr 512 as a result of coining the edges of the slot 510. Therefore, the coining of the edges is not a reliable solution for preventing burrs.
FIG. 5D shows before and after images of a work plate for which the rounding technique of the subject technology has been used. The edge 514 of the slot 510 is seen to have a burr that needs rounding. After bending and side pushing the edge 514, the burr is somewhat bent. However, after the side pushing (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4C), the deburred edge 518 appears to be satisfactory.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating stages 600 of implementing a method of rounding metal edges, according to some aspects of the subject technology. The stages 600 include a first stage where added embossment is applied instead of a laser welding a bracket around edges of the slot 610 of the plate 602. The plate 602 includes four nuts, one of which (612) has a flat edge in order to fit the plate 602 in a place with an obstruction at one corner. At a second stage, the plate 602 (e.g., a thin web) is stamped to create the bump 614.
The flat edge nut is produced in a manufacturing process, such as cold draw, which produces a large number of flat edge nuts instead of using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine to make the cut for individual nuts, in order to save time and cost. Similarly, the edge of the plate 602 has to be bent in order to conform with the flat edge nut. In the third stage, the bending of the edge can also be performed by the cold draw process in advance. However, the bent edge 616 in the third stage will have sharp edges.
The sharp edges of the bent edge 616 can be taken care of, in the fourth stage, by a second bending of the bent edge 616 by using the bending technique of the subject technology using forging and/or side pushing, as described above with respect to FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C. This avoids using a tape to resolve the problem with the sharp burrs. In some implementations, the bent edge 616 has a height of about 0.8 mm, of which a portion 618 of about 0.2 mm is bent leaving a gap of 0.6 mm. Also shown is an image 620 showing the bent portion 618.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are a schematic diagram and a chart illustrating a side forging technique 700A and a corresponding stress-strain plot 700B, according to some aspects of the subject technology. The side forging technique 700A was described above with respect to FIG. 4C. The horizontal force exerted by the part 414 on the edge 704 has to be determined beforehand. The desired force is equal to the product of the edge area A and the stress s. The stress s is related to a strain e, as shown by the plot 700B. The plot 700B indicates that the stress s initially rises linearly with the strain e, but the relationship between the stress s and the strain e becomes nonlinear after the yield strength point 710 is maximized at an ultimate strength point 712 and decreases to a fracture point 714. Using the value of a desired strain for the edge 704, the desired value of the stress s is determined from the plot 700B. From the value of the stress s, the value of the desired force can be found.
FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C are schematic diagrams illustrating an example cold draw method 800A and its applications, according to some aspects of the subject technology. In the cold draw method 800A, a metal workpiece 802 (e.g., steel) is passed through a series of dies 810 (only one die is shown here for simplicity) to achieve a desired shape. The metal workpiece 802 is at room temperature (cold) and is drawn through the series of dies 810, which apply specified amounts of pressure with the help of a machine press. In some cases, the metal workpiece 802 has to pass through the series of dies 810 more than once. Because the metal workpiece 802 is cold, additional force has to be used to shape metal workpiece 802. The cold draw can give the material extra qualities and a visually aesthetic appearance.
FIG. 800B shows a cross-section view of the cold drawn workpiece with a specific profile shape achieved by using special dies.
FIG. 800C shows a number of pieces that are produced by the cold draw technique. In general, the cold draw technique can be used to make non-symmetrical irregular shape bars. For example, an irregular screw can be cold drawn and then machined instead of machining the nut (e.g., nut 612 of FIG. 600).
FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams illustrating a cold heading technique to make irregular screws and nuts, according to some aspects of the subject technology. The cold heading (forming) technique is another method of making irregular nuts and screws. The cold heading involves using high-speed hammers and dies to shape metal parts. FIG. 9A shows different operations used to make an irregular nut. FIG. 9B shows top and cross-sectional views of an irregular nut with a flat side after the stage of drilling and tapping.
FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating cam actions to push a slider horizontally, according to some aspects of the subject technology. The setup 1000A of FIG. 10A includes a press-down part 1002 and a slider part 1004, which can be used for a cam action to bend the workpiece 1010. By pushing down the press-down part 1002, the slider part 1004 moves horizontally in a controlled manner.
The setup 1000B of FIG. 10B includes a similar tool with different slider parts 2006 and 2008 for working on different workpieces 1012 and 1014. The purpose of the cam action is to move the slider parts 2006 and 2008 into the workpieces 1012 and 1014 to ensure that the workpieces 1012 and 1014 are fully supported during the bending process.
FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 1100 of rounding metal edges, according to some aspects of the subject technology. In some embodiments, processes consistent with the present disclosure may include at least one or more of the steps in method 1100 performed in a different order, simultaneously, quasi-simultaneously, or overlapping in time.
The method 1100 includes process steps 1110, 1120 and 1130.
In the process step 1110, a workpiece is placed between a stage (e.g., 406 of FIG. 4A) and a bending block (e.g., 408 of FIG. 4A) with a tooth of the bending block touching a burr (404 of FIG. 4A) of a slot of the workpiece.
In the process step 1110, a workpiece (e.g., 200 of FIG. 2 or 300A of FIG. 3A) is placed between a bending block (e.g., 408 of FIG. 4A) including a tooth (e.g., 409 of FIG. 4A) and a stage (e.g., 406 of FIG. 4A) of a bending tool (e.g., 400A of FIG. 4A).
In the process step 1120, a position of the workpiece is adjusted to place a burr (e.g., 404 of FIG. 4A) of the workpiece under the tooth of the bending block.
In the process step 1130, the bending block is pushed against the workpiece to bend the burr to prevent damage to the adjacent non-metal part (e.g., 302 of FIG. 3B).
FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 1200 of manufacturing a midpalate of a wearable device, according to some aspects of the subject technology. In some embodiments, processes consistent with the present disclosure may include at least one or more of the steps in method 1200 performed in a different order, simultaneously, quasi-simultaneously, or overlapping in time.
The method 1200 includes process steps 1210, 1220 and 1230.
In the process step 1210, a plurality of irregular metal pieces (e.g., 612 of FIG. 6) are manufactured.
In the process step 1220, a corner of a plate workpiece (e.g., 602 of FIG. 6) is bent (e.g., to form 616 of FIG. 6) to accommodate mounting an adjacent part.
In the process step 1230, an irregular metal piece of the plurality of metal pieces is attached at the bent corner of the plate workpiece. An irregularity of the irregular metal piece matches the bent corner (see 612 and 616 of FIG. 6).
An aspect of the subject technology is directed to a method of the subject technology which includes placing a workpiece between a bending block including a tooth and a stage of a bending tool. The method further includes adjusting a position of the workpiece to place a burr of the workpiece under the tooth of the bending block and pushing the bending block against the workpiece to bend the burr to prevent damage to an adjacent non-metal part.
In some aspects, the method further includes improving bending of the burr by using a side-forging technique.
In one or more aspects, the method further includes performing the side-forging technique by using a forting tool including a press-down part and a sliding part.
In some aspects, the pushing the press-down part causes the sliding part to press the bent burr to improve bending of the burr.
In one or more aspects, improving the bending of the burr is achieved by further pushing the burr toward a fixed support of the bending tool.
In some aspects, improving the bending of the burr is achieved by further pushing the burr toward a fixed support of the bending tool.
In some aspects, the burr comprises an edge of a slot in the workpiece, wherein the adjacent non-metal part comprises a flexible printed circuit (FPC).
In one or more aspects, the workpiece comprises a metal plate, wherein the metal plate is part of a virtual reality (VR) or a wearable consumer electronic device.
In some aspects, the tooth of the bending block includes a curvature having a radius that is dependent on a material and a thickness of the workpiece.
In one or more aspects, adjusting the position of the workpiece comprises moving the workpiece horizontally over the stage.
Another aspect of the disclosure is related to a method that includes manufacturing a plurality of irregular metal pieces. The method further includes bending a corner of a plate workpiece to accommodate mounting an adjacent part and attaching an irregular metal piece of the plurality of irregular metal pieces at the bent corner of the plate workpiece. An irregularity of the irregular metal piece matches the bent corner.
In some aspects, the irregularity of the irregular metal piece includes a cut off portion of a side of the irregular metal piece.
In one or more aspects, the plurality of irregular metal pieces comprise a plurality of nuts.
In some aspects, the plate workpiece comprises a metal plate used in a VR device or a wearable device.
In one or more aspects, the method further includes improving the bending of the corner of the plate workpiece by using a forging technique to further push in a burr of the bent corner.
In some aspects, the adjacent part comprises an FPC and using the forging technique prevents long-term damage to the FPC.
In one or more aspects, bending the corner of the plate workpiece comprises using a bending tool including a bending block having a tooth with a curvature.
In some aspects, a radius of the curvature of the tooth is dependent on a thickness and material of the plate workpiece.
Yet another aspect of the disclosure is related to an apparatus including a bending block including a tooth having a curvature configured to move toward a workpiece and a stage configured to support the workpiece. The bending block is configured to bend a burr of a slot of the workpiece to prevent long-term damage to a non-metal part passing through the slot, and a radius of the curvature of the tooth is dependent on a thickness and a material of the workpiece.
In some aspects, the workpiece comprises a metal plate used in a VR device or a wearable consumer electronic device.
In one or more aspects, the bending block is supported by a fixed support.
In some aspects, the bending block is configured to bend the burr by pushing the tooth against the burr.
In one or more aspects, the apparatus further comprises forging parts configured to replace the bending block to improve bending of the burr by further pushing the burr toward the fixed support.
In some aspects, the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration. ” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, a configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to other foregoing phrases.
A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice versa. The term “some” refers to one or more. Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public, regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description. No clause element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S. C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method clause, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”
While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be described, but rather as descriptions of particular implementations of the subject matter. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially described as such, one or more features from a described combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the described combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.
The subject matter of this specification has been described in terms of particular aspects, but other aspects can be implemented and are within the scope of the following clauses. For example, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. The actions recited in the clauses can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. As one example, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the aspects described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all aspects, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.
The title, background, brief description of the drawings, abstract, and drawings are hereby incorporated into the disclosure and are provided as illustrative examples of the disclosure, not as restrictive descriptions. It is submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the clauses. In addition, in the detailed description, it can be seen that the description provides illustrative examples, and the various features are grouped together in various implementations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the described subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each clause. Rather, as the clauses reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed configuration or operation. The clauses are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each clause standing on its own as a separately described subject matter.
Aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. The described techniques may be implemented to support a range of benefits and significant advantages of the disclosed eye tracking system. It should be noted that the subject technology enables fabrication of a depth-sensing apparatus that is a fully solid-state device with small size, low power, and low cost.
As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the terms “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item).
To the extent that the term “include,” “have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description.
While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of particular implementations of the subject matter. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
