Abstract: Systems and apparatus for heating or cooling food. A heating and cooling system for operative connection to a well includes a first manifold having a plurality of openings, each allowing a seal to be made against a first surface of a Peltier chip, and defines a flow path for a heat transfer fluid which directly contacts the first surfaces of a plurality of Peltier chips. The fluid circulates through tubing from the manifold to the well and connects to a flow space of a tray disposed therein. A second opposite manifold may be joined to the first manifold to form a block and defines a second flow path allowing direct contact with the second surfaces of the plurality of Peltier chips. The fluid circulates through tubing from the second manifold to a radiator. The manifolds may be joined to form a manifold block. The trays may be interchangeable.

Abstract: A fruit hull remover removes hulls from berries and other fruit with hulls. The fruit hull remover has a handle, an at least one tong, and an at least one prong, all of which are typically curved or round. The handle has a threaded rod between or at the center of the at least one tong to engage and remove a fruit hull. The threaded rod may be recessed from the at least one prong and have a distal unthreaded region, both which reduce entry pressure into the hull and mitigate entry of the threaded region into the fruit meat to increase intact hull removal performance. A hull ejector has an inner ring and an outer ring to slide down from between the prongs to eject the hull, or the hull ejector may have hemi-cylindrical halves to slide down from between the prongs to eject the hull.

Abstract: A method of joining a multiple member work-piece includes providing a first steel work-piece having a first thickness and a second steel work-piece having a second thickness. The first thickness is at least twice the second thickness. A third material is disposed in contact with the second steel work-piece. For example, the third material may be in the form of a rivet, a plurality of pins, or a coating material. The method includes resistance welding the first and second work-pieces together. A bonded assembly includes the first and second steel members and the third material being bonded together, where the thickness of the first member is at least twice the thickness of the second member.

Abstract: A method for resistance spot welding comprising the following successive steps: —providing at least two steel sheets with thickness (th) comprised between 0.5 and 3 mm, at least one of the sheets being a zinc or zinc-alloy coated steel sheet (A) with a tensile strength (TS) higher than 800 MPa and a total elongation (TEL) such as (TS)×(TEL)>14000 MPa %, wherein the composition of the steel substrate of (A) contains, in weight: 0.05%?C?0.4%, 0.3%?Mn?8%, 0.010%?Al?3%, 0.010%?Si?2.09%, with 0.5%?(Si+Al)?3.5%, 0.001%?Cr?1.0%, 0.001%?Mo?0.5% and optionally: 0.005%?Nb?0.1%, 0.005%?V?0.2%, 0.005%?Ti?0.1%, 0.0003%?B?0.005%, 0.001%?Ni?1.0%, the remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities, —performing resistance spot welding of the at least two steel sheets for producing a weld with an indentation depth (IDepth) on the surface of said steel sheet (A) such as: 100 ?m?(IDepth)?18.68 (Znsol)?55.1, wherein (IDepth) is in micrometers and wherein Znsol is the solubility of Zn in the steel of sheet (A) at 750° C.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a joined member that is manufactured by applying resistance welding to a workpiece. The workpiece is provided with plating layers on sides to be in contact with electrodes. In a state in which a first electrode is in contact with a first area in a first plate material that is curved along a contour of a leading end of the first electrode and in which a second electrode is in contact with a second area in a second plate material that is curved along a contour of a leading end of the second electrode, energization between the first electrode and the second electrode is started to form a nugget.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for making puffed food products are disclosed. In one implementation, an innovative process, apparatus, or system may employ at least one base mold with a defined pattern of one or more surface cavities carved therein in order to more evenly or uniformly distribute heat to raw ingredients or an intermediate food product during baking step(s).

Abstract: An ice processing system may include a plurality of electrodes configured to create a time-varying electromagnetic field in a cavity, and a controller configured to oscillate a density of the electromagnetic field at a frequency which depends on the temperature of an object in the cavity. The frequency is selected based on a temperature of the object to establish and maintain a resonance condition of dipoles in ice crystals present in the object, such that the electromagnetic field tends to selectively heat ice substantially without heating liquid-phase water.

Abstract: The invention provides a laser shock processing method for small-hole component with different thickness. In this method, different process parameters are adopted for laser shock processing of small hole members with different thicknesses, and the empirical formula was obtained by statistical analysis of the experimental results, and the empirical formula I 0 = A ? e t B ? ? s 2 Z is the relationship between power density and thickness of small hole members. According to this formula, the power density of laser shock strengthening of orifice member with different thickness is determined, and the selection and determination method of process parameters related to this is put forward. According to this method, reasonable residual compressive stress distribution can be obtained after laser shock strengthening with appropriate technology, and good strengthening effect can be achieved.

Abstract: An electric kitchen appliance has a pot for receiving food to be processed using the electric kitchen appliance. An ultrasound transmitter and an ultrasound receiver are provided in order to determine the fill level of the food in the pot. The ultrasound transmitter and the ultrasound receiver are attached to the upper edge of the pot such that an ultrasound signal can be transmitted onto the surface of the food by the ultrasound transmitter, and an ultrasound signal reflected by the surface of the food can be received by the ultrasound receiver. In this manner, an electric kitchen appliance is provided which allows the fill state of the food in the pot to be determined in a simple and reliable manner.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a foam from a liquid, particularly a food liquid, such as milk or a milk-based liquid. The apparatus (10) includes a base body (16) provided with electrical connection means (52, 54) and an upper unit (12, 14) arranged to be releasably placed on the base body (16) to be electrically connected to the base body (16) through the electrical connection means (52, 54). The upper unit (12, 14) has an upper body (12) acting as a vessel and an intermediate body (14) separate from each other. The upper body (12) houses a stirring member (24). The intermediate body (14) houses electrically operated driver (42, 44, 46) for driving the stirring member (24) to rotate and a heating element (40) for heating the liquid contained in the upper body (12).

Abstract: A device for synthesizing carbonated water includes: a device shell, in which a stirring chamber is defined; a rotation shaft, which is accommodated in the stirring chamber; a blade structure, which is accommodated in the stirring chamber and rotatable around the rotation shaft; sidewall ribs, which are distributed in the stirring chamber and arranged on a sidewall of the device shell, each sidewall rib comprising one or more collision interfaces; an input unit, which is arranged on the device shell, positioned below the blade structure, communicated with the stirring chamber, and operable to receive water and carbon dioxide; and an output unit, which is arranged on the device shell, positioned above the blade structure, communicated with the stirring chamber, and operable to deliver carbonated water with a predetermined concentration.

Abstract: An accessory for efficiently melting or softening cold solid spreads using the heat emanating from a bread toaster that in turn is easy to use or clean; reduces the risk of spillage; and can be used on any conventional toaster.

Abstract: A heater controller controls power supplied to a heater capable of adjusting the temperature of a placement surface such that the heater reaches a set temperature. A temperature monitor measures the power supplied in the non-ignited state where the plasma is not ignited and in the transient state where the power supplied to the heater decreases after the plasma is ignited, while the power is controlled such that the temperature of the heater becomes constant. A parameter calculator calculates a heat input amount and the thermal resistance by using the power supplied in the non-ignited state and in the transient state to perform a fitting on a calculation model for calculating the power supplied in the transient state. A set temperature calculator calculates the set temperature of the heater at which the wafer reaches the target temperature, using the heat input amount and thermal resistance.

Abstract: In a method for a cooktop, in particular for producing and/or operating the cooktop, which has at least one variable cooking surface, the cooking surface is partitioned in an operating mode along a partitioning direction into a plurality of heating zones to which at least one heating parameter is assigned in each case in a location-dependent manner in order to heat a cooking utensil that is deposited on the heating zone. In order to ensure flexible production and/or flexible operation of the cooktop, during partitioning of the cooking surface into the heating zones in at least one peripheral region of the cooking surface, at least one cooking utensil characteristic is taken into account.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes two chuck tables for holding workpieces on their holding surfaces, an X-axis feed unit for moving the chuck tables which are being arrayed in an X-axis direction, a laser beam applying unit for applying a laser beam to the workpiece on one at a time of the chuck tables to process the workpiece, and a pair of delivery areas arrayed in the X-axis direction on both sides of the laser beam applying unit, for delivering workpieces to and from the chuck tables. The laser beam applying unit includes a laser oscillator, a beam condenser, and a laser beam scanning unit for displacing a position where the laser beam is applied to the holding surface of the one of the chuck tables.

Abstract: A household appliance device includes a base unit, a planar unit, and a fixing unit configured to at least partially fix the planar unit to the base unit such that in an assembled state the fixing unit allows restricted movement at least of a part of the planar unit relative to the base unit in a direction of movement at least essentially parallel to a main plane of extension of the planar unit.

Abstract: An electric pressure cooker comprises a body having outer pot and inner pot received therein and a lid covering the cooker body. The outer pot and the lid comprise matching teeth for lockingly engagement upon rotating the lid into closure. The cooker body comprises a pair of cooker handles extending outwardly from a sidewall thereof. The cooker handle comprises handgrip portion. The inner pot comprises inner pot body and a pair of inner pot handles connected thereto. The handgrip portion extends to align with or beyond the inner pot handle, so that a user holding the cooker handles will avoid gripping the inner pot handles. A vertical gap between the inner pot handle and the handgrip portion allows hand access. When the user is reaching for the inner pot handle the fingers will contact the cooker handle, thereby avoiding mistakenly gripping the cooker handle.

Abstract: Welding is performed by alternately switching a pulse arc welding period (where welding is performed by forward feeding a welding wire by a rotation for the forward feeding of a push side feeding motor and a rotation for the forward feeding of the pull side feeding motor and feeding a peak current and a base current) and a short-circuiting transition arc welding period (welding is performed by forward/backward feeding the welding wire by the rotation for the forward feeding of the push side feeding motor and a rotation for the forward/backward feeding of the pull side feeding motor and feeding a short-circuiting current and an arc current). During the short-circuiting transition arc welding period, a forward feeding peak value Wsp and/or a backward feeding peak value Wrp of a pull feeding speed Fw are compensation-controlled based on a wire storage amount of an intermediate wire storage.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to control weld current in a preheating system are disclosed. An example preheating power supply includes power conversion circuitry configured to output welding-type power via a first output power connector and a second output power connector, and a bypass path prevention circuit configured to prevent less than a threshold voltage applied to the first output power connector and the second output power connector from a different power supply from causing current to flow between the first output power connector and the second output power connector.

Abstract: A torch tip is provided for a liquid-cooled plasma arc cutting torch. The torch tip includes an electrode with an elongated electrode body having a distal end and a proximal end extending along a longitudinal axis. The electrode body includes at least one interior threaded connection at the proximal end for engaging a liquid-cooled electrode holder. The electrode holder comprises a liquid coolant channel that does not extend into the electrode body. The electrode body has (i) a length extending along the longitudinal axis and (ii) a diameter associated with a widest portion of the electrode body along the longitudinal axis between the proximal and distal ends, where a ratio of the length to the diameter of the electrode body is greater than about 5.