Abstract: An electric cooking assembly includes a main body portion that defines a cooking area. First and second cooking surfaces are contained within the cooking area. A first electric heating element arranged to provide heat to at least a portion of the first cooking surface, and a second electric heating element is arranged to heat at least a portion of the second cooking surface. The main body portion may include first and second hood members. The first hood member defines the cooking area and the second hood member is positioned at least partially within the cooking area and configured to decrease heat lost from the cooking assembly during preparation of food products in the cooking area. The second hood member is configured for adjustment between an open position providing access to the cooking surface and a closed position covering at least a portion of the cooking surface.

Abstract: An oven is disclosed having a first food preparation apparatus in the form of a convection heat source and/or a steam production assembly and/or a radiating heat source, and a second food preparation apparatus in the form of a smoking assembly. The oven can operate at least one of the food preparation apparatus simultaneously with the smoking assembly or separately from the smoking assembly.

Abstract: Indoor use rotisserie ovens which have construction features and scale which make the cleaning process easier. Shown are indoor use rotisserie ovens which also may rotate cooking foods about either a horizontal or vertical axis, which makes their applications more versatile. Construction features include: a scale appropriate for cleaning in a typical kitchen sink, use of removable electrical components, and single oven wall construction, all to allow easy cabinet cleaning. Also shown is a locking tab manufacturing detail which creates an inexpensive, light weight, oven cavity, which is easy to clean and also permits oven cavity washing and/or immersion in water. This manufacturing detail also is easy to handle by the end-user without projecting sharp edges. Self lubricated spit assembly axles are shown as well to help deaden sound.

Abstract: A control system for an oven includes a first and a second temperature sensor, and a controller. The oven has a first cavity and a second cavity and includes, a first electrical heating element positioned within the first oven cavity, and a second electrical heating element positioned within the second oven cavity. The first temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature within the first oven cavity, and the second temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature within the second oven cavity. The controller is operatively coupled to the temperature sensors and the heating elements. The controller is configured to receive signals from the sensors and energize both the first and second heating elements by allowing energy to be supplied to only one of the first and second heating elements at a given time.

Abstract: This patent relates to an apparatus and method for assessing a subject's hearing by recording steady-state auditory evoked responses. The apparatus generates a steady-state auditory evoked potential stimulus, presents the stimulus to the subject, senses potentials while simultaneously presenting the stimulus and determines whether the sensed potentials contain responses to the stimulus. The stimulus may include an test signals having a number of different components and modulations. The apparatus may further perform a number of objective audiological tests. The apparatus is further adapted to perform multi-modality testing in which more than one sensory modality of the subject is tested simultaneously.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus (10) is disclosed which comprises a double-shelled housing (12) with top cover (14), side walls (16) and a front plate (20) which is in the form of an arch to provide a storage space (22) underneath. A food vapours condensation chamber is located between the inner and outer shells of the housing (12) and the outer shells of the housing (12) are exposed to atmosphere so that they cool by radiation and convection. The cooking apparatus (10) further includes a fryer unit (18) which is located within an opening (24) in the front plate (20). The fryer unit (18) comprises a casing and a rotary cylindrical drum (26). The drum is devoid of an axle and is mounted by seals which bear on the periphery the drum. A plurality of parallel diametrically extending passages (30) pass through the drum (26).

Abstract: A banquet cart includes a heater received in an opening in the bottom panel of the banquet cart. Plates of food are loaded into the interior compartment of the banquet cart in the kitchen. The heater includes a central heater unit and two heat retention material heating panels. The central heater unit heats the interior compartment of the banquet cart for twenty minutes. The central heater unit is turned off, and smaller heaters are turned on to heat the heat retention material heating panels for forty minutes. The smaller heaters are turned off and the banquet cart is rolled from the kitchen to a hallway proximate to the dining area for serving the plates of food to guests. The heated heat retention material heating panels can maintain the temperature of the air in the interior compartment of the banquet cart warm for approximately two hours and forty minutes, keeping the food in the banquet cart warm.

Abstract: A starch-reducing rice cooker includes a pot containing a lower compartment and an upper boiling chamber having a top opening. A partition separates the lower compartment from the upper boiling chamber. A perforated basket is located within the upper boiling chamber for containing rice to be cooked, and is adapted to contain more than sufficient water to immerse the rice for cooking. A cover is provided. In one embodiment, the cover is also provided with a top opening having a sprayer, spraying cool rinsing water onto the rice within the basket, after cooking of the rice is complete. A discharge valve within the partition communicates between the upper boiling water chamber and the lower compartment. A detector is programmed to detect when boiling of water in the upper boiling temperature starts and to maintain boiling for a time required to properly cook the rice based upon the boiling temperature of the water.

Abstract: A food holding cabinet having a housing defining a heating chamber for holding a covered food tray in a tray location has a pair of elongated rigid rods mounted to the housing for suspending a food tray cover thereon in a position above the tray location. A front rod extends across the opening to the heating chamber and supports the front end of the tray cover and a rear rod supports the rear of the cover. When a food tray is inserted into the tray location, it lifts and supports the cover. When the tray is removed, the front rod prevents removal of the cover along with the underlying tray. The front rod is spring-loaded to be pulled away from the housing to facilitate removal of the cover. A tray cover is also provided.

Abstract: A steering wheel heating apparatus includes a steering wheel that includes an annular member and a pair of supports that are attached to and extend inwardly from the annular member. Each of the supports is attached to a steering column of a vehicle. A covering is removably positioned on and is coextensive with the annular member. At least one elongated heating element extends along a length of the covering. The elongated heating element is positioned between a top side and a bottom side of the covering. A power supply is electrically coupled to the heating element. An actuator is electrically coupled to the power supply and is configured to selectively turn the heating element on or off.

Abstract: A cooking appliance is provided. The cooking appliance is coupled to a power supply that includes a first hot wire, a second hot wire and a ground wire. The cooking appliance includes a cabinet and a cavity defined within the cabinet. The cooking appliance also includes at least one heating assembly having two electrical heating elements positioned with respect to the cavity. A first electrical heating element is electrically coupled to the first hot wire and the ground wire. A second electrical heating element is electrically coupled to the second hot wire and the ground wire.

Abstract: A roller-equipped annealing lehr for flat glass, having a roller conveyor inside a lehr housing, with heating units arranged in pairs above and below the roller conveyor, in rows situated one after another and extending transversely to the feed direction. Temperature regulators are provided with predetermined desired values and actual temperature values that are measured in a position-dependent fashion. In order to achieve a desired stable temperature distribution and to prevent stresses in the flat glass, a feedback loop arrangement for at least one pair of heating units situated at a particular position in the row, presets as a control variable the heating output required to predetermine the temperature distribution in the region of this position as a predetermined portion of a heating output, which is calculated based on at least one actual temperature value measured at a different position in the row.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing roller; a center temperature detection unit including a protective member, the center temperature detection unit contacts the fixing roller in an axial center of the fixing roller and detects a temperature of the center section; an end temperature detection unit that contacts the fixing roller at an end portion of the fixing roller outside of a maximum print area of the recording medium and detects a temperature of the end section; and a control unit that controls heating of the fixing roller performed by the heating unit so that the heating is stopped when the value detected by the center temperature detection unit has exceeded a first upper limit value and when the value detected by the end temperature detection unit has exceeded a second upper limit value, the first upper limit value being lower than the second upper limit value.

Abstract: A food cooking oven has a front door, a back wall opposite the front door, and two side walls connecting the front door to the back wall. The oven also has a rear divider parallel to and spaced apart from the back wall, the rear divider running between the side walls and having a support bracket at a lower edge. The rear divider has a fan inlet. Side brackets are located along each side wall of the oven, each side bracket spaced evenly from the side wall to allow controlled amounts of air to flow between each side wall and each adjacent bracket. A solid cooking surface is adapted to be supported by the support bracket on the lower edge of the rear divider and the side brackets. A lower heating element is positioned below the solid cooking surface and spaced evenly from the solid cooking surface. A fan is positioned between the rear divider and the back wall, the fan is adapted to draw air through the fan inlet in the rear divider and push the air onto the lower cooking element.

Abstract: A thermal processor may include a cooling jacket positionable around a process chamber within a process vessel or jar. A heater can move into a position substantially between the process chamber vessel and the cooling jacket. A holder having multiple workpiece holding positions is provided for holding a batch or workpieces or wafers. The process chamber vessel is moveable to a position where it substantially encloses the holder, so that wafers in the holder may be processed in a controlled environment. A cooling shroud may be provided to absorb heat from the heater before or after thermal processing. The thermal processor is compact and thermally shielded, and may be used in an automated processing system having other types of processors.

Abstract: An oven and a heating unit of the oven are provided. The oven includes a cavity, a heater, a food container, and an ohmic heater. A high temperature environment is formed in the cavity. The food container is mounted within the cavity to receive food therein. The ohmic heater is formed in the food container and allows power to be supplied to the food so that the food may be directly heated.

Abstract: A heater assembly includes a heater housing with strain relief features for wires associated with electronic components, such as a thermistor and/or thermal cut-off (TCO) device, coupled to a heating element. The heater assembly may be used in a fixing device or fuser in an image forming apparatus including, but not limited to, printers, copiers, faxes, multifunctional devices or all-in-one devices.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member; a pressing member to be pressed against the fixing member; a first heating member for heating the fixing member; a second heating member for heating the fixing member supplementarily; and a third heating member for heating the pressing member. The first heating member has a first rated output; the second heating member has a second rated output; and the third heating member has a third rated output. The first rated output is greater than the second rated output, and the second rated output is equal to or greater than the third rated output. Further, the second heating member and the third heating member are connected in series relative to a voltage applying device or a power source.

Abstract: A toaster is provided having a base which may be interchangeable or integral with the toaster unit. The toaster also contains an angled heating chamber having manually moveable heating element assemblies, a centering carriage, and a toast lift that optimize the distance between the heating elements and the bread product. Furthermore, an angled top for viewing the bread product within the heating chamber, and including a user control interface for controlling the actions of the toaster, located on the top surface thereof are provided.

Abstract: There is provided a baby wipes warmer comprising a housing which defines an upper housing wall. It also comprises a liquid tank assembly that has an upper tank surface defining at least one vapor aperture therethrough. The tank assembly is disposed within the hosing in a manner as to form an inside compartment between the upper housing wall and the upper tank surface. The warmer further comprises a heating element which is disposed within the housing to provide heat to the tank assembly. In this regard, a portion of liquid within the tank assembly transitions into vapors when heated by the heating element and flow to the inside compartment through the vapor aperture(s). By providing the vapors, the moisture and coloration of the baby wipes supported therein can be maintained while warming them.