Patents Examined by J. Pelham
  • Patent number: 7307243
    Abstract: A continuous oven for heating a food product having an outer surface and an interior includes an enclosure with a first heating zone and a second heating zone. A conveyor is configured to convey the product from the first heating zone to the second heating zone. At least one surface-browning infrared emitter is adjacent the first heating zone of the conveyor and is configured to provide a first electromagnetic radiation profile to the product in the first heating zone that is adapted to evaporate surface moisture to produce a crust matrix on the outer surface of the product. At least one interior-heating infrared emitter is adjacent the second heating zone of the conveyor and is configured to provide a second electromagnetic radiation profile to the product in the second heating zone that is different from the first electromagnetic radiation profile. The second electromagnetic radiation profile is adapted to heat the interior of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: North Carolina State University
    Inventors: Brian Farkas, Brian Lloyd, Kevin Keener
  • Patent number: 7304276
    Abstract: A thick film heater is shown wherein the thick film resistive circuit, as the heating element, is applied directly to a target object to be heated for very low temperature applications. The thick film used is polymer-based (preferably epoxy). The thick film resistive circuit is applied using conventional means. However, it is cured at higher temperatures and longer cycles than conventional thick film circuits, and preferably in multiple stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Hongy Lin, Thomas M. Laskowski, Louis P. Steinhauser
  • Patent number: 7297905
    Abstract: A cooking device having a cooking compartment, which is divided by a partition. The cooking device includes a partitioning member, installed in a cooking chamber, for partitioning the cooking chamber into a first cooking chamber and a second cooking chamber, a heater for heating food placed in the cooking chamber, and a ventilating device for ventilating air in the first cooking chamber and the second cooking chamber, independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheol Jin Kim, Kobayashi Shozo, Yun Ic Hwang, Seok Weon Hong, Yu Jeub Ha, Hyun Suk Kim, Pung Yeun Cho
  • Patent number: 7294811
    Abstract: A heating cooking device includes a housing having a wall portion; a first base material provided in at least a portion of the wall portion; and optionally a second base material formed on the first base material; a heat ray reflector formed on the conductive base material, including a first transparent conductive film formed on the first base material and a second transparent conductive film that is provided on the first transparent conductive film, where the second transparent conductive film has a higher heat resistance than that of the first transparent conductive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd
    Inventors: Takuya Kawashima, Kenji Goto, Nobuo Tanabe
  • Patent number: 7291811
    Abstract: An oven for heating moving thermoplastic blanks (preforms, intermediate containers), which includes conveying devices for supporting and moving the blanks sequentially while rotating each of them about its own axis. A heating device is arranged laterally to the conveying device for heating the moving blank bodies, and the conveying device includes at least two parallel conveying branches, proximate each other and having opposite conveying directions, the two branches being traveled along one after the other by the blanks. The heating device is arranged between the two conveying branches so as to heat simultaneously on both sides of the blanks moving in opposite directions respectively on the two branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Sidel
    Inventors: Alain Evrard, Frédéric Lecomte, Nasser Takhedmit
  • Patent number: 7288745
    Abstract: A pan including a shelf dividing the interior thereof into a lower chilling element and an upper portion disposed in heat relationship with the lower portion and a lid for covering the top of the container and having a serving surface for display of food thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Inventor: Frank Colonna
  • Patent number: 7285750
    Abstract: In a pressure stamp device for the sealing of films with a slidable stamp element with a stamping surface for applying pressure to a first foil to bond it to a supported second foil, a substantially homogeneous internal temperature distribution is reached by contributing the stamping element with multiple layers so that it includes basically three layers with a heated central layer of a first material with a thermal conductivity and two peripheral layers of a second material flanking it, the surface being formed by one of the peripheral layers to constitute the stamping surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Inventor: Josef Bentele
  • Patent number: 7276677
    Abstract: A pressure cooking vessel using a cylindrical cooking chamber and rectangular food racks. This combination allows one to enjoy the benefits of using a cylindrical chamber to pressure cook along with the benefits of using rectangular racks to display the food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Carton Drive Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Winston Shelton
  • Patent number: 7276674
    Abstract: The present invention provides a component that exhibits a designed thermal response which may be used in an image forming apparatus. The component may include a roller that contacts a heating device such as a fuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jichang Cao, Stephen Francis DeFosse, Hrishikesh Pramod Gogate, Edward Lawrence Kiely, Michael David Maul, Ganesh Vinayak Phatak, Jerry Wayne Smith
  • Patent number: 7238922
    Abstract: A steam cooker, wherein a sub cavity incorporating a steam heating heater is formed at the center of the ceiling part of a heating chamber. Steam in the heating chamber is sucked into an air blow device through a suction port and force-fed into the sub cavity through an external circulating passage. Gas passed through the external circulation passage sucks steam from a steam generator midway in the external circulation passage and enters from the external circulation passage into the sub cavity. The steam heated by the steam heating heater until it is brought into an superheated state is jetted downward from a plurality of upper gas jetting holes formed in the bottom panel of the sub cavity by such a force that makes the steam reach the bottom of the heating chamber so that the steam can be collided with a heated matter. The steam is raised on the outside of downward air flow and the convection of steam occurs in the heating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuhji Andoh, Toshiyuki Irie, Shinya Ueda, Masami Umemoto, Tadanobu Kimura
  • Patent number: 7119307
    Abstract: A photosensitive material processing device for processing a photosensitive material with a processing liquid while conveying the photosensitive material by a roller pair. A driving device for providing a rotation drive to the roller pair. A drive controlling device that gradually raises voltage of the electric power at the time of starting the rotation drive of the roller pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoei Nozawa, Akinori Kimura, Shinichi Matsuda, Takayuki Iwamoto, So Konno, Toshihiro Suya, Hideto Yamamoto, Miyuki Endou
  • Patent number: 7098427
    Abstract: A device for filtering the frying bath of an electric fryer having a heating resistor that is immersed in a frying bath in a tank during frying, the device including: a filter screen adapted to extend beneath the immersed electric resistor; and at least one holding element for connecting said screen to the immersed electric resistor. An electric fryer composed of; a tank provided to receive a frying bath; an electric heating resistor provided to be immersed in the frying bath; and the device described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventors: Valérie Vuillemot Ducarme, Frédéric Seurat
  • Patent number: 7091452
    Abstract: A conveyor type oven (10) for processing food products (32) and a method of use that includes heating sections and/or zones, each of the heating sections/and or zones being individually temperature controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: American Permanent Ware Corporation
    Inventors: Charles J. Kingdon, Christopher J. Adelmann, Abel Anthony Arellano, Joe Louis Gallardo
  • Patent number: 7041941
    Abstract: Various present invention devices enable adherence to requirements for medical items. A medical item of the present invention includes a monitoring or data recording device to monitor and/or record medical solution conditions. The device may further include indicators to indicate compliance of the medical solution with prescribed requirements (e.g., manufacturer, medical standard or regulation, etc.). The medical item may alternatively include a barcode or transponder to uniquely identify the medical item to a thermal treatment system measuring and storing conditions in a central database. The present invention further includes various thermal treatment systems that monitor medical items for prescribed requirements and display the monitored parameters to medical personnel. In addition, the present invention may place time stamp information on medical items to enable determination by medical personnel of compliance with prescribed requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Patented Medical Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Durward I. Faries, Jr., Bruce R. Heymann, Calvin Blankenship, David Hendrix
  • Patent number: 6940044
    Abstract: A apparatus and method for fusing toner to media in a laser imaging device. A paraboloidal trough reflector is positioned about a linear heating element to focus and concentrate radiant energy emitted from the heating element onto a thermal spreader. The thermal spreader absorbs the radiant energy and converts it to heat. A thermoplastic fusing roller is rotatably supported about the bulb heater, the reflector and the thermal spreader. A pressure roller is supported to urge media against the fusing roller at the position of the thermal spreader. Fusing heat is conducted from the thermal spreader, through the fusing roller and to the media. The pressure roller is driven to rotate, thereby advancing the media through the fusing unit to fuse the toner thereto. Additionally, the present teachings disclose a printing device having a fusing unit with a bulb heater that emits user non-perceivable light. A mechanism is included for conveying light from the bulb heater to a location within the printing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Eric Unger Eskey
  • Patent number: 6927366
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus for providing a tilting cooking surface. The cooking apparatus may include a cooking surface for receiving food; a motion element for providing movement to the cooking surface; and a coupling attached to the motion element. The coupling may traverse a periphery portion of the cooking surface, maintaining the cooking surface in a tilted position and rocking the cooking surface back and forth. The cooking apparatus may also include a heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: RKS Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi K. Sawhney, Juan Pablo Cilia, William Debley, Jr., Lance Hussey
  • Patent number: 6909073
    Abstract: An integrated device based upon semiconductor technology, in particular a chemical microreactor, including a semiconductor body having a high-temperature operating portion and a low temperature operating portion. The semiconductor body is provided with a thermal-insulation device including a dissipator element arranged between the high-temperature operating portion and the low-temperature operating portion. The dissipator includes a membrane connecting the high-temperature operating portion and the low-temperature operating portion, and a plurality of diaphragms that extend substantially orthogonal to the membrane and are parallel to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Flavio Villa, Gabriele Barlocchi, Manlio Gennaro Torchia, Ubaldo Mastromatteo
  • Patent number: 6884969
    Abstract: An infrared die oven has a die cradle for holding a die. A thermocouple is positioned within the die cradle to maintain it in direct contact with the die. A controller connected to the thermocouple continually reads the temperature of the die. When the die reaches a threshold temperature, the intensity of an infrared heating elements in the oven is reduced. When the die reaches the desired temperature, the controller continuously adjusts the intensity of the heater to maintain the die at the desired temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Granco Clark, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Brach, John C. Bugai
  • Patent number: 6844526
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for preheating the conductor elements of cables with extruded insulator essentially by forced thermal convection. Particularly for conductors with metal tape reinforcement, such as for example Milliken conductors, where it has been found that the traditional magnetic-induction heating is not satisfactory since the tape reinforcement shields the elements of conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Pirelli S.p.A.
    Inventors: Paolo Veggetti, Gaia Dell'Anna, Giovanni Pozzati, Marcello Del Brenna, Angelo Sala
  • Patent number: 6835915
    Abstract: The construction has been created such that the hot water is flowing from a closed secured container without danger of scalding and dripping over to the drinking cup, which is also secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Inventor: Eberhard Timm