Abstract: Ordering and delivery of food ingredients and food service items is opaque and inefficient. A computer system for recommending substitute food products to food service providers is disclosed. The system contains a database of information about food products that is continuously updated. The database is updated by food service providers and vendors submitting information about food products and the system tags the items entered and sorts them into the database. The system then provides recommendations to food service providers of substitute food products by comparing a food service provider's order history with a query entered with items in the database. A method for increasing efficiency in delivery of food products by streamlining the ordering and delivery process is also disclosed. The streamlined system includes options for price as a function of delivery route and a central container location for food delivery to multiple food service providers within one geographic location.

Abstract: The present application encompasses methods and apparatus for heating a load such as clothes immersed in a medium such as water during a heating period. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises heating the load and medium within an enclosure by subjecting said load and medium to heated air originated from a conventional energy source; and applying heat to said load and medium within the enclosure via an AC electrical field, embodied as a capacitor, originated from an RF power source.

Abstract: A power converting system that includes: a rectifier configured to convert an input voltage into a output voltage and including an output node that is coupled to floating ground; a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier coupled to the rectifier and configured to generate a load voltage based on an RF clock and the output voltage; a detector coupled to the RF power amplifier and configured to detect the load voltage of the RF power amplifier; an integrator coupled to the detector and configured to generate a direct current (DC) voltage based on the detected load voltage; and a controller coupled to the integrator and configured to, based on the DC voltage, generate a control signal to adjust one or more features of the RF power amplifier is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention encompasses methods and apparati for heating a load (9) such as clothes immersed in a medium (such as water) during a heating period. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises heating the load (9) and medium within an enclosure (10) by subjecting said load (9) and medium to heated air (104) originated from a conventional energy source (1); and applying heat to said load (9) and medium within the enclosure (10) via an AC electrical field, embodied as a capacitor, originated from an RF power source (2).

Abstract: A clothes dryer apparatus (99) comprising an electrically conductive, grounded, generally cylindrical rotatable drum (13) having a hollow interior adapted to contain a load (15) of wet clothes to be dried. The drum's (13) exterior surface (27) is partially indented to form one or more integral, generally ring-shaped insulated notches (10). An electrically conductive, generally flat arcuate anode (11) is positioned within each notch (10), with no physical contact between an anode (11) and its corresponding notch (10). Each anode (11) is spatially fixed with respect to the rotatable drum (13), and is electrically isolated from conductive portions of the drum (13). A source (21) of RF power (12), operating at a single fixed frequency, is coupled to each anode (11).

Abstract: A clothes dryer apparatus (99) comprising an electrically conductive, grounded, generally cylindrical rotatable drum (13) having a hollow interior adapted to contain a load (15) of wet clothes to be dried. The drum's (13) exterior surface (27) is partially indented to form one or more integral, generally ring-shaped insulated notches (10). An electrically conductive, generally flat arcuate anode (11) is positioned within each notch (10), with no physical contact between an anode (11) and its corresponding notch (10). Each anode (11) is spatially fixed with respect to the rotatable drum (13), and is electrically isolated from conductive portions of the drum (13). A source (21) of RF power (12), operating at a single fixed frequency, is coupled to each anode (11).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for heating an object 9 that includes an absorbed medium. A method embodiment comprises: placing the object 9 including the medium into an enclosure 16; initiating a heating process by subjecting the object 9 and medium to a capacitive AC electrical field generated by an RF power source 2 at a single low frequency; controlling the heating process by taking real time measurements; and making real time adjustments to the RF power source 2 in response to the real time measurements. The object 9 substantially absorbs the medium in a first “cool” state, and therefore has a maximum weight in the first “cool” state. The object 9 is substantially free from the medium in a second “heated” state, due to substantial release of the medium from the object 9. The released medium is evaporated during the heating process. The heating process is completed when the object 9 is substantially transitioned into the second “heated” state.

Abstract: A method for RF dielectric heating an object having a variable weight including a medium is provided The method comprises: (A) placing the object having the variable weight including the medium into an enclosure; (B) adding an ionic substance to the medium; (C) initiating a heating process by subjecting the medium including the object to a variable AC electrical field; and (D) controlling the heating process. The method further comprises using an air flow having an ambient temperature, or being heated before getting into the enclosure, to carry away the evaporated medium from the enclosure.

Abstract: Dry cleaning and fabric-treatment compositions, methods and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine. In some embodiments, the composition includes at least one organic solvent, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition also may include water and/or at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific composition. In some embodiments, the article includes a dispenser from which the composition is selectively dispensed onto a dry garment or other object to be cleaned. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes an internal chamber containing the composition, and the composition is dispensed onto objects prior to placing the objects in a drying machine.

Abstract: Dry cleaning and fabric-treatment compositions, methods and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine In some embodiments, the composition includes at least one organic solvent, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition also may include water and/or at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific composition. In some embodiments, the article includes a dispenser from which the composition is selectively dispensed onto a dry garment or other object to be cleaned.

Abstract: Dry cleaning and fabric-treatment compositions, methods and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine. In some embodiments, the composition includes at least one organic solvent, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition also may include water and/or at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific composition. In some embodiments, the article includes a dispenser from which the composition is selectively dispensed onto a dry garment or other object to be cleaned. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes an internal chamber containing the composition, and the composition is dispensed onto objects prior to placing the objects in a drying machine.

Abstract: Dry cleaning and fabric-treatment compositions, methods and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine. In some embodiments, the composition includes at least one organic solvent, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition also may include water and/or at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific composition. In some embodiments, the article includes a dispenser from which the composition is selectively dispensed onto a dry garment or other object to be cleaned. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes an internal chamber containing the composition, and the composition is dispensed onto objects prior to placing the objects in a drying machine.

Abstract: Dry cleaning and fabric-treatment compositions, methods and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine. In some embodiments, the composition includes at least one organic solvent, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition also may include water and/or at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific composition. In some embodiments, the article includes a dispenser from which the composition is selectively dispensed onto a dry garment or other object to be cleaned. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes an internal chamber containing the composition, and the composition is dispensed onto objects prior to placing the objects in a drying machine.

Abstract: Dry cleaning and fabric-treatment compositions, methods and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine. In some embodiments, the composition includes at least one organic solvent, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition also may include water and/or at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific composition. In some embodiments, the article includes a dispenser from which the composition is selectively dispensed onto a dry garment or other object to be cleaned. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes an internal chamber containing the composition, and the composition is dispensed onto objects prior to placing the objects in a drying machine.

Abstract: Dry cleaning and fabric-treatment compositions, methods and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine. In some embodiments, the composition includes at least one organic solvent, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition may also include water and/or at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific composition. In some embodiments, the article includes a sheet onto which the composition is permeated. In some embodiments, the article includes the composition and a carrier.

Abstract: Dry cleaning and fabric-treatment compositions, methods and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine. In some embodiments, the composition includes at least one organic solvent, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition may also include water and/or at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific composition. In some embodiments, the article includes a sheet onto which the composition is permeated. In some embodiments, the article includes the composition and a carrier.

Abstract: An organic solvent-based dry cleaning composition, method and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine. The composition includes at least one organic solvent and water, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition may also include at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific stain remover.

Abstract: An organic solvent-based dry cleaning composition, method and articles incorporating the same that are suitable for use in drying machines, such as hot air drying machines found in households, apartments, and laundromats, which are normally adapted to dry wet garments and the like from a washing machine. The composition includes at least one organic solvent and water, with the at least one organic solvent forming the greatest weight percentage of the active components in the composition. In some embodiments, the composition may also include at least one surfactant, emulsifier, perfume, and/or application-specific stain remover.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a dry-cleaning article suitable for use in the home. The article is characterized by a sheet that is permeated with a composition including 51-98% by weight of organic solvent such as paraffins, olefins, acetylenes or mixtures thereof, 1-35% by weight of water, and 1-14% by weight of emulsifier to allow the water to be uniformly mixed into the solvent. The composition can also include 1-5% by weight of perfume for scenting clothing, and 1-5% by weight of nonionic and/or anionic surfactant to provide additional stain removal capability of the composition. The invented composition is thus organic-solvent-based and is particularly effective to remove body or cosmetic oil stains from garments. The invention is also directed to the composition and methods for using the sheet in a drying machine.

Abstract: The present invention features a UV tube detector for sensing a resonant arcing condition in a microwave environment. Where clothing or fabric is being dried in a magnetron-powered, microwave chamber, the UV tube detector is placed in proximity to the fabric. The UV tube detector senses a possible resonant arcing condition related to small metal objects hidden in the material. Upon the sensing of arcing, the UV tube provides a signal for shutting down the magnetron power. In conjunction with UV detection, the moisture condition can be monitored during the drying cycle. At a point in the microwave heating cycle consistent with an "end of microwave heating cycle" or "near dryness", the power output of the magnetrons is reduced or terminated. The moist fabric can then be dried via reduced microwave heating and/or by normal heating methods, including, but not limited to, electrical radiant heating and convection techniques.