Abstract: A product dispenser, preferably for frozen food product, having a storage hopper, a rotatable drum having paddles on a periphery thereof located at a bottom of the storage hopper, and a drive motor connected to the rotatable drum. Rotation of the drum causes the product to be delivered to a weighing/dispensing assembly having a load cell and one or more dump doors on which product to be dispensed accumulates. A controller is configured to actuate the drive motor to rotate the rotatable drum in a first rotational direction at a start of a dispensing cycle, and to then actuate the drive motor to rotate the rotatable drum in a second rotational direction, opposite to the first rotational direction in a next dispensing cycle. Within a dispensing cycle, the controller can also monitor a drive motor current draw, and reverse the drive motor if a current limit is exceeded.

Abstract: A product dispenser having a storage hopper, a rotatable drum with paddles on a periphery thereof located at a bottom of the storage hopper, and a drive motor connected to the rotatable drum. Rotation of the drum causes product, preferably frozen food product, to dispense from the open bottom of the hopper to a weighing/dispensing assembly which includes dump doors on which product to be dispensed is accumulated. The dump doors are connected to a support assembly that is movable into and out of contact with a load cell. A single weighing/dispensing motor drives a gearbox that includes an actuator shaft moves the support assembly into and out of contact with the load cell and also activates the dump doors to dispense accumulated product when a desired amount accumulates. A controller is provided and is configured to actuate the drive motor and control a dispensing cycle.

Abstract: A product dispenser, preferably for frozen food product, having a storage hopper, a rotatable drum having paddles on a periphery thereof located at a bottom of the storage hopper, and a drive motor connected to the rotatable drum. Rotation of the drum causes the product to be delivered to a weighing/dispensing assembly having a load cell and one or more dump doors on which product to be dispensed is adapted to accumulate. A controller receives a signal from the load cell and determine a weight of the product accumulating on the one or more dump doors, and upon a product weight target preset value being reached, starts a pulsing algorithm to achieve the desired weight of the accumulated product prior to dispensing.

Abstract: A cooking exhaust hood system, that has an exhaust hood adapted to be located over at least one cooking appliance and an exhaust fan connected to the exhaust hood, with the exhaust fan having a controllable exhaust air flow volume. A camera monitors a surface of the at least one cooking appliance and provide an image signal representing a visual status of the at least one cooking appliance. An image processing controller is connected to an image database and is configured to receive the image signal and to compare the visual status of the at least one cooking appliance based on the image signal to stored images in the image database. The image processing controller then output a cooking appliance status signal. An exhaust fan controller is provided that is connected to the exhaust fan. The exhaust fan controller is configured to receive the cooking appliance status signal and adjusts the exhaust fan accordingly.

Abstract: A self-damping carrier basket pivot connection for a carrier basket transporter system having cars configured to travel along a pathway, at least some of which have a carrier basket pivotally connected thereto. The pivot connection includes a support connection configured for attachment a car. The support connection has at least three connection rollers that define a circular envelope and a mating connection configured to be attached to a back support of the carrier basket. The mating connection includes a housing with a part circular track that generally corresponds to or is larger than the circular envelope such that the rollers can be located within the part circular track. The part circular track includes at least one inwardly directed protrusion.

Abstract: A carrier basket support and stabilizing system for a carrier basket having increased weight carrying capacity is provided. The system includes a plurality of cars configured to travel along a pathway, with at least some support groups including two of the cars having a carrier basket support connected thereto. The carrier basket support has a support plate connected to the first car via a pivoting connection and connected to the second car by a pivoting and sliding connection such that the cars can pivot relative to the support plate and a distance between the first and second cars can change during traversal of curves along the pathway. A support connection on the support plate is configured for connection to a mating connection on a back support of the carrier basket to allow pivoting of the carrier basket so its support surface can remain generally horizontal during movement on the pathway.

Abstract: A carrier basket support and stabilizing system having cars configured to travel along a pathway, at least some support groups including three of the cars, and each support group of three of the cars includes a lead, center, and trailing car, and a carrier basket support is connected to the center car. The carrier basket support includes a center plate and a support post connected to the center car and first and second wing plates located on opposite sides of and pivotally connected to the center plate. The lead and trailing cars slidably support the respective wing plates there-against as the cars pivot while moving along the pathway. A carrier basket is pivotally connected to the support post and has rollers configured for rolling contact with the center, first, and/or the second wing plates, depending on an orientation of the carrier basket support.

Abstract: An adhesive-backed floor, wall, or window graphic adapted for installation on a floor, wall, or window, is provided that includes a printed flexible substrate, an adhesive located on a back of the printed flexible substrate, and a back liner system. The back liner system, at least for the adhesive-backed wall and window graphic, includes removable liner dots at least in two upper corners of the adhesive-backed window graphic and in a medial location of the adhesive-backed window graphic, a center removable liner strip that is oriented vertically in an installation orientation of the adhesive-backed window graphic, and a plurality of side removable liner strips located on both sides of the center removable liner strip. An installation method using the adhesive-backed floor, wall, or window graphic is also provided that provides for easier installation with professional results.

Abstract: A connecting element (1) is provided for fastening a sink (10) to a worktop (20), which worktop has a cutout (21) for inserting the sink, which cutout has a peripheral boundary surface (22). The connecting element has: a base body (2) serving as a bearing part for bearing against the sink; at least one spring part (3.1-3.8) which projects from the base body on a first side and which is designed, under loading in the direction of the base body, to produce a spring force which acts away from the base body; and at least one anchoring part which projects from the base body on a second side thereof situated opposite to the first side and which is designed to engage in a slot-shaped recess (15) in the sink. An engagement direction of the anchoring part extends substantially approximately antiparallel to a direction of the spring force.

Abstract: A conveyor system that utilizes a curved, closed-loop pathway defined by a profiled track and a plurality of wheel cars movably contained within and guided by the profiled track. The wheel cars have an attachment side facing towards an open side of the profiled track, and the track is arranged such that its open side faces into a substantially horizontal direction and such that the attachment side of the cars is oriented substantially vertically in any position along the pathway. One or more carriers, each having a carrier rack adapted to support a food product to be transported, are mounted to the attachment side of a respective one of the wheel cars. The carriers can pivot about an axis perpendicular to the attachment side of the corresponding car so as to maintain the carrier rack in a horizontal position as the carrier travels along the pathway.

Abstract: In a connection device for coupling a gas pressure container provided with a connection coupling there is provided a guide device which is pivotable about a pivot axis between first and second pivoted positions, wherein the guide device includes an opening for inserting the gas pressure container in an insertion direction extending radially with respect to the pivot axis. A plug nipple is rigidly arranged on the connection device and projects into an inner region of the guide device such that the longitudinal axis of the nipple extends radially relative to the pivot axis and is situated parallel to the insertion direction in the first pivoted position of the guide device. The gas pressure container possesses a connection coupling with a rotationally symmetrical valve body having a coupling opening for receiving the plug nipple.

Abstract: An exhaust hood includes a housing, which is open towards a bottom face to capture cooking by-products from a cooking appliance positioned below the exhaust hood. The housing has a first wall and a second wall opposite to the first wall. The second wall is at least partly inclined inwardly from the bottom face towards a top face of the housing and has an exhaust vent to extract cooking by-products captured by the housing. The exhaust hood has a fresh air fan and the first wall forms a first duct which has openings located in a row along a lower edge of the first wall adjacent to the bottom face and oriented inside the housing. A side wall extension extends from one side wall and forms a lateral skirt that defines a pass-through window having vertically and horizontally extending faces.

Abstract: A connecting element (1) is provided for fastening a sink (10) to a worktop (20), which worktop has a cutout (21) for inserting the sink, which cutout has a peripheral boundary surface (22). The connecting element has: a base body (2) serving as a bearing part for bearing against the sink; at least one spring part (3.1-3.8) which projects from the base body on a first side and which is designed, under loading in the direction of the base body, to produce a spring force which acts away from the base body; and at least one anchoring part which projects from the base body on a second side thereof situated opposite to the first side and which is designed to engage in a slot-shaped recess (15) in the sink. An engagement direction of the anchoring part extends substantially approximately antiparallel to a direction of the spring force.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is disclosed, having a vessel for containing a refrigerant, the vessel having a chamber bounded by a surface of a vessel wall, the vessel including an inlet and an outlet for transport of a refrigerant into and out of the chamber. At least one tube portion is inside the chamber, to enable fluid communication into and/or out of the tube portion through a first orifice and a second orifice. This at least one tube portion has an average diameter. The chamber has a space for the refrigerant, with the space having a volume, and the at least one tube portion has an outer surface in contact with the space for the refrigerant, this surface having an area. The volume divided by a product of the area and the average diameter is smaller than or equal to a constant.

Abstract: A conveyor system utilizes a curved, closed-loop pathway defined by a profiled track and a plurality of wheel cars movably contained within and guided by the profiled track. The wheel cars have an attachment side facing towards an open side of the profiled track, and the track is arranged such that its open side faces into a substantially horizontal direction and such that the attachment side of said cars is oriented substantially vertically in any position along the pathway. One or more carriers, each having a carrier rack adapted to support a food product to be transported, are mounted to the attachment side of a respective one of the wheel cars. The carriers can pivot about an axis perpendicular to the attachment side of the corresponding car so as to maintain the carrier rack in a horizontal position as the carrier travels along the pathway.

Abstract: An adhesive-backed floor, wall, or window graphic adapted for installation on a floor, wall, or window, is provided that includes a printed flexible substrate, an adhesive located on a back of the printed flexible substrate, and a back liner system. The back liner system, at least for the adhesive-backed wall and window graphic, includes removable liner dots at least in two upper corners of the adhesive-backed window graphic and in a medial location of the adhesive-backed window graphic, a center removable liner strip that is oriented vertically in an installation orientation of the adhesive-backed window graphic, and a plurality of side removable liner strips located on both sides of the center removable liner strip. An installation method using the adhesive-backed floor, wall, or window graphic is also provided that provides for easier installation with professional results.

Abstract: A vessel for containing a refrigerant comprising an inner wall and an outer wall arranged concentrically and having an inner space bounded by the inner wall and outer wall, an inlet and an outlet for transport of refrigerant into and out of the inner space; a tube inside the inner space arranged turn around the inner wall; an input tube fluidly connected to the inner space and arranged to allow flow of the refrigerant through the input tube into the inner space; an output tube connected to the inner space and arranged to allow flow of the refrigerant out of the inner space into the output tube; a compressor arranged to receive the refrigerant from the output tube and to compress the refrigerant; and a condenser arranged to receive the compressed refrigerant fluid from the compressor, to condense the refrigerant, and to forward the compressed refrigerant into the input tube.

Abstract: A device for storing food products at hot temperature, having an outer housing, an inner housing that is at least partially contained inside the outer housing, and a fan chamber defined within the inner housing, the fan chamber (5) having at least one air inlet and outlet. A fan is located inside the fan chamber, and a heating element is installed in the fan chamber. At least one food tray defines a space for holding the food products therein. A first air flow path for guiding a first air flow is defined from outside of the outer housing to the air inlet of the fan chamber, the first flow path extending between the outer housing and the inner housing, and a second air flow path for guiding a second air flow is defined from the air outlet of the fan chamber to the space inside the at least one food tray, and the heating element is located in the second air flow path.

Abstract: A cooling system comprises a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and a heat exchanger. The latter comprises a vessel for containing a refrigerant, the vessel having an inner space bounded by a closed surface of a vessel wall, the vessel comprising an inlet and an outlet for transport of refrigerant into and out of the inner space through the vessel wall. A tube is disposed at least partly inside the inner space, wherein a first end of the tube is fixed to a first orifice of the vessel wall and a second end of the tube is fixed to a second orifice of the vessel wall to enable fluid communication into and/or out of the tube through the first orifice and the second orifice. A pressure control means controls a pressure in the inner space based on a target temperature.

Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus for refrigerating a fluid is disclosed. The apparatus includes a refrigerant, a compressor (301), a condenser (302), an expansion device (304), and an evaporator (305), fluidly connected to form a refrigeration cycle, a controllable valve (303) configured to control a flow of the refrigerant from the condenser (302) to the evaporator (305), at least one sensor (330) configured to measure a property of the refrigerant, and a controller (300) configured to determine an amount of the refrigerant stored in a portion of the refrigeration cycle including the condenser (302), and to control the controllable valve (303) based on the determined amount of the refrigerant.