Abstract: A drawer seal includes a magnetic coupler, a bellows filled or substantially filled with a vibration dampening material and which is affixed to either a drawer or cabinet by a base member. The base member can be embodied as a dart that extends into a hole formed into the drawer or cabinet. A refrigerated food storage cabinet includes a self-closing drawer provided with the drawer seal whereby the drawer is less likely to rebound open.

Abstract: A food warming apparatus includes a heating compartment that can hold one or more trays containing previously cooked food portions. A cover for a tray has a horizontal section and a vertical section extending downwardly from one side of the horizontal section. A rack in the heating compartment includes a channel and a stop that blocks the front end of the channel. The vertical section of the cover fits securely in the channel behind the stop such that the rack supports the cover substantially only through the vertical section. When a tray is inserted into the receiving space cooperatively defined by the cover and rack, the cover is lifted up so that the horizontal section rests on the tray and at least partially blocks the open top of the tray, thereby restricting evaporation of liquids from the previously cooked food portions contained in the tray.

Abstract: A food warming apparatus includes one or more heating compartments that can hold one or more trays, each covered by a cover, each tray containing previously cooked food portions. One or more supports are disposed inside a heating compartment. A support includes one or more guide members and one or more stop members. A cover includes one or more engagement sections. Without a tray, the cover rests on the one or more stop members. When a tray is inserted into the receiving space defined by the cover and the support, the cover is lifted. The one or more engagement sections engage the one or more guide members to guide the upward motion of the cover. The cover then rests on the tray to at least partially block an open top of the tray, thereby restricting evaporation of liquids from the previously cooked food portions contained therein.

Abstract: Temperature control is provided to food dispensing vessels like condiment dispensers that are too tall to be stored in a shallow, temperature-controlled tray or basin by using inclined or tilted, thermally-conductive tubes placed inside a temperature-controlled tray. Thermal insulating covers improve the thermal efficiency of the tubes.

Abstract: A sports racquet frame is formed from a plurality of frame sections, some sections formed of a single tubular member and other sections formed of double tubular members. The double tube sections preferably contain string port holes. Also, different frame sections can be made of different materials, e.g., carbon fiber-reinforced composites and aluminum.

Abstract: An archery bow is formed of multiple composite tubes bonded to one another along a common wall, wherein apertures, or “ports,” are molded between the tubes to improve the stiffness, strength, resiliency, control, and aerodynamics of the bow.

Abstract: A controller for a food holding oven determines one or more time periods during each of which heat is directed at a pre-cooked food item. By controlling the heat intensity and the time over which different amounts of heat are provided to different types of pre-cooked food items, the time during which a particular type of pre-cooked food item can be kept palatable is maximized.

Abstract: A gravity-fed, manually-operable dispenser for sugar, creamer and other particles and granules is comprised of a particulate reservoir affixed to a dispensing base by engagement tabs and slots. The tabs and slots allow the dispenser to be easily disassembled for maintenance and cleaning. The base encloses a substantially cylindrical rotating measuring/dispensing vane that has several hollow apertures into which particulates flow from the reservoir. The vane rides on a smooth, flat surface that seals or closes off the apertures. An opening in the flat surface of the dispensing base allows particulates in a full aperture to fall through and out of the base. A soft gasket over surfaces of the vane that would otherwise make direct contact with the base portion prevent the vane from becoming lodged in place by crystalline material.

Abstract: There is provided a seat cover for accommodating a child safety chair upon a seat. The seat cover comprises a lower protective member which is disposable upon a seating portion of the seat. This lower member can accommodate the child safety chair when positioned in a rearward-facing direction to prevent it from permanently compressing the seating portion. The seat cover further comprises an upper protective member that is disposable against a seat-back portion of the seat. This upper member is selectively attachable with and detachable from the lower member. By doing so, the upper member can further prevent the chair from permanently compressing the seat-back portion when it is repositioned in a forward-facing direction and placed in contact therewith.

Abstract: A racquet frame has one or more string holes formed therein and a string bed plane, along which the string holes extend. The racquet frame is preferably formed by providing a frame bearing structure, which is aimed at providing flexural stiffness to said racquet frame, and structurally integrating the frame bearing structure with a frame binding structure, which is aimed at providing torsional stiffness to the racquet frame. The mutual integration of the frame bearing structure and the frame binding structure forms a composite frame structure, in which one or more of said string holes may be provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to modified HIV-1 envelope proteins which express epitopes that produce a broadly cross reactive neutralizing response, their methods of use and antibodies which bind to these epitopes.

Abstract: An edge guard for use adjacent an edge. The edge guard comprises a cushion member and an edge attachment. The cushion member includes a first face, a second face, and a cushion edge portion disposed between them. Both faces have inner portions extending away from the cushion edge portion towards end portions. The inner portions are positioned adjacent surfaces surrounding the edge. The edge attachment includes an upper surface, an attached end, and a distal end. The attached end is attached to one of the end portions of the cushion member. The edge attachment is stiffer than the cushion member. The upper surface of the edge attachment is separated a distance from the surface it is positioned adjacent that tapers from a larger distance at the attached end to a smaller distance at the distal end.

Abstract: A food warming apparatus includes a cabinet with one or more heating compartments for holding one or more trays. Each tray has a rim extending outwardly from a tray opening and may contain previously cooked food portions. One or more dividers are removably mounted inside a heating compartment, dividing the heating compartment into a first sub-compartment and second sub-compartment. The one or more dividers include a first support flange that extends into the first sub-compartment and a second support flange that extends into the second sub-compartment. The first support flange supports a rim of a first tray in the first sub-compartment such that the first tray is suspended above a lower compartment surface of the heating compartment. The second support flange supports a rim of a second tray in the second sub-compartment such that the second tray is suspended above the lower compartment surface of the heating compartment.

Abstract: One embodiment of a food heating device includes a platen (101) and an opening (103) disposed in the platen (101). The opening (103) is arranged and sized to receive a food product (203) from a first side of the platen (101) and to output the food product (203) to a second side of the platen (101). Alternative embodiments involve diagonally guiding a food product (203) along a different arrangements of platens (801, 901, 1001, 1101, 1401).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of diagnosing an infertility condition in a human female subject, the method comprising detecting pregnancy-related serine protease (PRSP) protein in a test sample taken from said subject at between 7 and 20 weeks into pregnancy; detecting PRSP protein in a test sample from a fertile control mammal taken within the same period; and comparing the PRSP protein in the test sample with the PRSP protein detected in the control sample, wherein a change in PRSP protein in the sample compared to the control sample is indicative of an infertility condition.

Abstract: Additives to foundry sand cores are provided for reducing or eliminating surface defects called veins in metal castings, by reducing the propensity of sand mold and core aggregates to crack during metal casting. The additives generally include an iron oxide component such as magnetite and hematite and a glass component which is preferably free of lithium oxide. The additive may also optionally include an amount of carbon effective to reduce adhesion of sand particles to the casting.

Abstract: A sports racquet having a plurality of string port holes and conventional string holes is formed of a single tube of prepreg material. When molded, mold elements press opposed portions of the prepreg tube into contact with one another, and shape the adjoining prepreg material into a string port hole blanks. The portion of the pressed-together material which initially blocks the string port hole is removed after molding so that the string port holes extend through the frame. Alternatively, the mold elements cause the prepreg tube to follow a serpentine shape, thereby defining string port holes which are open alternately along the top and bottom surface of the frame. A pair of cover rings may be secured to the top and bottom racquet surfaces to cover the open sides of the string port holes.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structure using a single, hollow primary tube, preferably of a composite material, wherein ports are bonded to the walls of the hollow tube through aligned holes on opposite sides of the hollow tube. The ports improve the stiffness, strength, aerodynamics, and aesthetics of the structure.