Abstract: A vacuum packaging appliance with a sealing sub-assembly including a latching mechanism and release mechanism is described. According to certain embodiments, the release mechanism, latch and sealing sub-assembly operate in an integrated fashion such that the vacuum packaging appliance can be easily opened or sealed.

Abstract: A warming fabric that utilizes a multiplex circuit to provide heat to at least two different zones of the warming fabric. A controller for the warming fabric may alternate power supplied to the separate zones during a duty cycle. For example, the controller may supply power to a first zone of the warming fabric for a specified time based upon the heat setting for the first zone. During this specified time period, a second zone would not be supplied power. When the on time for the first zone is finished, the controller may apply power to the second zone for a specified time. If desired, separate zones may operate at different lengths of time during the duty cycle so that the separate zones would be supplied different levels of heating.