Abstract: An actively heated or cooled mug has a body with a chamber that can receive and hold a beverage and a heating or cooling system disposed at least partially in a cavity below the chamber. The heating or cooling system has a heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool the chamber, power storage devices, and circuitry that controls the operation of the heating or cooling elements. A user interface is electrically connected to the circuitry and has one or more selection members actuatable a) to turn off the one or more heating or cooling element or b) to adjust a temperature setting to one of multiple temperature settings configured to control the one or more heating or cooling elements to heat or maintain the liquid at a user selected temperature.

Abstract: An actively heated or cooled cup or mug has a body with a chamber that can receive and hold a beverage and a heating or cooling system disposed in a cavity below the chamber. The heating or cooling system has a heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool the chamber, power storage devices, and circuitry that controls the operation of the heating or cooling elements. A sensor can detect a presence of a liquid in the chamber, the circuitry configured to turn on power to the heating or cooling elements after said liquid is detected and further configured to automatically turn off power to the heating or cooling elements upon receiving a signal indicating that the liquid in the chamber has dropped below a predetermined liquid level or been depleted completely.

Abstract: A heating unit for heating fluid is described having at least one electrical resistance heating element on an outer surface of a tube. At least one indexed groove is provided around a surface of the tube allowing for at least one retention clip to hold the electrical resistance heating element. A heating chamber is also provided to enclose a portion of the tube and to provide a flow channel therebetween. The heating chamber includes an optical sensor to detect overheating of the at least one electrical resistance heating element. Fluid is heated by flowing over the surface of the at least one electrical resistance heating element and through the tube.

Abstract: Kitchen appliances usually include devices such as a water system, a cooker, a kitchen hood (range hood), an oven, a refrigerator, a microwave, a dishwasher and other devices. The devices are mostly operated independent from each other. Unlike those devices the “drinkable tap water-based liquid supply system” according to the present invention comprises a few devices controlled by an advanced control system according to the invention for providing connectivity and system management. The system is designed to provide comfort, convenience and energy saving. The water-based liquid supply system according to the present invention provides a variety of water-based liquids, dispatched with the desired properties from a countertop faucet.

Abstract: A beverage-making apparatus includes a container including a container body that includes heat-insulating material and has an opening that provides access to an interior of the container body. The container further includes: a container cover configured to open and close the opening of the container body, and at least three channels connected to the container and that are communicative with the interior of the container body. The at least three channels include at least one first channel and a second channel that are communicative with a beverage ingredient pack mounted in the interior of the container body, the beverage ingredient pack configured to hold first beverage-making ingredients. The container further includes a third channel that is communicative with a space formed in the interior of the container body between a wall of the container body and the beverage ingredient pack mounted in the interior the container body.

Abstract: A cartridge for an air-cooled plasma arc torch is provided. The cartridge includes a swirl ring having a molded thermoplastic elongated body with a distal end, a proximal end, and a hollow portion configured to receive an electrode. The swirl ring also has a plurality of gas flow openings defined by the distal end of the elongated body and configured to impart a swirling motion to a plasma gas flow for the plasma arc torch. The swirl ring further includes a nozzle retention feature on a surface of the elongated body at the distal end for retaining a nozzle to the elongated body. The cartridge further includes a cap affixed to the proximal end of the elongated body of the swirl ring for substantially closing the proximal end of the elongated body.

Abstract: A refillable carbonation container is disclosed. Exemplary implementations may include a base, a tank, a container body, a dispenser, and/or other components. The tank holds a pressurized liquid, such as CO2. The container body holds a potable liquid, such as water. The dispenser dispenses the pressurized liquid from the tank into the potable liquid, which provides carbonation of the potable liquid.

Abstract: A heater power feeding mechanism for independently controlling temperatures of zones of a stage on which a substrate is placed. The respective zones of the stage include heaters. The heater power feeding mechanism includes a plurality of heater terminals configured to be connected to the heaters, a plurality of heater wires connected to the heater terminals, and an offset structure that offsets the heater wires from each other. The heater terminals are disposed on the periphery of a holding plate for holding the stage.

Abstract: A heater power feeding mechanism is provided that divides a stage on which a substrate is placed into zones by using a plurality of heaters and can control a temperature of each of the zones. The heater power feeding mechanism includes a plurality of sets of heater terminals connected to any of the plurality of heaters by a segment unit when a set of the heater terminals is made one segment, a heater interconnection, and an interconnection structure configured to connect at least any of the plurality sets of the heater terminals with each other by using the heater interconnection by the segment unit.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a high-precision and high-efficiency laser polishing method oriented to a large-size ultra-thin mask plate, and belongs to the technical field of advanced laser manufacturing. A high-precision and high-efficiency laser polishing technology is applied to the surface smoothness improvement of the large-size ultra-thin mask plate. The high-precision and high-efficiency laser polishing method specifically comprises the four following steps: step one, selecting and placing an ultra-thin invar alloy mask plate on a five-axis machining platform; step two, adopting a nanosecond continuous laser, and setting a laser incident angle; step three, setting N laser polishing areas; and step four, performing laser polishing continuous splicing. Compared with the prior art, the surface smoothness of the mask plate is improved, the polishing efficiency is high, the precision is high, and the influence on the geometrical characteristic size of the appearance of an original mask plate is low.

Abstract: A heater according to an embodiment includes: a tubular portion; a sealing portion provided in each of both end portions of the tubular portion; a conductive portion provided inside each sealing portion; a heating portion provided inside the tubular portion, extending along a tube axis of the tubular portion, and including carbons; an inner lead provided in each sealing portion so that one end portion side is connected to the conductive portion and the other end portion side is exposed into the tubular portion; and a connection portion connected to each of both end portions of the heating portion inside the tubular portion. A bent portion is provided in an end portion opposite to the conductive portion in each inner lead. The bent portion is bent in a direction in which the sealing portions face each other and is provided inside a hole of the connection portion.

Abstract: An apparatus including a housing; a plurality of prongs connected to the housing so that the prongs are movable with respect to the housing; and a device for holding a food; and wherein the plurality of prongs are configured to be moved from a position outside of the food to a position where the plurality of prongs are inserted into the food; and wherein the plurality of prongs are configured to insert a substance into the food. The substance may be a seasoning. The apparatus may include a device for cleaning the plurality of prongs through a vacuum process and/or a blower process; wherein the device has an input configured to connect to one of the plurality of prongs. The apparatus may include a cook food platform; a sandwich platform; a hot beverage platform; and a cold beverage platform.

Abstract: In an embodiment a microwave oven includes (i) a housing including two surfaces upon which the microwave oven can be set for operation; (ii) a magnetron located inside the housing; a door hinged along a hinged surface of the housing; and (iii) a user interface located on a surface of the housing opposing the hinged surface.

Abstract: An outdoor rotisserie system may include a set of legs, a rotisserie drive system supported by the set of legs, a drive-to-basket connecting assembly supported by the rotisserie drive system, and a meat basket assembly supported by the drive-to-basket connecting assembly. The meat basket assembly may be driven for rotation about a vertical axis. The meat basket assembly may include a basket top bar supporting basket sides formed of open mesh wire material. The system may include a heat deflector assembly spaced from the meat basket assembly, which may form a partial enclosure directing heat of an adjacent roasting fire toward the meat basket assembly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for filling a steam chamber. In one exemplary embodiment, a steam chamber is placed in selective communication with a vacuum pump and a heat transfer medium, such as a source of deaerated water. The steam chamber is then placed in communication with the vacuum pump, which draws a vacuum on the steam chamber and begins removing air from the interior thereof. Once a sufficient vacuum has been drawn on the steam chamber and substantially all of the air removed therefrom, the steam chamber may be placed in communication with the heat transfer medium. In one exemplary embodiment, the heat transfer medium is deaerated water. A predetermined amount of heat transfer medium is then allowed to fill the steam chamber. Once the predetermined amount of deaerated water has been received within the steam chamber, a steam chamber may be sealed.

Abstract: A method for operating the cooking device, especially a commercial cooking device cooking device with different operating modes, which has a least one heating device, a main cooling fan, at least one electrical component in a first space directly acted upon by the main cooling fan, at least one other electrical component which is to be cooled in a second space not directly acted upon by the main cooling fan, wherein the method has the following method steps: determining and setting limit temperatures which are assigned to the operating modes with cooling being initiated when these are exceeded, determining the activated operating mode, determining whether in the first space a temperature that is dependent on the activated operating mode exceeds the limit temperature assigned to the activated operating mode, and activating the main cooling fan if it is determined that the temperature is above the limit temperature or limit temperatures, wherein part of the aspirated air flow is conducted directly into the seco

Abstract: The collection tray (1) for discharged liquid/steam of a coffee machine (2) comprises a primary collection compartment (10), a secondary collection compartment (11), an overflow (12) of the primary collection compartment (10) for discharging the liquid into the secondary collection compartment (11), and at least two electrical conductors (13) positioned in the secondary collection compartment (11) and assembled on an oscillating support (14) for connection with two contacts (15) of an external electrical circuit for detecting the level of the liquid present in the secondary collection compartment (11).

Abstract: One variation of a method for preparing a foodstuff includes: loading a first batter into a first cook chamber; inserting a first core insert into the first cook chamber to form a first thin-shell cavity of a first geometry; heating the first chamber to cook the first batter into a brittle edible shell of the first geometry; loading a second batter into a second cook chamber; inserting a second core insert into the second cook chamber to form a second thin-shell cavity approximating the first geometry; heating the second chamber to cook the second batter into a soft edible shell approximating the first geometry; applying a binding promoter to the soft edible shell; nesting the soft edible shell inside of the brittle edible shell to form a multilayer edible carrier; and loading a set of fillings into the multilayer edible carrier to complete a foodstuff.

Abstract: An induction burner element for a cooking appliance includes a plurality of injection molded frames positioned in a spaced and concentric relationship, each injection molded frame having an upper cavity an at least one lower cavity. A ferrous member is disposed within the at least one lower cavity for each injection molded frame. A plurality of wound coils are disposed within the upper cavity for each injection molded frame, wherein each wound coil corresponds to a respective injection molded frame.

Abstract: A solid state heater and methods of manufacturing the heater is disclosed. The heater comprises a unitary component that includes portions that are graphite and other portions that are silicon carbide. Current is conducted through the graphite portion of the unitary structure between two or more terminals. The silicon carbide does not conduct electricity, but is effective at conducting the heat throughout the unitary component. In certain embodiments, chemical vapor conversion (CVC) is used to create the solid state heater. If desired, a coating may be applied to the unitary component to protect it from a harsh environment.