Abstract: A rack assembly includes a pair of laterally spaced inner rails, wherein each inner rail includes a coating layer configured to withstand a self clean oven temperature, and a pair of laterally spaced outer rails, wherein each outer rail is slidably coupled to a corresponding inner rail, and each outer rail includes a coating layer configured to withstand a self clean oven temperature. The rack assembly also includes a plurality of bearings positioned between the inner rails and the outer rails, a lubricant to facilitate movement between the plurality of bearings and at least one of the inner rails and the outer rails, wherein the lubricant is configured to withstand a self clean oven temperature, and a cooking rack coupled to each inner rail.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooking appliance used for boiling or cooking food, or more particularly, to a cooking pot, which can rapidly heat water or food, and thereafter can suppress overflowing of water or food therein, while simultaneously maintaining its suitable temperature and pressure, thereby shortening its cooking time while enhancing its safety and convenience during cooking.

Abstract: A flexible heating cover assembly for an apparatus for heating samples of biological material with substantial temperature uniformity includes a housing having a plurality of engageable enclosure components; a resistive heater having a plurality of heater element areas; a heater backing plate providing stability to the resistive heater; a force distribution system that distributes a force over the heater backing plate; and a support plate providing stiffness for the force distribution system, wherein the arrangement of the resistive heater, the heater backing plate, the force distribution system and the support plate provide substantial temperature uniformity among a plurality of sample tubes for receiving samples of biological material. The flexible heating cover assembly improves the uniformity, efficiency, quality, reliability and controllability of the thermal response during thermal cycling of the biological material.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for bending and/or tempering glass substrate(s) are provided. The amount of near-IR radiation which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered is limited (e.g., via filtering or any other suitable technique). Thus, the IR radiation (used for heating the glass) which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered includes mostly mid-IR and/or far-IR radiation, and not much near-IR. In such a manner, coating(s) provided on the glass can be protected and kept at lower temperatures so as to be less likely to be damaged during the bending and/or tempering process. Heating efficiency can be improved. A ceramic (e.g., aluminosilicate) filter or baffle may be used in certain embodiments in order to reduce the amount of mid-IR and/or far-IR radiation reaching the glass to be tempered and/or bent.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus generally includes a housing, a pot supported within the housing and a pot support fixed to a side wall of the pot for supporting the pot within the housing. The housing has an inner side surface and an inwardly extending attachment element disposed on the inner side surface. The pot support is supported on the housing attachment element for supporting the pot within the housing.

Abstract: An electric oven includes a partition member to partition a cooking chamber into two cooking regions. The partition member for use in the electric oven includes an insulating board interposed between upper and lower plates of the partition member, and a shock-absorbing unit to prevent damage to the insulating board. Using the electric oven configured as stated above, it is possible to intercept heat transfer between the partitioned respective cooking regions, thereby preventing heat loss between the respective cooking regions and damage to the interior of the partition member.

Abstract: Film heater apparatus and method for heating a melt channel in a molding device includes structure and/or steps whereby a first dielectric layer is disposed on a surface of a substrate. An active heating element is disposed on the first dielectric layer, the active heating element being configured to generate heat to heat the melt channel. The active heating element has contact terminals arranged to support an electrical connection to the active heating element. A second dielectric layer is disposed over the active heating element, but not covering the contact terminals, thereby permitting coupling of the heater element to an electrical supply.

Abstract: A vertical grilling component includes two grilling structures separated by a gap. Each grilling structure includes a heating component and a conveyor belt positioned around the heating components. The upper portion of one of the grilling structures is beveled approximately 0.8°. The grilling structures are slidable relative to the frame of the grilling component for cleaning, and the heating components are also removable from the grilling structures. The gap between the grilling structures is adjustable between two distances. The conveyor belts include a v-belt received in a groove of the pulleys to prevent lateral movement of the conveyor belt. The conveyor belts also include an edge seal around the outer edge of the conveyor belt. After grilling, seasoning is dispensed onto the grilled food item when detected by a sensor.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, an oven having a flexible and retractable door is described. The oven door is adapted to move from a closed position wherein it effectively closes an open side of the oven box and an open position wherein the door is retracted into the body of the oven, typically below the oven box. In variations, an electric motor is provided to selectively move the oven door between the open and closed positions. In other variations, the oven includes an oven rack that is moveable between extended and retracted positions by way of a second electric motor.

Abstract: A method of baking a dessert using steam in an automated household oven comprises a first heating step where a heating system preheats a cooking cavity to a first temperature at a first heating rate and a second heating step where the heating system preheats the cooking cavity from the first temperature to a second temperature at a second heating rate less than the first heating rate. The first temperature is preferably about the boiling point of water, and a steam system introduces steam into the cooking cavity to facilitate baking of the dessert after the cooking cavity reaches the first temperature. A convection fan of the heating system is active during the first and second heating steps to help circulate air and steam in the cooking cavity and becomes inactive later in the baking method.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus having heaters and a cooking chamber defined in the cooking apparatus, the heaters are provided in the cooking chamber, and two or more buttons are provided representing different cooking temperatures. A temperature of the cooking chamber is set by pushing one of the two or more buttons. One of a plurality of cooking modes is selected depending on a kind of food, and each of the cooking temperatures is represented by one of the two or more buttons corresponds to each of the cooking modes. Therefore, setting various cooking temperatures depending on the kind of food is possible.

Abstract: An electric oven is provided with an improved structure for uniform transmission of heat from a heater to food in a cooking cavity. The electric oven includes an outer case, an inner case, a heater cover, at least one heater, a fan housing, and a fan. The outer case has a door mounted in a front part thereof, the inner case is in the outer case, and the inner case has a plurality of holes in an upper part thereof. The heater cover is located over the holes, and the heater is under the heater cover. The fan housing is attached to an inside wall of the inner case, and has a plurality of apertures. The fan is between the fan housing and an inside wall of the inner case, for drawing air from the cooking cavity and blowing a portion, or all of the air toward the heater.

Abstract: In one aspect, an electric cooker comprises a pan that may have a planar upper surface portion, and a lid configured such that condensation that collects on its inner surface drains outside the pan. In another aspect, a serpentine heating element may be mounted to the bottom of the pan along a course that reduces disparity in heating of the upper surface of the pan.

Abstract: A roaster includes an upper pan including an upper side wall and an upper pan heating element inside the upper tub. The roaster further includes a lower pan connected to the upper tub, the lower pan including a lower side wall and a lower pan heating element inside the lower tub. An upper pan fixed temperature regulator and a lower pan fixed temperature regulator may be preset to different selected temperatures. The roaster may also include a grease drain opening through the lower tub. Temperature and timer control logic are provided for the upper pan heating element and the lower pan heating element. In order to set cooking time, the roaster includes a control interface that includes, in one embodiment, a time increment button and a time decrement button.

Abstract: A natural convection steam cooking device with a cooking cavity having a floor defining a lower boundary thereof and a sidewall defining a side boundary thereof, the floor having a plurality of first holes therein, the sidewall having a plurality of second holes therein; a steam chamber disposed below the cooking cavity and along the sidewall, the steam chamber having a pool disposed below the floor; wherein the steam enters the cooking cavity from the steam chamber via both the first holes and the second holes; and wherein the steam circulates within the device in an unforced manner by natural convection. The first holes and the second holes may have a ratio of cross-sectional areas of approximately 2:3. And method(s) of providing steam to, and design of steam flow for, a cooking cavity of a commercial steam cooking device.

Abstract: The invention is directed biopsy site markers and methods of marking a biopsy site, so that the location of the biopsy cavity is readily visible by conventional imaging methods, particularly by ultrasonic imaging. The biopsy site markers of the invention have high ultrasound reflectivity, presenting a substantial acoustic signature from a small marker, so as to avoid obscuring diagnostic tissue features in subsequent imaging studies, and can be readily distinguished from biological features. The several disclosed embodiments of the biopsy site marker of the invention have a high contrast of acoustic impedance as placed in a tissue site, so as to efficiently reflect and scatter ultrasonic energy, and preferably include gas-filled internal pores. The markers may have a non-uniform surface contour to enhance the acoustic signature. The markers have a characteristic form which is recognizably artificial during medical imaging.

Abstract: A cooking platform includes at least one surface heating element having a first power consumption level and an oven located under the surface heating element. The oven includes a first heating element having a second power consumption level and a second heating element having a third power consumption level. The second heating element has at least two heating sub-elements. One of the two heating sub-elements is configured to be deenergized when a sum of the first, second, and third power consumption levels exceeds a power consumption limit of the cooking platform.

Abstract: A programmable control system for a cooking apparatus having a housing defining a cooking chamber with one or more food transport conveyors traveling there-through between opposing cooking elements. A food probe is provided for insertion into cooked food items to ascertain the internal cooked temperature and a control program to automatically call for the probing of temperature readings of food items on a predefined schedule, and to record the temperature readings. The control program also compensates for temperature degradation when the apparatus is under significant cooking loads. The control program also compensates for the malfunction in the cooking elements, wherein if one cooking element on one side of the conveyor path malfunctions, a corresponding heating element on the opposite side of the conveyor is deactivated and simultaneously the conveyor speed is slowed to compensate for the reduction in heating to maintain balanced cooking of the food.

Abstract: A frying vessel having heating elements placed within a cylindrical sleeve so as to direct a current of heated frying fat.

Abstract: A thermocycler has, as heating devices, a plurality of heating blocks each with a respective coupling face, for heating at least one stationary specimen that during one temperature cycle has a plurality of temperature levels. The plurality of heating blocks is pivotably disposed, and the pivot axis is oriented perpendicularly to the coupling faces. The thermocycler is especially well suited for performing the polymerase chain reaction.