Abstract: A heater device includes a contact determination unit for determining contact or non-contact of an object based on a change in capacitance between a plurality of electrodes. The contact determination unit is configured to determine (i) the contact of the object in response to a determination that the change in capacitance between the plurality of electrodes per predetermined unit time is a change in one direction and equal to or larger than a first determination threshold value. The contact determination unit is configured to determine (ii) the non-contact of the object in response to a determination that the change in capacitance between the plurality of electrodes per predetermined unit time is a change in a direction opposite to the one direction and equal to or larger than a second determination threshold value.

Abstract: A pot lid assembly comprises a pot lid, an electric motor assembly and a mixing apparatus. The electric motor assembly is fixed to the pot lid. The mixing apparatus includes a stirring rod and a plurality of stirring vanes. The electric motor assembly includes an electric motor. The electric motor includes a rotary shaft operatively connected with the stirring rod so that the electric motor can cause the stirring rod to rotate. The pot lid is configured to cover the pot body to form a closed cooking space. When the pot lid is removed from the pot body, the rotary shaft is disengaged from the stirring rod, and the mixing apparatus can stand in the cooking space of the pot body, with the stirring vanes serving as a support. The mixing apparatus remains in the cooking space of the pot body after the removal of the pot lid.

Abstract: In a method for treating food in a food handling device with a parameter configuration a measured value distribution of a surface property of the food is determined after expiration of the period of time by means of a sensor. A pattern of change is calculated from a comparison of the p-th measured value distribution with a measured value distribution determined previously. An assessment value Bq which represents a difference between a deviation of a target distribution from the measured value distribution and a deviation of the target distribution from a prediction pattern is calculated for all patterns of change stored hitherto. The prediction pattern is formed by superimposing the measured value distribution with the respective pattern of change, and the parameter configuration is set for which the assessment value Bq meets at least one predetermined criterion.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) for preparing foodstuffs accommodated in a vessel, the apparatus includes a steam-generating unit for generating steam, a steam-feeding unit connected to the steam-generating unit in a steam-conducting manner via a steam-supply line and having a steam probe containing at least one steam-discharging opening, and further includes a drive unit for adjusting the steam-feeding unit in translatory fashion, relative to a rinsing device (2) arranged beneath the steam-feeding unit and having a rinsing tray (3) and a rinse-water-application unit or spray nozzle (18), for rinsing the steam probe following foodstuff-preparation, wherein the rinsing tray (3) is connected to an outflow-line portion (13) for discharging dirty rinse water, wherein, on the rinsing tray (3), a drain funnel (10), which can be released from the rinsing tray (3) without any tools, for cleaning and/or changeover purposes and is sealed in relation to the rinsing tray (3), is secured to the outflow-line portion (13).

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting status of a cooker lid relative to a cooker body is provided. The apparatus comprises a block mounted to the cooker lid near its periphery rim, and a pole disposed about an upper rim of the cooker body and being movable relative to the cooker body. The block engages with the pole such that the pole is at a first location relative to the cooker body when the cooker lid is separated from the cooker body; the pole is at a second location relative to the cooker body when the cooker lid is placed on the upper rim of the cooker body and is out of position for a predetermined cooking mode, and the pole is at a third location relative to the cooker body when the cooker lid is placed on the upper rim of the cooker body and is in position for the predetermined cooking mode.

Abstract: A power battery heating system of an electric vehicle including: a heating module configured to heat the power battery of the electric vehicle; a solar sunroof; and a sunroof control unit configured to control the operation of the heating module and the electric energy output of the solar sunroof; wherein the heating system is configured to start a power battery heating operation based on the solar sunroof when the power battery is not in a high voltage output state and the temperature of the power battery is lower than a temperature threshold, the power battery heating operation including: controlling the solar sunroof to output electric energy to the heating module such that the heating module performs the heating of the power battery using the electric energy from the solar sunroof.

Abstract: In some aspects, a plasma torch head for a plasma arc torch can include ports disposed within a base portion that are configured to receive fluids and electrical signals from a plasma torch lead via a plasma torch receptacle, the ports being shaped to align the torch head and the plasma torch receptacle during connection and including: a central coolant supply port to convey a liquid coolant to the torch head, the central coolant supply port extending a length to primarily align the plasma torch head with the torch receptacle, the central coolant supply port further including a flat surface shaped to secondarily align the torch head with the torch receptacle upon mating engagement, and an ohmic contact connector defining a tertiary alignment feature; and a connector disposed about the base portion shaped to engage with and couple to the torch receptacle.

Abstract: A grill plate includes a body having a top surface for supporting food, a grease trap associated with said body, a cavity defined by said grease trap, and an opening to said cavity disposed proximate said top surface.

Abstract: An onboard multi-functional thermal-insulation and explosion-proof pressure steamer, relating to the technical field of heating cooking appliances, and in particular, to the field of cooking appliances mounted on a travelling apparatus, comprising a steamer body and a steamer outer cover covering the top of the steamer body, a steam pot being provided in the steamer body. The steam pot is provided in the steamer body to seal a steam container in the steam pot, and the steam pot is heated by means of the onboard heat energy, heat exchange is performed by means of a heat exchange device to generate high-temperature steam to heat the food material in the steam pot of the steam or to heat the water in a water tank.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a laser oscillator; a processing head; a driver that controls a relative positional relationship between a workpiece and the processing head; control circuitry that controls the laser oscillator and the driver in order for the laser beam to scan a processing path on the workpiece; detection circuitry that observes a state of the workpiece being processed and outputs a result of observation as a time series signal; processed state observation circuitry that obtains evaluation information including a determination result that indicates whether a processed state of the workpiece is satisfactory or defective by evaluating the processed state of the workpiece on the basis of the time series signal for each of a plurality of sections obtained by dividing the processing path; and estimation circuitry that estimates a cause of a defect on the basis of the evaluation information of two or more of the sections.

Abstract: A gripper device is configured to be attached to a robotic device and to pick up a food product from a pickup area and to release it from a releasing location to a receiving location. A method is provided for picking up a food product from a pickup area and releasing it from a releasing location to a receiving location can be used with the gripper device.

Abstract: An electron beam (EB) gun assembly for an EB furnace is provided. The EB gun assembly includes an EB gun-frame assembly including a skeleton frame and at least one EB gun mounted to the skeleton frame, and the EB gun-frame assembly is configured to rigidly mount onto a first EB chamber lid and melt material in a first EB chamber and be removed and rigidly mount onto a second EB chamber lid and melt material in a second EB chamber. In some forms, the EB gun assembly includes at least one mounting frame and the at least one EB gun is mounted to the at least one mounting frame and the at least one mounting frame is mounted to the skeleton frame.

Abstract: A wafer holding unit includes a disk-shaped ceramic substrate having a wafer mounting surface on an upper surface of the substrate, an RF electrode, for example, embedded within the substrate, a metal terminal inserted from a lower surface of the substrate, and a connecting terminal which electrically connects the RF electrode and the metal terminal with each other. The connecting terminal is constituted by a ceramic member and a metal layer. The ceramic member is made of the same material as the substrate and preferably has a truncated conical shape. The metal layer covers a surface of the ceramic member. An upper end of the metal layer is connected to the RF electrode, while a lower end of the metal layer is connected to the metal terminal with a metal member interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A laser processing device includes a stage; a laser irradiation unit; an image capturing unit; a control portion configured to execute controlling the laser irradiation unit such that one or a plurality of modified regions are formed inside the semiconductor substrate when the wafer is irradiated with the laser light, determining whether or not a crack extending from the modified region is in a crack reaching state where the crack has reached a front surface side of the semiconductor substrate on the basis of a signal output from the image capturing unit, and deriving information related to adjustment of irradiation conditions of the laser irradiation unit on the basis of determination results.

Abstract: An example additive manufacturing apparatus includes an energy source to melt material to form a component in an additive manufacturing process, a camera aligned with the energy source to obtain image data of the melted material during the additive manufacturing process, and a controller to control the energy source during the additive manufacturing process in response to processing of the image data. The controller adjusts control of the energy source based on a correction determined by: applying an artificial intelligence model to image data captured by a camera during an additive manufacturing process, the image data including an image of a melt pool of the additive manufacturing process; predicting an error in the additive manufacturing process using an output of the artificial intelligence model; and compensating for the error by generating a correction to adjust a configuration of the energy source during the additive manufacturing process.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and a device for processing flour. The method comprises: adding water to the flour to increase the moisture rate of the flour; generating superheated steam; and subjecting the moistened flour to the superheated steam for a predetermined period of time. With the inventive method, superheated steam is used for processing the flour, and the flour can be treated in an easy way and in much less time.

Abstract: New and novel structures and ways to cook and serve foodstuffs have been disclosed. The items may be “foodstuffs” or other perishable items. The structure or method may include a means and methods to cook the food more evenly, more food concurrently and allow the user to see the food better as it is cooking and serve the food in the vessel it was cooked in, thus making fewer items to manipulate and clean.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus including a container having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a sidewall extending from the first end to the second end, an opening located that the first end, an end wall located at the second end, and a cap removably attached to the first end. The sidewall and the end wall form a compartment that is sized and shaped to receive food items. The sidewall includes a wire mesh having a plurality of wires.

Abstract: A cooktop appliance includes a panel with a burner disposed on the panel. A griddle plate is configured to be removably positioned over the burner. A hermetically sealed temperature sensor is embedded in the griddle plate. The temperature sensor includes a base, a probe extending from the base, a contact pad in the base, and a hermetic seal formed in the base.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a housing containing a cooking vessel configured to receive food to be cooked; a lid mounted pivotably on the housing between an open and a closed position; a steam outlet valve that is movable between a first valve position in which the steam outlet valve places the inside of the cooking vessel in communication with the outside of the cooking appliance, and a second valve position in which the steam outlet valve fluidly insulates the inside of the cooking vessel from the outside of the cooking appliance; a lid locking mechanism configured to lock the lid in the closed position; and a control member configured to be handled by a user and to control the locking and unlocking of the lid in relation to the housing.