Abstract: A method and device to treat liquid to reduce the amount of microorganisms in the liquid to a preselected level and/or to mitigate the growth of microorganisms are disclosed. Utilizing the method or device, liquid product is sprayed into a cavity of a reactor using a nozzle that produces a flat spray to provide means for efficient heating and treatment of the liquid.

Abstract: The present disclosure related to an electric grill's housing, controller, and a mounting bracket which mounts the controller to the housing. The mounting bracket is generally hollow and forms a thermal barrier between the controller and the housing, wherein the thermal barrier protects the controller from heat generated in the housing. As a result, the controller does not require insulation and may include lower temperature rated components. Moreover, the mounting bracket may have metallic tabs which interface with spring elements on the controller, thereby fastening the controller to the bracket. These spring elements and metallic tabs may be in electric communication with the housing, thereby allowing the controller to act as an electric ground with respect to the housing.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a system (1; 1?) for processing at least one substrate (2) containing a dried fluid sample (21) is provided, the system (1; 1?) comprising a support (12) configured to position the substrate (2), a laser device (3) for directing a laser beam (31) to the substrate (2), configured to cut at least one area of the substrate (2) containing the dried fluid sample (21) by means of the laser beam (31), a container holder (4; 4?) configured to hold and position a container (5) for receiving the cut area, the container holder (4; 4?) being arranged below the substrate (2), and an extraction subsystem (6) for extracting fume and/or dust generated when laser cutting the substrate (2), wherein the extraction subsystem (6) consists of at least two extraction components (61, 62) sandwiching the substrate (2) there between. Furthermore, a method for automated processing at least one substrate (2) containing a dried fluid (21) sample by means of such a system (1; 1?) is provided.

Abstract: The device comprises a welding unit with a tube (3), a laser radiation unit (1) radiating in direction of the tube axis (3.0), and a mandrel (4) which is connected to the tube (3) via a holding unit which is formed, e.g., by two spacer elements (5.1) and which is coaxially arranged relative to and in the tube (3). The tube (3) and the circumferential surface of the mandrel (4) are reflective of the laser radiation of the laser radiation unit (1) such that through multiple reflections between the tube (3) and the mandrel (4) the laser radiation is deflected toward the beam output-side tube end (3.2) and is shaped annularly.

Abstract: A system for separating cut food products includes a flow inlet, a flow outlet, and at least one drum connecting the flow inlet and the flow outlet. The flow inlet may be oriented to direct the cut food product tangentially into the at least one drum. The flow inlet may be oriented to direct the cut food product into the at least one drum at a right angle to a longitudinal axis of the at least one drum. The at least one drum may be a plurality of drums including a first drum having the flow inlet and a second drum having the flow outlet. The system may include a passageway providing fluid communication from the first drum to the second drum. The passageway may include a tapered section. The flow inlet may be aligned with the flow outlet.

Abstract: The application example provides one kind of air fryer, which relates to the technical field of household appliances. The air fryer includes a body, a pot body component and a movable partition. The body comprises a body shell, a heating chamber and a heating component. The heating chamber and the heating component are arranged inside the body shell, and the heating component is arranged on the heating chamber. The movable partition is detachably installed in the middle position of the heating chamber, and the movable partition divides the heating chamber into the first heating chamber and the second heating chamber; the pot body component is detachably installed inside the heating chamber. The air fryer can realize the technical effect of improving practicability and convenience.

Abstract: A cooking enclosure is configured to hold food being cooked. The enclosure includes a surrounding, generally vertical, sidewall, projecting upward from a base. The base includes a floor bridging a bottom of enclosure, and the enclosure is capped by a vertically moving ceiling. The vertical moving ceiling secures a cooking heat source which is in thermal communication with the enclosure interior. The moving ceiling is configured to move up and down within the sidewall to vary, up and down, a volume of the cooking enclosure. The cooking enclosure is configured to have both a smaller cooking enclosure volume, suitable for quickly cooking small foods, and larger cooking enclosure volume necessary to cook larger foods.

Abstract: Laser ablation devices that utilize beam profiling assemblies to clean and process surfaces are described herein. A method includes directing a laser beam in a geometrical pattern at an arcuate surface of a cylindrical target, blocking a portion of the laser beam to prevent a portion of the geometrical pattern from contacting the cylindrical target, and rotating the cylindrical target as the laser beam contacts the arcuate surface so as to ablate the cylindrical target.

Abstract: A method for treating a food product of vegetable origin, including the steps of pushing, by means of a pushing device, the food product within a treatment cavity. This is defined between an internal surface of a fixed hollow body, or stator, and an external surface having conical shape of a rotor, and has an inlet mouth through which the food product of vegetable origin is introduced within the same and an outlet mouth through which the treated vegetable food product exits the cavity. The treatment cavity has a size which decreases going from the inlet mouth to the outlet mouth. It is provided a rotation of the rotor within the stator about a rotation axis. The combination of the rotation and of the pushing that are carried out by the machines produce a partial crushing of the food product of vegetable origin within the treatment cavity.

Abstract: An antenna assembly may be positioned within a wellbore in a subterranean formation. The antenna assembly includes a tubular antenna element to be positioned within the wellbore, and an RF coaxial transmission line to be positioned within the tubular antenna element. The RF coaxial transmission line includes a series of coaxial sections coupled together in end-to-end relation, each coaxial section including an inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor, and a dielectric therebetween. Each of the outer conductors has opposing threaded ends defining overlapping mechanical threaded joints with adjacent outer conductors.

Abstract: An apparatus is arranged to heat smokable material (5) to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus has a housing and a plurality of heater segments longitudinally arranged within the housing for heating smokable material contained within the apparatus. At least one heater segment is arranged so as to heat smokable material contained within the at least one heater segment more quickly than at least one other heater segment heats smokable material contained within the at least one other heater segment.

Abstract: A stovetop assembly where on/off status of a burner is controlled, at least in part, based upon whether the body of a cookware vessel is: (i) placed on a burner to complete an electrical circuit (for example direct current conductive circuit) or magnetic circuit; or (ii) removed from the burner to break the electrical or magnetic circuit. Also, a control box with a tether line extending therefrom that controls on/off status of a burner based, at least in part, upon whether a clip at a distal end of the tether line is mechanically connected to a cookware vessel.

Abstract: A laser processing system is disclosed, which includes a system frame, a process frame movably supported by the system frame, an optics wall coupled to the process frame, a process shroud coupled to the system frame and extending over and alongside upper and lateral peripheral regions of the optics wall and an optics shroud coupled to the process shroud. The process frame is configured to support a laser source, a workpiece positioning system and a beam delivery system. The process frame is moveable relative to the process shroud and the process frame is moveable relative to the optics shroud. The process shroud, the optics wall and the process frame enclose a first space for laser processing of a workpiece. The optics shroud, the optics wall and the process frame enclose a second space for accommodating the laser source.

Abstract: According to one implementation, a laser peening processing device includes a laser peening processing device includes a laser oscillator, a nozzle and an inclining structure. The laser oscillator emits laser light. The nozzle condenses and irradiates the laser light toward a surface to be processed of a workpiece, with injecting liquid toward the surface to be processed. The inclining structure inclines at least one of the nozzle and the workpiece to make an injection direction of the liquid be different from a normal direction of the surface to be processed. The air bubbles arising by at least one of collision between the liquid and the surface to be processed and shock by irradiation of the laser light on the surface to be processed are flowed in a direction depending on an inclined direction of the surface to the injection direction of the liquid.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide welding power are disclosed. An example welding-type power supply includes: a transformer having first and second secondary windings; switching elements configured to control current flow from the first and second secondary windings to an output; and a control circuit configured to control the switching elements to selectively output a positive output voltage or a negative output voltage without a separate rectifier stage by selecting, based on an output voltage polarity, a first subset of the switching elements to perform rectification.

Abstract: Processes and systems that enhance the heating of packaged foodstuffs and other items in various microwave heating systems are described herein. The foodstuffs may be contained in a package including one or more energy control elements that interact with microwave energy in order to alter the effect that microwave energy has on the foodstuff. These energy control elements can enhance or inhibit microwave energy and a single package may include one or more energy control elements. In some cases, the energy control element may respond differently to different types of microwave energy. As a result, some packages described herein may exhibit different absorption or reflectance characteristics when exposed to microwave energy while being pasteurized or sterilized in a larger-scale microwave heating system than when the package is reheated in an at-home microwave oven prior to consumption or use.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to establishing a direct electrical bond between a bonding connector of a contact plate and a battery cell in a battery module. In a first embodiment, an oscillating laser is used to weld the bonding connector to a battery cell terminal over a target area over which the bonding connector makes non-flush contact. In a second embodiment, the bonding connector is flattened to reduce a gap between the bonding connector and the target area on the battery cell terminal, and then laser-welded (e.g., using an oscillating or non-oscillating laser). In a third embodiment, at least one hold-down mechanism is applied over the bonding connector to secure the bonding connector to the battery cell terminal, after which the bonding connector is laser-welded to the battery cell terminal.

Abstract: The beverage mixing and dispensing system is a system for producing beverages having a variety of different consistencies, such as those which may be used in the evaluation and treatment of patients with swallowing disorders. The beverage mixing and dispensing system automatically mixes a thickening agent in desired quantities with either water and/or an infused beverage. The beverage mixing and dispensing system may further automatically add beverage modifying agents, such as flavor additives and/or dyes. The resultant mixed beverages are automatically dispensed.

Abstract: A food processor includes a bowl with a removable lid. Food items are advanced into the bowl through a feed tube formed in the lid where they are cut by a blade assembly. A rotating disk is adjustable relative to the blade assembly to vary the thickness of the food items cut by the blade assembly.

Abstract: A window glass heating device for a vehicle is provided with: a window heater; a window heater control unit that controls operation of the window heater based on an operation on an operation switch; a camera heater; and a camera heater control unit that controls supply of power to the camera heater to defog the camera-imaging window area. The camera heater control unit is configured to acquire window heater operation information which is operation information on operation of the window heater and to limit supply of power to the camera heater when it is estimated that the camera heater is potentially overheated by heat applied from the window heater to the camera heater based on the window heater operation information.