Abstract: The present invention relates to a container for the microwave heating of a food product in which a sheet of barrier material is sealed around a food product to a blank having one or more panels which can be folded to assemble a container. The sheet of barrier material forms a pocket inside which a food product may be disposed. The sheet of barrier material is sealed to one of the panels, so that a peripheral outer portion is formed to separate the food product from the remaining panel or panels. The barrier material may be moisture impervious, and may be sealed to the blank using a vacuum platen or heat-sealing methods. A microwave susceptor can be disposed on the blank, which is made from a material suitable for microwave heating such as a polymer and paperboard laminate.

Abstract: A plasma processing method is used to process a linear portion of an object to be processed by generating a linear plasma by supplying an electric power to an electrode provided at a plasma source or the object to be processed while supplying gas to the plasma source arranged in the neighborhood of the object to be processed and making activated particles generated by the plasma act on the object to be processed. The method includes detecting an inclination of the plasma source along a direction of an x-axis when the x-axis is taken in a linear direction of the linear portion of the object to be processed, and processing the linear portion of the object to be processed by the generated linear plasma by moving the plasma source along the x-axis direction while maintaining relative positions of the plasma source and the object to be processed so that the detected inclination of the plasma source becomes approximately zero.

Abstract: A graphite electrode joint, where the male tang has a tang factor, defined as the ratio of male tang length to electrode diameter, of at least about 0.60.

Abstract: A method and a system for the plasma arc cutting of a workpiece with automatic adaptation of the characteristics of the plasma jet by making various corrections, simultaneously and in real time, to several parameters, including the cut path.

Abstract: A hair brushing appliance includes a housing, a motor located within the housing, a brush extending from the housing, and a transmission relaying output torque of the motor to the brush. A slippage mechanism associated with the transmission allows the motor to turn, should the brush stop turning such as might occur if the brush snags with long hair in use.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for heating a sample, such as chemical reaction mixtures are disclosed. The apparatus may include at least a microwave generator, a waveguide for guiding the generated microwaves to an applicator, and a deflector formed by a closed loop defining a plane. The deflector may have an inherent resonance frequency and a thickness in a direction normal to the plane. The deflector may be rotatable around an axis being at least substantially parallel to the plane, and positioned in the waveguide so as to form a resonant cavity with the sample and the waveguide applicator. The resonance conditions of the resonant cavity and the coupling factor of radiation from the waveguide to the cavity may be easily adjustable by rotating the deflector. The resonance conditions and the coupling factor may be adjusted in response to the dielectric properties of the sample in order to optimize the amount of absorbed power and thereby obtain control of the sample heating process.

Abstract: A variable electronic component includes an insulating substrate and a metal rotor rotatably attached to the upper surface of the substrate. The rotor includes a cup-shaped member attached to the substrate and having an upper end formed with an outward flange. The rotor also includes a plate member formed integral with the flange via a hinge portion. The plate member is arranged on an upper side or a lower side of the flange. The cup-shaped member or the plate member is formed with a recess, and the other is formed with a protrusion fitted into the recess.

Abstract: Nanopowder synthesis systems in which a pulsed magnetic field is applied to electrodes of precursor material, in close proximity to an electrical discharge arc that is formed between the electrodes, to attain increased yields of nanopowder. A magnet insert of a coating precursor material is used to coat the nanopowder and thereby reduce nanoparticle agglomeration.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for mounting electric heating elements in a furnace in which objects are intended to be heated, wherein the furnace wall includes a furnace insulation (4) comprised of high grade brick, and wherein the heating zones (6) of respective electric heating elements (2) are placed vertically and parallel with the inner surface of the furnace wall in operation.

Abstract: The method for the fabrication of nano scale temperature sensors and nano scale heaters using focused ion beam (FIB) techniques. The process used to deposit metal nano strips to form a sensor is ion beam assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The FIB Ga+ ion beam can be used to decompose W(CO)6 molecules to deposit a tungsten nano-strip on a suitable substrate. The same substrate can also be used for Pt nano-strip deposition. The precursors for the Pt can be trimethyl platinum (CH3)3Pt in the present case. Because of the Ga+ beam used in the deposition, both Pt and W nano-strips can contain a certain percentage of Ga impurities, which we denoted as Pt(Ga) and W(Ga) respectively. Our characterization of the response of this Pt(Ga)/W(Ga) nano scale junction indicates it has a temperature coefficient of approximately 5.4 mV/° C. This is a factor of approximately 130 larger than the conventional K-type thermocouples.

Abstract: A heat roller with which a pressure roller is brought into press contact is rotatably supported by a bearing member made of a material which is softened when heated above a thermal fixation temperature, a thermostat in which a bimetal is exposed toward the heat roller is disposed at the opposite side of the heat roller with respect to the pressure roller, and a heat conduction member is made to intervene between the heat roller and the bimetal. According to the above configuration, the power supply to a fixation heater can be cut off by the thermal deformation of the bimetal. The heat roller is moved by softening of the bearing member, and the bimetal is mechanically deformed by pressing of the heat conduction member. Therefore, the power supply to the fixation heater can be cut off.

Abstract: The far-infrared heating device has a far-infrared element and two pieces of cloth. The far-infrared element has a wire grid and two membranes. The wire grid is connected to a power supply. When electricity is fed to the wire grid, the wire grid generates heat that passes through the membranes, and the heat becomes far-infrared rays.

Abstract: A control device for an electric blanket includes a voltage drop rectifier circuit connected to an AC power source, a control gate circuit, a zero-across detecting circuit connected to the AC power source, a central processing circuit connected to the zero-across detecting circuit, an activating circuit, and a button circuit. The control gate circuit includes a triac electrically connected in series to the AC power source. The activating circuit includes an input connected to the central processing unit and an output connected to the gate of the triac of the control gate circuit. The central processing circuit includes a central processor and outputs signals to control the activating circuit, the control gate circuit, and the heating element such that the heating element is activated when the zero-across detecting circuit detects that a voltage of the AC power source approximates zero and thus sends a signal to the central processing circuit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an endoscopic visioning system and related method for both forward and backward viewing of a body lumen. According to an embodiment, the system includes an endoscope, a vision head including a light source and a vision chip on both a proximal and a distal side of the vision head, and an extension arm for moving the vision head away from and back toward the endoscope. Alternatively, the light source and vision chip may be contained in a distal end of the endoscope. In such an alternative embodiment, the vision head is a parabolic mirror mounted on the extension arm for reflecting images, for example, from behind the distal end of the endoscope to the vision chip in the distal end of the endoscope to permit, for example, a retrograde view of the surgical site entrance.

Abstract: Plasma torch (8; 10) of improved performances, comprising: an electrode (13) provided with a respective electrode head (18; 37); a nozzle (14); and an outside jacket (26), there being formed a first cooling circuit (20, 21) of a coolant for the electrode head (18; 37) having an end passage (22), said head being characterised in that it comprises a device (25) for disposing of the electrode heat, located inside of the first cooling circuit.

Abstract: A resistance furnace has a tubular heating element with a vertically-oriented longitudinal axis. The heating element has a shell surface defined by an upper side and a lower side and surrounding a furnace chamber. The heating element is connected to at least two supply terminals by which heating current is introduced at power supply points into the heating element. The supply terminals include a surrounding upper annular collar adjacent the upper side of the shell surface, and also a surrounding lower annular collar adjacent the lower side of the shell surface.

Abstract: A piston particularly adapted for heavy-duty diesel engine applications is fabricated from separate parts having circumferentially extending joining surfaces that are heated prior to bonding to an elevated temperature sufficient to enable bonding of the joining surfaces, and thereafter the joining surfaces brought into contact with one another and twisted to attain a permanent metallurgical weld at the interface of the joining surfaces. The piston has radially spaced walls which are both welded simultaneously. The weld joints may lie in the same or different planes. Once joined, and while still hot, the parts may be pulled apart slightly to reduce the wall thicknesses at the weld joint.

Abstract: A heating apparatus includes a heating roller that is heated by heating units, a main power supply that supplies power from an external power supply to the main heating unitl, and an auxiliary power supply that supplies power to the auxiliary heating unit. The auxiliary power supply further includes a mass capacitor of multiple capacitor cells, which are charged by the external power supply. The connection mode of the capacitor cells is changed at least at the time of electric discharge.

Abstract: A method for detecting the presence and severity of illness, the effectiveness of treatment interventions, and the ability to change treatment to be more effective or aggressive, to optimize outcomes, to limit morbidity and mortality, and to illustrate a patient's prognosis, including the steps of using whole body impedance analysis to measure a patient's resistance, reactance, phase angle, and related electrical values at a healthy baseline, and thereafter in relation to the patient's complaints, evaluating temporal or progressive nature of negative values or diminution of the measured values of resistance, reactance, phase angle, and related electrical values over time.

Abstract: A heater inspection apparatus including an applying unit, a current detector, a voltage detector, a temperature detector, a memory, a first calculating unit, a second calculating unit and a finding unit is provided. The applying unit applies an electrical power to a heater based on an AC power source. The current detector detects a current flowing through the heater. The voltage detector detects a voltage applied to the heater. The temperature detector detects a temperature of the heater. A temperature coefficient of resistance is stored in advance on the memory. The first calculating unit and the second calculating unit respectively calculate a resistance of the heater at an inspection time and a reference time. The finding unit finds a deterioration degree of the heater based on results of the first and second calculating units.