Abstract: A manual knife sharpener is provided with angle control structure. The structure includes a guide member having a guide surface which forms an angle with the abrasive surface of the sharpening member. When the blade is inserted into the space between the abrasive surface and the guide surface the blade presses against the guide surface to displace the guide surface linearly in a direction perpendicular to the guide surface so that the movement is a lateral movement in the same plane without any pivoting or twisting of the guide member. Thus, the angle between the guide surface and the abrasive surface remains constant regardless of the extent of displacement of the guide member.

Abstract: A sharpener for blades comprises a physical structure supporting at least one abrasive surface. A displaceable guiding plate having an integral linear structural feature of the support is disposed toward one side of the abrasive surface. The linear structural feature provides sliding contact with a face of the blade to establish the relative angle of the plane of the edge facet of the blade with the plane of the abrasive surface at the point of mutual contact as the facet is guided into contact with the abrasive surface.

Abstract: A sharpener includes a motor driven shaft with at least one slidably mounted sharpening assembly consisting of a supporting hub structure mounted by its central bore hole on the shaft. The hub structure supports a symmetrically shaped rotating surface containing an ultra fine abrasive material. The rotating surface is pressed with a force of less than 0.2 lb. by a spring action to make sustained rotating abrading contact with a facet of a knife positioned by a knife guide to align the facet into contact with the surface containing the abrasive materials.

Abstract: A data communication interface for transferring at least one data bit to a host processor. The interface includes a one-wire data line, and a slave processor connected to the data line and including a pull-down circuit for varying voltage on the data line. The slave processor is passive and incapable of sampling data from the data line. The slave processor is programmed to vary voltage on the data line when the data line is energized, to signal at least one data bit.

Abstract: A battery-monitoring system in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes one or more cell sensors modules linked to a battery sensor module via a data interface. In turn, the one or more battery sensor modules may be linked to an alarm interface. Each cell sensor module includes one or more sensors that monitor physical parameters, such as cell voltage and temperature, related to the corresponding cell. Each battery sensor module monitors physical parameters, such as battery voltage, discharge current, and temperature related to the battery. The battery sensor module also gather cell monitoring information from the plurality of cell sensor modules. Various battery monitor-related analytical, control, and reporting functions may be performed by the various modules.

Abstract: An electric baking oven includes an open mesh vertically oriented baking basket to hold food while the food is baked in air by a programmed combination of radiant and convective and conductive energy transfer. An electrical programming control controls the energy from vertically oriented toaster heating elements located juxtaposed to the large vertical faces of the basket and from at least one elongated heating member located below the vertical baking basket with the axis of the elongated heating member oriented nominally horizontal and parallel to the longer horizontal axis of the vertically oriented baking basket.

Abstract: An electric baking oven includes an open mesh vertically oriented baking basket to hold food while the food is baked in air by a programmed combination of radiant and convective and conductive energy transfer. An electrical programming control controls the energy from vertically oriented toaster heating elements located juxtaposed to the large vertical faces of the basket and from at least one elongated heating member located below the vertical baking basket with the axis of the elongated heating member oriented nominally horizontal and parallel to the longer horizontal axis of the vertically oriented baking basket.

Abstract: A battery-monitoring system in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes one or more cell sensors modules linked to a battery sensor module via a data interface. In turn, the one or more battery sensor modules may be linked to an alarm interface. Each cell sensor module includes one or more sensors that monitor physical parameters, such as cell voltage and temperature, related to the corresponding cell. Each battery sensor module monitors physical parameters, such as battery voltage, discharge current, and temperature related to the battery. The battery sensor module also gather cell monitoring information from the plurality of cell sensor modules. Various battery monitor-related analytical, control, and reporting functions may be performed by the various modules.

Abstract: A manual knife sharpener is provided with angle control structure. The structure includes a guide member having a guide surface which forms an angle with the abrasive surface of the sharpening member. When the blade is inserted into the space between the abrasive surface and the guide surface the blade presses against the guide surface to displace the guide surface linearly in a direction perpendicular to the guide surface so that the movement is a lateral movement in the same plane without any pivoting or twisting of the guide member. Thus, the angle between the guide surface and the abrasive surface remains constant regardless of the extent of displacement of the guide member.

Abstract: An electric baking oven includes an open mesh vertically oriented baking basket to hold food while the food is baked in air by a programmed combination of radiant and convective and conductive energy transfer. An electrical programming control controls the energy from vertically oriented toaster heating elements located juxtaposed to the large vertical faces of the basket and from at least one elongated heating member located below the vertical baking basket with the axis of the elongated heating member oriented nominally horizontal and parallel to the longer horizontal axis of the vertically oriented baking basket.

Abstract: A batch type toaster includes a cool remote waiting zone and an intrinsically controlled transport mechanism that retains the bread in said waiting zone while the toasting zone is heating to optimum toasting conditions and subsequently moves the bread into the preheated toasting zone until the desired browning is obtained.

Abstract: A versatile ultrahoned sharpener includes a stop assembly which contains an inner hardened structure such as being made from metal or ceramic to serve as a positive limiting stop if the knife being sharpened cuts excessively into the plastic stop assembly of the sharpener. The sharpener also includes a manually actuated abrasive surfaced unit for cleaning or shaping the surface of at least one of the sharpening wheels in the sharpener. The sharpener further includes various bearing structures for effectively mounting the motor driven shaft which rotates the abrasive coated disks of the sharpener.

Abstract: A versatile ultrahoned sharpener includes a stop assembly which contains an inner hardened structure such as being made from metal or ceramic to serve as a positive limiting stop if the knife being sharpened cuts excessively into the plastic stop assembly of the sharpener. The sharpener also includes a manually actuated abrasive surfaced unit for cleaning or shaping the surface of at least one of the sharpening wheels in the sharpener. The sharpener further includes various bearing structures for effectively mounting the motor driven shaft which rotates the abrasive coated disks of the sharpener.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery pack and a method of managing operations of a rechargeable battery pack. Sensing elements are provided to sense and to generate analog signals representing battery parameters, and an analog-to-digital converter is used to convert those analog signals to digital signals. A processor uses those digital signals to perform various routines. The processor switches the analog-to-digital converter from a disabled state, in which the analog-to-digital conversions are not performed, to an abled state under defined conditions.

Abstract: An abrasive material contains abrasive particles in the range of 50 to 80% by weight in an olefinic thermalplastic resin system which is based on ethylene copolymer. The material may be incorporated on a substrate structure to be used as a stropping or honing material or may be shaped by an injection molding process or may be injection molded over a rigid insert or molded over a rigid wheel or disk inserted in the mold. The material may be used for polishing and finishing of crystalline materials, ceramics, silicon and semi-conductor wafers.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) from a multitude of silicon layers, including upper silicon layers and lower silicon layers. A processor for performing defined calculations and a random access memory (RAM) for storing a plurality of variable data values are formed in the lower layers of the application specific integrated circuit. A read only memory (ROM) is formed in the uppermost layer of the application specific integrated circuit using a metal mask. The plurality of control functions and constant data values stored in the read only memory are required for operation of a particular type of battery with a particular type of battery chemistry, such as a rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery, or a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The invention allows one core ASIC to be programmed into several separate final products, each with a different last mask ROM code layer.

Abstract: A versatile manual sharpener includes a primary sharpening section with an integral handle-like extension. An additional sharpening element is mounted to the handle-like extension in a manner to provide additional sharpening capability.