Abstract: A food preparation device for crimping and sealing pieces of bread includes a base, at least one first heating unit positioned on the base, and at least one second heating unit spaced from the base and extending substantially parallel to the first heating unit. The second heating unit is movable from a first position spaced a first distance from the first heating unit to a second position spaced a second, shorter distance from the first heating unit for crimping and sealing bread pieces together between the first and second heating units. The first and second heating units remain parallel with one another while the second heating unit moves from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A food preparation device for crimping and sealing pieces of bread includes a base, at least one first heating unit positioned on the base, and at least one second heating unit spaced from the base and extending substantially parallel to the first heating unit. The second heating unit is movable from a first position spaced a first distance from the first heating unit to a second position spaced a second, shorter distance from the first heating unit for crimping and sealing bread pieces together between the first and second heating units. The first and second heating units remain parallel with one another while the second heating unit moves from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A system for exchanging optical signals between two separate locations. Each location is provided with a transceiver that includes a transmitter and a receiver. Both the transmitter and the receiver are based on a transceiver unit, used as a transmitter unit in the transmitter and as a receiver unit in the receiver. The transceiver unit includes a multimode optical waveguide and imaging optics that collimates the light emerging from the waveguide in the transmitter implementation of the unit and that focuses incoming light onto the waveguide in the receiver implementation of the unit. The waveguide is terminated by a FC/APC to suppress reflections at the waveguide/air interface. In each transceiver, the units are mounted in clusters, with their optical axes all parallel. Transmitter units of a transmitter cluster are optically coupled via a splitter to a common input waveguide, possibly via one or more optical amplifiers.

Abstract: A system for exchanging optical signals between two separate locations. Each location is provided with a transceiver that includes a transmitter and a receiver. Both the transmitter and the receiver are based on a transceiver unit, used as a transmitter unit in the transmitter and as a receiver unit in the receiver. The transceiver unit includes a multimode optical waveguide and imaging optics that collimates the light emerging from the waveguide in the transmitter implementation of the unit and that focuses incoming light onto the waveguide in the receiver implementation of the unit. The waveguide is terminated by a FC/APC to suppress reflections at the waveguide/air interface. In each transceiver, the units are mounted in clusters, with their optical axes all parallel. Transmitter units of a transmitter cluster are optically coupled via a splitter to a common input waveguide, possibly via one or more optical amplifiers.

Abstract: A system for exchanging optical signals between two separate locations. Each location is provided with a transceiver that includes a transmitter and a receiver. Both the transmitter and the receiver are based on a transceiver unit, used as a transmitter unit in the transmitter and as a receiver unit in the receiver. The transceiver unit includes a multimode optical waveguide and imaging optics that collimates the light emerging from the waveguide in the transmitter implementation of the unit and that focuses incoming light onto the waveguide in the receiver implementation of the unit. The waveguide is terminated by a FC/APC to suppress reflections at the waveguide/air interface. In each transceiver, the units are mounted in clusters, with their optical axes all parallel. Transmitter units of a transmitter cluster are optically coupled via a splitter to a common input waveguide, possibly via one or more optical amplifiers.

Abstract: A system for exchanging optical signals between two separate locations. Each location is provided with a transceiver that includes a transmitter and a receiver. Both the transmitter and the receiver are based on a transceiver unit, used as a transmitter unit in the transmitter and as a receiver unit in the receiver. The transceiver unit includes a multimode optical waveguide and imaging optics that collimates the light emerging from the waveguide in the transmitter implementation of the unit and that focuses incoming light onto the waveguide in the receiver implementation of the unit. The waveguide is terminated by a FC/APC to suppress reflections at the waveguide/air interface. In each transceiver, the units are mounted in clusters, with their optical axes all parallel. Transmitter units of a transmitter cluster are optically coupled via a splitter to a common input waveguide, possibly via one or more optical amplifiers.

Abstract: A system for exchanging optical signals between two separate locations. Each location is provided with a transceiver that includes a transmitter and a receiver. Both the transmitter and the receiver are based on a transceiver unit, used as a transmitter unit in the transmitter and as a receiver unit in the receiver. The transceiver unit includes a multimode optical waveguide and imaging optics that collimates the light emerging from the waveguide in the transmitter implementation of the unit and that focuses incoming light onto the waveguide in the receiver implementation of the unit. The waveguide is terminated by a FC/APC to suppress reflections at the waveguide/air interface. In each transceiver, the units are mounted in clusters, with their optical axes all parallel. Transmitter units of a transmitter cluster are optically coupled via a splitter to a common input waveguide, possibly via one or more optical amplifiers.

Abstract: The invention provides a wireless communication system having an airlink transceiver including an airlink transmitter and an airlink receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving signals over the air; an optical communication network interface unit for transmitting optical signals to the airlink transmitter and for receiving optical signals from the airlink receiver; and a universal converter unit, coupled to the airlink transceiver and to the optical communication network interface unit, for supplying optical signals without protocol conversion to the optical communication network interface unit, and electrical signals to the airlink transceiver. The invention also provides a method for connecting a wireless communication system to a plurality of communication networks, each having a different fundamental type of basic networking technologies.

Abstract: A wireless communication system, having first and second communication units located, in operation, in spaced-apart relationship to each other, each unit including a transmitter and a receiver, the first unit including a transmitter for transmitting information to the receiver of the second unit, and a receiver for receiving information from the transmitter of the second unit, the first unit including a scanner for scanning the unit along at least one axis with respect to the second unit. The first unit further includes a control for terminating the scanning of the first unit when the receiver of the first unit is precisely aligned with the transmitter of the second unit.