Abstract: The ingredient bag assembly of the present disclosure includes a bin, an ingredient bag, and a nozzle to extract a liquid or semi-solid ingredient from inside the bag. The bins of the present disclosure have a living spring, tilted bottom surface, or other insert that encourages the evacuation of the ingredient through the nozzle. The nozzles of the present disclosure can have shorter projections into the bin, to allow for additional ingredient to be extracted. The nozzles can also have one or more drain holes tooled therein, to further assist with evacuation.

Abstract: To clean the interior of a blend chamber, alternative rinse assembly structures and methods are described that use various shapes of holes or orifices through which water, which may contain cleaning or sanitizing fluid, can be dispersed as either continuous or pulsated streams directed at various portions of the blend chamber interior. A rinse assembly may include a grate having a frame forming a plurality of apertures, and a conduit having a wall surrounding an interior cavity. The conduit has a curved shaping with a plurality of holes through the wall.

Abstract: A blending containment assembly includes a cover having a first aperture and a cup seal connected to the cover. The cup seal is a flexible material having a second aperture. The cover and the cup seal are configured to receive a spindle of a blending assembly in the first aperture and the second aperture. The cover and the cup seal are movable to engage a cup to create a seal between an inside of the cup and an outside of the cup.

Abstract: A blender assembly includes a blender blade assembly. The blender blade assembly includes a rotor that is connected to a shaft. The shaft is rotatable. The blender blade assembly also includes a blade connected to said rotor, and a stator that covers said rotor.

Abstract: There is provided an oven having an oven door assembly connected to a housing. The housing surrounds an oven interior and has an opening into the oven interior. The door assembly has an oven access door that covers the opening in the housing in a closed position. The oven access door moves in a first direction from a closed position to an open position uncovering the opening into the oven interior. The oven has a depth in the closed position. The oven access door moves in the first direction from the closed position to the open position within substantially the same depth of the oven in the closed position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for automatically adjusting the amount of ice that may be delivered from an ice storage reservoir to a point of use, such as from an ice reservoir of a combination beverage dispenser and ice reservoir to a container, with a high degree of accuracy, consistency and repeatability. The method and apparatus may be controlled by means of a program and/or logic sequence stored in a memory to allow a wide range of ice volumes to be measured, metered and dispensed. The apparatus may include an ice reservoir, a mechanism for dispensing ice to a point of use disposed in communication with the ice reservoir, and an ice metering device disposed in communication with both the ice reservoir and the mechanism for dispensing ice.

Abstract: There is provided an oven having an oven door assembly connected to a housing. The housing surrounds an oven interior and has an opening into the oven interior. The door assembly has an oven access door that covers the opening in the housing in a closed position. The oven access door moves in a first direction from a closed position to an open position uncovering the opening into the oven interior. The oven has a depth in the closed position. The oven access door moves in the first direction from the closed position to the open position within substantially the same depth of the oven in the closed position.

Abstract: A coffee roasting machine for roasting coffee, particularly in small batch sizes for sale and distribution to individual customers. The coffee roaster is suitable for placement entirely within a retail sales outlet or establishment and for being operated by any person, such as, an employee, customer, or patron who has little or no knowledge, skill, or experience in roasting coffee beans. The coffee-roasting machine selects an appropriate coffee roasting instruction set, stored internally, that corresponding to information input into the coffee-roasting machine for roasting a particular type of coffee bean or coffee bean blend to a desired roast level. The information is integrally included on a package of coffee beans for roasting and is directly readable by the machine or manually inputtable by an operator.

Abstract: In embodiments a beverage dispenser includes a beverage cabinet, a mechanically operable, gravity-fed piston valve that can be controllably opened and closed to dispense beverage in a generally downward direction, a valve actuator supported on the cabinet below the valve and coupled to the valve and a beverage flow path to direct beverage from the valve to a receptacle.

Abstract: A rigid or semi-rigid reinforcement member is inserted into or over the damaged portion of an injured tendon or ligament. The tendon or ligament is connected to the reinforcement member such that the cord-member combination can immediately withstand normal tensile forces. The interconnection can be mechanical, such as by pins extending through the sleeve reinforcement member and cord. The sleeve can be bioabsorbable over a sufficiently long period of time that the cord is healed by the time the sleeve is absorbed.

Abstract: The damaged portion of an injured tendon or ligament (C) ("connective cord") is inserted into a thin, hollow sleeve (100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 160, 180, 200, 240, 260, 270, 300, 390, generically designated "S") and is connected to the sleeve (S) such that the cord-sleeve combination can immediately withstand normal tensile forces. The interconnection can be mechanical, such as by pins (22, 22',148, 150, 164, 188, 190, 206, 206', 210, 226, 230, 238, 239, 266, 286, 308) extending through the sleeve (S) and cord (C). The sleeve (S) can be bioabsorbable over a sufficiently long period of time that the cord (C) is healed by the time the sleeve (S) is absorbed.

Abstract: A modular telephone plug having an elongated dielectric housing and a clip member attached that is adapted to fit into a standard RJ-type jack. More specifically, one end of the modular plug defines an electrical connector section to which wires from a telephone cord can be attached. For this purpose, the housing includes an internal channel through which the telephone cord can extend. The clip member is secured in a cantilevered manner at an end of the housing remote from the electrical connector section. The housing is also formed with a recess into which extends a free end of the clip member. The modular plug has an associated length of 1.1 to 1.5 inches (approximately 2.8 to 3.8 cm). With this construction, the modular telephone plug can be easily grasped and manipulated.

Abstract: The combination of a reusable lid and a container, the lid being provided with external threads and the container being provided with internal threads adjacent its upper end for mating with said external threads. The lid is assembled to the container by engagement of the external and internal threads on the lid and container respectively. Preferably the lid has a sealing ring disposed adjacent to the underside of an outer peripheral ledge for engagement with a selected portion of the container, so as to tightly seal off the contents of the container. A latch element is formed on the lid for engagement with a cooperating catch element formed on the container. The latch element prevents removal of the lid from the container until the latching element is released from the catch element.

Abstract: A modular telephone plug (110) having an elongated dielectric housing (112) and a clip member (123, 284) attached that is adapted to fit into a standard RJ-type jack. More specifically, one end (114) of the modular plug (110) defines an electrical connector section to which wires from a telephone cord (120) can be attached. For this purpose, the housing (112) includes an internal channel (143) through which the telephone cord (120) can extend. The clip member (123, 284) is secured in a cantilevered manner at an end (116) of the housing (112) remote from the electric connector section. The housing (112) is also formed with a recess (220) into which extends a free end (276, 313, 380) of the clip member (123, 284). The modular plug (110) has an associated length of 1.1 to 1.5 inches (approximately 2.8 to 3.8 cm). With this construction, the modular telephone plug (110) can be easily grasped and manipulated.

Abstract: The damaged portion of an injured tendon or ligament (C) ("connective cord") is inserted into a thin, hollow sleeve (100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 160, 180, 200, 240, 260, 270, 300, 390, generically designated "S") and is connected to the sleeve (S) such that the cord-sleeve combination can immediately withstand normal tensile forces. the interconnection can be mechanical, such as by pins (22, 22', 148, 150, 164, 188, 190, 206, 206', 210, 226, 230, 238, 239, 266, 286, 308) extending through the sleeve (S) and cord (C). The sleeve (S) can be bioabsorbable over a sufficiently long period of time that the cord (C) is healed by the time the sleeve (S) is absorbed.

Abstract: The connector assembly for double tubing includes a pair of interengageable coupling members that engage when latches on the respective coupling members are aligned in a predetermined nonlatching position. Locking of the coupling members together is accomplished by rotating one of the coupling members with respect to the other coupling member to interengage the respective latches of each coupling member. A latch section of one of the coupling members extends transversely of the coupling member body and a latch section of the other coupling member extends longitudinally of the coupling member body. A locking notch in one of the latch sections receives the other latch section to place the coupling members in a locked position when one of the coupling members is rotated to engage the latches. Further rotation of the coupling members unlatches the respective latch members to permit separation of the coupling members upon imposition of oppositely directed forces on each of the coupling members.

Abstract: A modular telephone plug having an elongated dielectric housing and a clip member attached that is adapted to fit into a standard RJ-type jack. More specifically, one end of the modular plug defines an electrical connector section to which wires from a telephone cord can be attached. For this purpose, the housing includes an internal channel through which the telephone cord can extend. The clip member is secured in a cantilevered manner at an end of the housing remote from the electric connector section. The housing is also formed with a recess into which extends a free end of the clip member. The modular plug has an associated length of 1.1 to 1.5 inches (approximately 2.8 to 3.8 cm). With this construction, the modular telephone plug can be easily grasped and manipulated.