Abstract: A cooking apparatus receives a sealed container of food inside a cooking chamber. A controller operates a motor to drive a rack and pinion gear set to lower a nozzle to puncture the cover of the container. Limit switches position the nozzle at a predetermined location within the container. The controller activates solenoids which open steam and/or water valves to permit steam and/or water from a boiler to be introduced inside the food container through the nozzle to mix and complete cooking of the food contents of the container. The controller operates the motor to withdraw the nozzle from within the container and activates a solenoid of a steam valve to provide steam through a confinement cylinder that subjects the nozzle to a steam bath after the nozzle has been retracted from within the food container. A limit switch cooperates with the controller to prevent the nozzle from being withdrawn from the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A food preparation table includes a cabinet with a food preparation surface and a heat-insulated food storage compartment. An evaporator and a fan are disposed inside the cabinet so that air moves through the evaporator upon operation of the fan. In one embodiment, a temperature controller operates the evaporator fan only during operation of the refrigeration equipment in the cooling mode. A condiment plenum is disposed adjacent to the preparation surface and includes at least one condiment plenum wall that defines a complex structure. At least one open top condiment pan is received by the condiment plenum. A cool air supply system, which can include an auxiliary fan, one or more baffles, and air flow dams and guides, efficiently distributes cool air from a localized site, to widely dispersed locations, some of which being inside the storage compartment and some of which being exposed to the ambient atmosphere.

Abstract: A self-contained window-mounted, heat/cool room air conditioner for automatically maintaining a predetermined indoor room temperature over a wide range of outdoor ambient temperatures. The air conditioner includes a reverse cycle refrigeration system having an inside heat exchange coil and an outside heat exchange coil, the coils being series-connected with an associated refrigerant compressor via a reversing valve wherein the system in addition to functioning in a conventional room air cooling mode can also function as a heat pump to heat room air over a limited range of outdoor ambient temperatures. Low and high wattage resistance heating elements supplement or replace the heating action of the reverse cycle refrigeration system under certain operating conditions. Four thermistor temperature sensors are used to provide precise control of the air conditioner for maximum efficiency.