Abstract: An information provision system provided with a terminal unit and a relay unit, wherein the relay unit has an information holding function unit for holding fixed basic information and individual user customizable additional information, the terminal unit has an additional command transmitting function unit for transmitting information addition commands, and the relay unit is provided with an information processing function unit for obtaining additional information corresponding to the received information addition command and combining it with the basic information and transmits the combined processed information to the terminal unit, a terminal unit and relay unit forming part of that system, and an image display customizing system.

Abstract: A rice cooker includes an interlock that prevents the user from sliding the cooking pot out of the cooker without first disengaging internal assemblies that would otherwise be damaged. The rice cooker operates in any of three user selectable modes: a fully automatic mode in which the rice cooker measures out a user selected quantity of internally stored raw, unwashed rice, washes the rice, cooks the rice and then keeps the rice warm; a cook and keep-warm in which the cooking pot of the rice cooker is loaded with premeasured and washed rice from an external source and the rice cooker cooks the rice and keeps it rice warm; and a rice warming mode in which the cooking pot is loaded with already cooked rice and maintains it at a serving temperature. A startup routine checks that a pot is installed, that a lid is on the pot, that an upper pot cover assembly is at a required height, that a platform is in its latched position, and that a washer container is in its stowed position.

Abstract: A centrifugal separator comprises a centrifugation chamber, gas inlet ports for introducing a gas into the centrifugation chamber so as to whirl the gas, a clean gas discharge pipe provided on the upper portion of the centrifugation chamber, and a guide member secured to the lower portion of the centrifugation chamber. The guide member has an annular groove, outer fine holes made in the groove, a guide portion projecting conically inward the centrifugation chamber, and an inner hole made in the center of the guide portion. A gas including particles is introduced into the centrifugation chamber, in which the particles are separated. The separated particles are trapped in the groove with gas, then discharged from the outer holes. The clean gas removed of the particles is guided by the guide member to direct to the gas discharge pipe, at the same time the particles with gas toward the guide member also are guided by the guide member to be subjected to the centrifugal force.