Abstract: A decorative water display provides a laminar water bell. A gas burner may be provided inside the laminar water bell to produce a decorative flame. A laminar nozzle having an outlet arranged to eject a laminar jet of water upwardly in a substantially vertical direction may strike an impactor suspended directly above the outlet of the laminar nozzle such that the laminar jet of water forms the laminar water bell. Alternatively, a vertical pipe may supply water to a thin annular region between two plates such that water flowing between the two plates assumes a generally laminar flow characteristic and forms the laminar water bell when ejected from between the two plates. Alternatively, a hemispherical nozzle may have a slot arranged to eject a sheet of water upwardly to form a segment of the laminar water bell.

Abstract: A plunger filter infusion device comprises a container, a plunger having a resilient plunger head slidable within the container, and an insert plate connected to a long shaft placeable in the base of the container. The insert is placed in the container, infusible material is placed in the container, heated water is poured into the container and the plunger is slid into the container with the shaft of the insert sliding within the hollow central tube of the plunger. The end of the insert shaft becomes releasably connected to the handle via a locking mechanism in the handle. The infusible material is thus confined between the plunger head and the insert plate. The plunger and insert can be removed as one unit allowing clean and simple disposal of the infusible material.

Abstract: A microwave beverage and food preparation apparatus that, in one embodiment, converts a common fluid vessel such as a cup, mug, or bowl into a whistling kettle. A user places a lid having an alarm on a vessel containing liquid to be heated in a microwave. A member made of, or containing, nucleation-site-rich material on the underside of the lid extends into the liquid to activate boiling, thereby assuring a safe transition of the liquid to a normal boiling state. Steam escapes through an integrated whistle in the lid, alerting the user to the boiling.

Abstract: A stackable modular unit for a storage structure for flat objects, having two lateral, mutually distanced, wall members to which are attached or with which are integral at least two bottom members and at least one top member. The bottom and top members define supporting and guiding surfaces for the object, the lateral walls are provided with cut-outs in their lower portions, the upper edges of the walls and the cut-outs so configured as to permit, in the stacked state of the units, the nesting of the upper portion of each lateral wall of each unit in the cut-out of the corresponding wall of the next-higher of the stacked units. Any one of the objects, when introduced into, and slid onto the bottom members of, the nth of the stacked units, mechanically joins the nth unit to the (nth-1) unit.

Abstract: A stackable modular unit for a storage structure for flat objects, having two lateral, mutually distanced, wall members to which are attached or with which are integral at least two bottom members and at least one top member. The bottom and top members define supporting and guiding surfaces for the object, the lateral walls are provided with cut-outs in their lower portions, the upper edges of the walls and the cut-outs so configured as to permit, in the stacked state of the units, the nesting of the upper portion of each lateral wall of each unit in the cut-out of the corresponding wall of the next-higher of the stacked units. Any one of the objects, when introduced into, and slid onto the bottom members of, the nth of the stacked units, mechanically joins the nth unit to the (nth-1) unit.