Abstract: An appliance including: a vessel having a chamber for containing flowable substance; a first sensor arrangement measuring a parameter indicative of the amount of flowable substance in the chamber; wherein, the appliance is configured to determine a target angular deviation from a reference axis required to pour a predetermined amount of flowable substance from the chamber

Abstract: A toaster heating assembly (55A, 55B) including: a frame (60); a panel (65) at least partly supported by the frame (60); a spacer (80) mounted to the panel (65); and an elongate heating element (93) having a plurality of spaced apart elongate heating element portions (95) supported by the spacer (80), so that the spacer (80) is located between the plurality of heating element portions (95) and the panel (65) to provide a gap (94) between the plurality of heating element portions (95) and the panel (65).

Abstract: A fluid level detection system to determine a level of a fluid in a container engageable with a kitchen device, the fluid level detection system comprising a float comprising a magnet, the float being located in the container and movable relative to the container, a sensor configured to detect a magnetic flux associated with the magnet, the sensor being located in the kitchen device, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, the sensor configured to provide to the controller a real-time feedback of the detected magnetic flux as the float moves relative to the container, wherein the controller is configured to determine the level of the fluid in the container based on the detected magnetic flux.

Abstract: A kitchen device (100) having: a base (110) with a coupling (120) for receiving an accessory (130), the accessory (130) comprising a magnet and being configured for performing an operation when operated by the kitchen device (100); a controller configured to operate the kitchen device (100), and thereby the accessory (130), to perform the operation; and a magnetometer located in the base (110) and configured to interact with the magnet when the accessory (130) is coupled to the base (110) to provide an accessory signal indicative of a presence of the accessory (130) to the controller, wherein the magnetometer comprises a magnetoresistor.

Abstract: An appliance including: a vessel to receive a liquid, the vessel having a longitudinal axis, a bottom wall, and a side wall at least partly enclosing a chamber within which the liquid is heated, the chamber having an upper region axially spaced from the bottom wall, and a lower region located between the bottom wall and the upper region; a heating element within the chamber; a heater base including at least a portion of an induction coil; connections to deliver an alternating current to the induction coil to deliver a magnetic field to the lower region; the element being movable relative to the coil between an operative position at which the element is located within the lower region to be energised by the magnetic field to cause heating of the element, and an inoperative position at which the element is located in the upper region to not energize the element.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a toaster (2) for toasting bread or other food, the toaster (2) comprising: a body (4) having an upward facing slot (6) to receive a slice of bread or a food to be toasted; a carriage (16) mounted in the body beneath the slot (6) to receive a slice of bread, the carriage (16) being movable between an elevated position and a lowered position; a heating panel (10) mounted to the body (4) in an upright configuration adjacent the carriage (16) for toasting one side of a slice of bread in the carriage (16); a linkage assembly (53) for connecting the heating panel (10) to the carriage (16); wherein, the heating panel (10) has a contracted form when not toasting bread, and an expanded form when toasting bread, the heating panel (10) having a vertical dimension in the contracted form that is less than the vertical dimension in the expanded form, and the linkage assembly (53) is configured to move the carriage (16) from the elevated position to the lowered position when the heating panel (10)

Abstract: There is disclosed herein an appliance to heat a liquid, the appliance including: a vessel to receive the liquid to be heated, the vessel having a base, and a side wall extending upwardly from the base, with the base and side wall at least partly enclosing a chamber within which the liquid is heated; and a heating element for conductive heating of the base and the liquid in the chamber, wherein the base includes a floor and a raised portion extending from the floor into the chamber, the floor having a major surface to contact the liquid, and the raised portion having at least one minor surface to contact the liquid, the at least one minor surface being inclined relative to the major surface to promote movement of one or more bubbles, formed by heating of the liquid, away from the floor and into the chamber.

Abstract: An induction heating circuit for an appliance, the induction heating circuit comprising: an AC power supply with an AC monitoring output connected to the active line of the AC power supply, the AC monitoring output providing an indication of current being drawn from the AC power supply; a control circuit comprising at least one processor and a semiconductor current sensor, the semiconductor current sensor arranged to i) detect the current being drawn from the AC power supply and ii) output an output voltage based on the detected current; and an induction driving circuit for driving an inductor of the appliance comprising a semiconductor switch, wherein the semiconductor switch is controlled by the processor based on, at least, the output voltage.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a humidity sensor (10) for a cooking appliance (100). The humidity sensor (10) comprises: a sensor assembly (30) comprising: conductive plates (50) having a space located therebetween, wherein the conductive plates (50) are electrically charged and subsequently discharged over time; a dielectric plate (60) locatable in the space between the conductive plates (50), wherein the dielectric plate (60) is removable from the space between the conductive plates (50) for cleaning; a controller (20), in electrical communication with the sensor assembly (30), configured to: measure a capacitive characteristic across the conductive plates (50) whilst the dielectric plate (60) is located in the space; and determine, based on the capacitive characteristic, a humidity measurement indicative of the humidity within the cooking appliance (100).

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a level detection system includes a housing (120) having a plurality of wall portions defining a receiving space for a container (200). The system further includes a capacitor having a first plate (142a) and a second plate (142b), the wall portions including a first wall portion having the first plate (142a) and a second wall portion having the second plate (142b). When the container is in the receiving space, a capacitance of the capacitor depends on a level of substance in the container (200). The system also includes a processor configured to determine the level of the substance in the container (200) based on the capacitance of the capacitor.

Abstract: A sous vide device (10) for at least partial immersion in a liquid (16) contained in a vessel (30), the sous vide device (10) comprising: a housing (12) defining a cavity (14) for fluidic communication with the vessel (30) to at least partially fill the cavity (14) with the liquid; and, a heater (32) for heating the liquid (16) in the cavity (14) to generate vapour that displaces some of the heated liquid (16) from the cavity (14) into the vessel (30).

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a toaster (10) including: a housing (12); a pair of opposing food guards (24a, 24b) located within the housing (12) and defining a toasting cavity (25a, 25b) for receiving foodstuff to be toasted; a pair of heating elements (28) located within the housing (12), each heating element (28) being located on a respective side of the pair of food guards (24a, 24b), wherein each food guard (24a, 24b) is spaced from the corresponding heating element (28) by a clearance (81); and wherein each food guard (24a, 24b) has an upwardly-extending portion (75c, 75d) that extends upwardly to a portion (75a, 75b) that extends transversely from the upwardly-extending portion so as to extend above the corresponding heating element (28), the transversely-extending portion (75a, 75b) of each food guard (24a, 24b) projecting away from the opposing food guard (24a, 24b).

Abstract: A kitchen device (100) having: a base (110) with a coupling (120) for receiving an accessory (130), the accessory (130) comprising a magnet and being configured for performing an operation when operated by the kitchen device (100); a controller configured to operate the kitchen device (100), and thereby the accessory (130), to perform the operation; and a magnetometer located in the base (110) and configured to interact with the magnet when the accessory (130) is coupled to the base (110) to provide an accessory signal indicative of a presence of the accessory (130) to the controller, wherein the magnetometer comprises a magnetoresistor.

Abstract: A toaster heating assembly (55A, 55B) including: a frame (60); a panel (65) at least partly supported by the frame (60); a spacer (80) mounted to the panel (65); and an elongate heating element (93) having a plurality of spaced apart elongate heating element portions (95) supported by the spacer (80), so that the spacer (80) is located between the plurality of heating element portions (95) and the panel (65) to provide a gap (94) between the plurality of heating element portions (95) and the panel (65).

Abstract: The invention relates to coffee packing and dosing devices and machines and more particularly to a portafilter dosing tools used to control the amount, distribution and/or packing of ground coffee within the filter basket of a portafilter prior to extraction. In one aspect the invention provides a device for vibrating the filter basket to vibrate coffee grounds therein to promote levelling and devoiding prior to tamping. In other aspects the invention provides machines and methods for filling a coffee filter basket with tamped ground coffee to a target level. In still other aspect the invention provides a tool for manually administering a uniform tamping force to coffee during tamping.

Abstract: An appliance (10) to heat a liquid, the appliance (10) including: a vessel (12) to receive the liquid to be heated, the vessel (12) having a generally central upright longitudinal axis (24), a bottom wall (26), and a side wall (28) extending upwardly from the bottom wall (26), with the bottom wall (26) and side wall (28) at least partly enclosing a chamber (40) within which the liquid is heated, with the chamber (40) having an upper region (42) axially spaced from the bottom wall (26), and a lower region (44) located between the bottom wall (26) and the upper region (42); a heating element (50) located within the chamber (40) for relative movement therewithin, with the element (50) at least partly formed of ferromagnetic material; a heater base (14) to be positioned relative to the bottom wall (26) of the vessel (12), the heater base (14) including at least a portion of an induction coil (18); connections to deliver an alternating current to the induction coil (18) so as to deliver a magnetic field to the low

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a toaster (10) including: a housing (12); a pair of opposing food guards (24a, 24b) located within the housing (12) and defining a toasting cavity (25a, 25b) for receiving foodstuff to be toasted; a pair of heating elements (28) located within the housing (12), each heating element (28) being located on a respective side of the pair of food guards (24a, 24b), wherein each food guard (24a, 24b) is spaced from the corresponding heating element (28) by a clearance (81); and wherein each food guard (24a, 24b) has an upwardly-extending portion (75c, 75d) that extends upwardly to a portion (75a, 75b) that extends transversely from the upwardly-extending portion so as to extend above the corresponding heating element (28), the transversely-extending portion (75a, 75b) of each food guard (24a, 24b) projecting away from the opposing food guard (24a, 24b).

Abstract: An induction heating circuit for an appliance, the induction heating circuit comprising: an AC power supply with an AC monitoring output connected to the active line of the AC power supply, the AC monitoring output providing an indication of current being drawn from the AC power supply; a control circuit comprising at least one processor and a semiconductor current sensor, the semiconductor current sensor arranged to i) detect the current being drawn from the AC power supply and ii) output an output voltage based on the detected current; and an induction driving circuit for driving an inductor of the appliance comprising a semiconductor switch, wherein the semiconductor switch is controlled by the processor based on, at least, the output voltage.

Abstract: A method of detecting and classifying mental states, comprising the steps of: detecting bio-signals from one or more than one bio-signal detector; transforming the bio-signals into one or more than one different representations; detecting values of one or more than one property of the transformed bio-signal representations; and applying one or more than one mental state detection algorithm to the detected properties in order to classify whether the bio-signals indicate the presence of a predetermined response by a subject.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with the transmission of streaming scalable data, particularly video data, through lossy communication channels, for applications in which limited retransmission is possible, and the associated reception and decoding of transmitted data. The PET (Priority Encoding Transmission) framework is used and the invention exploits both unequal error protection and limited retransmission. Each element in the scalable representation of each frame can be transmitted in one or both of two transmission slots, depending on the availability of the data received from the first of the two transmission slots. An optimization algorithm determines the level of protection which should be assigned to each element in each slot, subject to transmission bandwidth constraints.