Abstract: A detailed placement process which optimizes cell placement with up to one hundred percent densities in a linear run time. The output from a conjugate-gradient coarse placement process is input to the detailed placement process. A dynamic programming technique is used to optimize cell placement by swapping cells between two or more rows. The search space is pruned beforehand. A greedy cleanup phase using an incremental row placer is used. Thereby, the detailed placement process handles congestion driven placements characterized by non-uniform densities expeditiously and efficiently.

Abstract: A food processing device, e.g. a salad spinner, has a housing with a lid, a basket supported in the housing for rotation, and a drive mechanism supported by the lid for rotating the basket to spin water from salad in the housing. The drive mechanism has a crank handle and a drive transmission system coupling the handle to the basket to transmit a rotational driving force from the handle to rotate the basket. The drive transmission system has a first rotary gear arranged to receive the rotational driving force from the handle and a second rotary gear in driving engagement with the first gear for receiving the rotational driving force from the first gear to rotate the basket. The first and second gears have corresponding serial formations, e.g., recesses and protrusions, of respective circular cross-sections that are inter-engageable, one in the other, for transmission of the driving force.

Abstract: A bowl and basket assembly is disclosed as including a perforated basket, and a bowl for supporting the basket, the basket including two annular wall parts and a bottom part which are engaged with each other, and the bowl including two annular wall parts and a bottom part which are engaged with each other. A bowl and basket assembly kit is also disclosed as including two annular wall parts and a bottom part which are engageable with each other to form a perforated basket, and two annular wall parts and a bottom part which are engageable with each other to form a bowl for supporting the basket.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic item comprising a container having an end; a base portion having a cavity and a first end connected with the end of the container; a first magnetic means movably received in the container; a second magnetic means arranged at the end of the container or the first end of the base portion and disposed in a manner that the second magnetic means and the first magnetic means attract each other; and a third magnetic means received and disposed within a second end of the base portion in a manner that the third magnetic means and the second magnetic means repulse each other; wherein the repulsion force generated between the second and third magnetic means overweighs the attraction force generated between the first and second magnetic means, when the second and third magnetic means are made to come near to each other.

Abstract: A detailed placement process which optimizes cell placement with up to one hundred percent densities in a linear run time. The output from a conjugate-gradient coarse placement process is input to the detailed placement process. A dynamic programming technique is used to optimize cell placement by swapping cells between two or more rows. The search space is pruned beforehand. A greedy cleanup phase using an incremental row placer is used. Thereby, the detailed placement process handles congestion driven placements characterized by non-uniform densities expeditiously and efficiently.

Abstract: A system that determines the timing of an integrated circuit (IC) design is presented. During operation, the system receives a netlist for the IC design, wherein the netlist specifies the placement of cells within the IC design. Next, the system estimates capacitances for cells within the IC design based on analytic models of the cells. The system then estimates the post-physical-optimization timing of the IC design based on the netlist, the capacitances, and the analytic models, wherein the post-physical-optimization timing is estimated without performing physical optimization.

Abstract: A cutter includes radial cutting blades connected by a hinge about which the blades may be rotated between collapsed and extended positions. A rotary body and rotary cap form a handle which holds the inner ends of the blades. The members are mounted for rotation about the hinge axis relative to free blades. Circumferentially spaced stop faces on the body are spaced apart in the axial direction Circumferentially spaced abutment faces on the cap are spaced apart in the radial direction. The abutment-engaging faces of adjacent free blades are correspondingly spaced apart in the radial direction To extend the blades, the cap is rotated relative to the body, with the cap and body holding the portions of each free blade between a respective stop face and abutment face for locating the free blades in the extended positions.

Abstract: A jar opener comprises a pair of handles, a pivot connecting the handles for pivotal movement, and a head section having a pair of jaws extending from the pivot opposite the handles and pivotable by the handles to close for gripping a lid of a jar and to open to release the lid. The jaws have a pair of inner gripping portions adjacent the pivot for gripping a lid of a relatively larger diameter, and a pair of outer gripping portions adjacent the inner gripping portions and further from the pivot than the inner gripping portion for gripping a smaller lid or bottle cap.

Abstract: A kitchen utensil, such as a salad spinner (10), is disclosed as including a bowl (12) and a suction base mechanism (14) for resting on a support surface (50), in which when the suction base mechanism (14) rests on the surface (50), the bowl (12) is swivelable relative to the suction base mechanism (14) between a first position in which the space (S1 between the suction base mechanism (14) and the surface (50) is of a first volume and a second position in which the space (S2) between the suction base mechanism (14) and the surface (50) is of a second volume which is larger than the first volume to releasably secure said salad spinner (10) to the surface (50).

Abstract: A food cutting device for cutting food items into smaller pieces, comprises a receptacle having an entrance through which food items can be introduced into the receptacle and an exit through which smaller pieces of the food items can be dispensed from the receptacle, a rotary cutter in the receptacle for cutting the food items into the smaller pieces, and a handle connected with the receptacle, for holding and carrying the food cutting device with only one hand of a user. A driving mechanism is located between the cutter and the handle for manual operation by the user to operate the cutter, including an operating member that is located at or adjacent to the handle for movement and operation by the hand holding and carrying the food cutting device.

Abstract: A method is provided for probing the effective hydrodynamic flow of a liquid at various positions within a dissolution testing apparatus. The method includes embodiments of an appropriate electrode probe, and methods of generating a signature pattern from the sampled current that may be used to characterise the hydrodynamic flow of the liquid in the apparatus. The signature pattern may be used to validate and qualify the performance of the dissolution apparatus, diagnose problems with dissolution apparatus, predict the initial dissolution rate of a drug, or determine the local flow rate around specific parts of a drug.

Abstract: A food grater (10) is disclosed as including a first arm (12) and a second arm (14), the first arm (12) including a grating plate (18), the second arm (14) including a wall (23) and a press plate (36) for confining movement of food, and the first arm (12) and second arm (14) are engaged with each other and pivotable relative to each other to grate the food by the grating plate (18).

Abstract: A food processing device has a housing with a lid, a rotatable attachment (e.g., a basket or beater) in the housing and a drive mechanism in the lid for rotating the attachment to process food in the housing. The drive mechanism has a manual actuator and a gear train for transmitting a driving force from the actuator to rotate the attachment. The actuator lies on an outer surface of the lid and is movable along the lid surface in opposite directions between two positions to rotate the attachment in a single direction. A ratchet assembly in driving engagement with the gear train transmits a rotational drive in only a single direction. A braking mechanism for braking the attachment includes a manual operator and two braking shoes for movement by the operator to brake the attachment by friction.

Abstract: A batch event historian gathers, stores and presents data regarding a batch process where relationships among the various elements of data are automatically derived by an executive program. A persistent store includes structure corresponding to the relationships defined among procedural elements and equipment in accordance with batch processing industry S88.01 standards. The executive program gathers event information generated by the batch process and derives the relationships among the events in accordance with these industry standard models. Storage and corresponding retrieval and presentation of such historical data is thereby simplified for a user because the user need not manually configure the historian programs to derive the relationships. Association of any continuous data log with event information is automated thereby obviating the need for manual configuration by a user to establish such associations.

Abstract: A can opener has two pivotable handle members and a traction wheel and a rotary cutter movable by the handle members respectively between an inoperative position in which the wheel and cutter are spaced apart for mounting onto a can and an operative position in which they are close together for turning and cutting the can. An operating lever is pivotable back and forth. A first ratchet assembly is driven by the lever upon pivotal movement in one direction for rotating the wheel in one direction. There is also a second ratchet assembly driven by the lever upon pivotal movement in the opposite direction for rotating the wheel in the same direction. Upon pivotal reciprocation, the lever rotates the wheel in the direction operating the wheel and cutter continuously, turning and cutting the can.