Abstract: A stir-frying apparatus (100) with an overhead-heating device (128). Apparatus (100) comprises a container (102) for holding foods, a lid (120) covering on top of container (102), a bottom heating device (118) installed underneath container (102) and an overhead heating device installed on lid (120), a stirring blade (136) rotatably and removably installed inside container (102) for stirring foods, a power-drive assembly (140) operationally coupled with blade (136) for driving blade (136) through repeating stirring cycles, a coupling device (134) for coupling assembly (140) and blade (136), a venting device (200) for filtering and deodorizing cooking fumes, a blowing device (202) for forcing fresh air into apparatus (100) for the removal of moisture from therein-side, and an ingredient adding conduit (250) for use of adding ingredients during a frying process.

Abstract: An automotive side impact assembly 10 is provided. The automotive side impact assembly 10 includes a door assembly 18 having a door body portion 20 and a window opening portion 22. The door body portion 20 and said window opening portion 22 meet to form a beltline 24. A window assembly 26 is positioned within the window opening portion 22 and extends into the door body portion 20 when in a window closed condition 28. An automotive seat assembly 12 is positioned adjacent said door assembly 18. A side-impact air bag assembly 32 is positioned within the automobile 14 such that the side air-bag 32 is deployed between the door assembly 18 and the automotive seat 12. The side-impact air bag assembly 32 has a deployed condition in which a side air-bag 32 is deployed during a collision.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle having a passenger cabin includes a floorpan with seats mounted to the floorpan. Side closure structures adjoin the outboard ends of the seats. Seat displacement members located within the side closure structures load the outboard ends of the seats so as to deform the seat frames and floorpan. This moves the affected seat laterally inward with respect to a longitudinal center plane of the vehicle in the event of a laterally directed impact load against the closure structure. As a result, the pelvic region of the occupant will be the first region of the occupant to be dynamically loaded by the side closure structure.

Abstract: An automatic frying apparatus (100) for both deep and shallow frying. Frying apparatus (100) comprises a container (102) having an inner cylindrical wall (102b) installed on the central bottom thereof, so as to emanate from the bottom to substantially the upper portion of container (102) for holding foods and oil, a lid (104) covering on top of container (102), a plurality of stirring blades (108) rotatably and removably installed inside container (102) for stirring foods, a power-drive assembly (110) operationally coupled with blades (108) for driving blades (108) through repeating stirring cycles, a coupling device (106) for coupling in between assembly (110) and blades (108), a venting device (200) for filtering and deodorizing cooking fumes, and a blowing device (202) for forcing fresh air into frying apparatus (100) for moisture removal from thereinside.

Abstract: An automatic frying apparatus (100) for both deep and shallow frying. Frying apparatus (100) comprises a container (102) having an inner cylindrical wall (102b) installed on the central bottom thereof, so as to emanate from the bottom to substantially the upper portion of container (102) for holding foods and oil, a lid (104) covering on top of container (102), a plurality of stirring blades (108) rotatably and removably installed inside container (102) for stirring foods, a power-drive assembly (110) operationally coupled with blades (108) for driving blades (108) through repeating stirring cycles, a coupling device (106) for coupling in between assembly (110) and blades (108), a venting device (200) for filtering and deodorizing cooking fumes, and a blowing device (202) for forcing fresh air into frying apparatus (100) for moisture removal from thereinside.

Abstract: First and second networks of switching devices, each of which are an insulated gate bipolar transistor with an intrinsic reverse-biased clamping diode, are controlled to selectively connect a sinusoidal input voltage and an output to different nodes within a series of capacitors during different portions of input and output voltage cycles to produce a stepped sinusoidal output voltage. The topology requires a low part count, produces relatively low harmonics without filtering when powering artificial lift equipment within a borehole, and scales up to medium voltages without a step-up transformer. During variable speed operation of the lift equipment, optimized switching angles for controlling the switching devices during the voltage cycles may be selected based on modulation producing the desired speed and phase measurements.

Abstract: An automatic roasting apparatus (100). This roasting apparatus includes a container (102) having an open top, a lid (104) for covering on top of container (102), heating means installed inside container (102) for heating foods, a rotating device (105) removably installed inside container (102) for holding foods, a motor (106) operationally connected to rotating device (105) through a transmission assembly (110) for driving rotating device (105), and a forced venting system, which includes a venting device (200) and a blowing device (202) for forcing fresh air into roasting apparatus (100), such that the evaporation and removal of food moisture is facilitated and the oil vapor content and odors in the cooking fumes are removed before the air is exhausted into the room. Container (102) is divided into an upper portion (102a) and a lower portion (102b) for facilitating cleaning after use. A compact roasting chamber design favors maximum energy efficiency.

Abstract: A face mask (100) with double breathing chambers. Face mask (100) includes an outer face piece (102) for covering the nose, mouth and eyes of a wearer, an inner face piece (104) for covering the nose and mouth of the wearer, a separation piece (06, made of a substantially impermeable material, substantially dividing face piece (04) into a nose portion (104a) and a mouth portion (104b), thereby forming a nose chamber and a mouth chamber, such that gas communication between the two chambers is minimized, an exhalation device (108) for allowing air to pass therethrough from an interior gas space to an exterior gas space, an inhalation device (110) for allowing air to pass therethrough from an exterior gas space to an interior gas space, and a lens (112) for allowing the wearer to watch therethrough.

Abstract: An isolated and soft-switched power converter is used for DC/DC and DC/DC/AC power conversion. The power converter includes two resonant tank circuits coupled back-to-back through an isolation transformer. Each resonant tank circuit includes a pair of resonant capacitors connected in series as a resonant leg, a pair of tank capacitors connected in series as a tank leg, and a pair of switching devices with anti-parallel clamping diodes coupled in series as resonant switches and clamping devices for the resonant leg. The power converter is well suited for DC/DC and DC/DC/AC power conversion applications in which high-voltage isolation, DC to DC voltage boost, bidirectional power flow, and a minimal number of conventional switching components are important design objectives. For example, the power converter is especially well suited to electric vehicle applications and load-side electric generation and storage systems, and other applications in which these objectives are important.

Abstract: A power line conditioner using cascade multilevel inverter used for voltage regulation, reactive power (var) compensation and harmonic filtering, including the control schemes for operating the cascade inverter for voltage regulation and harmonic filtering in distribution systems. The cascade M-level inverter consists of (M-1)/2 H-bridges in which each bridge has its own separate DC source. This new inverter (1) can generate almost sinusoidal waveform voltage with only one time switching per line cycle, (2) can eliminate transformers of multipulse inverters used in the conventional static VAR compensators, and (3) makes possible direct connection to the 13.8 kV power distribution system in parallel and series without any transformer. In other words, the power line conditioner is much more efficient and more suitable to VAR compensation and harmonic filtering of distribution systems than traditional multipulse and pulse width modulation (PWM) inverters.

Abstract: A delta connected, resonant snubber-based, soft switching, inverter circuit achieves lossless switching during dc-to-ac power conversion and power conditioning with minimum component count and size. Current is supplied to the resonant snubber branches solely by the dc supply voltage through the main inverter switches and the auxiliary switches. Component count and size are reduced by use of a single semiconductor switch in the resonant snubber branches. Component count is also reduced by maximizing the use of stray capacitances of the main switches as parallel resonant capacitors. Resonance charging and discharging of the parallel capacitances allows lossless, zero voltage switching. In one embodiment, circuit component size and count are minimized while achieving lossless, zero voltage switching within a three-phase inverter.

Abstract: A voltage balanced multilevel converter for high power AC applications such as adjustable speed motor drives and back-to-back DC intertie of adjacent power systems. This converter provides a multilevel rectifier, a multilevel inverter, and a DC link between the rectifier and the inverter allowing voltage balancing between each of the voltage levels within the multilevel converter.The rectifier is equipped with at least one phase leg and a source input node for each of the phases. The rectifier is further equipped with a plurality of rectifier DC output nodes. The inverter is equipped with at least one phase leg and a load output node for each of the phases. The inverter is further equipped with a plurality of inverter DC input nodes. The DC link is equipped with a plurality of rectifier charging means and a plurality of inverter discharging means.

Abstract: A multilevel cascade voltage source inverter having separate DC sources is described herein. This inverter is applicable to high voltage, high power applications such as flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) including static VAR generation (SVG), power line conditioning, series compensation, phase shifting and voltage balancing and fuel cell and photovoltaic utility interface systems. The M-level inverter consists of at least one phase wherein each phase has a plurality of full bridge inverters equipped with an independent DC source. This inverter develops a near sinusoidal approximation voltage waveform with only one switching per cycle as the number of levels, M, is increased. The inverter may have either single-phase or multi-phase embodiments connected in either wye or delta configurations.

Abstract: A multilevel cascade voltage source inverter having separate DC sources is described herein. This inverter is applicable to high voltage, high power applications such as flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) including static VAR generation (SVG), power line conditioning, series compensation, phase shifting and voltage balancing and fuel cell and photovoltaic utility interface systems. The M-level inverter consists of at least one phase wherein each phase has a plurality of full bridge inverters equipped with an independent DC source. This inverter develops a near sinusoidal approximation voltage waveform with only one switching per cycle as the number of levels, M, is increased. The inverter may have either single-phase or multi-phase embodiments connected in either wye or delta configurations.