Abstract: A fixing unit includes a first heat source configured to heat a roller, and a second heat source configured to heat the roller. The maximum value of a total amount of heat generated in the second heat source is smaller than that of the first heat source. The second heat source has an amount of heat generated higher in ends of the second heat source than in a center thereof in a distribution of the amount of heat generated in the axial direction. The second heat source has a rate of the amount of heat generated in the ends of the second heat source to that in the center thereof higher than a rate of the amount of heat generated in the ends of the first heat source to that in the center thereof.

Abstract: Provided is a thawing device for improving the thawing rate by agitation of the contents in a bag. The thawing device includes a first heater and a second heater to heat a bag containing a frozen matter, and a supporting unit to support the bag. The first heater is supported at guide grooves to move back and forth, and descends by approaching the bag, and a component force in the travelling direction of the self weight acts as a biasing force. The second heater is supported via a supporting shaft, and a pressing force acts on the upper and the lower side of the bag alternately. Excessive pressing force acting on the bag is alleviated and a damage of the bag can be reduced when the second heater presses the bag even in a frozen state.

Abstract: A hob includes a cooking surface with a glass ceramic defining a cutout in an outside edge of the glass ceramic, and an insert in the cutout including a material that is different from the glass ceramic and which is permeable to light in a blue spectral range.

Abstract: A steam ironing device includes a water supply device, a steam generator for generating steam, a heating element for heating the steam generator, at least one atomizating device, a valve provided in a flow path between the steam generator and the atomizing device, and an electric pump for delivering water from said water supply device to said steam generator. To obtain wet steam at the atomizing device, the ironing device includes a control device for controlling the power of the heating element of the steam generator, for controlling the flow rate of the pump, and for controlling the opening and closing of the valve, the valve being open if the ratio between the flow rate (g/min) of the pump and the power (W) of the heating element is in a range of 1:20 to 1:38.

Abstract: Soldering can be performed in a state where the temperature in an object zone is stable, regardless of the heat capacity of a soldering object. A soldering device includes: a position calculation unit which calculates the position of a heated object according to operational information of a conveyer which sequentially transfers the heated object into a plurality of zones for heat processing communicated with each other; a heat capacity calculation unit which calculates the heat capacity of the heated object; and a temperature management unit which controls the temperature in an object zone into which the heated object is carried, upon receiving positional information from the position calculation unit. The temperature management unit feedforward-controls the temperature in the object zone by adjusting the heat capacity of the object zone according to the heat capacity calculated by the heat capacity calculation unit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for heating and transferring a workpiece to a forming press for superplastic forming. The apparatus includes a heater assembly, having upper and lower heated platens, mounted to a frame. The heater assembly heats the workpiece to a predetermined temperature. A shuttle assembly operates to remove the heated workpiece from the heater assembly and transfer it to the forming press for forming.

Abstract: Soleplate of domestic steam iron, basically constituted by a an ironing element (1), which is that which comes into contact with the item to be ironed, and a heating element (2) which heats said ironing element (1) by means of a thermostatic element (3) which regulates the ironing temperature, which independently of the assembly of ironing element (1), heating element (2) and thermostatic element (3), the soleplate of domestic steam iron (1-2) according to the invention incorporates an autonomous steam assembly (4) which is composed of a steam chamber (5) which has a water supply conduit (6) connected to the reservoir of the domestic iron, and whose steam chamber (5) has a separate heating element (7) which has its own thermostat (8) which regulates the temperature in that steam chamber (5); the steam assembly (4) has a steam outlet (9) connected to a complementary steam intake (10) which exists in the ironing element (1) for the correct passage of steam to the outlet holes.

Abstract: An electric heat sealer is constructed to include two pivoted arms of substantially T-shaped profile and an electric heating mechanism in one of the arms, each arm having a handhold portion through which the user can hold the electric heat sealer with the left hand or the right hand as desired to directly seal the workpiece with the electric heat sealer, or to operate the electric heat sealer on a worktable when sealing the workpiece. An operation case is selectively used with the electric heat sealer for protection.

Abstract: An electric steam pressing iron having a hot part composed of a sole plate (1) and an evaporation chamber (2), the hot part of the iron being divided into two thermal zones, a first zone corresponding substantially to the evaporation chamber (2) being provided with a first heating element (3), a second zone corresponding substantially to a portion of the sole plate (1) disposed under the evaporation chamber (2) being provided with a second heating element (4), the first heating means (3) being associated with a regulation device disposed in the first zone, the first heating element being provided to partially assure the heating of the second zone, characterized in that the second heating element (4) is associated with the regulation device (5) of the first zone.

Abstract: A steam ironing station includes a steam iron; a steam generator supplying steam to the steam iron; an iron heater disposed in the iron and having an iron heater circuit connectable to a line voltage; a temperature responsive device for opening the iron heater circuit when a predetermined ironing temperature is reached; and a steam generator heater disposed in the steam generator and having first and second steam heater circuits connectable to the line voltage. The electric power, supplied simultaneously by the iron heater circuit and by the first steam heater circuit to the steam ironing station has a maximum value of the rated power of the line voltage, and the electric power supplied solely by the second steam heater circuit to the steam ironing station has a maximum value of the rated power and a greater value than the power supplied by the first steam heater circuit.

Abstract: A reflow soldering furnace in which a printed board and a plurality of electronic parts mounted thereon are subjected to reflow soldering. The furnace comprises a reflow soldering furnace body including a plurality of heating zones defined by furnace walls, a hot-gas applier, and a radiant-heat applier. The hot-gas applier includes a heat source and a fan for blowing a hot gas of a temperature lower than a target temperature for each zone against a printed board. The radiant-heat applier includes a heater for applying radiant heat of a temperature higher than the target temperature to the printed board. The printed board and electronic parts thereon are heated to the target temperature, the melting point of solder, by means of the radiant heat from the heater. Among these electronic parts, small-sized ones with a relatively small heat capacity are restrained from overheating by the low-temperature hot gas from the hot-gas applier.

Abstract: Electric steam iron having a hot part (1) composed of a sole (7) and a steam chamber (4), the sole having a portion situated under the steam chamber, and the hot part (1) of the iron being subdivided into at least two thermal zones. A plurality of heating elements are each disposed to heat a respective one of the thermal zones and a plurality of regulation organs are each associated with a respective one of the heating elements. The at least two thermal zones include a first thermal zone (A) having at least one surface corresponding substantially to the steam chamber (4) and a second thermal zone (B) having at least one surface corresponding substantially to the portion of the sole situated under the steam chamber, the first thermal zone (A) and the second thermal zone (B) being in thermal communication with one another. The heating element which is disposed to heat the first thermal zone is arranged to at least partially heat the second thermal zone.

Abstract: An electric smoothing iron is provided which has a soleplate (3) which has a low heat capacity and which is heatable by means of light energy produced by lamps (6), reflectors (7) being provided to reflect the light to the soleplate (3), and the temperature of the soleplate (3) being monitored by means of a sensor, which iron comprises a microprocessor (13) which receives the measurement values from the sensor (12) and compares said measurement values with presettable nominal values of a temperature control device (14), which microprocessor is connected to a power control unit (15) which acts as a half-wave control and operates the lamps separately, in series or in parallel.

Abstract: An iron having a mitt component and a heating element subdivided into at least two portions. A pivot interconnects the at least two portions of the heating element. A reservoir system interconnects a fluid tank to the heating element to enable the iron to possess steam generating capabilities. The mitt is preferably attached to the heating element by an annular crimping portion. The mitt further includes a pocket for receiving the hand of a user.

Abstract: A device for fixing a powder image on a receiving support using heat that consists of an image transfer roller internally provided with a first heating element having the same heat-generating power over the entire length of the image transfer roller, and a second heating element which has a higher heat-generating power in the edge zones of the image transfer roller than in the middle zone of the roller, and a pressure roller internally provided with a third heating element which like the second heating element has a higher heat-generating power in the edge zones than in the middle zone. The device may be in a warm-up condition in which the temperature of the rollers is not yet at the working level, stand-by condition in which the temperature is at the working level but in which no fixing is carried out, and a fixing condition in which fixing is carried out. During warm-up, all the heating elements generate the maximum power.

Abstract: A carpet seaming iron comprising a sole plate, an ultra thin guide strut and a flat planar heater core comprising heating ribbon arranged in three separate patterns for providing high, medium and low heat to the front, middle and rear sections of the sole plate. A thermostat is provided with an auxiliary heater controlled by a switch for controlling the power applied to the heater core so as to selectively provide a high and low temperature in each of the heat zones. A heat insulator on the heater core and a heat shield on the top of the iron base keeps temperatures below that which melt carpet backing, e.g. 300.degree. F. Indicating lights are provided for indicating when power is applied to the iron and when power is applied to the heater core. The ultra thin guide strut restricts the extent to which the edges of a pair of carpet halves are separated during the seaming process for providing easier operation and a better seam between the carpet halves.

Abstract: An electric steam iron includes a sole plate maintained at a temperature of about 200.degree. C. by an about 800 watt electric heating element and provided with apertures for conveying steam to a surface to be ironed from a single flooded steam chamber on the iron maintained at about 100.degree. C. by an about 1200 watt electric heating element through a steam tube connecting the chamber to the apertures. The article being ironed is heated continuously by the the condensation of the steam to water in the article thereby increasing heat transfer to the article, with the article being subsequently dried by the heat produced by the sole plate, which heat is at least equal to the heat of evaporation of the condensed water. The sole plate and chamber may be thermally connected to compensate for heat losses from the chamber to the environment.

Abstract: An electric curling iron operative to provide uniform heating at both domestic (120 v) and foreign (240 v) voltages includes first and second rope-type electric heaters disposed side by side in the heatable barrel of the curling iron. The heaters are of the same configuration, coextensive in length with each other and the length of the barrel and are separated from each other by a sheet of electrical insulating material dividing the barrel longitudinally into two compartments each containing one of the heaters. A double throw switch on the curling iron enables energization of the first heater alone at the domestic voltage and both heaters in series at the foreign voltage, the relative resistances of the heaters being selected to produce the same output wattage whether the first heater alone or both heaters are energized.

Abstract: An electric steam iron housing has a sole plate with a generally flat upper surface having affixed thereto a one-piece heating assembly having a front portion and a rear portion. The front portion contains a serpentine steam generating passage with an inlet communicating with a water supply container on the housing and steam outlet leading to steam vent openings extending through the sole plate. The rear portion includes top and sidewalls defining a downwardly open chamber in which is disposed a multilayer PTC electric heating element assembly in surface-to-surface contact with the upper surface of the sole plate for heating the sole plate and the steam generating passage. An adjustable thermostat responsive to the temperature of the sole plate is connected in series with the heating element. The handle of the iron is detachable and designed to serve as a storage case for the iron and the iron can be placed in the case only when the thermostat adjustment knob is in the "Off" position.

Abstract: A dual temperature curling iron has a plastic handle and a metal barrel connected thereto. An electric heater positioned within the metal barrel and is arranged to rapidly heat the barrel and is selectively controlled by either a low temperature thermostat or a high temperature thermostat located within the barrel to provide heat to the metal barrel. A hair clamp is pivotally mounted on the metal barrel, and when opened, causes a switch to generate an in-use signal which is fed to a safety timing circuit. The timing circuit is reset each time it receives the in-use signal. In the event that no further in-use signals are received, the timing circuit, after a preselected interval, provides a signal to a silicon controlled rectifier which is connected to the electric heater causing the silicon controlled rectifier to interrupt electric power to the electric heater. The curling iron is provided with a visual signal for indicating that has reached the selected temperature and is ready for use.

Abstract: A travel iron having a handle which pivots sideways between an upright "use" position and a flat "storage" position wherein the handle is pivotally mounted on the main body portion of the iron at its rear end only and wherein cam ramp and pin means provide longitudinal forward and rearward movement of the handle during its pivotal movement whereby to stabilize both ends of the handle when the handle is in its upright "use" position. A pump actuator mounted in the main body portion of the iron is actuated by a plunger slidably mounted in the handle. A dual-voltage sole plate heating circuit has a pair of identical heating elements connected in series in one voltage position of a dual-voltage switch and in parallel in the other voltage position with the output wattage being the same in both voltage positions of the switch.

Abstract: An electric steam iron has a sole plate, a housing carried on the sole plate and defining a substantially closed chamber adapted to hold a body of water, at least one electric heater for heating the water in the chamber to above 100.degree. C., and a valve at the chamber for maintaining the chamber under superatmospheric pressure. Thus superheated steam is produced therein by the heater. A conduit extending between the chamber and the sole plate conducts this superheated steam to the sole plate. The water chamber is above the sole plate and the housing forms another chamber constituting part of the conduit and in turn above the water chamber. The valve is between the chambers and only permits fluid flow into the upper chamber from the water chamber when the pressure in the water chamber is above a predetermined superatmospheric level.

Abstract: A dual-voltage electric hair curling apparatus includes a having a handle and a heated barrel. A pair of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating elements are located in the barrel and are operable, respectively, at a low automotive vehicle voltage and a high domestic voltage. A switch in the handle permits energization of either heating element dependent upon the voltage of the available power supply and an overload fuse prevents damage to the low voltage heater should it be accidently energized from a high voltage supply. The curler is provided with a power cord terminating in a two-pronged plug receivable into a corresponding receptable on a portable vanity case adapted to be mounted by clips to the visor of an automotive vehicle. The vanity case has a mirror illuminated by electric luminaires on its front surface and a cord set terminating in a plug receivable in an automobile cigar lighter is connected to the receptable and luminaires.

Abstract: A hair curling and waving device is provided having a plurality of elongated waving members disposed in two groups with the groups being secured at one end to a handle and relatively rotatable as groups into and out of intermeshing engagement, with several of the members being provided with heating and/or steaming means for permanently setting hair wrapped about the members. A plurality of comb-like wave guides are also secured to the handle and extend parallel to the waving members and adjacent thereto for engaging the hair as it is wrapped around adjacent waving members. Some of the wave guides are preferably movable longitudinally so as to move portions of the hair which are engaged with the comb-like teeth of the wave guides in order to produce a further wavy appearance in the hair.