By Convection Patents (Class 219/400)
  • Patent number: 10893627
    Abstract: The electronic cabinet for enclosing electronic components generally has a housing having a base and a cover being connected to one another a plurality of lateral walls, one of the plurality of lateral walls having a first opening; a lateral perforated plate being mounted to the housing and extending over the first opening, the lateral perforated plate having a plurality of perforations; and a protector plate being mounted to the housing and extending over the lateral perforated plate to cover the plurality of perforations of the lateral perforated plate, the protector plate defining at least one air inlet between the protector plate and the lateral perforated plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: LOGISIG INC.
    Inventor: Serge Fournier
  • Patent number: 10881244
    Abstract: A lid assembly that can be placed on a pan having a bottom surface that is configured for placement on a burner of the stove top with one or more foods to be cooked supported above an inner bottom surface of the pan by a rack. The lid assembly covers the pan and thereby encloses the one or more foods to be cooked and the rack within a cavity defined by the pan and the lid assembly. An air flow generator mounted on a shaft that extends through a cover portion of the lid from a motor disposed on an opposite side of the cover portion rotates the shaft to produce airflow within the cavity. The lid assembly cooks foods in less time and using less energy than normally required with a conventional oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Inventors: William C. Stumphauzer, Joel Steven Marks
  • Patent number: 10873996
    Abstract: An oven may include a door movable between an open position and a closed position, a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product, an RF energy source and an RF choke. The cooking chamber may be defined at least in part by a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall, and may define an opening that interfaces with the door. The RF energy source may be configured to apply RF energy to the food product. The RF choke may be disposed at a portion of the door facing the cooking chamber when the door is in the closed position. The door may include a handle disposed on a side of the door opposite the RF choke. The handle may be attached to a front face of the door at an angle relative to the front face of the door such that the handle extends beyond a top of the door along a direction extending from a pivot axis of the door toward the top of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Marco Carcano, Michele Gentile, Michele Sclocchi
  • Patent number: 10798956
    Abstract: A method is provided for producing at least one popcorn grain substantially entire and coated, completely or partially, with at least a first layer of a first melted cheese directly in contact with the popcorn grain. The first melted cheese has an initial moisture content of less than 35%, or alternatively, the first melted cheese is cooked too and its moisture after cooking is lower than 8%. A second layer of a second cheese may be applied to the food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SLB S.R.L.
    Inventor: Francesca Sangiacomo
  • Patent number: 10780005
    Abstract: Described herein is a system including a patient support unit having a patient environment, a heating module, a sensor module, and a control system. The control system is configured to selectively operate the system in a pre-programmed warm-up mode configured to gradually warm the patient in the patient environment according to a series of stepped skin temperature increases performed over a series of stepped time durations to achieve a goal skin temperature. Related apparatus, system, methods and/or articles are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Ulf Timme, Harald Kneuer, Philip Moehring
  • Patent number: 10773227
    Abstract: A blender system includes a blender base that is selectively and operably engaged with a container. The blender base may include a housing that houses a motor operatively driving a mixing blade, and a fan. The fan may operate independent of the motor. The fan may force air through the blender base to cool the motor and other operative components of the blender base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: VITA-MIX MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Kolar, Fred H. Mehlman, Bradford J. Paskert
  • Patent number: 10765137
    Abstract: A fluid bed coffee roasting system is disclosed and configured for roasting batches of coffee beans of varying sizes. In at least one embodiment, the system provides a roasting unit configured for roasting a volume of coffee beans, a chaff collection unit positioned and configured for drawing off and capturing any loose chaff released by the coffee beans within the roasting unit, and a cooling unit positioned and configured for receiving and cooling the coffee beans after they are removed from the roasting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: ASHE Industries, LLC
    Inventors: David Douglas Hart, Ernie Arquero Abdon
  • Patent number: 10650952
    Abstract: An inductive charging device may include a charging assembly with at least one induction coil and at least one magnet plate, which may be ferrimagnetic or ferromagnetic at least on some regions, and an emission protection assembly fastened to the charging assembly, with a metal shielding plate, in order to shield field emissions arising during an inductive charging process. The emission protection assembly may have an active cooling assembly lying against the metal shielding plate so as to allow heat transfer and fastened thereto. The cooling assembly may have: at least one boundary insert lying against the metal shielding plate, by which a cooling region of the cooling assembly may be delimited; at least one channel structure insert lying against the metal shielding plate in the cooling region, through which a channel structure for a cooling medium may be provided; and a cooling cover, fastened to the boundary insert in a fluid-tight manner, in order to cover the cooling assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Christopher Laemmle, Florin Moldovan
  • Patent number: 10646070
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the cooking system being functional in a plurality of cooking modes. The cooking system including a housing defining a hollow chamber and including an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber. A lid is positionable relative to the housing to cover the opening to the hollow chamber. At least one heating element is associated with one of the housing and said lid. An air movement device is located in at least one of the housing and the lid to circulate air through the hollow chamber. An air diffuser positionable in the hollow chamber and is configured to impart rotation to air circulating through the hollow chamber when the air diffuser is positioned in the hollow chamber during at least one of the plurality of cooking modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Gill, Ross Richardson, Naomi Kalia Williams Zabel, Da Deng, Mete Gursel, Andrew John Roy Tattersfield, Niall Christopher Denham, Roger Neil Jackson, Ronan Patrick Leahy, Evan James White, Thomas Guerin, Chris Martin, Nathaniel R. Lavins, Mackenzie Lee Swanhart, Samuel Andrew Ferguson, Scott James Stewart
  • Patent number: 10638882
    Abstract: An air frying apparatus for use with a gas barbeque or alone has a blower-burner portion and a chamber portion. The blower-burner portion has an intake for receiving ambient air, a burner for heating the received air, a window in communication with the chamber portion, and a blower for dispersing the heated air into the chamber portion. The chamber portion has a perforated basket for receiving foodstuff and is adapted to allow access to the foodstuff by the dispersed heated air. The air heated by the burner is dispersed through the window to the chamber portion by the blower where it air-fries the foodstuff in the basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Inventors: Arno He, Uri Murad
  • Patent number: 10595679
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the cooking system being functional in a plurality of cooking modes. The cooking system including a housing defining a hollow chamber and including an upper portion defining an opening to the hollow chamber. A lid is positionable relative to the housing to cover the opening to the hollow chamber. At least one heating element is associated with one of the housing and said lid. An air movement device is located in at least one of the housing and the lid to circulate air through the hollow chamber. An air diffuser positionable in the hollow chamber and is configured to impart rotation to air circulating through the hollow chamber when the air diffuser is positioned in the hollow chamber during at least one of the plurality of cooking modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Gill, Ross Richardson, Naomi Kalia Williams Zabel, Da Deng, Mete Gursel, Andrew John Roy Tattersfield, Niall Christopher Denham, Roger Neil Jackson, Ronan Patrick Leahy, Evan James White, Thomas Guerin, Chris Martin, Nathaniel R. Lavins, Mackenzie Lee Swanhart, Samuel Andrew Ferguson, Scott James Stewart
  • Patent number: 10539331
    Abstract: A cooking appliance for cooking food or other items is provided. The cooking appliance may include a main body having a cooking chamber; a fan cover provided on a back surface and forming an accommodation space separated within the cooking chamber, the fan cover having a suction port at a front of the fan cover and at least one exhaust port at a side of the fan cover; a heating element provided in the accommodation space to generate heat; a convection fan that generates an air circulation flow in the cooking chamber; and at least one guide vane, provided between a side surface of the cooking chamber and the at least one exhaust port, that guides a flow of air so that air discharged toward the side surface through the at least one exhaust port flows toward a front of the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jun Ho Seok, Youngsoo Kim, Jong Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 10533277
    Abstract: A control method of a laundry treatment apparatus is disclosed which includes a hot air supply procedure for supplying heated air to a drum through operation of a heating unit, a dryness measurement procedure for measuring dryness of laundry, a first heating unit control procedure executed when the measured dryness is lower than a reference dryness, to complete operation of the heating unit when the measured temperature reaches a first temperature and to operate the heating unit when the measured temperature reaches a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and a second heating unit control procedure executed when the measured dryness is equal to or higher than the reference dryness, to complete operation of the heating unit when the measured temperature reaches a third temperature lower than the second temperature and to operate the heating unit when the measured temperature reaches a fourth temperature lower than the third temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Hyunkwan Lyu
  • Patent number: 10492642
    Abstract: An electric cooking appliance includes a base, a ventilation system arranged to create an airflow, a heating system arranged to heat the airflow, and a removable cooking basket. The appliance also includes a removable housing accommodating the ventilation system and the heating system, the housing being designed to be arranged on the base in order to cook the food arranged in the cooking basket carried by the base, a removable container designed to receive a cooking bath, another removable housing from which there extends a heating element, the other housing being designed to be arranged on the base in order to cook the food arranged in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventor: Frédéric Seurat
  • Patent number: 10478016
    Abstract: A gas-fired smoker constitutes a cabinet for holding food products to be cooked. A gas burner in the cabinet is connected to a source of flammable gas by means of a valve. The gas burner heats the cabinet and thereby cooks the food products. In one embodiment a pilot light ignites the flammable gas at the gas burner. A control circuit powered by a DC source controls the operation of the gas-fired smoker including igniting and extinguishing the gas burner in order to maintain a cooking temperature in the cabinet. A battery powers the control system. In another embodiment a rechargeable battery is recharged by a Seebeck thermal electric generator that is exposed to the heat from the gas burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Masterbuilt Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: John D McLemore, Joseph L Turner, Adam Carter, Robert Terrell, Daniel Mercer
  • Patent number: 10472761
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the drying cycle in a clothes dryer. The dryer controller measures differences between air inlet temperature and temperature of an air outlet, drum, and/or drum contents, from which it first estimates water weight of original drum contents based on changes in this temperature differential over a first period of time. A first dryness threshold is later reached when the amount of remaining water estimated by the temperature difference profiling reaches a threshold. A cooling cycle is then performed, followed by an estimation of remaining drying cycle time from estimating remaining water based on temperature differentials. The heater is then switched back on for the remaining time, after which a cooling cycle is preferably performed before ending the dryer cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Theresa Pistochini, Caton Mande, Mark Modera
  • Patent number: 10448785
    Abstract: An apparatus for preparing food comprises a food preparation chamber with an air-permeable bottom wall and an upper air discharge opening, a fan for moving hot air successively through the bottom wall, the food preparation chamber and the discharge opening, an air channel for returning the air from the discharge opening towards the bottom wall separate from the food preparation chamber, a heat radiator positioned in the upper part of the food preparation chamber and an air guide below the food preparation chamber and on top of a bottom part for directing the air flow essentially upwards into food present in the food preparation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Fedde Van Der Weij
  • Patent number: 10420176
    Abstract: A domestic microwave oven is provided having an oven cavity, a water reservoir, a piping system coupling the reservoir and the oven cavity, and a pump for pumping a predetermined amount of water into the oven cavity. The pump is a mono-directional positive displacement pump and the piping system includes a by-pass coupled in parallel to the pump and an on/off electro valve configured to allow a drainage of the piping system when the pump is idle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Power Lee, Jack Xu
  • Patent number: 10392700
    Abstract: Vaporizers are described, suited for vaporizing a vaporizable solid source materials to form vapor for subsequent use, e.g., a deposition of metal from organometallic source material vapor on a substrate for manufacture of integrated circuitry, LEDs, photovoltaic panels, and the like. Methods are described of fabricating such vaporizers, including methods of reconfiguring up-flow vaporizers for down-flow operation to accommodate higher flow rate solid delivery of source material vapor in applications requiring same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: ENTEGRIS, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Baum, Robert L. Wright, Jr., Bryan C. Hendrix, Scott L. Battle, John M. Cleary
  • Patent number: 10383477
    Abstract: A domestic cooking appliance (1) comprising a means for receiving (2) bulk food items (100) and a heating means comprising a means (3) for generating an air flow (4), wherein the means (3) for generating an air flow (4) comprises an air outlet (5) and an air inlet (6). The device (1) also comprises a screen (7) which is disposed relative to the air outlet (5) and the air inlet (6) such that it is possible to force the air flow (4) to effect a movement to obviate the screen (7) in order to return to the air inlet (6) from the reception means (2) onwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Payen, Jean-Claude Bizard
  • Patent number: 10369755
    Abstract: A workpiece heating system includes an outer shell configured to receive a mandrel having a mandrel partside configured to support a workpiece. A gas displacement device is configured to discharge a gas toward a mandrel backside. At least one heat exchanger is configured to heat the gas prior to the gas entering the gas displacement device. A hood system is configured to at least partially envelope the mandrel when positioned within the outer shell. A hood first wall and the mandrel backside define a first annular gap configured to receive the gas discharged from the gas displacement device, and direct the gas axial from the mandrel proximal end to the mandrel distal end. A hood second wall and the mandrel partside define a second annular gap configured to receive the gas from the first annular gap and direct the gas axial from the mandrel distal end to the mandrel proximal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Karl M. Nelson, Megan Thompson, William Serencsits, Tateh Wu, Brian Riedel
  • Patent number: 10172507
    Abstract: A household appliance includes a plurality of walls which delimit a treatment compartment. At least one of the walls, e.g. a rear wall of the treatment compartment, is configured predominantly or entirely with a luminous surface element. The luminous surface element can be sized to occupy at least 50% of a surface of the at least one wall and formed by a plate-shaped or panel-type element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Ott, Karlheinz Rehm, Michael Georg Rosenbauer, Robert Sachon, Andreas Schüssler
  • Patent number: 10133320
    Abstract: An air directing device for thermal management in side breathing equipment includes at least three vertical panels disposed in generally parallel relationship and horizontally spaced a fixed distance from one another. Each panel defines a fin arranged orthogonally relative to an airflow path for deflection of cooling air into side breathing equipment. At least one of the panels is an inner panel that is wider than two outer panels. The air directing device further includes at least one connection member connecting the outer panels to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Chatsworth Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Evans Lewis, II, Joseph Charles Proulx
  • Patent number: 10085538
    Abstract: A hair care appliance including a body having an outer wall and an inner wall, a fluid flow path extending from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet wherein the fluid outlet is at least partially defined by the inner wall, a heater for heating fluid in the fluid flow path and, a thermistor for measuring the temperature of fluid between the heater and the fluid outlet, wherein the thermistor is retained with respect to a housing and the housing forms part of the inner wall. The housing may comprise a base that engages with the inner wall. The housing may further comprise an arm wherein the arm supports the thermistor and extends radially inwards of the inner wall. The housing may comprise two arms and the thermistor is suspended between the two arms. The inner wall may comprise an aperture into which the housing is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Samuel William Saunders, Graham Donald, Ben Colin Bobillier
  • Patent number: 10080262
    Abstract: A cooking device has, in a cooking chamber thereof, a cooking tray (91) which is to be placed in the heating chamber (2) so as to have a gap against a rear portion (2d) of the heating chamber (2) and on which a heating object (15) to be heated is to be mounted directly or indirectly, a rear blowoff port (29) which is provided in the rear portion (2d) of the heating chamber (2) so as to be positioned on an upper side of the gap and near a rear portion of the cooking tray (91) and which is communicated with a duct (18) so as to allow the heat medium to be blown off into the heating chamber (2), and a flow regulation structure (62) provided on a rear side of the rear blowoff port (29) and arranged to regulate a flow of the heat medium. The flow regulation structure (62) has, on a lower side thereof, a first guide surface (63) extending in a direction generally parallel to a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Mineoka, Shinya Kudo, Takushi Kishimoto, Yoshikazu Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Matsubayashi
  • Patent number: 10064967
    Abstract: A sterilization enclosure includes a main body defining a volume and having a movable component configured to move between an access position to allow access to the volume and a restricted position to at least partially enclose the volume. The sterilization enclosure further includes a light source located in the volume and configured to emit light having a frequency that injures pathogens. The sterilization enclosure further includes a switch coupled to the movable component and configured to be in a closed position to allow power to flow to the light source to cause the light source to emit the light into the volume when the movable component is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Inventor: Nathan Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10009965
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cooking apparatus including a heating unit configured to heat an ingredient contained in a cooking chamber, a gas sensor configured to detect a gas inside the cooking chamber, a communication unit configured to communicate with an external apparatus, and a control unit configured to determine a cooking progress state of the ingredient based on the type and concentration of the gas detected by the gas sensor and to transmit information on the cooking progress state to the external apparatus through the communication unit to inform a user of the cooking progress state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun Sook Kim, Boo Keun Yoon, Sang Hak Kim
  • Patent number: 9980723
    Abstract: The device incorporates multiple implants for the attachment of prosthetic equipment, and is characterized by the fact that it incorporates multiple identical implants (1) positioned in alignment and connected to each other at their front (1a) and rear (1b), in a temporary manner, such that the said implants have a screw-form external configuration, and such that each implant has a longitudinal internal cavity (1c) of triangular cross-section extending fully from end to end, that constitutes the housing for a means of pre-positioning (3) configured to have a triangular imprint with a spiked-form end part (3a), such that the interconnection of the implants at the respective front and rear of two successive implants is a temporary connection, and such that the multiple implants constitute an assembled set intended to be inserted into a loader unit associated with the ancillary insertion device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: ASPIDE MEDICAL
    Inventors: Christian Pompee, Patrick Carteron, William Wiecek
  • Patent number: 9947006
    Abstract: A payment-enabled mobile device receives, during a first tap of the mobile device on a proximity reader component of a point of sale (POS) terminal, first transaction context data for a current transaction, and receives during a second tap of the mobile device on the proximity reader component, second transaction context data for the current transaction. When the mobile device determines that the second tap is for the same transaction as the first tap, and that one of a customer verification method (CVM) status or a user acknowledgment status flag has been set, then it transmits a payment card account number to the POS terminal to consummate the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: MasterCard International Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick Mestré, Cristian Radu, Patrik Smets, Simon Phillips, Ronald D. Carter
  • Patent number: 9901651
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiment relates to a system and method for treating a non-sterile surface of at least a component of a medical device, such as, but not limited to, a cartridge for an injection device. The system for treating a non-sterile surface of a medical device includes a source of electromagnetic radiation and, in some embodiments, a source of laminar airflow. The source of electromagnetic radiation provides exposure and the source of laminar airflow provides laminar airflow to the surface for treatment of the medical device. The method for treating a non-sterile surface includes exposing the non-sterile surface of a cartridge to a pulsed electromagnetic wave. In some embodiments, simultaneous to the pulsed electromagnetic radiation exposure, a laminar airflow can be directed perpendicular to the surface of the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: KPR U.S., LLC
    Inventors: Melvin Finke, David Selvitelli
  • Patent number: 9873971
    Abstract: A control method of a clothes treatment apparatus including a cabinet, a steam unit that is located in the cycle chamber and that is configured to supply steam to the treatment chamber, a water supply tank, a water supply pump, and a lower rack. The control method includes sensing a water level in the water supply tank. The control method further includes, based on sensing the water level in the water supply tank, determining that the water level in the water supply tank is below a first particular water level. The control method further includes, in response to determining that the water level in the water supply tank is below the first particular water level, moving residual water stored in the receiving space to the steam unit by operating the water supply pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyoungsup Park, Youngjin Doh, Sunghoo Park
  • Patent number: 9854941
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air-based flyer apparatus (100) for preparing food. The apparatus comprises a food preparation chamber (102), a food basket (103) placed in said food preparation chamber (102), a system (104) for circulating an upward flow of hot air inside said food basket (103), a heating element (105) placed above said food basket (103) to generate said hot air, a lid (101) placed below the heating element for covering the food basket. The lid (101) comprises a first part (P1) being air-permeable, and a second part (P2) facing said heating element (105) being air-impermeable. The invention allows reducing fumes generated by an air-based flyer during cooking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Davide Bonaccorso
  • Patent number: 9850621
    Abstract: A dryer monitoring system receives dryer information from one or more sensors concerning operation of one or more dryers, such as clothes dryers. For example, the dryer monitoring system may receive temperature and/or humidity information from one or more dryers. The dryer monitor analyzes the dryer data to determine whether textiles in the dryer are dry. The dryer monitor may analyze one or more states and/or one or more indicators (patterns in the dryer data) during the dryness determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Ecolab USA Inc.
    Inventors: Victor N. Morin, Beth V. Boehne-Schickert, Julio R. Panama
  • Patent number: 9800144
    Abstract: A passive component with temperature compensation and an electronic device using the same are provided. The electronic device includes a central processor unit (CPU), a filter and a power conversion circuit. The filter includes the passive component and a variable resistor. The passive component includes an inductor and a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) resistor. The NTC resistor is contacted with a surface of the inductor, and the NTC resistor and the inductor are disposed in a package. The power conversion circuit provides a current information to the CPU according to a partial voltage difference of the filter. The power conversion circuit controls an output voltage through the filter according to a first control signal of the CPU, so as to provide the output voltage. The electronic device further includes an embedded controller. The embedded controller controls the variable resistor according to a second control signal of the CPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Acer Incorporated
    Inventors: Po-Yu Li, Kuan-Chi Juan, Meng-Chieh Tsai
  • Patent number: 9756936
    Abstract: The present invention provides a roll-in kitchen unit having an outer housing and a trolley that fits substantially within. The trolley provides a cast frame coupled to a scaling plate for sealing the trolley within the outer housing. In one embodiment, the cast frame is reinforced with inner and outer ribs to minimize deflection of the cast frame and bring the sealing plate into alignment with the corresponding gasket of the outer housing door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Alto-Shaam, Inc.
    Inventors: J. K. Raghavan, Christopher T. Larson
  • Patent number: 9739531
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wardrobe for storage and drying of sports equipment and/or clothes. This wardrobe has an opening, an air circulation fan and an exhaust vent at the bottom, an intake vent at the top, and suspending means for suspending articles such as sports equipment or clothes. Turning on the fan activates active drying of the articles. Additionally, the present invention relates to a method of storing and drying articles comprising suspending the articles in a wardrobe, the interior of said wardrobe comprising an air circulation fan and an exhaust vent at the bottom; an intake vent at the top; and suspending means for suspending the articles. The articles that are difficult or take more time to dry can be placed closest to the fan. The wardrobe can have a rigid or flexible interior cavity and the flexible wardrobe can be capable of hanging on a rod and additionally can be packed in a bag with or without a kit with support poles and feet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: ADAPTIVE STORAGE SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Richard Goulet
  • Patent number: 9723952
    Abstract: A forced hot air roller conveyor drying assembly is provided. It consists primarily of two parts; a roller conveyor for rolling cylindrical elongated food members while transporting them horizontally from one end of the conveyor to the other, and a hot air drying assembly for blowing hot air around the product as it is being rolled. The combined rolling of the product and the drying of the product helps ensure that the physical roundness of the food product remains nice and uniform while it is being uniformly dried. The forced hot air assembly may include a fan and heating elements, the fan directing warm air to the product rolling horizontally through the assembly and the roller conveyor may be comprised of a multiplicity of paired roller members driven by chain links, which chains are in turn driven by an axle engaging a drive sprocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: J & B Sausage Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Danny Janecka
  • Patent number: 9675047
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a pet or animal drying and washing apparatus a two part housing structure with a slidable and removable inner housing shell with guides and an outer housing shell with recesses on their respective side walls so that they can be easily connected together as a single unit and form a heating flow passage there between. The outer shell having inner and outer walls conforming to a contour shape and having support and air channel blocks on a bottom floor to support an inner shell housing having a plurality of slotted vents disposed on side walls and back walls and between bottom floors of the inner and outer shell housings. A blower and heating unit is disposed within a back wall cavity of the outer shell housing and closed by a thermostatic control device to direct heated air in the heating flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Inventor: Ronald A. Carter
  • Patent number: 9657952
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oven (1) comprising an exterior body (2), a cooking cavity (3) wherein the cooking process is realized, a heater (4) provides the foodstuff placed into the cooking cavity (3) to be cooked, a cooling fan (5) arranged between the exterior body (2) and the cooking cavity (3), that provides air circulation around the cooking cavity (3) and a control unit (6) that provides a cooking process composed of at least three phases, that is the first phase, second phase and third phase to be performed from the start to the end of the cooking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: ARCELIK ANONIM SIRKETI
    Inventors: Mehmet Zihni Gurlek, Hasan Yoruk, Servet Turgut
  • Patent number: 9644683
    Abstract: An apparatus for separating hot particles including a plurality of materials having different magnetic properties includes a plurality of permanent magnets arranged in a magnet assembly and configured to create a magnetic flux capable of providing a coercive force on at least a portion of the particles, the magnet assembly being mounted on a stationary shaft, a moving surface proximate the magnet assembly for carrying the particles in a downward path through the magnetic flux while the coercive force attracts the portion of the hot particles toward the moving surface, the moving surface being mounted on a drive shaft supported by a bearing, and an inert gas supply system which supplies inert gas into a gap between the stationary shaft and the drive shaft for cooling the drive shaft and the bearings, and into the magnet assembly for purging the magnet assembly of oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Michael Pirie, Javier Castro
  • Patent number: 9638675
    Abstract: A gas chromatography system includes a gas chromatography oven and a gas chromatography column. The gas chromatography oven includes a housing and a flow generating system. The housing defines an oven chamber and an intake port fluidly communicating with the oven chamber. The fluid flow generating system includes a radial flow impeller. The gas chromatography column is disposed in the oven chamber. The oven is configured to selectively operate in each of: a cooling mode wherein the radial flow impeller generates a cooling fluid flow that is drawn from the intake port and flows about the column and out of the oven chamber; and alternatively, a recirculating mode wherein the radial flow impeller generates a recirculating fluid flow within the oven chamber that repeatedly flows about the column and back to the radial flow impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: PerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc.
    Inventor: James E. Botelho
  • Patent number: 9614262
    Abstract: A battery temperature raising system and a control method thereof are provided. The battery temperature raising system includes a power supply that operates a heater attached to a battery module. The heater is configured to increase a battery temperature and a variable resistor mounted on a circuit between the heater and the power supply adjusts a heating value of the heater based on an adjustment state of a resistance value. A heater relay is mounted on the circuit between the heater and the power supply and opens and closes the circuit to selectively turn on/off the heater. A first sensor senses the battery temperature and a second sensor senses a heater temperature. A controller outputs a control signal to operate the heater relay to selectively turn on/off the heater based on temperature information sensed by the sensors and a control signal to adjust the resistance value of the variable resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Dal Kim, Shin Hyuk Yoon
  • Patent number: 9565964
    Abstract: Provided is a steam cooking appliance. The steam cooking appliance includes a main body having a cavity that provides a cooking space in which a food is accommodated, a backguard extending upward from an upper portion of the main body, a water tank separately mounted on the backguard, a steam supply unit disposed outside the cavity to generate steam, thereby supplying the steam into the cooking space, and a water supply tube to supply water within the water tank into the steam supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jaekyung Yang, Yangkyeong Kim, Eunkyoung Yoon, Hyeunsik Nam, Sungho Choi
  • Patent number: 9535434
    Abstract: A method, system or computer usable program product for managing a water heater utilized for heating stored hot water including utilizing an expected user schedule to determine an expected user load for storage in memory, utilizing ambient temperature data to determine a water heating load for storage in memory, utilizing a processor to analyze the expected user load and the water heating load stored in memory to determine a desired temperature for the stored hot water according to a predetermined policy, and utilizing the processor to instruct the water heater to heat the stored hot water to the desired temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark B. Stevens, John D. Wilson
  • Patent number: 9513014
    Abstract: A device for preparing a thermoplastic material, with dry heat, for use in patient fixation. The device generates circulated heat to a threshold temperature. Once the thermoplastic material has become pliable, it is molded into a cast for fixation purposes. The circulated heat may be generated by a device having a housing and a support member movably attached to the housing. The device also includes a heating element and an array of circulation elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: S&S X-Ray Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Torben Juhl, Katarina Hansen, Torben Rasmussen, Norman Shoenfeld, Fred Sopenoff
  • Patent number: 9510616
    Abstract: A method of defrosting a food item, including: monitoring a temperature of a first part of a first food item; and controlling a surrounding temperature of the first food item in dependence on said monitored temperature. The controlling includes: decreasing the surrounding temperature of the first food item, using an unheated fluid having a temperature less than the surrounding temperature of the first food item, when the surrounding temperature is greater than a target surrounding temperature for a given temperature of the first part. Embodiments also relate to a control system, apparatus and a computer program product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: NEW ENGLAND SEAFOOD
    Inventors: Neil McCormick, Terry Walden, Cesar Basalo
  • Patent number: 9468328
    Abstract: Provided is a steam cooking appliance. The steam cooking appliance includes a main body having a cavity that provides a cooking space in which a food is accommodated, a water tank separably coupled to the main body outside the cavity, and a steam supply unit disposed outside the cavity to heat water supplied from the water tank to generate steam, the steam supply unit supplying the generated steam into the cooking space within the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jaekyung Yang, Yangkyeong Kim, Eunkyoung Yoon, Hyeunsik Nam, Sungho Choi
  • Patent number: 9459583
    Abstract: A one end side mounting portion of a support member is fixed to an inner wall surface of a cover member by a U-shaped member. The one end side mounting portion has an insertion portion, which is inserted into a hole formed by the U-shaped member and the inner wall surface of the cover member, a locking portion, and a support front end portion. In the hole, the insertion portion is tiltable in a surface vertical to a shaft as a rotation fulcrum of the cover member. The support front end portion is provided at a surface thereof, which faces the cover member side, with an inclination surface portion which is inclined from a cover member side to an anti-cover member side toward a front end side and the inclination surface portion abuts the inner wall surface of the cover member at the maximum opening angle of the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Wada
  • Patent number: 9408496
    Abstract: Heated air roller cookers and methods for cooking hot dogs are disclosed herein. An embodiment of a roller cooker configured in accordance with the present disclosure includes a plurality of rollers and a heating element positioned to heat air. A blower can be positioned to direct the heated air through the rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: C. Cretors & Company
    Inventor: Charles D. Cretors
  • Patent number: 9405304
    Abstract: A water heater that includes a tank for holding water, a heat source, a temperature sensor, a communication module operable to communicate with an external controller remote from the water heater, and a controller including a processor and a computer readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to operate the water heater. The communication module receives commands from the external controller for further operating the water heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: A. O. SMITH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Brian T. Branecky