Abstract: A sensor based automated cooking apparatus is provided. A humidity sensor measures the moisture content within a cooking cavity. An output of the sensor is provided to a digital filter to remove noise therefrom before being passed to a feature extractor which performs a data compression step and extracts salient features relating to the shape of the humidity versus time characteristic. The parameters are analyzed by a neural network to estimate a degree of doneness of the food. A controller uses the degree of doneness to estimate the remaining cooking time and appropriate power level. The cooking apparatus then operates in an open loop mode for the remainder of the cooking time using the appropriate power level.

Abstract: A heating body includes a layered structure consisting of a resistive body and a control body, with a meltable insulating sheet therebetween. The control body contains wires which are brought into electrical contact with the resistive body if the temperature of the resistive body exceeds the melting temperature of the insulating sheet. Current flow between the resistive body and the control body is detected to trigger a power cutoff to the resistive body. The material of the insulating sheet is selected to have a melting point well below an ignition temperature of the materials in the heating body, thereby triggering power cutoff at temperatures low enough to prevent fire. A control system normally controls the temperature of the heating body between an upper and a lower limit.

Abstract: A control device for heating elements, particularly for use in household electrical appliances such as cookers, cooking hobs, ovens and the like, comprising a driven switch in series with the, a first capacitor acting as a filter in parallel with the load, a second capacitor acting as a freewheeling capacitor operationally in series with the load and with the capacitor, these two being connected in parallel, and at least one inductor means in series with the load, characterised in that: a) the driven switch is a static switch hence able to assume an open state and a closed state; b) an inductor is provided in parallel with the load, or alternatively a section of the inductor means is in parallel with the load; c) a freewheeling diode is provided connected between an intermediate point between the inductor or section and freewheeling capacitor and an intermediate point between the load and static switch, so that when the static switch is in one state the freewheeling capacitor is charged via the freewheeling d

Abstract: A compact smoking oven comprises a box-shaped housing having a peripheral wall composed of two wall portions spaced from one another and including an inner wall portion provided with a plurality of throughgoing openings, a container for accommodating wooden chips and having at least one wall provided with a plurality of openings, a heating unit for the container so that when the container is heated and wooden chips inside the container are heated a smoke is produced which exits the container through the openings in the container, then enters a space inside the peripheral wall and exits the space through the openings of the inner wall portion into an interior of the housing, and means for holder for a food product to be smoked by the smoke.

Abstract: Method for the thermal cleaning of objects, in particular for removing materials such as plastics and such from metal objects (4), whereby the objects (4) to be cleaned are placed in a room (3) and are heated up to a temperature at which the materials to be removed pyrolyze, characterized in that the temperature of the objects (4) to be cleaned is controlled by means of a temperature sensor (6) which is situated in a measuring space (7), in particular a receiver (9) placed under the workpieces, which also serves to collect the melted plastics.

Abstract: A new variable password safety interlock system for microwave ovens and other computerized or electrical appliance allows the user to dynamically and automatically generate a new password immediately prior to each use. The variable password comprises some prearranged transposition or combination of numbers of digits that were already entered into the microwave control panel by the user. The user first enters digits representing the microwave time, the target food temperature, the microwave power level, the actual time of day on display or some other required combination of digits or microwave console buttons, and then presses the "Start" button. The new value of the variable password for that use of the microwave will be some prearranged transposition or combination of the digits, numbers or buttons that had just previously been pressed by the user and that appeared on the microwave control panel at the moment the user pressed the "Start" button.

Abstract: A method of automatically controlling the fusion process of thermoplastic resin articles is done in a stepwise fashion. In response to a start signal, a current is applied to an electrical resistance heating element for fusing together facing resin surfaces. Electrical characteristics of the resistance heating element are calculated upon increase of the power to a given level and the specific heat of the resin is calculated through ON-OFF control of the resistance heating element. The power is then raised through stages based on the electrical characteristics of the resistance heating element and the specific heat to determine variation coefficients of the characteristics and specific heat at each stage and through further ON-OFF control. Finally, the power increase is stopped as the variation coefficient of specific heat reaches or becomes smaller than a given value.

Abstract: A windshield temperature control system (200) monitors aircraft operating (240) and environmental (246) conditions, and determines, based on the fixed physical properties of the windshield (250,251 ), a required film temperature necessary to produce a heat output to maintain the internal and/or external temperature of the windshield at a desired temperature. The heat output is based on a total heat loss including internal heat loss and external convective, evaporative, sensible and radiation heat loss, and a film temperature error defined as the difference (340) between required film temperature and actual film temperature is applied via proportional (355) and integral (350) control paths to produce zero steady state film temperature error. The desired external temperature is selected to be sufficiently above freezing, i.e., 0.degree. C.

Abstract: Novel structures are provided including laminated layers of the diamond film in different patterns for conducting, generating and/or absorbing thermal energy. In particular, a thermal sensor/heater is shown including a doped electrically conductive diamond film layer encapsulated by layers of undoped electrically insulative layers on a silicon wafer. Also, a GaAs/Si on diamond laminate structure is provided in which the diamond film acts as a substrate and a heat sink. Notably, the diamond film structures are characterized by their high thermal conductivity, high chemical resistance, and high hardness/wear resistance due to the properties of the diamond films.

Abstract: A voltage converter is disclosed which converts an open circuit voltage from approximately 80 volts to about 120 volts DC. The voltage source which is converted is supplied by a welding machine. The converted voltage is used to power electric tools while drawing a relatively small amount of power from the welding machine. The converter includes a housing with two input leads for connection to the welding machine and an output receptacle in which electrical tools are plugged to receive power. Inside the housing are the components of the voltage conversion circuitry which latter is adapted to convert to an output voltage at the desired level. In an alternative arrangement, the circuit may produce an AC output voltage instead.

Abstract: A hypothermic therapy heater blower control system for use with patient warming blankets flowing warm air over the patient wherein the control system includes a data display indicating the temperature of the supplied air and the circuitry includes audible and visual alarms to indicate overheating or failure modes. The circuitry includes dual safety heater shut-off circuits and also includes a self-testing cycle which tests all of the major safety features and shut-offs, and in the test mode the circuitry simulates an over temperature condition.

Abstract: An electric cooking apparatus includes a single power converter section for converting power supplied from an external AC power source. A heating-energy radiator section receives the converted power from the power converter section and radiates heating energy to a heating chamber. A battery is also provided for supplying power to the power converter section such that a sum of the power from the external AC power source and the battery is converted by the power converting section when an instantaneous voltage of the external AC power source is smaller than a predetermined voltage level, which predetermined voltage level is smaller than a maximum instantaneous voltage of the external AC power source.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heater having a heating surface; a base member for supporting said heater, said base member having an edge; a holder for supporting said base member; a film movable with a recording material in sliding contact with the heating surface; wherein said holder has a rounded projection for preventing contact of said film with the edge.

Abstract: A fusing system for a xerographic printer in which the energy from a plurality of flash lamps is used to melt and fuse toner particles to paper sheets as said sheets travel through the fusing station. Each flash lamp has an associated storage capacitor and a charging circuit for that capacitor which is operative to develop a charge on its associated storage capacitor depending upon the length dimension of the paper sheets flowing through the system. Moreover, the capacitor charging circuits are rendered operative in a predetermined serial order so as not to unduly load down the alternating current source for the system. A lamp triggering circuit synchronized with the zero-crossings of the alternating current supply voltage provides the ignition potential for the flash lamps such that firing takes place at a time when the supply voltage is at a minimum.

Abstract: A self-contained modular processing apparatus is disclosed for processing workpieces, and in particular, silicon wafers. The apparatus is constructed of framed modules which plug into a service facility docking subassembly and interlock therewith to make up a complete modular processing system for wafer processing. Each module may be provided with its own wafer transporting mechanism and includes a built-in CPU such that each module is an independent, stand-alone processing unit. Each processing unit, by being capable of independent operation, functions as a building block to configure a modular processing system capable of handling wafer flow in multiple directions while performing a multitude of processing functions or operations. Individual modules are arranged along a line of single fold symmetry such that a single transport mechanism may be employed for transferring wafers among adjacent modules.

Abstract: Novel electrical heater which are self-regulating as a result of appropriate combination of a constant current or constant voltage power source with a resistive heating component and a temperature-sensitive component. Preferred heaters comprise a plurality of heating units, each of which heating units comprises a reactive component, a resistive heating component, and a temperature-responsive component. Self-regulation of the heater may be achieved in a number of different ways, including the use of employing a reactive component and a temperature-responsive component which form a combination exhibiting an impedance which changes with temperature. The temperature-responsive component can for example change in dielectric constant, or in permeability or in shape, or can effect changes in the frequencies inputted to the reactive component.

Abstract: During the heating of a moving wire (21) such as when the wire is being aaled, the wire is heated in such a manner that the energy applied to each successive increment of length of the wire is substantially constant. This is accomplished by causing an integral number of half cycles of alternating curent to be applied to each successive increment of length of the wire as the increments are moved from one sheave to another in an annealer (20). In one embodiment, the integral number of half cycles is achieved by adjusting the speed at which the wire is being advanced between two sheaves of the annealer in a manufacturing line. This also may be accomlished by adjusting the distance between the sheaves in an annealing leg of the annealer, or by adjusting the frequency of the applied power source.

Abstract: A system for curing advanced composite workpieces including a portable heat gun that provides a flow of heated air against a workpiece. The heat gun is controlled to direct a flow of heated air against an advanced composite workpiece at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time period and upon cessation of the time period to thereafter direct an unheated flow of air against the advanced composite for a second period of time thereby causing a resin component of the advanced composite to flow within the composite in a prescribed manner and to cure to a desired hardness.

Abstract: A thermal printer with a fault detection circuit for detecting faults in heating elements used in the printer includes a print head containing the heating elements and a heating circuit associated with each element, a power supply, and a switching circuit interposed between the power supply and the print head. The fault detection circuit includes a current supply circuit, preferably a constant current source, which is connected in parallel to the switching circuit. A control circuit selects either a normal printing mode or a print head fault detection mode. In the fault detection mode, the switching circuit is disabled enabling the fault detection circuit to pass a test current through each of the heating elements for detecting any faults therein.

Abstract: Method and device to supply, from a source of alternating voltage (5a or 5b), a thermal printing head (3) comprising a number of heater units (3a, 3b).The device comprises a means (6a to 6d) of obtaining a rectified voltage, a means (8) of detecting the points when the alternating voltage or the rectified voltage change to zero and to produce a detection signal, a means (9) of synchronizing, with this detection signal, the heating of particular heater units and a means (7a, 7b) to absorb current.

Abstract: A heater backed with a ceramic substrate having a ceramic substrate as a base plate and heating element formed thereon, which comprises a conductor for retaining ionized elements, said conductor branching from a terminal lead portion of the minus side connected to the heater element under an applied electric current and extending at the back side of the base plate, along the heating element pattern at least partly thereof. A protecting layer may be provided on the surface of said conductor. The conductor is connected with the lead portion through a conducting through hole.

Abstract: A control system for a thermal print head includes means for regulating the firing of the print elements with the proper pulse width to compensate for increasing substrate temperature. The control circuit is divided into two separate circuits--the driving circuit for turning the print elements on and off, and the decision-making circuit which executes the substrate temperature coding and control codes and sends control signals to the driving circuit. Three types of temperature compensation are utilized in the control program. A tailored pulse width is used for each bank of the print elements to compensate for various element resistances. As the print head shuttles across the record medium, the pulse width is reduced for each horizontal dot position. The pulse width also is reduced for each line printed in the format. The system may be used for either direct thermal or thermal transfer printing with both full and half dot spacing and single or double width characters.

Abstract: A heating appliance has a control system which is arranged such that when an internal electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory is utilized in the heating appliance for cooking foods with heat, the protection of data, an the rewriting of data and the collation of data are carried out positively and with great accuracy. A heating appliance employing such a nonvolatile memory is provided with a protection circuit for preventing the destruction of data stored in the memory when the power source is turned on and off and a main control section is provide for the periodic rewriting of memory data, whereby the data are protected against destruction and aging. Moreover, when reading the data stored in memory the collation of the data is carried out at least twice and when writing in data, the data so written is immediately read out and collated with RAM data in the main control section for improved resistance to noise.

Abstract: A proximity effect heat-tracing system in which proximity effect heat-tracing circuits are fed in either direction from a plurality of feed points connected to a single main transformer to increase the length of pipeline supplied by a single main transformer. A secondary transformer interposed between a main transformer and a plurality of feed points reduces the voltage required to be applied to a proximity effect heat-tracing system of a given length. Two or more proximity effect heat-tracing systems used along the same length of pipeline, employ neutral conductors having approximately the same diameter as "hot" conductors where the secondary of the main transformer in each system is 180.degree. electrically out of phase with the secondary of the main transformer in the other system.

Abstract: A temperature sensor in a heating tape includes first and second electrical conductors, a substance such as salt in electrical contact with each of the conductors, said substance having a significantly different electrical resistivity when the substance is at a temperature below a transition temperature range than when the substance is at a temperature above said transition temperature range.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting abnormalities in proximity effect pipeline tracing circuits by coupling conductive elements carrying proximity effect circuit currents and having opposite polarities. These conductive elements are coupled to an additional conductive element which is in turn connected to a system for detecting current so that when the difference between the proximity effect circuit currents is non-zero, the current flows through the additional conductive element and is detected by a relay or ammeter.

Abstract: A heating element comprises a resistor comprising a plurality of fine particles or thin films having a negative temperature coefficient of electrical resistance, and highly resistant region layers interposed between the fine particles or thin films, at least two separate electrodes arranged in contact with different particles or layers of the resistor, and means for applying across said electrodes an AC electric voltage, said means operable at AC frequencies which are not lower than a frequency whose complex impedance characteristics which when graphed in the manner shown in FIG. 4 hereof correspond to point B of said graphed complex impedance characteristics. This heating element has the following merits that it can be formed into an optional shape, is low in the power consumption, can be rapidly heated, has temperature self-adjusting performance and temperature detecting performance and is excellent in the durability.

Abstract: A toaster has a casing, two or more walls of which define between themselves an upright food-receiving space, and a base defining with the lower edges of these walls a clearance open to the food-receiving space. A separate food carrier is insertable into the clearance so that food-holding portions of the carrier project from the clearance into the space. Heating elements toast or warm the food in the space. Guides are provided to facilitate insertion and withdrawal of the carrier from the clearance.

Abstract: Apparatus for disconnecting electrical powered devices from a source of electrical energy when the use of the devices is no longer needed. The apparatus includes an electrical switch movable in response to an actuation member. The switch is connected between a source of electrical energy and an electrical powered device so as to selectively connect/disconnect the device to the source of electrical energy depending upon the use of the actuation member. A second electrical switch, also responsive to the actuation member, is connected between the source of electrical energy and another electrical powered device, such as a heating/air conditioning unit, to connect/disconnect the heating/air conditioning unit to the source of electrical energy. One temperature responsive device is associated with the second electrical switch in order to maintain the room temperature above a predetermined minimum temperature.

Abstract: The power control circuit described functions to vary the duty cycle of the alternating current signal supplied to the load. The duty cycle is varied by periodically generating a first signal, each half cycle of the alternating current signal, that is proportional to the actual power supplied to the load as a function of the duty cycle and wave form of the alternating current signal. A comparator compares this first with an error signal to vary the duty cycle in accordance with the power demanded by the error signal. The first signal is derived by evaluating the integral of the square of the voltage over each half cycle of the alternating current signal.

Abstract: A process for producing high purity semiconductor materials and metals by ermal decomposition of a gaseous compound of said materials, comprising the steps of arranging conductive carrier bodies in electrical current branches in a multi-phase a.c. system, then passing an equal amount of electrical current through each of the branches so as to heat the carrier bodies to deposition temperature, regulating the current in each of the branches so that the same magnitude of current flows through each branch.

Abstract: Electric process heating control includes a combination of (1) pyrometric temperature controller providing a DC control signal wherein the ratio of "on" time to "off" time is proportional to the deviation of temperature from set-point value and to the duration of such deviation, (2) phase-angle-fired power controller, and (3) current limiter for altering the phase angle firing of the power controller.

Abstract: A device for controlling the temperature of the fixing means of direct-heating type in the electronic photographic copying machine wherein a desired temperature of a temperature detecting element in the fixing means is set to a value, at which a few sheets of copying papers can be fixed, and then changed to another value lower than the first one to copy more sheets of copying papers after the copying operation of a few sheets of copying papers is finished.

Abstract: A temperature controlled electric heater for severing a web of vinyl film, which includes a metallic sheath having internal heater elements arranged in a ceramic core and has a thermistor nested in the core and in surface contact with the sheath for sensing the temperature of the heater, the sheath being adapted to heat sever the vinyl film web on contact therewith.