Abstract: A steam sterilization apparatus (10) includes an electronic control system having a main control circuit (C) including a central processing unit (68), an input device (36), and output devices (24,28) provided on a single circuit board (22) which is attached to a front bezel (16) of the sterilizer (10). The sterilizer (10) includes a flash steam generator (56). The main control circuit (C) implements an over-temperature feedback circuit (160) that disconnects the heating elements (162) in the steam generator (56) from electrical power when an over-temperature condition is detected. Isolated feedback is provided to the central processing unit (68) confirming the heating element disconnection operation. The control system includes error switches (82, 86, 88) that detect various error conditions. Upon an error condition being detected, the steam supply to the steam sterilization chamber (12) and/or to the pressurized steam seal (42) of the apparatus (10) is halted.

Abstract: The invention relates to multifunctional apparatus for spraying and fumigating a vaporizable fluid, the apparatus comprising an actuator head (1), a tank (100) containing said fluid, and a pump mounted on the tank, wherein the actuator head (1) includes electromechanical means for actuating the pump and an electronic control and power supply circuit (101) having a microprocessor.

Abstract: A phosphorescent assembly for humidifiers and vaporizers that enables the vaporizers and humidifiers to be easily seen in dark or dimly lit areas. The presently preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the water reservoir in both the humidifiers and the vaporizers to be blow-molded from a phosphorescent, plastic material that will be luminescent for several hours after being exposed to radiation within the light frequency spectrum.

Abstract: Steam generating apparatus in the form of a thin, compact generally self-contained wall-mountable fixture. The fixture includes an upright front face section of porcelain or the like for being mounted in the wall of a shower or other enclosed steam room. The fixture further includes a frame that is fixed to the rear of the face section and supports a closed steam tank or boiler. A steam line delivers live steam from the boiler into the steam room. An steam head delivers the steam safely and with minimum noise. The fixture may also include a mirror and be mounted so that the mirror is face height of a standing user. The mirror is positioned adjacent to the boiler so that heat radiated from the boiler warms the mirror and inhibits it becoming fogged over by the steam in the room. The fixture also includes an electrical control system that is operable by the user from inside the steam room.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for effectively and controllably vaporizing solid material, in general, and specifically, solid precursor material for chemical phase deposition processes. The apparatus includes a hollow container member, capable of retaining solid material and having a longitudinal axis passing through a substantially open first end, that is reciprocally injected at a controlled rate through a heater capable of vaporizing the solid material so that vaporized material passes through the first end along the longitudinal axis of the container member and into the reaction chamber. Preferably, the apparatus includes a hollow body capable of pressure containment that is in fluid communication with the reaction chamber and an rod-shaped injector slidably disposed through the hollow body suitable for injecting the container member through the body and the injector is driven external to the body using a stepper motor.

Abstract: A deodorizing cigarette lighter is disclosed for use in a motor vehicle. A cigarette igniting unit having a standard conventional structure is used to store a heat responsive, nonflammable deodorizing agent that emits a fragrant vapor into the vehicle interior upon energization of an electric heating element associated with the lighter. The cigarette lighter includes a tubular plug body having a chamber formed therein that is used to retain the deodorizing agent. A slotted cap is attached to one end of the plug body, and a knob is attached to the cap. The lighter also includes a contact cup at the other end of the plug body that houses the heating coil. One end of the heating element is maintained in thermal communication with the contact cup, and the other end of the heating element is connected to a thermally conductive rivet. The rivet is maintained in a heat transfer relationship with the plug body. The deodorizing agent emits a fragrant vapor upon energization of the heating element.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for mechanically and electrically bonding metallic materials and semiconductor materials. The method according to the invention may be used, for example, in forming a semiconductor electrical heater, particularly for use in electrical smoking articles. A metallic element, such as a copper alloy power supply tab, is laser welded to a semiconductor element, such as a doped silicon resistive heater element. A laser beam is directed through a hole in the copper alloy tab to melt some silicon material, which flows into the hole in the copper tab, reacts and intermixes with the copper and solidifies to form a slug containing copper silicide. A protective material such as nickel may be applied to protect the copper silicide from oxidation if desired. An ohmic, low resistance contact and high strength bond is provided between the parts.

Abstract: A graphite filament for generating carbon molecular beam which is heated through application of a current thereto integrally comprises a plurality of portions of which current directions match the c-axis of the graphite and a plurality of portions of which current directions are perpendicular to the c-axis.

Abstract: An apparatus for emitting a chemical agent includes a housing defined by first and second co-axial housing sections received in end-to-end engagement, a heating element in the second housing section. The heat supplied to the chemical agent is varied so that the rate of vaporization can be controlled. The first housing section includes a vented base portion and a wall portion connected to the base portion so as to define a recess for receiving a volatile chemical agent. The chemical agent or a carrier therefor is secured within the recess. The second housing section includes a solid base portion and a wall portion connected to the base portion. An electric heater element is imbedded within the base portion of the second housing section so that it is electrically isolated from the base surface. The wall portions of each section are received in co-axial engagement so that the chemical agent is adjacent to the heated base.

Abstract: A heating element for deodorization contains a metallic substrate, an enamel layer formed on the surface of the metallic substrate, a catalyst layer comprising at least an active alumina, a platinum group metal and a zeolite and formed on the enamel layer, and an electric resistor; the electric resistor being insulated from the environment; and the metallic substrate, the enamel layer, the catalyst layer and the electric resistor being arranged so that heat generated when electric power is applied to the electric resistor is conducted to the catalyst layer through the enamel layer. It can remove unpleasant odor and harmful gases.

Abstract: A tobacco flavor unit is provided for use in a smoking article for delivering to a smoker a tobacco flavor substance, the smoking article having electrical heating means disposed in a cavity. The tobacco flavor unit includes a carbon fibrous mat and tobacco flavor medium disposed on the mat for providing for the efficient generation of tobacco flavor substance. The carbon mat includes carbon fibers that are made from a precursor selected from the group consisting of rayon, pitch and polyacrylonitrile. A smoking article incorporating the tobacco flavor unit is also provided.

Abstract: An attachment is provided for converting a table top steamer into an apparatus for steam treatment of the body. The attachment comprises an approximately cylindrical conduit having open ends and a plurality of holes located between the first and second ends. The conduit divides the steam jet discharged from the steamer into three streams and diffuses and cools the steam in each of these streams, thereby allowing the face and both hands of the user may be simultaneously steam treated. The attachment is locked onto the steamer by a pair of flexible tabs extending from the sides of the conduit. The tabs have holes formed therein that secure them to retainers extending from the steamer by means of a snap fit.

Abstract: A humidity measurement process and humidity measurement scale are derived from the physics of relative humidity. Absolute moisture content is determined independent of any measurement or knowledge of the source temperature. The humidity measurement is equivalent to the volumetric fraction of water vapor in the measured gas mixture, expressed as a percentage in a fixed range from 0 to 100%. The operating principles of the measurement process and measurement scale are described for use with an instrument suitable for humidity measurements in process ovens, product dryers, exhaust stacks, and similar environments operating at temperatures to 1250.degree. F. and near atmospheric pressure. The instrument is a point-source sampling system. A continuous sample of process air is induced to flow through the instrument for humidity measurement.

Abstract: Mineral salts formed during steam generation are preferentially deposited on one or more non-woven, porous mats made of fiber-forming synthetic resin.

Abstract: A material processing apparatus includes a casing having outer and inner spaced walls forming an airtight vessel inside of the inner walls and a channel between the outer and inner walls surrounding the vessel for containing a flow of coolant fluid. The vessel contains a first chamber having an inlet and a second chamber connected in communication with the first chamber and having an outlet. The first chamber receives materials through its inlet. The materials are pyrolyzed in the first chamber. The second chamber receives the pyrolyzed materials from the first chamber. The pyrolyzed materials are oxidized in the second chamber and then discharged therefrom. The vessel defined by the casing is separated into first and second units. The first chamber of the vessel for pyrolyzing materials is disposed in the first unit. The second chamber of the vessel has primary and secondary sections for oxidizing materials in two successive stages.

Abstract: An attachment is provided for converting a table top steamer into an apparatus for steam treatment of the body. The attachment comprises an approximately cylindrical conduit having open ends and a plurality of holes located between the first and second ends. The conduit divides the steam jet discharged from the steamer into three streams and diffuses and cools the steam in each of these streams, thereby allowing the face and both hands of the user may be simultaneously steam treated. The attachment is secured to a cover on the steamer by a compression fit. Baffles formed on the open ends of the conduit serve to direct condensate to the vessel.

Abstract: A steam cooker having a high capacity heating element in the bottom wall of the cooker reservoir employs a body of heat conducting metal to define a shallow boiler for transferring heat to water in the reservoir from a metal sheathed electric resistant heating element extending in a generally circular groove in the bottom of the metal body with the terminal end portions of the heating element extending in generally radially overlapping relation. An annular recess formed in the top surface of the metal body has a first portion of uniform depth defined by a first substantially planar bottom wall portion and a second portion of varying depth defined by a second substantially planar bottom wall portion overlaying the overlapped end portions of the heating element and inclined with respect to the first wall portion whereby water in the water reservoir will have a greater depth above the first bottom wall portion than above the second bottom wall portion.

Abstract: A method of producing finely divided particles or powder, vapor or fine droplets comprises the steps of heating and melting the starting raw material in a vessel having opposed reflecting surfaces, and ejecting the melted raw material from the vessel as heated finely divided particles or powder, vapor or fine droplets, by introducing a carrier gas into the vessel.

Abstract: Steam producing machine with a delivery nozzle, especially for heating beverages and rising foam therein characterized in that it includes a water boiler with relevant sealing lid, to the bottom of which boiler a heating electrical resistance is combined and which is provided at its top with an outlet for the steam intercepted by a manually operated valve to which a delivery nozzle is fixed, which is made up of a first tubular element which, in the outlet part, has a second tubular element coaxially mounted therein having its ends communicating with the atmosphere.

Abstract: A steam generator for a wallpaper stripper includes a member of heat conductive metal in which is cast an electrical heating element of generally W-shape. Water is supplied to an inlet chamber in the member. Leading from the chamber to spaced steam outlets in the member is a series of extended passageways formed by channels between adjacent limbs of the element and ribs that extend both along and across the channels. The nozzles are located in walls.

Abstract: An apparatus for coating both sides of strips in a vacuum with zinc includes a casing which encloses a coating chamber and a winding chamber, a removable cover disposed on at least one side of the casing for pressure-tight sealing the coating and winding chambers, a winding assembly having rotatably supported deflecting rollers, guide rollers, tensioning rollers, and coating drums and a take-off and a take-up roll and evaporating sources disposed in the coating chamber. These evaporating sources are provided with a nozzle lip 60 including two L-shaped profile ledges 63 which are parallel to one another and kept in a spaced-apart relationship by means of tranversely disposed spacing screws 65 and adjusting nuts 66. The width of the nozzle gap 67 formed by the two profile ledges 63 can be changed by turning the adjusting nuts 66 on the spacing screws 65. The nozzle lip is spaced by a slot (S) from a frame part.

Abstract: A vapor-generating electric lamp includes a sealed lamp envelop having a concave depression therein, an incandescent filament mounted within the lamp envelope, a lamp base, and a replaceable, solid insert in the concave depression. The insert produces a scent when it is warmed by heat from the filament. Preferably, the insert is a polyamide impregnated with a scent and includes a portion that matches the shape of the depression in the lamp envelope. The depression for holding the insert is preferably located at the opposite end of the lamp from the base. When the lamp is used in a base-down orientation, the insert is held in the depression by gravity.

Abstract: A humidifier for use with a forced air heating system. The humidifier comprises a water reservoir in the form of a sealed container having a water inlet connection and suitable control means for maintaining the level of the water at a predetermined depth within the reservoir. An electric immersion type heater is also provided within the sealed container at a level which is normally below the water level and, when energized, heats the water to produce steam. The reservoir can be mounted completely external to a duct of the forced air heating system, but an inverted U-shaped tube having preparations along the base thereof is disposed within the duct and has its parallel legs passing through the duct and reservoir so as to communicate with the portion of the reservoir above the level of the water therein. As such, the steam passes through the U-shaped tube and out its perforations to thereby add moisture to the air passing through the duct.