A heat treatment apparatus includes a processing container that accommodates a plurality of substrates, a gas supply unit that supplies a raw material gas into the processing container, an exhaust unit that exhausts the raw material gas in the processing container, and a heating unit that heats the plurality of substrates. The gas supply unit includes a gas supply pipe including: a first straight pipe portion that extends upward along a longitudinal direction of an inner wall surface of the processing container; a bent portion where a distal end side that extends above the first straight pipe portion is bent downward; a second straight pipe portion that extends downward from the bent portion; and a plurality of gas ejecting holes formed on the second straight pipe portion. The first straight pipe portion has a larger cross-sectional area than the second straight pipe portion.

A vehicle drying assembly has a frame defining a path for movement of a vehicle through the drying assembly and a side brush rotatable about a generally horizontal axis. The side brush includes brush segments that extend radially from the axis to contact a side of the vehicle in a direction generally normal to the path, as the first side brush rotates about its generally horizontal axis. The side brush is mounted at a defined height above the ground and at a distance relative to the vehicle along the path, so as to define a no-contact region on the side of the vehicle in which the side brush does not contact the vehicle as the side brush rotates and the vehicle moves through the drying assembly.

A laundry appliance having a laundry drying chamber and a sensor for measuring the humidity of laundry items contained in the laundry drying chamber. The sensor includes an operating support having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The sensor also has at least one first pad provided on the first surface of the operating support and at least one second pad provided on the second surface of the operating support, both the first pad and the second pad being made of an electrically conductive material and being adapted to operate as a plate of a capacitor. Methods for detecting humidity of laundry items are also provided.

A system to control the conditions of an aging room, also known as a conditioned space, for products in which independent feedback loops control the dry bulb temperature and the dew point while controlling the difference between the vapor pressure in the room and the vapor pressure of the products being dried, thereby controlling the amount of and rate of water or water vapor loss of the products and, therefore controlling its quality, the system also including target controls, a thermoelectric cooler and lighting controls.

A system to control the conditions of an aging room, also known as a conditioned space, for products in which independent feedback loops control the dry bulb temperature and the dew point while controlling the difference between the vapor pressure in the room and the vapor pressure of the products being dried, thereby controlling the amount of and rate of water or water vapor loss of the products and, therefore controlling its quality, the system also including target controls, a thermoelectric cooler and lighting controls.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a clothes dryer includes: a refrigerant pressure sensor provided in at least one of a first pipe connecting an expander to an evaporator or a second pipe connecting the evaporator to a compressor; a refrigerant temperature sensor provided in the second pipe; an electronic expansion valve configured to control a refrigerant; and a controller configured to control the electronic expansion valve based on detection values of the refrigerant pressure sensor and the refrigerant temperature sensor.

A method of drying sticks, a related apparatus, resultant product and its uses where the method involves presenting a plurality of sticks in parallel as a single layer, pressing each stick with a bank of pressing members on and/or into at least one face of the sticks, each with plurality of protuberances, thereby to constrain the sticks against crook, and drying the sticks when so constrained. Preferably each bank of pressing members is an underside of a frame or lattice of a stack of such frames or lattices able to receive such a single layer of sticks between adjacent overlying/underlying frames or lattices, the protuberances preferably being only downwardly directed.

A method of drying sticks, a related apparatus, resultant product and its uses where the method involves presenting a plurality of sticks in parallel as a single layer, pressing each stick with a bank of pressing members on and/or into at least one face of the sticks, each with plurality of protuberances, thereby to constrain the sticks against crook, and drying the sticks when so constrained. Preferably each bank of pressing members is an underside of a frame or lattice of a stack of such frames or lattices able to receive such a single layer of sticks between adjacent overlying/underlying frames or lattices, the protuberances preferably being only downwardly directed.

A paint drying device where leakage of air between a drying chamber and a driving section accommodating chamber is prevented reliably. In the paint drying device in which the drying chamber and the driving section accommodating chamber communicate with each other via a through hole through which a power transmission tool extends, there are provided an air feeding passage for feeding air present outside the drying chamber to the driving section accommodating chamber by an air feeding fan and an exhaust passage for discharging air in the driving section accommodating chamber to the outside of the drying chamber by an exhaust fan. An air amount adjustment device is provided for adjusting a ratio between an amount of air to be fed to the driving section accommodating chamber via the air feeding passage and an amount of air to be discharged from the driving section accommodating chamber via the exhaust passage.

A baby-safe drying apparatus, including a generally pair shaped housing having a bottom portion connected to a middle portion tapering to a top portion, an electric fan connected to an interior wall of the housing and operative to draw air into an air inlet and out an air outlet, and a rechargeable battery supported within the bottom portion. The housing has a generally hollow interior with the air inlet located on the bottom portion and the air outlet located on the top portion. The air outlet is generally perpendicular to the housing in an upright position. The electric fan is arranged to be baby-safe. The rechargeable battery operationally providing power to the electric fan. The lower portion has a greater mass than the middle and top portions such that the center of gravity of the housing is lowered.