An oven may include a housing having a cooking receptacle configured to hold content therein, a heating element carried by the housing and configured to heat the content, and a proximity detector carried by the housing in the cooking receptacle and configured to detect surface movement of the content. The proximity detector may include at least one SPAD.

A mat includes a base and a plurality of studs that together may position an electric radiant heating element within a floor or wall, and may protect the electric radiant heating element as the floor or wall are constructed. The base extends in at least two directions that define a plane. Two or more of the plurality of studs has a cylindrical body that includes a surface and a top, the surface extends from a respective portion of the base in a third direction that does not lie within the plane and that is at an angle between and including 84 and 96 degrees relative to the respective base portion, and the top includes a hole to allow air to pass from outside the stud to an interior region. By using the mat one can quickly install a plurality of positioning devices to hold the electric radiant heating element at desired locations in the floor while the floor is constructed. Furthermore, one can install the mat in odd-shaped rooms or in rooms that will use an electric radiant heating element that is a branch of another room's electric radiant heating element, without having to first wait for installation in other portions of the odd-shaped room or the other room to be completed.

A method for detecting the presence of an energized e-field in a space, wherein the space includes at least one electrically conductive element disposed in the space and coupled with a controller, the method including receiving in the controller a signal from the at least one electrically conductive element, determining that an energized e-field occupies the space, and sending a signal from the controller indicative of the presence of the energized e-field in the space.

A microwave treatment device of the present disclosure includes heating chamber (1) for accommodating object (2) to be heated, microwave generator (3), heater (7), power feeder (4), detector (5), and controller (6). Microwave generator (3) generates microwaves. Heater (7) includes a heat source other than the microwaves and heats an inside of heating chamber (1). Power feeder (4) supplies the heating chamber with the microwaves. Detector (5) detects reflected power from power feeder (4). Controller (6) controls heater (7) and microwave generator (3). When heater (7) carries out heating, Controller (6) causes microwave generator (3) to generate the microwaves in heating by heater (7). The microwaves have output power such that the reflected power at a level detectable by detector (5) returns. By present disclosure, by understanding progress of cooking, a heating target can be appropriately cooked.

A microwave treatment device of the present disclosure includes heating chamber (1) for accommodating object (2) to be heated, microwave generator (3), heater (7), power feeder (4), detector (5), and controller (6). Microwave generator (3) generates microwaves. Heater (7) includes a heat source other than the microwaves and heats an inside of heating chamber (1). Power feeder (4) supplies the heating chamber with the microwaves. Detector (5) detects reflected power from power feeder (4). Controller (6) controls heater (7) and microwave generator (3). When heater (7) carries out heating, Controller (6) causes microwave generator (3) to generate the microwaves in heating by heater (7). The microwaves have output power such that the reflected power at a level detectable by detector (5) returns. By present disclosure, by understanding progress of cooking, a heating target can be appropriately cooked.

Disclosed is an invention in the field of automated food preparation. The present invention particularly relates to a system and method to prepare food items by automatically placing food items on a food preparation surface utilizing a multi-axis robot. Upon loading predetermined coordinates into a computing device, a computer program calculates the instructs the robot via a controller to load the required food items via one or more food ingredient dispensing heads automatically.

A system comprising a temperature controlled device, a primary energy source, and either or both of an electronic device and an electro-mechanical device. One or both of the electronic device and an electro-mechanical device include a secondary energy source, a switching device, a measuring device, and optionally a controller. The temperature controlled device is connected to the secondary energy source when the temperature controlled device is turned on. The measuring device measures a predetermined condition, and the switching device switches from the secondary energy source to the primary energy source when the temperature controlled device achieves the predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is achieved in about 60 seconds or less.

A combined seat heater and capacitive occupancy sensor comprises a heater network including a heating element (11) and a capacitive sensing circuit connected to the heating element to sense a capacitive load. A first and a second interface are provided for connecting the heating element to a first and a second terminal of a power source, respectively. Each interface comprises electronically controlled switches (3, 5; 4, 6) arranged in series and defining an intermediate node (20; 21). An oscillator (8) is AC-coupled to the intermediate nodes to apply an oscillating voltage thereto. A current measuring means (9), AC-coupled between the oscillator and the heating element, keeps the AC-potential of the heating element at least substantially equal, in amplitude and phase, to the oscillating voltage on the intermediate nodes and to derive the capacitive load from a thus resulting current flowing into the heating element.

A control module suitable for controlling a manual switch type automatic drip coffeemaker (ADC) enabling the addition of fully automatic brewing start, programmable brewing strengths, programmable heater levels for keeping the coffee warm after the brewing cycle is complete, programmable shut-off time periods, automatic cleaning detector, automatic self cleaning cycle with automatic shut-off, and programmable twelve hour AM/PM or twenty-four hour time format. The control module contains a micro-controller, application specific firmware, a keypad, a liquid crystal display, a control relay, a current or a voltage sensor, indicator LED's, a piezo audible alarm, and power supply components.

The present invention relates to a transparent pane with an electrically heatable coating, which extends over a major part of the surface area of the pane and is electrically connected to at least two low-impedance bus bars lying opposite one another, at least one conducting structure (4G, 5G) only covering the heating area outside a central viewing area, in order to shorten electrically the distance between the bus bars (4, 5), and in that the current flows in the part of the heating area that is not covered by at least one conducting structure (4G, 5G).