A liquid container having improved convenience while considering sanitation is described. The liquid container inclines and discharges a liquid from the liquid container. The liquid container includes an inclination angle measurement unit to measure an inclination angle of the liquid container and a calculation processing unit which estimates a liquid amount inside the liquid container on the basis of the inclination angle measured during a liquid discharge operation.

An article of manufacture includes a wall portion having a wall inner surface and a wall outer surface, a base portion having a base inner surface and a base outer surface, at least a portion of the wall portion and the base portion forming a vessel to retain fluid therein, at least part of the base portion configured to receive heat, and a plurality of shaped portions with at least three sides extending above, each shaped portion of the base inner surface including at least three sides and polygonal shaped tops, each of the plurality of shaped portions capable of supplying heat from the sides to fluid adjacent to the sides, the plurality of shaped portions including the polygonal shaped tops to induce creation of a plurality of hexagonal convection cells in contact with a surface of the fluid which increases heat transfer from the heating source to the fluid.

A wireless power transmission device and a control method thereof are provided. The wireless power transmission device includes a wireless power transmitter, a communication interface, a sensing coil, a light source driver, a light source, and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to control the wireless power transmitter to transmit first power supplied by the working coil to the cooking appliance, control the light source driver to measure second power induced in the sensing coil when the first power is transmitted, and control the light source driver to set at least one of a light emission intensity of the light source, a light emission color of the light source, or a light emission form of the light source, based on the amount of the second power.

A cooking appliance for mixing and cooking ingredients for preparing food items, such as fufu, includes a housing and a shell. The housing comprises a back, a base, and a top. The base is coupled to and extends from a lower end of the back. A plate is coupled to an upper surface of the base and a heating element is coupled to the plate. The top is hingedly coupled to and extends from an upper end of the back. A motor is positioned in the top. The top is configured to pivot to an open configuration to position the shell upon the plate. A whisk that is couplable to the motor is inserted into the shell, and ingredients that are positioned in the shell, as the top is pivoted to a closed configuration. The motor rotates the whisk to mix the ingredients and the heating element heats the ingredients to prepare food, such as fufu.

Disclosed herein are induction heating articles and vessels and methods for applying insulating coatings thereto. In one aspect, an induction heating vessel of the present invention includes a ferromagnetic substrate and an insulating coating layer attached to the substrate, the insulating coating layer being characterized by a thermal conductivity of less than about 1.0 W/mK and a Shore A hardness of less than about 70.

Disclosed herein are induction heating articles and vessels and methods for applying insulating coatings thereto. In one aspect, an induction heating vessel of the present invention includes a ferromagnetic substrate and an insulating coating layer attached to the substrate, the insulating coating layer being characterized by a thermal conductivity of less than about 1.0 W/mK and a Shore A hardness of less than about 70.

A temperature control apparatus has a housing and at least one thermosensitive protective action component. The thermosensitive protective action component has a metal actuator, an acting mechanism, a support frame, and a switch contact set. The metal actuator and the acting mechanism are both arranged on the support frame. The acting mechanism controls the on-off state of the switch contact set. The switch contact set is connected between the housing and the support frame. The switch contact set has a movable contact piece and a fixed contact piece. The temperature control apparatus also has a connecting component. The housing and the thermosensitive protective action component are flexibly connected therebetween via the connecting component. When the liquid heater is deformed as a result of a thermal shock, a great thermal contact can be maintained between the thermosensitive protective action component and a temperature sensing surface of the liquid heater.

A toaster includes a housing, with a first cavity for toasting bread and a second cavity outside of and separate from the first cavity. The housing also includes at least one slot for receiving bread into the first cavity, and the first cavity is provided with heating elements to toast the bread. The toaster also includes control circuitry for the heating elements with a thermal fuse. There is a first saturation temperature range for toasting bread and a second saturation temperature range which corresponds to a runaway condition. The thermal fuse is positioned in the second cavity and has an actuation temperature between the first saturation temperature range and a the second saturation temperature range, as measured in the second cavity.

An actively heated mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container is provided. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a body that receives a liquid therein and a heating or cooling system at least partially disposed in the body. The heating or cooling system can include one or more heating or cooling elements that heat a surface of the receiving portion of the body and one or more energy storage devices. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a wireless power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a power source and control circuitry configured to charge one or more power storage elements and to control the delivery of electricity from the one or more power storage elements to the one or more heating or cooling elements. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container also can have one or more sensors that sense a parameter of the liquid or sense a parameter of the heating or cooling system and communicates the sensed information to the control circuitry. The control circuitry can turn on, turn off, and/or operate the heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the body to maintain the liquid in a heated or cooled state generally at a user selected temperature setting based at least in part on the sensed parameter information. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can also be paired with a remote device or mobile electronic device to send or receive communications or commands.

The invention provides a heater arrangement and method for heating a liquid, wherein the heater comprises a heating element, wherein the method comprises (i) heating the liquid in the heater wherein the heating element is in contact with the liquid, and (ii) applying a potential difference between the heating element and a counter electrode, wherein the potential difference has an AC component whereby the potential difference varies with an AC frequency in the range of 0.01-100 Hz and wherein the potential difference is applied with a cycle time, wherein the potential difference has a sign during a first part of the cycle time that is opposite of the sign of the potential difference during a second part of the cycle time, and wherein during one or more of the first part of the cycle time and the second part of the cycle time, the potential difference temporarily changes sign.