A vacuum insulated appliance structure, comprising: a first layer of a first polymer material. A second layer of a second polymer material is molded to (e.g. over) at least a portion of the first layer, and a third layer of a third polymer material is molded to (e.g. over) at least a portion of the second layer to form a first component. At least one of the layers is impervious to one or more gasses. One or more additional components are secured to the first component to form a vacuum cavity. The vacuum cavity is filled with a porous material, and the vacuum cavity is evacuated to form a vacuum.

Induction-heated vessels, and processes for manufacturing induction-heated vessels and vessel components, are provided. The vessels can include a ceramic outer layer and a conductive heating element, which can be provided as a conductive glaze or coating, a conductive inner layer, or a label comprising a conductive element and an RFID tag, to allow the thermal transfer or conduction of heat from the heated surface directly to the contents of the vessel, while the ceramic outer layer of the vessel insulates the contents of the vessel. Also, systems and methods for heating and controlling induction-heated vessels and for tracking loyalty, use, and/or sales using RFID-enabled induction-heated vessels are provided.

Induction-heated vessels, and processes for manufacturing induction-heated vessels and vessel components, are provided. The vessels can include a ceramic outer layer and a conductive heating element, which can be provided as a conductive glaze or coating, a conductive inner layer, or a label comprising a conductive element and an RFID tag, to allow the thermal transfer or conduction of heat from the heated surface directly to the contents of the vessel, while the ceramic outer layer of the vessel insulates the contents of the vessel. Also, systems and methods for heating and controlling induction-heated vessels and for tracking loyalty, use, and/or sales using RFID-enabled induction-heated vessels are provided.

A modular, top-loading, food transport cabinet and serving platform apparatus is disclosed in various embodiments. The food transport cabinet and serving platform is advantageous because it is alternatively configurable in both a transport condition (e.g., for transporting or delivering prepared food while maintaining a desired (hot or cold) temperature of the food) and a serving condition (e.g., presenting the prepared food for serving while maintaining a desired (hot or cold) temperature of the food). The apparatus can be configured to accommodate various food presentation and serving requirements and arrangements, including heating (e.g., chafing or direct heat) and chilling (e.g., ice) without having to remove the food items to be presented and served from the food transport cabinet to a special serving platform.

In a vacuum heat insulating double walled container 1, adsorbent blocks 30 are formed in block, and each of the adsorbent blocks 30 disposed on the peripheral surface of a sample storage container 25 is placed on a partition plate 27. Moreover, an inner container 10 is hang in an outer container 3 using a connecting tube 20 formed of a thin material having an uneven outer peripheral surface, and a heat insulating tube 40 is disposed on the inner surface of the connecting tube 20. Further, as to a workpiece carrier 50 as a fixing device, a carrier guide 52 is in close contact with the heat insulating tube 40, and a plate-like portion 54 and a workpiece storage portion 51 are disposed in a non-contact state with respect to the sample storage container 25. As a result, it is possible to suppress the amount of heat transferred from the inner container 10 to the outer container 3, and vibration and impact is less likely to applied to a sample in the workpiece storage portion 51 even if an external force such as impact is applied to the vacuum heat insulating double walled container 1.

A system for using a heated portable vacuum slurry box to efficiently store and transport material including drill cuttings from gas and oil well sites. The slurry box generally includes a vacuum tank, a structure attached to the tank, a vertical tailgate, and a hook for pulling the slurry box onto a vehicle. The features allow for the slurry box to meet space restriction requirements at a well site while functioning within the environmental conditions of winter and summer seasons. The system includes a preferred method to unload the slurry box.

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide an AirBox constructed to receive deliveries from a drone. The AirBox can comprise an automatically openable lid; and a wireless receiver that is constructed to receive data concerning a delivery from the drone. The automatically openable lid can open to receive the delivery from the drone.

Damper mechanisms are provided in conjunction with housings of various different appliances and are disposed at first positions at which the dampers effectively close off or seal the interior regions of the appliances within which various heated, refrigerated, or frozen environments have been established. Such damper mechanisms can be moved to second positions so as to permit food items to be inserted into, or extracted from, the various housings of the appliances, but will automatically return to their first positions so as to again close off or seal the interior regions of the appliances. In this manner, thermal energy is preserved whereby the appliances are enabled to operate at peak energy efficiency.

A cooler capable of achieving a sufficient temperature gradient between an inside of the cooler and an outside of the cooler such that at least a partial vacuum forms within the cooler may include an enclosure defined by at least one wall and a lid. The lid may form a relatively airtight seal with a wall of the cooler when in a closed position. A vacuum release assembly may be disposed in one of the walls or lid of the cooler, the assembly being capable of reducing a pressure differential between the enclosure and the outside of the cooler.

A drinking vessel comprises a bottle, a cup, and a cup lid. The bottle has a bottle base, a bottle mouth, and a bottle wall extending between the bottle base and the bottle mouth, the cup comprises a cup base, a cup mouth, and a cup wall, a first face of the cup base and an inner face of the cup wall define a cup volume, the cup volume is suitable for holding a potable beverage, and the inner face of the cup wall extends from the cup base to a free edge of the cup wall which defines the cup mouth. The cup lid is configured to reversibly engage with one or both of the free edge of the cup wall and the portion of the cup wall adjacent the free edge, and the cup lid is configured to close the cup mouth. The cup base and cup wall are so configured that the bottle base and at least a portion of bottle wall fit into the cup volume with the inner face of the cup wall in close proximity to the portion of a bottle wall. The cup further comprises a lid storage recess in which the lid storage recess is defined by a second face of the cup base and an inner face of a recess wall, the second face of the cup base faces away from the cup volume, and the inner face of the recess wall extends from the second face of the cup base away from the cup volume to a recess wall free edge, the recess wall free edge defines a recess mouth. The cup lid comprises a cup wall engaging means, and drinking aperture, and the cup lid and lid storage recess are so configured that the cup lid reversibly engages with the cup lid storage recess so that the cup lid is reversibly retained in the lid storage recess.