Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080229885 | Jar opener - A hand held, one touch jar opener can be placed on a jar and activated with a momentary touch of a button. An epicyclic gear train is set to sequentially provide a grip on a jar, and on a lid, followed by development of torque needed to move the lid in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the jar. The principles embodied in the opener shown can be realized in an opener which can be manually powered, or preferably motorised and possibly highly automated. A differential geartrain provides reduction of speed and increase in torque and then provides two balanced and opposing forces through the epicyclic gear assembly having sun and planet gears. This configuration enables a wide variety of screw-on lids and jars to be automatically closed to match the correct diameters, apply a gripping force and then apply torque in an opposing direction. | 09-25-2008 |
20080231234 | Pull-cord lighting device - A manually generatable lighting device utilizes a pull cord, which is mechanically linked to a motor, to charge a power pack for on-demand illumination of at least one light-emitting diode. The lighting device employs circuitry which enables its use as continuous light source, a night light which illuminates automatically in low-light conditions, or an emergency light which illuminates automatically during power failure. The lighting device includes a power plug and may be stored or illuminated portably or as plugged into a power outlet. Built-in charging circuitry allows electrical recharging of the power pack to a maximum of 4 hours of usage, although the pull cord mechanism extends the possible usage time because it allows the power pack to be manually recharged at any time regardless of the level of stored charge available in the power pack. The lighting device requires only minimal effort to achieve maximum brightness, and two complete actuations of the pull cord can achieve maximum charge. | 09-25-2008 |
20080302893 | Linear food processor - A linear movement food processor may have a battery or power supply operation for portability and includes a set of reversible legs to enable it to be positioned over a plate or container. A series of blades are provided with an external mounting and storage area for quick selection. The drive mechanism utilizes a circular path pin engaging a drive slot on a cutter plate, with the drive mechanism being directly liftable so that the remaining structure of the food processor may be immersibly washed. One embodiment has a cutting stroke of 2.5 inches with a forward cutting stroke of about 0.25 seconds and a return stroke of about 0.25 seconds. | 12-11-2008 |
20080308661 | Linear food processor - A linear movement food processor may have a battery or power supply operation for portability and includes a set of reversible legs to enable it to be positioned over a plate or container. A series of blades are provided with an external mounting and storage area for quick selection. The drive mechanism utilizes a circular path pin engaging a drive slot on a cutter plate, with the drive mechanism being directly liftable so that the remaining structure of the food processor may be immersibly washed. One embodiment has a cutting stroke of 2.5 inches with a forward cutting stroke of about 0.25 seconds and a return stroke of about 0.25 seconds. In one embodiment a processed food catcher/storage box is provided for processed food collection and stowage/storage of the food processor unit. | 12-18-2008 |
20100042113 | Manual odor removal structure - A volumetric stainless steel structure is provided by punch pressing a single blank and results in a volumetric presentation of alternating bands of stainless steel material. The spacing of the bands is sufficient to provide (1) an interruption in the surface to surface contact which might entrap organic species and (2) a space which allows the epidermis to be scrubbed, manipulated and massaged by the rounded edge of the bands as the hands manipulate it in a way similar the manipulation of soap. Further, the alternating bands provide internal surface area, in the form of the inside of the bands which are protruding, for additional adsorptive area. | 02-18-2010 |
20100064524 | Vibrating peeler - A vibrating peeler uses a vibrator in the form of a more powerful motor plus larger weight and within an inner housing. The inner housing is placed in an outer housing and a damper is placed between the outer handle and inner housing. Several embodiments are shown for blade loading. An alternative embodiment light weight eccentric which drives a heavier mass, but only back and forth rather than a circular pattern. This vibrating arrangement puts more lateral motion to the blade, and avoids other motion in directions not parallel to the blade. | 03-18-2010 |
20100162905 | Fat eraser - A “fat eraser” system provides a housing for supporting and possibly enclosing a low temperature heat absorbing material and having a thermally conductive area of material in a shallow conic shape which can be brought into contact with a volume of food to enable a low temperature solidification of fat onto the thermally conductive area of material. A combination storage stand and fat scraping body includes scraping blades having an upper contour which is complementary to the shallow conic shape of the thermally conductive area of material to provide a self-centering ability to cleanly scrape and remove and collect any solidified fat from the thermally conductive area of material by rotating the thermally conductive area of material about its conical center and against the combination storage stand and fat scraping body. | 07-01-2010 |
20100263492 | Bottle opening and closing device - A bottle opener and closer is battery powered and designed to drive a rubber-lined main drive cup which fits over a screw-on bottle cap. The main drive cup is has conically angled sides so that a small downward force on the opener and closer will cause the bottle cap to be positively engaged by a rubber liner to confer a high radial gripping force on the circumference of the bottle cap. The opener and closer may include a finger passage which allows insertion of a finger or other object for ejecting retained bottle caps. Accessory drive cups may be interfaced with the main drive cup to allow the opener to be used with an wide range of bottle cap sizes. | 10-21-2010 |
20100263514 | Safety mandolin slicer - A board shaped mandolin slicer includes a folding leg for stability in an angled orientation, and a “dead mans handle” for to enable exposure of the blade and adjustable thickness slicing only upon actuation of the handle. In addition, a spring resist in the handle is used in conjunction with a mechanical position guide limiting switch and angled cam which allows the user to better control the degree to which a platform move forward to expose the front of a main blade, to thus adjust the thickness of the slices uniformly. An additional child safety feature includes a pair of buttons on either side of the housing which need to be urged inwardly at the same time to unlock the mandolin slicer. | 10-21-2010 |
20100263555 | Salad, rice and other foods washer and spinner - A salad, rice and other foods washer and spinner includes an angled bowl and cover with a cranking handle that turns a basket and basket lid inside the bowl via a gear set. A twin speed gear set is disclosed which allows a different velocity of spin when the cranking handle is turned in one direction than when it is turned in the other direction. A bowl is angled with respect to a base member and a covering lid includes water inlet on a higher side of the lid that allows water from a faucet or jug to be directed through the cover and onto the basket lid where it is dispersed into the basket volume via holes in the basket lid, with water escaping, if desired through an outlet grille. | 10-21-2010 |
20120292174 | SWITCH ACTUATOR - The present invention provides a retrofit actuator that can be fitted interchangeably to either a toggle switch or a rocker switch and which mimics both the up and down action required to operate a toggle switch and the pushing force required to operate a rocker switch, the retrofit actuator capable of being operated either directly by pressing an on/off button on the switch actuator itself or remotely by sending a signal from a remote control or other sender unit such as a passive infra red detector or a programmable central sender unit that can control one or more switch actuators from a remote location. | 11-22-2012 |