Exoflex, Inc.

Other

Design Medical, Inc.

David P Harris

Michael E Berkeley

William L McCune

An intelligent cooking system includes cooking implements such as saucepans, stockpots, etc., having a temperature sensor for sensing either the temperature of the cooking implement or any contents located therein. A plurality of heating surfaces each have a surface for supporting and transferring heat to the cooking implements. A temperature control knob for setting a desired cooking temperature and a timer control knob are also provided. A controller is operably connected to the temperature control knob, the timer control knob, the heating surface, and the temperature sensor via infrared for controlling the temperature of the heating surface based on temperature signals received from the sensor and the desired cooking temperature. Each of the cooking implements and each of the heating surfaces are distinguished by the controller so as to track the movement of any of the cooking implements between one or more of the heating surfaces. As a cooking implement is transferred from one heating surface to another, the desired temperature associated with the heating surface is transferred along with the cooking implement to control the new heating surface. When a desired cooking time interval is set, the remaining portion of the desired cooking time interval can be transferred along with the desired cooking temperature.

Intelligent cooking system with wireless control

An ankle brace for limiting flexing and pivoting movement of the ankle joint. The brace includes a soft resilient sock and a pair of brace panels positioned and retained over the sock on opposite sides of the ankle and foot. Each panel is formed by a pair of brace sections hinged together by a floating pivot axis hinge. The hinge includes a pair of juxtaposed hinge plates adapted to pivot and slide with respect to each other. One of the plates is secured to the ankle section of the brace and the other is secured to the foot section of the brace. Each plate defines a pivot face, with a concave groove defined in each face. The concave grooves are normally positioned at right angles with respect to each other when the pivot faces are juxtaposed. A single pivot bearing ball is positioned between the opposed pivot faces and retained in the concave grooves. A spring resiliently biases the hinge plates together against the ball pivot bearing. A second spring biases the plates for relative sliding movement. The pivot bearing ball and grooves provide a floating pivot axis for hinge rotation and sliding movement of the hinge plates, and thereby the brace sections, relative to each other. A post-injury sleeve is provided to cover the wearer's ankle after injury to provide some support thereto and/or to hold an ice pack against the swollen ankle. A kit for ankle support includes the ankle brace and a post-injury sleeve. A method for aiding the healing of an injured ankle includes the use of a post-injury sleeve and a brace.

Ankle brace with floating pivot hinge

An ankle brace for limiting flexing and pivoting movement of the ankle joint. The brace includes a soft resilient sock and a pair of brace panels positioned and retained over the sock on opposite sides of the ankle and foot. Each panel is formed by a pair of brace sections hinged together by a floating pivot axis hinge. The hinge includes pair of juxtaposed hinge plates adapted to pivot and slide with respect to each other. One of the plates is secured to the ankle section of the brace and the other is secured to the foot section of the brace. Each plate defines pivot face, with a concave groove defined in each face. The concave grooves are normally positioned at right angles with respect to each other when the pivot faces are juxtaposed. A single pivot bearing ball is positioned between the opposed pivot faces and retained in the concave grooves. A spring resiliently biases the hinge plates together against the ball pivot bearing. A second spring biases the plates for relative sliding movement. The pivot bearing ball and grooves provide a floating pivot axis for hinge rotation and sliding movement of the hinge plates, and thereby the brace sections, relative to each other.

A knee brace includes a thigh cuff having inner and outer spaced brace arms adapted to extend along the user's thigh toward the knee, a calf cuff including inner and outer spaced brace arms adapted to extend along the user's calf toward the knee, and floating pivot axis hinges rotatably connecting the inner and outer brace arms of each pair. The hinge is formed by a pair of juxtaposed hinge plates, each having a pivot face in opposition to a pivot face ont he juxtaposed plate, with a concave groove in each of the face. A pivot bearing ball is confined between the opposed faces and retained in the concave grooves. A spring, bellville spring, or disk spring biases the hinge plates together when the pivot bearing ball is positioned in the opposed grooves between. The pivot bearing ball provides a floating pivot axis for hinge rotation of said hinge plates and thereby said braces relative to each other, the ball and concave grooves allowing the hinge plates simultaneously to slide and pivot relative to each other. The pivot axis floats between the hinge plates depending on the degree of pivoting and sliding movement in a wearer' s knee joint as a result of flexion thereof.

Floating pivot hinge and knee brace

A knee brace includes a thigh cuff having inner and outer spaced brace arms adapted to extend along the user's thigh toward the knee, a calf cuff including inner and outer spaced brace arms adapted to extend along the user's calf toward the knee, and floating pivot axis hinges rotatably connecting the inner and outer brace arms of each pair. The hinge is formed by a pair of juxtaposed hinge plates, each having a pivot face in opposition to a pivot face on the juxtaposed plate, with a concave groove in each of the face. A pivot bearing ball is confined between the opposed faces and retained in the concave grooves. A spring, bellville spring, or disk spring biases the hinge plates together when the pivot bearing ball is positioned in the opposed grooves between. The pivot bearing ball provides a floating pivot axis for hinge rotation of said hinge plates and thereby said braces relative to each other, the ball and concave grooves allowing the hinge plates simultaneously to slide and pivot relative to each other. The pivot axis floats between the hinge plates depending on the degree of pivoting and sliding movement in a wearer' s knee joint as a result of flexion thereof.

Garlic press

A garlic press with a cylindrical outer shell having a large open top end and a slightly smaller open bottom end. The botton end supports a foraminous plate onto which is placed the herb, such as garlic, which is to be crushed for juice. An inner cylindrical ram is integrally connected to a cap portion, which cap portion threads onto the outside of the larger open end of the outer shell. The ram is grooved with radial slots which contact the herb to be crushed and cooperate with holes in the foraminous plate to extract juice from the herb.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

David P Harris