Automatic resetting safety cut-out device for toaster...

Details Automatic resetting safety cut-out device for toaster... Automatic resetting safety cut-out device for toaster...

2000-09-29

2001-06-05

Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)

Foods and beverages: apparatus

Cooking

Automatic control

C099S3290RT, C099S3290RT, C099S332000, C099S337000, C099S385000, C099S389000, C099S391000, C219S521000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06240834

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic resetting safety cut-out device for a toaster sliding support blockage. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automatic resetting safety cut-out device for a toaster sliding support blockage suitable for toasting bread.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electric toasters using current technologies are generally made up of an outer shell, a button, a base, an electronic timer and a core, their main functions being timing and resetting. The principal method of using these toasters is for toasting bread slices to a golden brown, with the user being able to adjust the time required so that the bread slices are toasted to a color meeting the user's preference. The working sequence is as follows.
The user inserts the power plug of the toaster in a power socket and places bread in the bread slots of the toaster, with the sliding support and carrier connected to the button and supporting the bread. The knob is adjusted to set the electronic timer to the toasting time required, and the button is pressed down, whereby the sliding support and the carrier take the bread downwards to the bottom of the slots, at which time the switch connects to the power source and power is supplied to the coil on the electronic timer, the armature is attracted, and the switch maintains continuous connection, with the button, sliding support and support remaining in their original position.
The heating element thus begins to work and toast the bread, and when the toasting time reaches the time set on the electronic timer, power is cut off to the coil on the electronic timer, the armature disengages, and the button, sliding support and support spring the bread upwards to the normal position. However, for various reasons, and because of certain defects in the toaster itself, the toaster's sliding support and carrier can get stuck, or not spring back to the correct position because of the bread or for other reasons. The time set on the electronic timer is reached, power is cut off to the coil, and the armature loses its attractive power, but the sliding support and the carrier are still unable to spring back to the correct position, so that the toaster's on/off switch is unable to cut off the power, leading to a prolonged connection of the toaster's heating elements to the power source, so that the bread continues to toast until it is burnt or until a fire breaks out.
One object of the present invention is to augment and modify some of the pans in the existing toaster structure to design this automatic resetting safety cut-out device for a toaster sliding support blockage, so that even when the sliding support and carrier of the toaster get stuck or do not spring back to the correct position, and the toaster's on/off switch does not cut off the power supply, a pair of contacts in the newly added safety cut-out device will automatically open and cut off the power supply when the timer operates normally, so that electricity is cut off to the toaster, thus effectively ensuring the safety of the toaster and avoiding accidents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, this and other objects have now been realized by the invention of an automatic cut-off device for a toaster including a housing, a timer for setting a predetermined toasting time, the timer including an actuatable core and an armature attractable by the actuatable core upon actuation thereof, a slidable support mounted for slidable movement within the housing from a first inactive position to a second active position, a button for controlling the movement of the slidable support, a carrier carried by the slidable support for carrying the toast, heating means for heating the toast, a switch for actuating the heating means, the actuatable core and the timer, the switch juxtaposed with the armature whereby the switch is actuated when the armature is adjacent to the actuatable core and the heating means, the actuatable core and the timer are deactivated after the predetermined toasting time, and the slidable support is released, the cut-off device comprising a cut-out contact movable between a first open position and a second closed position in which the cut-out contact actuates the switch, the armature comprising an actuator pivotally mounted within the housing for movement between a rest position and an engaged position adjacent to the actuatable core, means for normally urging the actuator into the rest position, the slidable support including an engagement member for engaging the actuator upon movement of the slidable support into the second active position, thereby urging the actuator into the engaged position, the actuator positioned adjacent to the cut-out contact whereby when the actuator is in the rest position the actuator supports the cut-out contact in the first open position and when the actuator is moved to the engaged position the cut-out contact is urged into the second closed position for actuating the switch, followed by deactivation after the predetermined toasting time, permitting the means for urging the actuator to the rest position to urge the actuator to the rest position irrespective of the position of the slidable support.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the automatic cut-off device of the present invention, the actuator includes a first end comprising an upright member, the actuator being pivotable about the first end, and a second end comprising an extending member comprising a movable support for the cut-out contact, the slidable support including a coupling disposed at a location for contact with the upright member upon movement of the slidable support towards the second active position and a pressure plate disposed at a location for contact with the extending member upon movement of the slidable support towards the second active position.
In accordance with another embodiment of the automatic cut-off device of the present invention, the device includes a steel wire extending from the switch and movable between a first upward position in which the switch is actuated and a second downward position in which the switch is deactivated, the steel wire disposed at a location corresponding to the pressure plate whereby upon movement of the slidable support towards the second active position the pressure plate causes the steel wire to move towards the second position, and the steel wire causes the actuator to move towards the engaged position whereby the cut-out contact is urged into the second closed position.
The objects of the present invention are attained by an automatic resetting safety cut-out device for a toaster sliding support blockage fitted in an electric toaster having:
an outer shell including a base and bread slots,
an electronic timer and core to set a toasting time, the electronic timer being part of an armature in which the core is able to produce magnetic forces attracting the armature and turning the switch on;
a sliding support connected to a button to control upwards and downwards movements and positions of the support which is connected to a carrier to support bread in the bread slots,
heating means, such that when the sliding support and carrier have moved to their downwards position, the toaster is switched on, the heating elements, the electronic timer and core are connected and operate, and once the toasting time is reached, power is cut off to the heating elements, the sliding support and carrier being disengaged and intended to rise to their upwards position,
characterized in that the device has
a cut out spring adapted to connect/disconnect the heating elements,
a pivoting element mounted in the toaster so that it can be engaged by the sliding support during its downwards movement, the pivoting element on the one hand, being urged in a first resting elastic position in which it supports the cut out spring which is then in its disconnecting position, and on the other hand, when engaged by the sliding support, adapted to move to a second resting position correspo

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