Foods and beverages: apparatus – Cooking – Automatic control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-05
2001-10-09
Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Cooking
Automatic control
C099S3290RT, C099S3290RT, C099S337000, C099S385000, C099S389000, C099S391000, C219S492000, C219S521000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298772
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to electric toasters and more particularly to an electric toaster having an armature that permits electrical power to one or more heating elements to be terminated independently of ejection of a consumable food product.
Given the popularity of toasted, generally planar consumable food products, such as toasted bread or bagels, electric, pop-up toasters are ubiquitous in the modern kitchen. Generally, such toasters include a housing having one or more, and generally two or four, slots therein, each configured to accept a consumable product. Such toasters include a vertically-movable mechanism for supporting the consumable product within a slot, configured for moving the consumable product between an upper position, wherein the consumable product is at least partly extended from the slot so that the user may easily remove the consumable product, and a lower or toasting position, wherein the consumable product is disposed adjacent to electric resistance heating elements for toasting the product.
In operation, a user places a consumable product into a slot and depresses a handle attached to the vertically-movable mechanism and thereby lowers the consumable product to the toasting position. Downward movement of the vertically-movable mechanism closes a switch that energizes the heating elements which toast the consumable product. A timer in the form of, for example, an electronic timer, color sensor, bimetallic element, or the like determines the duration of the toasting cycle. When the toasting cycle is complete, the timer causes the vertically-movable mechanism to be released, whereupon a spring or other biasing element returns the vertically-movable mechanism and consumable product to its upper position for removal and consumption of the toasted product.
One problem that may arise with such traditional electric toasters is that if the consumable product becomes jammed in the slot when the vertically-movable mechanism is in its toasting position, the switch, which generally opens in response to upward movement of the vertically-movable mechanism, is prevented from opening. When this occurs, the heating elements remain energized, causing at a minimum burning or charring of the consumable product, and at worst, creating a substantial risk of fire. The present invention provides a toaster that is not subject to charring or igniting a consumable product as a result of the consumable product becoming jammed in the slot.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the present invention is directed to a toaster for toasting generally planar consumable products. The toaster includes a toaster housing defining a toasting slot, a heating element positioned in the slot, and a solenoid positioned on the housing. A switch is positioned on the housing and is connected to a power supply. The switch is also electrically connected to the heating element and the solenoid for energizing and de-energizing the heating element and for energizing the solenoid. A ferromagnetic armature is positioned on the housing, movable between an engaged position adjacent to the solenoid and closing the switch and a disengaged position away from the solenoid and opening the switch. The armature includes a lateral catch extending therefrom and an inclined top surface. A biasing member is positioned on the armature, biasing the armature toward the disengaged position. A displacement assembly includes a bread lifter configured to hold a consumable product within the toasting slot for toasting by the heating element. The displacement assembly is adapted to move from an up position through an intermediate toasting position to a down position and includes a lateral catch receiver for receiving the lateral catch when the armature is in the engaged position to thereby retain the displacement assembly in the intermediate toasting position when the displacement assembly moves from the down position toward the up position. The displacement assembly also includes an armature actuator which engages the inclined top surface of the armature as the displacement assembly moves from the up position to the down position. The interaction of the armature actuator and the inclined top surface causes displacement of the armature from the disengaged position to the engaged position to close the switch and energize the heating element and the solenoid. Energization of the solenoid retains the armature in the engaged position. A resilient member is positioned on the displacement assembly for biasing the displacement assembly toward the up position. A timer is connected to the solenoid for de-energizing the solenoid upon completion of toasting the consumable product and thereby releasing the armature to return to the disengaged position, thus opening the switch and causing de-energization of the heating element independently of the displacement assembly returning to the up position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1893989 (1933-01-01), Galer
patent: 1926276 (1933-09-01), Forbes
patent: 1967209 (1934-07-01), Lawrence
patent: 1979845 (1934-11-01), Schallis
patent: 2251925 (1941-08-01), Edmunds et al.
patent: 2387817 (1945-10-01), Wales
patent: 2553593 (1951-05-01), Lermont
patent: 2562535 (1951-07-01), Leonard
patent: 2631523 (1953-03-01), Olving
patent: 2877702 (1959-03-01), Turner
patent: 2913976 (1959-11-01), Cole
patent: 3869970 (1975-03-01), Eagle
patent: 3956978 (1976-05-01), Borley
patent: 4188865 (1980-02-01), Bjarsch
patent: 4345513 (1982-08-01), Holt
patent: 5018437 (1991-05-01), San Juan
patent: 5044263 (1991-09-01), Birkert et al.
patent: 5085136 (1992-02-01), Eisenberg
patent: 5097751 (1992-03-01), Eisenberg et al.
patent: 5304782 (1994-04-01), McNair et al.
patent: 5385082 (1995-01-01), Huggler et al.
patent: 5653158 (1997-08-01), Balandier et al.
patent: 5771780 (1998-06-01), Basora et al.
patent: 5802957 (1998-09-01), Wanat et al.
patent: 5918532 (1999-07-01), Arnedo et al.
patent: 6014925 (2000-01-01), Basora et al.
patent: 6123012 (2000-09-01), Hardin et al.
patent: 6129007 (2000-10-01), Chan et al.
Datovech John J.
Nguyen Nhiem Viet
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
Hamilton Beach, Proctor-Silex, Inc.
Simone Timothy F.
LandOfFree
Toaster does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Toaster, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Toaster will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2617682