Toaster and control system for a toaster
AssigneeConair Corporation
InventorsKin Man Lai, Lai Man Tse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toaster includes a housing having a slot for receiving a food item, a heating element associated with the slot for toasting the food item, a carriage assembly having a supporting rack movably mounted in the slot for supporting the food item within the slot, a first slider member connected to the supporting rack, and a second slider member operatively connected to the first slider member, a motor, and a driving member having a first end operatively connected to the motor and a second end received in a slot in the second slider member such that when the motor is driven to rotate the driving member, the driving member drives the supporting rack, via the first slider member and the second slider member, to slidably move within the slot.
Claims14
A toaster, comprising:
- a housing having a slot for receiving a food item;
- a heating element associated with the slot for toasting the food item;
- a carriage assembly having a supporting rack movably mounted in the slot for supporting the food item within the slot, a first slider member connected to the supporting rack, and a second slider member operatively connected to the first slider member;
- a motor;
- a driving member having a first end operatively connected to the motor and a second end received in a slot in the second slider member such that when the motor is driven to rotate the driving member, the driving member drives the supporting rack, via the first slider member and the second slider member, to slidably move within the slot;
- at least one guide rod vertically positioned within the housing;
- wherein the first slider member and the second slider member are slidably connected to the guide rod;
- wherein the carriage assembly further includes a third slider member slidably connected to the guide rod;
- wherein the second slider member is positioned intermediate the first slider member and the third slider member;
- and
- wherein the second slider member and the third slider member are configured such that downward movement of the second slider member imparts a corresponding downward movement of the third slider member.
A toaster, comprising:
- a housing having a slot for receiving a food item;
- a heating element associated with the slot for toasting the food item;
- a carriage assembly having a supporting rack movably mounted in the slot for supporting the food item within the slot, a first slider member connected to the supporting rack, a second slider member operatively connected to the first slider member, and a third slider member operatively connected to the first slider member;
- a motor;
- and
- a driving member having a first end operatively connected to the motor and a second end received in a slot in the second slider member such that when the motor is driven to rotate the driving member, the driving member drives the supporting rack, via the first slider member, the second slider member and the third slider member, to slidably move within the slot;
- wherein the third slider member includes an actuator member;
- wherein the toaster further includes a switch controlling power to the heating element;
- wherein the actuator member and the switch are positioned and configured such that when the third slider member is driven downwardly by the second slider member, the actuator member actuates the switch to activate the heating element to initiate a toasting operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.