# US 12,004,689 B2 · Toaster with input control

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- Number: US 12,004,689 B2
- Document ID: US12004689B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/217,396
- Filed: 2021-03-30
- Published: 2021-09-30
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-31
- Assignees: Marmon Foodservice Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Marmon Foodservice Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Christopher Lyons; Kyle Kestner; Greg Klostermann; Elizabeth Bertness; Michael Rainone; Caleb Nehls
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004689B2

## CPC

- A47J 37/0857: {with bread supports or heating means movable during the toasting operation}
- A47J 36/32: Time-controlled igniting mechanisms or alarm devices
- B65G 43/08: Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)}
- B65G 2203/0233: Position of the article
- B65G 2203/0291: Speed of the load carrier
- B65G 2203/044: Optical
- A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

A conveyor toaster includes a toaster cabinet, an opening extending through the toaster cabinet and configured to receive a food product, and a conveyor assembly positioned in the toaster housing and associated with the feed opening. The conveyor assembly includes a conveyor belt configured to be operated by a drive motor to transport the food product past a heating element. The conveyor toaster further includes a an input sensor arranged proximate the opening and configured to detect the food product and a processor operably coupled to the input sensor and the conveyor assembly. The processor is configured to change between an operating condition with a first belt speed and an idle condition with a second belt speed based upon a signal from the input sensor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A conveyor toaster comprising:
a cabinet;
a heating element within the cabinet;
an opening extending through the cabinet and configured to receive a food product;
a conveyor assembly positioned within the cabinet and associated with the opening, the conveyor assembly comprising a conveyor belt operated by a drive motor to transport the food product past the heating element in a first direction;
an input sensor arranged proximate the opening and configured to detect the food product on the conveyor belt; and
a processor operably coupled to the input sensor and the conveyor assembly, wherein the processor is configured to receive a signal from the input sensor and in response to the signal operate the drive motor to advance the conveyor belt in the first direction at a first belt speed and after an elapse of a configurable demand period, operate the drive motor to advance the conveyor belt in the first direction at a second belt speed, wherein the first belt speed is greater than the second belt speed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The conveyor toaster of claim 1, wherein the input sensor comprises a photoemitter and a photodetector.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The conveyor toaster of claim 2, wherein the input sensor further comprises a mirror assembly comprising at least one mirror.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The conveyor toaster of claim 2, wherein the photoemitter and the photodetector are arranged on a same side of the opening and the minor is positioned opposite the photoemitter and the photodetector across the opening.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The conveyor toaster of claim 4, further comprising:
a first housing arranged exterior of the cabinet to a first side of the opening, wherein the photoemitter and the photodetector are positioned within the first housing; and
a second housing arranged exterior of the cabinet to a second side of the opening, across from the first side of the opening, wherein the minor assembly is positioned within the second housing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The conveyor toaster of claim 4, wherein a beam of light emitted from the photoemitter follows an origination path between the photoemitter and the minor assembly and the beam of light follows a return path between the minor assembly and the photodetector, wherein the origination path is offset from the return path.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The conveyor toaster of claim 2, wherein the input sensor comprises a time of flight sensor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The conveyor toaster of claim 2, wherein the photoemitter and the photodetector are arranged at an angle relative the conveyor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The conveyor toaster of claim 2, further comprising:
a first housing arranged exterior of the cabinet to a first side of the opening, the first housing having a first aperture therethrough, wherein one of the photoemitter and the photodetector of the input sensor are positioned within the first housing in alignment with the first aperture; and
a second housing arranged exterior of the cabinet to a second side of the opening, across from the first side of the opening, the second housing having a second aperture therethrough, an other of the photoemitter and the photodetector of the input sensor is positioned within the second housing in alignment with the second aperture.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The conveyor toaster of claim 2, wherein the opening is a first feed opening and the conveyor assembly is a first conveyor assembly, the toaster further comprising:
a second feed opening extending through the cabinet and configured to receive the food product; and
a second conveyor assembly positioned within the cabinet and associated with the second feed opening, the second conveyor assembly comprising a second conveyor belt operated by a second drive motor;
wherein the processor is operably coupled to input sensor and the second conveyor assembly and the processor is configured in response to the signal from the input sensor to operate the second drive motor to advance the second conveyor belt in the first direction at the first belt speed and operate the second drive motor to advance the second conveyor belt in the first direction at the second belt speed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The conveyor toaster of claim 10, wherein the input sensor further comprises a mirror assembly comprising at least one mirror, the mirror assembly arranged opposite the opening from the photoemitter and the photodetector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The conveyor toaster of claim 11, wherein a beam of light emitted from the photoemitter follows an origination path across the first feed opening between the photoemitter and the minor assembly and the beam of light follows a return path across the second feed opening between the mirror assembly and the photodetector.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The conveyor toaster of claim 12, wherein one of the origination path and the return path is located outside of the cabinet and an other of the origination path and the return path is located inside the cabinet.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The conveyor toaster of claim 11, wherein the input sensor is a first input sensor, the photodetector is a first photodetector, the photoemitter is a first photoemitter, and the minor assembly is a first mirror assembly, and the first photoemitter and the first photodetector are arranged to a first side of the first feed opening and the first minor assembly is arranged to a second side of the first feed opening opposite the first side, the conveyor toaster further comprising:
a second input sensor comprising a second photoemitter and a second photodetector, the second photoemitter and the second photodetector arranged to a first side of the second feed opening; and
a second mirror assembly arranged to a second side of the second feed opening opposite the first side of the second feed opening.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The conveyor toaster of claim 14, wherein the first input sensor produces a first light beam with a first origination path across the first feed opening between the first photoemitter and the first mirror assembly and a first return path across the first feed opening between the first mirror assembly and the first photodetector, wherein the first origination path is offset from the second origination path; and
wherein the second input sensor produces a second light beam with a second origination path across the second feed opening between the second photoemitter and the second mirror assembly and a second return path across the second feed opening between the second mirror assembly and the first photodetector, wherein the second origination path is offset from the second return path.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The conveyor toaster of claim 10, wherein the input sensor is a first input sensor, the photodetector is a first photodetector, the photoemitter is a first photoemitter, wherein the first photoemitter is arranged to a first side of the first feed opening and the first photodetector is arranged to a second side of the first feed opening, the second side opposite the first side, the conveyor toaster further comprising:
a second input sensor comprising a second photoemitter arranged to a first side of the second feed opening and a second photodetector arranged to a second side of the second feed opening, the second side opposite the first side.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The conveyor belt toaster of claim 1, wherein the conveyor is arranged horizontally and partially extends out of the cabinet through the opening.