Infrared toaster
AssigneeMarmon Foodservice Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSteven Shei, Nick Mandarino, David E. Paton, Benjamin Slotarski, Jason Pittenger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An infrared toaster and a method of toasting use a support configured to hold a food product relative to an infrared source. A light source and a camera are arranged relative to the support to illuminate the food product and capture digital images of the food product. A processor receives and analyzes successive images from the camera. The processor operates the IR source to achieve a predetermined toasting level of the food product. The processor operates the IR source to terminate operation directing IR energy when the predetermined toasting level is reached.
Claims19
A toaster comprising:
- a support configured to hold a food product;
- an infrared (IR) source arranged relative to the support and operable to direct IR energy to the food product on the support;
- a light source arranged relative to the support and configured to direct red light towards the support and configured to illuminate the food product on the support while the IR source operates to direct IR energy;
- a sensor directed towards the support and operable to acquire data representative of an amount of light received by the sensor;
- a processor that successively receives the data from the sensor, the processor analyzes the successively received data when red light is directed at the support to determine when the food product is received on the support, upon which the processor operates the IR source to direct IR energy to the food product on the support and operates the light source to illuminate the food product, the processor then analyzes the successively received data in comparison against a model representing various toasting levels, and based upon the analysis the processor operates the IR source to terminate operation directing IR energy when the received data reaches a predetermined toasting level in the model;
- and
- an ejector operatively connected to the support and to the processor, wherein the processor operates the ejector to remove the food product from proximity to the IR source when the predetermined toasting level is reached.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.