Toaster Oven with Improved Access to Cooking Cavity

A toaster oven comprising:

• a housing comprising an upper panel, a bottom panel, and opposing side panels together defining a food cavity;
• an opening defined in the housing to enable access to the food cavity;
• a door movably affixed and removably affixed to the housing and selectively movable between a closed position closing off the opening thereby blocking access to the food cavity and an open position enabling access to the food cavity, the door having a front panel and opposing side panels, each side panel of the door being selectively pivotably affixed to a corresponding side panel of the housing;
• a cooking grid selectively mountable within the housing;
• and
• upper and lower heating elements within the housing, the upper heating element positioned above the cooking grid and the lower heating element positioned below the cooking grid;
• wherein each housing side panel and corresponding door side panel comprise corresponding ones of a male pivot member and a female pivot member;
• wherein the male pivot member comprises a mounting base for mounting the male pivot member to the housing side panel or the door side panel, a planar insertion member that is parallel to the housing side panel or door side panel when the male pivot member is mounted thereto, and a spacer therebetween such that the insertion member is spaced apart from the mounting base, the insertion member having a first pair of opposing sides being a first distance apart and a second pair of opposing sides being a second distance apart, the first distance being greater than the second distance;
• wherein the female pivot member comprises a mounting base for mounting the female pivot member to the door side panel or the housing side panel, a cylindrical perimeter wall affixed to the mounting base, and an end wall closing off at least a portion of an end of the perimeter wall opposite the mounting base, thereby defining an internal chamber;
• wherein the internal chamber is sized to enable the corresponding insertion member to rotate freely when inserted therein;
• and
• wherein an opening is defined in the perimeter wall of the female pivot member to enable insertion and removal of the insertion member into and from the internal chamber of the female pivot member, a size of the opening being less than the first distance and greater than the second distance.