Contact toaster with belt
AssigneeStearns Product Development Corporation
InventorsHoward Frantz, Juan Martinez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyorized contact toaster includes a toasting platen having a planar toasting surface and a belt assembly configured to interface with a food item to urge the food item against and along the planar toasting surface. The belt assembly includes a belt body having a first end portion, a second end portion, an inner surface, and an opposing outer surface. A first belt connector is coupled to the first end portion of the belt body, and a second belt connector is coupled to the second end portion of the belt body. The belt body is configurable in a loop configuration with the first end portion being positioned adjacent the second end portion, and the first belt connector detachably coupled to the second belt connector to maintain the belt body in the loop configuration.
Claims20
A conveyorized contact toaster comprising:
- a toasting platen having a planar toasting surface;
- and
- a belt assembly configured to interface with a food item to urge the food item against and along the planar toasting surface, the belt assembly having:
- a belt body having a first end portion, a second end portion, an inner surface, an opposing outer surface;
- a first belt connector coupled to the first end portion of the belt body;
- and
- a second belt connector coupled to the second end portion of the belt body;
- the belt body being configurable in a loop configuration with the first end portion being positioned adjacent the second end portion, and the first belt connector detachably coupled to the second belt connector to maintain the belt body in the loop configuration.
A conveyorized contact toaster comprising:
- a toasting platen having a planar toasting surface;
- and
- a belt assembly configured to interface with a food item to urge the food item against and along the planar toasting surface, the belt assembly having:
- a belt body being configurable in a loop configuration;
- and
- a plurality of gripping bodies extending from the belt body, the gripping bodies being configured to interface with the food item, the gripping bodies extend at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the belt body when the gripping body is not interfacing with the food item.
A heated conveyor mechanism for a contact toaster including a toasting platen having a planar toasting surface, the heated conveyor mechanism comprising:
- a belt assembly configured to interface with a food item to urge the food item against and along the planar toasting surface, the belt assembly having:
- a belt body being configurable in a loop configuration;
- and
- a plurality of gripping bodies extending from the belt body, the gripping bodies being configured to interface with the food item;
- and
- a gripping body heat platen separate from the toasting platen and configured to emit heat, the gripping body heat platen being positionable adjacent the belt assembly such that the gripping bodies are disposable in contact with the gripping body heat platen to facilitate heat transfer from the gripping body heat platen to the gripping bodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.