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US 7,250,588 B2Granted
Combination bread toaster and steamer device
AssigneeBack to Basics Products, Inc.
InventorsDavid Ely, Brian K. Beesley, Alan Parkinson, Claude Brandt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combination bread toaster and steamer device includes a pair of vertically oriented bread slots extending into a housing from a top of the housing; means for elevating and lowering bread in the bread slots; a steamer compartment, disposed on the housing, including a heater pan configured to receive water; and at least one heating element associated with the bread slots and the steamer compartment.
Claims31
A combination bread toaster and steamer device, comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) at least one vertically oriented bread slot extending into the housing from a top of the housing;
- c) a lift mechanism for lowering bread into the bread slot and raising the bread out of the bread slot, and including an arm coupled to the lift mechanism configured to be contacted by a user to manually lower the lift mechanism;
- d) a steamer compartment, disposed on the housing, including a heater pan configured to receive water;
- e) a bread heating element disposed adjacent the bread slot;
- f) a steamer heating element disposed adjacent the steamer compartment;
- g) a controller operatively coupled to the bread heating element and the steamer heating element to initially activate the steamer heating element, and automatically and subsequently activate the bread heating element;
- h) the lift mechanism being operatively coupled to the controller such that depressing the arm and lowering the lift mechanism activates the steamer heating element.
5 more elements
A combination bread toaster and steamer device, comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) at least one bread slot extending into the housing;
- c) a steamer compartment, disposed on the housing, including a heater pan configured to receive water;
- d) a bread heating element disposed adjacent the at least one bread slot;
- e) a steamer heating element disposed adjacent the steamer compartment;
- f) a controller operatively coupled to the bread heating element and the steamer heating element to activate the steamer heating element and the bread heating element;
- and
- g) a lift mechanism for lowering bread into the bread slot and raising the bread out of the bread slot, and operatively coupled to the controller such that lowering the lift mechanism activates the steamer heating element.
5 more elements
A combination bread toaster and steamer device, comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) at least one bread slot extending into the housing;
- c) a steamer compartment, disposed on the housing, including a heater pan configured to receive water;
- d) at least one heating element associated with the bread slot and the steamer compartment;
- e) a steamer cup or a food cup, disposable over the heater pan;
- and
- f) a tray, disposable over the steamer cup or the food cup, having at least one hole therein to allow steam therethrough.
4 more elements
A combination bread toaster and steamer device, comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) at least one bread slot extending into the housing;
- d) a steamer compartment, disposed on the housing, including a heater pan configured to receive water;
- e) at least one heating element associated with the bread slot and the steamer compartment;
- f) a steamer cup, removably disposable over the heater pan, having a plurality of openings therein;
- and
- g) a steamer cup indentation extending into the housing both horizontally from a side of the housing and vertically from a top of the housing to receive the steamer cup, the steamer cup indentation including a substantially vertically oriented wall around at least a portion of the steamer cup indentation.
4 more elements
A combination bread toaster and steamer device, comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) at least one bread slot extending into the housing;
- d) a steamer compartment, disposed on the housing, including a heater pan configured to receive water;
- e) at least one heating element associated with the bread slot and the steamer compartment;
- f) a controller operatively coupled to the bread heating element and the steamer heating element to activate the steamer heating element and the bread heating element;
- g) a lift mechanism for lowering bread into the bread slot and raising the bread out of the bread slot, and operatively coupled to the controller such that lowering the lift mechanism activates the steamer heating element;
- h) a steamer cup, removably disposable over the heater pan, having a plurality of openings therein;
- and
- i) a steamer cup indentation extending into the housing both horizontally from a side of the housing and vertically from a top of the housing to receive the steamer cup, the steamer cup indentation including a substantially vertically oriented wall around at least a portion of the steamer cup indentation.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.