Electronic temperature sensing system for toaster appliances
First Claim
1. A temperature sensing system for sensing the heat applied to bread or other food article when loaded within the toast compartment of a toaster appliance so as to provide a consistent toast color for a given toast color setting for each toasting operation irrespective of starting conditions, comprising:
- (a) first means, including a single temperature sensor to be positioned within the toast compartment of a toaster applicance and having an electrical characteristic which varies as a function of temperature, for providing a first electrical signal that is a function of the temperature of bread or a food article loaded within said toast compartment,(b) second means to be positioned remote from the toast compartment for providing a second electrical signal that is a function of the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the loaded bread or other food article, said second signal being a function of the integral of said first electrical signal,(c) third means for providing a third electrical signal that is a function of the difference between said first and second signals,(d) fourth means for providing a fourth electrical signal that is invariant with respect to a given toast color as determined by the toast color setting, and(e) fifth means responsive to the third and fourth signals for providing a fifth electrical signal for terminating the toasting operation upon said loaded bread or other food article having reached said given toast color.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic temperature sensing system for toaster appliances and the like which is capable of providing a consistent toast color independent of toast compartment temperature at the initiation of each toasting operation, the condition of the bread to be toasted and bread loading. The system includes principally a temperature sensing device having a varying resistance versus temperature characteristic that is placed in close thermal coupling with the bread to be toasted for developing a voltage Vs as a function of temperature, and integrating means for deriving a voltage Vu that is an integrated function of the voltage Vs and represents a varying reference temperature. The difference between Vs and Vu is obtained and compared to a given voltage corresponding to a given toast color for generating a signal that terminates the toasting operation upon said given toast color being reached.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A temperature sensing system for sensing the heat applied to bread or other food article when loaded within the toast compartment of a toaster appliance so as to provide a consistent toast color for a given toast color setting for each toasting operation irrespective of starting conditions, comprising:
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(a) first means, including a single temperature sensor to be positioned within the toast compartment of a toaster applicance and having an electrical characteristic which varies as a function of temperature, for providing a first electrical signal that is a function of the temperature of bread or a food article loaded within said toast compartment, (b) second means to be positioned remote from the toast compartment for providing a second electrical signal that is a function of the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the loaded bread or other food article, said second signal being a function of the integral of said first electrical signal, (c) third means for providing a third electrical signal that is a function of the difference between said first and second signals, (d) fourth means for providing a fourth electrical signal that is invariant with respect to a given toast color as determined by the toast color setting, and (e) fifth means responsive to the third and fourth signals for providing a fifth electrical signal for terminating the toasting operation upon said loaded bread or other food article having reached said given toast color. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A temperature sensing system for sensing the heat applied to bread or other food article when loaded within the toast compartment of a toaster appliance so as to provide a consistent toast color for a given toast color setting for each toasting operation irrespective of starting conditions, comprising:
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(a) first means, including a single temperature sensor to be positioned within the toast compartment of a toaster appliance and having an electrical characteristic which varies as a function of temperature, for providing a voltage Vs that is a function of the temperature of bread or a food article loaded within said toast compartment. (b) second means to be positioned remote from the toast compartment for providing a voltage Vu that is a function of the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the loaded bread or other food article, said voltage Vu being a function of the integral of said voltage Vs, (c) third means responsive to the voltages Vs and Vu for providing a voltage Vd that is a function of the difference between said voltages Vs and Vu, (d) fourth means for providing a voltage Vc that is invariant with respect to a given toast color as determined by the toast color setting, and (e) fifth means responsive to the voltages Vd and Vc for providing a control signal for terminating the toasting operation upon said loaded bread or other food article having reached said given toast color. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A temperature sensing system for heat applied to bread or other food article loaded within the toast compartment of a toaster appliance so as to provide a consistent toast color for a given toast color setting for each toasting operation irrespective to starting condition, comprising:
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(a) temperature sensing means, including a single temperature sensor to be positioned within the toast compartment of a toaster appliance and having an electrical characteristic which varies as a function of temperature, said temperature sensing means being located within said toast compartment in close thermal coupling relationship with bread or a food article to be toasted, said temperature sensing means having an electrical resistance characteristic that is a function of temperature, for developing a voltage Vs that is a function of the temperature of said temperature sensing means, (b) second means to be positioned remote from the toast compartment for developing a voltage Vu as a variable reference voltage that is a function of the ambient temperature condition in the vicinity of the loaded bread or other food article, said voltage Vu being a function of the integral of said voltage Vs, (c) third means coupled to the output of said first and second means for developing a voltage Vd that is a function of the difference between the voltages Vs and Vu, (d) fourth means for generating a voltage Vc that is invariant with respect to a given toast color as determined by the toast color setting, and (e) fifth means for comparing the voltages Vd and Vc and generating a control signal employed for terminating the toasting operation upon said loaded bread or other food article having reached said given toast color. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A temperature sensing system for sensing the heat applied to bread or other food article when loaded within the toast compartment of a toaster appliance so as to provide a consistent toast color for a given toast color setting for each toasting operation irrespective of starting conditions, comprising:
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(a) first means, including a single temperature sensor to be positioned within the toast compartment of a toaster appliance and having an electrical characteristic which varies as a function of temperature, for providing a voltage Vs as a function of temperature proximate bread or a food article, (b) second means to be positioned remote from the toast compartment for providing a voltage Vu as a function of the integral of the voltage Vs, (c) third means responsive to the voltages Vs and Vu for providing a voltage Vd as a function of the difference between said voltages Vs and Vu, (d) fourth means for providing a voltage Vc representative of said toast color setting of a toasting operation, (e) fifth means responsive to the voltages Vd and Vc for providing a control signal employed for terminating the toasting operation upon said loaded bread or other food article having reached said given toast color. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification