Bread toaster
First Claim
1. A bread toaster comprising housing structure with, a toasting chamber with a heating device arranged therein, at least one loading and unloading opening for an item to be toasted, and retaining means for an item to be warmed up mountable on top of said loading and unloading opening, a step-switch for controlling said heating device, a first coupling stage connected to said step-switch, said first coupling stage having a first input responsive to a toasting-time control signal (R) and a second input responsive to a warming-up time control signal (A), a sensor responsive to infrared radiation emitting from the heated item being toasted in said toasting chamber and adapted to deliver a sensor signal (Us) derived therefrom, a first comparator circuit responsive to said sensor signal (Us) for issuing when said sensor signal attains a predetermined level, circuitry for applying said toasting-time control signal (R) to said first input of said first coupling stage for controlling said heating device, and a control circuit which, at a first definable moment (t1) after start-up of the bread toaster, is adapted to compare said sensor signal (Us) with a reference signal (U.sub. c), whereupon in the event that said reference signal (Uc) is in excess of said sensor signal (Us), the bread toaster will be set out of operation after said predetermined level of said sensor signal (Us) is attained by the fact that said toasting-time control signal (R) is delivered from said first comparator to said first input of said first coupling stage, whilst in the opposite case, said heating device is switched off by said warming-up time control signal (A) which is generated by said control circuit at a second definable moment (t2) and is supplied to said second input of said first coupling stage.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bread toaster comprising a comparator circuit with a sensor responsive to infrared radiation to determine the toasting time of an object to be toasted is extended by a control circuit. The latter detects automatically, whether the bread toaster is used for toasting an object to be toasted that is introduced through a loading and unloading opening into its toasting chamber (toasting operation) or for warming up a respective item which is placed on top of the loading and unloading opening (warming-up operation). The control circuit controls during the toasting operation the operating time of the bread toaster in dependence upon the toasting degree adjusted by the user, while it puts the bread toaster into operation for a fixed period of time during the warming-up operation.
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Citations
18 Claims
- 1. A bread toaster comprising housing structure with, a toasting chamber with a heating device arranged therein, at least one loading and unloading opening for an item to be toasted, and retaining means for an item to be warmed up mountable on top of said loading and unloading opening, a step-switch for controlling said heating device, a first coupling stage connected to said step-switch, said first coupling stage having a first input responsive to a toasting-time control signal (R) and a second input responsive to a warming-up time control signal (A), a sensor responsive to infrared radiation emitting from the heated item being toasted in said toasting chamber and adapted to deliver a sensor signal (Us) derived therefrom, a first comparator circuit responsive to said sensor signal (Us) for issuing when said sensor signal attains a predetermined level, circuitry for applying said toasting-time control signal (R) to said first input of said first coupling stage for controlling said heating device, and a control circuit which, at a first definable moment (t1) after start-up of the bread toaster, is adapted to compare said sensor signal (Us) with a reference signal (U.sub. c), whereupon in the event that said reference signal (Uc) is in excess of said sensor signal (Us), the bread toaster will be set out of operation after said predetermined level of said sensor signal (Us) is attained by the fact that said toasting-time control signal (R) is delivered from said first comparator to said first input of said first coupling stage, whilst in the opposite case, said heating device is switched off by said warming-up time control signal (A) which is generated by said control circuit at a second definable moment (t2) and is supplied to said second input of said first coupling stage.
Specification