Electric bread toaster
First Claim
1. An electric bread toaster comprising a housing, structure in said housing defining a toasting chamber, an electric heating unit in said housing, carriage structure in said housing movable between a receiving position and an operating position, a handle portion coupled to said carriage structure, spring structure in said housing for biasing said carriage structure towards said receiving position, guideway structure in said housing and cooperating with said carriage structure for guiding movement of said carriage structure between said receiving position and said operating position, said carriage structure being displaceable by means of said handle portion along said guideway structure and against spring action of said spring structure from said receiving position into said operating position, toast rack structure carried by said carriage structure for downward movement within said toasting chamber, a crumb collecting tray which extends below said toast rack structure and is insertable into an end position in said housing, said carriage structure being required to be brought into its said operating position for energization of said heating unit, a locking mechanism for holding said carriage structure in said operating position for the duration of the toasting cycle, a first device for preventing energization of said heating unit when said crumb collecting tray is not fully inserted to its said end position inside said housing, and a second device for rendering said locking mechanism ineffective on removal of said crumb collecting tray from its said end position, in the event that said carriage structure, following energization of said heating unit, is already in its operating position and said crumb collecting tray is fully inserted to its said end position, whereby said carriage structure moves back to said receiving position under spring action of said spring structure, thereby de-energizing said heating unit and aborting the toasting cycle.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is directed to a bread toaster with a removable crumb tray, including devices which prevent operation of the bread toaster when the crumb tray is not inserted and, secondly, which ensure that operation of the bread toaster is stopped when the crumb tray is removed during toasting.
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Citations
10 Claims
- 1. An electric bread toaster comprising a housing, structure in said housing defining a toasting chamber, an electric heating unit in said housing, carriage structure in said housing movable between a receiving position and an operating position, a handle portion coupled to said carriage structure, spring structure in said housing for biasing said carriage structure towards said receiving position, guideway structure in said housing and cooperating with said carriage structure for guiding movement of said carriage structure between said receiving position and said operating position, said carriage structure being displaceable by means of said handle portion along said guideway structure and against spring action of said spring structure from said receiving position into said operating position, toast rack structure carried by said carriage structure for downward movement within said toasting chamber, a crumb collecting tray which extends below said toast rack structure and is insertable into an end position in said housing, said carriage structure being required to be brought into its said operating position for energization of said heating unit, a locking mechanism for holding said carriage structure in said operating position for the duration of the toasting cycle, a first device for preventing energization of said heating unit when said crumb collecting tray is not fully inserted to its said end position inside said housing, and a second device for rendering said locking mechanism ineffective on removal of said crumb collecting tray from its said end position, in the event that said carriage structure, following energization of said heating unit, is already in its operating position and said crumb collecting tray is fully inserted to its said end position, whereby said carriage structure moves back to said receiving position under spring action of said spring structure, thereby de-energizing said heating unit and aborting the toasting cycle.
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2. An electric bread toaster comprising a housing,
structure in said housing defining a toasting chamber, an electric heating unit in said housing, guideway structure in said housing, carriage structure in said housing movable between a receiving position and an operating position, a handle portion coupled to said carriage structure, spring structure in said housing for biasing said carriage structure towards said receiving position, guideway structure in said housing and cooperating with said carriage structure for guiding movement of said carriage structure between said receiving position and said operating position, said carriage structure being displaceable by means of said handle portion along said guideway structure and against spring action of said spring structure from said receiving position into said operating position, toast rack structure carried by said carriage structure for downward movement within said toasting chamber, a crumb collecting tray insertable into an end position in said housing such that said crumb collecting tray extends below said toast rack structure, said carriage structure being required to be brought into its said operating position for energization of said heating unit, a locking mechanism for holding said carriage structure in said operating position for the duration of the toasting cycle, and a device for preventing energization of said heating unit when said crumb collecting tray is not fully inserted to said end position inside said housing, said device including a slide member which cooperates with said crumb collecting tray in such manner that it is moved against the spring biasing force of said spring structure as said crumb collecting tray is being inserted, said slide member being provided with projection structure which blocks movement of said carriage structure to its operating position when said crumb collecting tray is not fully inserted to its said end position.
Specification