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Electric bread toaster

  • US 4,986,173 A
  • Filed: 08/29/1989
  • Issued: 01/22/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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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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