Patent ID: 6571687
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: A47J

Abstract:
An electric toaster comprising:a housing including a toasting compartment; an electric heating unit disposed in said toasting compartment; a spring-loaded carriage mounted in said toasting compartment and movable vertically between a lower position and an upper position, whereby a food item to be toasted is adapted to be loaded in and unloaded from said carriage when said carriage is in the upper position and whereby the food item is adapted to be toasted when said carriage is in the lower position; an electromagnet disposed in said housing adjacent to said carriage when said carriage is moved to the lower position for holding said carriage in the lower position, said electromagnet being movable between a deactivated position and an activated position; a power switch unit-disposed in said housing and connected electrically to said electric heating unit, said power switch unit being driven by said electromagnet so as to switch from an OFF-mode, where said, electromagnet is disposed in the deactivated position, to an ON-mode, where said electromagnet is disposed in the activated position; and a control unit connected electrically to said electromagnet and said power switch unit, said control unit enabling said electromagnet to be excited when said carriage is moved from the upper position to the lower position so as to attract said carriage such that said electromagnet subsequently moves with said carriage from the deactivated position to the activated position, said control unit enabling activation of said electric heating unit to toast the food item in said carriage when said electromagnet is disposed in the activated position and drives said power switch unit to switch to the ON-mode.