Abstract:
A controllable electric toasting apparatus primarily for use in the home permits power to be safely disconnected when items become jammed inside. In addition, a carriage assembly inside the toasting apparatus can be raised during a toasting cycle so that the items can be viewed without interrupting the toasting cycle. Also, if an item is smaller than usual and placed in the toasting apparatus, the carriage assembly can be raised beyond its initial raised position to allow convenient removal of the small item.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an improvement in the design of electric toasters, particularly for those used in the home. In a typical toaster, an item is placed in an opening at the top of the toaster, usually in a vertical orientation. A tray is lowered against a spring and when the toasting cycle is completed, the item automatically pops up for removal. When the tray automatically pops up or is manually lifted, the power to heating elements within the toaster is cut off. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Prior art toasters include timers that determine the amount of time that a toasting cycle will operate. During the toasting cycle heating elements apply heat to items in the toasters. One problem with prior art toasters is that the toasting cycle continues until the tray is raised, meaning that heat will continue to be applied if the item placed in the toaster becomes jammed or stuck. Therefore, if the tray is jammed the power to the heating element is not turned off. This can result in either the item being burned or the heating element overheating. This presents a dangerous condition since items in the tray could ignite, causing items around the toaster to also ignite, or the heating elements could melt wires inside the toaster, causing the toaster itself to ignite. 
     Another problem associated with prior art toasters involves the termination of power when the tray is released. Prior art toasters typically do not release the tray until the toasting cycle finishes. Therefore, when the tray is raised manually, such as when checking to see if an item is done toasting, the power turns off. If a user wants to check the toasting progress of items while the power is on, there is no way to lift the tray without turning the power off. As a result, if the item is not done, the user must reinitiate the toasting cycle after examining the items in the toaster body. 
     Another problem with prior art toasters involves the removal of an item after the completion of the toasting cycle. If a small item is placed in the toaster when the tray is in its raised position, the item may be below the top of the toaster. Removal of the item therefore either involves fingers, which may be burned, or a utensil such as a fork or knife, which may damage the toaster or cause electrical shock to the user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention discloses a controllable override electric toasting apparatus that automatically disengages power to a heating element when a carriage assembly becomes jammed at the end of a toasting cycle. Additionally, the carriage assembly may be manually lifted during a toasting cycle without shutting off the power, so that a user can see if items placed in the toaster are adequately toasted. 
     Additionally, the controllable override electric toasting apparatus of the present invention permits the carriage assembly to be lifted above its initial raised position. This allows smaller items to be easily removed from the toasting apparatus without having to risk burns or electric shock from the use of a foreign instrument. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus showing a toast residual tray; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus with the carriage control handle in an initial raised position; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view the controllable override electric toasting apparatus with the carriage control handle in a maximum raised position; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus with the carriage control handle in a maximum lowered position; 
     FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus showing the carriage control handle  20  in its initial raised position; 
     FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus showing the carriage control handle in its maximum lowered position; 
     FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus showing the carriage control handle in a position below its initial raised position; and 
     FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus showing the carriage control handle in its maximum raised position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus of the present invention. A toasting apparatus  10  has a generally rectangular configuration forming a toaster body  12 . The toaster body  12  includes two openings  14  and  16  in a top surface  18 , and a closed end. The openings  14  and  16  in the top surface  18  receive items and align them in a vertical orientation in the toaster body  12 . The toaster body  12  may hold a single item or a plurality of items at the same time. This specification will refer to the placement of both a single item and multiple items in the toaster body. Items commonly placed in toasting devices include bread, muffins, and other food products. It is to be understood that different embodiments of the toasting apparatus  10  may have different shapes and different numbers of openings, and that their orientation may be varied relative to the toaster body  12 . For example, the toasting apparatus  10  may have one opening or it may have a plurality of openings capable of aligning many items in the toaster body  12 . Also, the toasting apparatus  10  may have a shape other than rectangular, such as a sphere or pyramid, and the openings may be oriented other than on the top of the toasting apparatus  10 , thereby aligning items in orientations other than vertical. The material used to make the toasting apparatus  10  and toaster body  12  may be metal, plastic, or any other material commonly used in the art of electric toasters. 
     The toasting apparatus  10  also includes a carriage assembly for supporting items placed in the toaster body  12 . The carriage assembly includes a carriage control handle  20  disposed upon said carriage assembly such that the carriage assembly can be raised or lowered using the carriage control handle  20 . In one embodiment, the carriage control handle  20  is sidably oriented relative to the toaster body  12  in an opening  22  in a side of the toaster body  12 . In another embodiment, the carriage control handle  20  has an end that is disposed external to the toaster body  12  through the side for movement by a user. The carriage assembly also includes a carriage member  46  disposed within the toaster body  12 . 
     FIG. 1 also shows a carriage release button  23  disposed on a surface of the toaster body  12 . When pressed while items in the toaster body  12  are being toasted, the carriage release button  23  cuts power to the toaster body  12  by disengaging a pair of electromagnetic plates. This opens a switch in the circuit controlling the toasting of items in the toaster body  12  and allows the carriage member  46  to be raised. The carriage release button may be disposed on any surface of the toaster body. For example, the carriage release button may be disposed on the top surface  18 , as shown in FIG.  1 . In another embodiment, the carriage release button may be disposed on a side of the toaster body. 
     FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus. The toasting apparatus  10  also includes a toast residual tray  24 . The toast residual tray  24  is slidably positioned below the carriage assembly within the toaster body  12  to catch any items falling out of the carriage assembly. The toast residual tray  24  is accessible from a side of the toasting apparatus  10  and is slidable in and out of the toaster body  12 . The toast residual tray  24  may comprise a metal tray  26  and a handle  28  for easy removal and insertion into the toaster body  12 . 
     FIGS. 3,  4 , and  5  are side views of the controllable override electric toasting apparatus. These figures show examples of the positioning of the carriage control handle  20 . In FIG. 3, the carriage control handle  20  is in its initial raised position. In this position, items may be placed in the toasting apparatus  10  to be lowered into the toaster body  12 . FIG. 4 shows another example in which the carriage control handle  20  has been lifted to its maximum raised position. This position can be used when smaller items have been placed into the toaster body  12  and cannot be removed when the carriage control handle  20  is in its initial raised position as shown in FIG.  3 . FIG. 5 shows the carriage control handle  20  in its maximum lowered position. This position is used when items placed in the toaster body  12  are being toasted. 
     The toasting apparatus  10  also includes a carriage control rod  30  vertically disposed within the toaster body  12 . A first damping spring  32  is wrapped around the carriage control rod  30  at a first end  31 . The first damping spring  32  is capable of being compressed to raise the carriage assembly beyond its initial raised position, and is also capable of being stretched to lower the carriage assembly. A second damping spring  34  is wrapped around the carriage control rod  30  at a second end  35 . The second damping spring  34  has sufficient strength to support the carriage assembly in its initial raised position. It is also capable of being compressed to lower the carriage assembly and stretched to raise the carriage assembly beyond the initial raised position. 
     The carriage control handle  20  is coupled to a first sliding member  36  perpendicularly disposed relative to the carriage control rod  30 . The first sliding member  36  includes a first electromagnetic plate  38 . The first sliding member  36  is coupled to the carriage assembly by a second sliding member  40  to facilitate movement of the carriage assembly with the carriage control handle  20 . The second sliding member  40  couples to the carriage member  46 . The depression of the carriage control handle  20  causes the first and second sliding members  36  and  40  to slide downward on the carriage control rod  30 , thereby moving the carriage assembly and items placed in the openings  14  and  16  down into the toaster body  12 . Conversely, the lifting of the carriage control handle  20  causes items to be raised within the toaster body  12 . 
     The toasting apparatus  10  is connected to a power supply by an electrical cord and plug  42 . The electrical cord and plug  42  provides an electrical power source for at least one heating element, which is disposed within the toaster body  12 . The toasting apparatus  10  may have a single heating element disposed within the toaster body  12 , or in another embodiment, a plurality of heating elements disposed within the toaster body  12 . Because the toasting apparatus  10  may have either one or many heating elements, for the purpose of simplicity this specification will refer to one heating element. However, it is to be understood that additional heating elements may also be included. 
     The heating element included within the toasting apparatus  10  heats items when the electrical power source is applied. The toasting apparatus  10  also includes an interrupt mechanism configured to turn off the electrical power source when the carriage assembly becomes jammed within the toaster body  12 . The interrupt mechanism turns off the electrical power source by interrupting the flow of current to the heating element. 
     The toaster body may also include at least one guide for keeping items separated from the heating element. The guide is disposed within the toaster body  12  and is fixedly positioned to prevent contact between items and the heating element. The guide also maintains items in a proper orientation within the toaster body  12 . 
     The toasting apparatus  10  also includes an axially-oriented toasting control member  44 , provided to set the amount of time that the heating element provides heat to items placed within the toaster body  12 . The toasting control member  44  is rotatable about a central axis and positioned on a side of the toaster body  12 . A user may turn the toasting control member  44  to adjust the amount of time that heat is applied to items placed within the toaster body  12 . 
     FIG. 6 shows a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the toasting apparatus  10  of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows the carriage control handle  20  in its initial raised position. The carriage control handle  20  is coupled to the first sliding member  36  having a first electromagnetic plate  38  that is part of an electromagnet assembly. The carriage control handle  20  is also coupled to the carriage control rod  30  vertically disposed within the toaster body  12 . FIG. 6 also shows the second damping spring  34  coupled to the carriage control rod  30 . Movement of the carriage control handle  20  from the position shown in FIG. 6 may be either upwards to raise the carriage member  46  to remove small items from the toaster body or in a downward manner to lower items placed in the toaster body  12  for toasting. 
     FIG. 7 also shows a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the toasting apparatus  10 . In FIG. 7, the carriage control handle  20  is shown in its maximum lowered position such that the first electromagnetic plate  38  is electromagnetically coupled to a second electromagnetic plate  40 . The second electromagnetic plate  40  is electrically coupled to a circuit to receive current from the power supply. When the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  are coupled together, current is applied to the heating element within the toasting apparatus  10  and items placed within the toaster body  12  are then toasted. When a user lowers the carriage control handle  20  by applying pressure in a downward manner, the second damping spring  34  positioned on the carriage control rod  30  is compressed. This allows the first electromagnetic plate  38  to couple with the second electromagnetic plate  48  and hold the carriage assembly in a lowered position while heat is applied to items placed in the toasting apparatus  10 . 
     The depression of the carriage control handle  20  to the point where the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  couple initiates the application of heat to items in the toaster body  12 . Current is supplied when the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  come in contact with each other. A switch in an electronic circuit is closed as the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  couple, thereby causing current to flow to the heating element in the toaster body  12 . A timer controls the amount of time the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  38  are coupled together. This timer is set by the user with the toasting control member  44 . When the time is up for the application of heat to the items, the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  disengage, thereby opening the circuit and cutting the power to the heating element. When items become jammed in the toaster body and prevent the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  from disengaging, the interrupt mechanism cuts power to the toaster body and allows the items to be removed. The interrupt mechanism is an electronic circuit that opens the switch when the disengagement of the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  fails to occur. The interrupt mechanism therefore detects when the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  continue to contact each other after the time to stop the application of heat to the toaster body  12  passes. The interrupt mechanism operates to open the switch and cease the flow of current to the toaster body  12  when this condition occurs. 
     FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the toasting apparatus  10 . In FIG. 8, the carriage control handle  20  is shown in a position below its initial raised position. This figure shows an embodiment of the invention in which the carriage member  46  can be raised while the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  are coupled and heat is being applied to the toaster body  12 . A person using the toasting apparatus  10  can therefore view the progress of the toasting of items in the toaster body  12  by lifting the carriage control handle  20  while the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  are coupled together. The lifting of the carriage control handle  20  does not disengage the coupling between the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  while heat is being applied. Thus, the carriage member  46  can be raised during toasting without interrupting the application of heat to items placed in the toasting apparatus  10 . 
     The carriage member  46  can also be lifted while in its maximum lowered position by depressing the carriage release button  23  and lifting the carriage control handle  20 . The carriage release button  23  operates as an additional interrupt mechanism for the circuit controlling the application of heat to the toaster body  12 . Depression of the carriage release button  23  opens the switch in the circuit by disengaging the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48  and allowing the carriage member  46  to be raised. Thus, the carriage release button  23  interrupts the coupling of the first and second electromagnetic plates  38  and  48 . This interrupt mechanism is used when the user is satisfied with the toasting of items in the toaster body  12  and wishes to remove items placed in it. 
     FIG. 9 also shows a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the toasting apparatus  10 . In FIG. 9, the carriage control handle  20  is shown in its maximum raised position relative to the toaster body  12 . This position is achieved after the carriage control handle  20  is in its initial raised position. When items are in the toaster body  12  but are too small to be removed when the carriage assembly is in its initial raised position, the carriage control handle  20  is movable upward to facilitate the removal of the items. A user applies upward pressure to the carriage control handle  20 . The first damping spring  32  positioned around the carriage control rod  30  compresses to allow the carriage assembly to rise to allow the removal of the items.