Patent ID: 8127666

Claim:
An electric toaster comprising: a housing with an elongate top opening for insertion of an item to be toasted; an upright slot in the housing; an upright rail in the housing; a carriage in the housing for supporting an item to be toasted, the carriage being engaged with the rail for movement along the rail between a toasting position, a first ejection position, and a second ejection position, higher than the first ejection position; a support member movably engaged with the rail; an actuating member engaged with the rail and movable relative to the support member and the carriage, the actuating member having an operating arm extending through the upright slot; a displacement-amplifying mechanism mounted on the support member and operatively connecting the actuating member to the carriage; a hold-down latch; a latching member cooperating with the hold-down latch; and first resilient means for urging the carriage to the first ejection position, wherein the carriage, the support member, and the actuating member abut one another and move simultaneously when the operating arm is moved downwards towards the toasting position so the latching member engages the hold-down latch, the carriage, the support member, and the actuating member abut one another and move together when the hold-down latch is released and the carriage is moved upwards by the first resilient means to the first ejection position, and, with the carriage in the first ejection position, movement of the actuating member upwardly relative to the support member is amplified by the displacement-amplifying mechanism in moving the carriage from the first ejection position to the second ejection position.