Toaster with keep warm feature and method of toasting with the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9131804-B2
Application number	US-201313757942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2013
Priority date	Feb 4, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2015
Grant date	Sep 15, 2015

Abstract

A toaster comprises a housing, at least one spring-loaded bread tray, one or more heating elements, a bread tray retaining mechanism, a bread tray partial retaining mechanism, and a lifter arm slot. The bread tray is movable between an up position and a down position and is biased toward the up position. The bread tray retaining mechanism selectively retains the bread tray in the down position while the toasting operation is in progress and releases the bread tray from the down position when the toasting operation is complete. The bread tray partial retaining mechanism selectively retains the bread tray in a position between the down position and the up position after the bread tray is released by the bread tray retaining mechanism. In one embodiment, the lifter arm slot comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion being wider than the upper portion.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A toaster comprising:
a housing having at least one bread-receiving slot defined in a top surface;
at least one spring-loaded bread tray, movable between an up position and a down position and biased toward the up position, the at least one bread tray having an open top aligned with the at least one bread-receiving slot;
one or more heating elements selectively applying heat to a bread slice in the bread tray during a toasting operation;
a bread tray retaining mechanism selectively retaining the at least one bread tray in the down position while the toasting operation is in progress and for releasing the at least one bread tray from the down position when the toasting operation is complete;
a lifter arm slot defined in a side surface of the housing, the lifter arm slot comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion being wider than the upper portion; and
a bread tray partial retaining mechanism comprising a sliding tab sized for selective insertion into the lower portion of the lifter arm slot and sized to not fit into the upper portion of the lifter arm slot, the bread tray partial retaining mechanism selectively retaining the at least one bread tray in a position between the down position and the up position.

2. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the position between the down position and the up position at which the bread tray partial retaining mechanism is configured to retain the at least one bread tray is selected such that most or all of the bread slice in the bread tray is within the housing while the bread tray is retained at the position.

3. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the bread tray partial retaining mechanism has an engaged position and a disengaged position; wherein the bread tray partial retaining mechanism retains the at least one bread tray in the position between the down position and the up position when the bread tray partial retaining mechanism is in the engaged position; and wherein the bread tray partial retaining mechanism does not retain the at least one bread tray in the position between the down position and the up position when the bread tray partial retaining mechanism is in the disengaged position, thereby enabling the bread tray to return to the up position.

4. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the sliding tab prevents the bread tray's return to the up position from the down position when the sliding tab is selectively inserted into the lower portion of the lifter arm slot.

5. The toaster of claim 4 , further comprising:
a lifter bracket located within the housing and affixed to the at least one bread tray;
a lifter knob located external to the housing, the lifter knob comprising the sliding tab; and
a lifter arm having a first end affixed to the lifter bracket, a second end affixed to the lifter knob, and a connecting portion therebetween, the connecting portion configured to pass through the lifter arm slot.

6. The toaster of claim 4 , further comprising:
a lifter bracket located within the housing and affixed to the at least one bread tray;
a lifter knob located external to the housing; and
a lifter arm having a first end affixed to the lifter bracket, a second end affixed to the lifter knob, and a connecting portion therebetween, the connecting portion configured to pass through the lifter arm slot;
wherein the sliding tab is slidably affixed to one of the lifter knob or the lifter arm.

7. The toaster of claim 4 , wherein the lifter bracket comprises a metal plate and wherein the bread tray retaining mechanism comprises an electromagnet that is energized during the toasting operation and thereby attracts the metal plate.

8. The toaster of claim 1 , wherein the position between the down position and the up position corresponds to a point at which the lower portion and the upper portion of the lifter arm slot meet.

9. A toaster comprising:
a housing having at least one bread-receiving slot defined in a top surface and a lifter arm slot defined in a side surface, the lifter arm slot comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion being wider than the upper portion;
at least one spring-loaded bread tray, movable between an up position and a down position and biased toward the up position, the at least one bread tray having an open top aligned with the at least one bread-receiving slot;
one or more heating elements selectively applying heat to a bread slice in the bread tray during a toasting operation;
a lifter bracket located within the housing and affixed to the at least one bread tray, the lifter bracket having at least one metal surface;
a lifter knob located external to the housing;
a lifter arm having a first end affixed to the lifter bracket, a second end affixed to the lifter knob, and a connecting portion therebetween, the connecting portion configured to pass through the lifter arm slot;
an electromagnet selectively retaining the at least one bread tray in the down position while the toasting operation is in progress and releasing the at least one bread tray from the down position when the toasting operation is complete, the electromagnet being energized during the toasting operation and thereby magnetically retaining the metal surface of the lifter bracket; and
a sliding tab having a distal end sized for selective insertion into the lower portion of the lifter arm slot and sized to not fit into the upper portion of the lifter arm slot such that the bread tray cannot return to the up position from the down position when the sliding tab is inserted into the lower portion of the lifter arm slot.

10. The toaster of claim 9 , wherein the position between the down position and the up position at which the sliding tab is configured to retain the at least one bread tray is selected such that most or all of the bread slice in the bread tray is within the housing while the bread tray is retained at the position.

11. The toaster of claim 9 , wherein the sliding tab has an engaged position and a disengaged position; wherein the sliding tab retains the at least one bread tray in the position between the down position and the up position when the sliding tab is in the engaged position; and wherein the sliding tab does not retain the at least one bread tray in the position between the down position and the up position when the sliding tab is in the disengaged position, thereby enabling the bread tray to return to the up position.

12. The toaster of claim 11 , wherein the distal end of the sliding tab is selectively inserted into the lower portion of the lifter arm slot when the sliding tab is in the engaged position.

13. The toaster of claim 9 , wherein the position between the down position and the up position corresponds to a point at which the lower portion and the upper portion of the lifter arm slot meet.

14. The toaster of claim 9 , wherein the sliding tab is slidably affixed to one of the lifter knob or the lifter arm.

15. A toaster comprising:
a housing having at least one bread-receiving slot defined in a top surface;
at least one spring-loaded bread tray, movable between an up position and a down position and biased toward the up position, the at least one bread tray having an open top aligned with the at least one bread-receiving slot;
one or more heating elements selectively applying heat to a bread slice in the bread tray during a toasting operation;
a lifter arm slot defined in a side surface of the housing;
a lifter bracket located within the housing and affixed to the at least one bread tray;
a lifter knob located external to the housing; and
a lifter arm having a first end affixed t

Assignees

• Hamilton Beach Brands Inc

Inventors

• Turner Mark Francis
• Carlson Drew

Classifications

• A47J37/08

  Bread-toasters · CPC title

• A47J37/0814 Primary

  with automatic bread ejection or timing means (A47J37/0857 takes precedence) · CPC title