Object.

Inventor: Suzanne Brown

Related Application/Claim of Priority

This application is related to and claims priority from provisional application serial number 61/184591, filed June 5, 2009, and entitled "Toy Oven", which provisional application is incorporated herein by reference.

Introduction

[0001] The present invention relates to new and useful apparatus and method for producing transformation of a three dimensional object, e.g. a child's craft object, by application of heat to the object. The object is preferably a non edible, transformable product configured to change state and/or appearance when heated.

[0002] A provisional application, serial number 61/184,591, filed June 5, 2009, and entitled Toy Oven discloses and claims many of the aspects of applicant's apparatus and method, and that provisional application is incorporated by reference herein. Moreover, applicant has attached (as Exhibit A) an edited version of that application that applicant believes improves the description of those aspects of applicant's invention. Also, applicant has presented claims 1- 7 below, and has presented in Exhibit A additional claims (8-31) that are edited from the claims of application serial number 61/184,591 in a manner intended to make such claims (8-31) part of the claim set of this application.

[0003] This application further describes applicant's invention, including a summary of features of applicant's invention described herein, Figures IA- IE which illustrate and describe a preferred location for a window in applicant's invention and schematics relating to applicant's process, and additional background describing other products on the market at the time of creation of applicant's invention and the manner in which the present invention was conceived. Applicant believes these materials, along with the attached edited version of application serial number 61/184591, will enable one skilled in the art to fully appreciate applicant's invention. Summary of Applicant's Invention claimed herein

[0004] An important aspect of applicant's invention described and claimed herein is a new and useful apparatus and process for providing a transformation of a non edible, transformable product configured to change state and/or appearance when heated. A toy oven is provided that includes a. an insulated housing and a heating chamber disposed within the housing, b. a broadband source (preferably an incandescent light source) located within the housing to provide a source of radiation for heating and for illuminating the heating chamber, c. the insulated housing having an opening through which a product can be manually inserted into or removed from the heating compartment, the opening being large enough for insertion and withdrawal of a human hand, d. a door configured to be selectively opened when a product is being manually inserted into the heating compartment and closed when a product is located in the heating compartment, e. a window configured and located (preferably in the door) to enable the product to be viewed while in the heating compartment, the window having an outer surface on the outer surface of the oven, and f. a fan for producing a fluid flow that cools the outside surface of the window when a product is being heated in the heating chamber, and that cools the heating chamber after a predetermined heating cycle for a product in the heating chamber.

[0005] The non edible, transformable product is configured to change state and/or appearance when heated in the heating chamber, and which is safe enough to be handled by a child for extraction from the heating chamber and when out of the heating chamber. [0006] Initially, the non edible transformable product is manually inserted into the heating chamber, then the door is closed (and latched, so that it cannot be opened by a child). Then, the broadband incandescent light source is turned on (preferably under the control of a timer) to provide a heating cycle in which the heating chamber is heated and illuminated, and a fluid flow is produced from the fan to cool the outer surface of the window while the heating chamber is being heated, whereby the non edible transformable product will undergo a change of state and/or appearance within the heating chamber, that can be viewed through the window. After a predetermined heating cycle for the product, the broadband incandescent light source is turned off to discontinue production of heat in the heating chamber, and fluid flow from the fan is directed to cool the heating chamber. The door is maintained latched for a period of time after the broadband incandescent light source has been turned off to enable the heating chamber to cool to a predetermined extent. Then, the door is allowed to be opened, to enable a transformed product to be manually extracted from the heating chamber through the opening.

[0007] Preferably, the opening in the insulated housing has a minimum size of at least 3 inches (in this application: "minimum size" means as the largest dimension of the opening that needs to accommodate insertion of a hand, e.g. if round the "minimum size" means the diameter, if square the "minimum size" means the length of a side, if rectangular "minimum size" means the height and/or length of the sides, etc). In addition, the heating chamber is configured with a volume such that it can support a three dimensional object having a height of at least 1.5 inches.

Background And The Manner in which the present invention was conceived

[0008] There are several child safe toy ovens in the market place today. Generally they are related to baking a variety of foods and some limited non-food items. Each of these toy ovens is designed to minimize the ability for a child to place their hand inside the heating chamber even when the oven is in a cool state. The opening in the external housing does not have a door and is very low profile, no more than 1 !4" tall by 4" to 5" long. The opening to the heating chamber is normally offset from the opening in the external housing by either a passageway through to the heating chamber or the external opening folds up closing off access to the heating chamber before it can be turned on. Both of these methods pose problems to the Applicant's invention, called the "Craft N Bake Oven," due to the intended use evolving around crafting projects.

[0009] When I thought of the idea for the "Makit&Bakit" Oven (now known as the "Craft N Bake Oven") I used Hasbro's "Easy Bake Oven" to try out a Makit&Bakit suncatcher project. Happily I found the "Easy Bake Oven" was successful in melting the plastic baking crystals. However I was unhappy with the final results. My finished Makit&Bakit Suncatcher was a mess. Let me explain:

[0010] The Makit&Bakit Suncatcher is a start to finish craft kit that contains an aluminum metal frame, a variety of colored plastic baking crystals and a pair of plastic tweezers to help you place the baking crystals strategically by color into the aluminum frame. The aluminum metal frame is made up of cavities so you can separate the colors and keep them from melting together. If and when you melt all colors together it normally ends up an ugly brown and you have no ability to see the natural design of the project. The end result is supposed to appear similar to a stained glass window.

[0011 ] When I used the Easy Bake Oven I used the baking pan that was included with the oven. I placed my metal frame into the pan and proceeded to place the plastic baking crystals individually by color into the separate cavities. It's like coloring a picture but you are using colored plastic chips instead of crayons. When I was done filling in the metal frame, I placed the pan into the opening of the external housing and pushed it into the heating chamber using the plastic tool provided with the oven. When I did this a good majority of the plastic baking crystals fell out of place mixing the different colors together. All my hard work was ruined. In some cases the baking crystals fell out of the cavity resulting in blank holes; in others the color mixed together resulting in the brown color I mentioned above.

[0012] Some of the issues and challenges from this initial test helped drive my claims for the patent of the Craft N Bake Oven. My first thought was if I could have seen what happened to the baking crystals before they started melting I may have been able to fix them. My second thought was even if I could see them I wouldn't have been able to access the pan until it was cool and it may have been too late to fix it anyway.

[0013] The difference between the conventional oven and the Easy Bake Oven is simply the way I placed the craft project into the heating chamber. I knew the Easy Bake Oven would melt the baking crystals but I couldn't stop the crystals from shifting ending in unfavorable results. When using a conventional oven I was able to place the project into the heating chamber very carefully with my hand. I didn't knock any of the baking crystals out of place, but if I did I also had the ability to reach inside the oven with my hand and fix any baking crystals that had fallen out before I turned the oven on.

[0014] That is when I knew the heating chamber needed to be big enough to allow me to place my craft projects inside by hand. The opening for the actual heating chamber needs to be a minimum of 1 ¹ A" inches in height but I wanted to make it as big as possible opening up the scope of different 3D projects I would be able to make. I knew the oven would not be successful if I limited it to flat projects only especially since crafting comes in all shapes and forms and I wanted the oven to be able to handle as many formats as possible. See my potential project list on the initial feature list I created. The metal frame for the suncatcher is only 1/8" tall, but other projects I have in mind like paint and glaze ceramic figurines range in size. Some are as large as 2 ¹ A" to 4" tall. These items need to be standing for the glaze to adhere in the heating process properly. Each project needs to be carefully placed in the oven by hand or the final results will be similar to my initial Makit&Bakit test. One scratch or nick could ruin the project. You also need the ability to reach in and straighten as I pointed out in the case of the Makit&Bakit project. The pass through method used in the Easy Bake Oven and the Creepy Crawler oven are not conducive to the type of crafting I want to introduce with the Craft N Bake oven.

[0015] Conclusions from my initial testing and keeping my product objectives in mind are:

• Oven door needs to be hinged opening directly into the heating chamber

• Heating chamber needs to have a big enough opening allowing a child to place the projects inside by hand.

• Once the heating and cooling process has been completed, the child can reach into the oven to extract the finished work of art by hand.

• The heating chamber is big enough so the child can view the project before closing the door to determine if the project is ready to begin the heating process.

• Window in the door will allow the kids to monitor the progress inside the heating chamber and watch their craft project take its final form.

[0016] Figures 1 A-IE schematically illustrate applicant's preferred location for the window (in the door), and the manner in which applicant's method is preferably performed.

[0017] Thus, as seen from the foregoing description and Exhibit A, applicant's invention provides a new and useful apparatus and process for providing a transformation of a non edible, transformable product configured to change state and/or appearance when heated. The scope of the invention presented herein is reflected in claims 1 -7 below and claims 8-31 that are submitted in Exhibit A hereto. Exhibit A to Application of Suzanne Brown being filed herewith

MULTI-PURPOSE TOY OVEN

Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to toy ovens, and more particularly to multi-purpose toy ovens that operate electrically for heating products designed for use by children. The oven will have particular utility as a baking oven, e.g. for baking decorative craft products, and will be described in connection with such utility.

Background of the Invention

For many years, toy ovens have been extremely popular products for use by children, enabling a child to cook, on a small scale, various products specially designed for use by children. Such products include food products, craft items, and various toy or play products. Although numerous products have been constructed for use by children in connection with toy ovens and toy ovens have been extremely popular products sold in the marketplace for numerous years, currently available toy ovens continue to suffer from common drawbacks which have been incapable of being fully eliminated.

One of the principal difficulties encountered with toy ovens is insufficient safety features, e.g., preventing injury to a child in connection with the heat and electricity associated with the oven. Although numerous developments have been made in an attempt to provide a safe oven which is inaccessible to a child when hot, such prior art constructions have failed to be fully effective in limiting potential injuries.

While several advances have been made to prevent access to the internal parts of the oven while the temperature of these parts of the oven exceed a safe value, external portions of the oven may still become very hot to the touch and may provide mild to severe burns, the former discouraging use of the appliance and the latter creating liability for its maker.

Summary of the Invention

A particular point of interest for children is an observation window that allows them to view the cooking process. This specific location is of great curiosity to the child and, unfortunately, is usually the most poorly insulated portion of the appliance. The present disclosure improves upon the prior art by providing a toy electric oven featuring an insulated structure including an observation window that is cool to the touch.

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a toy electric oven, comprising: an insulated housing containing a heating chamber, the insulated housing having an aperture for placing an object in the heating chamber; a door for closing the aperture; a window for viewing the heating chamber when the door is closed, the window remaining at a safe temperature for touching while the toy electric oven is operating; a cooling system including a cooling fan; and a timer. In order to minimize the surface temperature of the window, the window may be comprised of at least two panes, spaced from one another, wherein the cooling fan optionally may be used to force an airstream between the at least two panes.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for operating a toy electric oven having an insulated housing with a window comprised of at least two panes, spaced from one another, for observing a heating chamber within, the method comprising: setting a timer, whereupon heat is provided to the heating chamber and a cooling fan optionally is activated, the cooling fan passing an airstream between the at least two panes; and, upon the conclusion of the timer, ceasing to provide heat to the heating chamber and optionally directing the cooling airstream to pass through the heating chamber.

Description of the Drawings

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be seen from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a toy oven in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating operation of a toy oven in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, various embodiments of the present disclosure. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

A primary aspect of the present disclosure provides a toy electric oven comprised of an insulated housing 10. Preferably, but not necessarily, the housing may be shaped and bear decorations that are "fun" and attractive to children. Within the insulated housing is a heating chamber (not shown) that may be accessed through an aperture so that an object to be heated may be placed in the heating chamber. It is intended that the aperture and the heating chamber be sized large enough to process three dimensional projects. The aperture is covered by a hinged mounted door 12 that may be latched. The insulated housing also includes a window 14 for viewing the heating chamber when the door is closed. (In FIG. 1 the window 14 is shown at the top of the housing, but applicant prefers thw window to be located in the hinged door, e.g. as shown in Figures IA and IB in the attached application of Suzanne Brown). Referring also to FIG. 2, the oven includes a control system 20 for operating a heating element 22 as will be discussed below, and a cooling system including a cooling fan 24 is provided so that the object and the heating chamber may be sufficiently cooled, thereby preventing injury. Finally, a timer 26 may be used to initiate operation of the toy electric oven and may also be used to automate some of the other functions of the toy electric oven.

The heating chamber may be heated using an incandescent bulb 22, though other sources of heat may be used. As a safety feature, the heating chamber may be divided into first and second compartments. The first compartment contains the incandescent bulb 22 and the second compartment is constructed to receive the object to be heated. The first and second compartments may be divided to prevent a child user from accessing the incandescent bulb 22 through the aperture. For example, a grating, a transparent plate, or an optical plate for focusing the light of the incandescent bulb, may be used to separate the first compartment from the second compartment. The incandescent bulb may be changed by removing a panel from the insulated housing that is fastened to the insulated housing, for example, by a plurality of screws. It is intended that the incandescent bulb 22 will be changed only by an adult.

The toy electric oven may also be constructed using a small heating element using a similar configuration to that described above.

The heating chamber may be configured with the surrounding surfaces to be substantially covered with a reflective material to aid in the distribution of heat and to contain the heat within the heating chamber.

The timer 26 of the present disclosure may be used to operate the toy electric oven. The timer may be set, for example, by turning a dial or entering a time value on a digital keypad. In this example, once the timer is set, the door 12 is locked shut by a locking device 28, and heat is provided to the heating chamber for the duration of the set heating time. When the timer concludes, heat is no longer provided and the cooling system 24 is used to cool the heating chamber.

The device may further include a temperature sensor 30 that senses the temperature of the heating chamber. The control 20 is programmed to operate the cooling system 24 to cool the heating chamber until the temperature sensor 30 indicates that the temperature within the heating chamber has fallen below a predetermined value whereupon it is safe for the child to retrieve the object. When this occurs, the locking device 28 is triggered to unlock the oven door 12.

A feature and advantage of the present invention is the provision of a cool-to-the- touch viewing window 14. The window 14 is configured to minimize the surface temperature, so that the child may use the toy electric oven and observe the cooking process without threat of even a minor injury. The window 14 may be kept at near-ambient temperatures while the heating chamber is being heated.

The window may be comprised of at least two panes, forming a space between the at least two panes. The space may be sealed, e.g. to contain a partial vacuum or may be vented to atmosphere. In a preferred embodiment, the cooling fan 24 may be used to force an airstream through the space while the heating chamber is being heated. The insulated housing contains a first path 32 and a second path 34 for an airstream powered by the cooling fan, the first path 32 directing the airstream through the space and the second path directing the airstream through the heating chamber 34. The first path and second path may have a common intake and a common exit. Path 34 does not operate until the heating element has turned off and the cooling of the heating chamber begins. Path 32 operates during the entire process to keep the housing and observation window cool

Because the location of the window 14 is a point of interest to the child, the airstream should be directed away from the window upon exiting the insulated housing.

In order to more effectively keep heat within the heating chamber, one or more of the panes reflects light and heat from within the heating chamber back into the heating chamber.

The toy electric oven of the present disclosure also includes a locking device or latch 28 for the door, so that a user may be prevented from opening the door 12 when the heating chamber is hot. The latch 28 keeps the door 12 from opening when the heating chamber is being heated and remains latched until the cooling system is turned off once the temperature falls to a safe level as sensed by the temperature sensor 30. The toy electric oven of the present disclosure is intended for a variety of uses including but not limited to, glazing surfaces, melting plastic crystals into forms, shrinking plastic forms, baking clay or dough, fusing two or more plastic items together, fusing beads, or baking plaster in molds. The toy electric oven may produce various products that include but are not limited to: jewelry and beads, name plates light plate switch covers, picture frames, mobiles, figurines, boxes, plates, cups, bowls magnets, buttons, tiles, suncatchers, and trays.

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for operating a toy electric oven as described above. The method allows the toy electric oven operated through initiating a heating cycle. As the heating cycle starts, the door is locked shut, and, heat is provided to the heating chamber and a cooling fan is activated, the cooling fan passing an airstream between the at least two panes of the window. Upon the conclusion of the heating cycle, heat is no longer delivered to the heating chamber and the airstream is directed to pass through the heating chamber in order to cool the heating chamber and the object that has been baked. The cooling fan continues to cool the heating chamber and the object therein until the temperature of the heating chamber falls below a predetermined value at which time the door latch is unlocked.

The operation of the door and latch may also be controlled by the timer. At the start of the timer, the door is latched to prevent the door from being opened. The door is unlatched a set time after the heating element is turned off. The set time is set at the factory, and is designed to permit the temperature of the heating chamber to fall below a predetermined value. In other words, the door is kept locked until sufficient time elapses to permit the heating chamber to cool to a safe temperature.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present device and process, particularly, and "preferred" embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations and merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many different embodiments of the disclosure described herein may be designed and/or fabricated without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. For example, the toy electric oven may further include a delay timer for delaying the function of the timer and other functions that depend on the start of the timer. All these and other such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims. Therefore the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.