FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an electric ejection toaster, more specifically to an electric ejection bread toaster for bread or similar foodstuffs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many different devices for singeing/browning/toasting sliced bread by exposing it to radiant heat have been proposed. These include "pop-up" toasters, toaster ovens and conveyor belt toasters.

Toaster ovens and conveyor belt toasters are typically used in a restaurant or similar catering environment where the toasts need to be made quickly and in large quantities.

The pop-up toaster is well known and is the most widely used kind in the domestic setting. The pop-up toaster is a mechanical device having vertical slots (usually two or four) in which a slice of bread or other similar foodstuff is placed. A lever on the side of the toaster is depressed moving a seat, on which the bread slice is placed, downward against a compression spring to expose the slice of bread to heating elements disposed either side of the slice and to retain the slice there for a predetermined period of time. A variable timer actuates completion of the toasting process by releasing the seat and moving the slice of bread upwards in the slot such that the bread is partially exposed from the slot.

The user then manually removes the toasted slice of bread from the toaster.

A disadvantage of the pop-up toaster is that the user is required to manually remove the toasted bread from the toaster. As the bread is very hot following the toasting process it poses a significant hazard to the user in that it may burn the user's hands. In order to avoid potential injury to the user, the user may wait for the slice to cool down. This leads to a further disadvantage in that a cooled down slice of bread is not as tasty as a warm slice of toasted bread.

A further disadvantage of known pop-up toasters is that the user is exposed to the heated toaster itself, whether that is the body of the toaster or the heating elements, as the toasted slice is still located in the toaster. This leads to further potential injury to the user. This disadvantage is also pronounced in the toaster ovens and conveyor toasters.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

Objects of this invention are to provide an electric ejection bread toaster which at least partially overcomes and/or alleviates the abovementioned disadvantages associated with the prior art and to provide an improved electric ejection bread toaster.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention there is provided an electric ejection bread toaster comprising:

- a body defining at least one slot for receiving a slice of bread to be placed on a seat which seat is movable in the slot between an operating position, in which the slice of bread is located proximate a heating element disposed on at least one side of the slice of bread, and an ejecting position; and

- an actuator for actuating movement of the seat from the operating position to the ejecting position;

characterised in that the slot is provided at an angle relative to the vertical such that the slice of bread is ejected from the body when the seat is in the ejecting position.

The invention further provides for the angle relative to the vertical to be provided by either one of a support disposed on one side of the body which operatively provides the body and slot at the angle relative to the vertical, or by the slot to be provided angularly relative to the body.

The angle relative to the vertical may be provided as 15 degrees. The invention yet further provide for the actuator to be configured to releasably retain the seat in the operating position and for the actuator to further include a biasing member to operatively move the seat to the ejecting position when the actuator releases the seat.

The invention further provides for the biasing member to be a compression spring extending between the body and the seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of this invention will become apparent from the following description set forth below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an electric ejection bread toaster according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side perspective view of the toaster of figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a side view of the toaster of figure 1 detailing the slots in which the bread may be placed;

Figure 4 is a side view of an electric ejection bread toaster illustrating the slots in which the bread may be placed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 shows a side view of the toaster of figure 1 showing internal components such as a seat in an ejecting position; and

Figure 6 shows a side view of the toaster of figure 1 showing internal components such as a seat in an operating position.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides an electric ejection bread toaster, more specifically to a toasting device for bread or similar foodstuffs commonly known as a popup toaster.

An electric ejection bread toaster 10 has a body 12 which defines two angled slots 14 which is configured to receive a slice of bread (not shown) or any other suitable foodstuff such as a bagel or the like.

Disposed on either side of the slots 14 are heating elements 16 which operatively provide radiant heat to "singe" or toast the slices of bread.

The slice is placed on a seat 1 8 which is slidably movable in the slot 14 between an operating position 20 and an ejecting position 22. The operation of the electric toaster toaster 10 will now be described in more detail.

In use, the slice of bread is placed on the seat 18 which is normally in the ejecting position 22 (shown in Figure 5). The ejecting position 22 is maintained by a biasing member in the form of a compression spring 24. Depressing a lever 26 located on the outside of the body 12 moves the seat 18 to the operating position 20 (see Figure 6) against the bias of the spring 24.

When the seat 18 is located in the operating position 20, the heating elements 16 are actuated such that the slice can be singed or toasted in the normal manner. The retaining of the seat 18 in this position; and the time period which the slice is toasted and/or the intensity of the heating element determined by timer mechanism 28 are widely known in the art and are accordingly not further described herein.

After elapse of the predetermined time period in accordance with the particular setting of the timer mechanism 28, the seat 18 is released by an actuator (not shown) such that the seat 18 (and the slice located thereon) moves to the ejecting position 22 by means of the compression spring 24. At the same time, power to the heating elements is interrupted. As mentioned above the slots 14 are angled. The angle of the slots 14 is provided angularly to the vertical, in other words the angle of the slots 14 is not at 90 degrees relative to the operative horizontal - indicated as line X in Figure 3. More particularly, the degree of offset from the vertical is provided at a 15 degree offset, in other words 15 degrees from the vertical.

The angle of the slots 14 relative to the horizontal may be provided through two different means. Firstly, it may be provided through a pair of supports 30 located on one side of the body 12. In this respect, the supports 30 extend higher than its opposing supports 32 thereby providing a body that is tilted. This is shown in Figures 1 -3, 5 and 6.

Alternatively, the slots 14 may be angled relatively to the body 12. As shown in Figure 4, the supports 32 are of equal size so that the body 12 is not tilted as is the case of the first embodiment. The effective angle of the slots 14 is however also provided at a 15 degree offset from the vertical as is the case of the first embodiment shown in Figure 3. In this second embodiment, the heating elements 16 will also be equidistantly spaced from the slots 14 to ensure an equal distribution of radiant heat to the slices of bread.

The angle of the slots 14 allows the slice to be ejected from the body 12 of the toaster 10 thereby avoiding the requirement of physical handling thereof by the user. A plate or other suitable dishware (not shown) may be provided adjacent the toaster 10 to catch the slice. It is accordingly asserted that the disadvantages of the prior art are avoided, or at least alleviated by provision of the invention. The invention provides an electric ejection bread toaster which avoids the requirement of a user having to physically handle the toasted slice of bread (or other foodstuff) in order to remove it from the device. This also avoids the user's exposure to the toaster components itself shortly after use. The invention accordingly provides a new way of ejecting a slice of toasted bread.

It will be appreciated that in terms of the invention, variations in details are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the urging strength of the compression spring 24 may be adapted in accordance with the angle of the slots 16. In other words, the closer the angle to the vertical, the greater strength is required by the compression spring 24. The determination of this relationship will be within the competence of a person skilled in the art. Accordingly, any angle between 0 and 90 degrees may be suitable. It will also be understood that the ejecting position 22 can be adapted, but it will be proximate the opening of the slots 14 such that the slices can be ejected therefrom.

The number of slots 14 on a particular device is also variable according to different requirements. The actuator may also be any suitable device or components which facilitates movement of the seat in the slots.

The above description is presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understandable description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention. The words used here should be interpreted as words of description rather than words of limitation.