AU640109B2 - Toaster - Google Patents

Description

OPI DATE 17/01/91 AOJP DATE 07/03/91 APPLN. ID 39640 89 PCT NUMBER PCT/AU89/00280 PCIr INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (51) International Patent Classification 4 (11) International Publication Number: WO 91/00043 A47J 37/00 Al (43) International Publication Date: 10 January 1991 (10.01.91) (21) International Application Number: PCT/AU89/00280 Published With international search report.

(22) International Filing Date: 28 June 1989 (28.06.89) (71) Applicant (for all designated States except US): BLACK DECKER INC. [US/US]; Drummond Plaza Office Park, 1423 Kirkwood Highway, Newark, DE 19711 (US).

(72) Inventor; and Inventor/Applicant (for US only) TRELOAR, Robert, Brian [AU/AU]; I Dalwood Court, Vermont South, VIC 3133

(AU).

(74) Agent: WATERMARK; 50 Queen Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 (AU).

(81) Designated States: AT (European patent), AU, BE (European patent), BR, CH (European patent), DE (European patent)*, FR (European patent), CB (European patent), IT (European patent), JP, LU (European patent), NL (European patent), SE (European patent), US.

(54) Title: TOASTER 14 3 -j (57) Abstract A toaster is disclosed herein having the capability of toasting a variety of products such as various sized bread slices, muffins and crumpets while still being able to eject these products to an extend sufficient to allow the toasted products to be easily gripped, the toaster having a body with a product access opening (10) in an upper wall leading to a toasting chamber, heating elements being provided on either side of the toasting chamber and a movable product support carriage (14) movable between a raised product receiving or eject position and a lowered product toasting position. The distance of travel of the carriage (14) between these two positions being at least 65 mm and preferably between 70 and 80 mm.

See back of page WO 91/00043 PCr/AU89/00280 1

TOASTER

The present invention relates to improvements in toasters of the type adapted to toast bread or similar products such as muffins, crumpets or the like.

Conventional toasters commonly comprise a toaster body with at least one slot like opening in an upper wall to receive the bread or similar product for toasting. A movable bread support carriage is located beneath the opening to support the bread during insertion and during the toasting operation. Normally, generally vertical bread support racks are located on either side of the support carriage and toasting element are located just outwardly of the support racks. The support carriage is normally held in a lower position during toasting and released to move upwardly to eject the toasted bread product in completion of a toasting cycle. Commonly some form of timer control is used to selectably control the length of any toasting cycle but these timer controls are unsatisfactory to the extent that they do not cope with differing products such as brown bread relative to white bread or crumpets relative to bread and so on. More recently other forms of controls have been proposed. One such proposed control arrangement is disclosed in PCT Application No. PCT/AU88/00275 where reflected light from the product being toasted is used to control the length of time of any one toasting cycle. Thus it is possible for a person to select the desired browness and the toaster will maintain the heating elements in operation until this is achieved regardless of the product involved.

Toasters of the aforementioned conventional kind while serving the intended purpose of toasting bread or similar products, do have significant disadvantages. Some of these disadvantages are emphasized when using novel controls of the type disclosed in PCT Application No.

PCT/AU88/00275 which enable toasting cycles to be completed quickly in a safe toasting manner.

WO 91/00043 PCT/AU89/00280 2 One disadvantage of conventional toasters is that they tend to be designed for one product, namely a conventionally sized bread slice. The carriage movement for such a bread slice is designed to receive the bread slice and to wholly place the bread slice between the toasting elements and thereafter eject the toasted bread slice to a height where it can be easily gripped for removal.

Normally, however the carriage movement is insufficient to enable a crumpet or a muffin to be ejected to a suitable gripping height leading to the dangerous practice of trying to dig the crumpet or muffin out with any available kitchen implement.

Another disadvantage of conventional toasters is that they can be operated without a product to be toasted inserted onto the bread support carriage. This can lead to misuse, burnout of the toaster and occasionally fires.

In addition to the foregoing the construction of conventional toasters and particularly the mechanisms for controlling movement of the bread support carriage tend to be complicated requiring many parts with the result that fabrication costs of such toasters tend to be quite high.

The present invention has for its principal objective, the provision of a toaster capable of convenient operation with a wide range of bread or similar products such as crumpets or muffins. A further objective of the present invention is to provide a toaster that will not oeprate unless a product to be toasted is inserted therein.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a toaster with relatively simple design to minimize fabrication costs. A still further objective of the present invention is to provide a toaster with improved features suitable for operating successfully with a control system operated by reflected light from the product being toasted.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a toaster comprising a toasting chamber, an opening above said toasting chamber to receive a product to be toasted therethrough and to permit removal of WO 91/00043 PCT/AU89/00280 3 the product after toasting, a support carriage movable in said toasting chamber and adapted to support the product to be toasted, said support carriage being movable between an elevated position adapted to receive the product to be toasted and a lowered toasting position, heating elements arranged to supply heat to said toasting chamber, said support carriage having a travel distance of at least between said lowered toasting position and said elevated position. Conveniently, the travel distance is between and 80 mm. It is this feature that enables a toaster according to the present invention to have the capability of toasting all conventional products such as bread slices, crumpets, muffins and the like while still enabling each such product to be ejected a sufficient distance to be easily handled after toasting. In this respect the present invention also provides a toaster comprising a toasting chamber, an opening above said toasting chamber to receive a product to be toasted therethrough and to permit removal of the product after toasting, a support carriage movable in said toasting chamber and adapted to support the product to be toasted, said carriage being movable between an elevated position adapted to receive the product to be toasted and a lowered toasting position, heating elements arranged to supply heat to said toasting chamber, an upright support member provided adjacent one end of the toasting chamber, said support carriage being slidably supported on said upright support member for movement thereon, said upright support member extending to a position no lower than said opening above said toasting chamber.

According to one preferred embodiment there is provided a toaster comprising a toasting chamber within an outer housing wall, an opening above said toasting chamber extending through said outer housing wall to receive a product to be toasted therethrough and to permit removal of the product after toasting, a support carriage movable in said toasting chamber and adapted to suDDort the product to betoasteds id crrage neing m cvablekecstenanev be toasted, said carriage being movablekbetween an elevated 4 WO 91/00043 P(7rAU9/00280 4 position adapted to receive the product to be toasted and a lowered toasting position, a carriage mounting mechanism located at one end of said toaster adjacent an end wall of the toasting chamber, said carriage mounting mechanism enabling movement of said support carriage in said toasting chamber and extending into an elevated position of the outer housing wall at said one end of the toaster.

According\-n n further aspect, the present invention provides toaster comprising a toasting chamber, an opening above sai toasting chamber to receive a product to be toasted thereth ough and to permit removal of the product after toastin a support carriage movable in said toasting chamber and a pted to support the product to be toasted, said support c rriage being movable between an elevated position adapte to receive the product to be toasted and a lowered toa ting position, heating elements arranged to supply heat to\said toasting chamber, said toaster further including a\latch member movable to a latching position when said upport carriage is in said lowered toasting positior sucn that said latch member maintains the support carriag.\in said lowered toasting position during a toasting cycl and means to prevent engagement of said latch member 'n said latching position unless a said product to be toasted is supported on said support carriage.

In accordance with a still further aspect the present invention provides a toaste comprising a toasting chamber, an opening above said toast g chamber to receive z product to be toasted therethrough an to permit removal of the product after toasting, a support arriage movable in said toasting chamber and adapted to su ort the product to be toasted, said support carriage being ovable between an elevated position adapted to receive the roduct to be toasted and a lowered toasting position, r diant heating elements arranged to supply heat to said to sting chamber, means arranged to maintain said support carriage in said t** WO 91/00043 PCr/AU89/00280 Pnahling sairi innpr part- t" hLe rnta ly. connctedte to said control element and said inner part being-connected to said main body part only by one or m flexible elongated links permitting transmission rotary movement of said main body part to said in part but preventing transmission of axial movementrRaid main body part to said inner part.- Throughout this specification reference may be made to a bread slice as a product to be toasted. Unless the context indicates otherwise, this should be understood as including any other comparable product such as crumpets, muffins or the like.

Reference will now be made to a preferred embodiment of the present invention described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the outer configuration of a toaster produced according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation view with the outer cover removed of the toaster shown in Figure 1 with the 2 toast carriage in a lowered operative position; Figure 2A is a partial cross-sectional view of the toaster with the cover removed from the side opposite to that shown in Figure 2; Figure 2B is a detailed view of the lower end of the carriage latch means; Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a partial perspective view (outer cover removed) of the carriage control means with some parts omitted for the sake of clarity; Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of part of the bread carriage; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the toasting level setting knob.

Referring now to figure 1, the toaster 1 comprises an outer body section 2 formed preferably of a moulded plastics material, but other materials might also be used.

T WO 91/00043 P~/AU9/00280 .y- A bread receiving opening 10 of conventional arrangement is provided in an upper wall of the outer body P.ction 2 and may conveniently be of a length sufficient to receive two conventional bread slices adjacent one another. At one end of the toaster body section 2 there is provided a housing section 12 accommodating the control arrangements supporting and enabling movement of a bread support carriage 14 (figure A vertically extending recess 18 is provided in the housing section 12 in which a control knob 16 slides. The control knob 16 is connected via suitable link means through a vertical slot 3 in the recess 18 to the bread carriage 14.

Thus physical movement of the knob 16 downwardly effects movement of the bread support carriage 14 over a similar distance and vice versa. A rotatable control knob 4 (also shown in figure 6) enables the user to select the degree of toasting (browness) required and the knob 4 is connected to the control arrangements within the outer body section 2 as hereinafter described. As is apparent, from figure 1, the housing section 12 includes an elevated portion adjacent one end of the bread receiving opening 10 to enable the mechanism controlling movement of the carriage 14 to be positioned such that the carriage 14 can move over significantly greater distances than have been possible with conventional toasters.

As illustrated in figures 2 and 2A, the bread carriage 14 is movable between a lowered position 14' and an upper position 14" (figure 2A). The lowered position 14' the toasting position and the raised position 14" is the bread receiving position. For safe and convenient use, any toasted product ejected should extend above the opening by an amount sufficient to be gripped by the user to enable full removal from the toaster. Typically toasters of this type might be called on to handle products of the following approximate sizes: bread slice 110mm x 110mm x 12mm crumpet 100mm diameter x 15mm thick muffin 70mm diameter x 20mm thick 3Z WO 91/00043 PC/AU9/00280 7 It will of course be appreciated that circular products such crumpets and muffins are more difficult to be gripped because of the segmental shape of the projecting part when ejected. It is considered that any product ejected should project at least 15mm and preferably 20 to above the upper wall of the toaster. This would require for the likely smallest product (muffin) that the carriage ±4 in its raised position 14" be no more than below the upper wall of the toaster. Given that the upper edge of the toasting elements would, because of physical constraints be about 10 to 20mm belov the upper wall of the toaster, the lower position 14' of the carriage 14 would need to be at least 120mm to 130mm below the upper wall of the toaster. As a result the carriage movement should be at least 65mm and preferably about 70mm to A stationary vertical guide 5 is provided adjacent the toasting chamber within the housing section 12. An elevator member 20 is slidably supported on the vertical guide 5 for movement up and down thereon. The operating knob 16 is connected to the elevator member 20 to effect movement thereof. The guide 5 extends generally over the full height of the housing section 12 and is located in the raised portion thereof such that the guide 5 extends to a position at least adjacent to and conveniently above the opening 10 to the toasting chamber. This is a feature that aids the achievement of the aforementioned carriage travel of at least 65mm. The guide 5 and the elevator member are conveniently plastic material parts moulded respectively in one piece to minimize fabrication of the overall operating mechanism. The elevator member 20 has the carriage 14 secured thereto so that the carriage extends into the toasting chamber and moves with the elevator member.

As is best seen in figure 2A, the elevator member 20 carries a latch bar 22. The latch bar is conveniently formed from metal sheet with an upper region comprised of a pair of tabs 60 extending upwardly to provide a hinge 61 for J0, WO091/00043 PCT/AU89/00280 connection of the latch bar 22 to the elevator member From the lower ends of the tabs 60 a strip extends initally away from the toasting chamber and then a downwardly extending length 62 terminates in an inwardly turned latch end 24. The latch end 24 (as is best seen in figure 2B) cooperates with a lower latch ledge 26 formed in the base of the toaster such that the ledge 26 is stationary relative to the toaster body 1. The ledge 26 includes an upper cam surface 6 that moves the latch end 24 away from the toasting chamber or to the left as seen in figure 2A as the elevator member 20 and carriage 14 are moved downwardly by operation of the knob 16. The configuration and weight distribution of the latch bar 22 is such, however, that after passing the latch ledge 26 the bar 22 pivots about the hinge 61 in an anticlockwise direction (figure 2A) to ensure the latch end 24 engages under the lower surface 8 of the latch edge 26 unless the latch bar 22 is otherwise prevented from pivoting in this manner as explained in the following description.

As will be seen in figure 2A, a leg 63 of the latch bar 22 extends forwardly or towards the toasting chamber and terminates in a downwardly depending part 64. The depending part 64 is adapted to engage with a wire spring element The wire spring element 65 includes a first portion 66 including a circular winding 69 adapted to be secured on a pivot pin 67 formed on the elevator member 20. The first portion 65 extends upwardly to an elbow portion 68 that engages with the lower end of the depending part 64 of the latch bar 22. The circular winding 69 acts as a torsion spring tending to urge the elbow portion 68 in an anticlockwise direction around the pivot pin 67 (figure 2A) to thereby urge the depending part 64 of the latch bar 22 in a clockwise direction around the hinge 61. As a result, in the free state of the wire spring element 65 and latch bar 22 as illustrated in figure 2A, the latch bar 22 is moved in a clockwise direction around hinge 61 against its tendency to rotate in the opposite direction. This results in the latch end 24 of the latch bar 22 being maintained in a WO 91/00043 P@1AU89/00280 -c position where it cannot engage with the latch ledge 26.

The wire spring element 65 includes a bread engaging part that extends from the elbow portion 68 through an access vertical slot leading to the toasting chamber. The bread engaging part 70 is angled upwardly at a position just above the bread support carriage 14 such that when bread or a similar product is placed into the toasting chamber the part is pressed down agains the carriage 14.

As a result the elbow portion 68 is rotated in a clockwise direction allowing the latch bar 22 to adopt the position where latching of the end 24 with the ledge 26 will occur. In consequence, moving the knob 16 downwardly without having inserted a bread or similar product into the toasting chamber will not allow the latch bar 22 to engage in a latching position.

Referring now to figure 4, a circuit board 28 is mounted in the space 9 between the guide 5 and an end panel of the body 1. The circuit board 28 contains the electronics for controlling operation of the toaster and may be in accordance with PCT Application No. PCT/AU88/00275.

The elevator member 20 includes a switch actuator arm extending into and across the space 9 and is positioned to engage a pair of spring biased contact arms 32 having contact ends 40 that mate with contacts 41 on the circuit board 28. Thus when the arm 30 presses the two contacts and 41 into engagement, operation of the control circuits of the toaster are commenced with power supplied to the heating or toasting elements. Upon completion of the toasting cycle a solenoid 34 secured within the base of the toaster is activated to pull the latch end 24 from below the surface 8 of the ledge 26 and a suitable spring (not illustrated) acts to move the elevator member 20 and carriage 14 up to position 14". The arrangement of the arm 30 and spring contact arms 32 provides a simple and effective means of establishing a quick contact ,r break of contact relative to the distance of travel of the elevator member WO 91/00043 PCT/AU89/00280 Figure 3 illustrates the central toasting chamber 42 provided immediately below the opening 10. On either side of this zone 42 is a bread support rack 7 formed by a plurality vertical bars 43 connected by horizontal bars 44, 45. The vertical bars 43 are curved at their upper ends to facilitate entry of the bread to be toasted. The lower ends of the racks 7 are mounted in a manner permitting pivotal movement of the rack about lower horizontal axes so that the bread is held at its upper edge by the racks 7 and at its lower edge by the carriage 14. Moreover the upper ends of the racks 7 may be urged together to effect this support of bread inserted but the urgent force is such that bread of any t1'tckness (subject to a maximum defined by the lower spacing of the racks 7) can be readily toasted. Located outwardly of the support racks 7 are radiant heating elements 46, 47 and heat containing shields 48, 49. The heat containing shields 48, 49 preferably comprise an insulating sheet (mica element card) and an outer mechanical support member such as a metal sheet. In addition, heat ventilation openings 53 are provided in the outer body casing 1 as well as along the inner heat containing casing to assist with ventilation and to aid in the movement of heat away from the outer body casing itself.

As can be best seen in figures 3 and 4 the toaster further includes a light sensing arrangement for transferring reflected light from a bread slice or similar product in the toasting chamber 42 to a light sensitive element 38 mounted on or electrically connected to the circuit board 28. Most light sensitive control elements are also heat sensitive and it is therefore desirable to mount the element 38 as far as possible away from the toasting elements 46, 47. To achieve this the present toaster proposes the use of a solid glass rod 36 that extends from a position 50 facing the toasting chamber 42 to a position adjacent circuit board 28. Conveniently, the light sensitive element 38 is mounted within a light blocking cover 51 so that extraneous atmospheric lighting conditions WO 91/00043 PC/AU89/00280 will not effect operation of the toaster. The cover 51 conveniently extends over at least part of the length of the glass rod 36 to minimize the amount of atmospheric light that might reach the light sensitive element 38 through the opening 10 in the toaster. The light sensitive element 38 is further connected to the circuit board 28 by suitable electrical conditions. This arrangement enables a light sensitive control system as disclosed in PCT Application No.

PCT/AU88/00275 to be used in the control of the present toaster. Conveniently position 50 is adjacent (or in the vicinity of) the bread engaging part 70 such that to operate the toaster a bread slice (or other product) would need to be placed on the part 70 to first actuate the toaster and thereafter the toasting period would be controlled via reflected light transmitted along the glass rod 36 to the control element 38.

Figure 5 illustrates a novel form of bread support carriage 14 used in the present toaster. Conventional carriages of this type comprise a main section to carry the bread slice or the like, and a separate spreader part to engage the toast support racks 7 and move them apart as the carriage moves down into the toasting chamber. These two parts are commonly produced separate and assembled together.

The carriage 14 illustrated in figure 5, however, comprises an end mounting part 71 adapted for mounting to the elevator member 20 and an elongated part 72 with bread supporting tabs 73 extending alternately in opposite directions to provide a support base for bread slices or the like. Ii addition, spreader tabs 74 and 75 are provided extending laterally from offset regions 76, 77. The length of spreader tabs 74, 75 together with the offset regions provide sufficient distance for the tabs 74, 75 to engage respective vertical bars 43 of the racks 7 to move same as the carriage 14 descends into the chamber 42. Thus the carriage 14 may be conveniently formed in one piece from one metal stamping operation.

p WO 91/00043 PCT/AU89/00280 Finally, figure 6 illustrates a novel form of control knob 4 to enable setting of the solenoid 34.

Depending on the setting of the solen i 34, when a toasting cycle is completed, the solenoid is actuated to withdraw the latch arm 62 by pivoting the latch bar 22 clockwise (figure 2A) so that the end 24 is disengaged from the ledge 26. As a result a suitable spring (not illustrated) moves the elevator member 20 and carriage 14 to the elevated position 14". The solenoid 34 is, however, a sensitive element and it is desired therefore to protect this element against mechanical shocks. To achieve this, the knob 4 has an outer gripping part 78 and an inner ring (or part ring) flanges 79 adapted to be press fitted into a suitable opening in the outer casing 2 of the toaster. The knob 14 further includes a part 80 including a non circular bore 81 cooperable with a similar shaped shaft on the solenoid 34. The part 80 is connected (preferably integrally moulded) with the knob 4 via a flexible strap 82 which enables rotary motion of the knob 4 to be transmitted to the solenoid shaft via the part 80 but prevents transmission of axial shocks by mechanical knocks to the knob itself.

'y 91 ,J

Claims (16)

1. A toaster comprising a toasting chamber, an opening above said toasting chamber to receive a product to be toasted therethrough and to permit removal of the product after toasting, a support carriage movable in said toasting chamber and adapted to support the product to be toasted, said support carriage being movable between an elevated position adapted to receive the product to be toasted and a lowered toasting position, heating elements arranged to supply heat to said toasting chamber, said support carriage having a travel distance of at least 65 mm between said lowered toasting position and said elevated position.

2. A toaster according to claim 1, wherein said travel distance is between and 80 mm.

3. A toaster according to claim 1, wherein said opening is formed in an outer housing wall of said toaster a carriage mounting mechanism being located at one end of said toaster adjacent an end wall of the toasting chamber, said carriage mounting mechanism enabling movement of said support carriage in said toasting chamber and extending into an elevated portion of the outer housing wall at said one end of the toaster, said elevated portion being located above said opening.

4. A toaster according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein an upright support member is provided adjacent one end of the toasting chamber, said support carriage being slidably mounted on said upright support member for movement between said elevated position and said lowered toasting position, said upright support member extending to a position no lower than said opening above said toasting chamber.

A toaster according to claim 4, wherein said support carriage comprises an elongated support member extending across said toasting chamber adapted iV0 4- to support the product to be toasted and an elevator member slidably supported on said upright support member, said toaster further including a latch member movable to a latching position when said support carriage is in said lowered toasting position such that said latch member maintains the support carriage in said lowered toasting position during a toasting cycle.

6. A toaster according to claim 5, further including a latch deactivating device to move said latch member from the latching position on completion of a said toasting cycle.

7. A toaster according to claim 5 or claim 6, further including means preventing engagement of said latching member in said latching position unless a said product to be toasted is supported on said support carriage.

8. A toaster according to claim 7, wherein said latch member is pivoted to the elevator member at a first pivot point and includes a first arm terminating in a latch end depending below said pivot point, said latch end being movable towards a stationary latch surface when moving into said latching position.

9. A toaster according to claim 8, wherein said latch member includes a second arm engagable by a control element, said control element normally urging said latching member to a position preventing movement to said latching position but said control element being movable to a position permitting said latching member to move to said latching position in response to a said product to be toasted being placed on said support carriage.

A toaster according to claim 9 wherein said control element comprises a spring member pivotally mounted to said elevator member, said spring member having a first zone engagable with said second arm of the latch member and a second zone extending into said toasting chamber above the elongated support member of the support carriage, said seccnd zone being angle relative to said elongated support member such that said second zone is pressed down against the elongated support member when a said product to be toasted is placed thereon whereby the first zone is moved away from the second arm of said latching member.

11. A toaster according to claim 6, wherein said latch deactivating device is controlled by light sensitive circuit means in response to light reflected from a said product located in the toasting chamber, said light sensitive circuit means receiving light transmitted along a solid glass rod from a position facing a said product in the toasting chamber to a position remote from said toasting chamber.

12. A toaster according to claim 11, wherein said position remote from said toasting chamber is located adjacent but externally of said upright support member relative to said toasting chamber, said light sensitive circuit means and at least part of said glass rod adjacent said light sensitive circuit means being located within cover means arranged to minimize atmospheric light reaching said light sensitive circuit means.

13. A toaster according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said toaster further includes movable product support racks on either side of said toasting chamber, each said product support rack including at least one vertical member engagable with a spreader projection of said support carriage to move said support racks apart as said support carriage moves from said elevated position to said lowered toasting position, said support carriage in said toasting chamber being formed from a single metal pressing having an upright section extending across said toasting chamber with a plurality of product supporting tabs alternatively bent in opposite directions from an upper edge of said upright section, said spreader projections being formed by tab parts bent laterally from an upper edge of an offset portion of the upright section.

14. A toaster according to claim 6, wherein said latch deactivating device comprises a selectably positionable solenoid, depending on a desired Ij, 'yT iV browness of a said product to be toasted, the solenoid being positionable by a rotatable shaft, rotatable control member accessible externally of said toaster, said control member including a main body part and an inner portion secured to said rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, said main body part and said inner portion being connected only by one or more elongated flexible links whereby rotation of said main body effects rotation of said inner portion but axial motion of said main body part is not transmitted to said inner portion.

A toaster comprising a toasting chamber within an outer housing wall, an opening above said toasting chamber extending through said outer housing wall to receive a product to be toasted therethrough and to permit removal of the product after toasting, a support carriage movable in said toasting chamber and adapted to support the product to be toasted, said carriage being movable through a travel distance of at least 65 mm between an elevated position adapted to receive the product to be toasted and a lowered toasting position, a carriage mounting mechanism located at one end of said toaster adjacent an end wall of the toasting chamber, said carriage mounting mechanism enabling movement of said support carriage in said toasting chamber and extending into an elevated position of the outer housing wall at said one end of the toaster.

16. A toaster according to claim 15, wherein the elevated position of the outer housing wall extends beyond the plane of the opening above said toaster chamber. DATED this 1st day of June, 1993 BLACK DECKER INC WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS THE ATRIUM 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA