GB2075336A

GB2075336A - Electric toaster with additional grille

Info

Publication number: GB2075336A
Application number: GB8109460A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: NUOVA FEDER SpA
Current assignee: NUOVA FEDER SpA
Priority date: 1980-04-24
Filing date: 1981-03-26
Publication date: 1981-11-18
Also published as: IT8005148A0; BE887972A; NL8101495A; FR2481101A1; DE3028028A1

Abstract

An electric toaster comprises a housing (1) enclosing at least one support (4) for slices of bread which are to be toasted, which support can be moved vertically under either manual or automatic control in compartments defined by grilles fitted with electrical heating panels, the housing having two end walls, two side walls (6) and a horizontal top having one or more openings for access to the said compartments, and an additional grille (10) which is freely connected to the said housing (1) and can be moved from a vertical position alongside and parallel to one of the said sides (6) to a horizontal position of use above the said top of the housing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electric toaster with additional grille The present invention relates to an electric toaster which in addition to including within its housing in a known manner at least one support for slices of bread which are to be toasted and which support can be moved vertically under manual or automatic control between vertical grillesfacedwith a pairofvertical electrical heating panels, also includes an additional grille which can be located above the housing and is intended for the support of rolls or other object which are merely to be warmed without inserting them into the toaster.

An attempt has already been made to provide electric toasters with an additional grille.

In accordance with such known arrangement the additional grille comprises a self-supporting plate which may be independent of the toaster and is intended to be placed and merely rest on the top of the housing or shell of the toaster. An additional grille of this kind has the disadvantage however that it is never connected to the toaster, precisely because it is separate, and as such is inconvenient and impractical. It is also rather unstable when it is placed on the housing of the toaster when in use. In addition to this, because of the feature of being separate from the toaster, the additional grille according to the known arrangement takes up a considerable amount of storage space when it is removed from the top of the toaster and there is always the possibility that it may become lost or not be immediately available.

The object of the present invention therefore is to provide an improved electric toaster which is fitted with an additional grille for the above mentioned purpose which is always connected to the housing and is therefore not separable from the latter, and can be moved from a position of use to one of rest within the confines of the housing itself.

Another preferred object of the invention is to produce an improved toaster with an additional grille which when it is not in use can be hidden within one side of the housing or shell of the toaster or which can alternatively be swung to one side of the toaster without however substantially affecting the dimensions of the whole.

The disadvantages of the above mentioned known arrangement are thus overcome with the result that use of the toaster incorporating the additional grille is more convenient, practical and efficient.

According to the present invention there is provided an electric toaster comprising a housing enclosing at least one support for slices of bread which are to be toasted, which support can be moved vertically under either manual or automatic control in compartments defined by grilles fitted with electrical heating panels, the said housing comprising two end walls, two side walls and a horizontal top having one or more openings for access to the said compartments, in which an additional grille which is freely connected to the said housing and can be moved from a vertical position alongside and parallel to one of the said sides to a horizontal position of use above the said top of the said housing.

The present invention will be further illustrated, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toaster having an additional grille in the rest position or hidden within the housing.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the toaster with the grille in its position of use; Figs. 3 and 4 are each a partial cross-section of the toaster showing the additional grille in its rest position and in its working position respectively; and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the toaster.

The toaster comprises a housing 1, in which are mounted in a known way vertical electrical panels 2 associated with vertical grilles 3 so as to define one or more compartments to accept slices of bread which are to be toasted. Each of the said compartments is fitted with a support which is intended to hold the slices of bread, said support being capable of being moved vertically either by hand or automat ical ly.

The said housing 1 comprises two end walls 5 on which are fitted the means for manual or automatic control of the support or supports 4 which carry the slices of bread, two side walls 6 and a top 7 which bears the opening or openings 8 for access to the compartments intended to accept the slices of bread.

In accordance with the invention, a passage or space 9 is made between the top 7 and one of the sides 6 of the housing 1 through which an additional grille 10 can be moved in a vertical direction. This may consist for example of a grille element 11 which is connected on one side to a mounting 12 with end pins 13 guided in vertical guide channels 14 provided in the end pieces 5 of the said housing 1. On the other side, the grill element 11 is connected to a unit 15 which acts as a handle for gripping and positioning the element 11 as well as a means of support for the latter in its position of use as will be described below.

The additional grille 10 is always attached to the housing or shell 1 of the toaster because of the fact that the pins 13 of the mounting 12 are engaged in the guide channels 14, the latter being closed at the top in order to prevent the additional grille 10 from being pulled out of the housing 1 or separated from it. The additional grille 10 can nevertheless be moved vertically along the guide channels 14 in order to be moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position of use shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

In its rest position, the said additional grill 10 is placed vertically within the side 6 of the housing 1 with the result that it always lies within the confines of the housing without affecting its dimensions.

For location in its position of use, the additional grille 10 is first moved upwards to free it from the housing 1 and is then turned over as shown by the dashed lines in Fig. 4 until it lies horizontally above the housing 1.

In this position, the additional grille 10 is supported by the mounting 12 and by the unit which acts as a handle 13 supported for example by the tops of the sides 6; in this way the said support is rendered perfectly stable so as to comprise an effective support for rolls or other items of food which are to be warmed without introducing them into the device but merely by using the heat which is pro duced by the electrical panels and escapes from the top through the opening of openings 8 in the cover.

After use the grille 10 can be hidden again as shown in Fig. 3 by moving it in the opposite direction in order to locate it within the side 6.

It should however be noted that the additional grille 10 may be mounted on the housing 1 in a manner different to that described above, without going beyond the scope of the invention, namely to the side of one side of the housing so as merely to lie alongside and not be hidden, but always being capable of being turned from a vertical position into a horizontal position.

Claims

1. An electric toaster comprising a housing enclosing at least one support for slices of bread which are to be toasted, which support can be moved vertically under either manual or automatic control in compartments defined by grilles fitted with electrical heating panels, the said housing comprising two end walls, two side walls and a horizontal top having one or more openings for access to the said compartments, in which an additional grille which is freely connected to the said housing and can be moved from a vertical position alongside and parallel to one of the said sides to a horizontal position of use above the said top of the said housing.

2. An electrical toaster as claimed in claim 1, in which the said additional grille is slidably guided along vertical channels provided within the end walls of the housing, the said grille being capable of being turned from the vertical position to a working, horizontal, position when it is moved vertically upwards to the top of the said channels.

3. An electric toaster as claimed in claim 2, in which the said additional grille comprises a grille element connected on one side to a mounting provided with end pins which are guided in the said vertical guide channels and on the other side to a unit which acts as a handle for moving the grille, the said mounting and the said unitcomprising the means of support for the grille in the horizontal position above the top of the body.

4. An electric toaster as claimed in claim 3, in which the said additional grille is guided in vertical guide channels lying in the plane of a passage or space between the top and one side of the housing, the said grille being placed vertically and hidden within the said side when it is not in use.

5. An electric toaster as claimed in claim 1, in which the said additional grille is pivoted on one side of the housing and can be made to. lie vertically alongside the said side and horizontally on the top of the body by rotation about the said pivot.

6. An electric toaster, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.