GB2377363A - Horizontal toaster - Google Patents

Abstract

A horizontal toaster comprising an adjustable heating element positioned above the bread so as to allow additional foodstuffs to be heated on top of the bread. A sliding tray is provided for transporting foodstuffs into and out of the main body of the toaster.

Description

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VERSATILE TOASTER This invention is an innovation of the common toaster, which rather than merely toasting the bread, enables more versatile bread-related foodstuffs to be made.

The existing model of the toaster is very popular throughout the World for creating a quick and cheap meal, but it suffers from the disadvantage that nothing can be added to the bread while it is in the toaster. The concept behind the toaster is that it allows other foods to be placed on top of the toaster, as would be the common practice on a grill oven.

This invention therefore incorporates the variety of grilled toast with the ease and convenience of using an everyday toaster.

The toaster achieves this practicality by the toast being horizontal instead of vertical when it is being cooked, and to accommodate for other foodstuffs on the bread the appliances that heat the bread and foodstuffs are an adjustable distance away.

The outer casing of the toaster should be made from either plastic or metal, but the base should be made of plastic to prevent conduction of heat onto the surface the toaster is on.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail, giving reference to the drawings that accompany the description.

FIGURE 1 shows a cross section of the whole toaster.

FIGURE 2 shows the external front view of the toaster FIGURE 3 shows a 3-dimensional view of the part of the toaster that the bread is placed into in order to be heated.

FIGURE 4 gives the side view of the toaster where the control panel is situated.

Figure 1 highlights the difference between the versatile toaster and the recognised form of a toaster by the way the bread is put into the toaster. The outer casing of the toaster demonstrates how there is no hole at the top of the casing, but the gap where the bread enters the toaster is situated at the side. To heat the bread it is placed in the object labelled number 1. The object labelled 1 and the bread can then slide into the toaster to be heated. Figure 3 gives a good overview of this part of the toaster. The design of object 1 allows the bread to be sufficiently heated from above, and provides adequate support to the bread when it is ejected from the toaster.

Heating the bread horizontally allows other food to be put on top of the bread, which may include cheese or tomatoes. This food will then melt onto the bread, as is usually the fashion when using a grill oven to toast bread.

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Figure 1 shows that two crumb trays, labelled number 2, are required to clean the toaster. This is because crumbs from the bread on the top tray cannot fall below the top half of the toaster because of the heating implement on the lower half of the toaster. Therefore a crumb tray is required for both pieces of bread to ensure the toaster is kept clean.

In figure 1 there are two areas labelled number 3. This is the area designated for the adjustment of the heating implement The reason the toaster benefits from having an adjustable heating device is because it is used to heat food other than merely bread on its own. Therefore to achieve maximum efficiency from the toaster the heating element should preferably be adjustable so it can be closer to the bread when heating bread on its own, and further away from the bread if there are other foodstuffs on the bread.

The parts labelled number 4 on the illustrations are where the toaster is in contact with a surface. It is therefore preferential to the design of the toaster that these parts are made out of insulating material, such as rubber. This will prevent burning and consequential damage to the surface the toaster rests on.

Figure 4 shows the control panel for the toaster, labelled number 5. The drawing does not show any details of the control panel because that is open to variation, and is not important to the innovation of the toaster. While it is not essential to the design of the toaster, it is preferable to have the control panel on the side of the toaster for both form and function. Being on the side means the controls are not on full view on the toaster, which makes the toaster more aesthetically pleasing. In addition to this the controls being on the side of the means they are easing accessible when operating the toaster. The control panel may include the timer for the toaster, the push button to start heating the toaster, and an implement that can be used to adjust the distance each heating element is away from the bread.

The part labelled number 1 is attached to the metal wiring labelled number 6 on the diagrams. This metal wiring is then attached to the internal metal structure of the toaster at the back of the toaster. This metal wiring then allows the part labelled 1 to slide into the toaster on the wiring when bread is being heated.

This outer casing of the toaster is labelled number 7 in the diagrams, and can be made out of metal or plastic. The design, colouring, and material of the outer casing are not important to the overall design of the versatile toaster, and may be varied.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS 1. A toaster where the bread is heated horizontally in the toaster.
2. 2. A toaster as claimed in claim 1 where height above the bread of the heating implement inside the toaster is adjustable.
3. 3. A toaster as claimed in claim 1 and claim 2 where the bread can be placed on part of the toaster that is outside the main body of the toaster.
4. 4. A toaster as claimed in previous claims that is capable heating other foodstuffs on top of the bread.
5. 5. A toaster as claimed in previous claims where the outer casing can be made of either metal or plastic, but insulating material is preferential where the toaster is in contact with any surface.
6. 6. A toaster substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.