JP2004016790A - Toaster and toasting system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toaster that can freely toast bread with designs that the user of the toaster desires and a toasting system using the same. <P>SOLUTION: The system is composed of a design input means 1, a computer 2 that is connected to the design input means 1, and the toaster 10 that is connected to the computer 2. The toaster 10 is provided with a controller 11 that is controlled by the computer 2 and a heater 12 of which heating function is controlled individually by the controller 11, and is composed in a way that allows printing the similar image 4 of the design that is input into the computer 2 by the design input means 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a toaster for baking bread, and more particularly to a toaster having a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface capable of baking desired pictures and symbols under the control of a computer, and a baking system using the toaster.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a toaster for baking bread is configured such that bread is put into a toaster provided with a heater for heating and is baked according to a time set by a timer. Some of these toasters were capable of burning pictures such as characters for animation in order to increase the appetite of children and the like. As shown in FIG. 4, the toaster incorporates a specially shaped heater 20 for the design in advance, or as shown in FIG. The pattern mask 30 is attached, and only the necessary portions are heated, and the unnecessary portions are shielded from the heat, so that the desired pattern is baked.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-mentioned conventional toaster, when a special heater 20 for a symbol is incorporated, there is a problem that only a specific type of symbol can be formed because the heater 20 is incorporated at the stage of manufacturing the toaster. Also, the pattern mask 30 can be replaced with the pattern mask 30 so that several types are possible. However, since the pattern is predetermined by a toaster manufacturing company or the like, it is not necessarily the pattern desired by the user, and It did not satisfy the unspecified number of requests.
[0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and provides a toaster that can freely bake bread of a desired pattern for a person who uses the toaster, and a bread baking system using the toaster.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The toaster of the present invention includes a controller controlled by a computer, and a heater individually heated and controlled by the controller, wherein a pattern similar to a figure input to the computer is baked on a bread, Is characterized by a plurality of dot type heaters.
[0006]
Also, the bread baking system of the present invention comprises a graphic input means, a computer connected to the graphic input means, and a toaster connected to the computer, wherein the toaster is a controller controlled by the computer, and the controller Wherein the toaster bake-ups the same pattern as the figure input to the computer from the figure input means on bread.
[0007]
Further, the graphic input means in the bread baking system of the present invention is a scanner, a digital camera, a mobile phone with a camera, and another computer connected via the Internet.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of a toaster according to the present invention and a bread baking system using the same will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the bread baking system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the baking system of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the heater of the toaster of the present invention, and FIG. It is a sectional side view showing the dot type heater used for the toaster of the present invention.
[0009]
As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, a bread baking system according to the present invention includes a graphic input unit 1, a computer 2 connected to the graphic input unit 1, and a toaster 10 connected to the computer 2. The toaster 10 includes a controller 11 controlled by the computer and a plurality of dot heaters 12 individually heated and controlled by the controller 11. In the bread baking system, a pattern similar to the graphic 4 input to the computer 2 from the graphic input means 1 is baked on the bread 5.
[0010]
The figure input means 1 used in the bread baking system is a device for inputting a desired pattern, and usually uses a scanner 1a which can directly input a drawn figure, a copy of a figure, or a photograph. As the input means, a digital camera 1b capable of directly inputting a captured image as digital data to a computer can be used.
[0011]
With this digital camera 1b, it is possible to take pictures of the faces of the children of the family, the faces of the family, etc., and bake them into bread on the spot, or to go to the zoo, take pictures of animals, go to amusement parks, etc. The digital camera 1b can be connected to the personal computer 2 to take a photographed image or the like and bring the favorite image to a bread as it is. Further, as the graphic input means 1, a mobile phone 1c having a camera function or an image input from another computer 1d using the Ethernet can be used.
[0012]
The computer 2 is a personal computer (personal computer) used in a general home, and includes a known CPU (Central Processor Unit), a memory, a display, and a keyboard. It has a universal serial bus) port. The computer 2 can take in the image from the graphic input means 1 and output it to the toaster 10, and can output the image created by the computer 2 to the toaster 10 using a keyboard or a mouse. In addition, the created image can be stored in the memory.
[0013]
The toaster 10 used in this baking system has a USB interface connected to a USB port of the computer 2, and a controller 11 for inputting image data from the computer 2 and a heating device controlled by the controller 11. As shown in FIG. 3, a heater 12 is provided to obtain a desired image by heating the heater 12.
[0014]
The heater 12 is mounted on one wall surface of the insertion portion 15 of the toaster 10 facing the pan 5, and a heater 13 is also provided on the other wall surface. Further, a switch circuit 14 is provided between the controller 11 and the heater 12, and power from the power supply connector 15 is supplied to the heater 12 via the switch circuit 14.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 3, the heater 12 has a plurality of dot heaters 12a attached to a heater panel 12b. As shown in FIG. 4, the dot-type heater 12a has a cylindrical heater cover 12c fixed to a heater panel 12b and an electric heater 12d such as a nichrome wire attached to a distal end inside the heater cover 12c. Is a switch circuit 14 controlled by the controller 11 which turns on only necessary portions corresponding to the figure.
[0016]
The heater cover 12c allows the heat of the electric heater 12d to efficiently reach the facing pan 4, and is formed of a material having high heat resistance such as ceramic. Only the front end side is opened, and the base side is filled with a heat-resistant insulating material for fixing and insulating the electric heater 12d. By this heater cover 12c, the heat of the electric heater 12d is not diffused to the surroundings, but heats the pan 4 on the tip side intensively.
[0017]
The switch circuit 14 is controlled by the controller 11 to be turned on and off. When the power is directly used for the heating heater 12c, a mechanical switch that can interrupt the circuit using a solenoid or the like may be used. When a DC power supply is used, a semiconductor switching element such as an SCR can be used.
[0018]
In the toaster 10 configured as described above, the controller 11 turns on the switch circuit 14 of only the necessary dot type heater 12a corresponding to the image, as shown in FIG. In 4, a line of a desired image is printed as a dot. The area other than the image is not completely turned off, but is controlled to a weak heating state.
[0019]
In addition, the bread baking system using the toaster 10 configured as described above includes various types of images such as a scanner 1a, a digital camera 1b, a mobile phone 1c with a camera, and another computer 1d as well as images created by the computer 2. The image input from the input means 1 can also be printed on the bread 4.
[0020]
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various embodiments can be made within the scope of the claims.
For example, it goes without saying that any type of heater other than the dot type heater can be used as long as it can display a figure freely. Further, it goes without saying that any other information device that can input graphic data with a computer besides the above-described scanner, digital camera, camera-equipped mobile phone, and other computers as graphic input means can be used.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the toaster of the present invention includes a controller controlled by a computer, and a heating heater individually heated and controlled by the controller, and by baking a pattern similar to a figure input to the computer to a bread. In particular, it is possible to freely bake characters that are particularly popular with children, which is effective in improving children's appetite.
[0022]
Also, the bread baking system of the present invention comprises a graphic input means, a computer connected to the graphic input means, and a toaster connected to the computer, wherein the toaster is a controller controlled by the computer, and the controller A plurality of dot-type heaters that are individually heated and controlled by the toaster, and the toaster is baked on a bread with a pattern similar to a figure input to a computer from the figure input means, thereby drawing a picture of an animal popular with children. This can be used to increase the appetite of children because it can be input into a computer and can be burned into bread.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a bread baking system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the bread baking system of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a heater of the toaster of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a dot heater of the toaster of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional toaster heater.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a pattern mask of a conventional toaster.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Graphic input means 2 Computer 3 Input graphic 4 Pan 10 Toaster 11 Controller 12 Heater 12a Dot type heater 12b Heater panel 12c Heater cover 12d Electric heater 13 Heater 14 Switch circuit 15 Power plug

Claims (4)

A controller controlled by a computer, comprising a heating heater that is individually heated and controlled by the controller,
A toaster characterized in that a pattern similar to the figure input to the computer is baked on bread. The toaster according to claim 1, further comprising the heating heater and a plurality of dot heaters. A graphic input means, a computer connected to the graphic input means, and a toaster connected to the computer,
The toaster includes a controller controlled by the computer, and a heating heater individually controlled by the controller.
A bread baking system, wherein the toaster bake a picture similar to a figure input to a computer from the figure input means. 4. The bread baking system according to claim 3, wherein the graphic input means is a scanner, a digital camera, a camera-equipped mobile phone, and another computer connected via the Internet.

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