Black Decker Inc.

Leonard I Horey

Charles Z Krasznai

Duc Hoang Tran

Luis O Cavada

Peter R Hohlfeld

Joseph Carley

A control for a toaster for varying the toasting cycle includes a switch for connecting the toaster heater to a source of electrical power. A temperature responsive resistance element senses the temperature within the cavity. A capacitor is responsive to the magnitude of the voltage of the electrical power. The capacitor and the temperature responsive resistance element are included within a timing circuit such that a selected duration of time for a toasting cycle to obtain a desired toast color is varied if the voltage of the power supply increases above a predetermined magnitude during the toasting cycle. The duration of time for the toasting cycle is also varied as the temperature in the cavity increases as a consequence of operation of the toaster for consecutive toast cycles.

Control for a toaster for varying the duration of the toasting cycle

An electrical appliance, such as a pressing iron (10), includes a user proximity sensor for removing electrical power from the appliance after a period of non-use. When a user's hand is in close proximity to, or is in a grasping relationship with, a handle (28) of the pressing iron, an antenna (44) that is disposed within the handle is capacitively coupled to the user through a dielectric material that forms the handle wall. When so coupled to the user, a displacement current having a frequency equal to the AC line electrical power frequency signal (50 Hz or 60 Hz) is capacitively coupled between the user's body and the antenna. The displacement current is detected and amplified by circuitry (60) that is connected to the antenna by a conductor (46). This circuitry outputs a signal that indicates the proximity of the user to the handle of the pressing iron. The output signal is in turn employed to disable the operation of a time-out circuit (70). When the user is not in proximity to the handle of the pressing iron, the output signal is not generated and, after a predetermined time-out period, electrical power is automatically removed from a heating element (86) of the pressing iron.

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Shelton, CT, United States of America

Leonard I Horey