The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 27, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 14, 2000
Thomas Daro Vaughn, Ballwin, MO (US);
Star Manufacturing International Inc., St. Louis, MO (US);
Abstract
A toaster/heater assembly for toasting and heating food products has a housing containing a frame, and a heating chamber having a toaster/heater ensemble which heats two compartments of the chamber. The ensemble has a middle unit and two side units, each of which are divided into two insulating boards having side edges with nibs separated by notches. A pair of lower terminals are spaced from each other and connected to ends of a heating element. For the side units, the heating element winds from a terminal around the nibs and notches of one board section to then cross to the other board section to likewise wind, so that almost all of the strands of the element face a heating compartment. The middle unit heating element winds through the notches and nibs and crosses to the other board section and likewise winds about it so that heat radiates from both of its sides to two different compartments. The boards have food guides, such as rods, extending from mounts about the top and bottom of the boards to space the food products from the heating elements. Lugs extend from the bottom mounts to fit in corresponding frame openings. Lugs extend from the sides of the mount plate into corresponding frame fittings. The units can be handled by grasping the food guides. The frame has an activating switch aligned with part of a carriage for the units to be activated by the carriage part upon descending.