Lifting mechanism and toaster

Abstract

The utility model discloses a lifting mechanism and discloses a toaster with the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism comprises a furnace pipe, the lifting mechanism comprises a bearing unit, a lifting unit, a transmission unit and a driving unit, and the bearing unit is used for bearing sliced bread; the lifting unit comprises a lifting block and a first guide column, the lifting block is in sliding connection with the first guide column, the lifting block is fixedly connected with the bearing unit, and the first guide column is vertically arranged; the transmission unit comprises a transmission block and a second guide column, the transmission block is in sliding connection with the second guide column, the transmission block is fixedly connected with the lifting block, and the second guide column and the first guide column are arranged in parallel; the driving unit is fixedly connected with the transmission block and used for driving the transmission block to slide on the second guide column in a reciprocating mode at a fixed speed. The transmission unit is driven by the driving unit, so that the bearing unit ascends or descends within a certain speed range, and the situation that bread slices are popped out of the toaster due to sudden change of the speed is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food processing equipment, and in particular to a lifting mechanism and a toaster. Background Technology

[0002] A toaster, a common kitchen appliance, primarily functions by toasting bread slices using a built-in heating element. Traditional toasters typically employ a lifting mechanism to feed the bread slices into the heating chamber and eject them after toasting. In existing technologies, the lifting mechanism often relies on springs, levers, or gravity to move the bread slices. For example, utility model application number 202220263327.8 discloses a toaster that uses a conventional method of manual pressing combined with spring rebound to lift the bread slices. In the use of these conventional technologies, sudden speed changes can easily occur during the lifting process due to variations in the deformation of the elastic element or uneven gravity. Especially during the release phase, excessive instantaneous acceleration can easily cause the bread slices to be ejected from the toaster body, creating a safety hazard or causing the bread slices to fall. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a lifting mechanism that can prevent bread slices from being ejected from the toaster.

[0004] This utility model also proposes a toaster with the above-mentioned lifting mechanism.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a lifting mechanism includes a supporting unit, a lifting unit, a transmission unit, and a driving unit. The supporting unit is used to support a slice of bread. The lifting unit includes a lifting block and a first guide post, wherein the lifting block and the first guide post are slidably connected, and the lifting block and the supporting unit are fixedly connected. The first guide post is vertically arranged. The transmission unit includes a transmission block and a second guide post, wherein the transmission block and the second guide post are slidably connected, and the transmission block and the lifting block are fixedly connected. The second guide post and the first guide post are arranged parallel to each other. The driving unit is fixedly connected to the transmission block and is used to drive the transmission block to reciprocate on the second guide post at a fixed speed.

[0006] The lifting mechanism according to the present utility model embodiment has at least the following beneficial effects: the driving unit drives the transmission unit, so that the lifting unit drives the supporting unit to rise or fall within a certain speed range, avoiding sudden speed changes and preventing bread slices from being ejected from the toaster.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the drive unit includes a housing, a drive pulley, a driven pulley, and a transmission belt. The drive pulley is pivotally mounted on the lower end of the housing and is connected to a servo motor. The driven pulley is pivotally mounted on the upper end of the housing. The transmission belt is sleeved on the drive pulley and the driven pulley to enable the drive pulley and the driven pulley to drive each other. The transmission block is fixed on the transmission belt on one side.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the housing has a built-in movable block, the driven pulley is pivotally mounted on the movable block, the movable block is movable in the housing, and an elastic element is provided between the movable block and the inner side of the housing. The elastic element drives the movable block to move so that the driven pulley moves toward the end away from the driving pulley.

[0009] According to some embodiments of this utility model, the movable block is elongated, with a first slider at one end and rotatably connected to the driven pulley, and a second slider at the other end, along with the elastic element. The housing has a first groove and a second groove, the first groove extending in the same direction as the moving direction of the transmission block, the second groove being located on one side of the first groove and forming an angle with it. The first slider is slidably housed within the first groove, and the second slider is slidably housed within the second groove. The width of the second groove is greater than the width of the second slider, allowing the movable block to swing within the second groove.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the end of the movable block is provided with a rotating groove, the driven pulley is built into the rotating groove, and the two sides of the driven pulley are respectively rotatably connected to the two inner sides of the rotating groove.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the movable block has a groove at one end away from the driven pulley, the elastic element is a spring, one end of the elastic element is embedded in the groove, and the other end abuts against the inner side of the housing.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the drive unit further includes two limit sensors, which are respectively disposed at the uppermost and lowermost segments of the moving path of the transmission block. The limit sensors are electrically connected to the servo motor and control the servo motor to stop or reverse.

[0013] According to a second aspect embodiment of the present invention, a toaster includes a lifting mechanism and a furnace liner. The front end and the rear end of the furnace liner are each provided with at least one vertically arranged third slide groove, and the third slide groove at the front end and the third slide groove at the rear end correspond one-to-one. The supporting unit is built into the furnace liner, and the two ends of the supporting unit are respectively slidably engaged with the third slide groove at the front end and the third slide groove at the rear end of the furnace liner.

[0014] The toaster according to the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the drive unit drives the transmission unit, so that the lifting unit drives the supporting unit to rise or fall within a certain speed range, avoiding sudden speed changes and preventing bread slices from being ejected from the toaster.

[0015] According to some embodiments of this utility model, it also includes a base, and the furnace liner and the lifting mechanism are both fixed on the base.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the supporting unit is provided with multiple upwardly curved supporting blades on both sides, and the multiple supporting blades on both sides are arranged alternately.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a toaster oven according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a toaster oven (partial cross-section) according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism (without support unit and lifting unit) according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the lifting mechanism (without a support unit and a lifting unit) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] 10. Lifting mechanism;

[0024] 100. Support unit; 110. Support blade;

[0025] 200. Lifting unit; 210. Lifting block; 220. First guide column;

[0026] 300. Transmission unit; 310. Transmission block; 320. Second guide post;

[0027] 400. Drive unit; 410. Housing; 411. First slide groove; 412. Second slide groove; 420. Drive pulley; 430. Servo motor; 440. Driven pulley; 450. Transmission belt; 460. Movable block; 461. First slider; 462. Second slider; 463. Elastic element; 464. Rotating groove; 465. Groove;

[0028] 500. Limit sensor;

[0029] 20. Furnace liner; 21. Third slide groove;

[0030] 30. Base; Detailed Implementation

[0031] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0032] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the directional descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the directional or positional relationship based on the directional or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0033] In the description of this utility model, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. If "first" or "second" is used in the description, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0034] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0035] Reference Figure 1The toaster of this utility model includes a lifting mechanism 10 and a toaster liner 20. The lifting mechanism 10 includes a support unit 100, a lifting unit 200, a transmission unit 300, and a drive unit 400. The support unit 100 is used to support bread slices. The lifting unit 200 includes a lifting block 210 and a first guide post 220. The lifting block 210 and the first guide post 220 are slidably connected, and the lifting block 210 and the support unit 100 are fixedly connected. The first guide post 220 is vertically arranged. The transmission unit 300 includes a transmission block 310 and a second guide post 320. The transmission block 310 and the second guide post 320 are slidably connected, and the transmission block 310 and the lifting block 210 are fixedly connected. The second guide post 320 and the first guide post 220 are arranged parallel to each other. The drive unit 400 is fixedly connected to the transmission block 310 and is used to drive the transmission block 310 to reciprocate on the second guide post 320 at a fixed speed.

[0036] Specifically, refer to Figure 2 The toaster also includes end plates, heating mechanisms, reflectors, and bread racks. These structures are standard designs for toasters and are not described in detail in this embodiment, but they should be considered standard technology in the field.

[0037] In this embodiment, the toaster uses a support unit 100 to support bread slices for transport. After the drive unit 400 is activated, it drives the transmission block 310 to move up and down along the second guide post 320 at a fixed speed. The transmission block 310 drives the lifting block 210 to move along the first guide post 220 within a certain speed range (uniform or variable speed). The support unit 100 moves vertically with the lifting block 210, and the bread slices smoothly enter and exit the oven cavity 20 along with the support unit 100. The drive unit 400 drives the transmission unit 300, causing the lifting unit 200 to move the support unit 100 up or down within a certain speed range, avoiding sudden speed changes and preventing the bread slices from being ejected from the toaster. This achieves continuous, impact-free lifting of the bread slices, eliminating the risk of bread ejection due to sudden speed changes. Simultaneously, a degree of freedom constraint is formed between the first guide post 220 and the second guide post 320, and the transmission unit 300 and the lifting unit 200 are rigidly connected to achieve power coupling.

[0038] Among them, reference Figure 2The furnace liner 20 has at least one vertically arranged third slide groove 21 at both its front and rear ends, with the front and rear third slide grooves 21 corresponding one-to-one. The support unit 100 is built into the furnace liner 20, and both ends of the support unit 100 slide in cooperation with the front and rear third slide grooves 21 of the furnace liner 20, respectively. Preferably, during the lifting and lowering process, the two ends of the support unit 100 slide synchronously along the third slide grooves 21 of the front and rear furnace liner 20, which can maintain a horizontal posture when entering and exiting the heating cavity, prevent the support platform from tilting and causing the bread to slip, ensure the accuracy of the vertical movement trajectory, and at the same time, can cooperate with the parallel first guide post 220 and second guide post 320 to form a degree of freedom constraint.

[0039] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The drive unit 400 includes a housing 410, a drive pulley 420, a driven pulley 440, and a transmission belt 450. The drive pulley 420 is pivotally mounted on the lower end of the housing 410 and is connected to a servo motor 430. The driven pulley 440 is pivotally mounted on the upper end of the housing 410. The transmission belt 450 is sleeved on the drive pulley 420 and the driven pulley 440 to enable the drive pulley 420 and the driven pulley 440 to drive each other. The transmission block 310 is fixed on one side of the transmission belt 450. The drive unit 400 consists of a drive pulley 420, a driven pulley 440, and a transmission belt 450, which together form a belt drive mechanism. The servo motor 430 drives the drive pulley 420 to rotate, which in turn drives the transmission block 310 to move linearly through the closed-loop transmission belt 450. The two sides of the transmission belt 450 form a push-pull bidirectional transmission path, which enables the transmission block 310 to maintain a linear velocity in a certain direction, thereby driving the lifting block 210 to maintain a controllable linear velocity.

[0040] Preferably, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The transmission belt 450 is elastic. After prolonged use, the transmission belt 450 may stretch. To maintain the stability of the entire belt drive mechanism, the housing 410 has a built-in movable block 460. The driven pulley 440 is pivotally mounted on the movable block 460. The movable block 460 can move within the housing 410. An elastic element 463 is provided between the movable block 460 and the inner surface of the housing 410. The elastic element 463 drives the movable block 460 to move, causing the driven pulley 440 to move away from the driving pulley 420. Specifically, the elastic element 463 continuously pushes the movable block 460 to move the driven pulley 440 away from the driving pulley, dynamically maintaining belt tension, automatically compensating for wear and loosening of the transmission belt 450, and reducing vibration and noise.

[0041] Preferably, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The movable block 460 is elongated, with a first slider 461 at one end and rotatably connected to the driven pulley 440, and a second slider 462 at the other end, along with the elastic element 463. The housing 410 has a first groove 411 and a second groove 412. The first groove 411 extends in the same direction as the moving direction of the transmission block 310. The second groove 412 is located on one side of the first groove 411 and forms an angle with it. The first slider 461 is slidably housed in the first groove 411, and the second slider 462 is slidably housed in the second groove 412. The width of the second groove 412 is greater than the width of the second slider 462, so that the movable block 460 can swing within the second groove 412. In this embodiment, when the drive belt 450 becomes loose due to wear, the second slider 462 swings slightly within the second groove 412 under the action of the elastic element 463, thereby causing the first slider 461 to slide along the first groove 411 (towards the end away from the drive pulley 420) and compensate for the change in belt length. The wider second groove 412 can prevent the second slider 462 from being restricted in its range of motion, achieving a dynamic balance between the thrust of the elastic element 463 and the belt tension, forming a closed-loop adjustment system. At the same time, the elastic preload is used to counteract belt vibration and reduce operating noise.

[0042] Furthermore, referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The end of the movable block 460 is provided with a rotating groove 464, and the driven pulley 440 is built into the rotating groove 464. The two sides of the driven pulley 440 are respectively rotatably connected to the two inner sides of the rotating groove 464.

[0043] Furthermore, referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The movable block 460 has a groove 465 at one end away from the driven pulley 440. The elastic element 463 is a spring, with one end of the elastic element 463 embedded in the groove 465 and the other end abutting against the inner side of the housing 410.

[0044] Preferably, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The drive unit 400 also includes two limit sensors 500, which are respectively located at the uppermost and lowermost points of the movement path of the transmission block 310. The limit sensors 500 are electrically connected to the servo motor 430 and control the servo motor 430 to stop or reverse. When the transmission block 310 contacts the top or bottom limit sensor 500, the limit sensor 500 sends an electrical signal to the controller corresponding to the servo motor 430, causing the servo motor 430 to immediately cut off its power supply or switch its rotation direction, thus stopping the transmission block 310 or causing it to reverse. This prevents the transmission block 310 from overtraveling and impacting the housing 410, extending the equipment's service life, and simultaneously achieving fully automatic stroke control without manual intervention. It should also be noted that the limit sensors 500 can be photoelectric sensors or microswitches, or other electronic components capable of detecting the position of the transmission block 310.

[0045] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 1 The toaster also includes a base 30, on which the oven liner 20 and the lifting mechanism 10 are fixed. This achieves a compact structure for the entire toaster.

[0046] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2 The supporting unit 100 has multiple upwardly curved supporting blades 110 on both sides, and the multiple supporting blades 110 on both sides are staggered. The curved supporting blades 110 form grooves to support the bread slices and constrain the position of the bread slices.

[0047] The embodiments of the present utility model have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A lifting mechanism, characterized in that, include: Support unit (100) for supporting bread slices; The lifting unit (200) includes a lifting block (210) and a first guide column (220). The lifting block (210) and the first guide column (220) are slidably connected. The lifting block (210) and the supporting unit (100) are fixedly connected. The first guide column (220) is vertically arranged. The transmission unit (300) includes a transmission block (310) and a second guide post (320), wherein the transmission block (310) and the second guide post (320) are slidably connected, the transmission block (310) and the lifting block (210) are fixedly connected, and the second guide post (320) and the first guide post (220) are arranged in parallel. The drive unit (400) is fixedly connected to the transmission block (310) and is used to drive the transmission block (310) to slide back and forth on the second guide post (320) at a fixed speed.

2. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive unit (400) includes: Shell (410); An active pulley (420) is pivotally housed at the lower end of the housing (410), and the active pulley (420) is connected to a servo motor (430); Driven pulley (440) is pivotally housed in the upper end of the housing (410); A transmission belt (450) is fitted onto the driving pulley (420) and the driven pulley (440) to enable the driving pulley (420) and the driven pulley (440) to engage in transmission. The transmission block (310) is fixed on one side of the transmission belt (450).

3. The lifting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing (410) has a built-in movable block (460), and the driven pulley (440) is pivotally mounted on the movable block (460). The movable block (460) is movable within the housing (410). An elastic element (463) is provided between the movable block (460) and the inner side of the housing (410). The elastic element (463) drives the movable block (460) to move so that the driven pulley (440) moves toward the end away from the driving pulley (420).

4. The lifting mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The movable block (460) is elongated. One end of the movable block (460) is provided with a first slider (461) and rotatably connected to the driven pulley (440). The other end is provided with a second slider (462) and an elastic element (463). The housing (410) is provided with a first groove (411) and a second groove (412). The first groove (411) extends in the same direction as the moving direction of the transmission block (310). The second groove (412) is located on one side of the first groove (411) and forms an angle with the second groove (412). The first slider (461) is slidably built into the first groove (411), and the second slider (462) is slidably built into the second groove (412). The width of the second groove (412) is greater than the width of the second slider (462) so that the movable block (460) can swing in the second groove (412).

5. The lifting mechanism according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The end of the movable block (460) is provided with a rotating groove (464), the driven pulley (440) is built into the rotating groove (464), and the two sides of the driven pulley (440) are rotatably connected to the two inner sides of the rotating groove (464).

6. The lifting mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The movable block (460) has a groove (465) at one end away from the driven pulley (440). The elastic element (463) is a spring. One end of the elastic element (463) is embedded in the groove (465), and the other end abuts against the inner side of the housing (410).

7. The lifting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive unit (400) also includes two limit sensors (500), which are respectively located at the uppermost and lowermost ends of the moving path of the transmission block (310). The limit sensors (500) are electrically connected to the servo motor (430) and control the servo motor (430) to stop or reverse.

8. A toaster oven, characterized in that, include: The lifting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7; The furnace liner (20) has at least one vertically arranged third slide groove (21) at both the front and rear ends. The third slide groove (21) at the front end and the third slide groove (21) at the rear end correspond one-to-one. The supporting unit (100) is built into the furnace liner (20), and the two ends of the supporting unit (100) slide in cooperation with the third slide groove (21) at the front end and the third slide groove (21) at the rear end of the furnace liner (20), respectively.

9. The toaster according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a base (30), and the furnace liner (20) and the lifting mechanism are both fixed on the base (30).

10. The toaster according to claim 8, characterized in that, The support unit (100) has multiple upwardly curved support blades (110) on both sides, and the multiple support blades (110) on both sides are arranged alternately.

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