Toaster comprising rechargeable energy accumulator

Abstract

The invention relates to a toaster, which comprises: a housing; an insertion slot provided on the upper face of the housing; a heating chamber extending downwards from the insertion slot in the vertical direction; adjacent heating elements on both sides of the heating chamber; a rechargeable energy accumulator; and an operating device, wherein the operating device comprises an operating module that is inserted into the housing, is accessible from the outside and contains a touch input field on which operating commands can be input or selected and on which data can be displayed.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Toaster with rechargeable energy storage

[0003] The invention relates to a toaster with a rechargeable energy storage device. Such a toaster, when charged, can be transported to a desired location without the use of a power cable and operated there for a limited time, for example, to toast slices of bread.

[0004] US Pat. No. 3,650,202 A discloses a portable toaster with a rechargeable battery housed within its housing. The lower portion of this housing features an externally accessible plug, into which a cable connected to an AC power supply can be plugged to recharge the battery. The rechargeable battery remains in the toaster housing during recharging.

[0005] Another portable toaster is known from US 2008 / 0083739 A1.

[0006] It can be operated using various power sources. These include a hand-operated crank, an AC mains supply, a DC voltage supplied via a cable, and a rechargeable battery. Furthermore, this toaster features a cover on top to protect it from the elements.

[0007] The invention is based on the object of providing a toaster which can be operated without a mains cable and has a rechargeable energy storage device and whose operation is improved.

[0008] This object is achieved by a toaster having the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of such a toaster are specified in the dependent claims. A toaster according to the present invention comprises a housing, an insertion slot provided on the top of the housing, a heating chamber extending vertically downwards from the insertion slot, heating elements adjacent to both sides of the heating chamber, a rechargeable energy storage device, and an operating device, which includes an externally accessible operating module inserted into the housing, which contains a touch input field on which operating commands can be entered and on which data can be displayed.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the toaster has a control unit which is designed to control a working program selected on the touch input field.

[0010] According to one embodiment, a desired heating temperature can be set on the touch input field.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a desired heating time can be set on the touch input field.

[0012] According to one embodiment, a desired heating output can be set on the touch input field.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the toaster has a transmitting and receiving unit designed for wirelessly transmitting and receiving signals. This transmitting and receiving unit can be part of the operating module.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the operating device further comprises a mobile phone which is designed for wireless communication with the operating module

[0015] According to one embodiment, the toaster has at least one connection via which energy from the rechargeable energy storage device can be transferred to an external device. This connection can be provided on the operating module. According to one embodiment, the toaster has lighting devices. These lighting devices can be provided on the operating module.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the toaster has a loudspeaker. This loudspeaker can be part of the control module.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the toaster has a microphone. This microphone can be part of the control module.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the toaster has a warming attachment that can be positioned above the insertion slot and used to keep food warm. The temperature, time, and / or power used for keeping food warm can be adjusted on the touch panel. This warming function is limited by the battery capacity.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the heating elements are heating plates arranged on both sides of the heating chamber, the heating power of which can be individually adjusted.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the current remaining capacity of the rechargeable energy storage device can be displayed on the touch input field.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the rechargeable energy storage device is a rechargeable battery that can be positioned in a compartment of the housing. The rechargeable battery can be removed from the housing for recharging and connected to a charger connected to an AC mains. Alternatively, the rechargeable energy storage device can be permanently installed in the toaster and connected to an external charger via a charging contact.

[0022] According to one embodiment, a foldable handle is attached to the housing.

[0023] The embodiments described above can be used together, provided they do not exclude each other.

[0024] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. It shows

[0025] Figure 1 is a perspective sketch of the housing of a toaster, Figure 2 is a perspective sketch of an operating device to which a

[0026] Control module and a mobile phone are included,

[0027] Figure 3 is a perspective sketch of a heat attachment,

[0028] Figure 4 is a perspective sketch showing plate-shaped heating elements, and

[0029] Figure 5 is a perspective sketch of a rechargeable energy storage device,

[0030] A toaster according to the present invention comprises a housing, an insertion slot provided on the top of the housing, a heating chamber extending vertically downwards from the insertion slot, heating elements adjacent to both sides of the heating chamber, a rechargeable energy storage device and an operating device, which includes an operating module inserted into the housing and accessible from the outside, which contains a touch input field on which operating commands can be entered and on which data can be displayed.

[0031] Figure 1 shows a perspective sketch of the housing 2 of a toaster 1 equipped with the features according to the invention. This housing 2 is essentially cuboid-shaped. It has an insertion slot 3 provided on the top of the housing. Through this insertion slot 3, for example, slices of toast that are to be toasted can be inserted from above. These slices of toast inserted through the insertion slot 3 initially come to rest on a grid (not shown) which, using an operating lever (likewise not shown), can be lowered into a heating chamber 4 extending vertically downwards from the insertion slot 3, within which the toasting process takes place.

[0032] Furthermore, a foldable handle 8 is attached to the housing 2, which, in its upwardly folded position, can be used to carry the toaster to a desired location. This desired location is, for example, a breakfast table, on which the toaster can be used without the use of a cable connected to an AC mains. This breakfast table can be positioned in a dining room of a private household, in the breakfast room of a restaurant or hotel, in a mobile home, in a caravan, or in a patient room in a hospital. The toaster can be transported to all of these locations wirelessly and easily and can be operated there for as long as the charge of a rechargeable energy storage device inserted into the housing is sufficient.

[0033] The rechargeable energy storage device is implemented, for example, in the form of a block-shaped accumulator, which is inserted into a compartment 18 of the housing and from which the accumulator can be removed for recharging. This compartment 18 can be closed by a hinged lid and can only be opened to insert the accumulator into the housing and to remove it from the housing. Alternatively, the accumulator can be permanently mounted in the toaster's compartment and connected to a charger via a charging contact.

[0034] Furthermore, the housing 2 shown in Figure 1 has a recess 2a into which an externally accessible operating module 7 of an operating device can be inserted.

[0035] Such an operating module 7 is illustrated in Figure 2. This operating module 7 has a touch input field 9, a USB-C port 11, another USB-C port 12, lighting means 13, a loudspeaker 14, and a microphone 15. Furthermore, the operating module 7 shown in Figure 2 has, in its interior, a control unit 19, indicated by dashed lines in Figure 2, which is designed to control and regulate the operation of the toaster, as explained below.

[0036] Operating commands can be entered on the touch input field 9. Data can also be displayed on the touch input field 9.

[0037] A menu display can be displayed on the touch input panel 9, in which work programs are shown in the form of individual icons or in the form of a list. A user can select a desired one from these work programs. The selected work program is implemented by the control unit 19, which is designed to execute the selected work program. The selected work program is implemented using software associated with the selected work program, stored in a non-volatile memory, and taking into account sensor data provided by sensors installed in the toaster.These sensors include, for example, temperature sensors designed to measure the temperature prevailing in the heating chamber and sensors designed to measure the humidity and heat radiation of a slice of toast positioned in the heating chamber.

[0038] Furthermore, a desired temperature, a desired heating time, and / or a desired heating output can also be set or selected on the touch input field 9. This can be achieved, for example, by displaying icons on the touch input field 9 after selecting a desired operating program. These icons indicate a desired parameter, such as temperature. In addition to these icons, plus / minus icons are displayed, for example, which, when activated, increase or decrease a parameter value associated with the selected parameter.

[0039] Furthermore, the current remaining capacity of the rechargeable energy storage device 6 can also be displayed on the touch input field 9 in alphanumeric or graphic form.

[0040] The USBc ports 11 and 12 shown in Figure 2 enable sharing of the instantaneous charging capacity of the rechargeable energy storage device 6 placed in the housing 2. To realize this sharing, a portion of the instantaneous charging capacity of the rechargeable energy storage device is provided at one or both USBc ports and from there transferred via a connecting cable to an external device, for example to a laptop for its power supply.

[0041] The lighting means 13 provided on the operating module 7 are LEDs that increase the brightness in the immediate vicinity of the toaster 1.

[0042] The loudspeaker 14 attached to the housing 2 enables the toaster 1 to be used as an entertainment device. For example, music broadcasts provided by a mobile phone 10 containing a radio receiver can be played via this loudspeaker 14. These broadcasts are transmitted via a wireless bidirectional connection from the mobile phone 10 to the control module 7 and played via the loudspeaker 14.

[0043] Furthermore, control actions of the toaster which influence its operation can also be transmitted from the mobile phone 10 to the operating module 7 via the aforementioned wireless bidirectional connection and used by the control unit of the operating module to control the operation of the toaster.

[0044] Furthermore, image or video data can also be transmitted via this bidirectional connection, which, depending on the respective transmission direction, is displayed on the display of the mobile phone 10 or the touch input field 9 of the operating module 7.

[0045] The microphone 15 provided on the housing 2, in conjunction with the loudspeaker 14, enables wireless bidirectional transmission of voice signals between the mobile phone 10 and the toaster 1. For example, real-time conversations can be conducted between a toaster positioned at a campsite and a mobile phone located far away from the campsite.

[0046] To realize this bidirectional connection, the operating module 7 has a transmitting and receiving unit which is designed for wireless transmitting and receiving of signals.

[0047] Figure 3 shows a perspective sketch of a warming attachment 16. This warming attachment can be positioned above the insertion slot 3 on the top of the toaster housing 2 and can be used to keep food warm. The temperature, time, and / or power used to keep the respective food warm can be set or selected on the touch input panel 9. The warming attachment 16 is smooth on its top to form a warming plate and has openings on its side walls that allow the hot air discharged upwards through the insertion slot 3 to escape laterally during the warming process.

[0048] Alternatively, the heating element 16 can also be designed in a grid-like manner on its upper side, so that the hot air discharged via the insertion slot 3 can also exit upwards through the openings in the grid-like surface of the heating element 16. Figure 4 shows a perspective sketch illustrating plate-shaped heating elements 17. These plate-shaped heating elements are arranged adjacent to both sides of the heating chamber 4 when the toaster is assembled and can be individually controlled. This makes it possible, for example, to toast a slice of bread located in the heating chamber until fluffy or soft on one side and crispy on the other (toast balance).

[0049] Figure 5 shows a perspective sketch of a rechargeable energy storage device 6, which is designed in the form of a cuboid-shaped accumulator. This accumulator is positioned in the receiving compartment 18 of the toaster housing 2 during operation of the toaster. It can be removed from the housing for recharging and connected to a charger connected to an AC mains using charging contacts or inductively.

[0050] A toaster with the features described above allows for use on a breakfast table without the need for a cumbersome cable connection. In addition, a toaster with the features described above has other advantages.

[0051] One of these advantages is that it can be easily transported to a desired location and operated wirelessly there.

[0052] A further advantage is improved usability through the use of an operating module with its own touch input field, on which operating commands can be entered and data displayed. This touch input field can display operating options simultaneously or sequentially, allowing the user to select one or more of them without the need for multiple control buttons.

[0053] The usability of the toaster is further enhanced by using a control device that includes a control module with a touch input panel and a mobile phone linked to the control module via a wireless communication connection. This allows software data that influences the toaster's operation to be transferred from the mobile phone to the toaster. Alternatively, the toaster can also be operated using an app.

[0054] The battery, removed from the toaster housing for recharging, can be charged using a wide-range power supply on a charging station with almost any voltage and current. Alternatively, batteries are permanently installed in the toaster and charged via contact surfaces or inductively from an external charging station.

[0055] Further advantages of the toaster described above include the possibility of temperature control after entering a desired temperature in °C, power control after entering a desired power in watts and time control after entering a desired duration of a heating process or a keeping warm process.

[0056] A toaster with the features described above can serve as a WLAN access point and be connected to other electrical or electronic devices located near the toaster via a Bluetooth / WLAN connection.

[0057] It also allows you to share its charging capacity with other external devices, for example via a USBc port.

[0058] The use of lighting devices, such as LEDs, enables a lighting function.

[0059] By using one or more speakers, a microphone and / or the display, the toaster can also be used as a communication device or entertainment device.

[0060] By using a warming attachment above the insertion slot, heat from the heating chamber can be used to keep food warm, either through upward-flowing warm air or using so-called heat pipe technology. Time, temperature, and / or power control can also be implemented. By influencing the heat output of the heating elements arranged on either side of the heating chamber, which can be hotplates, the degree of browning of each toasted slice of bread can be adjusted to the user's individual preferences. For example, a slice of toast can be soft on one side and crispy on the other (heating balance, power balance, toast balance).

[0061] The mobility of the toaster described above makes the following scenarios possible:

[0062] - Using the toaster in a motorhome at a campsite: It's important to note that, given the current state of the art, connecting a conventional toaster directly to the motorhome's electrical system results in high energy consumption in a short period of time due to limited power supply options and is therefore not recommended. With a toaster like the one described above, the rechargeable battery can be charged over a longer period using the available on-board power, even at low power.

[0063] - use of the toaster in catering establishments:

[0064] This allows for individual toast preparation at each hotel guest's table. Using appropriate communication software, hotel staff can monitor the availability of available toasting machines and provide each guest with a charged one in a timely manner.

[0065] - a keep-warm function:

[0066] By setting the desired temperature / power / time control, it is possible to influence the existing heating elements using phase-angle control or pulse width control. By specifying a desired keep-warm time, the keep-warm time can be maintained for the desired period of time and automatically ended after this time has elapsed. The toaster is operated as described above using the control module, on whose touch input field operating commands can be selected or entered and data can be displayed. In this way, in particular, a desired toasting time and a desired heating power can be set and the current remaining capacity of the rechargeable energy storage device can be displayed. The toasting process itself can be activated in the conventional way by pressing a lever.Each slice of toasted bread can advantageously be dispensed through a gentle upward movement using a friction motor, rather than—as with conventional toasters—through an uncontrolled upward ejection using a coil spring. This also provides a mechanical safety function. Heating programs with reduced power can also be implemented without operating a lever.

[0067] The heating power can always be adjusted via an app. The toasting process is started by pressing a lever or slider. The toasting process can also be started without pressing the lever or slider, but then only at a significantly reduced heating power for safety reasons.

[0068] List of reference symbols

[0069] 1 toaster

[0070] 2 housings

[0071] 2a Recess in the housing

[0072] 3 insertion slot

[0073] 4 heating chamber

[0074] 5 heating elements

[0075] 6 Rechargeable energy storage

[0076] 7 Operating module

[0077] 8 Handle

[0078] 9 Touch input field

[0079] 10 Mobile phone

[0080] 11 USBc port

[0081] 12 USBc port

[0082] 13 light sources

[0083] 14 speakers

[0084] 15 Microphone

[0085] 16 Heat attachment

[0086] 17 heating elements

[0087] 18 Compartment for the rechargeable energy storage device

[0088] 19 Control unit

Claims

Patent claims 1 . Toaster, which has - a housing (2), - an insertion slot (3) provided on the top of the housing, - a heating chamber (4) extending vertically downwards from the insertion slot (3), - adjacent heating elements (5) on both sides of the heating chamber (4), - a rechargeable energy storage device (6) and - an operating device (7, 10), - wherein the operating device has an operating module (7) inserted into the housing (2) and accessible from the outside, which contains a touch input field (9) on which operating commands can be entered or selected and on which data can be displayed.

2. Toaster according to claim 1, which has a control unit (19) which is designed to control a working program selected on the touch input field (9).

3. Toaster according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a desired heating temperature and / or a desired heating time can be set on the touch input field (9).

4. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, in which a desired heating power can be set on the touch input field (9).

5. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, which has a transmitting and receiving unit designed for wireless transmitting and receiving of signals.

6. Toaster according to claim 5, wherein the operating device (7, 10) further comprises a mobile phone (10) which is designed for wireless communication with the operating module (7).

7. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, which has a connection (11, 12) via which energy from the rechargeable energy store (6) can be transferred to an external device.

8. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, which comprises lighting means (13) 9. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, which has a loudspeaker (14).

10. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, which has a microphone (15).

11. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, which has a warming attachment (16) which can be positioned above the insertion slot and which can be used to keep food warm, wherein the temperature, time and / or power used for keeping food warm can be set or selected on the touch input field (9).

12. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, in which the heating elements are heating plates (17) arranged on both sides of the heating chamber, the heating power of which can be individually adjusted.

13. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, in which the current remaining capacity of the rechargeable energy storage device (6) can be displayed on the touch input field (9).

14. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, in which the rechargeable energy storage device (6) is an accumulator which can be positioned in a receiving compartment (18) of the housing (2), which accumulator can be removed from the housing for recharging and can be coupled to a charging device connected to an AC mains, or in which the rechargeable energy storage device is permanently installed in the toaster.

15. Toaster according to one of the preceding claims, in which a foldable handle (8) is attached to the housing (2).

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