Variable-Width Toaster Carriage With Pivoting Support Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing variable-slot toasters face challenges in constructing internal components that adapt to varying slot widths while maintaining ruggedness and reliability, particularly with the foodstuff-supporting carriage, which can lead to potential jamming and fire hazards if not properly aligned with heater elements.
Innovation Solution
A toaster design featuring a carriage with elongate members and linking members that pivot to accommodate width variations, using control means such as latching and resilient mechanisms to adjust the carriage's position automatically, ensuring reliable support for foodstuffs of different thicknesses without requiring dedicated operational adaptations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the carriage is designed with fixed dimensions, then manufacturing is simple and rugged, but it cannot adapt to varying slot widths for different foodstuffs
Solution Approach 1:
The carriage is designed with movable elongate members that can shift position laterally, and linking members that can pivot, allowing the carriage structure to dynamically adjust its width to match the slot width setting. This dynamic configuration enables the carriage to adapt to different foodstuff thicknesses while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the carriage width is made adjustable to match slot width, then adaptability improves, but the risk of jamming and fire hazards increases if misalignment occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The control means monitors the slot width setting and automatically adjusts the carriage width by moving the elongate members and pivoting the linking members to match the slot width. This feedback mechanism ensures the carriage is always properly aligned with the slot, preventing jamming and fire hazards while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The carriage system automatically adjusts its own width configuration in response to slot width changes without requiring manual intervention. The control means actuates the elongate members and linking members to self-correct any misalignment, ensuring reliable operation across different foodstuff sizes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If dedicated operational means are added to adapt carriage width, then adaptability improves, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control means serves multiple functions: it monitors slot width settings, actuates the elongate members to change carriage width, and ensures proper alignment. By consolidating these functions into a single control system rather than adding dedicated mechanisms for each function, the design achieves adaptability while controlling manufacturing complexity and cost.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for reliable and economic manufacturing of variable-slot toasters that can safely support a wide range of food items, preventing jamming and ensuring safe operation by automatically adapting to user-set slot widths, thus enhancing user safety and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of linking members linking said elongate members and pivotally mounted to each, said linking members collectively presenting at least a substantial part of the foodstuff-supporting surface of the carriage; and control means maintaining said elongate members in contact with opposing sides of the chamber such that said elongate members move relative to one another when the width dimension of the chamber is varied; such movement of the elongate members being accommodated by pivotal movement of said linking members
Implementation Method 2
control means including resilient means acting upon at least one of said linking members for urging said elongate members apart
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A variable-width toaster is described, in which the food-supporting carriage (5, 60) adapts readily, robustly and in a cost-effective manner to different width settings of the toasting chamber (2, 70). Respective elongate members (51, 52; 61, 62) are mounted to either side of the toasting chamber and are linked together by linking members (53a - 53n; 63a, 63b) which form part of the food-supporting surface and are pivotally attached to the elongate members to accommodate lateral relative movement between the elongate members as the width of the toasting chamber is varied. In one embodiment, unitary linking members (53a - 53n) link the two elongate members (51, 52) and the elongate members are urged apart by a spring (54). In another embodiment, chevron-like linking members, comprising pairs of pivotally associated linking members (63 a, 63b) are employed.