Timothy E Sutton

US Patent:

57057915, Jan 6, 1998

Filed:

Dec 20, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/768390

Inventors:

Timothy B. Sutton - Bellevue WA
Donald E. Schnautz - Stevensville MI
Patrick L. Glotzbach - St. Joseph MI
Arlene Richardson - St. Joseph MI

Assignee:

Whirlpool Corporation - Benton Harbor MI

International Classification:

A47J 3708
H05B 102

US Classification:

219492

Abstract:

An automatic countertop toaster and its control that divides the toasting cycle into three thermodynamic phases related to a change in the physical characteristics of the toaster and the item being toasted. The time of each of the three phases is adjusted according to the user inputs and current conditions to obtain the proper toasting time. The invention disclosed uses a microcomputer to interface with the user and control the toaster. The measured or estimated time since the last toasting cycle and the temperature inside the toaster are used by the microcomputer in table lookups to set the times for the three thermodynamic phases of the toasting cycle. Two of the phases are further modified by the toasting mode (normal, frozen, bagel, frozen bagel, reheat) and the toast darkness setting selected by the user. The sum of the three phases after modification is the total toasting time.