Toaster and method for controlling said toaster

Abstract

A method for controlling a toaster having a first heating element adapted to heat food arranged in a first heating compartment includes executing a main heating program comprising a succession of activations of the first heating element separated by respective deactivations of the first heating element, wherein the activations of the heating element are carried out by providing power thereto and the deactivations of the heating element are carried out by disconnecting power therefrom.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a toaster having a first heating element adapted to heat food arranged in a first heating compartment, the method comprising:
 executing a main heating program comprising a succession of activations of the first heating element separated by respective deactivations of the first heating element, wherein the activations of the heating element are carried out by providing power thereto and the deactivations of the heating element are carried out by disconnecting power therefrom.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including selectively executing a plurality of heating programs, said plurality of heating programs comprising said main heating program. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of heating programs comprise:
 a first group of heating programs, in each one of which said at least one heating element is activated with substantial continuity for an entire duration of the respective one of the first group of heating programs;   a second group of heating programs, each one of which includes performing a plurality of activations, separated by respective deactivations, of the first heating element during the execution of the one of the second group of programs, said main heating program being one of the second group of heating programs.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising receiving a selection of one heating program among said plurality of heating programs and executing the selected heating program. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising switching said toaster between a first operating condition, wherein it executes programs of said first group, and a second operating condition, wherein it executes programs of said second group. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein switching said toaster between the first operating condition and the second operating condition is in response to a user input received from a button included on the toaster and configured for switching said toaster from the first operating condition to the second operating condition. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further including executing a selected one of the programs of the first group, when in the first operating condition, and a selected one of the programs of the second group, when in the second operating condition, each according to a user selection received from an electromechanical selector included on the toaster. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further including configuring the electromechanical selector to offer a plurality of options for the selection of said heating programs, wherein at least one of said options corresponds to a program of the first group when said toaster is in the first operating condition, or to a program of the second group when said toaster is in the second operating condition. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further including defaulting to the first operating condition. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising indicating the selected one of the operating conditions to a user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said user indicating the selected on of the operating conditions is carried out by controlling an interface on the toaster that comprises a plurality of indicating lights configured for indicating a selected one of the first and second operating conditions. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said main heating program comprises a plurality of activations of the first heating element, each one of the plurality of activations having a duration of 40 seconds to 50 seconds, each pair of consecutive activations being separated by one of the deactivations, the one of the deactivations having a duration of 10 seconds to 20 seconds. 
     
     
         13 . A method for controlling a toaster having a first heating element adapted to heat food arranged in a first heating compartment, the method comprising:
 receiving a first selection of one of a first operating condition and a second operating condition;   receiving a second selection of one heating program among a plurality of heating programs of a first group when the first selection corresponds with the first operating condition and of heating programs of a second group when the first selection corresponds with the second operating condition; and   executing the selected heating program by activating and deactivating the heating element according in a corresponding manner.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 one of the heating programs includes a main heating program; and   executing the main heating program includes completing a succession of activations of the first heating element separated by respective deactivations of the first heating element, wherein the activations of the heating element are carried out by providing power thereto and the deactivations of the heating element are carried out by disconnecting power therefrom.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first selection received as a user input from a button included on the toaster and configured for switching said toaster from the first operating condition to the second operating condition 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of heating programs of the first group of heating programs is such that the least one heating element is activated with substantial continuity for an entire duration of the respective one of the first group of heating programs. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of heating programs of the second group of heating programs is includes performing a plurality of activations, separated by respective deactivations. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second selection is received as a user input from an electromechanical selector included on the toaster. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further including configuring the electromechanical selector to offer a plurality of options for the selection of said heating programs, wherein at least one of said options corresponds to a program of the first group when said toaster is in the first operating condition, or to a program of the second group when said toaster is in the second operating condition. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising indicating the selected one of the operating conditions to a user by controlling an interface on the toaster that comprises a plurality of indicating lights configured for indicating a selected one of the first and second operating conditions.