A toaster includes a housing having a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, a top wall and two opposing sidewalls. On the top wall are a plurality of bread-dispensing openings, each in communication with a designated cooking chamber. Vertically positioned within each cooking chamber is a heating element and a deployable grill. A lift mechanism includes a plurality of rotatable catch members that release the grill whenever the housing is upright so that the device functions as a conventional toaster. However, when the housing is rotated to lie on its rear wall, the catch members automatically grip the grill so that the lift mechanism ejects it through the bread-dispensing opening.
1. A toaster comprising:
a housing having a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, a top wall and two opposing sidewalls;
at least one bread-dispensing opening on the top wall, said bread-dispensing opening in communication with a cooking chamber;
a heating means on each of two opposing sides of said cooking chamber for simultaneously heating two opposing sides of a food item;
a spring-biased grill received within said cooking chamber;
a lift mechanism within said cooking chamber for raising and lowering a food item within said cooking chamber;
means for releasably connecting said lift mechanism to said grill when said housing is placed on the rear wall to convert said toaster to a sandwich grill, wherein said means for releasably connecting said lift mechanism to said grill when said housing is placed on the rear wall to convert said toaster to a sandwich grill comprises:
a plurality of catch members rotatably mounted on a spring-biased shaft received within the cooking chamber, each of said catch members including a gap formed thereon whereby when said housing is vertically oriented for toaster operation, each of said catch members rotates to a first, horizontal position to release said grill and to provide a horizontal surface on which a lower edge of a bread slice rests, and when said housing is lying on the rear wall, each of said catch members automatically rotates to an inverted position wherein said grill is received within said gap.
2. The toaster according to claim 1 wherein an end of said shaft is connected to a primary lever that is slidably mounted on one of said sidewalls.
3. The toaster according to claim 1 wherein said grill is biased in a retracted position to assure that said grill remains within said gap.
4. The toaster according to claim 1 wherein each of said catch members includes a pair of stop pins that limit a range of rotation.
5. The toaster according to claim 2 further comprising a releasable latch member for restraining the lift mechanism when the primary lever is depressed to a lowermost position.
6. The toaster according to claim 5 further comprising a timer means for setting a predetermined time period that the releasable latch member and heating elements are engaged once said primary lever is moved to the lowermost position, whereupon expiration of the predetermined time period, the latch members are disengaged, causing the lift mechanism to propel a bread slice upwardly or the grill horizontally depending upon an orientation of said housing.
7. The toaster according to claim 1 further comprising feet on said bottom wall and said rear wall for elevating and stabilizing the housing on an underlying surface in either an upright or supine position.
8. The toaster according to claim 5 further comprising a second, supplemental lever positioned beneath the primary lever to allow a user to override the timer means and manually eject a bread slice or the grill depending upon an orientation of said housing.