Technical Description

Kahyaam Rahim Chaudhary

Prof Serhiy, Metenko

Writing for Engineering

Feb 20, 2024

Technical Description

Purpose:

The purpose of this description is to inform its readers on how a toaster works and to describe its external and internal functioning parts. This paper is tailored to all those who have an education level of at least an undergraduate college-level student. The intended audience is undergraduate college-level students and all other adults that are interested. This description may prove useful to its readers, as they will receive knowledge on a toaster and its functionality, which they can use to solve any problem that may arise with their own toaster.

Introduction:

Figure 1: Toaster anatomy, www.cnet.com

The practice of browning bread is an ancient one; it dates back to 500 B.C. Fire was the most common source used to toast bread until 1905, when Albert Marsh, an engineer, created an alloy of nickel and chromium called nichrome. Albert’s idea was stolen by other companies that used the nichrome to produce electric toasters. Therefore, creating an efficient and modern way to toast bread without having to physically heat it up. Figure 1 shows a diagram of the electric toaster used today. The following paragraphs will focus on describing the external and internal components of this machine, along with a process description of how a toaster works.

External Components:

The toaster as a total of five external components, there is the Exterior Housing which is the outer shell of the toaster. The exterior housing is typically made of heat-resistant plastic or metal and is specifically designed to keep the heat contained within to ensure the users safety. It also plays a part in the toaster’s overall aesthetics, with multiple different colours and designs to match your kitchen decor. The Control Panel is another external component of a toaster that allows the user to customise their toasting experience. The control panel consists of knobs or buttons to control settings like toasting time and temperature.

The Bread Slots are the openings where the user inserts their bread, bagels, or any other items for toasting. The number of bread slots depend on the toaster model, larger models are more common to have 4 slots. The slots are adjustable to accommodate different bread thicknesses. The Crumb Tray is a removable tray which sits at the bottom of the toaster and catches the crumbs and bits of food that fall off during toasting. It can be easily removed and cleaned preventing potential fire hazards while also keeping the toaster is good working condition. And lately the Cord and Plug the power cord and plug are the most essential components that connect the toaster to your electrical supply. These cords are insulated to protect against any electrical hazard and are long enough to reach your kitchens power outlet with ease.

Toaster External components, www.kmart.com

Internal Components:

The internal components of a toaster also consist of five main components, there is the Toasting Element these are heating elements which is a device that converts electric energy into heat, consisting of resistors and accessories. Heat is generated by the passage of electric current through the resistor through a process known as Joule Heating. The heat generated by these heating elements is used to toast the bread. Thermostat/Heat level Adjustment is a device that senses and controls the temperature. The thermostat is designed to keep a constant temperature during the toasting process and is found near the heating elements.

Timer Mechanism these are typically in the form of a mechanical or electrical timer. This mechanism allows you to set the desired toasting time that you want. The timer counts down as the process progresses. Pop-up Mechanism/Support bar this correlates with the timer mechanism as the timer reaches the desired toasting duration the pop-up mechanism is triggered. This mechanism uses springs and levers to push the toast up making it easy to remove. The pop-up mechanisms is often activated by the solenoid that is controlled by the timer. Latch when the user holds the lever down the springs within compress and the latch holds the lever in place at the bottom position. The user can then let go of the lever at that point as the latch will hold the lever down until toasting process is completed.

A toaster (internal components), www.ivypanda.com

Process of Toasting:

The cord is plugged in which send current to the toaster activating it after which slices of bread are placed into the bread slots that hold the bread in place. The bread slots are then lowered into frame/Housing using the lever at the side of the toaster. When it reaches the bottom, the slots latch in position and an internal switch is activated to start the heating process. Thermostats determine the length of the electric current that will send from the power cord to the heating elements. The user operating the toaster sets the thermostat using the control panel or lever to find their desired temperature. When the desired temperature is reached, and the toasting process is complete the timer mechanism goes off, which causes the solenoid to turn the current off and activate the pop-up mechanism. The pop-up mechanism unlocks the slots from the latch and springs the slots back into their original position. The toasted food is then available to the user for easy removal. The crumbs from the bread slices fall into the crumb tray.

Conclusion:

The toaster is one of the most common household appliances used by users to enjoy their desired toast. The bread slice is put into the slots, which are then pushed down by the lever. The slots are then latched, after which the thermostat and heating elements use heat to toast the bread. After the desired toasting time is completed, the slots are sprung back into their original positions, making it easier to remove the toast and completing the overall process.

Glossary:

Exterior Housing – Outer shell of the toaster

Control Panel – Allows users to customize their toasting experience.

Bread Slots – Are openings to insert the bread for toasting.

Crumb Tray – A tray at the bottom of the toaster to catch breadcrumbs.

Cord and Plug – Connects to toaster to a power supply.

Toasting Element – Uses heating elements to convert energy into heat.

Thermostat – Device that controls temperature.

Time Mechanism – Allows user to set desired toasting time.

Pop-up Mechanism – Pops the bread slot containing the bread back into its original position for easy removal.

Latch – Holds the lever in the bottom position until toasting process is completed.

Work Cited

WishNtake, “Toaster: parts and their Functions” Accessed Feb 25, 2024, https://wishntake.com/blog/toasters/toaster-parts-and-their-function/

McDonald Colin, Baguley Richard, “The well-done physics and chemistry of a toaster” Feb 2, 2015, Accessed Feb 25, 2024, https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/appliance-science-the-well-done-physics-chemistry-of-the-toaster/

Wiki love folklore, “Heating Element” Accessed Feb 25, 2024, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heating_element#:~:text=A%20heating%20element%20is%20a,process%20known%20as%20Joule%20Heating.

IvyPanda, “Toaster, its elements and working mechanism case study” Accessed Feb 25, 2024, https://ivypanda.com/essays/toaster-its-elements-and-working-mechanism/

Fix-it club, “How to repair a toaster” Feb 25, 2024, https://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-repair-small-appliances1.htm

Made how, “Toaster” Feb 25, 2024, https://www.madehow.com/Volume-7/Toaster.html#google_vignette

Mishra pramode, “how does a toaster work? What makes it pop when done” Accessed Feb 25, 2024, https://www.quora.com/How-does-a-toaster-work-What-makes-it-pop-up-when-done

Wiki junior, “How things work” Accessed Feb 25, 2024, https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior:How_Things_Work/Toaster#:~:text=Second%2C%20a%20spring%20is%20compressed,the%20toast%20will%20continue%20toasting.