2 - Toasters - How do they work?

Stap 1 — General working principle

When lever 1 moves down, it lowers the basket containing the bread as well as a cam labelled 2. When this cam arrives at the end of the rail, it gets in position in between the two copper plates of the bipolar switch labelled 3.

Stap 2 — Electronic operating principle

When the lever is lowered, the contact pads of the bipolar switch 3 are closed. This allows the network of heating elements6, the electronic card 5 and the electromagnet 4 to be turned on.

Stap 3 — Electronic operating principle

This is an example of an electronic diagram of a toaster timer. The manufacturers use various assemblies often based on a frequency oscillator and a timer (The MC14541BCP, datasheet provided here). The setting of the time is done with a potentiometer (P1 here).