Control panel unit and timer unit and method therefor

Claim 3

A method of operating a control panel for a cooking apparatus or the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of setting said timer control means to a desired delay time interval comprises the steps of first pushing axially inwardly on a first selector shaft means of said timer control means, and, thereafter rotating said first selector shaft means to a position thereof that corresponds to said selector number of increments of time from which the cooking operation is to begin.

Claim 4

A method of operating a control panel for a cooking apparatus or the like as set forth in claim 2 wherein said step of setting said timer control means to a desired cooking time interval comprises the step of rotating a second shaft means of said timer control means to a position thereof that corresponds to said selected number of increments of time that the cooking operation is to last.

Claim 5

A method of operating a control panel for a cooking apparatus or the like as set forth in claim 3 wherein said step of pushing axially inwardly on said first shaft means comprises the step of axially moving inwardly a pair of gear members therewith so that one of said gear member will be axially moved out of its drive relation with a gear member of said second selector shaft means and the other gear member of said pair thereof will be moved out of interlocking relation with abutment means of said control panel, said step of rotating said first selector shaft means rotates said other gear member therewith so that slot means of said other gear member will be rotational out of register with said abutment means whereby said abutment means will hold said pair of gear members in an axially in position thereof until said slot means again registers with said abutment means at the elapsing of said delay time period and permits said pair of gear members to move axially outwardly to place said one gear member into mesh with said gear member of said second selector shaft means to drive the same through said cooking time interval.

Claim 6

In a method of making a timer unit for a cooking apparatus and having a first selector means for selecting a delay time period and a second selector means for selecting a cooking time period that will cause said apparatus to provide a cooking operation for said cooking time period following the elapsing of said delay time period, said second selector means having a driven gear that operates said second selector means when said driven gear is driven, said unit having a drive gear, said unit having a drive motor operatively interconnected to said drive gear to drive said drive gear, said first selector means being adapted to operatively interconnect said drive gear to said driven gear to operate said second selector means during said cooking time period after the elapsing of said delay time period, the improvement comprising the steps of forming said first selector means to comprise an axially movable shaft carrying a pair of gear-like members that are axially movable therewith, and forming one of said gear-like members to be adapted to operatively interconnect said drive gear with said driven gear following the elapsing of said delay time period.

Claim 7

In a method of making a timer unit for a cooking apparatus and having a first selector means for selecting a delay time period and a second selector means for selecting a cooking time period that will cause said apparatus to provide a cooking operation for said cooking time period following the elapsing of said delay time period, said second selector means having a driven gear that operates said second selector means when said driven gear is driven, said unit having a drive gear, said unit having a drive motor operatively interconnected to said drive gear to drive said drive gear, said first selector means being adapted to operatively interconnect said drive gear to said driven gear to operate said second selector means during said cooking time period after the elapsing of said delay time period, the improvement comprising the steps of forming said first selector means to comprise an axially movable shaft carrying a pair of gear-like members that are axially movable therewith, and forming one of said gear-like members to be adapted to operatively interconnect said drive gear with said driven gear following the elapsing of said delay time period.

Claim 8

A method of making a timer unit as set forth in claim 5 and including the step of rotatably mounting said gear-like members relative to a frame of said unit.

Claim 9

A method of making a timer unit as set forth in claim 6 and including the step of forming said one gear-like member to always be disposed in mesh with said drive gear regardless of its axial position relative to said frame.

Claim 10

A method of making a timer unit as set forth in claim 7 and including the step of forming said one gear-like member to only be disposed in mesh with said driven gear when said one gear-like member is in one axial position relative to said frame.

Claim 11

A method of making a timer unit as set forth in claim 8 and including the step of forming said gear-like members to have clutching means adapted to cooperate together to cause said gear-like members to rotate together relative to said frame under certain conditions.

Claim 12

A method of making a timer unit as set forth in claim 9 and including the step of forming said frame with abutment means adapted to hold said gear-like members in a certain axial position thereof when said gear-like members have been axially moved to said certain axial position thereof and the other of said gear-like members has been rotated by said shaft out of one rotational position thereof relative to said frame.

Claim 13

A method of making a timer unit as set forth in claim 10 and including the step of forming said other gear-like member to have opening means adapted to register with said abutment means to cause said gear-like members to move from said certain axial position thereof to said one axial position where said one gear-like member is disposed in mesh with said driven gear.

Claim 14

A method of making a timer unit as set forth in claim 11 and including the step of disposing spring means to be carried by said frame and be operatively interconnected to said gear-like members to tend to axially move said gear-like members to said one axial position thereof.

Claim 15

A method of making a timer unit as set forth in claim 12 and including the step of forming said spring means to comprise a compression spring telescopically disposed on said shaft.

Claim 16

A method of making a timer unit as set forth in claim 13 and including the steps of forming said one gear-like member to be adapted to rotate relative to said shaft, and forming said other gear-like member to be fixed to said shaft so as to rotate and axially move in unison therewith.