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Technical Description Outline Give a sentence definition and expand the definition as needed

Mechanical Engineering

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Technical Description Outline Give a sentence definition and expand the definition as needed. Make sure you cover the purpose of the mechanism and the when, where, why, and who uses it as appropriate.

 

Appearance

Make an analogy as to the mechanism’s size and shape with something the reader is familiar with and give the mechanism’s overall dimensions (length, width or depth, and weight).  Key the text to a figure (see Figure 1) if you have not done so in the previous paragraph.

 

Main Parts

List the main parts of the mechanism (using either a sentence format or a formal list).  Use the spatial (vertical, horizontal, circular) or functional, or assembly pattern to determine the list’s order.

 

Parts Description

Part 1

                Subpart 1

 

Part 2

 

Write a descriptive paragraph on each main part using the part names as the side headings.  Describe the main part’s location, purpose, function, dimensions, shape, method of attachment to adjacent parts, its material, and finish.  If the main part has any sub parts, use a 3rd level header to describe each one.  Be concrete (specific nouns and adjectives) when writing your descriptions.

 

Conclusion

Conclude with a brief paragraph, possibly explaining how to use the mechanism or explaining how the mechanism works or describing any advantage or disadvantage the mechanism has.

 

 

 

 

Description Template

 

Technical Description of a Toaster

Introduction

 

Definition

A toaster (see Figure 1) is a small electric appliance that browns bread between electric coils inside a metal body.  The toaster also heats and browns frozen and packaged foods designed especially to fit in the vertical heating wells.

 

 

Appearance

The toaster resembles a bread box with vertical slits in the top.  It is 6.75 in. high, 4.5 in. wide, 8.75 in. long and weighs 2 lb.

 

Main Parts

The toaster has three main parts: (1) the base, (2) the housing, and (3) the cord.

 

Description

Base

The base is a flat stainless steel plate, 4.33 in. wide and 8.75 in. long. It supports the housing of the toaster and is nailed to it at all four corners.  The front and back of the base (4.5 in. wide) are edged in black plastic strips that protrude 0.75 in. past the base.  The base has two subparts: feet and steel plate.

 

                Feet

The base rests on four round, black, plastic feet, each 0.5 in. high and 0.75 in. in diameter.  The feet are attached to the base 0.5 in. inside the four corners.

 

Plate

A removable stainless steel plate called the “crumb tray,” 3.5 in. wide and 5.25 in. long, is centered in the base.  One of the shorter sides of the tray is hinged.  The opposite side has a catch that allows the hinged plate to swing open to remove trapped crumbs.

 

Housing

The housing is a stainless steel box-like cover that contains the electric heating mechanism and in which the toasting process takes place.  The housing is 8.75 in. long, 6.25 in. high, and 4.5 in. wide.  The front is edged at the top with black strips that protrude 0.75 in. past the housing.  The housing has three subparts: two heating wells, heat control lever, and browning control lever.

 

                Heating Wells

The two heating wells are vertical compartments, 5.5 in. long, 1.25 in. wide, and 5.75 in. deep.  The wells are lined with electric coils that brown the bread or toaster food when the mechanism is activated.  Inside each heating well is a platform on which the toast rests and which moves up and down the vertical length of the well.

 

Heat Levers

The control levers are square pieces of black plastic attached to springs that regulate the heating and the degree of browning.  The levers are 6.5 in. square and are on the front of the toaster.  The heat control lever is centered 1 in. from the top of the housing and is attached to the platforms inside both heating wells. When the lever is pushed down, it moves along a vertical slot to the base of the toaster, lowering the platforms inside the heating wells.  This movement also triggers the heating coils.

 

Browning Lever

The browning lever is located in the lower right corner on the front of the toaster. The browning lever moves horizontally along a 2 in. slot.  The slot is marked with three positions: dark, medium, and light.  This lever controls the length of time the heating mechanism is in operation and, therefore, the degree of browning that results.

 

Cord

The cord is an insulated cable that conducts electric current to the heating mechanism inside the body of the toaster.  It is 32 in. long and 1/8 in. in diameter.  Attached to the base of the toaster at the back, it enters the housing through an opening just large enough for the cable.  The cord has one subpart: the plug.

 

Plug

Located at the other end of the cord is a two-terminal plug, measuring 1 in. long, 0.75 in. wide, and 0.25 in. thick.  The two prongs are 0.5 in. apart and are each 5/8 in. long, 0.25 in. wide and 1/16 in. thick.  The plug must be inserted into an electrical outlet before the toaster is operable.

 

Conclusion

To operate the toaster, (1) insert the plug into the 120-volt ac electrical outlet;

(2) put one or two pieces of bread or frozen food into the heating wells and move the browning lever to the desired setting; (3)lower the heat control lever until it catches and activates the heating mechanism. The toaster will turn off automatically when the heating cycle is complete.  The platforms in the heating wells will automatically raise the bread or toasted food so you can remove it easily.