CN1291190C - Dual motor kitchen hood with perimeter air intake - Google Patents

Abstract

A kitchen exhaust hood for exhausting gas includes an outer hood body in which a motor housing is mounted. The motor housing has a top surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral surface defining a pair of substantially similar air chambers, one motor and one fan being mounted in each chamber. An opening in the bottom surface of the motor housing is located below and aligned with each fan. A tray is positioned below the opening in the bottom surface and adjacent to the motor housing. The tray has a tray wall and a tray bottom, and has at least one air inlet in the tray wall. A base plate is attached to the bottom of the housing around the tray. Air is drawn into the exhaust hood through air inlets in the tray walls. The hood is also equipped with an automatic cleaning system that includes spray nozzles and hoses above the bottom of the tray.

Description

Dual motor kitchen hood with perimeter air intake

technical field

The present invention relates to an exhaust hood for use in a domestic kitchen for exhausting smoke and gas above a cooking surface, and more particularly to a dual motor exhaust hood adapted to extract air around the bottom of the exhaust hood gas mask.

Background technique

Kitchen hoods are used above cooking surfaces to remove grease, common odors and hazardous fumes created during cooking. There are a variety of hoods available, but they generally include one or two openings formed in the bottom of the hood and a fair amount of means (motor and fan) for drawing unwanted gases through the opening or openings. ). In these designs, the fans and their respective motors are positioned above the openings and are used to draw air through the openings into the exhaust hood.

A common difficulty with both single and double port designs is that not all of the air rising from the cooking surface is drawn through the opening, some of the air rising from the cooking surface flows around the sides or front of the hood and remains in the cooking environment middle.

Various hood designs have been developed to overcome this disadvantage. US Patent No. 5,448,987 discloses a hood with two motors having a lower plate spaced below and spaced from the bottom of the hood body. The positioning member keeps the lower plate spaced apart from the exhaust hood so that the front, left and right sides of the lower plate form an oil fume extraction space along the bottom side of the exhaust hood main body. The lower plate slopes from front to rear and has a hole at its lowest point to allow any accumulated grease to pass through and drip into a grease cup. The exhaust hood requires manual cleaning. However, because the lower plate is secured to the bottom of the hood, it is difficult to access the interior of the hood for cleaning or other maintenance.

US Patent No. 5,979,436 discloses an exhaust hood smoke extractor with the function of extracting ambient air. A pair of extraction devices (motor and fan) are mounted above the opening in the bottom of the hood. A plate is secured to the hood and spaced below the bottom of the hood. The plate has two openings that line up with the openings in the bottom of the hood, and has a number of slits or slots in the perimeter of the plate so that fumes from the area around the plate can be drawn into the hood. This design also requires manual cleaning and is disadvantageous in cleaning due to the difficulty of accessing the interior of the motor housing.

Another design is disclosed in US Patent No. 6,401,709. The exhaust hood has a plurality of side panels extending below the main body, each side panel having an inclined surface. A deflector plate has a horizontal portion parallel to the bottom surface of the hood and an inclined portion aligned with the inclined surface of the side plate. The deflection plate is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the exhaust hood main body, thereby forming an inlet at the front and both sides, and forming a suction passage. The hood also requires manual cleaning of the greasy surfaces. As with the previous designs, this cleaning is made more difficult by the presence of deflector plates that interfere with access to the interior of the hood.

Thus, while the exhaust hoods disclosed in '987, '436 and '709, respectively, provide a peripheral air extraction effect, they all require manual cleaning of the interior surfaces. Manual cleaning is very difficult to achieve in the given designs.

Contents of the invention

It is therefore an object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide a dual motor hood adapted to extract air around the bottom of the hood.

It is a further object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide a self-cleaning hood adapted to extract air around the bottom of the hood.

Not all aspects of the invention address these objectives. Other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exhaust hood for exhausting gases, comprising: an outer hood; a motor housing having a top surface, a bottom surface and a perimeter defining an enclosure surface, and having an air outlet and at least one opening defined on said bottom surface, said motor housing mounted in said housing; a motor and a fan mounted in said motor housing; a tray , which has a side wall, a pan bottom and a discharge hole, at least one air inlet is located in the side wall, the tray is located below the opening in the bottom surface and connected to the motor housing adjoining, and said tray has a ring connected to said motor housing and having a horizontal portion located below said fan; and a bottom plate removably connected to said shroud.

In another aspect, the above exhaust hood further includes a spray distribution device. The spray distribution device preferably comprises a hose located in the side wall of the tray and a nozzle arranged such that it directs cleaning fluid under pressure towards the interior of the fan and motor housing. The hose and nozzle can further be arranged on a bracket protruding from the bottom of the tray pan.

In another aspect, the tray wall has a plurality of said air inlets.

In another aspect, the above exhaust hood includes two motors and two fans. The motor housing also includes two substantially similar air chambers each having an opening defined in the bottom surface of the motor housing. Above the openings of the chambers, a motor and a fan are mounted in each chamber. The hood may be fitted with a tray for each chamber opening, or may have a tray adapted to enclose both air chamber openings.

The foregoing is presented as an overview only and of some aspects of the invention. It is not intended to limit the scope or requirements of the invention. Other aspects of the invention will be understood by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the claims.

Description of drawings

The invention will be described in detail below with reference to the detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a bottom perspective view of an exhaust hood according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the exhaust hood of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front sectional view of the exhaust hood of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of an exhaust hood according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a front sectional view of the exhaust hood in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side sectional view of another alternative embodiment of an exhaust hood according to the present invention;

Figure 7 is a side sectional view of another alternative embodiment of an exhaust hood according to the present invention;

Figure 8 is a front sectional view of another alternative embodiment of an exhaust hood according to the present invention;

Figure 9 is a perspective view from the bottom of an exhaust hood according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

The present invention relates to a kitchen exhaust hood, and in particular to such an exhaust hood with dual motors and peripheral air suction so that grease-laden air above the cooking surface can be drawn into the exhaust hood for exhaust to the outside.

A preferred embodiment of an exhaust hood 10 for extracting ambient air is shown in FIGS. 1-3. As best shown in Figure 2, the exhaust hood has an outer shroud 2 defining top, front, rear, side and bottom surfaces and forming a motor housing 5 The shell of the enclosure in which it is installed. A tray 30 adjacent to the motor housing 5 projects below a floor 26 attached to the housing 2 to provide ambient air suction as will be discussed in more detail below.

A motor housing 5 having a top surface 6, a bottom surface 8 and a peripheral side surface 4 is mounted within the enclosure formed by the cover. As shown in FIG. 3 , the interior of the motor housing is divided into two substantially similar separate chambers 12 and 14 . Each chamber 12 , 14 has an air outlet or vent (not shown) in the top surface 6 and a chamber opening defined by a wall 22 extending from the bottom surface 8 of the motor housing 5 . to rest on and stand vertically from it. Each chamber is designed to accommodate a motor 18 and a fan 20 for drawing heat and greasy air into the chambers 12, 14 of the motor housing 5 from above the cooking surface, and Exhaust vent. Both the motor 18 and the motor housing 5 are adapted to be detachably mounted on the housing 2 . A fan 20 is detachably connected to the motor 18 . These motors 18 are located within the motor housing so that when the fan 20 is installed they are located above the opening defined in the bottom 8 of the motor housing.

Preferably, an outwardly and downwardly projecting extension or lip 24 rests against the wall 22 to form a gap between the lip 24 and the wall 22 . The lip 24 may branch or diverge from the wall 22 so that the gap forms a wedge-shaped surface. The opening defined by wall 22 is sized such that fan 20 is adapted to pass therethrough.

The tray 30 has a tray wall 32 and a tray base 34 . A plurality of air inlets 36 are located on the tray wall 32 and are spaced from the pan bottom 34 . Preferably, the tray 30 is welded to a ring 38 so that the ring forms part of the tray. Alternatively, ring 38 and tray 30 may be formed from one molded or machined piece, depending on the material used. Ring 38 is adapted to be inserted into the gap between lip 24 and wall 22 and has a radially inwardly extending horizontal portion so as to be located below the base of fan 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 . Preferably, the radially inner edge of the ring 38 faces downwards so that any liquid that collects on the ring drains towards the bottom 34 of the tray 30 .

It is conceivable to provide other designs such that the tray adjoins the motor housing below the opening in the bottom surface 8 and protrudes below the bottom plate 26 . For example, tray wall 32 may be inserted directly into the gap between lip 24 and wall 22 . Further alternative embodiments are discussed below.

The hood 10 is equipped with an automatic cleaning system comprising a spray distribution device. In particular, the motor housing has nozzles 56 in the peripheral side surface 4 through which cleaning fluid from a cleaning fluid source (not shown) is passed under pressure and forced into the interior of the motor housing in order to clean the Clean the greased surface. A further spray nozzle 50 is connected to a hose 52 which passes through the tray wall 32 and which nozzle 50 directs cleaning fluid under pressure towards the fan 20 and into the interior of the motor housing. A hose 52 is supported by the wall 32 and a hose support bracket 54 protrudes from the bottom 34 so as to remain above the tray bottom 34 .

Both the bottom surface 8 of the motor housing and the tray 34 are sloped from front to rear so that any liquid drains towards the rear of the exhaust hood. The liquid in the tray 30 drains through the drain hose 40 to the hole 44 to drain into an external grease container 46 . Similarly, in the motor housing 5 the liquid exits a drain hole (not shown) through a drain hose 42 and to an external grease container 56 . By raising spray nozzle 50 and hose 52 above the bottom level of the motor housing, bracket 54 ensures that grease and liquids that accumulate on the bottom of the motor housing are properly drained.

To form a complete exhaust hood enclosure, the exhaust hood 10 has a base plate 26 which is detachably connected to the bottom of the enclosure body 2 by quick release bolts 48 . The bottom plate 26 has openings corresponding to the trays 30 so as to enclose them; A floor spacer 28 is used to enclose the washer fluid and discharge hoses connected to the tray 30 and the motor housing.

When the exhaust hood is activated, the fan 20 is used to draw air into the tray wall 32 through the air inlet 36 . Thus, the suction is directed around the bottom of the hood, thereby serving to capture more of the greasy gases that would normally escape around the sides of the hood.

While operating the hood, the cleaning system can be set to operate automatically at set intervals or with the push of a button. When activated, cleaning fluid is forced under pressure from a cleaning fluid source (not shown) to the nozzles 50, 56 and directed towards the greased surface. As the hood is active during the cleaning process, the air drawn in through the inlet prevents any liquid from dripping out through the inlet onto the cooking surface below. This greatly simplifies the cleaning process compared to prior art hoods. The user only needs to take care to ensure that the source of cleaning fluid remains filled and the grease container remains empty when required. Furthermore, if access to the interior of the motor housing is required for additional cleaning or maintenance purposes, the user simply removes the bottom plate 26 and tray 30 .

Trays with perimeter air intakes and purge systems can be used in conjunction with a number of different fan and motor housing designs as discussed below. In the following discussion of alternative embodiments, like reference numerals are used to denote like elements of the preferred embodiment.

4 and 5 show an alternative embodiment of the exhaust hood 100 with a single tray 13 located below the opening in the motor housing 5 . The tray 130 has an air inlet 136 through which grease laden air is drawn from above the cooking surface into the motor housing before being expelled to the outside. The tray 130 is fitted with at least one pair of hoses 52 and nozzles 50 so as to provide one hose 52 and nozzle 50 for each fan 20 . The bottom plate 126 is adapted to fit around the tray 130 when attached to the enclosure 2 . Similarly, floor spacer 128 is adapted to be mounted in ground adjacent to tray 130 so as to enclose any internal components of the exhaust hood, such as hose 52 .

FIG. 6 shows another alternative embodiment exhaust hood 200 . The exhaust hood 200 has a motor housing 205 having a top 207 and a bottom 209 joined together at a junction 213 . The bottom surface 208 of the motor housing 205 has an opening defined therein corresponding to the inlet portion of the fan 20 . The bottom surface of the motor housing slopes radially inwardly to drain any liquid that accumulates within the motor housing through openings into bottom surface 208 and into tray 230 . In order to remove the fan 20 from the motor housing, it is necessary to simply disengage the bottom 209 from the top 207 . Tray 230 may be welded or otherwise secured, including removably secured, by attaching upper flange 211 to bottom surface 208 . Greased air is drawn through the tray inlet 236 into the exhaust hood. The tray 230 is tilted from front to back to drain accumulated liquid into a grease container.

FIG. 7 shows another alternative embodiment of an exhaust hood 300, which is similar in part to the exhaust hood shown in FIG. 200 similar.

Figure 8 shows an exhaust hood 400 according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention. The exhaust hood 400 is equipped with a squirrel cage fan 320 . The motor housing 405 does not have a removable bottom as in the exhaust hood 300 . Therefore, the opening defined in the bottom surface 408 must be large enough to allow the fan 320 to pass through. An angled wall (sloped wall) 422 extends inwardly of the motor housing against bottom surface 408 and slopes radially outward. The tray 430 is attached to the bottom surface 408 by clips (not shown) or the like, with the additional fixing provided by the bottom plate 426 when it is attached to the housing 2 . Wall 422 serves to prevent any liquid within the motor housing from returning through the opening in bottom surface 408 . Due to the radially outward slope, the wall 422 also serves to prevent any air forced into the motor housing by the fan 32 from returning between the bottom surface 408 and the lower edge of the fan 320 and escaping out of the motor housing.

Finally, Figure 9 shows an exhaust hood 500 according to another alternative embodiment of the invention. The exhaust hood 500 has a generally rectangular tray 530 with an air inlet 536 . The bottom plate 526 is attached to the enclosure around the tray 530 . Another spacer plate 528 is attached to the hood body and floor 526 to enclose and provide space for the internal components of the hood.

When the fumes enter the exhaust hood, some grease will collect on the bottom plate. Grease can be easily wiped off the bottom plate when needed. Grease in the motor housing drains to the bottom of the motor housing and can be cleaned as described above. Preferably, the motor housing is made of metal and is plated to prevent rusting. The motor housing is also preferably coated with a non-stick material to facilitate grease removal. For some specific parts of the exhaust hood, it is also conceivable to use plastic or the like.

Although the present invention is disclosed as a dual motor hood, it should be understood that the combination of the tray with the air inlet around the wall and the cleaning system could also be used in a hood with only one motor.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some preferred and alternative embodiments have been described in detail, in practice certain modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. An exhaust hood for exhausting gas, comprising: an outer shell; A motor housing having a top surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral surface defining an enclosure, and having an air outlet and at least one opening defined on said bottom surface, said motor housing being mounted on in the cover; a motor and a fan mounted in the motor housing; a tray having a side wall, a pan bottom, and a drain hole, at least one air inlet being located in the side wall, the tray being positioned below the opening in the bottom surface and connected to the motor housing body adjoining, and the tray has a ring connected to the motor housing and having a horizontal portion below the fan; and A bottom plate is detachably connected with the cover body. 2. The exhaust hood of claim 1, wherein when said base plate is attached to said enclosure, said tray projects through said base plate such that said at least one air inlet is located below the floor. 3. The exhaust hood of claim 1, further comprising spray distribution means. 4. The exhaust hood of claim 1, further comprising a hose and a spray nozzle, the hose being located in the side wall of the tray, and the nozzle being arranged so that cleaning Fluid is directed under pressure inside the fan and motor housings. 5. The exhaust hood of claim 4, wherein said hose and nozzle are further disposed on a bracket protruding from the bottom of said tray. 6. The exhaust hood of claim 1, wherein said tray wall has a plurality of said air inlets. 7. The exhaust hood of claim 1, including two said motors and two said fans, and wherein said motor housing includes two substantially similar air chambers, each chamber There is one of said at least one opening defined in said bottom surface, with a motor and a fan housed in each chamber above said opening. 8. The exhaust hood of claim 7, wherein said tray is adapted to enclose all of said openings. 9. The exhaust hood of claim 7, further comprising two of said trays, one tray positioned below one of said air chambers and the other tray positioned in said air chamber below the other one.

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