Claims
- 1. A cleaning fluid heating reservoir and motor assembly for use in a range hood having a hood body defining an enclosure and a motor housing having top, bottom and perimeter side surfaces defining a further enclosure mounted therein, said assembly comprising:
a motor equipped with a fan, said motor having a top, bottom and perimeter, and said fan and a substantial portion of said motor being contained within said motor housing; a heating reservoir for cleaning fluid, wherein said heating reservoir is integrally formed with said motor and has an inlet and an outlet.
- 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a portion of said heating reservoir being positioned at either one of, or both of, said top of said motor and said perimeter of said motor.
- 3. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising an intermediate reservoir located within said range hood body exterior to said motor housing, said intermediate reservoir being adapted to deliver cleaning fluid to said heating reservoir via said inlet.
- 4. The assembly of claim 3 further comprising a pair of conduits passing through said perimeter side surface of said motor housing, a first of said pair of conduits connecting to said inlet and a second of said pair of conduits connecting to said outlet.
- 5. The assembly of claim 4 further comprising a first pump connected to said intermediate reservoir and to said first conduit for pumping fluid from said intermediate reservoir to said heating reservoir and a second pump connected to said intermediate reservoir and to fluid delivery means for delivering cleaning fluid to the interior of said motor housing.
- 6. A cleaning fluid heating reservoir and motor assembly for use in a range hood having a hood body defining an enclosure and a motor housing having top, bottom and perimeter side surfaces defining a further enclosure mounted therein, said assembly comprising:
a motor having a top, bottom and perimeter, said motor being adapted to be mounted within said motor housing of said range hood; and a heating reservoir, said heating reservoir being adapted to retain cleaning fluid, absorb heat from said fan motor, and transfer the heat to said cleaning fluid, whereby the cleaning fluid acts as a cleaning agent for cleaning a portion of said range hood during operation.
- 7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said heating reservoir is integrally formed with said fan motor.
- 8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said heating reservoir has a dividing wall and an inlet and an outlet, said inlet and outlet being located adjacent to, and on opposite sides of, said dividing wall.
- 9. A range hood for exhausting gases above a cooking surface and having a cleaning fluid heating reservoir and motor assembly, said range hood comprising:
a hood body forming an enclosure; a motor housing having top, bottom and perimeter side surfaces defining a further enclosure mounted within said hood body; a motor equipped with a fan, said motor having a top, bottom and perimeter, and said fan and a substantial portion of said motor being contained within said motor housing; a heating reservoir having an inlet and an outlet, said heating reservoir being adapted to retain cleaning fluid, absorb heat from said fan motor, and transfer the heat to said cleaning fluid, whereby the cleaning fluid acts as a cleaning agent for cleaning said range hood during operation.
- 10. The range hood of claim 9 wherein said heating reservoir being integrally formed with said motor.
- 11. The range hood of claim 9 further comprising an intermediate reservoir located within said range hood body exterior to said motor housing, said intermediate reservoir being adapted to deliver cleaning fluid to said heating reservoir via said inlet.
- 12. The range hood of claim 11 further comprising a pair of conduits passing through said perimeter side surface of said motor housing, a first of said pair of conduits connecting to said inlet and a second of said pair of conduits connecting to said outlet.
- 13. The range hood of claim 12 further comprising a first pump connected to said intermediate reservoir and to said first conduit for pumping fluid from said intermediate reservoir to said heating reservoir and a second pump connected to said intermediate reservoir and to fluid delivery means for delivering cleaning fluid to the interior of said motor housing.
- 14. A method of making a range hood for exhausting gases having a fan motor, the method comprising installing a heating reservoir in said range hood, said heating reservoir being adapted to retain cleaning fluid, absorb heat from the fan motor, and transfer the heat to said cleaning fluid, whereby the cleaning fluid acts as a cleaning agent for cleaning an exhaust system of said range hood during operation.
- 15. The method of claim 14 wherein said heating reservoir and said fan motor form a unitary structure.
- 16. The method of claim 14 wherein said heating reservoir is shaped to be positioned substantially in abutment with said fan motor.
- 17. A method of cleaning an exhaust system of a range hood having a fan motor, the method comprising:
installing a reservoir in said range hood; providing cleaning fluid in said reservoir; operating said fan motor, said fan motor generating heat during operation, said heat being conducted to said cleaning fluid; and delivering the heated cleaning fluid to the exhaust system of the range hood.
- 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of installing a reservoir in said range hood includes installing said reservoir substantially in abutment with a portion of said motor.
- 19. The method of claim 17 wherein said fan motor and said reservoir form a unitary structure.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/446,683 filed May 29, 2003, entitled A CLEANING FLUID HEATING RESERVOIR AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY FOR A RANGE HOOD.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10446683 |
May 2003 |
US |
Child |
10792705 |
Mar 2004 |
US |