Patent Application
20060249141
Conventional range hoods are designed to provide light to a range top and to ventilate air (or cooking effluent) from the cooking area above the range top. Conventional range hoods generally cannot be customized to coordinate with their environment.
In one embodiment, the invention includes a range hood that can provide light to a range top. The range hood can include a flue, a capture sump coupled to the flue, and one or more overlay panels coupled to the capture sump. The range hood can also include one or more lights that shine light through the overlay panels, through the capture sump, and onto the range top. The range hood can further include a circulation/lighting unit for providing light and removing cooking effluent from the range top.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method of installing one or more overlay panels in a range hood. The method can include providing one or more overlay panels, positioning one or more stand-offs on a capture sump, positioning the overlay panels over the stand-offs and between the capture sump and one or more lights, and fastening the overlay panels to the capture sump.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The flue 12 can include a bracket 22 that can be used to attach the range hood 10 to a ceiling. The bracket 22 can include one or more holes that can allow ducting to pass through. Ducting or recirculation components (not shown) can be positioned within an interior portion of the flue 12, along with any suitable fan (not shown). The fan can be positioned in a lower portion of the flue 12 above the circulation/lighting unit 14. The flue 12 can include a first, smaller concentric portion 24 and a second, larger concentric portion 26. A lip 28 can be formed between the first concentric portion 24 and the second concentric portion 26. The flue 12 can include one or more flat surfaces 29 that can extend along at least a portion of the height of the flue 12. In some embodiments, one or more chandelier lights 16 can be coupled to the flat surfaces 29. The flue 12 can be at least partially constructed of a decorative material, such as stainless steel, painted metal, copper, Corian®, ceramic tile, etc. The flue 12 can be mounted to a wall for a stand-alone range or a range top adjacent a wall or to a ceiling for a range located on an island cabinet. In some embodiments, when the range hood 10 is secured to a wall, the flue 12 can be attached to the ceiling and the capture sump 18 can be coupled to the wall for additional stability.
The chandelier lights 16 can include one or more chandelier connectors 30 that can be coupled to the flue 12. The chandelier lights 16 can also include one or more cantilever bars 32 that can be coupled to the chandelier connectors 30. The chandelier lights 16 can further include one or more cables 34 (or tubes), one or more shade connectors 36, and one or more shades 38. The cables 34 can be coupled to the cantilever bars 32 and the shade connectors 36. The shades 38 can be coupled to the shade connectors 36. The shades 38 can have any suitable shape, such as a cone-shape with one or more concave edges 39. The shade connectors 36 can include a recess (such as a threaded recess or a bi-pin for halogen lights) to receive any suitable light bulb (such as a low-voltage chandelier light bulb). The cables 34 can have a suitable length in order to position the shades 38 an appropriate distance from the overlay panels 20 (e.g., between one inch and ten inches) in order to shine an adequate amount of light through the overlay panels 20 and the capture sump 18 onto the range top (not shown). The shades 38 should be positioned far enough from the overlay panels 20 in order to prevent scorching of the overlay panels 20, but close enough to the overlay panels 20 to provide an adequate amount of light to the range top. Also, the type of light bulbs used can depend on the position of the shades 38, the material of the overlay panels 20, and/or the material of the capture sump 18.
The capture sump 18 can be secured between the flue 12 and the circulation/lighting unit 14 in any suitable manner, such as with one or more bolts 40. As shown in
As shown in
The circulation/lighting unit 14 can include a filter 48 through which the fan positioned within the flue 12 can draw the cooking effluent trapped by the capture sump 18. The filter 48 can include any suitable number and configuration of louvers. The circulation/lighting unit 14 can include a control panel 50 that can include a first face 52 that can extend in a forward direction from a second face 54. The circulation/lighting unit 14 can include one or more light fixtures 56 that can be recessed, in some embodiments. The control panel 50 can include any one or more of the following: one or more controls, one or more indicator lights, one or more timers, a digital clock, etc. The controls can be used to control the fan, the chandelier lights 16, and/or the recessed light fixtures 56. In some embodiments, the first face 52 and the second face 54 can each have a semi-circular shape. In some embodiments, the circulation/lighting unit 14 can include a body portion 58 that extends the semi-circular shape from the second face 54 to a third, rearward face 60. The circulation/lighting unit 14 can be coupled to the capture sump 18 with the bolts 40 and/or to the flue 12 with any suitable fasteners.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
