The present invention relates to a tabletop cooking assembly, particularly to a cooking assembly that can be used indoors without requiring exhausting or venting of the exhaust outdoors and without additional make-up air requirements while achieving adequate capture of smoke therefrom.
Various cooktops are known for Korean barbeque and various cooktops having centrally mounted downdraft systems are known. However, none of the various cooktops are able to be exhausted to an area immediately adjacent the cooktop without venting outside and while also capturing adequate smoke generated from cooking food directly on the cooktop. One major complaint of guests or customers at such establishments is the smell after dining at the establishment because smoke having grease particulates dispersed therein escapes from the cooktop causing odors to linger on the customer. Generally, these types of cooktops require large and expensive overhead ducts to capture the smoke, but even still the smoke would not be sufficiently captured. The cooktops that do not have overhead ducts, commonly referred to as downdraft systems, are also inadequate for capturing smoke from the cooktop. Even still, those that have attempted to create adequate capture require large velocity blowers, which tend to cool the grill and are loud when used in such confined areas.
One such prior tabletop cooking assembly was designed for a teppanyaki table, which is generally larger than a Korean barbecue table, and is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 10,139,113. The ′113 Patent discloses a high velocity blower that draws air from a vent disposed on one side, which pulls airs across a rectangular cooking surface. In order to achieve smoke capture, the high velocity blower had to achieve 750 feet per minute, which can contribute noise to the surrounding area.
Many cooking assemblies, such as stoves for household kitchens, have centrally mounted downdraft systems. One such assembly is shown in United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0318835 that discloses a central downward removal of cooking vapors by suction through a hob. The hob is disposed in the middle of various different cooking locations. Such a system allows smoke to escape from the outer edges of the cooking locations. Further, the cooking assembly is not used for cooking food directly on the cooking locations, instead pots and pans are used to cook the food thereon, which provides different types of issues.
United States Patent 2007/0062514 discloses a smokeless cooker cabinet that includes an indoor table and a gas-discharge flow path that leads from the cabinet to the outdoors. The smokeless cooker includes a grill that is disposed above a burner with an inner box and an outer box that forms a duct and an upper gap is between the inner box and the outer box. A top ring having a plurality of apertures is installed between the inner box and the outer box to shield the upper gap. Because the top ring merely closes the inner box and the outer box, sufficient smoke capture is not possible to exhaust indoors, thus the need to exhaust the smoke outdoors. Another example is shown in Chinese Patent Application Publication CN107997380A, which discloses a large exhaust duct surrounding a pan. The large exhaust duct does not allow for sufficient smoke capture.
Yet another cooking assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,002,110. Specifically, an electric smokeless roaster is disclosed that has a suction unit that surrounds sides and a bottom of the pan to create suction down and through the grill or from above the grill. Since the suction unit surrounds the sides and bottom of the pan, inefficiencies of the suction unit allow smoke to escape from the grill and thus the smoke is not adequately captured. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,626 discloses a table cooker with a ventilator that is integral with the housing and that has an exhaust duct that surrounds the sides and bottom of the pan. Both systems are not able to create adequate smoke capture as a result of the exhaust duct/suction unit surrounding the entire pan and having ducts with large volumes that contribute to inefficient smoke collection.
The subject invention discloses a tabletop cooking assembly for preparing foods thereon. The assembly comprises a burner element, a pan surrounding the burner element, a grill adjacent to the burner element for cooking food thereon, and an exhaust plenum adjacent to the grill having a plurality of apertures formed therein for drawing smoke away from the grill and an outlet for exhausting smoke therefrom. An exhaust duct is in fluid communication with the outlet of the exhaust plenum for removing smoke through the exhaust plenum and at least one filter assembly is in fluid communication with the exhaust duct having at least one filter disposed therein for filtering grease from the smoke as the smoke passes through the at least one filter. The subject invention also includes a blower in fluid communication with the exhaust duct and the at least one filter assembly for exhausting the smoke from the exhaust duct to an area outside of and immediately adjacent to the tabletop cooking assembly. The exhaust plenum according to the subject invention is further defined as having an interior wall, an exterior wall, a top and a bottom forming a defined volume around the grill to draw the smoke into the exhaust plenum and away from the grill such that the smoke does not pass through the grill or about the burner element.
Another embodiment of the subject invention discloses a tabletop cooking assembly for preparing foods thereon. The assembly comprises a burner element comprising a gas burner and a ceramic tile, a pan surrounding the burner element, a grill adjacent to the burner element for cooking food thereon, and an exhaust plenum adjacent to the grill having a plurality of apertures formed therein for drawing smoke away from the grill and an outlet extending therefrom for exhausting smoke therefrom. An exhaust duct is in fluid communication with the outlet of the exhaust plenum for removing smoke through the exhaust plenum, a first filter assembly in fluid communication with the exhaust duct having a first filter comprising a metal screen disposed within the first filter assembly for filtering grease from the smoke as the smoke passes through the first filter, and a second filter assembly in fluid communication with and downstream from the first filter assembly and having a second filter comprising a wool fiber disposed within the second filter assembly for filtering grease from the smoke as the smoke passes through the second filter. The embodiment also includes a blower in fluid communication with the exhaust duct having a blower capacity for drawing smoke through the exhaust plenum at a velocity of less than 500 feet per minute for removal of grease particulates with the first and second filter assemblies and for exhausting the smoke from the exhaust duct to an area outside of and immediately adjacent to the tabletop cooking assembly. The exhaust plenum in such embodiment is further defined as having a top, a bottom, an exterior wall, and an interior wall that extends perpendicularly between the top and the bottom. The top, the bottom, and the exterior and interior walls form a defined volume around the grill that is sealed other than the plurality of apertures and the outlet to achieve a desired smoke capture from the grill and to reduce smoke from escaping therefrom such that the smoke does not pass through the grill or about the burner element.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a tabletop cooking assembly for preparing foods there is shown generally at 20 in
The frame 24 may be fixed in one location or may be portable, i.e., supported by wheels (not shown). One advantage of the subject invention is that it does not require exhausting smoke outside if the cooking assembly 20 is used inside of a building. Therefore, dedicated or fixed duct work within the interior of the building that exhausts outside of the building is not required, which significantly reduces the cost of the cooking assembly 20, as well as installation costs. As a result of not being connected to fixed duct work, the cooking assembly 20 according to the subject invention may be portable, allowing for different configuration and layouts to accommodate different numbers of guests by moving adjacent cooking assemblies together. Such advantages where not possible for cooking assemblies that required permanently mounted ducts to vent outdoors.
As shown in
With reference to
As best shown in
The grill 38 may also be supported by the flange 46. The grill 38 is typically formed of a metal material that has good heat transfer properties that heats up sufficiently quickly for cooking food thereon. The grill 38 has slots 50 for allowing grease or other liquids to drain through the grill 38. The grill 38 may have a flat surface or a convex surface for receiving the food directly on the grill to be cooked. As the food is cooked, smoke that contains grease particulates is generated and rises from the grill 38.
With reference back to
In the embodiment shown in
As best shown in
Another aspect of achieving adequate smoke capture is that the defined volume of the exhaust plenum 52 is sealed other than the plurality of apertures 54 and the outlet 66. To be sealed does not require complete sealing, however, the subject invention limits the amount of air that can escape from the exhaust plenum 52 by reducing the potential inefficiencies and controlling the configuration as described herein. Since the lower bowl 42 of the pan 36 provides the continuous surface, little or no smoke escapes through the center of the cooking assembly 20 and instead the smoke is drawn into the exhaust plenum 52 through the apertures 54.
Referring back to
Both the first and the second filters 82, 84 are supported by filter brackets 86 that may have a plurality of perforations (not shown) to allow the passage of grease from the filters, through the bracket and into the standard drawers (not shown).
The filters are removable from the filter assemblies for allowing cleaning or replacement. The second filter 84 may also include flame resistant viscose fibers mixed with the wool fibers and woven together, and bonded together with a bonding emulsion that may contain additional additives such as fire retardant, fire suppressant, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, color dyes, etc.
Referring back to
The cooking assembly 20 of the subject invention can also be used with rectangular shaped grills 38, wherein the exhaust plenum 52 would be rectangularly shaped, as shown in
Referring to
The cooking assembly 20 of the subject invention may further include a muffler 98 disposed downstream from the blower 88 for dissipating noise from the assembly 20. The muffler 98 helps reduce noise of the subject invention. The subject invention may further include a deodorizer (not shown), either integral with the muffler 98 or separate, in fluid communication with the exhaust dust for removing offending orders from the exhaust. This provides yet another mechanism for removing particles from the smoke and ensuring that the discharge air meets local air quality standards. Typically, for air to be exhausted into a closed environment without the requirement for fresh make-up air, there needs to be less than 10 ppm of grease in the smoke. The subject invention achieves these requirements. More specifically, the subject invention provides exhaust with less than 5 ppm of grease in the smoke. Because of these advantages, the subject invention can then be used in closed environments without the need for fresh air make-up and without the need for exhausting outside.
The subject invention may also include a plurality of switches and sensors (not shown) that are monitored by the controller and a fire suppression system 100. Specifically, a first filter switch, a second filter switch, and a muffler switch, if present may be used. The filter switch detects the presence of the filters. The muffler switch detects the presence of the muffler 98. The fire suppression system 100 includes a tank of fire retardant that is directed and dispensed into the cooking assembly 20 if needed.
Several versions and configurations have been discussed in the foregoing description. However, the configurations discussed herein are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to any particular form. The terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings and the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. Therefore, it is an object of the appended claims to cover all such modifications and variations that come within the true spirit and scope of this invention.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/539,461, filed on Dec. 1, 2021, which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17539461 | Dec 2021 | US |
Child | 17931259 | US |