The following documents are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth: Italian Patent Application No. 10 2018 000004522, filed Apr. 16, 2018.
The present invention relates to a kitchen extraction hood of the up-and-down type.
Hoods of the above-mentioned type usually include a portion capable of being placed next to a hob where fumes and/or vapours requiring extraction are generated and another fixed portion placed above such hob and attached to a ceiling or support above such hob. This fixed portion may project from the ceiling or be recessed into it, as in EP3045822.
For convenience the portion attached to or inserted in the ceiling will be referred to as the “first portion” and the portion next to the hob will be referred to as the “second portion”.
The two portions, which may also move relative to each other, are connected by a plurality of cables supporting the second portion; if the second portion can move with respect to the first these cables are subject to the action of an actuating element which unwinds them from a supporting element to allow the second portion to be lowered towards the hob and lifted from such hob.
For example, a hood of the above-mentioned type is the object of a prior European patent application EP3228942 by the same applicant.
Due to the fact that in comparison with fixed hoods the second portion is close to the hob, a hood of the above-mentioned type is better able to extract the fumes and/or vapours generated during food preparation on such hob; in the case of the second movable portion, this closeness is only achieved when the extraction function is required.
Known hoods of the above type transfer the extracted air (with fumes and/or vapours) from the hob from the second portion to the first portion. Here, the filtered air is expelled from the environment where the hob is located or is returned to said environment. However, it is important that there should be optimum transfer of the extracted air from the second to the first portion, avoiding it being dispersed into the environment before reaching the first hood portion.
In addition, there is also the problem of ensuring that the air drawn in by the second hood portion is effectively and efficiently expelled from the first hood portion through an extraction unit or fan attached to that first portion.
Finally, there is also the problem of reducing turbulence in the air flow entering the first hood portion to reduce the noise generated during use of the extraction hood.
The object of the present invention is to provide an extraction hood of the above-mentioned type that is improved in comparison with similar already known hoods.
Another object is to provide an extraction hood of the above-mentioned type that has an excellent extraction capacity and a high degree of reliability in transferring the air drawn in from the second to the first portion with little or no dispersion into the environment when passing from the second portion to the first.
A further object is to provide a hood of the type mentioned that is silent in operation.
These and other objects which will be evident to those skilled in the art are accomplished through an extraction hood of the up-and-down type having one or more features of the invention as described below and in the claims.
For a better understanding of the present invention, there are attached, purely by way of example but not limited thereto, the following figures, in which:
In the figures, corresponding parts are indicated using the same reference numbers.
With reference to the figures mentioned, an extraction hood according to the invention is generically indicated by 1. Such hood is of the known up-and-down type and comprises a first portion 2, attached to a ceiling 3 of an environment where there is a hob (not shown and above which the aforementioned hood is placed), and a second portion 4 which is capable of being placed near the aforementioned hob when the hood is in use. Such second portion may be fixed at a predefined distance from first portion 2 or second portion 4 may move with respect to the first so that the distance between these portions can be altered (for example, by bringing second portion 4 close to the hob when food is being prepared and moving such second portion 4 away from the hob when it is not in use).
First portion 2 and second portion 4 are connected to each other by cables 5. There is no air pipe or duct between the two portions and, in the case of second portion 4 which can move with respect to the first, the usual motor-driven cable winders 5 associated with the first portion or ceiling 3 cause second hood portion 4 to be lifted from and/or lowered towards the hob. First portion 2 can be fixed to ceiling 3 or can be inserted therein, or be retractable (as in
The extraction device 6 is placed within a body 7 of portion 4 that may be of any shape; in
Finally, body 7 of hood portion 4 has the usual and known ducts for the passage of extracted air towards a component 10 (which will be described below) capable of directing the extracted air (with the fumes and/or vapours) from the hob towards first hood portion 2.
Extraction device 6 (a fan) is able to extract the fumes and/or vapours generated on the hob thanks to the fact that second portion 4 is placed at a relatively short distance from the hob. The extracted fumes and/or vapours are usually conveyed (arrow F in
The air leaving component or conveyor 10 (arrow K in
The body 16 of first portion 2 is completely hollow and serves as a “stilling chamber” for the extracted air. This body 16 holds the air drawn from second portion 4 before it is completely extracted by fan 15 and expelled from the hood. The body 16 can receive the air drawn in from second portion 4, substantially entirely, thanks to the action of component or conveyor 10. The air coming from this component enters body or stilling chamber 16 through its opening 20, where there is a grille 21, facing second hood portion 4.
In order to have optimum “transfer” of the extracted air from second portion 4 of the hood to first portion 2, component or conveyor 10 is of a particular shape: it comprises a body 30 having an external annular shell 31 delimiting a space in which there is a honeycomb structure 32. Such structure is preferably separate and connected to shell 31, for example through lateral tabs 33 acting together with seats 34 provided in the shell.
Once assembled, body 30 (including shell 31 and structure 32) is inserted into portion 4 of hood 1 at opening 11 in a known way.
According to a first embodiment shown in
In other words, honeycomb structure 32 comprises a plurality of tubular cells 42 of polygonal cross-section, open at their ends, of different lengths, passing from first side 39 to the second side. Ideally structure 32 takes the form of a honeycomb body (defined by tubular cells 42) of cylindrical shape but cut by a wavy surface having the course of free surface 38.
In this way, as mentioned above, tubular cells of different lengths are created, helping to direct the air extracted from the hob (and moved by fan device 6) towards second hood portion 2.
The second embodiment of component and conveyor 10 (provided only as an example, but not limited thereto) is shown in
In a third embodiment shown in
A further embodiment of conveyor 32 is shown in
It should be noted that by honeycomb structure 32 is meant an element (of one piece with shell 31 or separate from it or inseparably attached to the shell) that has a plurality of adjacent channels having a parallel longitudinal axis. These channels are delimited by tubular cells 42 which may have a regular polygonal cross-section (as in
In any event component or conveyor 10 improves the movement and direction of the air from the second hood portion to the first to avoid or at least limit dispersion of the air extracted by the hob into the environment. The air reaches body 16 where it expands (from the point of view of volume) before being expelled through fan 15; body 16 acts as a “stilling chamber” reached by all the air conveyed by component 10 to first portion 2, said body 16 holding back this air before it is discharged from the hood by fan 15.
Various embodiments of the invention have been described. However, yet others are possible and may be obtained from the teachings provided by the above description.
For example, body 16 is shown in the figures as a body with a circular cross-section; according to one variant this body may have a polygonal cross-section so as to facilitate positioning and securing of fan 15 on any side of this body.
These other solutions are also to be regarded as falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102018000004522 | Apr 2018 | IT | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
20070079823 | Shin | Apr 2007 | A1 |
20170292717 | Crudo et al. | Oct 2017 | A1 |
20170356673 | Gauss | Dec 2017 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
107435958 | Dec 2017 | CN |
3045822 | Jul 2016 | EP |
3045822 | Jul 2016 | EP |
3228942 | Oct 2017 | EP |
2009018679 | Feb 2009 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20190316786 A1 | Oct 2019 | US |