# US 11,306,922 B2 · Local exhaust device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,922 B2 - Document ID: US11306922B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/040,443 - Filed: 2019-03-08 - Published: 2021-01-28 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-27 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Sangcheol Lee; Wontae Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306922B2 ## CPC - F24C 15/2042: {Devices for removing cooking fumes structurally associated with a cooking range e.g. downdraft (F24C15/2007 takes precedence)} - F24F 13/082: {Grilles, registers or guards} - F24C 15/20: Removing cooking fumes (parts, details or accessories of cooking-vessels for withdrawing or condensing cooking vapours from such vessels A47J36/38) - F24F 2221/46: Air flow forming a vortex - F24C: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES (exclusively for solid fuels F24B); DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) ## Abstract A local exhaust device includes a main body part having an inlet port formed on a lower surface thereof and a vertex forming device installed on the main body part for forming a vortex so as to induce intake of external air through the inlet port. The vortex forming device comprises a swirler disposed on the inlet port and rotated so as to form a vortex; a driving part for rotating the swirler, and a flow guide disposed on the inlet port for guiding downstream the flowing air in a rotating process of the swirler. The flow guide comprises an upper surface disposed on an upper portion of the swirler, wherein the upper surface of the flow guide comprises an open region for opening the upper portion of the swirler and a closed region for blocking the upper portion of the swirler. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A local exhaust device comprising: a main body part having an inlet port formed on a lower surface thereof; and a vortex forming device installed on the main body part and configured to form a vortex so as to induce intake of external air through the inlet port, wherein the vortex forming device comprises: a swirler disposed at the inlet port and rotated to form the vortex; a driving part configured to rotate the swirler; and a flow guide disposed at the inlet port and configured to guide air flowing by a rotation of the swirler downward, wherein the flow guide comprises an upper surface disposed at an upper portion of the swirler, wherein the upper surface of the flow guide comprises an open region configured to open the upper portion of the swirler and a closed region configured to block the upper portion of the swirler, wherein the open region is formed by penetrating a portion of the upper surface of the flow guide so that a passage along which external air is suctioned into the main body part through the inlet port is opened and the upper surface of the flow guide is halved to the open region located at a rear thereof and the closed region located at a front thereof, and wherein the closed region is formed as a horizontal plane blocking the passage along which external air is suctioned into the main body part through the inlet port. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The local exhaust device of claim 1, wherein the closed region is located in front of the open region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The local exhaust device of claim 1, wherein the closed region is disposed above a rotation region of the swirler and disposed at a position being biased forward at the rotation region of the swirler. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The local exhaust device of claim 1, wherein the main body part comprises: a first casing accommodating an intake device configured to generate an intake force for intaking air; and a second casing provided below the first casing and having a horizontal sectional area larger than that of the first casing, the second casing having the inlet port provided on a lower surface thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The local exhaust device of claim 4, wherein: the first casing extends upward from an upper surface of the second casing, a rear surface of the first casing and a rear surface of the second casing are coplanar, the rear surface of the first casing and the rear surface of the second casing face a wall, and a front surface of the second casing is located in front of a front surface of the first casing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The local exhaust device of claim 5, wherein a rotation center of the swirler is located frontward with respect to a vertical line passing through a rotation center of the intake device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The local exhaust device of claim 6, wherein the closed region is formed as a horizontal plane blocking the passage along which external air is suctioned into the main body part through the inlet port and located in front of the open region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The local exhaust device of claim 6, wherein the closed region is formed as a horizontal plane blocking the passage along which external air is suctioned into the main body part through the inlet port, and wherein the closed region is disposed above a rotation region of the swirler, and is disposed at a forwardly inclined position at the rotation region of the swirler. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The local exhaust device of claim 6, wherein the closed region is formed as a horizontal plane blocking the passage along which external air is suctioned into the main body part through the inlet port, and wherein the closed region is disposed above a rotation region of the swirler, and is located in front of a front surface of the first casing, and at least a portion of the open region is disposed at the rear with respect to the front surface of the first casing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The local exhaust device of claim 1, wherein the flow guide further comprises a guide surface extending to be inclined outward and downward from an outer edge of the upper surface of the flow guide.