Vertically adjustable ventilation hood system for a cooking appliance

Abstract

A ventilation system for a cooking appliance includes one or more slidable vent hoods arranged in a tabletop extending above a heating surface of a cooking appliance to exhaust gaseous byproduct developed during a cooking operation performed on the heating surface. The tabletop is vertically adjustable relative to the heating surface in order to alter the distance between each vent hood and the heating surface. Each vent hood can be retracted within the tabletop or extended to a position disposed directly, vertically above at least a portion of the heating surface. Preferably, a pair of adjacent vent hoods are provided, with each vent hood opening into a common exhaust manifold formed in the tabletop. The tabletop is preferably mounted through multiple pillars which are connected to a vertical adjusting mechanism. One of the pillars is preferably provided with an elongated duct for directing exhaust gases from the manifold to a remote exhaust location.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.