Range hood
AssigneeWesten Industries, Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Gagas, Daniel E. Stair, II, David J. Zeier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hood for a cook top is controlled preferably by an electronic controller through a touch keypad. The hood has front and side walls and attaches to a back wall. It has an internal cavity and structure to restrict airflow out of the hood. The structure also creates an air curtain. The curtain traps and moves heated air and effluents upwardly off of the cook top. At least one blower is located near the cook top for moving the air and effluents. The hood may also have at least one: filter, sensor, duct, lighting fixture, vent, display, and circuit board.
Claims19
An appliance including a range hood for a cook top having a heating element comprising
- a hood housing having a set of outer panels defining a cavity for venting at least one of air and effluent from the cook top;
- a cover disposed within the hood housing and separating the cavity into an upper cavity and a lower cavity, the cover having a hole that is defined by a set of inner panels and wherein the inner panels are spaced from the outer panels such that a first channel and a second channel are defined by an outer surface of the cover and an inner surface of the hood housing, wherein the channels are configured to move air that passes from the lower cavity to the upper cavity back toward the cook top to create an air curtain around each side of the cook top;
- a fan assembly having a fan mounted below the cover and aligned with the hole and above a heating element on the cook top;
- a sensor to scan the cook top for an item placed thereon and provide feedback to operate the fan assembly;
- a filter mounted below the fan assembly for removing a material from the effluent before the effluent is presented to the fan assembly;
- and
- a first plate and a second plate positioned above and extending parallel to the cover to define a pressure chamber;
- wherein the air curtain prevents effluent from escaping from the hood.
An appliance including a range hood for a cook top having a heating element comprising
- a hood housing having a lower inner cavity for venting at least one of air and effluent from the cook top;
- a vent cover between an upper cavity and the lower cavity, the vent cover having a hole;
- a fan assembly having a fan mounted in the vent cover hole and above a heating element on the cook top;
- a filter mounted adjacent the fan assembly for removing a material from the effluent;
- an outer channel for moving air from the upper cavity back toward the cook top to create an air curtain around each side of the cook top, wherein the air curtain prevents effluent from escaping from the hood;
- a means for adjusting fan speed and a sensor for the range hood;
- and
- a sensor to scan the cook top for an item placed thereon and provide feedback to operate the fan assembly.
A cooking appliance, comprising:
- a cook top having at least one heating element;
- a range hood disposed generally above the cook top and configured to create an air curtain around the cook top, wherein the range hood includes:
- a plenum chamber having a first opening and a second opening, both openings defined generally normal to the cook top;
- a pressure chamber positioned entirely above the plenum chamber;
- a fan mounted to the plenum chamber and aligned with the first opening, the fan configured to move air presented to the plenum chamber to the pressure chamber;
- a filter mounted to the plenum chamber and aligned with the second opening, and configured to remove material from the air presented to the plenum chamber;
- a sensor to scan the cook top for an item placed thereon and provide feedback to operate the fan;
- and
- a flow path in fluid communication with the pressure chamber and open to the cook top, and wherein the flow path is defined between the plenum chamber and the pressure chamber and circulates air from the pressure chamber back to the cook top such that the air curtain is formed around the cook top.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.