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(11) | EP 2 327 936 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Hood unit with raising / lowering device |
| (57) The kitchen hood unit (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) comprises an actual hood (14; 114)
overlying a cooking hob, and suspension means (22; 122) for suspending it from a support
element (12; 112; 212; 412) to be fixed to the ceiling of the room in which the hood
unit (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) is located. The suspension means (22; 122) have a length
which can be varied by the user to cause the actual hood (14; 114) to approach and
withdraw from the cooking hob. A fume evacuation conduit (28) can also be provided,
the length of which varies on the basis of the variation in length of the suspension
means (22).
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[0001] The present invention relates to kitchen hood units, both of suction type and of filter type.
[0002] So-called "lsland" hoods are known for installation in the centre of a room, spaced from the walls, and have a chimney rigid with the actual hood, the upper or other end of the chimney being fixed to the ceiling. The chimney can be of telescopic form to be able to adjust within determined limits the distance of the hood unit from the ceiling, in order to adapt it to rooms of different height, so that the hood unit can be disposed at an optimal distance from the cooking hob. It should be noted that the installation of an island hood is fairly complicated and requires the intervention of two persons.
[0003] In recent years new hood unit types have been marketed requiring a somewhat different installation method from the classic type, these including so-called "chandelier" hoods. These are hood units which do not comprise a fume evacuation conduit (so that they only act by filtration) and in which the actual hood is suspended from the ceiling by wires or tubes, as in the case of chandeliers.
[0004] These hood units have the advantage of simplified installation in addition to a reduced visual impact. However, because of the lack of the fume evacuation conduit, these hood units have poor performance. Moreover, being suspended, if touched they tend to oscillate, hence special solutions have to be adopted for the relative control means.
[0005] It should also be noted that so-called ceilling hood units exist, having the advantage of minimum visual impact, they being incorporated into the ceiling, however they present certain disadvantages. In fact, they require the presence of a false ceiling and moreover, even though they can discharge the indrawn fumes outside the room, they have limited performance because the hood unit is excessively spaced from the cooking hob and the fumes can fill the entire room before being drawn in. Moreover, for the same region, cooking fats present in the vapours can deposit on furniture and walls before reaching the hood unit. So-called raising/lowering island hoods and also wall hoods exist, i.e. provided with a mechanism which enables the user to adjust its elevation above the cooking hob, so that in the case of intense cooking the hood unit can be lowered to approach the cooking hob and improve its capacity to capture the fumes, whereas when the cooking hob is inactive or in the case of light cooking, with reduced fume development, the hood unit can be raised to provide more comfortable access to the cooking hob (in particular preventing the user's head from hitting the hood unit) The raising/lowering mechanism can be manual (e.g. of the counterweighted type) or motorized. A version of the raising/lowering island hood with counterweight is produced by WESCO, while MIELE produces a motorized version.
[0006] It should however be noted that this type of hood unit has the drawback of being rather costly.
[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a hood unit of the chandelier type, the elevation of which can however be varied by the user, so that it also becomes a raising/lowering hood unit.
[0008] This object is attained by a kitchen hood unit according to the present invention, comprising an actual hood and suspension means for suspending it from a support element to be fixed to the ceiling of the room in which the hood unit is located, characterised in that the suspension means have a length which can be varied by the user to cause the actual hood to approach and withdraw from the cooking hob.
[0009] The suspension means conveniently comprise one or more suspension cables or wires, and a device enabling said cables or wires to be rolled onto or unrolled from a relative drum rotatably supported by said support element or by the actual hood, to cause the actual hood to approach or withdraw from the support element. Said device is conveniently motorized.
[0010] Another object of the invention is to provide a hood unit of the aforesaid type which can also operate in the suction mode with fume discharge to the outside of the room in which the hood unit is located.
[0011] This object is also attained by the hood unit of the present invention, one embodiment of which comprises a fume evacuation conduit, the length of which can be varied on the basis of the variation in length of the suspension means. The fume evacuation conduit can for example be of bellows type or of telescopic type (in both cases without load-bearing function), which is lengthened or shortened as a result respectively of the withdrawal or approach of the actual hood from or towards its support element, as a consequence of the shortening or lengthening of the suspension means.
[0012] Preferably the actual hood is enabled to rise until it lies against the support element. In this condition the hood unit has a bulk reduced to a minimum and resembles a ceiling light fixture. In this case, if a false ceiling is provided, when the actual hood lies in its most elevated position, its lower edge could be arranged such that it does not project from the false ceiling, so that a hood unit is obtained which in this condition resembles a "ceiling" hood.
[0013] The invention will be more apparent from the ensuing description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example. In this description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the hood unit according to the invention, of the type operating only in filtration mode, shown in its lowered configuration;
Figure 2 shows the same hood unit but in its completely raised configuration;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the hood unit of the invention;
Figure 4 shows it in its completely raised configuration;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the hood unit of the invention;
Figure 6 shows it in its completely raised configuration;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the hood unit of the invention, similar to that of Figures 1 and 2 but able to operate in suction mode, being provided with fume evacuation conduits;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the hood unit of the invention, also of the suction type and provided with a telescopic casing, shown partly cut away, which covers the suspension means and the fume evacuation conduit;
Figure 9 is an enlarged schematic plan view from above showing a device forming part of the suspension means, which if these latter are of the wire type, enables the user to vary the elevation of the actual hood.
[0014] The hood unit 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a support element 12 of flattened cylinder shape, to be fixed in conventional manner to the ceiling of the room in which the hood unit 10 is located, and an actual hood 14 of overall cylindrical shape, of the type operating only in filtration mode (being without the fume discharge conduit), so that the fumes produced by an underlying cooking hob (not shown) are drawn through its lower aperture 16 by conventional suction means enclosed within the actual hood 14, are filtered in conventional manner and are fed into the same room through an aperture (not visible in Figures 1 and 2) provided in the upper face of the actual hood 14. In the specific illustrated example, the actual hood 14 is provided with two lighting devices 18 to illuminate the cooking hob. Conventional controls 20, positioned in this specific case on the lateral surface of the actual hood 14, enable activation/deactivation of said suction means, of the lighting devices 18 and, if required, of other devices having specific functions.
[0015] From Figures 1 and 2 it can also be seen that the hood unit 10 also comprises means enabling the actual hood 14 to be suspended from the support element 12, these suspension means being indicated overall by 22. ln this specific case they comprise three suspension wires 24.1, 24.2 and 24.3 (it should be noted that in Figure 1 only two can be seen because the third, 24.3, is covered by the wire 24.2).
[0016] In the interior of the support element 12 or of the actual hood 14 a conventional mechanism (described hereinafter) is provided to enable the user to vary the elevation of the actual hood 14 by winding or unwinding said wires on or from relative drums or spools, to pass from the situation of Figure 1 (maximum closeness to the cooking hob) to the situation of Figure 2 (maximum distance from the cooking hob) and vice versa. From this latter figure it can be seen that the hood unit 10 resembles a so-called ceiling light fixture and in effect can also perform a lighting function by virtue of the presence of two lighting devices 18 powered by a conventional electric cable 26 (Figure 1). It should be noted that if the room containing the hood unit is provided with a false ceiling, an arrangement can be made whereby when the actual hood 14 is in its highest elevation position (which could also be less than that of Figure 2), the lower edge of this latter (14) coincides essentially with the lower edge of the false ceiling, so that under these conditions the hood unit has the appearance of a "ceiling hood".
[0017] The aforesaid mechanism for varying the elevation of the actual hood is conveniently operated by an electric actuator controlled by controls which can form part of the controls 20 or even by controls disposed in a suitable position on the walls of the room in which the hood unit is located (this preventing any oscillation of the hood unit 14 on operating the controls 20) suitable remote control means could also be provided for this purpose.
[0018] The hood unit 110 of Figures 3 and 4 differs from the hood unit 10 only in that both the support element 112 and the actual hood 114 are of parallelepiped shape, and the suspension means 122 comprise four wires 124.1, 124.2, 124.3 and 124.4 instead of three. For the remainder, in Figures 3 and 4 those elements equal or similar to those of Figures 1 and 2 are indicated by the same reference numerals as these latter figures, plus 100.
[0019] A variant 210 of the hood unit 110 is shown in Figures 5 and 6. This differs by the presence of a support element 212 in the form of a rectangular frame, able to partly receive (in this specific case) the actual hood 112 (it should be noted that in these figures, elements equal to those of the hood unit 110 of Figures 3 and 4 are indicated by the same reference numerals). The frame-type support element could also evidently be formed such that the actual hood 114 is completely contained within it. The frame-type support element could evidently be of shape different from rectangular, for example circular, oval or polygonal, this evidently determining the shape of the actual hood which has to be received in the relative frame.
[0020] Returning to Figures 5 and 6, it should be noted that for the support element 212 and/or the actual hood 114, at least a part of their external surface can be made to emit light. In this manner the hood unit 210 can also perform the function of an actual chandelier. This can be achieved not only with the already stated conventional lighting devices 18, but also by making said external surface part of a transparent or translucent material and positioning behind it, inside the support element 212 and/or the actual hood 114, light emitting means (for example lamps of various types or LEDs). A similar facility also evidently exists for the other hood unit types shown in the accompanying drawings.
[0021] The hood unit 310 of Figure 7 is similar to the hood unit 10 of Figures 1 and 2, in the sense that the support element, the actual hood and the suspension means are of equal form to that of the corresponding elements 12, 14 and 22 of these latter figures and for this reason have been indicated by the same reference numerals. However the hood unit 310 differs from the hood unit 10 because it is of the type operating in suction mode with fume discharge to the outside of the room in which the hood unit is located. For this purpose a fume conduit 28 is provided having the characteristic of being able to be lengthened or shortened (for example formed in the manner of a bellows) in order to follow the vertical movement of the actual hood 14. ln particular, the conduit 28 when in its minimum extension condition can be received in a suitable space provided in the top of the actual hood 14 such that the hood unit 310 appears in the form of a ceiling light fixture such as the hood unit 10 in the condition of Figure 2.
[0022] Figure 8 shows a more complex embodiment of the hood unit of the present invention, indicated by 410. In this figure, elements equal to those of the hood unit 310 are indicated by the same reference numerals. The hood unit 410 differs from the hood unit 310 by the presence of a telescopic casing 30 covering both the suspension means 22 and the fume conduit 28. ln the specific illustrated example, the casing 30 is composed of three coaxial rings 30.1, 30.2 and 30.3, which are mutually superimposed when the actual hood 14 lies in the most elevated position, in which condition they can be received within the interior of this latter, such that the hood unit resembles a ceiling light fixture. It should be noted that the casing 30 can also be used if the conduit 28 is absent (i.e. with the hood unit operating only in filtration mode).
[0023] An observer viewing the hood unit 410 could mistake it for a conventional raising/lowering island hood with a telescopic chimney, which is in fact not the case, because the casing 30 firstly only has an aesthetic function and not that of conveying fumes (function performed by the variable length conduit 28), and secondly is not load-bearing (in the case of the hood unit 410 the load-bearing function being provided by the suspension means 22). In the specific illustrated example, the casing 30 is carried by the support element 412. As can be seen from Figure 8, the support element 412 has a decidedly greater height than support element 12 of the hood unit 10 of Figure 1, this being because the hood unit 410 operates either in suction mode or in filtration mode, at user choice; in this latter mode (filtration) the air drawn in through the aperture 16 of the actual hood 14 is not discharged to the outside but, once filtered, is again fed into the room through the grille 32.
[0024] Figure 9 shows schematically a device (indicated overall by 34) which, with reference in particular to the hood units 110 and 210 (Figures 3 and 4 and, respectively, Figures 5 and 6), is contained within the support element 112 or 212 and enables the actual hood 114 to be raised and lowered by four parallel vertical wires or cables 124.1, 124.2, 124.3 and 124.4, to cause it to assume the positions illustrated in the relative figures. In this specific case, these wires or cables are positioned (viewing the hood unit from above) at the vertices of a rectangle.
[0025] The device 34 comprises a two-shaft electric stepping motor 36. The rotary movement of the two shafts 38, 40 is transmitted via relative belt transmissions 42, 44 to a corresponding shaft 47, 49 on which a relative drum or spool 46, 48 is keyed. The two drums 46, 48 are rotatably supported by the support element (in particular the element 112 or 212 of the hood unit 110 and 210 respectively) and are disposed symmetrically, they both presenting a pair of parallel grooves 50, 52, in each of which is fixed an end of a relative wire 124.1, 124.2, 124.3 and 124.4 which, following rotation of the drum 46, 48 in the appropriate direction, winds about the relative groove 50, 52 and unwinds if the drum is rotated in the opposite direction. Each wire 124.1, 124.2, 124.3 and 124.4 also passes about a corresponding return pulley 54.1, 54.2, 54.3 and 54.4 so as to descent vertically downwards at the vertices of said rectangle, to emerge through suitable apertures provided in the support element 112 or 212 (so that these wires are visible in Figures 3 and 5), the other end of each wire being fixed to the actual hood 110 or 210. It must also be added that the two wires 124 connected to a given drum are wound about it in opposite directions so that rotation of the drum 46, 48 causes both wires to wind onto or unwind from it.
[0026] From the aforegoing it is apparent that the two drums 46 and 48 are rotated by operating the electric motor 36. Hence the wires 124 can be wound onto or unwound from the relative drums 46, 48 depending on the direction of rotation of the motor 36, to obtain as a result the raising or, respectively, lowering of the actual hood 114 relative to the respective support element 112 or 212.
[0027] It should be noted that the dashed circle 56 visible in Figure 9 indicates merely that the device 34 leaves space for possible passage of a fume evacuation conduit.
[0028] It should also be noted that the results obtainable with the aforedescribed device 34 contained in the support element 112 or 212 could also be obtained by a similar device contained however in the actual hood, with the other end of the wires fixed to the support element.
1. A kitchen hood unit (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) comprising an actual hood (14; 114) overlying
a cooking hob, and suspension means (22; 122) for suspending it from a support element
(12; 112; 212; 412) to be fixed to the ceiling of the room in which the hood unit
(10; 110; 210; 310; 410) is located, characterised in that the suspension means (22; 122) have a length which can be varied by the user to cause
the actual hood (14; 114) to approach and withdraw from the cooking hob.
2. A hood unit (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension
means comprise one or more suspension cables or wires (22; 122), and a device (34)
enabling said cables or wires (22; 122) to be wound onto or unwound from a relative
drum rotatably supported by said support element (12; 112; 212; 412) or by the actual
hood (14; 114), to cause the actual hood (14; 114) to approach or withdraw from the
support element (12; 112; 212; 412).
3. A hood unit (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the room in
which the hood unit is located is provided with a false ceiling, when the actual hood
(14; 114) lies in its position of maximum allowable elevation, its lower edge has
substantially the same elevation as the lower edge of the false ceiling.
4. A hood unit (210) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support element (212) has the
shape of a frame and is adapted to receive all or part of the actual hood (114).
5. A hood unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the frame-shaped support element is of
polygonal or circular form.
6. A hood unit (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the device (34)
comprises an electric motor (36).
7. A hood unit (110; 210) as claimed in claims 2 and 6, wherein the suspension cables
or wires are four in number (124.1; 124.2; 124.3; 124.4), positioned at the vertices
of a square or rectangle, said cables or wires being connected in pairs to a relative
drum (46, 48) rotatably supported by the support element (112; 212) and provided with
a pair of parallel grooves (50, 52), in each of which a relative suspension cable
or wire (124.1; 124.2; 124.3; 124.4) can wind and unwind, the two wires or cables
of any given drum (46, 48) being wound in the relative groove (50, 52) in opposite
directions, the electric motor (36) having two shafts, each shaft (38, 40) being adapted
to transmit its rotary movement, via suitable transmission means (42, 44), to one
of two said drums (46, 48).
8. A hood unit (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) as claimed in claim 6, wherein means are provided
enabling the electric motor (36) to be remotely controlled.
9. A hood unit (310; 410) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fume evacuation conduit (28)
is provided, the length of which is arranged to undergo variation on the basis of
the variation in length of the suspension means (22).
10. A hood unit (310; 410) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fume evacuation conduit
(28) is of bellows form.
11. A hood unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fume evacuation conduit is of telescopic
form.
12. A hood unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a telescopic casing is provided covering
the suspension means.
13. A hood unit (410) as claimed in claim 9, wherein a telescopic casing (30) is provided
covering both the suspension means (22) and the fume conduit (28).
14. A hood unit (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) as claimed in claim 1, wherein lighting devices
(18; 118) are provided in the actual hood (14; 114).
15. A hood unit (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a part
(18) of the external surface of the actual hood (14; 114) and/or of the support element
(12; 112; 212; 412) is arranged to emit light.