EXTRACTOR HOOD ADJUSTABLE TO A STOVE AREA

Abstract

 The present patent of invention relates to the field of equipment for evacuating cooking fumes, more specifically to an exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area comprising at least a pyramidal or conical shaped lower hood module (1) arranged below or at the same level as an upper hood module (2), whereby said lower hood (1) is sized to fit at least one burner (3) of a stove (4) and is supported by a flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) fastened to the upper hood module (2).

Description

[0001] The present patent of invention relates to the field of equipment for evacuating cooking fumes, more specifically to an exhaust hood system adjustable to a specific cooking area in a stove.

STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Hoods or extractor hoods are pieces of equipment for home or industrial use intended for directing, removing and/or treating air, vapours or smoke from kitchens and enclosed spaces, by means of exhaustion or purification processes.

[0003] Several pieces of equipment are provided in the current state of the art aimed at solving the technical issue of adjusting the hood to the cooking area, in particular patent document US2003226560A1 describes a system that adjusts the position of the hood on the cooking surface. The hood is adjustable both laterally between the extended and retracted positions and in height between the raised and lowered positions.

[0004] In order to individualize exhaust flow using the height that is necessary/essential to cooking, patent document PI9003341 presents a modular stove with fixed and individualized exhaust modules with inverted L shaped and open exhaust hoods having different heights in relation to the cooking area.

[0005] Aiming at both the height and individualized exhaust flow for each cooking area, patent document US5427570A discloses an exhaust fan fastened to a window frame of a room with a guide tube being fastened to the wall by a holder. A series of universal connecting tubes connected to the guide tube by swivel connectors. An exhaust hood is connected to the series of universal connecting tubes for carrying smoke outside the room during operation of the exhaust fan. The series of universal connecting tubes is turnable and bendable for allowing the exhaust hood to be moved to the desired position and direction to suck in smoke.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0006] Although the state of the art aims at controlling the direction of the exhaust hood system by considering the vertical and horizontal displacement and individualization of the hood and/or exhaust fan in relation to a specific cooking area, it still lacks a piece of equipment that provides exhaust modularization options in a single technical solution, considering the use of one or more burners, alternatively adding an articulated execution mode.

[0007] Thus, the need still stands to take advantage of the unusual use of traditional components suitable (standardized) to exhaust systems, such as flexible corrugated metal exhaust ducts, thus reducing manufacturing costs or costs related to substitution of parts under maintenance plus allowing the flexibility for retracting, extending and other displacements that a hood adjustable to a cooking area would require.

[0008] For example, despite the vertical and horizontal displacement provided by the "telescopic" system disclosed in the document US2003226560A1, the presence of a vertical support from the base of the stove to the hood ends up requiring more space at said base of the stove, and also leads to unwanted exposure of this part of the vertical support to heat and build-up of residues from cooking processes.

[0009] Similarly, document PI9003341 also exposes its exhaust module supports to heat and build-up of residues from cooking processes. Moreover, the fixed positioning of the exhaust modules on the cooking areas makes it impossible to have more flexibility regarding the height variation in the cooking area, i.e., it is not possible to adjust the height according to a greater or lesser proximity to a burner.

[0010] Finally, although the exhaust hood in the document US5427570A can be moved to the desired position and direction using a flexible joint through a series of individually rigid connecting tubes, unlike flexible and corrugated/ribbed metal ducts commonly used in exhaust systems, it does not allow for better utilization of the thermal effect a duct is subjected to (tensile and compression states) and of shrinkage and extension movement of the duct along its axis.

TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0011] The present invention discloses an exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area by means of at least one lower hood module arranged below to or at the same level as an upper hood module, wherein said lower hood module is sized to fit a single stove burner and is supported by a flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct fastened to the upper hood module.

[0012] Additionally, the present invention may comprise a further embodiment with the upper hood module comprising at least one internal exhaust duct (12) peripheral and complementary to the lower hood module, said lower hood module being provided with the flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct that fits vertically along an axis inside said upper hood module.

[0013] The present invention further comprises a hinged auxiliary device for supporting and directing the lower hood module.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The following description is not limited to the drawings or components herein mentioned with reference to the illustrations referenced below.

Fig. 1 shows the exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figs. 2A and 2B show the components for fastening the flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct to the flat base of the upper hood module, respectively, without the scrubber filter and with the scrubber filter, according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figs. 3A and 3B show bottom views of the pyramidal or conical shaped lower hood module in relation to the upper hood module.

Figs. 4A and 4B show the exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the lower hood module is shown, respectively, below and at the same level as the upper hood module.

Fig. 5 shows the exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area according to a third embodiment of the present invention, comprising a hinged auxiliary device for supporting and directing the lower hood module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] As seen in Fig. 1, the exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown, comprising at least one lower hood module (1) of pyramidal or conical shape arranged below or at the same level as the upper hood module (2), whereby said lower hood module (1) is sized to fit at least one burner (3) of a stove (4) and is supported by a flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) fastened to the upper hood module (2).

[0016] Still in the first embodiment of the present invention, and in order to provide that the flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) is fastened to the upper hood module (2), as seen in Figs. 1 and 2A, a flat base (6) with an opening (7) on said upper hood module (2) allows the flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) to be attached by means of fastening elements, such as a tongue (8) and a groove (9) connection.

[0017] Alternatively, as seen in Fig. 2B, a scrubber filter fabric (10) can be attached to the tongue connector (8) at the end of the flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) by means of a fastening element (11), such as a nut, a clamp, or an O-ring.

[0018] Without limiting the present invention, Figs. 3A and 3B show bottom views of the pyramidal or conical shaped lower hood module (1) in relation to the upper hood module (2). In particular, in Fig. 3A, the pyramid-shaped lower hood module (1) is shown centrally arranged relative to the upper hood module (2). Alternatively, as seen in Fig. 3B, the lower hood module (1) can adopt a conical shape. Other similar shapes and arrangements of the hood modules would be obvious to a person skilled in the art, from the scope of the present invention. For example, the lower hood module (1) could have a prismatic shape with a triangular or polygonal base, or any other base shape, e.g., elliptical in shape. Alternatively, the lower hood module (1), as well as the flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5), may be arranged at any location not centered with respect to the upper hood module (2).

[0019] A second embodiment of the exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area, according to the present invention, is shown in Figs. 4A and 4B. Said upper hood module (2), which in this embodiment has a prismatic shape, is arranged below the upper hood module (2), as seen in Fig. 4A, and comprises at least one internal exhaust duct (12) peripheral and complementary to the lower hood module (1). According to this embodiment, when the lower hood module (1) is closer to a burner (3) of the stove (4), for example having a single active burner (3), the flow of the gases coming from cooking processes are directed solely by said lower hood module (1) and, consequently, by the flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) which is, in this Fig. 4A, in extended mode. Said flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5), of said lower hood module (1), fits vertically along an axis (13) (e.g., centered) inside said upper hood module (2).

[0020] Still according to this embodiment, and as seen in Fig. 4B, if other burners (3) of the stove (4) are in cooking mode, it may be necessary for the gas flows from the cooking processes to be directed to the internal exhaust duct (12) of the upper hood module (2), which acts in a complementary or alternative manner (together or separately) to the lower hood module (1). Obviously, in this cooking mode, with other burners (3) of the stove (4) emanating vapours/gases, the lower hood module (1) is arranged at the same level as the upper hood module (2), consequently, with its flexile corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) in retracted/compressed mode.

[0021] Lastly, in a third embodiment, the exhaust hood system adjustable to stove area, according to the present invention, may include a hinged auxiliary device (14) for supporting and directing the lower hood module (1), comprising a first end (14) of a first arm (15) arranged so as to slide or rotate along a vertical axis (16) having a length equal to, or less than, the distance between a burner (3) of the stove (4) and the upper hood module (2); a second end (17) of the first arm (15) comprising a hinge (18) connected to a first end (19) of a second arm (20); and a second end (21) of the second arm (20) attached to the lower hood module (1), so that said lower hood module (1) is positionable above any burner (3) of the stove (4).

Claims

1. Exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area, characterized in that it comprises at least one lower hood module (1) of pyramidal or conical shape arranged below or at the same level as an upper hood module (2), wherein said lower hood module (1) is sized to fit at least one burner (3) of a stove (4) and is supported by a flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) fastened to the upper hood module (2).

2. Exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area, according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper hood module (2) comprises a flat base (6) with an opening (7) for fastening the flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) by means of fastening elements, such as a tongue (8) and a groove (9) connection.

3. Exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area, according to claim 2, characterized in that a scrubber filter fabric (10) is attached to the tongue connector (8) at the end of the flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) by means of a fastening element (11), such as a nut, a clamp, or an o-ring.

4. Exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area, according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper hood module (2) is provided with at least one internal exhaustion duct (12) peripheral and complementary to the lower hood module (1), said lower hood module (1) having a flexible corrugated metal exhaust duct (5) that fits vertically along an axis (13) inside said upper hood module (2).

5. ) Exhaust hood system adjustable to a stove area, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a hinged auxiliary device (14) for supporting and directing the lower hood module (1), comprising

a first end (14) of a first arm (15) arranged so as to slide or rotate along a vertical axis (16) having a length that is equal to, or less than, the distance between a burner (3) of the stove (4) and the upper hood module (2);

a second end (17) of the first arm (15) comprising a hinge (18) connected to a first end (19) of a second arm (20); and

a second end (21) of the second arm (20) attached to the lower hood module (1), so that said lower hood module (1) is positionable above any burner (3) of the stove (4).

Drawing