Method and device for capturing cooking odours

Abstract

 A kitchen cabinet (3) directly above a kitchen range (2) has its underside at a higher level than the cabinets on either side thereof. This forms a downwardly and forwardly open recess (5). A range fan (6) is fixed at the top of the recess (5) and has its air intake opening (7) directly downwards. An air baffling means (8) closes off the bottom surface of the recess and creates a horizontal airflow (30), which increases the odour collecting capacity of the fan (6). The baffling can be in the form of a grill (8). The powerful odour development from the grill is collected completely by the fan. A splash plate (41, 42, 43) along the sides and rear edge of the grill forms a spacer means which prevents overheating of the fan. The switch (48) of the grill is located in the front of the fan (6). Current supply to the heating element of the grill is prevented when the fan is turned off.

Description

[0001] When a range fan is mounted above a kitchen range for capturing cooking odours coming from cooking vessels on the range, it is usual that the fan be mounted beneath the kitchen cabinet situated directly above the range. In the nordic countries it is usual that the underside of this cabinet lie in the same plane as the underside of the cabinets on either side thereof, In certain cases a portion of the fan, e.g.,the fan housing, can extend from below up into the cabinet. Alternatively, the cabinet can be specially made as a spice cabinet.

[0002] In many countries, however, the cabinet above the range has its underside situated at a higher level than the undersides of the cabinets on either side thereof. This forms a recess or niche open at the front and bottom. The fan is mounted in the recess fixed to the underside of the cabinet.

[0003] The present invention relates to this recess arrangement of a range fan, the air-intake opening of which is at least partially downwardly directed.

[0004] One purpose of the invention is to improve the capturing of the cooking odours coming from the range. According to the invention this is achieved with a method and a device according to the accompanying claims 1 and 2, respectively. When the bottom of the recess is covered by a baffle means, the odour collection has proved, surprisingly, to increase quite markedly. In one example an improvement of 4-5% was achieved, from about 86% without baffling to slightly more than 90% with. The reason for this improved odour collection appears to be that the baffle produces an essentially horizontal flow component in the air flowing to the air-intake opening of the fan. The baffle leaves a forwardly open air-inflow opening into the recess free for the air. The baffle reduces the area through which the air can flow into the recess, thereby increasing the airflow speed into the recesso The increased flow speed, in combination with the substantially horizontal flow direction, creates a screening air curtain which prevents odours from the stove from flowing out into the room past the range fan.

[0005] Another purpose of the invention is to make the odour collection sufficiently effective to permit indoor grilling, which produces a great amount of food odour. According to a further development of the invention, indoor grilling is permitted with an odour collecting device combined with a grill, having the characteristics disclosed in claim 3. By virtue of the fact that the odour producing grill is mounted as or in the baffle arrangement at a short distance from the air-intake opening of the fan, it is assured that all of the odour is actually collected. The odour from the grill is effectively prevented from flowing out to the surroundings because in that flow direction it encounters an oppositely directed airflow coming from the surrounding air through the front opening of the recess to the air-intake opening of the fan.

[0006] A baffle combined with a grill presupposes a certain minimum vertical spacing between the grill and the underside of the fan, on the one hand to make the working surface of the grill easily accessible, and on the other hand to prevent the fan from being damaged by radiated heat from the grill.

[0007] Since the vertical dimension of the recess is given, it is desirable that the fan have a small vertical dimension, as for example the range fan according to U.S. Patent Specification 4 089 328.

[0008] Further advantages and characteristics of the invention are revealed in the subclaims and the following description of two embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 shows from the side, and with the range fan represented in section, an odour collecting device according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows the device of Fig. 1 as seen from the fronto Fig. 3 shows in perspective and partially cut-away an air baffle made as a grill. Fig. 4 shows in perspective corresponding to Fig. 3 another embodiment of an electric grill, which is built together with a range fan. Fig. 5 shows the grill according to Fig. 4 as seen in vertical cross section. Fig. 6 shows a frontal view of the combined range fan - grill unite Fig. 7 is a simplified coupling diagram.

[0009] Figs. 1 and 2 show a kitchen range 2, e.g. an electric range, placed against a kitchen wall 1. Above the range 2, a kitchen cabinet 3 is fixed to the wall 1. The cabinet 3 has essentially the same width as the range 2. On either side of the cabinet 3, additional overhead cabinets 4 are fixed to the wall 1. The undersides of the cabinets 4 lie in the same plane, usually about 50 cm above the top side of the range 2. The cabinet 3 mounted above the range 2, however, has its underside raised to a higher level than the undersides of the cabinets 4, thus building a recess 5, the height of which is equal to the distance between the bottom planes of the cabinets 3 and 4, which is usually about 30 + 2 cm. The depth of the recess is equal to the depth of the cabinets, which is usually also 30 + 2 cm. A range fan 6 is fixed to the underside of the cabinet 3. The underside of the fan has a downwardly directed air-intake opening 7. In the embodiment shown, the major portion of the air-intake opening 7 is located within the recess 5, i.e. inside the plane of the front sides of the cabinets 3,4. The fan is also designed to be flat and only extends 8 cm down beneath the underside of the cabinet 3.

[0010] At the bottom of the recess 5, an electric grill 8 is arranged which at the same time forms the air baffle by completely sealing the bottom of the recess. The essentially flat top side 9 of the grill 8 is located at or near the plane of the undersides of the cabinets 4.

[0011] As can be seen from Fig. 3, the grill is made as a parallelepipedic box. Its width is equal to the width of the cabinet 3 and its depth is essentially equal to the depth of the cabinet 3. Depending on the design, the width of the grill 8 can be greater than, equal to or somewhat less than the depth of the cabinet 3. The depth of the grill should be so selected in relation to the mounting heights of the grill 8 and the fan 6, and the position of the downwardly shining lamp 10 in the range fan 6, that the grill 8 lies entirely between the wall-1 and a straight line (labelled 11 in Fig. 1) between the lamp 10 and the edge of the hot plates 12 closest to the wall 1, or a corresponding burner on a gas stove. If the grill depth is selected in this manner, the grill will not screen off the light falling on the range from the lamp 10 on the fan. The lamp 10 will also illuminate the top side of the grill 8.

[0012] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the short sides of the grill 8 are provided with horizontal laterally extending strips 13 designed to be screwed fast to the underside of the cabinet 4. The top side 9 of the grill-is formed of a plat plate, which has a central rectangular depression 14. An electric heating coil 15 is arranged therein. A grill plate 16 which is fluted on its top side and which is somewhat larger than the depression 14 can rest on the plate edge around the depression 14 with its underside somewhat above the heating coil 15. On both its short sides, the grill plate 16 has upright handles 17 for lifting the grill plate off the grill. Along its rear long side, the grill plate has a deeper grease gutter 18.

[0013] The supply of current to the heat coil 15 is controlled with a dial 19 in a combined switch and thermostat 20. The dial 19 is mounted in the front wall 21 of the grill 8 next to a control light 22 which lights when the grill is on. The thermostat 20 is controlled by a spring temperature sensor element 23, which is arranged in the depression 14 extending between the portions of the heating coil 15 so that the element abuts against the underside of the grill plate 16. At a suitable place in the depression 14 (for example as shown on one short side) there extends inwardly the actuating arm 24 of a switch 25. The actuating arm 24 is acted on by the grill plate and the switch 25 is coupled in the current supply circuit of the heating coil 15 so that the circuit is closed when the arm 24 is pressed by the grill plate but is broken when the grill plate 16 is lifted out of the depression 14. This prevents direct heat radiation from the heat coil 15 from striking the fan 6 located above the grill 8. If desired, an overheating protector can also be arranged, for example in the form of a melting fuse (not shown} at a suitable location, e.g. next to or built into the thermostat 20.

[0014] The device functions in the following manner. The impeller 26 (shown in section) of the fan 6 sucks air through the downwardly directed intake opening 7, with a grease filter 27 mounted therein, and blows air out upwards through a pipe stub 28, to which there is connected an air evacuating duct (not shown) in the interior of the cabinet 3. Since the air intake opening 7 is located primarily within the recess 5, the fan 6 sucks in air from the recess 5. Because of the grill 8 functioning as a baffle, the recess 5 is closed downwards, and therefore the airflow from the surrounding space to the recess goes through the open front side of the recess. Fig. 1 indicates with arrows 29 the flow path for food odours coming from cooking vessels on the range 2. As indicated cooking odours coming from pots on the rear hot plates 12 flow upwards and forwards, around the front edge of the grill and then upwards and backwards to the fan 6. From cooking vessels on the forward plates, odours flow upwards or in an arc first forwards and then again backwards to the fan. This flow path for cooking odours is achieved because surrounding room air flows into the recess and to the fan through the open front side of the recess with an essentially horizontal component of movement. This airflow from the surrounding space is indicated with arrows 30 and forms an air curtain which hinders food odours from the range from penetrating out into the surrounding space. When the grill is used, food odours flow from the grill along the arrow 31 directly up to the air intake opening 7 of the fan. If odours from the grill plate 16 should move out towards the opening of the recess 5, the odours will encounter, as evident from Fig. 1, an inwardly .directed airflow and be effectively prevented thereby from passing out of the recess.

[0015] In an embodiment of the device according to the drawing, the improved odour collection was measured in the following manner by comparative trials. A standard device for creating odours and heat was placed on one of the front plates on the range 2. The recess 5 was open downwards, i.e. was without baffle or grill. The fan 6 was turned on to the highest speed. The odour collection was measured according to prescribed norms and was measured to be 86%. A grill 8 was then mounted according to the drawing. With an odour generator in the same position and the fan at the same speed, the odour collection was now measured to be slightly more than 90%, i.e. an improvement of slightly more than 4%.

[0016] Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show an alternative embodiment of a baffle means made as an electric grill. In this case as well, the actual baffle means - the grill is made as a rectangular box. However, its side walls 41,42 and rear wall 43 extend up above the top side 9 so that they bridge the distance between the top side 9 and the bottom side of the fan housing 6. The upper edges of the walls 41, 42 and 43 are either securely joined to the fan or are made so that when the fan and grill are mounted in the recess 5, a predetermined spacing will be maintained between the underside of the fan 6 and the top side 9 of the grill 8. The purpose of this is to prevent the grill plate 16 from coming too close to the fan so that it is overheated. The walls 41, 42 and 43 form at the same time a splash guard. The grill, splash guard/spacer and fan can suitably be delivered as a completely assembled unit, which is mounted in the recess 5 with the aid of anchoring screws (not shown) for the fan and possibly screws in holes 44 in the side walls 41,42_o To function as a spacer, wall 43 or walls 41+42 are sufficient.

[0017] The grill shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 lacks its own operating means. The required wires to the heating coil 15 and the thermostat 23 are taken from the fan 6 through a cable groove 45 in the corner between the rear wall 43 and the side wall 42. In addition to the switch 47 for the fan, the front side 46 of the fan also has a switch 48 and an indicator lamp 49 for the grill. The fan 6 and the grill 8 have a single common current connection and according to a preferred embodiment, steps are taken to prevent the grill element 15 from being supplied with current without the fan being turned on.

[0018] This is to guarantee a cooling airflow when the grill is turned on. At the same time this prevents unintentional spreading of odours when grilling.

[0019] Fig. 7 shows schematically how this safety measure can be realized. For the sake of simplicity we have not shown the fan lamp, the several speeds for the fan motor or the thermostat for the grill. From a common current source 50 (e.g. a plug contact) a wire 51 leads to the switch 47 of the fan motor 52. From there a wire 53 leads to the fan motor 52 and the switch 48 which is in turn connected to the heating element 15 of the grill. Said element and the fan motor 52 are connected via a second wire 54 to the other contact point of the current connection 50. As can be seen, the switch 48 is without current when the fan motor:52 is without current. As an alternative to the coupling shown in Fig. 7, it is possible to have the grill switch control the supply of current to the fan motor in such a way that the motor is supplied with current at the same time as the heating element of the grill even if the fan switch is turned off.

[0020] Fig. 5 shows the grill in cross section. The grill plate 16, which is screwed to the top side 9 with screws 55 in screw holes 56 shown in Fig. 4, has a grease gutter.18 next to the back wall 43. At the bottom thereof it has a drain pipe 57 through which collected grease can drop through a hole 58 in the bottom of the trough 14 into a grease collecting bowl 59. This bowl can for example be detachably attached with the aid of a bayonet lock device 60 to a pipe stub 61 extending from the bottom of the grill. Thus by turning and pulling the bowl 59 downwards, it can be removed for emptying and cleaning.

[0021] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings. Rather it can be modified within the scope of the following claims. For example, the fan is shown in the drawings as an evacuation fan, but a recirculation fan can also be used, which blows air back into the kitchen after purification through a charcoal filter. In order for the baffle means to produce improved odour collection, it is not necessary that it completely seal the entire bottom surface of the recess. For example, improvement can be obtained even if the baffle is somewhat shallower than the recess and terminates somewhat inside the plane of the front sides of the cabinets, or if there are narrow gaps or small openings between the edges of the baffle and the walls of the recess. If desired, the baffle means, especially if it is made as an electric grill, can be provided with one or more lamps which illuminates the range.

Claims

1. Method of collecting cooking odours coming from a range (2) with the aid of a range fan (6) which is mounted above in a recess located above the range between kitchen cabinets (4), said recess being defined at the sides and at the rear by the cabinets (41 and a rear wall (1), respectively, and being open at the front and bottom, said fan sucking air through an at least partially downwardly directed air intake opening (7), characterized in that the air (29,30) flowing to the air intake opening (71 of the fan (6) is imparted an essentially horizontal flow component by the downwardly directed bottom surface of the recess (5) being substantially completely sealed by means of a baffle arrangement (8) impermeable to air, which is arranged at the bottom in or next to the plane of the underside of the cabinets (4), at least a substantial portion of the recess being left open forwards.

2.- Collection device for cooking odours, designed to be mounted between kitchen cabinets (4) above a kitchen range (2) in a recess (51 formed by the cabinets and a rear wall (1), and which is closed at the sides and the rear but open forwards and downwards, said device comprising a range fan (6) mounted at the top of the recess with an air intake opening (7) at least partially downwardly directed, characterized by an air-impermeable baffle means (8) arranged at the bottom of the recess in or near the plane of the underside of the cabinets (4), and which essentially completely seals the bottom surface of the recess but leaves at least an essential portion of the recess open forwards.

3. Device according to claim 2, in which the fan (6) has a light source (101 located at its forward edge on the underside, for illuminating the range (2), characterized in that the horizontal depth, of the baffle means (8) is so adapted to the vertical positions of the top side of the range (21, the fan (6) and the baffle means (8) as well as to the distance between the light source (10) and the rear wall (1), that the forward edge of the baffle means (8) lies closer to the wall (1) than a straight line (11) between the light source (10) and the edge of the cooking vessel positions (12) of the range lying closest to the wall.

4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the front edge of the baffle means (8) is arranged essentially in the same plane as the front side of the cabinets (4).

5. Device according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that the baffle means (8) comprises a grill (15,16) with a heat source (15) which gives off essentially upwardly directed heat.

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the heat source is an electric heat coil (15) arranged in a depression (141 in the top side (9) of the grill (8) and that the depression (141 is closed by means of a grill plate (16).

7. Device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the grill (8) is in the shape of a box with its top side (9) located essentially in the plane of the underside of the kitchen cabinets (41.

8. Device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the fan (6) and the grill (8) have a common current connection (50) and are coupled to their operating means (47,48) so that the fan motor (521 is always supplied with current when the heating element (15) of the grill is supplied with current.

9.: Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the supply of current to the heating element (15) of the grill is monitored by the switch (47) of the fan.

10 Device according to any one of claims 6-9, characterized in that the switch (98) for the heating element (15) of the grill is mounted in the front of the fan (6).

11. Device according to any one of claims 5-10, characterized in that between the bottom side of the fan (6) and the top side (9) of the grill (8), spacer means (41,42,43) are mounted which maintain a predetermined minimum distance between the fan and the grill, said spacer means being in the form of a splash guard plate (41,42,43) running at least along the back edge of the grill.

Drawing