U.S. patent application number 10/927388 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-02 for wall-mounted range hood.
Invention is credited to Floyd A. Searer.
Application Number | 20060042622 10/927388 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35941285 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060042622 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Searer; Floyd A. |
March 2, 2006 |
Wall-mounted range hood
Abstract
A wall-mounted range hood for the collection and exhausting of
fumes includes a mounting board that is affixed to a wall adjacent
to and above a select area (cooking area) and where an exhaust
assembly fits onto the mounting board by engagement with supporting
hardware located thereon, and where the shroud is also mountable
onto the mounting board by engagement with reverse angles located
in compatible orientation between the top of the mounting board and
the top of the shroud.
Inventors: |
Searer; Floyd A.; (Elkhart,
IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Christopher D. Harrington;Harrington Law Offices
447 Ada Drive
Ada
MI
49301
US
|
Family ID: |
35941285 |
Appl. No.: |
10/927388 |
Filed: |
August 26, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/299R |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24C 15/2071
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/299.00R |
International
Class: |
F24C 15/20 20060101
F24C015/20 |
Claims
1. A wall-mounted fume hood for collecting and exhausting fumes
over a select area comprising: A mounting board for mounting to a
wall above and adjacent to a select area to be exhausted at a
height and location appropriate for the collection of flumes; An
exhaust portion; A shroud portion covering the mounting board and
the exhaust portion; and, Where the exhaust portion and the shroud
portion are supported by said mounting board.
2. A wall-mounted fume hood according to claim Number 1, where it
further includes a chimney portion.
3. A wall-mounted flume hood according to claim Number 2, where
said chimney is sized for installation between the top of said fume
hood and the ceiling above the select area.
4. A wall-mounted flume hood according to claim Number 1, where
said shroud portion is mountable onto said mounting board by
reversible engagement with reverse angles between said shroud
portion and said mounting board.
5. A wall-mounted fume hood according to claim Number 1, where the
exhaust portion is reversibly mounted onto said mounting board by
engagement with supporting hardware installed in aligned fashion on
said mounting board.
6. A wall-mounted fume hood according to claim Number 5, where the
exhaust portion further includes at least a pair of mounting
brackets for engagement with said supporting hardware.
7. A wall-mounted fume hood according to claim Number 1, where the
shroud portion and the exhaust portion are reversibly installable
onto the mounting board.
8. A wall-mounted fume hood for collecting and exhausting fumes
over a select area comprising: A mounting board for mounting to a
wall adjacent to and above a select area and at a height
appropriate for the operation of the fume hood; An exhaust portion
mountable onto a mounting board affixed to said wall; A shroud
portion for covering said mounting board and said exhaust portion
and where said shroud portion is mountable onto said mounting
board; and Where ach of said exhaust portion and said shroud
portion are reversibly installable onto said mounting board.
9. A wall-mounted fume hood according to claim Number 8, where it
further includes a chimney sized for installation between the top
of said fume hood and the ceiling above a select area.
10. A method for installing a wall-mounted fume hood above a select
area, the steps of which comprise: Determining the desired location
for said fume hood to a wall; Affixing a mounting board to the wall
in accordance with the desired location of the fume hood; Providing
supporting hardware at designated locations on the mounting board;
Assembling an exhaust portion for said fume hood; Mounting said
exhaust portion assembly onto the mounting board by engagement with
said supporting hardware; Fastening said exhaust portion assembly
to the mounting board; Connecting all exhaust and electrical
fittings and/or supplies; Mounting a shroud portion onto said
mounting board thereby covering the mounting board and the exhaust
portion assembly; and, Fastening said exhaust portion assembly to
said shroud portion.
11. A method for installing a wall-mounted fume hood according to
claim Number 10, further including the steps: Obtaining a sized
chimney portion compatible with installation to the wall; Mounting
said chimney portion between the top of the flume hood and the
ceiling above the select area.
12. A method for installing a wall-mounted fume hood according to
claim Number 10, where the exhaust portion assembly further
includes mounting brackets for engagement with said supporting
hardware.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to range hoods for collecting
fumes in a kitchen environment. Various types of fumes arise from
the cooking process; some of which are merely the evaporation of
water and water-soluble materials, while other fumes are noxious or
even toxic. The origin of the cooking process no doubt arose during
pre-historic times when hunting became a successful strategy for
feeding early man. Once the "kill" was brought back to their
encampment, someone eventually thought of placing it over the fire,
thus resulting in the first efforts in the culinary arts.
[0004] Over time, the cooking process did not so much evolve, as
did the method for creating a cooking place. Open campfires moved
inside, where the hearth of a fireplace was not only used to heat
the interior of a home or an inn, but it also offered a place for
food to be prepared. At some point the carcass of the kill was
replaced with more artful food preparations, which now required the
use of hardware for placing the food into the cooking environment.
Changes occurred in this environment too, with modifications for
improving the access and use of the cooking area and with the
introduction of crude ovens for baking other products. These wood
fired applications necessitated the usage of chimneys to draft away
the combustion products. Sufficient sizing of the combustion area
was needed to ensure that the fire would burn properly and that it
would be contained and not burn down the residence. Thus crude
collection of the smoke and other gases developed without real
regard to the cooking process itself
[0005] Obviously the days of wood fired cooking in the home have
passed and electric and natural gas-fired cooking stations are the
dominant installations found in modern homes. The need for
exhausting huge volumes of air has also passed since electric and
natural gas applications, by themselves, do not produce much in the
way of toxic or noxious products. It is now the by-products of the
cooking process itself that set the parameters for fume collection
and exhaust. These by-products include gases that emanate from the
food as it is cooked as well as particulates that are ejected from
the cooking process, such as grease or oil droplets. The objectives
of fume control are now more directed at the comfort level of the
user and less concerned with safety and fire control issues.
[0006] The modern usage of fume control and collection in cooking
applications extends across a range of applications. Home use is
one area, however, the most comprehensive and sophisticated control
and collection systems are in use in commercial applications such
as restaurants or institutions like hospitals or long term care
facilities. These systems have introduced a large number of
features that are not needed in the home environment, such as fire
suppression and draft controls, however, the basic hood
construction is not necessarily all that different in many
commercial applications than those found in home use. The prior art
for hood construction for cooking surfaces includes systems that
are based on a support frame that is mounted to a wall. In one such
commercial use, the frame is anchored to the wall and is reinforced
using vertical supports. The bulk of the hood itself is
cantilevered over the cooking area reducing the need for vertical
supports at the front of the system that would pose an obstruction
to the user. The frame is then covered with compatible "skin" such
as stainless steel sheet.
[0007] A very popular wooden range hood for home use is either
purchased as part of or is compatible with factory made cabinet
construction, or it is built on site. In either event, such units
require a great deal of carpentry skills in order to successfully
mount the range hood in place. For example, the internal exhaust
components are hung within the space above the cooking surface.
Typically, framework is supplied with the exhaust units that work
within standard widths. Once installed, the assembly of these
components remains exposed with the fume collector portion of the
exhaust unit positioned appropriately and with the exhaust ducting
and fan and motor located above. A compatible wood front is then
fastened over the internal assembly, covering up the components and
providing a cosmetic transition between adjacent cabinets. The
wooden front is typically fastened in place by threading screws
through an interior frame and into the adjacent cabinets.
[0008] Drawbacks in the conventional range hoods include the
complexity of the installation of the units. Even when this occurs
in new construction, the number of steps involved render it a time
consuming event and the potential for errors in misalignment are
great. At a later date, should the exhaust components need to be
repaired, cleaned or replaced, then the ability to easily
accomplish this task is frustrated again by the method of
installation.
[0009] There are other range hoods that are offered for use in the
residential kitchen. These units are typically fabricated from
sheet metal and have a collector that spans the area of interest
over the cook-top. The collector transitions into a duct that then
runs through the ceiling and to an exhaust somewhere to the
exterior. Unlike the range hoods with wooden fronts, these units
are suspended from above the ceiling and do not represent the same
type of considerations. For example, a metal hood system can be
used over an island installation in the middle of the kitchen. No
need exists for cosmetic transition between adjacent cabinets in
situations such as this since there are no adjacent cabinets.
[0010] Lastly, a third type of range hood is provided for home
applications, one that is basically an exhaust system that mounts
directly underneath a cabinet. Some cabinet manufacturers supply a
short cabinet for installation over a cook-top. This does provide
some additional storage space, however it is difficult to use given
the fact that access to the cabinet commences at a height greater
than normal and the cooking surface itself may pose an obstruction
to being able to conveniently use the cabinet. Notwithstanding, a
so-called range hood is made for such installation but most that
are provided are actually recirculation systems. The fan will pull
a draft above the cooking area and then route it through an
activated carbon pack before returning it in some fashion to the
air in the kitchen. The advantage in these units is the low profile
they have and they do reduce some of the emissions involved in the
cooking to a limited extent. Eventually, however, the carbon packs
become saturated and/or fouled and really do not work as intended.
The user is left to replace the carbon packs or to leave the unit
operating as is.
[0011] Aside from the fact that the recirculating range hoods do
not exhaust the fumes, they do represent a method for mounting a
system in between the adjacent cabinets. The mounting method though
is very much the same as explained for the conventional wood front
units described above, requiring the screwing of side frames into
the sidewalls or frames of the adjacent cabinets. In some cases,
these low profile range hood do provide for direct exhausting of
fumes. In this event, the output from the fan is ducted upwards
into the cabinet above through a duct that is routed out the top of
the cabinet and towards an exterior exhaust. Installation of the
basic components remains essentially the same.
[0012] It is an object of the present invention to overcome some of
the difficulties in the installation of range hoods, in particular
wood fronted range hoods. It is also a goal of the present
invention to provide a range hood that can be quickly and easily
hung in place with a minimum of critical potential errors for
misalignment. Lastly, another one of the many benefits of the
present invention is the ability to provide a sequence of
instructions to a person who does not normally install cabinets, so
that a real do-it-yourself option is created for those who wish to
avoid the costs of hiring a contactor to take on the job.
[0013] These and many other benefits of the present invention will
be disclosed in more detail below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] A new range hood in accordance with the present invention
comprises a wall mount, an exhaust unit, and a shroud, where the
wall mount is mounted to a wall above a cooking area at a height
appropriate for mounting a range hood. The exhaust unit is
mountable to the wall mount and the shroud is then positionable
onto the wall mount in a way to cover the wall mount and the
exhaust unit, the wall mount holding the shroud in place until it
can be securely fastened.
[0015] A chimney may be supplied with the range hood of the present
invention, where the chimney extends between the top of the shroud
and the ceiling immediately above the cooking area.
[0016] The range hood of the present invention is also prepared as
a kit whereby the wall mount, the exhaust unit, and the shroud are
provided along with instructions for mounting the range hood, the
steps comprising: [0017] mounting the wall mount to a wall above a
cooking area at a height appropriate for mounting a range hood;
[0018] preparing a liner and blower assembly; [0019] fastening at
least two mounting brackets to the liner and blower assembly at
predetermined locations; [0020] aligning the mounting brackets
affixed to the liner and blower assembly to predetermined locations
on the wall mount; [0021] connecting the mounting brackets to the
wall mount; [0022] positioning the shroud onto the wall mount,
supporting the top of the shroud therefrom; [0023] aligning the
shroud while suspended from the wall mount so as to cover and
enclose the liner and blower assembly; and, [0024] fastening the
liner and blower assembly to the shroud.
[0025] The method of the present invention also includes the steps
necessary to mount a chimney section between the top of the shroud
and the ceiling above a cooking area.
[0026] The range hood of the present invention also includes other
variations and features that allow it to be easily installed and to
minimize errors in the installation process. These variations and
features will be disclosed in more detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 shows an exploded isometric view of the range hood of
the present invention with a chimney.
[0028] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a shroud for a range hood
of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the backside of a
mounting board for a range hood of the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 4 shows the mounting board of FIG. 3 being mounted onto
a stud wall construction.
[0031] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a liner and blower
assembly for a range hood of the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 6 shows a portion of the perspective view of FIG. 5
disclosing an example where the liner and blower meet and are
fastened together.
[0033] FIG. 7 shows a portion of the perspective view of FIG. 5
disclosing an example where the mounting bracket and the liner meet
and are fastened together.
[0034] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a liner and blower
assembly for a range hood of the present invention where the
mounting brackets are installed onto the top of the liner.
[0035] FIG. 9 shows the liner and blower assembly of FIG. 8 with
the mounting brackets being mounted onto the mounting board.
[0036] FIG. 10 shows a side cross-sectional view of a top portion
of the shroud and the top portion of the mounting board as mounted
onto a wall, indicating by arrow how the shroud is supported on the
top of the mounting board.
[0037] FIG. 11 shows a portion of the underside of an installed
range hood of the present invention disclosing how the liner is
fastened to the inside of the shroud.
[0038] FIG. 12 shows an exploded isometric view of a chimney
assembly for a range hood of the present invention, disclosing the
chimney mounting boards in locations for mounting the chimney
thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0039] A new range hood in accordance with the present invention
exhibits an improved set of components that can be assembled easily
and efficiently, and then easily and efficiently installed in a
location above a cooking surface. The range hood of the present
invention may be supplied as part of a cabinet system to be
installed by a contractor homebuilder, or, the range hood may be
offered as a kit for installation by a do-it-yourself handyman type
of person.
[0040] Turning to FIG. 1, a wall mounted range hood 10 is generally
comprised of a shroud 12, a blower 14, a liner 16 and a mounting
board 20. In some installations, it may be that general assembly is
sufficient to complete an installation, however, if the top of the
shroud does not meet the ceiling, then the usage of a chimney 18
and associated chimney mounting boards 24, may be used to
transition between the shroud and the ceiling. For the purposes of
describing the invention herein, it will be understood that the
chimney may or may not be required depending on the sizing of the
range hood components and the circumstances of an individual
installation.
[0041] The components of the range hood shown in FIG. 1 are shown
in an exploded orientation relative to their position in the total
assembly. Individually, the shroud 12 is seen in FIG. 2 and
includes the collector portion 30, the transition portion 32 and
the chimney opening 34. The shroud is shown in a wood treatment
that matches a molding style that is selected to be consistent with
the cabinet and molding treatments used in the overall kitchen
installation.
[0042] In FIG. 3, a mounting board 20 includes a mounting board
back 40 (the mounting board in this view is shown from the
backside), a board top 42, a board top angle 44, mounting board
sides 46, and with T-nuts 48 which are inserted into associated
through holes 50. The T-nuts are exemplary of the type of hardware
that may be used in this instance; what is required is some
hardware that is competent to support the exhaust assembly of the
present invention, as will be seen below. It is noted that the
mounting board is constructed of wood in the preferred embodiment,
however it could also be fabricated from other materials, including
but not limited to, plastic or steel.
[0043] FIG. 4 shows a mounting board 20 positioned for installation
onto a stud wall. The stud wall is comprised of the studs 56 and is
covered by the wallboard 58. In this view, the mounting board front
52 can be seen along with the wood screws 54 that are aligned for
installation into the mounting board and into the studs. Also shown
are the though holes 50 which will retain the hardware (T-nuts)
that will be used for the installation of the mounting brackets 22
onto the mounting board. The wood screws securely fasten the
mounting board to the wall if they tap into the studs. This
consideration is a fairly common installation technique for
do-it-yourself applications that rely on the strength of the screw
fastened to the stud to ensure the integrity of the finished
project. While it is not shown in the view, the mounting board is
typically located at a desired location above a cooking surface.
Many times the cooking surface is a range that includes a number of
burners, either gas or electric, and also an oven. The height of
cooking surfaces usually is maintained close to three feet from the
floor, although this will vary for each installation and for each
type of cooking surface employed. A range hood will typically
commence at about two feet above the cooking surface although it
can certainly be higher than this with adjustments made for exhaust
velocity and volumes. The height of a range hood may then extend
for another three feet or so and meet the ceiling (dependent also
on the existence or lack of bulkheads) or as indicated above the
range hood may terminate before it meets the ceiling in which case
a chimney can be used to transition the gap in between.
[0044] FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, show the blower and liner assembly
with the mounting brackets installed and in FIG. 9, as installed on
the mounting board. In particular, the blower 14 includes the
blower collector 60, the blower front 62, the blower side(s) 64,
the blower housing 66, the blower transition 68, and the blower
collector flange 70. The blower collector flange also shows the
nuts 72 disposed at points along its length. Along the blower
side(s) there are the pre-drilled holes 74. Lastly, the blower duct
76 is shown exited the top of the blower housing 66.
[0045] In FIG. 6, a closer view of the fit between the blower and
the liner is seen, where the blower housing 66 sits within the
blower collector opening 78 and is secured with stud 82 that is
threaded through the collector flange hole(s) 71 with the head of
the stud to the inside of the blower housing and with the threaded
end of the stud exposed to the exterior and capped with a nut 72.
Also, the blower collector holes 73 are shown as being disposed on
the blower collector and as will be seen below, these will line up
with the holes in the mounting brackets.
[0046] In FIG. 7, the mounting bracket 22 is shown being connected
to the top of the blower collector through pre-drilled mounting
bracket holes 94. In this case, stud(s) 96 are threaded through the
pre-drilled holes with the threaded ends exposed to the exterior of
the blower collector. The studs are secured by nut(s) 98 which
affixes the mounting bracket(s) to the blower collector. Also shown
is the mounting bracket flange 90 which contains the mounting
bracket holes, and the mounting bracket body 92.
[0047] The assembly in FIG. 8 reveals the combination of the blower
being connected to the liner as well as the mounting brackets being
connected to the liner. The mounting brackets are further shown
with the mounting flange 100 and the keyholes 102. FIG. 9 takes the
assembly one step further with the inclusion of the mounting board
20 where the mounting brackets are lined up such that the keyholes
are aligned with the through holes of the mounting board.
[0048] The fit between the shroud 12 and the mounting board 20 is
shown in FIG. 10 where the shroud and mounting board are both shown
in cross section. The shroud includes the shroud top 110, the
shroud backplate 112, and the shroud backplate angle 114. The
mounting board is shown as being mounted to the wall 116. When the
shroud is positioned onto the mounting, this occurs by having the
shroud backplate angle engage the corresponding top angle 44 on the
mounting board. This conveniently supports the shroud while its
alignment with the blower and liner assembly is adjusted.
[0049] The underside of the range hood of the present invention can
be seen in FIG. 11, with the shroud 12, the blower collector 60 and
blower side(s) 64. The pre-drilled holes 74 can be seen also in
close proximity to the interior sides of the shroud collector. The
collector screws 120 are then inserted into the pre-drilled holes
that fastens the blower and liner assembly to the shroud.
[0050] Lastly, FIG. 12 shows the chimney portion of the range hood.
Specifically, the chimney 18 includes the chimney front 130, the
chimney sides 132, and the chimney bracket 134. Associated with the
chimney are the mounting boards 24 which include the upper mounting
board 140, the lower mounting board 142, the board face 144, and
where each mounting board has a pair of board brackets 146. The
chimney brackets do align with the spaced board brackets and when
the two meet, they become engaged and retain the chimney in the
desired position. While it is not shown, there are a pair of
chimney brackets near the top of the chimney and a pair located
near the bottom of the chimney section.
[0051] As can now be appreciated, the range hood of the present
invention allows for efficient and easy installation. Once the
location of the cooking surface has been established, assuming this
is not an island or peninsula, the components of the range hood can
be staged for mounting. The height of the range hood is selected
and the mounting board is mounted to the wall at the corresponding
point. The mounting board, as mentioned above, is preferably
secured to studs within the wall so as to ensure that the
installation will adequately handle the weight of the assembly.
[0052] The liner and blower are brought together by inserting the
blower into the collector opening and securing it with fasteners.
Additionally, the mounting brackets are then placed in position on
the liner and the holes on both the mounting brackets and the liner
are aligned, then the mounting bracket is fastened.
[0053] The assembled blower and liner can be set aside while screws
(T-nuts) are inserted into the through holes on the mounting board.
These screws will typically have heads that will compatibly insert
into and engage the keyholes in the mounting brackets. Thus when
they are engaged into the mounting board, they can be left
partially undone with enough clearance to allow the blower and
liner assembly, with the mounting brackets thereon, to be initially
mounted onto the mounting board. The holes and alignment of
components are all pre-arranged so that no adjustments should be
needed at this point, just tightening of the fasteners.
[0054] Continuing the installation process, the shroud is
positioned to engage the mounting board top which with the
complementary angles between the shroud backplate and the mounting
board top will allow the shroud to be supported. This again,
simplifies the handling of the components so that the shroud and
the liner can be fastened.
[0055] The consideration remains whether or not to use a chimney.
The top of the shroud has an opening in which the chimney can be
inserted, however, the chimney is alignable with previously
installed chimney mounting boards (upper and lower) so that the
corresponding brackets will be in proximity and can be engaged when
the chimney is pressed into place. The chimney length can be
adjusted to fit each individual application by merely just trimming
one end. As alluded to above, the chimney might not be required in
some application where a bulkhead exists or where the ceiling
height and the height of the shroud do not require any extension
(chimney) to transition in between.
[0056] The installation of the range hood is essentially complete
although there has been no discussion about the electrical and
venting requirements. These functions remain the same as
conventional range hoods and it is understood that the connections
and fitting of each is to be done at the time the blower and liner
assembly is in place and prior to the installation of the
shroud.
[0057] The range hood of the present invention preferably uses a
wood shroud since that is the main cosmetic selection of
purchasers. It is not necessary to practice the preferred
embodiment with a wooden shroud since a metal shroud would also
work equally well. In addition, a combination of wood and metal
treatment for the shroud may also be considered without departing
from the spirit and teachings herein.
[0058] The range hood may be packaged as a kit for use by
do-it-yourself home improvement aficionados. The easier and user
friendly installation method allows this option to be explored
since the need to have fairly significant carpenter skills and/or
equipment is minimized to a process that now can be completed in
many instances, with nothing more than a tape measure, a drill and
a screwdriver.
[0059] The teachings of the present invention are not meant to be
restrictive, but are intended to illustrate the variations on the
scope of the embodiments discussed herein.
* * * * *