U.S. patent application number 12/036172 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-27 for smoke exhaust with an air curtain fan.
Invention is credited to Chi-Chuan Pan.
Application Number | 20090211564 12/036172 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40997097 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090211564 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pan; Chi-Chuan |
August 27, 2009 |
Smoke Exhaust With An Air Curtain Fan
Abstract
A smoke exhaust has a casing, a suction fan and an air curtain
fan. The casing has an air chamber, an air duct and a smoke
collecting eaves. The air chamber has a lower inlet and an upper
inlet. The smoke collecting eaves is mounted on the casing. The
suction fan is mounted in the casing. The air curtain fan is
mounted on the eaves and is capable generating a downward air
curtain. The air curtain prevents the smoke from spreading out of
the smoke exhaust.
Inventors: |
Pan; Chi-Chuan; (Sanchung
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LARIVIERE, GRUBMAN & PAYNE, LLP
19 UPPER RAGSDALE DRIVE, SUITE 200
MONTEREY
CA
93940
US
|
Family ID: |
40997097 |
Appl. No.: |
12/036172 |
Filed: |
February 22, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/299D ;
126/299R |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24C 15/2028 20130101;
F24F 9/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/299.D ;
126/299.R |
International
Class: |
F24C 15/20 20060101
F24C015/20; F24F 13/00 20060101 F24F013/00 |
Claims
1. A smoke exhaust comprising: a casing being hollow and having an
outside wall; an inside wall; an inside wall; a top; a bottom; a
partition board mounted in the casing between the outside and
inside walls; an air chamber defined in the casing between the
partition board and the inside wall and having a lower inlet
defined through the inside wall near the bottom and communicating
with the air chamber; and an upper inlet defined through the inside
wall near the top, communicating with the air chamber and being
higher than the lower inlet; an air duct defined in the casing
between the partition board and the outside wall and having a
mounting hole mounting hole defined through the partition board and
communicating with the air duct and the air chamber; and an air
outlet defined through the top of the casing and communicating with
the air duct; and a smoke collecting eaves mounted on and
protruding laterally from the top of the casing, corresponding to
the inside wall and having a front end and a bottom surface; a
suction fan mounted securely through the through hole, being
capable of generating airflow from the upper and lower inlets to
the air outlet and having a suction portion; and an air curtain fan
mounted on the bottom surface of the smoke collecting eaves, being
capable of generating downward air curtain and having an air inlet
hole defined through the air curtain fan and the smoke collecting
eaves; and an air outlet hole defined through the air curtain fan
and facing downward.
2. The smoke exhaust as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air curtain
fan further has two sets of air baffles mounted rotatably in the
air outlet hole of the air curtain fan and being capable of
splitting the air curtain into two sub air curtains in two
directions.
3. The smoke exhaust as claimed in claim 2, wherein one sub air
curtain is directed to uprightly downward and the other is directed
to the lower inlet of the air chamber.
4. The smoke exhaust as claimed in claim 3, wherein the suction fan
further has an oil filter mounted on the suction portion of the
suction fan.
5. The smoke exhaust as claimed in claim 4, wherein the air curtain
fan further has a screen mounted on the air inlet hole of the air
curtain fan.
6. The smoke exhaust as claimed in claim 5, wherein the air chamber
further has an oil tank mounted detachably on the bottom of the
casing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a smoke exhaust, and more
particularly to a smoke exhaust that has an air chamber and an air
curtain fan to prevent smoke from spreading and to guide the smoke
into the air chamber.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Smoke exhausts are set in kitchens to exhaust smoke from
foods when people are cooking.
[0005] With reference to FIG. 2, a conventional smoke exhaust has a
casing, a suction fan (51) and a collecting eaves. The casing has
an inside surface, a top, a bottom, an air duct (52). The air duct
(52) is defined in the casing and has an inlet and an exhaust
outlet (52). The inlet is defined through the inside surface and
communicates with the air duct (52). The exhaust outlet (53) is
defined through the top of the casing and communicates with the air
duct (52). The suction fan (51) is mounted in the air duct (52) and
is aligned with the inlet. When operating, the smoke exhaust sucks
smoke through the inlet and exhausts the smoke through the exhaust
outlet (53). The collecting eaves (50) is mounted on and protrudes
laterally from the top of the casing. The collecting eaves (50) may
collect smoke floating to the top of the smoke exhaust so that the
suction fan (51) can suck the smoke accumulated under the
collecting eaves (50).
[0006] However, the smoke exhaust has following defects.
[0007] 1. The smoke exhaust is usually set to be higher than
people. The inlet is located at a distance from the bottom of the
smoke exhaust. Therefore, smoke floating in a vertical area between
the inlet and the bottom would not be sucked and would contact
people's faces and therefore make them feel uncomfortable.
[0008] 2. The collecting eaves (50) on the top is too high to
effectively collect the spreading smoke. Great quantity of smoke
spreads out of the smoke exhaust before reaching the collecting
eaves (50). The vaporized oil and dust in the spreading smoke
attach to walls and cookers in the kitchen and people have to
frequently spend time cleaning.
[0009] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides
a smoke exhaust with an air curtain fan to mitigate or obviate the
aforementioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The main objective of the invention is to provide a smoke
exhaust that has an air chamber and an air curtain fan to prevent
smoke from spreading and to guide the smoke into the air
chamber.
[0011] A smoke exhaust in accordance with the present invention
comprises a casing, a suction fan and an air curtain fan. The
casing has an air chamber, an air duct and a smoke collecting
eaves. The air chamber has a lower inlet and an upper inlet. The
smoke collecting eaves is mounted on the casing. The suction fan is
mounted in the casing. The air curtain fan is mounted on the eaves
and is capable generating a downward air curtain. The air curtain
prevents the smoke from spreading out of the smoke exhaust.
[0012] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a side view in partial cross section of a smoke
exhaust with an air curtain fan in accordance with the present
invention; and
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side view in partial cross section of a
conventional smoke exhaust in accordance with the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0015] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a smoke exhaust in
accordance with the present invention comprises a casing (1), a
suction fan (20) and an air curtain fan (40).
[0016] The casing (1) may be set uprightly in a kitchen, is hollow
and has an outside wall, an inside wall, a top, a bottom, a
partition board (16), an air chamber (13), an air duct (10) and a
smoke collecting eaves (15).
[0017] The partition board (16) is mounted in the casing (1)
between the outside and inside walls.
[0018] The air chamber (13) is defined in the casing (1) between
the partition board (16) and the inside wall and has a lower inlet
(131), an upper inlet (130) and an oil tank (133). The lower inlet
(131) is defined through the inside wall near the bottom and
communicates with the air chamber (13). The upper inlet (130) is
defined through the inside wall near the top, communicates with the
air chamber (13) and is higher than the lower inlet (131). The oil
tank (133) is mounted detachably on the bottom of the casing (1) to
collect oil in the smoke.
[0019] The air duct (10) is defined in the casing (1) between the
partition board (16) and the outside wall and has a mounting hole
(14) and an air outlet (11). The mounting hole (14) is defined
through the partition board (16) and communicates with the air duct
(10) and the air chamber (13). The air outlet (1) is defined
through the top of the casing (1) and communicates with the air
duct (10).
[0020] The smoke collecting eaves (15) is mounted on and protrudes
laterally from the top of the casing (1), corresponds to the inside
wall and has a front end and a bottom surface.
[0021] The suction fan (20) is mounted securely through the through
hole (14), is capable of generating airflow from the upper and
lower inlets (130, 131) to the air outlet (11), has a suction
portion (21) and may further have an oil filter (25). The oil
filter (25) is mounted on the suction portion (21) of the suction
fan (20) and collects oil in the smoke from foods.
[0022] The air curtain fan (40) is mounted on the bottom surface of
the smoke collecting eaves (15), may be a cross flow fan, is
capable of generating downward air curtain, has an air inlet hole
and an air outlet hole (150) and may further have two sets of air
baffles (151) and a screen (41).
[0023] The air inlet hole is defined through the air curtain fan
and the smoke collecting eaves (15).
[0024] The air outlet hole (150) is defined through the air curtain
fan (40) and faces downward so that the air curtain fan (40) is
capable of generating the downward air curtain.
[0025] The sets of the baffles (151) are mounted rotatably in the
air outlet hole (150) of the air curtain fan (40) and are capable
of splitting the air curtain into two sub air curtains in two
directions. One sub air curtain is directed to uprightly downward
to prevent smoke of foods from spreading out of the smoke
exhaust.
[0026] The other sub air curtain is directed toward the lower inlet
(131) of the air chamber (13) so that the smoke between the sub air
curtains would be directed to enter the lower inlet (131), as show
in FIG. 2. Raised smoke escaped from a space between the sub air
curtains is accumulated under the smoke collecting eaves (15) and
is sucked by the upper inlet (130).
[0027] The screen (41) is mounted on the air inlet hole of the air
curtain fan (40) to prevent the foreign matters from inadvertently
falling into the air inlet hole.
[0028] The air curtain generated by the air curtain fan (40)
effectively prevents the smoke from spreading and guides the smoke
to enter the lower inlet (131) so that the smoke exhaust
efficiently exhausts the smoke. Furthermore, the lower inlet (131)
near the bottom of the casing (1) sucks the lower smoke to prevent
the smoke from rising and spreading.
[0029] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the
present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description,
together with details of the structure and function of the
invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made
in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and
arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the
full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in
which the appended claims are expressed.
* * * * *