U.S. patent application number 14/040258 was filed with the patent office on 2015-04-02 for hood enclosure assembly for cook-top downdraft ventilation.
This patent application is currently assigned to E-Business International, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is E-Business International, Inc.. Invention is credited to Chunming Hu, Michael Lindars, Jiuchang Tang, George Wang.
Application Number | 20150090248 14/040258 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52738874 |
Filed Date | 2015-04-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150090248 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lindars; Michael ; et
al. |
April 2, 2015 |
HOOD ENCLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR COOK-TOP DOWNDRAFT VENTILATION
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a
hood enclosure assembly for cook-top downdraft ventilation and
associated systems, techniques, and configurations. In one
embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more structural elements
for placement on one or both of the cooking surface or a surface
adjacent to the cooking surface that is substantially parallel with
the cooking surface, the one or more structural elements being
configured to form a cavity to house a vent of a downdraft
ventilation system. Other embodiments may be described and/or
claimed.
Inventors: |
Lindars; Michael; (Portland,
OR) ; Wang; George; (Portland, OR) ; Tang;
Jiuchang; (Shenzhen, CN) ; Hu; Chunming;
(Shenzhen, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
E-Business International, Inc. |
Beaverton |
OR |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
E-Business International,
Inc.
Beaverton
OR
|
Family ID: |
52738874 |
Appl. No.: |
14/040258 |
Filed: |
September 27, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/299D ;
29/428 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24C 15/2042 20130101;
Y10T 29/49826 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/299.D ;
29/428 |
International
Class: |
F24C 15/20 20060101
F24C015/20; B21D 53/00 20060101 B21D053/00 |
Claims
1. An enclosure assembly comprising: one or more structural
elements for placement on one or both of the cooking surface or a
surface adjacent to the cooking surface that is substantially
parallel with the cooking surface, the one or more structural
elements being configured to form a cavity to house a vent of a
downdraft ventilation system.
2. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the cavity is
configured to extend over the vent.
3. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the cavity is
configured to extend over at least a portion of the cooking
surface.
4. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more
structural elements are configured for manual placement on one or
both of the cooking surface or the surface adjacent to the cooking
surface and manual removal from on one or both of the cooking
surface or the surface adjacent to the cooking surface.
5. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more
structural elements are configured for manual disassembly to
facilitate storage.
6. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more
structural elements comprise: a first side component configured to
form a left side of the cavity; a second side component configured
to form a right side of the cavity; a back component configured to
form a back side of the cavity; and a top component configured to
form a top side of the cavity.
7. The enclosure assembly of claim 6, wherein two or more of the
first side component, the second side component, the back component
and the top component are fastened together or part of a single
continuous structure.
8. The enclosure assembly of claim 6, wherein the top component has
a curved profile.
9. The enclosure assembly of claim 6, wherein edges of the top
component, the first side component and the second side component
are substantially flush at a front side of the cavity that is
disposed opposite to the back side of the cavity.
10. The enclosure assembly of claim 9, wherein: the top component
has a first height at the front side of the cavity and a second
height at a position between the front side of the cavity and the
back side of the cavity; the first height and the second height are
relative to the cooking surface; and the first height is less than
the second height.
11. The enclosure assembly of claim 6, wherein one or more of the
first side component, the second side component, the top component
or the back component are configured to fold using a hinge.
12. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein an opening of the
cavity has a height from 345 millimeters (mm) to 365 mm above the
cooking surface.
13. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the vent is a pop-up
vent that, when extended, is disposed at a height above the cooking
surface.
14. A method comprising: receiving a material for fabrication of
one or more structural elements of an enclosure assembly; and
fabricating the one or more structural elements of the enclosure
assembly using the material, the one or more structural elements
for placement on one or both of a cooking surface or a surface
adjacent to the cooking surface that is substantially parallel with
the cooking surface, the enclosure assembly being configured to
form a cavity to house a vent of a downdraft ventilation
system.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein fabricating the one or more
structural elements comprises: forming a first side component
configured to form a left side of the cavity; forming a second side
component configured to form a right side of the cavity; forming a
back component configured to form a back side of the cavity; and
forming a top component configured to form a top side of the
cavity.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein: receiving the material for
fabrication comprises receiving a metal material; and fabricating
the one or more structural elements comprises using a sheet metal
fabrication process to form the one or more structural
elements.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein fabricating the one or more
structural elements comprises: forming two or more of the first
side component, the second side component, the back component and
the top component as part of a single continuous structure.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein fabricating the one or more
structural elements comprises: coupling together two or more of the
first side component, the second side component, the back component
and the top component.
19. A system comprising: a vent of a downdraft ventilation system;
and an enclosure assembly disposed on one or both of a cooking
surface or a surface adjacent to the cooking surface that is
substantially parallel with the cooking surface, the enclosure
assembly defining a cavity to house the vent within the cavity.
20. The system of claim 18, further comprising the cooking surface,
wherein: the enclosure assembly is permanently fastened to the
cooking surface or a surface adjacent to the cooking surface; the
vent is a pop-up vent that, when extended, is disposed at a height
above the cooking surface; and the cavity is configured to extend
over the vent and at least a portion of the cooking surface.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to ventilation
and, in particular, to a hood enclosure assembly for cook-top
downdraft ventilation and associated systems, techniques, and
configurations.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Current cook-top downdraft ventilation systems may provide
ineffective or inefficient ventilation of airborne cooking
particles such as smoke, steam, grease or other particulate. In
FIG. 1, an example prior art cook-top downdraft ventilation system
100 is depicted with a vent 104 disposed adjacent to a cooking
surface 102. The vent 104 is generally configured to draw air 106
from surrounding ambient adjacent to the cooking surface 102.
However, the vent 104 may not effectively or efficiently draw in
airborne cooking particles 108 for a variety of reasons. For
example, vent 104 suction may decrease based on a distance away
from the vent 104, thus, suction may be insufficient to draw in
airborne cooking particles 108 from a more distant region of the
cooking surface 102. Such effect may be further exacerbated with an
increased height of a cooking utensil 110 such as a pot or pan. In
the prior art system 100, a structure 105 of the vent 104 may not
effectively shield against turbulent airflow on sides and/or from
behind the vent 104, which may increase turbulence of the airflow
into the vent 104 from the cooking surface 102 and adversely affect
ventilation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be readily
understood by the following detailed description in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present
disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not by way of
limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
[0004] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example prior art
cook-top downdraft ventilation system 100.
[0005] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an example cook-top
downdraft ventilation system, in accordance with various
embodiments of the invention.
[0006] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a side view of an example
cook-top downdraft ventilation system, in accordance with various
embodiments of the invention.
[0007] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a
hood enclosure assembly, in accordance with various embodiments of
the invention.
[0008] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an exploded perspective
view of the hood enclosure assembly of FIG. 4, in accordance with
various embodiments of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a top view, back view,
front view and side view of the hood enclosure assembly of FIG. 4,
in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a
hood enclosure assembly in a foldable configuration, in accordance
with various embodiments of the invention.
[0011] FIG. 8a schematically illustrates a perspective view of the
hood enclosure assembly of FIG. 7 in a folded configuration, in
accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 8b schematically illustrates a side view of the hood
enclosure assembly of FIG. 8a in the folded configuration, in
accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an example method of fabricating
a hood enclosure assembly, in accordance with various embodiments
of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of an example method of using a
hood enclosure assembly, in accordance with various embodiments of
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0015] The present disclosure describes a hood enclosure assembly
for cook-top downdraft ventilation and associated systems,
techniques, and configurations. In the following detailed
description, reference is made to the accompanying figures which
form a part hereof wherein like numerals may designate like parts
throughout, and in which is shown by way of illustration
embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be
understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or
logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the
present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is
not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments
in accordance with the present invention is defined by the appended
claims and their equivalents.
[0016] The description may use perspective-based descriptions such
as up/down, back/front, over/under and top/bottom. Such
descriptions are merely used to facilitate the discussion and are
not intended to restrict the application of embodiments of the
present invention.
[0017] The term "coupled" along with derivatives, may be used.
"Coupled" may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical
or electrical contact. However, "coupled" may also mean that two or
more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet
still cooperate or interact with each other.
[0018] The description may use the phrases "in an embodiment," or
"in various embodiments," which may each refer to one or more of
the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms
"comprising," "including," "having," and the like, as used with
respect to embodiments of the present invention, are
synonymous.
[0019] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an example cook-top
downdraft ventilation system 200 (hereinafter "system 200"), in
accordance with various embodiments of the invention. In some
embodiments, the system 200 includes a vent 104, a cooking surface
102 disposed adjacent to the vent 104 and an enclosure assembly
250, as can be seen.
[0020] The vent 104 may be a downdraft vent. In some embodiments,
the vent 104 includes at least a portion that is configured to draw
air 106 (e.g., dashed arrows) in a downward direction (e.g., with a
downward component towards a region below a height of the vent 104
or in a direction of gravitational force of the earth). For
example, the vent 104 may be coupled with a duct that is configured
to carry the air 106 downward away from the cooking surface
102.
[0021] In some embodiments, the vent 104 is a pop-up vent. The vent
104 may be configured to extend to a height above the cooking
surface 102, as can be seen. For example, the structure 105 may be
configured to move up to bring the vent 104 to a height above the
cooking surface 102 to ventilate during cooking activity and to
move down to bring the vent 104 to a level below the cooking
surface 102 after cooking activity. In other embodiments, the vent
104 may be configured in other suitable configurations. For
example, the vent 104 may be flush with the cooking surface 102 or
flush with a surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102. In
some embodiments, the surface 112 may form a plane that is
substantially parallel with the cooking surface 102.
[0022] The cooking surface 102 may include, for example, a surface
of a cook-top stove, oven or range or other suitable cooking
surface 102 that includes one or more heating elements for cooking.
The heating element(s) may include, for example, burners 103 (e.g.,
gas or electric) or the like.
[0023] An enclosure assembly 250 may be disposed on one or both of
the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the cooking
surface 102. Portions of the vent 104, structure 105 and cooking
surface 102 are depicted in dashed form to indicate that such
features are behind the enclosure assembly 250 in the view of FIG.
2. According to some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may
include one or more structural elements for placement on one or
both of the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the
cooking surface 102. The one or more structural elements of the
enclosure assembly 250 may include, for example, one or more
components that form the back, top and sides of the enclosure
assembly 250.
[0024] In some embodiments, the one or more structural elements of
the enclosure assembly 250 may be configured to form a cavity 250a
to house the vent 104. That is, the vent 104 may be disposed within
the cavity 250a when the enclosure assembly 250 is positioned on
one or both of the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent
to the cooking surface 102. According to some embodiments, the one
or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may
include a first side component (e.g., first side component 425 of
FIGS. 4-5) configured to form a left side of the cavity 250a, a
second side component (e.g., second side component 435 of FIGS.
4-5) configured to form a right side of the cavity 250a, a back
component (e.g., back component 445 of FIGS. 4-5) configured to
form a back side of the cavity 250a and a top component (e.g., top
component 455 of FIGS. 4-5) configured to form a top side of the
cavity 250a. In some embodiments, edges of the top component, the
first side component and the second side component may be flush or
substantially flush at a front side of the cavity 250a that is
disposed opposite to the back side of the cavity 250a, as can be
seen.
[0025] In other embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may include
more or fewer components than depicted in FIGS. 4-5. In one
embodiment, the enclosure assembly 250 may include any suitable
combination of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455 of FIGS. 4-5.
For example, two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455
may be formed as part of a single continuous material structure
(e.g., a single piece of metal). In other embodiments, two or more
of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455 may be coupled in a
removable fashion (e.g., using a screw, magnet or other removable
fastening mechanism to temporarily hold the components together) or
in a permanent fashion (e.g., welding or other permanent fastening
mechanism). The enclosure assembly 250 may be composed of any of a
wide variety of suitable materials including, for example, metal,
polymer or ceramic materials, or combinations thereof. In some
embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may be composed of
stainless steel or a powder coated sheet metal.
[0026] In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may be
configured for manual placement on one or both of the cooking
surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102.
The enclosure assembly 250 may have dimensions and weight that
allow a person to position the enclosure assembly 250 over the vent
104 using only their hands. In some embodiments, the enclosure
assembly 250 may be configured for manual removal from one or both
of the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the
cooking surface 102. In such embodiments, the enclosure assembly
250 may be a portable, removable hood to facilitate ventilation
when and where needed (e.g., during cooking activity). The one or
more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may be
configured for disassembly (e.g., manual disassembly) in some
embodiments. For example, components 425, 435, 445 and 455 of FIGS.
4-5 may be taken apart and/or may be collapsible to facilitate
storage and/or cleaning of the enclosure assembly 250 when not in
use. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may be secured
in position to house the vent 104 either temporarily or permanently
using any suitable securing or fastening mechanism.
[0027] In some embodiments, the cavity 250a formed by the enclosure
assembly 250 is configured to extend over the vent 104 when placed
on the cooking surface 102 and/or surface 112. In some embodiments,
the cavity 250a may extend over at least a portion of the cooking
surface 102 when placed on the cooking surface 102 and/or surface
112.
[0028] The cavity 250a formed by the enclosure assembly 250 may
create an environment over the cooking surface 102 that increases
ventilation of airborne cooking particles 108 such as steam, smoke,
grease and the like through the vent 104 relative to the system 100
of FIG. 1. The enclosure assembly 250 may be designed or configured
to direct inflow of air 106 towards the vent 104 from a region over
the cooking surface 102. For example, suction of the vent 104 may
create a low pressure region around the vent 104 and the enclosure
assembly 250 may direct the low pressure region to an opening of
the cavity 250a facing the cooking area over the cooking surface
102. The directed low pressure region may increase air movement
across the cooking area over the cooking surface 102 towards the
vent 104. For example, the enclosure assembly 250 may direct
suction of air 106 through the opening of the cavity 250a in a
region over the cooking surface 102 such that the air 106 primarily
passes through the opening of the cavity 205a, which may result in
a more steady flow (e.g., increased laminarity or laminar flow) of
the air 106 over the cooking surface 102 towards the vent 104 to
increase a likelihood that airborne cooking particles 108, even at
a distant region of the cooking surface 102, will be drawn into the
vent 104. Additionally, a height of the opening of the cavity 250a
may provide, allow or create a pathway for currents of air 106 from
a region above a height of the vent 104 towards the vent 104, which
may increase a likelihood that airborne cooking particles 108 that
are released at a height above the cooking surface 102 (e.g., at a
height that is equal to or greater than a height of the vent 104)
will be drawn into the vent 104. Extension of the top and side
components of the enclosure assembly 250 over the vent 104 and the
cooking surface 102 may increase effectiveness of suction from the
vent 104 over the cooking surface 102.
[0029] In some embodiments, the back, top and side components of
the enclosure assembly 250 may increase effectiveness of the vent
104 by shielding the vent 104 from interfering airflow (e.g.,
turbulent airflow) that may otherwise approach the vent 104 from
the back, top and side directions. The enclosure assembly 250 may
increase laminarity of air 106 flowing into the vent 104 over the
cooking surface 102. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly
250 may increase an efficiency of ventilating airborne cooking
particles 108 through the vent 104 from .about.80% to 100% relative
to the system 100 of FIG. 1.
[0030] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a side view of an example
cook-top downdraft ventilation system (e.g., the system 200 of FIG.
2), in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. As can
be seen, the enclosure assembly 250 is configured such that air 106
and airborne cooking particles 108 are drawn towards the vent 104
through an opening of the enclosure assembly 250 that faces an area
directly over the cooking surface 102. The vent 104 and a portion
of structure 105 are depicted in dashed form to indicate that such
features are disposed behind the enclosure assembly 250 in the view
of FIG. 3. Further, some of the air 106 and airborne cooking
particles 108 are depicted behind the enclosure assembly 250 in the
view of FIG. 3 to show how they may be drawn towards the vent
104.
[0031] According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the
enclosure assembly 250 may have a curved profile 250b. For example,
the top component and/or the back component of the enclosure
assembly 250 may include a curved profile 250b. The curved profile
250b may enhance ventilation by reducing turbulence that may be
associated with angled (e.g., rectangular) corners. The curved
profile 250b may increase a laminarity of air 106 currents within
the enclosure assembly 250.
[0032] In some embodiments, a portion of the enclosure assembly 250
(e.g., portion of top component) may extend at least partially
downward towards the opening of the enclosure assembly 250 from a
position between the opening and a back component of the enclosure
assembly 250, where the position has a greater height (e.g., height
H2) relative to a height (e.g., height H1) of the enclosure
assembly 250 at the opening. In other words, feature 250c may slope
down from a height H2 to height H1 of the enclosure assembly 250,
as can be seen. The feature 250c may increase efficiency of the
ventilation using the enclosure assembly 250 relative to an
enclosure assembly 250 that does not include the feature 250c. In
some embodiments, the height H1 may be a height of the enclosure
assembly 250 at the front side of the cavity and the height H2 may
be height at a position between the front side of the cavity and
the back side of the cavity. The heights H1 and H2 may be relative
to the cooking surface 102 and the height H1 may be less than the
height H2. In some embodiments, the feature 250c may have a profile
that is linear or substantially linear, as can be seen. In other
embodiments, the feature 250c may have a profile that is
non-linear.
[0033] The benefit of improved vent 104 efficiency using an
enclosure assembly 250 with feature 250c may result from changes of
air 106 velocity and/or pressure according to Bernoulli's
principle. For example, velocity and/or pressure changes for air
106 that passes over the feature 250c may affect air flow through
the opening of the enclosure assembly 250 in a way that increases
efficiency of ventilation. The feature 250c may be referred to as a
"wing" or may additionally or alternatively be referred to as a
"bevel" or "lid."
[0034] In some embodiments, height H1 or height H2 may have a value
from about 16 inches to about 20 inches. The heights H1, H2 may
have other values in other embodiments. In some embodiments a
height (e.g., H1 or H2) of the enclosure assembly 250 may be
adjustable to accommodate varying heights of the cooking utensil
110 and/or vent 104 from the cooking surface 102. A height of the
enclosure assembly 250 may be adjusted, for example, using any
suitable mechanism such as, for example, coupling or decoupling an
extension to the bottom of the enclosure assembly using temporary
or permanent fastening mechanism, extending or retracting an
extension portion that is slideably engaged with the enclosure
assembly, folding or unfolding an extension that is coupled with
the enclosure assembly using a hinge, and the like.
[0035] Various dimensions of the system 200 are depicted in FIG. 3.
For example, in addition to the heights H1 and H2, a vertical
distance h between a top edge of a cooking utensil 110 and an edge
of the enclosure assembly 250 at the opening, a horizontal distance
S between a far edge of the cooking utensil 110 and edge of the
enclosure assembly 250 at the opening, and a depth W of the
enclosure assembly 250 are depicted. A pressure P (e.g., lower
pressure) created at the opening by the vent 104 is also
depicted.
[0036] A relationship of the dimensional design of the system 200
is described in Equations [1] and [2]. For example, a maximum
vertical distance h for the system 200 to provide ventilation of
airborne cooking particles 108 may be defined by the relationship
of Equation [1], where m is a mass of the airborne cooking
particles 108, S is the horizontal distance between the far edge of
the cooking utensil 110 and the edge of the enclosure assembly 250
at the opening of the cavity, F is a force of suction of the vent
104 (e.g., a vacuum level of the vent 104) and V.sub.g is a
vertical velocity of the airborne cooking particles 108.
h = m s F V g [ 1 ] ##EQU00001##
[0037] The vertical velocity V.sub.g of the airborne cooking
particles 108 may be directly or substantially proportional to a
temperature T of the cooking utensil 110 and the force F of suction
of the vent 104 may be directly or substantially proportional to a
velocity V of air 106 through the vent 104. Accordingly, the
relationship of Equation [1] may be rewritten as follows in
Equation [2]:
h .varies. m s v T [ 2 ] ##EQU00002##
[0038] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a
hood enclosure assembly (hereinafter "enclosure assembly 250"), in
accordance with various embodiments of the invention. The enclosure
assembly 250 may comport with embodiments described in connection
with FIGS. 2-3.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 2-4, according to some embodiments, the
enclosure assembly 250 may include one or more structural elements
for placement on one or both of the cooking surface 102 or the
surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102. The one or more
structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may include, for
example, one or more components that form the back, top and sides
of the enclosure assembly 250.
[0040] In some embodiments, the one or more structural elements of
the enclosure assembly 250 may be configured to form a cavity 250a
to house the vent 104. According to some embodiments, the one or
more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may include
a first side component 425 configured to form a left side of the
cavity 250a, a second side component 435 configured to form a right
side of the cavity 250a, a back component 445 configured to form a
back side of the cavity 250a and a top component 455 configured to
form a top side of the cavity 250a. In some embodiments, edges of
the top component 455, the first side component 425 and the second
side component 435 may be flush or substantially flush at a front
side of the cavity 250a that is disposed opposite to the back side
of the cavity 250a, as can be seen.
[0041] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an exploded perspective
view of the enclosure assembly 250 of FIG. 4, in accordance with
various embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, the
first side component 425, second side component 435, back component
445 and top component 455 may be discrete parts of the enclosure
assembly 250. In some embodiments, the discrete parts of the
enclosure assembly 250 may be manually assembled by a user of the
enclosure assembly 250. In some embodiments, the side components
425 and 435 may include extensions, as can be seen, for fastening
of the top component 455 and/or back component 445 using, for
example, screws or magnets, or combinations thereof.
[0042] In other embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may include
more or fewer components than depicted in FIG. 5. In one
embodiment, the enclosure assembly 250 may include any suitable
combination of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455. For example,
two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455 may be formed
as part of a single continuous material structure (e.g., a single
piece of metal). In other embodiments, two or more of the
components 425, 435, 445 and 455 may be coupled in a removable
fashion (e.g., using a magnet or removable fastening mechanism to
temporarily hold the components together) or in a permanent fashion
(e.g., welding or permanent fastening mechanism). The enclosure
assembly 250 may be composed of any of a wide variety of suitable
materials including, for example, metal, polymer or ceramic
materials, or combinations thereof.
[0043] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a top view, back view,
front view and side view of the enclosure assembly 250 of FIG. 4,
in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. The side
view may be a side view of the first side component 425 (e.g., left
side) of FIGS. 4-5.
[0044] In some embodiments, dimensions of the enclosure assembly
250 from the top view may include a length L from 900 millimeters
(mm) to 950 mm and width W from 210 mm to 250 mm. Dimensions of the
enclosure assembly 250 from the back view may include a height H2
from 345 mm to 365 mm. The enclosure assembly 250 may have other
suitable dimensions in other embodiments.
[0045] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a
hood enclosure assembly 250 in a foldable configuration, in
accordance with various embodiments of the invention. FIG. 8a
schematically illustrates a perspective view of the hood enclosure
assembly 250 of FIG. 7 in a folded configuration, in accordance
with various embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, the
hood enclosure assembly 250 may include components (e.g., side
components 725, 735, top component 755 and/or back component 745)
that are configured to fold. For example, in the depicted
embodiment, the side components 725, 735 and top component 755 are
configured to fold using hinges 760 or other suitable structure to
provide the folded configuration as depicted in FIG. 8a.
[0046] Folding the hood enclosure assembly 250 may facilitate
shipping, storage and/or assembly of the hood enclosure assembly
250. In some embodiments, the hood enclosure assembly 250 may
include a handle 777 to facilitate transport (e.g., carrying by a
person) of the hood enclosure assembly 250. In some embodiments,
the enclosure assembly 250 may include one or more fastening
mechanisms such as, for example, one or more locks disposed on
interior surfaces of one or more of the components 725, 735, 745 or
755 to prevent folding of the enclosure assembly 250 when in use.
Other suitable fastening mechanisms may be used to prevent folding
of the enclosure assembly 250 in other embodiments.
[0047] FIG. 8b schematically illustrates a side view of the hood
enclosure assembly 250 of FIG. 8a in the folded configuration, in
accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
[0048] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an example method 900 of
fabricating a hood enclosure assembly (e.g., enclosure assembly 250
of FIGS. 2-6), in accordance with various embodiments of the
invention. The method 900 may comport with techniques described in
connection with FIGS. 2-6 in some embodiments.
[0049] At 902, the method 900 may include receiving a material for
fabrication of one or more structural elements (e.g., one or more
of components 425, 435, 445 or 455 of FIGS. 4-5) of an enclosure
assembly. For example, material may be received by a manufacturer
or by manufacturing equipment that is configured to form the one or
more structural elements using molding, shaping, cutting, or any
other suitable process. According to various embodiments, the
received material may be composed of metal, polymer or ceramic
materials, or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the received
material is a metal such as steel.
[0050] At 904, the method 900 may include fabricating the one or
more structural elements of the enclosure assembly for placement on
or adjacent to a cooking surface. The enclosure assembly may be
configured for placement on one or both of a cooking surface or a
surface adjacent to the cooking surface that is substantially
parallel with the cooking surface. In some embodiments, the
enclosure assembly may be configured to form a cavity to house a
vent of a downdraft ventilation system.
[0051] In some embodiments, the one or more structural elements may
be fabricated using a molding, shaping, cutting or any other
suitable process to form the received material into a structural
element of the enclosure assembly. In some embodiments, fabricating
the one or more structural elements may include forming a first
side component (e.g., first side component 425 of FIGS. 4-5)
configured to form a left side of the enclosure assembly, forming a
second side component (e.g., second side component 435 of FIGS.
4-5) configured to form a right side of the enclosure assembly,
forming a back component (e.g., back component 445 of FIGS. 4-5)
configured to form a back side of the enclosure assembly and/or
forming a top (e.g., top component 455 of FIGS. 4-5). According to
one embodiment, fabricating the one or more structural elements may
include using a sheet metal fabrication process to form discrete
components 425, 435, 445 or 455 as described herein.
[0052] In some embodiments, fabricating the one or more structural
elements may include forming any two or more of the components 425,
435, 445 or 455 as part of a unitary structure (e.g., a single
materially continuous structure). For example, a single piece of
metal may be bent or otherwise molded to provide the back component
445 and one or more of the side components 425 or 435 in a unitary
structure.
[0053] At 906, the method 900 may include coupling together two or
more of the structural elements. For example, in some embodiments,
two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 or 455 may be coupled
together. The structural elements may be coupled together using any
of a variety of suitable techniques such as, for example, temporary
techniques (e.g., magnets, screws and the like) or permanent
techniques (e.g., welding), or combinations thereof. Subsequent to
fabricating the one or more structural elements at 904 and/or
coupling together two or more of the structural elements, the
structural elements of the enclosure assembly may be assembled
and/or sold to a user of a downdraft ventilation system for
assembly and use.
[0054] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of an example method 1000 of using
a hood enclosure assembly (e.g., enclosure assembly 250 of FIGS.
2-6), in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. The
method 1000 may comport with techniques described in connection
with FIGS. 2-6 in some embodiments.
[0055] At 1002, the method 1000 may include receiving one or more
components of a hood enclosure assembly. The components may
include, for example, components 425, 435, 445 or 455 of FIGS. 4-5.
For example, a user of the enclosure assembly may receive the one
or more components from a manufacturer or seller.
[0056] At 1004, the method 1000 may include assembling the hood
enclosure assembly to form a cavity (e.g., cavity 250a of FIGS. 2,
4) to house a vent (e.g., vent 104 of FIGS. 2, 3) of a downdraft
ventilation system (e.g., system 200 of FIG. 2). The hood enclosure
assembly may be assembled, for example, by using any suitable
fastening mechanisms including, for example, temporary or permanent
mechanisms. Assembling may include, for example, coupling together
two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 or 455 of FIGS. 4-5
using screws, magnets, insert features, or other suitable fastening
mechanism. In other embodiments, assembling may include extending
hinged components away from one another to provide a cavity space.
Other suitable techniques to assemble the hood enclosure assembly
may be used in other embodiments.
[0057] At 1006, the method 1000 may include placing the hood
enclosure assembly on or adjacent to a cooking surface (e.g.,
cooking surface 102 of FIGS. 2-3). The hood enclosure assembly may
be configured for manual placement on the cooking surface and/or a
surface (e.g., surface 112 of FIG. 2) that is adjacent to the
cooking surface. When placed, the cavity may be configured to
extend over the vent and/or over at least a portion of the cooking
surface. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly may be
permanently fastened to the cooking surface or the adjacent
surface. In other embodiments, the enclosure assembly may be
temporarily placed on the cooking surface (e.g., when needed for
cooking). Guides for placement of the hood enclosure assembly may
be used. For example, a base structure with marks or grooves to
receive edges of the hood enclosure assembly may be disposed on the
cooking surface and/or the adjacent surface in some
embodiments.
[0058] At 1008, the method 1000 may include removing the hood
enclosure assembly from the cooking surface or an adjacent surface.
In some embodiments, the hood enclosure assembly may be manually
removed from the cooking surface and/or the adjacent surface.
[0059] At 1010, the method 1000 may include disassembling the hood
enclosure assembly for storage. In some embodiments, removing the
hood enclosure assembly at 1008 may include one or more actions of
disassembling the hood enclosure assembly for storage at 1010. In
other embodiments, the hood enclosure assembly may be removed and
then disassembled. In an embodiment, disassembly may be performed
manually and without the use of an additional tool. Disassembly may
allow storage and/or cleaning of the hood enclosure assembly when
not in use.
[0060] Various operations may be described as multiple discrete
operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in
understanding embodiments of the present invention. However, the
order of description should not be construed to imply that these
operations are order dependent.
[0061] Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill
in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent
embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same
purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described
without departing from the scope of the present invention. Those
with skill in the art will readily appreciate that embodiments in
accordance with the present invention may be implemented in a very
wide variety of ways. This application is intended to cover any
adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein.
Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments in accordance
with the present invention be limited only by the claims and the
equivalents thereof.
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