HK1068509B - Range hood motor housing with integral cleaning fluid heating reservoir - Google Patents

Abstract

A motor housing having an integral cleaning fluid heating reservoir for use in a range hood. The motor housing comprises top and bottom sections connectable to one another. The top section has an upper surface and a perimeter side surface. A floor and a pair of end surfaces extend substantially perpendicularly from the perimeter side surface. An outer side surface extends from the floor and pair of end surfaces such that the outer side surface is spaced apart from the perimeter side surface, thereby forming the heating reservoir. The motor housing is made substantially of plastic with at least one portion of heat conducting material such as metal formed in the perimeter side surface in order to conduct heat from the motor housing interior to cleaning fluid within the heating reservoir. (Designated Patent Application No. 200410042217.5)

Description

Hood motor housing with integrated cleaning fluid heating reservoir

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a motor housing for use in a kitchen hood and in particular to a motor housing having an integral cleaning fluid heating reservoir.

Background

The hood is used above the cooking surface for removing grease, general odors and hazardous gases generated during cooking. Typically, a domestic exhaust hood has a pair of motors mounted horizontally in a motor housing within a hood. Each motor drives a fan. The fan draws air from the underlying cooking area and forces it through the motor housing to the vent tube.

As the evaporated grease entrained in the air passes through the motor housing, some of it condenses on the inner walls of the housing and can accumulate. It is therefore known to provide a cleaning fluid under pressure to clean the interior of an exhaust system.

It is also known in the prior art to place a refillable container inside the hood for internal supply of cleaning fluid. The container is generally constructed of plastic to eliminate any problems associated with rust, and is mounted on the upper surface of the hood body, toward the front of the hood and separated from the motor housing. A fluid delivery device connected to the container delivers fluid under pressure from the container to the interior surface of the exhaust hood, particularly the motor housing. The container may be filled through a closable aperture located outside the exhaust hood. Once used, the cleaning fluid and any grease moving therewith is discharged into an outer grease container.

Since the container is separated from the motor housing, the temperature of the fluid contained therein is maintained at about room temperature. However, as the temperature increases, the cleaning fluid may more effectively remove grease.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an exhaust hood in which the cleaning fluid is heated above room temperature.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

According to the present invention, there is provided a motor housing for enclosing a motor and fan for use in an exhaust hood exhausting air from above a cooking surface, the motor housing comprising: a top portion and a bottom portion, said top and bottom portions adapted to be connected to each other; said top portion including an upper surface, a peripheral side surface and a cleaning fluid heating reservoir; and at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet.

The heating container includes an outer side wall, a pair of end walls, and a bottom panel. The end walls and floor depend from and are substantially perpendicular to the peripheral side surface. The outer side wall is depending from a pair of end walls and said floor so that the outer side wall is spaced from and shaped substantially the same as a corresponding portion of the peripheral side surface.

In another aspect, the heating reservoir further comprises an overflow outlet. The other outlet is connected to a pump for pumping cleaning fluid to a nozzle for directing a jet of heated cleaning fluid toward a selected surface of the exhaust hood.

The motor housing is preferably made substantially of plastic and has a portion made of a thermally conductive material. The thermally conductive material is preferably a piece of metal molded into the plastic and positioned at least in the peripheral side surface of the motor housing. The thermally conductive material may also form a portion of the peripheral side surface and the upper surface.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a motor housing for use in an exhaust hood for exhausting air from above a cooking surface, the motor housing comprising: a top surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral side surface defining an enclosure for mounting the motor and fan; at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet; and a cleaning fluid heating vessel extending outwardly from the peripheral side surface.

Other aspects of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

Drawings

These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motor housing with an integrated cleaning fluid heating reservoir in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the top of the motor housing of FIG. 1, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a motor housing with an integrated cleaning fluid heating reservoir.

Detailed Description

In fig. 1 and 2 a preferred embodiment of a motor housing 12 with an integrated cleaning fluid heating reservoir 20 for use in a kitchen hood 10 according to the invention is shown. An alternative embodiment of the motor housing and cleaning fluid heating reservoir is shown in figure 4.

Fig. 1 and 2 show a motor housing 12 of the present invention having a cleaning fluid heating reservoir 20. The motor housing 12 defines an enclosure and may be mounted within another enclosure formed by the exhaust hood 2. The motor housing has a top surface 14, a bottom surface 8 and a peripheral side wall 16 that substantially defines a figure-8 when viewed from the top of the motor housing. As shown in fig. 1, the interior of the housing 12 is divided by a dividing wall 7 into two substantially similar, separate air chambers.

Each chamber has an air inlet defined in the bottom surface 8 of the motor housing 12 and a vent hole 9. Each chamber is designed to house a motor 4 and fan 6, which motor 4 and fan 6 draw hot, grease-laden air from above the cooking surface into the chamber of the motor housing 12. Once inside the motor housing, this air is forced out of the air outlet vents 9 to be expelled to the outside.

The motor housing 12 is preferably made of a heat resistant plastic and has a top portion 11 and a bottom portion 13. The top and bottom portions 11, 13 are formed in such a way as to fit snugly together at the joint 19. The top portion 11 has a top surface 14, a peripheral side surface 15 and an integral cleaning fluid heating reservoir 20. The bottom 13 has a bottom surface 8, an outer side surface 18 and an inner side surface 24. The top edge of the outer side surface 18 is adapted to fit snugly into the engagement portion 19. An inner side surface 24 defining the motor housing inlet is disposed radially inwardly relative to the lower edge of the fan.

The inner surface 24 acts as a barrier to any grease that may accumulate within the motor housing to prevent the grease from draining back through the inlet to the underlying cooking surface. The bottom surface 8 is inclined rearwardly from the front to discharge grease to the grease outlet 40 where it is discharged through the grease conduit 42 to the external waste container 46.

The cleaning fluid heating reservoir 20 forms an integral part of the top 11 of the motor housing. The heating container 20 is composed of a side surface 15, an outer wall 21, a pair of end walls 23, and a bottom plate 25. Fluid 22 fills the interior of the container bounded by peripheral side surface 15, outer wall 21, end wall 23, and floor 25. Preferably, the pair of end walls and the floor project from the peripheral side surface 15 and are substantially perpendicular to the peripheral side surface 15. The outer wall 21, in turn, extends from the pair of end walls 23 and the floor 25 so as to space the outer wall 21 from and preferably substantially the same shape as a corresponding portion of the peripheral side surface 15. Although the reservoir 20 is shown extending laterally from the motor housing near the rear, the reservoir 20 may be located in a number of different positions near the motor housing. More than one heating reservoir may also be provided at intervals around the periphery of the motor housing.

Preferably, cleaning fluid is injected into the container 20 through an opening (not shown) on the outside of the hood, through a hose (not shown). It is also contemplated to fill the heating reservoir with an additional, separate cleaning fluid reservoir. Cleaning fluid from the additional vessel may be pumped into the heating vessel as desired. In this manner, the volume of cleaning fluid by the exhaust hood may be increased, thereby reducing the number of times it must be replenished. The heating reservoir is prevented from overflowing by an overflow outlet 30 located below the top edge of the reservoir 20. Once the level of fluid 22 within the container reaches outlet 30, it is discharged through conduit 32 to outer container 46.

In order to properly conduct the thermal energy inside the motor housing to the fluid 22 inside the container 20, at least a portion of the motor housing is made of a thermally conductive material. Preferably, a piece of thermally conductive material, such as a metal plate 17, is molded into the top portion 11 so as to form a portion of the side surface 15. As shown in fig. 3, a plurality of metal sheets are preferably interspersed along the side surfaces 15, wherein a plurality of metal plates 17 molded into the plastic of the top portion 11 are separated from one another by the plastic that houses them.

In addition, the size of the thermally conductive section may be varied. For example, in an alternative embodiment shown in fig. 4, the metal sheet 47 forms the side surface and a portion of the top surface 14 of the top 11 of the motor housing 12. Thus, a larger amount of metal will be heated by introducing the heating gas, and thus more thermal energy may be transferred to the cleaning fluid within the heating vessel.

The presence of the thermally conductive metal plate(s) helps to transfer thermal energy from the interior of the motor housing to the fluid contained within the cleaning fluid container. Hot air from the cooking surface is drawn into the motor housing. As this hot air passes through the motor housing interior before being forced out the vent, it serves to heat the contacted surface. The heat absorbed by the metal may be transferred to the cleaning fluid contained in the cleaning fluid container to raise the temperature of the fluid above normal room temperature. By increasing the temperature of the cleaning fluid 22, the fluid becomes more effective at removing grease it contacts when used for cleaning purposes.

A fluid delivery means or pump 34 connected to the heating chamber 20 delivers cleaning fluid under pressure from the heating reservoir to the interior surface of the exhaust hood (particularly the motor housing) at a spray port. Activation of the pump 34 causes cleaning fluid to be pumped through conduit 36 to a nozzle (not shown) for directing a jet of cleaning fluid at the surfaces within the exhaust hood to be cleaned, such as the motor housing interior and the fan.

The heating container utilizes only the space existing inside the hood body, so there is no need to increase the overall size of the hood to accommodate it.

It is contemplated that preferred and alternative embodiments of a motor housing heating chamber with an integrated cleaning fluid heating reservoir according to the present invention may be adapted for use with a variety of motor housings other than the designs disclosed herein. In particular, the inlet in the motor housing may be modified so that it is adapted to be connected to a separate grease tray as known in the art.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although preferred and alternative embodiments have been disclosed in detail, certain modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims (14)

1. A motor housing for enclosing a motor and fan for use in an exhaust hood that exhausts air from above a cooking surface, the motor housing comprising:

a top portion and a bottom portion, said top and bottom portions adapted to be connected to each other;

said top portion including an upper surface, a peripheral side surface and a cleaning fluid heating reservoir; and

at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet.

2. The motor housing of claim 1, wherein the heating reservoir comprises an outer side wall, a pair of end walls, and a floor.

3. The motor housing of claim 2, wherein the pair of end walls and the base plate extend from and perpendicular to the peripheral side surface, and the outer side wall extends from the pair of end walls and the base plate such that the outer side wall is spaced apart from the peripheral side surface.

4. The motor housing of claim 3, wherein the heated reservoir further comprises an overflow outlet.

5. The motor housing of claim 2, wherein the motor housing is made of plastic.

6. The motor housing of claim 5, wherein a portion of the peripheral side surface is made of a thermally conductive material.

7. The motor housing of claim 5, wherein a portion of the upper surface and the peripheral side surface are made of a thermally conductive material.

8. The motor housing of claim 6, wherein the thermally conductive material is a metal.

9. The motor housing of claim 7, wherein the thermally conductive material is a metal.

10. The motor housing of claim 8, wherein the metal is molded into the plastic.

11. A motor housing for use in an exhaust hood for exhausting air from above a cooking surface, the motor housing comprising:

a top surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral side surface defining an enclosure for mounting the motor and fan;

at least one air outlet and at least one air inlet; and

a cleaning fluid heating reservoir extending outwardly from the peripheral side surface.

12. The motor housing of claim 11, wherein the motor housing is made of plastic with at least a portion made of a thermally conductive material forming a portion of the peripheral side surface.

13. The motor housing of claim 11, wherein said heating reservoir includes a pair of end walls and a floor extending from said peripheral side surface and an outer side wall extending from said pair of end walls and said floor.

14. The motor housing of claim 13, wherein the motor housing is made of plastic with at least a portion made of a thermally conductive material forming a portion of the peripheral side surface.