HK1261613B - Exhaust air channel arrangement for a kitchen exhaust air channel system - Google Patents

Description

Exhaust passage device for kitchen exhaust passage systems

Technical Field

This invention is based on an exhaust channel device for a kitchen exhaust channel system. Such an exhaust channel device is known, for example, from JP4989426B2. Similar exhaust channel devices are described in US2180644A, DE102007034595B3, and KR10-2012-0055214A.

Background Technology

Specifically, to meet fire safety requirements, it is generally desirable that exhaust duct systems of this type be made of metal, rather than plastic material systems as in the prior art. To minimize the higher cost of metal plate duct systems compared to plastic systems, the aim is to reduce the thickness of the blank material used to construct the various components of the exhaust duct system as much as possible. However, this is limited by the fact that the exhaust duct system needs to have a certain minimum mechanical strength, on the one hand to ensure a fluid-resistant, sealed connection at the joints of the components, and on the other hand to allow the exhaust duct system to also have specific tread resistance, for example, when it must be installed inside a building or on a floor. For this purpose, in the prior art cited above, it is known, for example, to provide reinforcing ribs to the outer walls of the various tubular portions of the exhaust duct system. However, in order for these reinforcing ribs, directly provided in the outer walls of the exhaust duct system, to have the desired reinforcing effect, the wall thickness of the exhaust duct system must exceed a certain minimum thickness.

Summary of the Invention

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust channel device of the above type, which has very small wall thickness and high mechanical strength.

This objective is achieved by an exhaust passage device having the features of claim 1. The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments of the invention.

Accordingly, an exhaust channel device is proposed, comprising a metal plate tube and a support structure movably accommodated within the metal plate tube along its longitudinal direction. The support structure supports two opposing wall portions of the metal plate tube.

Support structures may be specifically adapted to be incorporated into the sheet metal tube only when necessary, such as if particularly high stresses are anticipated to act on it. This can be done, for example, when an exhaust duct device must be installed in or within a floor, for instance, by casting it into a single flat plate. The support structure can, in particular, be a component separate from the sheet metal tube. This allows the support structure to be adapted to the required level of reinforcement of the sheet metal tube, or to be selected individually from several support structures with different reinforcement effects. For this purpose, the material thickness and/or geometry of the support structure can, for example, be adapted to existing stress requirements.

If necessary, one or more support structures can be introduced into the metal plate tube of the exhaust channel device. If multiple support structures are housed inside the metal plate tube, they can be positioned at a distance from each other. The support structures can have a geometry in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the metal plate tube, which replicates the internal geometry of the metal plate tube, such that the support structures make a form-fit contact with the inner circumference of the metal plate tube along their outer periphery. When the support structures are additionally made of thin metal sheets, they result in only a very small restriction on the tube cross-section in a conventional tube cross-section and therefore a correspondingly small pressure loss.

The supporting structure can be a formed, monolithic metal strip, making it economical to manufacture.

The support structure may be provided with first and second contact portions, which respectively contact the inner circumference of the metal plate tube through shape matching.

The first and second contact portions may have corresponding C-shapes, wherein the two contact portions contact two other opposing wall portions on the inner circumference of the metal plate tube.

The contact portions can be connected to each other via Z-shaped portions, wherein the Z-shaped portions have first and second connection contour sides. The first connection contour side can be connected to the first contact portion, and the second connection contour side can be connected to the second contact portion.

The connecting profile side can at least partially contact two opposing wall portions of the metal plate tube and can extend at least partially parallel to these wall portions to the end.

Therefore, the support structure can have a geometry that is suitable for doubling the inner circumference of the metal tube over a considerable portion, thereby correspondingly increasing the mechanical strength of the metal tube.

The Z-shaped portion may have a central web, through which the first and second connecting profile sides are connected at corresponding right angles to the opposite ends of the central web.

When the Z-shaped portion has a central web, the web can extend perpendicularly to the opposite wall portion of the metal tube, such that the opposite wall portion of the metal tube is supported by the central web.

The metal tube can be formed from a flat channel having a substantially rectangular cross-section, wherein opposing wall portions supported by a support structure are a first pair of parallel separated wall portions, and two additional opposing wall portions are a second pair of parallel separated wall portions extending perpendicular to the first pair of wall portions.

As previously described, at least one support structure may be accommodated within the metal plate tube. In the case of longer tube sections (e.g., 1 meter or longer), for flow connection reasons, it is convenient to provide multiple individual support structures rather than a continuous or monolithic support structure (extending over a considerable portion or the entire length of the channel). These individual support structures are positioned spaced apart within the metal plate channel. Accordingly, first and second support structures may be positioned spaced apart within the metal plate tube, wherein the first and second support structures subdivide the tube cross-section into a first partial cross-section and a second partial cross-section fluidly separated from the first partial cross-section, and wherein the tube cross-section is integral in the gap between the two support structures.

The central web of the previously described support structure can, for example, subdivide the tube cross-section in the region of the support structure into two separate fluid local cross-sections. Since this separation is hydrodynamically unfavorable, particularly in the case of straight tube sections, and can cause pressure losses due to strong wall friction, the gaps between continuous support structures serve to connect portions of the airflow, thus reducing the overall pressure loss of the tube section reinforced by the support structure. The support structure can be made of a thin sheet of metal, such that possible flow separation on the front side of the support structure can be neglected due to the very small material thickness of the support structure.

The supporting structure can be accommodated inside the metal sheet tube by mechanical preloading. For this purpose, the preloading can be parallel to two opposing and mutually supporting wall sections and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet tube. For example, the supporting structure can be provided with a cross-sectional geometry perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, which is essentially S-shaped. The S-shape can be formed, for example, by two C-shaped contact portions connected to each other by Z-shaped portions.

To facilitate the installation of the support structure within the metal tube, the support structure may have a smooth surface on its outer periphery, at least on the portion of the support structure that contacts the inner periphery of the metal tube. This allows the support structure to be comfortably inserted into the opposite front side of the metal tube.

The exhaust channel device can be installed in the flat plate of the floor, especially by casting. The exhaust channel device can thus be arranged in the flat plate such that the central web of the supporting structure of the opposing wall portions of the mutually supporting metal plate tubes is perpendicular to the tread surface of the floor.

The exhaust channel device of the present invention particularly allows the metal plate tube to be manufactured from a thin metal sheet. The thickness of the thin metal sheet can be less than 0.5 mm, preferably even less than 0.4 mm, and more preferably less than 0.3 mm. Essentially, the metal plate tube and the support structure can also be made from a thicker metal sheet, such as a metal sheet with a thickness of 0.8 mm. However, depending on the application, in the case of a metal plate tube with a thickness of 0.8 mm or more, the use of a support structure can be omitted, or the structure can be lightweight.

On the other hand, a disadvantage of using thin metal sheets is that, when the metal tube is shortened, sharp cutting edges are formed, which may cause injury. To reduce the risk of injury from the sharp cutting edges of the metal tube, when the metal tube has sharp cutting edges on the front side of at least one of its opposite ends, these cutting edges are covered by a mounting seal that is inserted into the sharp cutting edges at at least one end of the metal tube. The mounting seal may have a U-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, the mounting seal may have at least one encapsulating sealing lip on its inner circumference. In one embodiment, the mounting seal may seal a concave connection relative to an element with a convex connection.

Attached Figure Description

Further details of the invention are explained with reference to the following accompanying drawings. In particular:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the exhaust channel device;

Figure 2 shows the exhaust channel device of Figure 1 in a partially transparent view;

Figure 3 shows the exhaust channel device of Figure 1 in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;

Figure 4 shows a detailed view of the end of another embodiment of the exhaust channel device in a cross-section parallel to the longitudinal direction; and

Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the exhaust channel device of the present invention.

Detailed Implementation

Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the exhaust channel device 1 of the present invention, for example, for a kitchen exhaust channel system.

The exhaust channel device 1 can be made entirely of metal, particularly metal sheets, except for its mounting seal 14, which is inserted into the opposite ends, and thus meets the highest requirements for fire resistance.

The metal tube 2 can be made of a thin metal sheet, wherein the support structure 3 housed within the metal tube 2 provides additional mechanical strength, thereby giving the exhaust channel device shown at least the mechanical strength of plastic channel devices known in the prior art.

The support structure 3 can also be a shaped metal sheet, thus allowing for low-cost manufacturing, and can be produced simply by bending and folding thin metal sheets. The support structure is a separate component from the metal tube 2, but if desired, it can be inserted into one of the front sides 12 of the same metal tube 2. Depending on the application, the support structure can also be attached to the metal tube after reaching its end position inside the tube, for example, by gluing or welding.

Since it is generally desired that the support structure 3 forms a shape-fit contact with the inner circumference of the metal tube 2 over most of its outer periphery, it may be necessary to remove the mounting seal 14 at one end of the metal tube 2 for installation of the support structure 3 inside the metal tube 2, or to insert it only onto the front side 12 after the support structure 3 has been inserted. The support structure 3 is preferably held inside the metal tube 2 in a movable manner, and particularly by frictional engagement provided by a mechanical preload that presses the support structure 3 against the inner circumference of the metal tube 2. For this purpose, the support structure 3 may be provided, for example, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, in an S-shape.

Figures 2 and 3 show further details of the support structure and its contact within the metal tube 2. The support structure is specifically provided with first and second contact portions 5, through which the support structure contacts the inner circumference of the metal tube 2 via a form-fitting arrangement. The first and second contact portions 5 are each C-shaped, wherein the contact portion 5 contacts the two opposing wall portions 6 of its C-shape on the inner circumference of the metal tube 2.

The two wall sections 6 extend substantially perpendicularly to the two wall sections 4 of the metal plate tube 2, which are supported by the supporting structure.

The support structure 3 also has a Z-shaped portion 7 through which two contact portions 5 are connected to each other. The Z-shaped portion 7 has first and second connecting profile sides 8 through which the Z-shaped portion 7 contacts two opposing, mutually supporting wall portions of the metal plate tube 2. The first connecting profile side 8 is connected to the first contact portion 5, and the second connecting profile side 8 is connected to the second contact portion 5, such that the two C-shaped contact portions 5 together with the Z-shaped portion 7 form an S-shape, which is shown in particular in FIG3.

The Z-shaped portion 7 has a central web 9 that extends perpendicularly to and reaches the opposing and mutually supporting wall portions 4 of the metal tube 2, thereby effectively providing inventive support for the opposing wall portions 4 of the metal tube 2 in the embodiment shown in FIG3, particularly through the central web 9.

As is generally known in the prior art, the flat channel has a rectangular cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and rounded edges between its respective vertically arranged wall portions 4 and 6. The flat channel thus has two pairs of parallel wall portions 4 and 6, wherein the wall portion 4 of the first pair of wall portions 4 is perpendicular to the wall portion 6 of the second pair.

As already mentioned, the exhaust passage device of the present invention particularly allows the metal plate tube 2 to be manufactured from a thin metal plate; however, its disadvantage is that, especially when the metal plate tube is shortened, a sharp cutting edge can be formed, as when the exhaust passage device of the present invention is installed. To minimize the risk of injury, in the embodiment of FIG4, the sharp cutting edge 13 is covered on the front side 12 of the metal plate tube 2 by a mounting seal 14. The mounting seal 14 is also configured as a concave adapter, which has a sealing lip 15 on the inner circumference of the mounting seal 14.

As shown in Figure 5, particularly in embodiments where the metal plate tube 2 has a certain length (e.g., one meter) of exhaust channel, it is foreseeable that multiple support structures 3 are arranged relative to each other at a distance A inside the metal plate tube 2. In the case of a longer metal plate tube 2, using multiple individual support structures 3 not only has the advantage of ease of installation within the metal plate tube 2 compared to using a single, integral, and correspondingly longer support structure 3, but also offers hydrodynamic advantages:

As can be readily demonstrated, the use of the support structure 3 and its central web 9 causes the volumetric flow of air flowing into the metal plate tube 2 to be subdivided into two partial volumetric flows. This is a disadvantage in the case of straight tube sections due to higher wall friction relative to the integral tube cross-section, and particularly due to higher pressure loss. To mitigate this disadvantage, in the embodiment shown in FIG5, it is therefore foreseeable that the successive support structures 3 are separated from each other by a distance A, such that a gap 11 is formed between the two support structures, wherein the tube cross-section is integral, corresponding in an unrestricted manner to the inner cross-section of the metal plate tube 2. The gap 11 can be used to allow the volumetric flows of air separated by the support structures 3 to be remixed in the direction of airflow, thereby reducing the total pressure loss of the exhaust channel device 1 relative to the integral and continuous support structure 3.

The features of the invention disclosed in the foregoing description, the accompanying drawings, and the claims may be essential for the implementation of the invention, either alone or in any desired combination.

List of reference numerals

1. Exhaust passage device

2. Metal Plates and Tubes

3. Supporting Structure

4. Wall section

5. Contact Part

6. The other wall section

7. Z-shaped section

8. Connect the contour side

9. Central web

10 end

11. Gap

12 Front side

13. Cutting edge

14 Install seals

15 Sealing Lip

A Distance

X Vertical direction

Claims (16)

1. An exhaust channel device (1) for a kitchen exhaust channel system, characterized in that the exhaust channel device (1) comprises a metal plate tube (2) and a support structure (3), the support structure (3) being made of a thin metal sheet and movably housed within the metal plate tube (2) along the longitudinal direction (x), wherein two opposing wall portions (4) of the metal plate tube (2) are supported by the support structure. The supporting structure has a cross-sectional geometry perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, and the cross-sectional geometry has an S-shape; The first and second support structures (3) are arranged at a distance (A) from each other inside the metal plate tube (2), wherein the tube cross-section is subdivided into a first partial cross-section and a second partial cross-section fluidly separated from the first partial cross-section by the first and second support structures (3), and wherein the tube cross-section is integral in the gap (11) between the two support structures (3). 2. The exhaust channel device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the support structure (3) is a formed integral metal strip. 3. The exhaust channel device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support structure (3) has first and second contact portions (5) that respectively contact the inner periphery of the metal plate tube (2) by form fit. 4. The exhaust channel device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the first and second contact portions (5) are respectively C-shaped, wherein the two contact portions (5) contact two other opposing wall portions (6) on the inner periphery of the metal plate tube (2). 5. The exhaust channel device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the contact portions (5) are connected to each other by Z-shaped portions (7), wherein the Z-shaped portions (7) have first and second connection contour sides (8), wherein the first connection contour side (8) is connected to the first contact portion (5) and the second connection contour side (8) is connected to the second contact portion (5). 6. The exhaust channel device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the connecting profile side (8) at least partially contacts two opposing wall portions (4) of the metal plate tube (2) and extends at least partially parallel to these wall portions (4). 7. The exhaust channel device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the Z-shaped portion (7) has a central web (9), and the first and second connecting profile sides (8) are connected at corresponding right angles to the opposite ends (10) of the central web (9) via the central web. 8. The exhaust passage device (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the Z-shaped portion (7) has a central web (9) perpendicular to and reaching the opposing wall portion (4) of the metal plate tube (2), such that the opposing wall portions (4) of the metal plate tube (2) are supported by the central web (9). 9. The exhaust channel device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal plate tube (2) is a flat channel having a rectangular cross-section, wherein the opposing wall portions (4) are a first pair of parallel separated wall portions (4), and the other opposing wall portions (6) are a second pair of parallel separated wall portions (6) extending perpendicularly to the first pair of wall portions (4). 10. The exhaust channel device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support structure (3) is accommodated inside the metal plate tube (2) by mechanical preloading, the preloading being parallel to two opposing and mutually supporting wall portions (4) and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (x) of the metal plate tube (2). 11. The exhaust channel device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support structure (3) has a smooth surface on its outer periphery, and at least wherein its outer periphery contacts the inner periphery of the metal plate tube (2). 12. The exhaust channel device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims is cast in a flat plate of the floor, wherein the central web (9) of the support structure (3) that supports the opposing wall portions (4) of the metal plate tube (2) is perpendicular to the tread surface of the floor. 13. The exhaust channel device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal plate tube (2) is made of a thin metal sheet having a sheet thickness of less than 0.5 mm. 14. The exhaust channel device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal plate tube (2) is made of a thin metal sheet having a sheet thickness of less than 0.4 mm. 15. The exhaust channel device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal plate tube (2) is made of a thin metal sheet having a sheet thickness of less than 0.3 mm. 16. The exhaust channel device (1) according to claim 13, wherein the metal plate tube (2) has a sharp cutting edge (13) on the front side (12) of at least one of its opposite ends, which is covered by a mounting seal (14) inserted into the sharp cutting edge (13) on at least one end of the metal plate tube (2).