Overhead ventilation system incorporating a downwardly configured rear supply plenum with upward configured directional outlet and including baffle plates and dampeners incorporated into the plenum for evenly distributing an inlet airflow through the plenum outlet

Abstract

A ventilation system for use with a cooking appliance to maintain an atmospheric pressure balance existing within an enclosed space surrounding the cooking appliance. A hood establishes a three-dimensional and interiorly recessed configuration and which is supported above the appliance. A filter within the hood communicates with a vacuum driven exhaust extending from the enclosed space. A supply plenum secures in downwardly and opposing fashion relative to a side of the cooking appliance. An air intake communicates the supply plenum with an exterior environment, the plenum including at least one air flow restricting and redistributing baffle plate and terminating in an upwardly angled outlet for introducing intake air along the side of the appliance, resulting in heating and elevating the intake air within a perimeter defined by the hood and thereby minimizing loss of conditioned air existing within the enclosed space.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application is a continuation in part of U.S. Ser. No. 11,531,987, filed Sep. 14, 2006, for an Overhead Ventilation System Incorporating a Downwardly Configured Rear Supply Plenum with Upward Configured Directional Outlet.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to an overhead ventilation system, such as is utilized in combination with commercial cooking appliances or industrial oven processes. More particularly, the present invention teaches a ventilation system, such as in use with a commercial pizza or other food related cooking process and by which products of such process include heated air, grease and / or other contaminants. The present invention is an improvement over prior art oven hood designs, and by which an associated inlet plenum is reconfigured to assist in introducing air from an exterior, this including the incorporation of interior baffling elements for slowing down an intake velocity...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The downwardly extending passageway communicates with a second, shorter, and upturned passageway terminating in a lengthwise extending outlet. The extended length of the intake supply plenum, combined with the provision and arrangement of the balancing dampers and the baffle plates, establish a reduced velocity and evenly distributed inlet flow for introduction at the lengthwise and upturned outlet relative to the side of the cooking appliance.

[0010]The arrangement and configuration of the hood further serves to better warm and precondition the raw intake air for rising within the hood interior. The configuration and arrangement of the plenum results in a volume of intake air introduced generally equaling that exhausted from the hood and, by virtue of establishing a pressure equilibrium within the hood interior which is facilitated by the 1) heating, 2) slowed velocity and 3) more evenly distributed intake flow from the plenum, thereby preventing loss of additional volumes of quality AC or heat conditioned air, from within the enclosed space, and which may otherwise...

Problems solved by technology

A common problem in the prior art is the tendency of such devices to introduce significant volumes of untreated air, requiring further significant capacity from such as air conditioning and heated makeup air units.

The cost of maintaining a desired interior air temperature can therefore be greatly increased, both in terms of heating or conditioning volumes of mak...

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