Oil fume sensor and kitchen appliance

Abstract

The application discloses an oil fume sensor and a kitchen appliance. The oil fume sensor comprises a shell provided with a containing cavity, a first opening and a second opening, the first opening and the second opening are communicated with the containing cavity, the shell comprises a lower shell and an air inlet pipe penetrating through the lower shell, an air inlet cavity is formed in the air inlet pipe, the position where the air inlet cavity is communicated with the containing cavity forms the first opening, and the air inlet cavity is in a tapered shape along the direction close to the first opening; and a sensor assembly is located in the containing cavity. The oil fume sensor of the embodiment of the application is gradually reduced in the air inlet cavity, so that the oil fume is accelerated in the process of entering the containing cavity from the air inlet cavity, the oil fume is accelerated to pass through the containing cavity and is quickly discharged from the second opening, the dispersion of the oil fume in the containing cavity is reduced, the probability of the oil fume condensing on the sensor assembly is reduced, and the service life and performance of the oil fume sensor are increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to an oil fume sensor and a kitchen appliance. Background Technology

[0002] As people's requirements for home appliances continue to increase, oil fume sensors are being used more and more widely in kitchen appliances to detect whether oil fumes are being generated, so as to react to the oil fumes in a timely manner.

[0003] However, normally, cooking fumes need to pass through the fume sensor for it to detect them. But cooking fumes easily escape from the sensor and condense into oil droplets, causing the sensor to become contaminated and affecting its detection accuracy and lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides an oil fume sensor and a kitchen appliance.

[0005] The fume sensor of this invention includes: a housing, having a receiving cavity, a first opening and a second opening, the first opening and the second opening respectively communicating with the receiving cavity, the housing including a lower shell and an air inlet pipe passing through the lower shell, the interior of the air inlet pipe forming an air inlet cavity, the first opening forming at the position where the air inlet cavity communicates with the receiving cavity, and the air inlet cavity having a tapering shape along the direction close to the first opening;

[0006] The sensor assembly is located within the receiving cavity.

[0007] In some embodiments, the air inlet cavity is truncated cone-shaped.

[0008] In some embodiments, the sensor assembly includes a light emitting component and a light receiving component. The receiving cavity is provided with a mounting part, and the mounting part and the housing surround to form a receiving cavity. The light emitting component and / or the light receiving component are installed in the receiving cavity. The housing is provided with a pressurization channel, one end of which communicates with the receiving cavity, and the other end of which communicates with the outside.

[0009] In some embodiments, the lower shell includes a bottom shell and an air inlet shell. The bottom shell and the mounting portion enclose the receiving cavity. The air inlet pipe includes a first air inlet pipe and a second air inlet pipe. The first air inlet pipe passes through the bottom shell, and the second air inlet pipe passes through the air inlet shell. The interiors of the first air inlet pipe and the second air inlet pipe communicate to form the air inlet cavity. The bottom shell is provided with a first through hole, and the air inlet shell is provided with a second through hole. The first through hole communicates with the second through hole to form the pressurization channel.

[0010] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the second air inlet pipe, the inner wall of the air inlet shell, and the bottom shell together form an oil-reducing cavity, and the first through hole and the second through hole are respectively connected to the oil-reducing cavity.

[0011] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with a plurality of fins, each of the fins having a light-transmitting hole, and the plurality of fins are arranged at intervals in the receiving cavity along the optical axis of the light emitting component and / or the optical axis of the light receiving component.

[0012] In some embodiments, the housing further includes an upper shell and an exhaust pipe passing through the upper shell, the upper shell and the lower shell together forming the receiving cavity, the interior of the exhaust pipe forming an exhaust chamber, and the second opening forming at the position where the exhaust chamber communicates with the receiving cavity.

[0013] In some embodiments, the axis of the air inlet chamber and the axis of the air outlet chamber are on the same straight line.

[0014] This invention also provides a kitchen appliance, the kitchen appliance comprising:

[0015] Box;

[0016] The fan assembly is installed inside the housing;

[0017] The oil fume sensor described in any of the above embodiments.

[0018] In some embodiments, the fume sensor is located at the air inlet of the fan assembly.

[0019] The fume sensor of this invention, by gradually reducing the size of the air inlet cavity, causes the fume to accelerate as it enters the receiving cavity. This allows the fume to pass through the receiving cavity more quickly and be discharged rapidly from the second opening, thereby reducing the probability of fume condensation on the sensor assembly and increasing the lifespan and performance of the fume sensor.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the oil fume sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2This is an exploded schematic diagram of the oil fume sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom shell structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the air intake shell according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a kitchen appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Key features (reference numerals):

[0028] Oil fume sensor 100, housing 10, receiving cavity 11, receiving cavity 111, first opening 12, second opening 13, lower shell 14, bottom shell 141, first through hole 1411, air inlet shell 142, second through hole 1421, air inlet pipe 15, air inlet cavity 151, first air inlet pipe 152, second air inlet pipe 153, pressurization channel 16, oil reduction cavity 17, fins 18, light-transmitting through hole 181, upper shell 19, exhaust pipe 21, exhaust cavity 211, sensor assembly 30, light emitting assembly 31, light receiving assembly 32, mounting part 40, kitchen appliance 1000, box 200, fan assembly 300. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0030] In the description of this invention, the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used solely for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows for communication; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0033] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided in this invention, but those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0034] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This invention provides an oil fume sensor, which includes a housing 10 and a sensor assembly 30. The housing 10 has a receiving cavity 11, a first opening 12, and a second opening 13, which are respectively connected to the receiving cavity 11. The housing 10 includes a lower shell 14 and an air inlet pipe 15 passing through the lower shell 14. An air inlet chamber 151 is formed inside the air inlet pipe 15. The first opening 12 is formed at the position where the air inlet chamber 151 communicates with the receiving cavity 11. The air inlet chamber 151 has a tapering shape along the direction close to the first opening 12. The sensor assembly 30 is located within the receiving cavity 11.

[0035] The fume sensor of this invention, by gradually reducing the size of the air inlet cavity 151, causes the fume to accelerate as it enters the receiving cavity 11. This accelerates the passage of the fume through the receiving cavity 11 and allows it to be quickly discharged from the second opening 13, thereby reducing the dispersion of the fume in the receiving cavity 11 and decreasing the probability of fume condensation on the sensor assembly 30, thus increasing the service life and performance of the fume sensor.

[0036] Specifically, the shell 10 can have many shapes, such as cuboid, sphere, cone, etc., and no specific limitation is made here. In one embodiment, the shell 10 is spindle-shaped, that is, the outer diameter of the shell 10 gradually increases from top to bottom and then gradually decreases from top to bottom. In this way, the oil droplets condensed on the outer wall of the shell 10 can drip off naturally under the action of gravity, reducing the speed at which the outer wall of the shell 10 is contaminated by oil.

[0037] The shape of the receiving cavity 11 can be various, such as cuboid, sphere, or cone. The shape of the receiving cavity 11 can be adapted to the shape of the shell 10, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0038] The lower shell 14 and the intake pipe 15 can be integrally injection molded, for example, the lower shell 14 and the intake pipe 15 can be cut together. This arrangement simplifies the production of the lower shell 14 and the intake pipe 15. The lower shell 14 can have various shapes, such as cuboid, hemisphere, etc., without specific limitations. The intake pipe 15 can extend vertically, horizontally, or at any angle to the vertical. In one embodiment, the intake pipe 15 extends vertically. This arrangement allows oil droplets condensed inside the intake pipe 15 to drip off under gravity, reducing the rate at which the intake pipe 15 becomes contaminated with oil and increasing its service life. The intake pipe 15 can have various shapes, such as square, circular, etc., without specific limitations.

[0039] The air inlet cavity 151 has a tapering shape along the direction close to the first opening 12. Specifically, it can be understood that the cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet cavity 151 gradually decreases along the direction close to the first opening 12. The cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet cavity 151 is the cross-section perpendicular to the direction close to or away from the first opening 12.

[0040] It is worth noting that the rate of decrease of the cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet cavity 151 can remain constant, that is, the cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet cavity 151 is proportional to the distance between it and the first opening 12. The rate of decrease of the cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet cavity 151 can also increase first and then decrease, or decrease first and then increase, or decrease first, then remain unchanged, and then decrease again. These are not listed one by one here.

[0041] It should be noted that even if part of the cavity wall of the air inlet cavity 151 gradually increases in the direction close to the first opening 12, as long as the air inlet cavity 151 appears to be gradually narrowing as a whole, it can be considered that the air inlet cavity 151 has a gradually narrowing shape in the direction close to the first opening 12.

[0042] The first opening 12 is used to allow airflow from the air inlet chamber 151 to enter the receiving chamber 11. The second opening 13 is used to allow airflow from the receiving chamber 11 to exit from the receiving chamber 11. There are many possible relative positions of the first opening 12 and the second opening 13. For example, the first opening 12 and the second opening 13 can be located at the left and right ends of the receiving chamber 11, with the first opening 12 and the second opening 13 at the same height; or the first opening 12 and the second opening 13 can be located at one end of the receiving chamber 11, with the first opening 12 lower than the second opening 13. These are just a few examples.

[0043] In some embodiments, the first opening 12 and the second opening 13 may be located at both ends of the receiving cavity 11. The oil fume particles discharged into the receiving cavity 11 through the first opening 12 move away from the first opening 12, so that the oil fume particles can move away from the first opening 12 while also moving closer to the second opening 13. This increases the probability that the oil fume particles can be discharged from the receiving cavity 11 through the second opening 13 at a faster speed after entering the receiving cavity 11 through the first opening 12, and reduces the probability that the oil fume particles will escape from the receiving cavity 11 and pollute the receiving cavity 11.

[0044] Furthermore, the first opening 12 and the second opening 13 can be located at the upper and lower ends of the receiving cavity 11, with the first opening 12 located directly below the second opening 13. Since oil fume particles usually move upward, the oil fume particles entering the receiving cavity 11 from the first opening 12 can naturally move to the second opening 13 for discharge, further reducing the probability of oil fume particles escaping from the receiving cavity 11. In addition, this arrangement makes the movement position of the oil fume particles relatively concentrated, which is more conducive to the sensor assembly 30 detecting the oil fume particles.

[0045] The fume sensor 100 can be an infrared detection sensor or a laser detection sensor, etc., and is not specifically limited here. The following embodiments are described in detail using an infrared detection sensor as the fume sensor 100.

[0046] The sensor assembly 30 may include a light emitting assembly 31 and a light receiving assembly 32. The light emitting assembly 31 can be used to emit light into the receiving cavity 11, and the light receiving assembly 32 is used to receive the light emitted by the light emitting assembly 31. The light receiving assembly 32 can also output an electrical signal based on the received light. Typically, the particle size of oil fume particles ranges from 100 nm to 10 μm. In one embodiment, when oil fume particles pass through the optical path of the infrared light emitted by the light emitting assembly 31, they can block, scatter, and diffract the infrared light. That is, the oil fume particles in the receiving cavity 11 will affect the intensity of the light emitted by the light emitting assembly 31 received by the light receiving assembly 32, thus causing a change in the light received by the light receiving assembly 32, and the concentration of oil fume particles can be determined based on this change.

[0047] In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 30 further includes a main control board, to which the light receiving assembly 32 can be connected, outputting electrical signals based on the received light. The main control board can be equipped with a communication module, which can connect to mobile terminals such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, facilitating user control of the fume sensor. The communication module can also be electrically or communicatively connected to other components of kitchen appliances, enabling the fume sensor to be turned on or off based on the status of the appliance's on / off components, and the fan assembly to be turned on or off, or its power increased or decreased, based on the sensor's detection results. In one example, a correlation between fume concentration and fan airflow can be established by simulating actual kitchen appliance usage scenarios, with the fume concentration calibrated using the electrical signal output by the light receiving assembly 32. Adjusting the fan assembly's rotation speed to achieve the corresponding airflow improves the fume extraction effect.

[0048] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 1 The air inlet cavity 151 is shaped like a frustum.

[0049] With this design, the fumes can enter the receiving cavity 11 along the relatively smooth cavity wall of the air inlet cavity 151, reducing the possibility of the fumes adhering to the cavity wall of the air inlet cavity 151, thereby reducing the error in fume detection and increasing the service life of the air inlet cavity 151. In addition, the relatively smooth cavity wall of the air inlet cavity 151 also facilitates the sliding of oil droplets condensed in the air inlet cavity 151 from the cavity wall of the air inlet cavity 151, reducing the probability of oil droplets adhering to the air inlet cavity 151.

[0050] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The sensor assembly 30 includes a light emitting assembly 31 and a light receiving assembly 32. A mounting part 40 is provided in the housing 11. The mounting part 40 and the housing 10 surround to form a housing 111. The light emitting assembly 31 and / or the light receiving assembly 32 are installed in the housing 111. The housing 10 is provided with a pressurization channel 16. One end of the pressurization channel 16 is connected to the housing 111, and the other end of the pressurization channel 16 is connected to the outside.

[0051] With this configuration, when the outside airflow flows, some of it enters the receiving cavity 111, causing the air pressure inside the receiving cavity 111 to increase. Meanwhile, the air pressure at the location in the receiving cavity 11 that is connected to the first opening 12 and the second opening 13 remains unchanged. This creates a pressure difference between the receiving cavity 111 and other locations within the receiving cavity 11, preventing oil fumes at the location in the receiving cavity 11 that is connected to the first opening 12 and the second opening 13 from entering the receiving cavity 111. Furthermore, if oil droplets condense inside the receiving cavity 111, the oil droplets can be discharged to the outside through the pressurized channel 16.

[0052] Specifically, the receiving cavity 111, except for its connection with the pressurization channel 16, should be in a sealed state so that airflow enters the receiving cavity 111 from the pressurization channel 16 and does not flow out from other locations, thereby ensuring that the receiving cavity 111 has a high air pressure. It is worth noting that the end of the pressurization channel 16 that connects to the outside should be opposite to the airflow direction of the household appliance 1000, so that when the airflow flows under the driving action of the household appliance 1000, the kinetic energy of the airflow allows the airflow to enter the pressurization channel 16 and then into the receiving cavity 111, and the dynamic pressure of the airflow increases the static pressure of the receiving cavity 111. The first opening 12 introduces the fumes into the receiving cavity 11, while the second opening 13 can exhaust the fumes from the receiving cavity 11. Therefore, although airflow enters the receiving cavity 11, it cannot increase the pressure, thus creating a pressure difference with the receiving cavity 111. Consequently, the fumes in the receiving cavity 11 connected to the first opening 12 and the second opening 13 are difficult to enter the receiving cavity 111 under the action of the pressure difference, thereby avoiding the problem of fumes entering the receiving cavity 11 from the first opening 12 escaping into the receiving cavity 111.

[0053] There are many ways to form the mounting part 40. The mounting part 40 can be assembled from multiple mounting plates, or it can be machined from the material. No specific restrictions are made here.

[0054] For further details, please refer to Figures 1 to 4The lower shell 14 includes a bottom shell 141 and an air inlet shell 142. The bottom shell 141 and the mounting part 40 together form a receiving cavity 111. The air inlet pipe 15 includes a first air inlet pipe 152 and a second air inlet pipe 153. The first air inlet pipe 152 passes through the bottom shell 141, and the second air inlet pipe 153 passes through the air inlet shell 142. The interior of the first air inlet pipe 152 and the interior of the second air inlet pipe 153 are connected to form an air inlet cavity 151. The bottom shell 141 is provided with a first through hole 1411, and the air inlet shell 142 is provided with a second through hole 1421. The first through hole 1411 is connected to the second through hole 1421 to form a pressurization channel 16.

[0055] With this configuration, the bottom shell 141 and the air inlet shell 142 can be manufactured separately, allowing for flexible adjustment of the production sequence as needed. In addition, the sensor assembly 30, mounting part 40, etc., can be assembled with the bottom shell 141 first, and then assembled with the air inlet shell 142. This allows for flexible adjustment of the assembly sequence as needed, and also facilitates the replacement of the bottom shell 141 or the air inlet shell 142 when it is partially damaged, without having to replace the entire lower shell 14.

[0056] Specifically, the bottom shell 141 and the first air inlet pipe 152 can be integrally injection molded, or they can be machined together. This arrangement simplifies the production of the lower shell 14 and the air inlet pipe 15. Alternatively, the bottom shell 141 and the first air inlet pipe 152 can be separate components. For example, they can be detachably connected by threaded connections, bolt connections, or snap-fit ​​connections. Or, they can be fixedly connected by adhesive bonding or welding. This arrangement allows for adjustments to the production of the bottom shell 141 and the first air inlet pipe 152 as needed.

[0057] The air intake housing 142 and the second air intake pipe 153 can be integrally injection molded, or they can be machined together. This arrangement simplifies the production of the air intake housing 142 and the second air intake pipe 153. Alternatively, the air intake housing 142 and the second air intake pipe 153 can be separate components. For example, they can be detachably connected by threaded connections, bolt connections, or snap-fit ​​connections. Or, they can be fixedly connected by adhesive bonding or welding. This arrangement allows for easy adjustment of the production of the air intake housing 142 and the second air intake pipe 153 as needed.

[0058] It is worth noting that the bottom shell 141 and the mounting portion 40 forming the receiving cavity 111 means that part or all of the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 111 is formed by the bottom shell 141 and the mounting portion 40. In this embodiment, it is sufficient that the bottom shell 141 constitutes part of the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 111, such that the first through hole 1411 opened on the bottom shell 141 can communicate with the receiving cavity 111. In some embodiments, the housing 10 also includes an upper shell 19, and the receiving cavity 111 can be formed by the upper shell 19, the bottom shell 141, and the mounting portion 40.

[0059] For further details, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The outer wall of the second air inlet pipe 153, the inner wall of the air inlet shell 142, and the bottom shell 141 together form an oil reduction chamber 17, and the first through hole 1411 and the second through hole 1421 are respectively connected to the oil reduction chamber 17.

[0060] With this configuration, the airflow enters the oil reduction chamber 17 through the second through hole 1421. The oil reduction chamber 17 can adsorb any oil fume particles that may be carried in the airflow. The airflow adsorbed by the oil reduction chamber 17 then enters the receiving chamber 111 through the first through hole 1411, thereby reducing the possibility of oil fume particles entering the receiving chamber 111 through the pressurized channel 16.

[0061] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The housing 10 has multiple fins 18 inside, each fin 18 having a light-transmitting hole 181. The multiple fins 18 are arranged at intervals in the receiving cavity 111 along the optical axis of the light emitting component 31 and / or the optical axis of the light receiving component 32.

[0062] With this configuration, the inner diameter of the receiving cavity 111 changes continuously due to the multiple fins 18, so that the oil fume particles entering the receiving cavity 111 will be adsorbed on the multiple fins 18, reducing the probability of the oil fume particles contacting the light emitting component 31 and / or the light receiving component 32.

[0063] Specifically, the light-transmitting holes 181 of the fins 18 can be circular to shape the light emitted or received by the light emitting assembly 31 and / or the light receiving assembly 32. Multiple fins 18 can be fully connected to the mounting portion 40, or fully connected to the bottom shell 141, or partially connected to both the mounting portion 40 and the bottom shell 141. In some embodiments, the housing 10 further includes an upper shell 19, which, together with the bottom shell 141, forms a receiving cavity 11. The upper shell 19, the bottom shell 141, and the mounting portion 40 can also form a receiving cavity 111. In this case, multiple fins 18 can be fully connected to the upper shell 19, or fully connected to the bottom shell 141, or partially connected to both the upper shell 19 and the bottom shell 141. Thus, the multiple fins 18 can cooperate with each other as the upper shell 19 and the bottom shell 141 are assembled.

[0064] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 2 The fin 18 can be an upper fin and a lower fin. One end of the upper fin is connected to the upper shell 19, and the other end of the upper fin is provided with a first groove. One end of the lower fin is connected to the bottom shell 141, and the other end of the lower fin is provided with a second groove. The first groove and the second groove are joined together to form a light-transmitting through hole 181.

[0065] With this configuration, the upper and lower pieces are joined together to form a light-transmitting through hole 181. During production, the upper piece with the first groove and the lower piece with the second groove are produced separately to facilitate demolding.

[0066] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The housing 10 also includes an upper housing 19 and an exhaust pipe 21 passing through the upper housing 19. The upper housing 19 and the lower housing 14 together form a receiving cavity 11. An exhaust cavity 211 is formed inside the exhaust pipe 21. A second opening 13 is formed at the position where the exhaust cavity 211 communicates with the receiving cavity 111.

[0067] With this configuration, the upper shell 19 and the lower shell 14 can be separated first, and the sensor assembly 30 can be installed in the receiving cavity 11. After installation, the upper shell 19 and the lower shell 14 can be reassembled. In addition, when the sensor assembly 30 needs to be replaced or repaired, the upper shell 19 and the lower shell 14 can also be separated, making it convenient for users to operate the sensor assembly 30.

[0068] Specifically, the upper shell 19 may include an upper cover and an exhaust cover, and the exhaust pipe 21 may include a first exhaust pipe and a second exhaust pipe. The first exhaust pipe passes through the upper cover, and the second exhaust pipe passes through the exhaust cover. The interior of the first exhaust pipe and the interior of the second exhaust pipe are connected to form an exhaust cavity 211. The upper cover, the first exhaust pipe and the lower shell 14 together form an accommodating cavity 11.

[0069] For further details, please refer to Figure 1 The axis of the air inlet chamber 151 and the axis of the air outlet chamber 211 are on the same straight line.

[0070] With this configuration, after the fumes enter the receiving cavity 11 from the air inlet cavity 151, they can enter the exhaust cavity 211 without changing their direction of movement, thus reducing the probability of the fumes escaping from the receiving cavity 11.

[0071] Please see Figure 5 This invention provides a kitchen appliance 1000, including a housing 200, a fan assembly 300, and a fume sensor 100. The fan assembly 300 is installed inside the housing 200.

[0072] The kitchen appliance 1000 of this invention, by gradually reducing the size of the air inlet cavity 151, causes the oil fumes to accelerate as they enter the receiving cavity 11 from the air inlet cavity 151. This allows the oil fumes to pass through the receiving cavity 11 more quickly and be discharged rapidly from the second opening 13, thereby reducing the dispersion of oil fumes in the receiving cavity 11. This reduces the probability of oil fumes condensing on the sensor assembly 30 and increases the service life and performance of the oil fume sensor 100.

[0073] Specifically, in Figure 5 In this example, kitchen appliance 1000 is a top-mounted kitchen appliance 1000. It is understood that in other embodiments, kitchen appliance 1000 can be a bottom-mounted kitchen appliance 1000 or a side-mounted kitchen appliance 1000, etc., and no specific limitation is made here. The following detailed description uses the example of kitchen appliance 1000 being a top-mounted kitchen appliance 1000. Specifically, kitchen appliance 1000 includes, but is not limited to, range hoods, integrated cooktops, and other appliances with fume extraction functions. The example of kitchen appliance 1000 being a range hood will be used for illustration. The range hood can be a variable frequency range hood.

[0074] The kitchen appliance 1000 of this application includes, but is not limited to, a baffle assembly and a check valve. A housing 200 is mounted on the baffle assembly. The baffle assembly has a smoke collection chamber and multiple function buttons. The smoke collection chamber contains an oil filter and a top plate. The multiple function buttons allow users to input operating commands. A fan assembly 300 is housed inside the housing 200. The fan assembly 300 includes a volute, a fan, an air inlet, and an air outlet. The fan is housed within the volute, which forms a volute air duct. The air inlet allows oil fumes to enter the fan assembly 300, and the air outlet connects to the volute air duct to exhaust the oil fumes from the fan assembly 300. A check valve is connected to the top of the housing 200, and a check valve air duct is formed within the check valve. It is understood that a check valve is a valve whose opening and closing element is a circular valve disc that relies on its own weight and the pressure of the medium to prevent backflow of the medium. The check valve can be a lift check valve or a swing check valve.

[0075] The fume sensor 100 should be installed in a location in the kitchen appliance 1000 where the gas containing oil fumes will pass through, such as the center of the deflector plate or the air inlet of the fan assembly 300, so that the gas containing oil fumes can enter the fume sensor 100 for detection.

[0076] Specifically, after cooking fumes are generated around the kitchen appliance 1000, the fumes move under the influence of the appliance and enter the air inlet cavity 151 of the fume sensor 100 located in the housing 200. The fumes then enter the receiving cavity 11 through the air inlet cavity 151 and the first opening 12. The light emitting component 31 emits light into the receiving cavity 11. The gas inside the receiving cavity 11 affects the light emitted by the light emitting component 31. The light receiving component 32 receives the light affected by the gas inside the receiving cavity 11 and outputs an electrical signal based on the received light. The detected gas is then discharged from the fume sensor 100 through the second opening 13 and the exhaust cavity 211.

[0077] In some implementations, please refer to Figure 5 The oil fume sensor 100 is installed at the air inlet of the fan assembly 300.

[0078] As a result, the airflow here is relatively concentrated, and the oil fume particles are not removed by the centrifugal action of the fan assembly 300, resulting in a high concentration, which reduces the resolution of the oil fume sensor 100. In addition, this setting allows for closer sampling of the oil fume particles.

[0079] The air inlet of the fan assembly 300 is located on the volute. The airflow enters the volute air duct from the air inlet located on the volute, and the airflow in the volute air duct is discharged from the air outlet under the action of the fan.

[0080] Specifically, the air inlet of the fan assembly 300 has a lower pressure than other locations, which facilitates the intake of gas into the fan assembly 300. Therefore, the oil fume sensor 100 is located at the air inlet of the fan assembly 300. This also helps to create a pressure difference between the first opening 12 and the second opening 13 of the oil fume sensor 100. Combined with the tapered shape of the air inlet cavity 211, this further accelerates the speed at which oil fumes pass through the receiving cavity 11 and reduces the probability of oil fumes escaping from the receiving cavity 11.

[0081] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0082] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An oil fume sensor, characterized in that, include: The housing has a receiving cavity, a first opening and a second opening, the first opening and the second opening respectively communicating with the receiving cavity. The housing includes a lower shell and an air inlet pipe passing through the lower shell. An air inlet cavity is formed inside the air inlet pipe. The first opening is formed at the position where the air inlet cavity communicates with the receiving cavity. The air inlet cavity has a tapering shape along the direction close to the first opening. The sensor assembly is located within the receiving cavity; The sensor assembly includes a light emitting component and a light receiving component. The receiving cavity is provided with a mounting part. The mounting part and the housing surround to form a receiving cavity. The light emitting component and / or the light receiving component are installed in the receiving cavity. The housing is provided with a pressurization channel. One end of the pressurization channel is connected to the receiving cavity, and the other end of the pressurization channel is connected to the outside. The lower shell includes a bottom shell and an air inlet shell. The bottom shell and the mounting part surround the receiving cavity. The air inlet pipe includes a first air inlet pipe and a second air inlet pipe. The first air inlet pipe passes through the bottom shell, and the second air inlet pipe passes through the air inlet shell. The interiors of the first air inlet pipe and the second air inlet pipe communicate to form the air inlet cavity. The bottom shell is provided with a first through hole, and the air inlet shell is provided with a second through hole. The first through hole communicates with the second through hole to form the pressurization channel.

2. The oil fume sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air inlet cavity is truncated cone-shaped.

3. The oil fume sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the second air inlet pipe, the inner wall of the air inlet shell, and the bottom shell together form an oil reduction chamber, and the first through hole and the second through hole are respectively connected to the oil reduction chamber.

4. The oil fume sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing contains a plurality of fins, each of which has a light-transmitting hole. The plurality of fins are arranged at intervals in the housing cavity along the optical axis of the light emitting component and / or the optical axis of the light receiving component.

5. The oil fume sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing also includes an upper shell and an exhaust pipe passing through the upper shell. The upper shell and the lower shell together form the receiving cavity. An exhaust cavity is formed inside the exhaust pipe. The second opening is formed at the position where the exhaust cavity communicates with the receiving cavity.

6. The oil fume sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that, The axis of the air inlet chamber and the axis of the air outlet chamber are on the same straight line.

7. A kitchen appliance, characterized in that, The kitchen appliances include: Box; A fan assembly, wherein the fan assembly is installed inside the housing; The oil fume sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The kitchen appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that, The oil fume sensor is located at the air inlet of the fan assembly.

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