COMBINATION DEVICE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a combination device with a range hood which includes a filter unit.

[0002] Filter units suitable for use in cooker hoods are known from the prior art. Such filter units are described, for example, in DE 10 2013 212 921 A1, KR 2006 002 49 60 A, DE 88 01 606 U1, DE 20 2013 101925 U1, and US 2004 / 170 539 A1. Further filter units are described, for example, in CN 202 118 979 U, CN 211 575 193 U, EP 3 375 506 A2, and DE 10 102 100 A1. KR 2020 0121559 A also discloses a table-top wood-burning stove with a smoke extraction system.

[0003] For cleaning fumes and vapors produced during cooking, extractor hoods are known that are integrated with a cooktop and in which air is extracted downwards through an intake opening in or next to the cooktop. The cooktop with the extractor hood can also be referred to as a combination appliance. Such combination appliances are disclosed in EP 3 457 033 A1 and WO 2020 / 212260 A1. These extractor hoods typically use grease filters consisting of two filter elements inserted vertically in a V-shaped arrangement in the intake opening. The filter elements can be slightly folded apart after being inserted through the intake opening.

[0004] One disadvantage of this type of filter unit is that the size of the filter elements is limited by the height of the combination unit and the dimensions of the intake opening, and thus the filter area available in the combination unit is also limited.

[0005] The grease separation efficiency achievable with this known filter unit is therefore limited.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution that can increase grease separation efficiency.

[0007] The problem is solved by a combination appliance in which a range hood and a cooktop are integrated. The range hood is characterized in that it has at least one filter unit, wherein the filter unit has two filter elements that are movably connected to each other via a central part to which the filter elements are movably attached, and which consist of at least two filter parts, each of which is movably connected to each other via a hinge such that the angle between two adjacent filter parts of a filter element in an operating position of the filter unit is greater than 90° and less than 270°.

[0008] The extractor hood is a component of a combination appliance consisting of an extractor hood and a cooktop. The extractor hood has an intake opening, which may be located in or next to the cooktop's surface. The intake opening is preferably elongated. Inside the extractor hood, a guide for the at least one filter element of the filter unit may be provided, for example, in the form of rails.

[0009] The filter unit can be at least partially inserted into the extractor hood. In particular, the at least one filter element can be inserted downwards into the extractor hood through the intake opening and removed upwards from it.

[0010] The filter unit comprises two filter elements. The filter element can also be referred to as a filter chain. In particular, the filter element consists of at least two filter parts. Each of the filter parts contains filter material, for example, expanded metal. Preferably, each filter part has a frame in which the filter material, for example, layers of expanded metal, is held. The filter parts preferably each have a rectangular shape.

[0011] The filter components are each movably connected to one another via a hinge. The side of the filter component where the hinge is provided or formed is also referred to as the hinge side of the filter component. The hinge side is, in particular, an outer side of the filter component, especially an outer side of the filter component's frame.

[0012] If more than two filter sections are provided, the first filter section is connected to the second filter section via a hinge. The connection between a third filter section and the second filter section is then made on the side of the second filter section that faces away from the hinge to the first filter section. The second filter section thus has two opposite hinge sides.

[0013] The filter elements are movably connected to one another via a hinge such that the angle between two adjacent filter elements of a filter unit is greater than 90° and less than 270° in an operating position of the filter unit. The operating position of the filter unit is defined as the position in which the filter unit is installed in the extractor hood and in which the extractor hood can be operated. The operating position can therefore also be referred to as the installed position of the filter unit. The angle between adjacent filter elements is greater than 90° and less than 270°. This angle preferably lies between the upper surfaces of the filter elements of the filter unit in the operating position.

[0014] By having the filter unit comprise two filter elements, each consisting of at least two movably connected filter parts, a number of advantages can be achieved.

[0015] The filter elements can be flexibly inserted into and removed from the device. The insertion opening only needs to be as large as the projected filter element area in the insertion direction. This area preferably corresponds to the side surface of a filter part. Furthermore, due to the flexibility provided by the joints, the size of the filter element is not limited by the height of the extractor hood. The size of the filter element, and thus the available filter area, can therefore be maximized. In particular, by ensuring that the angle between adjacent filter parts in the operating position is within the claimed range, namely greater than 90° and less than 270°, the area that can be covered by the filter parts can be increased.

[0016] The invention enables efficient grease separation. Efficiency refers both to the separation of grease particles and to the resulting pressure drop across the grease filter's flow opening. An important measure for both separation and pressure drop is the flow velocity of the contaminated air through the filter element(s). The larger filter size achievable with the invention allows for optimization of both pressure drop and flow velocity.

[0017] The angle between adjacent filter parts in the operating position is preferably around 180°. This allows the adjacent filter parts to lie side by side and preferably in the same plane. According to a preferred embodiment, all filter parts of a filter element lie in the same plane in the operating position. This maximizes the area that can be covered by the filter parts.

[0018] However, according to the invention, it is also possible for the angle between the adjacent filter parts in the filter element to be slightly greater than 180°. For example, this larger angle can be between the outer filter part and the adjacent filter part. This causes the outer filter part to be slightly inclined downwards relative to the adjacent filter part. Such an inclination can be particularly useful for allowing contaminants that have been deposited on the filter part to drain away.

[0019] According to the invention, the filter unit comprises two filter elements that are movably connected to one another. Each filter element constitutes a filter chain with at least two filter parts. By providing two filter elements, these can extend in different directions after being inserted into the extractor hood. Thus, for example, if the intake opening is located in the center of a cooktop's cover plate, the filter elements can extend beyond both sides of the intake opening inside the extractor hood after being inserted through the opening.

[0020] According to one embodiment, a handle is attached to the connection between the two filter elements. In particular, the handle can be attached to a central part via a support in the form of ropes or rods. By providing a handle at the connection between the two filter elements, the filter elements can be presented as a straight element when inserted into or removed from the extractor hood.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the angle between the filter parts of the filter unit, which are connected via the connection of the two filter elements, lies between 90° and 180° in the operating position of the filter unit. This angle between filter parts of different filter elements preferably lies between the undersides of the filter parts in the operating position. If the angle between the adjacent filter parts of the different filter elements is 180°, the filter parts lie in the same plane. If, however, the angle is less than 180°, the adjacent filter parts can be inclined upwards towards the other filter parts of the corresponding filter element. This inclination can promote the runoff of contaminants from the filter part.

[0022] According to one embodiment, at least one connecting web is provided on the joint side of at least one filter part to form the joint, which extends in the direction of the filter part to which the joint connection is to be made.

[0023] According to one embodiment, a stud or a recess is provided on the connecting bridge. The stud can also be referred to as the male connecting element and the recess as the female connecting element. The interaction of these elements on the connecting bridges of different filter parts forms a joint. By means of this connection, two filter parts can be positively locked together at defined points in the form of a joint, thus easily forming the filter element, i.e., filter chain.

[0024] Preferably, the filter part has a connecting web on each of its lateral edges at the hinge side. According to one embodiment, the filter part has two opposite hinge sides, and two connecting webs are provided on each of the hinge sides.

[0025] With multi-part filter elements, an additional requirement is to ensure the element's tightness despite the gaps necessary for rotating the filter sections, i.e., to minimize leakage. This can be achieved by minimizing the gaps between the filter sections by using a suitable thickness for the filter sections. An additional cover can also be provided.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the cover is provided by a sealing strip extending across the width of the hinge side of a filter part. The sealing strip can be made of metal, for example, the same material as the filter frame. In one embodiment, the sealing strip protrudes from the lower edge of the hinge side. The width of the sealing strip preferably corresponds to no more than half the distance between two facing hinge sides of two filter parts. Such a sealing strip can cover a gap that would otherwise exist between the filter parts in the area of ​​the hinge. However, in this embodiment, particularly when the sealing strip is made of metal, the freedom of movement of the filter part across the hinge is restricted.

[0027] Unless otherwise specified, directional terms such as top, bottom, front, and back refer to the extractor hood in its installed state and the filter unit in its operating state. The front is the side facing the user.

[0028] Advantages and features described with regard to the filter unit also apply – where applicable – to the extractor hood and vice versa, and are therefore only described once, if necessary.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the extractor hood, a guide for the at least one filter element is provided within the extractor hood. The guide can, for example, be designed as lateral rails. The guide can, in particular, be provided within the housing of the combination unit.

[0030] According to a further embodiment, the extractor hood has a housing in which at least two support surfaces are provided for at least a portion of the at least one filter element. These support surfaces correspond to the positions of the joints between the filter parts. In particular, the support surfaces can be struts spaced apart from each other at a distance corresponding to the length of the filter parts. This places the support surfaces at the positions of the joints between the filter parts. In addition to holding and guiding the filter element(s), the support surfaces also ensure a tight seal at the transitions between the filter parts. In this embodiment, sealing strips on the filter parts are not required; the tight seal is ensured solely by the installation position of the filter elements.Thus, in this embodiment, a filter element without a sealing strip can be used, which means that the joint movement of the filter chain is not restricted.

[0031] The material of the contact surface can be hard. According to one embodiment, the contact surface is made of an elastically deformable material and is therefore rather soft. This further improves the seal.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the contact surfaces each have a central elevation. This elevation ensures both the precise positioning of the filter element and further improves the sealing effect.

[0033] The invention is explained again below with reference to the accompanying figures. These show: Figure 1 : a schematic top view of an embodiment of the combination device according to the invention; Figure 2: a schematic sectional view of the extractor fan in the area of ​​the filter unit in a first state; Figure 3 : a schematic sectional view of the extractor fan in the area of ​​the filter unit in a second state; Figure 4 : a schematic perspective view of a filter part of a filter element of a filter unit used according to the invention; Figures 5a to 5c : schematic side views of an embodiment of a filter element in different states; Figure 6 : a schematic side view of a filter element according to a further embodiment of a filter unit used according to the invention; and Figure 7 : a schematic detail view of a connection of filter parts according to one embodiment.

[0034] Identical elements are indicated in the figures with the same reference symbols and, if necessary, described only once.

[0035] In Figure 1Figure 1 shows a schematic top view of an embodiment of the combination appliance 1 according to the invention, including a range hood 2. The range hood 2 is integrated with a cooktop 10. The cooktop 10 has a cover plate 100. The intake opening 20 of the range hood 2 is provided in the cover plate 100. The intake opening 20 extends in the depth direction of the cooktop 10. Below the cooktop 10, the fan (not shown) of the range hood 2 is arranged in a housing (not visible).

[0036] The handle 31 of the filter unit 3 of the extractor hood 2 is located in the intake opening 20.

[0037] In Figure 2Figure 1 shows a schematic sectional view of the extractor hood 2 in the area of ​​the filter unit 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the filter unit 3 has two filter elements 30. The filter elements 30 are connected via a central part 33. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the filter elements 30 consists of two filter parts 300. The filter parts 300 are each connected to the adjacent filter part 300 via hinges 3020. The sides of the filter parts 300 that are connected to each other via a hinge 3020 are also referred to as the hinge sides of the filter part 300.

[0038] In the Figure 2 In the state shown, the filter elements 30 are inserted into the extractor hood 2. Figure 2Figure 1 shows the operating position of the filter unit 3. The filter elements 30 are held by support surfaces 21 on which the joints 3020 rest. In this state, the filter parts 300 lie in one plane. The angle between the adjacent filter parts 300 of each filter element 30 is 180°. The angle between the filter parts 300 connected to each other via the central part 33 is also 180°. However, it is also within the scope of the invention that, in the operating position, the angle between the filter parts 300 of each filter element 30 is greater than 180°, and in particular the outer filter parts 300 are slightly inclined downwards. Likewise, it is also possible that, in the operating position, the angle between the middle filter parts 300 connected to each other via the central part 33 is less than 180°, and that these are thus inclined upwards towards the central part 33.

[0039] A bracket 32 ​​is provided on the central part 33, which can, for example, represent one or more ropes or rods. The bracket 32 ​​connects the central part 33 to the handle 31. As can be seen from Figure 2 As a result, the handle 31 is arranged centrally in the intake opening 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the intake opening 20 is provided in the cooktop 10.

[0040] In Figure 3 Is the filter unit 3 after Figure 2 shown in the state in which the filter elements 30 are removed from the extractor hood 2. This state can also be referred to as a removal position. As can be seen from Figure 3 As a result, when the handle 31 is lifted, the filter elements 30 move in such a way that they pivot downwards at the central part 33. In addition, the filter parts 300 of the respective filter element 30 move relative to each other.

[0041] This increases the width of filter unit 3 when it exceeds the in Figure 3In the position shown, moving the central part 33 further upwards reduces the width of the central part 33 and can therefore be easily removed upwards through the intake opening 20.

[0042] In Figure 4 Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a filter part 300. The filter part 300 consists of a filter frame 301 in which the filter material (in Figure 4(not shown) is held. Connecting webs 302 are provided on the filter frame 301. In the illustrated embodiment, two connecting webs 302 are provided at the lateral ends of each of the two opposite sides of the filter part 300, in particular the filter frame 301, and extend perpendicular to the filter frame 301 in the longitudinal direction of the filter part 300. A connecting element in the form of a bead or stud is provided on each of the connecting webs 302, via which a joint 3020 is formed in conjunction with a connecting element, stud or bead, of another filter part 300.

[0043] In the Figures 5a to 5cAn embodiment of a filter element 30 is shown in various states. The embodiment of the filter element 30 is formed by two filter parts 300, which are connected to each other via a hinge 3020. On each of the filter parts 300, a cover strip 303 is provided on the underside of the filter part 300 on opposite sides. The cover strip 303 extends parallel to the underside of the filter part 300 and faces the adjacent filter part 300. Figure 5c This shows that when the filter parts 300 are aligned horizontally, a small gap is formed between the cover strips 303. For a cover strip 303 made of rigid material, the width of this gap defines the angle by which the right filter part 300 can be pivoted downwards. This is shown in Figure 5b shown. However, tilting the right filter section 300 upwards is shown, as in Figure 5a shown, not affected by the sealing strips 303.

[0044] In Figure 6 A schematic side view of a filter element 30 according to a further embodiment of a filter unit 3 used according to the invention is shown. In this embodiment, in contrast to the embodiment according to Figure 5 No cover strips are provided on the filter parts 300. In the Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, a central elevation is provided on each of the support surfaces 21. This elevation ensures, firstly, that the joints 3020 are centered on the support surfaces 21, thus guaranteeing reliable retention of the filter element 30. Secondly, the elevation improves the sealing effect of the support surfaces 21.

[0045] As can be seen from Figure 7In the embodiment where no sealing strip is provided, the gap between the filter parts 300 is determined by their thickness. The thinner the filter part 300, the smaller the gap between them can be. The joint position is proportional to the thickness of the filter part 300. The distance A from the joint side of the filter part 300 to the joint 3020 should be greater than half the thickness of the filter part 300. Therefore, thinner filter parts 300 can result in less leakage.

[0046] The present invention has a number of advantages. In particular, one advantage of the invention over the prior art is that larger filter areas can be accommodated even in devices with severely restricted accessibility. The tightness of the joints can be ensured in various ways. Reference symbol list

[0047] 1 Combination appliance 10 Hob 100 Cover plate 2 Extractor fan 20 Suction opening 21 Support surface 3 Filter unit 30 Filter element 300 Filter part 301 Filter frame 302 Connecting bridge 3020 Joint 303 Sealing strip 31 Handle 32 Bracket 33 Central part D Thickness of filter part A Distance to joint

Claims

1. Combination appliance, in which an extractor apparatus (2) with a hob (10) is integrated, wherein the extractor apparatus (2) has at least one filter unit, wherein the filter unit (3) has two filter elements (30) which are moveably connected to one another by way of a central part (33) onto which the filter elements (30) are moveably fastened, characterised in that the two filter elements (30) consist of at least two filter parts (300), which are each moveably connected to one another by way of a joint (3020) such that, in an operating position of the filter unit (3), the angle between two adjacent filter parts (300) of a filter element (30) is greater than 90° and smaller than 270°.

2. Combination appliance according to claim 1, wherein in the operating position, all filter parts of a filter element lie on one plane.

3. Combination appliance according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein a handle is fastened to the connection between the two filter elements (30).

4. Combination appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the operating position of the filter unit (3), the angle between the filter parts (300) of the filter unit (3), which parts are connected to one another by way of the connection between the two filter elements (30), lies in a range between 90 and 180°.

5. Combination appliance according to claim 1 to 4, wherein at least one connecting web (302) is provided on the joint side of at least one filter part (300) to form the joint, which extends in the direction of the filter part (300) to which the joint connection is to be made.

6. Combination appliance according to claim 5, wherein a nub or a sink is provided on the connecting web (302).

7. Combination appliance according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the filter part (300) has two opposing joint sides and two connecting webs (302) are provided on each of the joint sides.

8. Combination appliance according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a sealing strip (303) which extends across the width of the joint side is provided on the joint side of a filter part (300).

9. Combination appliance according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a guide for the at least one filter element (30) is provided in the extractor apparatus (2).

10. Combination appliance according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the extractor apparatus (2) has an appliance housing and at least two contact surfaces (21) are provided in the appliance housing for at least one part of the at least one filter element (30), wherein the contact surfaces (21) correspond to the positions of the joints (3020) between the filter parts (300).

11. Combination appliance according to claim 10, wherein the contact surfaces (21) consist of an elastically deformable material.

12. Combination appliance according to one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the contact surfaces (21) each have a central elevation.