Combined appliance

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fume extractor device for a hob (4), comprising an air intake opening (20), via which air is sucked in downwards, and a fan (3) having a fan wheel (31), a motor (32) and a fan housing (30), in the upper face of which an air inlet opening (303) is provided. The fume extractor device is characterised in that means for removing impurities are provided in the fume extractor device (2) only downstream of the air inlet opening (303) of the fan housing (30) in the flow direction. The invention also relates to a combined appliance (1) comprising a hob (4) and at least one such fume extractor device (2).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a combination appliance with a hob and extractor hood.

[0002] To extract and clean the fumes and vapors created when cooking on a hob, it is common practice to install an extractor fan that draws the fumes and vapors downwards from the space above the hob. This type of extractor fan is also known as a downdraft extractor or tabletop extractor.

[0003] The extractor hood can be at least partially integrated into the hob or arranged adjacent to it.

[0004] The extractor device has an air inlet through which air is extracted downwards. At least one filter element for separating contaminants from the drawn-in air is arranged in the flow direction between the air inlet of the extractor device and the air inlet of the fan housing. This at least one filter element can be arranged in a support device that is removably inserted into the air inlet.

[0005] A disadvantage of such an extractor hood is that it must have a certain height due to the at least one filter element located above the fan housing. Since the extractor hood is typically installed in a kitchen unit, the space required for the extractor hood reduces the usable space in the kitchen unit, for example, for drawers.

[0006] The corresponding state of the art can be found in WO 2018 / 020336 A1 and WO 2018 / 050719 A1.

[0007] The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a solution in which the extractor device has a low height and yet, with a simple structure, can reliably remove impurities from the sucked-in fumes and vapors.

[0008] The object is achieved by a combination device according to claim 1.

[0009] Unless otherwise stated, directions such as top and bottom refer to an extractor hood in the assembled state in which the air inlet opening is located in the top of the extractor hood.

[0010] The extractor device has one air inlet. The extractor device can also have multiple air inlets.

[0011] The air inlet opening can, for example, be formed by a recess in the hob, which is arranged above the air inlet opening of the fan housing. Air is sucked in downwards via the air inlet opening. Thus, air, in particular contaminated air, is sucked in from the space above the hob and directed downwards. From the air inlet opening, the air reaches the fan, which creates the suction for sucking in the air. The extractor extraction device therefore has a fan. It is also within the scope of the invention for the extractor extraction device to have several, in particular two, fans. For better understanding, the invention is described below only with reference to an extractor extraction device with a fan. The fan is arranged below the air inlet opening and preferably below a hob. The fan has a fan wheel, a motor, and a fan housing. The fan is in particular a radial fan.The fan housing is preferably a spiral-shaped housing, which can also be called a scroll housing.

[0012] The fan wheel is driven by the motor: The fan wheel has curved blades, in particular on the outer circumference, which extend in the axial direction of the fan wheel. The blades can, for example, be curved backwards with respect to the direction of rotation of the fan wheel. The motor can be accommodated in the fan wheel, i.e. is surrounded by the blades. The axis of the fan wheel is vertical. An air inlet opening is provided in the top of the fan housing. The axis of the fan wheel is preferably in the center of the air inlet opening. In a vertical projection onto the fan wheel, the air inlet opening lies inside the fan wheel. In particular, the blades of the fan wheel lie outside the vertical projection of the air inlet opening. The fan housing preferably also has an air outlet opening, which is located, for example, on the outer wall of the fan housing.Particularly preferred in a spiral housing is the air outlet opening at the end of the air outlet duct, which adjoins the receiving space in which the fan wheel is housed. A protective grille can be arranged in the air inlet opening and / or the air intake opening to prevent the user from accessing the motor and fan wheel from above.

[0013] The extractor hood is characterized by the fact that means for separating impurities are provided only downstream of the air inlet opening in the direction of flow. Impurity separators are surfaces or elements on which impurities, particularly liquid impurities such as grease or water, are separated from the air. The impurities can accumulate on the means or run off them and be directed, for example, to a collection area. The blades of the fan wheel can also serve as separation means, whereby the impurities are only deposited on them, but are usually removed again by the rotation of the fan wheel.

[0014] By arranging the means downstream of the air inlet of the fan housing, the installation space required upstream of the air inlet, and particularly above the air inlet of the fan housing, is reduced. Furthermore, in contrast to known extractor hoods, in which filter elements are arranged upstream of the air inlet, the airflow to the air inlet and, above, to the fan impeller is improved. This allows the fan impeller to operate at lower speeds while still reliably drawing air into the extractor hood. Noise generation is minimized.

[0015] Particularly preferably, the means for separating impurities are provided only downstream of the fan wheel in the direction of flow. This allows impurities that have deposited, for example, on the blades of the fan wheel to be easily guided, in particular centrifuged, to the separation means by the rotation of the fan wheel. In this embodiment, too, the required height for the extractor device is low.

[0016] According to the invention, the fan housing has a radial housing wall, and the radial housing wall is the means for separating contaminants. In a radial fan with a spiral housing, the radial housing wall is the spiral wall of the housing in the receiving area of ​​the fan housing in which the fan wheel is accommodated. The radial housing wall surrounds the fan wheel, which is arranged in the housing. When the fan wheel is driven by the motor, a negative pressure is generated in the fan by the fan wheel, through which air is sucked into the air inlet opening. In addition, contaminants, in particular liquid particles such as grease droplets and water droplets, are accelerated radially outwards by the rotating fan wheel. As a result, the contaminants are accelerated towards the radial housing wall of the fan housing, impact against it, and are thus separated on the radial housing wall.In this embodiment, the fan thus acts as a centrifugal separator. Preferably, in this embodiment, the extractor device does not have a filter element for separating particles, i.e., no grease filter. The extractor device can therefore also be referred to as a filterless extractor device. It goes without saying that an odor filter can, if necessary, be provided in or on the extractor device. However, this is also preferably arranged downstream of the fan wheel in the direction of flow. In particular, the odor filter can be provided at the air outlet opening of the fan housing. However, it is also within the scope of the invention for the odor filter to be provided at one end of a duct that adjoins the fan housing in the direction of flow.

[0017] The fan housing may have an opening on its underside through which contaminants that have been deposited on the radial housing wall and collect on the bottom of the fan housing can be drained off.

[0018] According to the invention, the radial housing wall is removable from the extractor extraction device. Part of the base can be removable from the extractor extraction device. In this case, the outer region of the base is preferably detachably connected to the central region of the base. The outer region of the base and the radial side wall are preferably designed as a single piece. An advantage of embodiments in which only the radial side wall or the radial side wall and part of the base are removable is that the base or the central part of the base continues to cover the fan wheel from below. This improves the safety of handling the device because accidental access by the user to the fan wheel when removing the housing part can be prevented.

[0019] Because the radial housing wall and part of the base of the fan housing are removable from the extractor device, this part of the fan housing can be easily cleaned. In particular, this part of the fan housing can be cleaned in a dishwasher. According to a further preferred embodiment, in addition to at least part of the fan housing, the fan wheel is also detachably attached. The fan wheel is preferably attached to the motor.

[0020] Since contaminants from the contaminated air that passes through the fan wheel and is accelerated by it at least partially deposit on the fan wheel, for example condense there, the embodiment in which the fan wheel is also detachably attached in addition to the fan housing part is advantageous. In particular, the fan wheel can be removed and, if necessary, cleaned in a dishwasher. According to a further embodiment, in addition to the fan housing part and the fan wheel, the motor is also detachably attached. The motor can, for example, be attached to the extractor hood via the fan housing. In particular, the motor can be attached to the base of the fan housing and the fan housing can be detachably attached to the hob. Alternatively, the motor, which is attached to the base of the fan housing, can be detachably attached to a cover of the fan housing via the base and the radial housing wall.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the detachable part of the fan housing and the fan wheel are a pre-assembled or pre-assembled unit. In particular, the detachable part of the fan housing and the fan wheel can be removed from the extractor device as a single unit and attached to it. This facilitates handling, especially cleaning.

[0022] According to a further embodiment, the motor represents an additional part of the pre-assembled or pre-assembled unit consisting of a detachable part of the fan housing and the fan wheel. According to the invention, the motor is designed to be dishwasher-safe. For example, it can be housed in a waterproof housing.

[0023] According to a further embodiment, the extractor device comprises an air duct extending between the air inlet opening of the extractor device and the air inlet opening of the fan housing. The air duct, which can also be referred to as a chimney, can be installed in a recess of a hob or worktop. The upper edge of the air duct forms the air inlet opening of the extractor device. In this embodiment, the contaminated air, which in the extractor device according to the invention flows through the extractor device in a contaminated state up to the fan wheel, does not reach other components of the extractor device or the hob, and these other components are thus protected from contamination.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the fan impeller can be operated at a speed of at least 1,000 revolutions per minute. This speed is used, for example, with a fan impeller diameter of 160 mm. This speed ensures the reliable acceleration of contaminants deposited on the fan impeller toward the radial housing wall. However, the fan impeller can also be operated at other speeds. In particular, the speed is set so that the rotational speed can ensure reliable detachment of contaminants from the fan impeller.

[0025] The invention will be described again below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Figure 1: a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the combination device according to the invention; Figure 2: a schematic, perspective partial sectional view of an embodiment of the combination device according to the invention; Figure 2a: a schematic plan view of a fan housing of the extractor device of the combination device; and Figure 3: a schematic, perspective sectional view of the embodiment of the combination device of the Figure 2 in the area of ​​the air inlet opening.

[0026] In Figure 1 An embodiment of the combination device 1 according to the invention is shown in block diagram. Figure 1Only one half of the combination appliance 1 is shown. The combination appliance 1 consists of a hob 4 and an extractor hood 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the extractor hood 2 comprises a fan 3 and an air duct 21. The extractor hood 2 has an air inlet opening 20, which in the illustrated embodiment is formed by the upper edge of the air duct 21.

[0027] The hob 4 consists in the embodiment shown of a cover plate 40 and heating modules 41, of which in the Figure 1only one is visible. In the embodiment shown, a heating module 41 is arranged below the cover plate 40. The heating module 41 can be an induction heating module. However, it is also within the scope of the invention for the heating module 41 to be an electric module or gas module. In the latter case, the heating module 41 can protrude through an opening (not shown) through the cover plate 40 of the hob 4. In the center of the cover plate 40, a recess 42 is provided in the embodiment shown. The recess 42 can be rectangular or round. In the embodiment shown, an air duct 21 of the extractor hood device 2 is provided in the recess 42. This air duct 21 has a height that corresponds to the distance between the top side of the cover plate 40 and the bottom side of the heating module 41.

[0028] The fan 3 of the extractor device 2 is arranged below the cooking surface 4. The fan 3 has a fan housing 30, a fan wheel 31, and a motor 32. The motor 32 and the fan wheel 31 are accommodated in the fan housing 30. The fan housing 30 preferably represents a spiral housing. An air inlet opening 303 is provided in the top side of the fan housing 30. The air inlet opening 303 is located in the center of the top side of the fan housing 30. In a spiral housing, the air inlet opening 303 is located in the center of the surface of the receiving space 300 (see Figure 2 ), in which the fan wheel 31 is accommodated. The fan 3 is arranged in the extractor device 2 such that the air inlet opening 303 is located below the air inlet opening 20 and preferably lies in the air inlet opening 20 in a perpendicular projection of the air inlet opening 20 onto the air inlet opening 303.

[0029] The motor 32 of the fan 3 is arranged below the air inlet opening 303. The motor is thus located below the air inlet opening 20 of the extractor device 2. The motor is connected to the fan wheel 31 via fastening means 33, for example via a shaft. The fan wheel 31 has blades 310 on its outer radial circumference that extend in a vertical direction. The connection between the blades 310, which can be held on a blade ring (not shown), and the motor 32 or the fastening means 33 can be realized via webs or a disk (not shown). The motor 32 can additionally be connected to the top of the fan housing 30 or the underside of the heating modules 41 via fastening means 22.

[0030] The fan housing 30 has at least a base 301 and a radial housing wall 302, which may also be referred to as a side wall or outer wall. In addition, the fan housing 30 may have an air outlet duct 307 (see Figure 2 ), at the end of which an air outlet opening 305 is provided. Preferably, the fan housing 30 has a cover 306 that covers at least the receiving space 300 at the top. The cover 306 rests against the underside of the heating modules 41 and can be connected thereto.

[0031] The fan wheel 31 has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the fan housing 30 and in particular of the receiving space 300 of the fan housing 30. Thus, the blades 310 of the fan wheel 31 are spaced from the radial housing wall 302.

[0032] Between the air inlet opening 20 and the fan wheel 31, apart from the air duct 21 and a protective grille 304, if provided at the air inlet opening 303, there are no further elements, in particular no filter elements. The extractor device 2 of the combination appliance 1 can therefore also be referred to as a filterless extractor device 2. However, this does not preclude the provision of an odor filter (not shown) at the air outlet opening 305 or downstream of it in the direction of flow.

[0033] When the extractor hood 2 is in operation, the motor 32 drives the fan wheel 31. This creates a suction, which draws air into the extractor hood 2 via the air inlet opening 20. The air passes through the air duct 21 and enters the fan housing 30 via the air inlet opening 303. There, the air is directed radially outward by the rotation of the fan wheel 31 and the blades 310 provided thereon. The air is directed radially outward by the gaps between the blades 310 and accelerated against the radial housing wall 302. Impurities in the air extracted from above the cooktop 4, in particular grease or water, are thus thrown against the radial housing wall 302. Contaminants that have deposited on the blades 310 of the fan wheel 31 are also thrown against the radial housing wall 302 by the rotation of the fan wheel 31.These contaminants are usually liquid contaminants, such as grease or other liquids. These liquid contaminants therefore run down the radial housing wall 302 and collect on the bottom 301. In the case of contaminants with low viscosity, the contaminants can also accumulate on the radial housing wall 302 and adhere there.

[0034] To clean the extractor device 2, according to the invention, at least a portion of the fan housing 30, in particular the base 301 and the radial housing wall 302, can be removed together with the fan wheel 31. Alternatively, in addition to at least a portion of the fan housing 30 and the fan wheel 31, the motor 32 can also be removed. In this embodiment, too, the portion of the fan housing 30, the fan wheel 31, and the motor 32 are designed to be removable together.

[0035] In the first case, in which only a part of the fan housing 30 and the fan wheel 31 are to be removed from the extractor device 2, the part of the fan housing 30 that is detachable preferably represents the part that comprises the base 301 and the radial housing wall 302. However, it is also possible for the entire fan housing 30, i.e. the base 301, the radial housing wall 302 and the cover 306 of the fan housing 30, to be removable. In this case, the air inlet opening 303 is preferably dimensioned such that the motor 32 can be guided through the air inlet opening 303 into the interior of the fan housing 30. In the case in which at least a part of the fan housing 30 and the fan wheel 31 are removable, the fan wheel 31 can, for example, be rotatably mounted in a guide on the base 301 of the fan housing 30.The detachable connection to the extractor device 2 can be made by means of the fastening means 33, via which the fan wheel 31 and the fan housing 30 are attached to the motor 32. Additionally, the fan housing 30, or the part of the fan housing 30 that is detachable, can be attached to the underside of the heating modules 41 of the hob 4 via fastening means 22.

[0036] In the case where, in addition to at least part of the fan housing 30 and the fan wheel 31, the motor 32 is also removable from the extractor device 2, the fan housing 30 can have a cover 306, which forms a unit with the base 301 and the radial housing wall 302. In this embodiment, the entire fan housing 30, the fan wheel 31 accommodated therein, and the motor 32 are then removed from the extractor device 2. In this embodiment, the removable unit can be releasably attached to the underside of the hob 4 via fastening means 22.

[0037] The user of the combination appliance 1 can thus remove at least part of the extractor device 2 downwards and clean it. The air duct 21 can preferably be removed from above from the recess 42 of the hob 4. When inserted, the air duct 21 rests on the top side of the fan housing 30. Additionally, the air duct 21 can have an outward-facing flange (not shown) at its upper edge. This flange can rest on the edge of the recess 42 of the hob 4 when the air duct 21 is inserted.

[0038] In Figure 2 An embodiment of the combination device 1 according to the invention is shown in a perspective partial sectional view. The embodiment according to Figure 2 essentially corresponds to the embodiment according to Figure 1 . In the sectional view after Figure 2Only a part of the fan wheel 31, in particular the blades 310, is visible. The struts or discs, via which the blades 310 are connected to the motor 32 and the motor 32 are in the Figure 2 not shown.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, the fan housing 30 has a receiving space 300. This receiving space 300, in which the fan wheel 31 is accommodated, has a spiral cross-section. On one side, in Figure 2 the left side, the receiving space 300 is widened and merges into an air outlet channel 307, the end of which represents the air outlet opening 305 of the fan housing 30. In Figure 2a a schematic plan view of such a fan housing 30 is shown.

[0040] The fan housing 30 has in the embodiment according to Figure 2a cover 306. On the top side of the cover 306, a raised wall is schematically shown, which can serve as a fastening means 22 of the fan housing 30 to the hob 4. The recess 42 in the hob 4 represents Figure 2 shown embodiment represents a rectangular recess which extends in the middle of the hob 4 in the depth direction of the hob 4. The connection between the hob 4 and the fan housing 30 in this embodiment is located on the underside of the cover plate 40 of the hob 4 at the recess 42. In the recess 42, as in the embodiment according to Figure 1 , an air duct 21 is inserted. The air duct 21 is in the Figure 2 For better visibility, it is shown in a raised position. When inserted, the underside of the air duct 21 rests on the cover 306 of the fan housing 30.

[0041] The air inlet opening 303 of the fan housing 30 is incorporated into the cover 306 and thus into the top of the fan housing 30. In the embodiment shown, a protective grille 304, which serves as a guard against intrusion, is provided in the air inlet opening 303. The air inlet opening 303 is aligned with the air inlet opening 20, which is formed by the upper edge of the air duct 21.

[0042] In Figure 3the fan 3 is shown in more detail in the area of ​​the air inlet opening 303. As can be seen from this figure, in the embodiment shown, the diameter of the fan wheel 31 is larger than the diameter of the air inlet opening 303. The axis of rotation of the fan wheel 31 is vertical and is arranged in the center of the air inlet opening 303. The motor 32, via which the fan wheel 31 is driven, is located in the axis of rotation of the fan wheel 31. The blades 310 of the fan wheel, which lie on the outer circumference of the fan wheel 31 in a vertical direction and thus parallel to the axis of rotation of the fan wheel 31, extend from the outer circumference of the fan wheel 31 in a curved radial direction inwards. The extension of the blades 310 in the radial direction is dimensioned such that the inner ends of the blades 301 lie on the outer circumference of the air inlet opening 303.

[0043] The present invention thus relates to a combination of a cooktop, which can be an electric, induction, or gas cooktop, and an integrated extractor hood, which can also be referred to as a tabletop extractor. With the present invention, the appliance has a compact design. Nevertheless, the combination appliance integrates many functions, such as a fan, a grease separator, and, if required, an odor filter, all within a small footprint. The width and depth of the combination appliance are generally specified by the furniture industry. The height of the combination appliance is crucial because it encroaches on the space in the kitchen furniture, which may contain drawers, for example.

[0044] Known combination appliances with an extractor hood integrated with a hob and equipped with expanded metal filters, for example, for filtering out grease, are usually around 20 cm high. The present invention, however, creates an extractor hood and a combination appliance that allows for reliable filtering of liquid contaminants in a compact space and, in particular, a low height.

[0045] The invention is based on the finding that this object can be achieved by providing the extractor device with a filterless device.

[0046] Instead of using a standard grease filter, the invention utilizes an at least partially removable centrifugal separation device. In particular, the fan, which can also be referred to as a ventilator, serves at least partially as a separation device. The fan comprises three main parts. In particular, the fan preferably comprises an electric motor that drives the fan wheel, a fan wheel whose rotation draws air into the extractor, and a fan housing, which can be a spiral housing and which guides the air.

[0047] The principle used in this invention is that of a centrifugal separator. The vapors and steam, which can also be referred to as grease / water vapors, are sucked into the fan and thrown onto the fan housing by centrifugal forces, where the contaminants accumulate.

[0048] According to the invention, the fan can be at least partially removed from below and cleaned in the dishwasher. According to the invention, two interfaces are possible: In one embodiment, the motor, fan wheel, and fan housing are a single unit that can be removed and is dishwasher-compatible. The motor is designed to be dishwasher-safe. In another embodiment, the fan wheel and fan housing are a single unit. The motor is not removable. The fan wheel is preferably releasably coupled to the motor. The motor does not need to be sealed in this embodiment.

[0049] In the direction of flow in front of the motor, an upwardly removable air duct, which can also be referred to as a chimney, can be provided, which can also be cleaned and is inserted into a recess in the hob.

[0050] An odor filter is preferably provided in such a way that it is positioned relative to the fan impeller so that contaminants accelerated by the fan impeller do not directly reach the odor filter. In particular, the odor filter can be provided at an air outlet opening of the fan housing or at the end of an air duct that adjoins the air outlet opening of the fan housing.

[0051] The present invention offers several advantages. In particular, all parts are preferably cleanable. Saturation, as occurs with conventional grease filters, does not occur with the invention. The extractor hood is particularly suitable for thin contaminants, such as those found in Asian cooking. The combination unit can be manufactured with a low height of, for example, 12 cm or 16 cm and can thus be easily integrated into kitchen furniture, such as a kitchen base cabinet. REFERENCE SYMBOL

[0052] 1Combination unit 2Extractor device 20Air inlet opening 21Air duct 22Fasteners 3Fan 30Fan housing 300Accommodation space 301Floor 302Radial housing wall 303Air inlet opening 304Protective grille 305Air outlet opening 306Cover 307Air outlet duct 31Fan wheel 310Blade 32Motor 33Fasteners 4Cooktop 40Cover plate 41Heating module 42Recess

Claims

1. Combined appliance comprising a hob (4) and at least one fume extractor device (2), wherein the fume extractor device has an air intake opening (20), by way of which air is sucked downward, and a fan (3) with a fan wheel (31), the axis of which lies vertically, a motor (32) and a fan housing (30), in which the fan wheel (31) and the motor (32) are accommodated and in the upper face of which an air inlet opening (303) is provided, wherein means for removing impurities in the fume extractor device (2) are only provided in the flow direction downstream of the air inlet opening (303) of the fan housing (30), wherein the fan housing (30) has a radial housing wall (302), which radial housing wall (302) represents the means for removing impurities and the radial side wall (302) or the radial side wall (302) and a part of the base (301) of the fan housing (30) can be removed, characterised in that the means for removing impurities are only provided in the flow direction downstream of the fan wheel (31) and the motor (32) is dishwasher-proof.

2. Combined appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that the fan housing (30) has an opening on its lower side, by way of which impurities which have been removed on the radial housing wall (302) and collect on the base (301) of the fan housing (30) can be discharged.

3. Combined appliance according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that at least one part of the fan housing (30) and the fan wheel (30) are fastened detachably.

4. Combined appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that the motor (32) is fastened detachably.

5. Combined appliance according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that at least one part of the fan housing (30) and the fan wheel (31) form a preassembled unit.

6. Combined appliance according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the fume extractor device (2) comprises an air guiding channel (20), which extends between the air intake opening (20) of the fume extractor device (2) and the air inlet opening (303) of the fan housing (30).

7. Combined appliance according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the fan wheel has a diameter of 160 mm and can be operated with a speed of 1000 rpm.

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