Exhaust hood device
The exhaust hood device addresses the inconvenience of height adjustment and oil dripping by employing a telescopic pipe unit with a ball reducer and spring balancer, ensuring stable and hygienic operation with detachable components for environmental adaptability.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- US18/950376
- Authority / Receiving Office
- US · United States
- Patent Type
- Applications(United States)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-09-09
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing exhaust hood devices face difficulties in adjusting the hood height conveniently due to invisible catch members and flanges, leading to a complex structure and potential oil dripping during vertical movement, which complicates usage and hygiene.
The device incorporates a telescopic pipe unit with a ball reducer and spring balancer, featuring a guide bar and auxiliary handle for stable height adjustment, along with a detachable oil tray and spring balancer for symmetrical support, preventing oil dripping and simplifying the structure.
Enables easy and stable height adjustment of the hood unit, prevents oil from falling, and maintains a hygienic environment by using a ball reducer to fix the outer pipe at any height, with detachable components for adaptability to different environments.
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Figure US20250389424A1-D00000_ABST
Abstract
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application claims benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2024-0122602 filed on Sep. 9, 2024, and 10-2024-0080402 filed on Jun. 20, 2024 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND1. Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates to an exhaust hood device that is installed above a cooking table to discharge smoke generated during a cooking process to the outside and, more particularly, to an exhaust hood device in which a telescopic pipe unit including an inner pipe and an outer pipe is provided on a lower end of a filter box unit capturing oil vapor introduced along with smoke, a hood unit is provided on a lower end of the telescopic pipe unit, the outer pipe can be stably moved without much effort when the expanding or contracting operation of the telescopic pipe unit is performed to adjust the height of the hood unit, and the inner pipe and the outer pipe are spaced apart from each other during the movement of the outer pipe, thereby preventing oil attached to an inner surface of the telescopic pipe unit from falling off during the movement of the outer pipe.2. Description of Related Art
[0003] In general, an exhaust hood device is used to discharge odors and smoke generated during the cooking process to the outside, preventing them from spreading indoors.
[0004] The smoke generated when grilling meat or fish contains oil vapor, fine particles, and various chemicals. If they are left untreated, they may contaminate surrounding furniture, structure and clothing, and may have a negative impact on the health of a user. Therefore, the exhaust hood device is used to adjust the height of a hood to bring it closer to a grill when grilling meat or fish, allowing smoke to be more quickly sucked in and discharged.
[0005] As the related art for an exhaust hood device capable of adjusting the height of a hood, Korean Utility Model No. 20-0416595 (May 10, 2006, hereinafter referred to as the “related art document”) has been proposed. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the exhaust hood device according to the related art document includes a fixed pipe 1 and a movable pipe 2. The height of the hood that absorbs smoke is adjusted by moving the movable pipe 2 up and down while it is coupled to the fixed pipe 1.
[0006] In the exhaust hood device according to the related art document, a plurality of catch members 3 are radially installed on the fixed pipe 1 so that inner ends thereof protrude from the fixed pipe 1. The plurality of catch members 3 are installed on the fixed pipe 1 to form a multi-stage structure, and a flange 4 in which a plurality of through grooves 5 corresponding to the catch members 3 are radially formed is installed on the upper end of the movable pipe 2. Thereby, the movable pipe 2 is movable up and down in a position where the catch members 3 and the through grooves 5 are aligned, and the flange 4 is seated on the catch members 3 in a position where the catch members 3 and the through grooves 5 are misaligned, so that the movable pipe 2 maintains the adjusted height.
[0007] The related art document enables the smoke to be quickly absorbed and discharged by bringing a smoke suction position closer to a grill through the vertical movement of the movable pipe 2.
[0008] However, in order to move the movable pipe 2 up and down, the related art document should align the catch members 3 and the through grooves 5 by rotating the movable pipe 2. However, this is problematic in that the inner ends of the catch members 3 and the flange 4 where the through grooves 5 are formed are located inside the fixed pipe 1 and are not visible, making it very inconvenient and difficult to use.
[0009] Further, in the related art document, the height is maintained by seating the flange 4, installed on the movable pipe 2, on the catch members 3. Thus, this is problematic in that the height cannot be freely adjusted, and the number of catch members 3 should be increased for precise height adjustment, thereby leading to a complex structure due to the installation of a large number of catch members 3.
[0010] Moreover, the flange 4 located inside the fixed pipe 1 scratches the inner surface of the fixed pipe 1 during the vertical movement of the movable pipe 2, causing oil from oil vapor attached to the inner surface of the fixed pipe 1 to drip onto food being cooked, leading to an unsanitary situation.RELATED ART DOCUMENT[Patent Document](Patent Document 0001) Korean U.M. Registration No. 20-0416595 (May 10, 2006)SUMMARY
[0012] An object of the present disclosure is to solve the aforementioned problems and other problems related thereto.
[0013] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an exhaust hood device that can easily adjust the height of a hood unit through which smoke is sucked and can prevent oil attached to an inner surface of a telescopic pipe unit from falling in the process of adjusting the hood unit.
[0014] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an exhaust hood device, in which a guide bar and a spring balancer for supporting a telescopic pipe unit are symmetrically provided on both sides of the telescopic pipe unit, thereby enabling the stable supporting and expanding or contracting operation of the telescopic pipe unit.
[0015] A further object of the present disclosure is to provide an exhaust hood device, in which a guide bar and a spring balancer are detachably attached.
[0016] In an aspect for achieving the object, the present disclosure provides an exhaust hood device configured to absorb smoke generated during a cooking process and to discharge the smoke to the outside, the device including a filter box unit including a filter box in which a filter capturing oil vapor introduced along with the smoke is installed, and connected at an upper portion thereof to an exhaust duct, a telescopic pipe unit including an inner pipe connected to a lower portion of the filter box to allow the smoke to flow into the filter box, an outer pipe moving up and down while being coupled to an outer lower end of the inner pipe, and a cylindrical ball reducer secured to a lower end of the inner pipe to be located inside the outer pipe, a plurality of balls being provided on an outer circumference of the ball reducer and pressing an inner circumference of the outer pipe by elasticity of a spring so that a position of the outer pipe is relatively fixed, and a hood unit including an expanded hood on a lower end of the outer pipe, and an oil tray provided in the expanded hood to collect oil that flows down along an inner surface of the telescopic pipe unit.
[0017] An auxiliary handle may be formed on an outer upper end of the outer pipe to ensure stable vertical movement of the outer pipe around the ball reducer.
[0018] The auxiliary handle may include a pair of protruding pieces that protrude from the outer pipe to be vertically spaced apart from each other, and a grip piece that connects the protruding pieces to each other to be gripped, and a guide bar may be provided to extend vertically along the telescopic pipe unit at a position adjacent to the telescopic pipe unit, and a lower-end fastening hole may be formed in an upper protruding piece and an upper-end fastening part may be formed on a lower surface of the corresponding filter box so that upper and lower ends of the guide bar are detachably fastened.
[0019] The exhaust hood device may further include a spring balancer mounted on an outer upper end of the inner pipe to face the guide bar with the telescopic pipe unit interposed therebetween, and assisting the vertical movement of the outer pipe by fastening a wire wound by elasticity of a spring to the outer pipe.
[0020] A fastening bracket may be installed on the outer upper end of the inner pipe such that a vertical piece is connected between a pair of fixing pieces that are vertically spaced apart from each other, and a mounting groove may be provided on the vertical piece of the fastening bracket and may include a horizontal groove portion that is open at one side thereof, and a vertical groove portion that is integrally formed on the other side of the horizontal groove portion, and a bolt shaft may be provided on a back surface of the spring balancer to protrude therefrom, and be secured to the fastening bracket by tightening a nut while being inserted into an open end of the horizontal groove portion and then seated in the vertical groove portion.
[0021] The exhaust hood device may further include an elastic fixer mounted on the vertical piece of the fastening bracket, and the elastic fixer may include an elastic deformation piece contacting a bolt shaft seated in the vertical groove portion, receiving tension applied to the wire through the bolt shaft to be deformed, and restored to an original shape thereof when the tension applied to the wire is released, and a pair of restraint pieces locked to an upper portion of the bolt shaft seated in the vertical groove portion to restrain the bolt shaft when the elastic deformation piece is elastically deformed, and spaced apart from the bolt shaft to release restraint of the bolt shaft when the elastic deformation piece is restored.
[0022] The ball reducer may include a cylindrical housing having a plurality of spring insert holes formed so that springs are radially provided on an inner circumference thereof, with a catch being provided at an upper end thereof to be bent outward, and a ball installed in each of the spring insert holes to be elastically supported outward by the spring, and pressing the inner circumference of the outer pipe, and a step portion may be formed on a connection socket, which is coupled to an upper end of the outer pipe to connect the outer pipe and the inner pipe, to be seated on the catch, and is reduced in diameter to prevent removal.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0023] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0024] FIGS. 1A and 1B are structural diagrams of an exhaust hood device according to the related art.
[0025] FIG. 2 is perspective view of an exhaust hood device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 3 is an internal structural diagram of the exhaust hood device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a filter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 5 is an internal structural diagram illustrating the installation structure of a ball reducer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0029] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a hood unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exhaust hood device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0031] FIG. 8 is a front view of the exhaust hood device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0032] FIG. 9 is a front view of a spring balancer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0033] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the attachment and detachment structure of a spring balancer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0034] FIG. 11A is an example diagram illustrating a state where a bolt shaft is released from restraint by an elastic fixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0035] FIG. 11B is an example diagram illustrating a state where the bolt shaft is restrained by the elastic fixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When it is determined that the detailed description of the known art related to the present disclosure may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, an exhaust hood device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a filter box unit 100, a telescopic pipe unit 200, and a hood unit 300. The telescopic pipe unit 200 is connected to a bottom of the filter box unit 100, and the hood unit 300 is connected to a bottom of the telescopic pipe unit 200, thereby forming the exhaust hood device.
[0038] The filter box unit 100 is connected to an exhaust duct (not shown) to discharge smoke from which oil vapor has been removed to the exhaust duct. The filter box unit includes a filter 110 that captures oil vapor, and includes a filter box 120 that accommodates the filter 110 therein.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, the filter 110 includes an inner filter 111 and an outer filter 112. Both the inner filter 111 and the outer filter 112 have a conical shape. The inner filter 111 is formed in a relatively small size such that it is inserted into the outer filter 112 to form a double filter structure.
[0040] The inner filter 111 and the outer filter 112 are formed of stainless steel to have excellent heat resistance and corrosion resistance, and are configured such that comb-shaped parts 111a and 112a and exhaust holes 111b and 112b are repeated in circumferential directions around their centers to exhaust smoke and capture oil vapor.
[0041] In order to more effectively capture the oil vapor, the comb-shaped parts 111a and exhaust holes 111b of the inner filter 111 and the comb-shaped part 112a and exhaust holes 112b of the outer filter 112 may be alternately formed.
[0042] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the filter box 120 has a box shape to accommodate the filter 110 therein, and has on a side thereof a door 121 that may be opened or closed to allow the insertion and removal of the filter 110. Such a filter box 120 may be formed to have various cross-sections, such as a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-section including a tetragon or a hexagon, and is connected to the exhaust duct to discharge smoke from which oil vapor has been removed to the exhaust duct (not shown).
[0043] The filter box 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to collect oil in one place without using a separate oil tray.
[0044] To be more specific, the filter box 120 includes on a lower end thereof a curved part 122 so that oil flowing down along an inner wall is directly guided to the inner circumference of the telescopic pipe unit 200 without collecting on the bottom and is collected in an oil tray 320 of the hood unit 300. At this time, the curved part 122 may be formed as a spherical curved surface bent into a three-dimensional shape to naturally connect the inner wall of the filter box 120 and the inner circumference of the telescopic pipe unit 200.
[0045] In this way, the curved part 122 formed on the lower end of the filter box 120 allows oil flowing down along the inner wall of the filter box 120 to flow naturally to the inner circumference of the telescopic pipe unit 200, thereby enabling oil to be collected without installing a separate oil tray in the filter box 120, and consequently improving the convenience of maintenance.
[0046] The telescopic pipe unit 200 connects the filter box unit 100 and the hood unit 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the telescopic pipe unit includes an inner pipe 210, an outer pipe 220, and a ball reducer 230 to enable an expansion operation for adjusting the height of the hood unit 300.
[0047] The inner pipe 210 is installed so that an upper end thereof is connected to the lower surface of the filter box 120, and extends vertically downward from the lower surface of the filter box 120. Smoke introduced into the lower portion of the inner pipe 210 is discharged into the filter box 120 through the lower surface of the filter box 120. The smoke introduced into the filter box 120 passes through the filter 110 and then is discharged to the exhaust duct.
[0048] The outer pipe 220 is coupled to the lower end of the inner pipe 210 to enable the expansion operation of the telescopic pipe unit 200. The outer pipe is formed of a pipe having a diameter larger than that of the inner pipe 210 so that the inner circumference thereof is spaced apart from the outer circumference of the inner pipe 210. The outer pipe is arranged outside the inner pipe 210 to be coupled thereto and surround the lower end of the inner pipe 210. The outer pipe 220 moves up and down while being coupled to the inner pipe 210, thereby leading to the expansion and contraction of the telescopic pipe unit 200.
[0049] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an auxiliary handle 240 may be formed on the outer upper end of the outer pipe 220 to ensure stable vertical movement of the outer pipe 220 around the ball reducer 230.
[0050] The auxiliary handle 240 includes a pair of protruding pieces 241 that protrude from the outer pipe 220 to be vertically spaced apart from each other, and a grip piece 242 that connects the outer ends of the protruding pieces 241 to each other. The grip piece 242 is formed to be held by a user, so that the user may use the auxiliary handle 240 together with a main handle 201 at a lower end when the outer pipe 220 moves up and down. That is, by moving the outer pipe 220 while grasping the handle near the ball reducer 230 in a relative position, more stable vertical movement can be achieved.
[0051] Meanwhile, in order to ensure stable connection between the inner pipe 210 and the outer pipe 220 having different diameters, a connection socket 250 is installed at the upper end of the outer pipe 220. The connection socket 250 includes two or more pipes having different diameters, and the lower end of the connection socket is fixedly coupled to the upper end of the outer pipe 220 to move up and down together with the outer pipe 220, and the upper end of the connection socket is formed close to the outer circumference of the inner pipe 210 to surround the inner pipe 210, thereby preventing smoke from leaking through a gap between the outer pipe 220 and the inner pipe 210 having different diameters.
[0052] Further, a step portion 251 is formed on the connection socket 250 to be seated on the upper end of the ball reducer 230, thereby preventing the outer pipe 220 from falling downward. The step portion 251 may be formed in a shape in which the diameter becomes narrower to connect pipes of different diameters.
[0053] The ball reducer 230 fixes the vertically moving outer pipe 220 to a certain height. As shown in FIG. 5, the ball reducer is installed at the lower end of the inner pipe 210 to be positioned inside the outer pipe 220, and includes a cylindrical housing 231 and a ball 232.
[0054] The cylindrical housing 231 is coupled the lower end of the inner pipe 210 such that the lower end of the inner pipe 210 is inserted into the upper end thereof, and may be fastened to the inner pipe 210 by a fastening means such as a rivet or welding.
[0055] Further, a plurality of spring insert holes 233 are radially formed at the upper end of the cylindrical housing 231 to be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction. The plurality of spring insert holes 233 may be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction to form a multi-stage structure.
[0056] A spring 234 is accommodated in each spring insert hole 233 to elastically support the ball 232. The spring insert hole is formed to protrude inward from the cylindrical housing 231 while extending along the normal line of the cylindrical housing 231, and the outer end of the spring insert hole is exposed through the outer circumference of the cylindrical housing 231.
[0057] Further, the cylindrical housing 231 has a catch 235 that is provided at an upper end thereof to be bent outward and have an expanded diameter, and the step portion 251 of the connection socket 250 is seated on the catch 235, thereby preventing the removal of the outer pipe 220 due to downward movement.
[0058] The ball 232 is installed in each spring insert hole 233 to be elastically supported by the spring 234. The ball moves outward by the elasticity of the spring 234 so that a portion thereof protrudes from the spring insert hole 233, and thereby the inner circumference of the outer pipe 220 is fixedly pressed by the ball 232.
[0059] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the hood unit 300 is a part where smoke is sucked in, and is installed on the lower end of the outer pipe 220 to be located at the lower end of the telescopic pipe unit 200. Such a hood unit 300 includes an expanded hood 310, an oil tray 320, and a reducer 330.
[0060] The expanded hood 310 forms the lowest structure of the hood unit 300, and may be formed in the shape of a bell mouth that extends downward to allow smoke to be sucked in over a wide range.
[0061] The oil tray 320 has a collection space 321 that is open at a top thereof, and is mounted on the inner upper end of the expanded hood 310 to collect oil flowing down along the inner circumferences of the inner pipe 210 and the outer pipe 220.
[0062] The reducer 330 connects the outer pipe 220 and the oil tray 320, with an upper end thereof being coupled to the outer pipe 220 and a lower end thereof being coupled to the oil tray 320.
[0063] In order to facilitate the maintenance of the oil tray 320, the oil tray 320 may be detachably mounted on the reducer 330. To this end, a plurality of L-shaped fastening grooves 331 are radially formed on the lower end of the reducer 330, while a plurality of fastening protrusions 321 are radially formed on the upper end of the oil tray 320 to be inserted into the plurality of corresponding fastening grooves 331, so that the oil tray 320 may be mounted on the lower end of the expanded hood 310 to be separated by rotation.
[0064] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the exhaust hood device configured as described above has the curved part 122 on the lower end of the filter box 120 to guide oil to the inner circumference of the inner pipe 210. Thus, it is unnecessary to install a separate oil tray in the filter box 120 to collect oil formed from oil vapor trapped in the filter box 120, so a structure is simplified. The outer pipe 220 that is fixedly pressed by the ball 232 of the ball reducer 230 moves upward or downward to adjust its height, and then is relatively fixed in position by pressing the ball 232. Thus, the hood unit 300 may be freely positioned at any height, thereby increasing the convenience of use.
[0065] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an exhaust hood device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a filter box unit 100, a telescopic pipe unit 200, a hood unit 300, a guide bar 400, and a spring balancer 500. Since the filter box unit 100, the telescopic pipe unit 200, and the hood unit 300 may be formed with the same structure as the filter box 120, the telescopic pipe unit 200, and the hood unit 300 according to the aforementioned embodiment, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0066] However, the filter box unit 100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is formed in the shape of a rectangular box, and a separate oil tray 130 is installed under the filter 110 to collect oil vapor trapped in the filter 110. Of course, if a curved part is formed at the lower end of the filter box unit 100 to guide oil to the inner circumference of the telescopic pipe unit 200, the oil tray 130 may be omitted.
[0067] The guide bar 400 supports the vertical movement of the outer pipe 220, and is provided to extend vertically along the telescopic pipe unit 200 at a position adjacent to the telescopic pipe unit 200.
[0068] In order to detachably install the guide bar 400, a lower-end fastening hole 243 is vertically formed to pass through the pair of protruding pieces 241 of the auxiliary handle 240, and an upper-end fastening part 123 is formed on the lower surface of the filter box 120 that is located vertically above the lower-end fastening hole 243. The guide bar 400 is detachably fastened at an upper end thereof to the upper-end fastening part 123, and is detachably fastened at a lower end thereof to the lower-end fastening hole 243.
[0069] Here, the upper end of the guide bar 400 may be fastened to the nut-type upper-end fastening part 123, and a hole may be formed in the lower surface of the filter box 120 to be open, so that the guide bar 400 passes through the hole and then protrude into the filter box 120 to be fastened to the nut-type upper-end fastening part 123. The nut is fastened to the protruding upper end, thereby enabling the guide bar to be detachably fastened to the filter box 120. The lower end of the guide bar 400 passes through the lower-end fastening hole 243 formed in the protruding piece 241 and protrudes downward from the protruding piece 241, and the nut is fastened to the protruding lower end, thereby enabling the guide bar to be detachably fastened to the auxiliary handle 240.
[0070] As for the guide bar 400 installed in this manner, when the outer pipe 220 moves up and down, the guide bar 400 coupled to the auxiliary handle 240 moves up and down along with the outer pipe 220, so that the outer pipe 220 may move up and down without shaking even in an environment where wind pressure is applied, such as a semi-outdoor environment.
[0071] The spring balancer 500 fixes the outer pipe 220 to limit the maximum extension length of the telescopic pipe unit 200, assists the vertical movement of the outer pipe 220, and includes a main body 510 and a wire 520 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
[0072] The main body 510 is provided with a spool 511 on which the wire 520 is wound, and the spool 511 is elastically supported by a spring 512. When the wire 520 is unwound, the spring 512 is deformed to accumulate elastic energy by one-way rotation of the spool 511, and the spool 511 is rotated in an opposite direction by the elastic energy accumulated in the spring 512 to automatically wind the wire 520. At this time, the spring 512 may be formed as a coil spring made by processing a plate spring in a helical shape. One end of the spring 512 is fixedly coupled to a central axis 513, and the other end is fixed to the spool 511, so that elastic energy is accumulated when the spool 511 rotates in one direction by the unwinding force of the wire 520, and the spool 511 is rotated in the opposite direction using the accumulated elastic energy when the unwinding force applied to the wire 520 is released.
[0073] As described above, the wire 520 is wound on the spool 511. The wire has on a lower end thereof a hook 521 that is hooked to a wire bracket 221 fixed to the outside of the outer pipe 220.
[0074] Such a spring balancer 500 is installed symmetrically to the guide bar 400, with the telescopic pipe unit 200 interposed therebetween, to stably support the vertical movement of the outer pipe 220 along with the guide bar 400. It is preferable to detachably install the spring balancer in response to a change in usage environment.
[0075] To this end, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, a fastening bracket 260 is installed on the outer upper end of the inner pipe 210, and a bolt shaft 514 that is detachably coupled to the fastening bracket 260 is provided on the main body 510 of the spring balancer 500.
[0076] The bolt shaft 514 may be provided to protrude from the back surface of the main body 510, a spacer nut 515 may be fastened to define an appropriate gap between the fastening bracket 260 and the main body 510, and a fixing nut 516 may be fastened to an end protruding through the fastening bracket 260.
[0077] The fastening bracket 260 is configured so that a vertical piece 262 is connected between a pair of fixing pieces 261 that are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction. One end of each of the pair of fixing pieces 261 is secured to the outer upper end of the inner pipe 210, and the vertical piece 262 is installed to connect the other ends of the fixing pieces 261 to each other, and a mounting groove 263 is formed in the vertical piece 262 to be coupled to the bolt shaft 514.
[0078] In this regard, the mounting groove 263 includes a horizontal groove portion 264 that is open at one side thereof, and a vertical groove portion 265 that is integrally formed on the other side of the horizontal groove portion 264. The bolt shaft 514 may be inserted into the mounting groove 263 through the open side of the horizontal groove portion 265 to be seated in the lower end of the vertical groove portion 265, and may be secured to the fastening bracket 260 by tightening the fixing nut 516.
[0079] An elastic fixer 530 that replaces the fixing nut 516 or fixes the bolt shaft 514 to the fastening bracket 260 along with the fixing nut 516 may be installed in the fastening bracket 260.
[0080] As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the elastic fixer 530 may include an elastic deformation piece 531 and a pair of restraint pieces 532. The elastic deformation piece protrudes upward in a convex manner, and is pressed downward to be deformed by the bolt shaft 514 seated in the vertical groove portion 265. The restraint pieces are integrally formed on both sides of the elastic deformation piece 531, maintain a state in which they are opened in the initial state of the elastic deformation piece 531, are locked to the upper portion of the bolt shaft 514 seated in the vertical groove portion 265 and come near to each other to restrain the bolt shaft 514, when the elastic deformation piece 531 is elastically deformed.
[0081] As such, the “L”-shaped elastic fixer 530 having the pair of restraint pieces 532 that are integrally formed on both sides of the elastic deformation piece 531 may be accommodated in a casing 540 to be installed adjacent to the vertical groove portion 265. The casing 540 is fixed while being in close contact with the front or back surface of the vertical piece 262 of the fastening bracket 260, and is provided with a through hole 541 corresponding to the vertical groove portion 265. The elastic fixer 530 accommodated in the casing 540 is exposed through the through hole 541 to contact the bolt shaft 514.
[0082] The elastic fixer 530 is pressed by the bolt shaft 514 that is moved down by tension applied to the wire 520 in the installation process of the spring balancer 500, and then is deformed to restrain the bolt shaft 514. When the tension is released from the wire 520, the elastic fixer is restored to its initial shape by the elasticity of the elastic deformation piece 531, thereby releasing the restraint of the bolt shaft 514.
[0083] That is, in the process of mounting the spring balancer 500, the bolt shaft 514 is located in the vertical groove portion 265 and is disposed to contact the elastic deformation piece 531. Subsequently, when the hook 521 of the wire 520 is fastened to the wire bracket 221, tension is applied to the wire 520 by the elastic force of the spring 512, and the bolt shaft 514 is moved downward along with the main body 510 by the tension of the wire 520 to press the elastic deformation piece 531, so that the bolt shaft 514 is restrained in a seating position by the pair of restraint pieces 532. Thereafter, the fixing nut 516 is fastened to the end of the bolt shaft 514. Thus, the bolt shaft 514 is doubly restrained by the elastic fixer 530 and the fixing nut 516, thereby enabling the spring balancer 500 to be stably fixed.
[0084] When the fixing nut 516 is loosened to separate the spring balancer 500 from the telescopic pipe unit 200 due to a change in usage environment and the hook 521 of the wire 520 is separated from the wire bracket 221, the tension of the wire 520 is lost and the downward pressing force of the bolt shaft 514 disappears, so that the elastic deformation piece 531 is restored to its original state. In this process, the bolt shaft 514 is released from the restraint of the pair of restraint pieces 532, allowing the spring balancer 500 to be detached from the fastening bracket 260.
[0085] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the exhaust hood device is configured so that the guide bar 400 located on one side of the telescopic pipe unit 200 and the spring balancer 500 located on the other side support both sides of the outer pipe 220 moving up and down to adjust the height of the hood unit 300, thereby allowing a user to more easily and stably move the outer pipe 220 up and down, and enabling the outer pipe 220 to be stably moved up and down even in an environment where wind pressure is applied, such as a semi-outdoor environment.
[0086] Further, the spring balancer 500 assists the vertical movement of the outer pipe 220, fixes the outer pipe 220 to prevent the outer pipe 220 from being removed from the inner pipe 210, and limits the maximum length of the telescopic pipe unit 200, thereby providing a safe usage environment.
[0087] An exhaust hood device of the present disclosure is advantageous in that an inner circumference of an outer pipe coupled to a lower end of an inner pipe to form a telescopic pipe unit is fixedly pressed by a ball of a ball reducer installed at a lower end of the inner pipe, thereby allowing the outer pipe to be fixed at any height without being limited to a certain position, and enabling the height of a hood unit to be freely adjusted.
[0088] Particularly, the inner circumference of the outer pipe is spaced apart from the outer circumference of the inner pipe, and the ball of the ball reducer is pressed against the inner circumference of the outer pipe in the form of point contact, so that oil inside the outer pipe can be prevented from dripping onto food in the process of moving the outer pipe up and down to adjust the height of the hood unit, thereby providing a more hygienic usage environment.
[0089] Moreover, a main handle is provided on an outer lower end of the outer pipe, and an auxiliary handle is provided on an outer upper end, so that a user can stably move the outer pipe up and down, and the auxiliary handle can be used to detachably secure the lower end of the guide bar supporting the vertical movement of the outer pipe, thereby simplifying a structure.
[0090] That is, the telescopic pipe unit is stably supported in a balanced manner so that components are positioned symmetrically with the telescopic pipe unit interposed in between, thereby enabling the telescopic pipe unit to be stably expanded or contracted, and allowing the telescopic pipe unit to be stably fixed in position even in an environment affected by wind pressure, such as a semi-outdoor environment.
[0091] Further, the guide bar and the spring balancer can be attached and detached as necessary, so that the exhaust hood device can modified to an optimal structure to adapt to a change in a usage environment, such as indoors or semi-outdoors, and the spring balancer is prevented from being separated due to impact, thereby providing a safe usage environment.
[0092] Furthermore, an elastic fixer installed in a fastening bracket receives tension acting on a wire of the spring balancer through a bolt shaft to be deformed, thereby preventing the removal of the bolt shaft seated in a mounting groove. When the tension of the wire is released to separate the spring balancer, the elastic fixer is restored to its original state using an accumulated elastic force, thereby releasing the restraint of the bolt shaft, and allowing the spring balancer to be stably fixed while offering the convenience of attaching or detaching the spring balancer.
[0093] From the above description, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs that the present disclosure may be conducted in other specific forms without altering its technical idea or essential features.
[0094] In this regard, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. The scope of the present disclosure should be interpreted that the meaning and scope of claims to be described below rather than the detailed description above, and all modifications or variations derived from the equivalent concept thereof are included in the range of the present disclosure.
Claims
1. An exhaust hood device configured to absorb smoke generated during a cooking process and to discharge the smoke to the outside, the device comprising:a filter box unit including a filter box in which a filter capturing oil vapor introduced along with the smoke is installed, and connected at an upper portion thereof to an exhaust duct;a telescopic pipe unit including an inner pipe connected to a lower portion of the filter box to allow the smoke to flow into the filter box, an outer pipe moving up and down while being coupled to an outer lower end of the inner pipe, and a cylindrical ball reducer secured to a lower end of the inner pipe to be located inside the outer pipe, a plurality of balls being provided on an outer circumference of the ball reducer and pressing an inner circumference of the outer pipe by elasticity of a spring so that a position of the outer pipe is relatively fixed; anda hood unit including an expanded hood on a lower end of the outer pipe, and an oil tray provided in the expanded hood to collect oil that flows down along an inner surface of the telescopic pipe unit.
2. The exhaust hood device of claim 1, wherein an auxiliary handle is formed on an outer upper end of the outer pipe to ensure stable vertical movement of the outer pipe around the ball reducer.
3. The exhaust hood device of claim 2, wherein:the auxiliary handle comprises a pair of protruding pieces that protrude from the outer pipe to be vertically spaced apart from each other, and a grip piece that connects the protruding pieces to each other to be gripped, anda guide bar is provided to extend vertically along the telescopic pipe unit at a position adjacent to the telescopic pipe unit, and a lower-end fastening hole is formed in an upper protruding piece and an upper-end fastening part is formed on a lower surface of the corresponding filter box so that upper and lower ends of the guide bar are detachably fastened.
4. The exhaust hood device of claim 3, further comprising:a spring balancer mounted on an outer upper end of the inner pipe to face the guide bar with the telescopic pipe unit interposed therebetween, and assisting the vertical movement of the outer pipe by fastening a wire wound by elasticity of a spring to the outer pipe.
5. The exhaust hood device of claim 4, wherein:a fastening bracket is installed on the outer upper end of the inner pipe such that a vertical piece is connected between a pair of fixing pieces that are vertically spaced apart from each other, and a mounting groove is provided on the vertical piece of the fastening bracket and comprises a horizontal groove portion that is open at one side thereof, and a vertical groove portion that is integrally formed on the other side of the horizontal groove portion, anda bolt shaft is provided on a back surface of the spring balancer to protrude therefrom, and is secured to the fastening bracket by tightening a nut while being inserted into an open end of the horizontal groove portion and then seated in the vertical groove portion.
6. The exhaust hood device of claim 5, further comprising:an elastic fixer mounted on the vertical piece of the fastening bracket,the elastic fixer comprising:an elastic deformation piece contacting a bolt shaft seated in the vertical groove portion, receiving tension applied to the wire through the bolt shaft to be deformed, and restored to an original shape thereof when the tension applied to the wire is released; anda pair of restraint pieces locked to an upper portion of the bolt shaft seated in the vertical groove portion to restrain the bolt shaft when the elastic deformation piece is elastically deformed, and spaced apart from the bolt shaft to release restraint of the bolt shaft when the elastic deformation piece is restored.
7. The exhaust hood device of claim 1, wherein:the ball reducer comprises:a cylindrical housing having a plurality of spring insert holes formed so that springs are radially provided on an inner circumference thereof, with a catch being provided at an upper end thereof to be bent outward; anda ball installed in each of the spring insert holes to be elastically supported outward by the spring, and pressing the inner circumference of the outer pipe, anda step portion is formed on a connection socket, which is coupled to an upper end of the outer pipe to connect the outer pipe and the inner pipe, to be seated on the catch, and is reduced in diameter to prevent removal.