Kitchen Ventilation Blower With Removable Grease Collection Tray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current kitchen ventilation systems face challenges in efficiently and quickly removing accumulated grease, which can lead to hygiene issues, bacterial growth, and fire hazards due to its difficult access and time-consuming cleaning process.
Innovation Solution
A blower system with a removable shield-tray assembly and latches allows for easy access and disposal of grease and particulate matter, utilizing centrifugal action to separate and collect grease within a reservoir, facilitating quick and thorough cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the blower housing is removed and washed to clean accumulated grease, then thorough cleaning is achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The blower assembly is divided into separable components: the blower housing and the shield-tray assembly. The shield-tray assembly can be removed independently from the blower housing, allowing users to access and clean the grease-collecting tray without dismantling the entire blower unit. This segmentation enables quick removal of the contaminated tray while leaving the motor and housing intact, significantly reducing cleaning time while maintaining thoroughness.
Solution Approach 2:
The grease-collecting tray is extracted as a separate removable component (shield-tray assembly) from the blower housing. Users can simply slide the tray out from the bottom of the housing to discard accumulated grease and particulate matter, eliminating the need to remove and wash the entire blower housing. This extraction principle directly addresses the time-consuming nature of traditional cleaning methods.
2Reliability
If the blower housing is accessed and removed for cleaning, then complete cleaning is possible, but the operation becomes complex and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The shield-tray assembly is segmented as a distinct removable unit with its own access mechanism (shield that slides away). This allows users to access and clean only the grease-trapping components without dealing with the complex blower housing assembly, motor, and electrical connections. The segmentation makes the cleaning operation simple and user-friendly while ensuring complete cleaning of the grease-collecting areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The grease-collecting shield and tray are extracted as a separate serviceable component. The shield can be slid away from the blower housing to expose the tray for easy grease disposal. This extraction eliminates the need to disassemble the entire blower unit, making the cleaning process straightforward and accessible to users without technical expertise.
3Quantity of substance
If grease accumulates in hard-to-reach areas of the ventilation system, then complete grease capture is achieved, but cleaning becomes time-consuming and painstaking
Solution Approach 1:
The shield-tray assembly is designed as an extractable unit that collects grease in a centralized, accessible location at the bottom of the blower housing. All grease captured from the ventilation system accumulates in this single removable tray rather than being dispersed throughout the housing. Users can quickly extract the entire tray to discard accumulated grease, reducing cleaning time while maintaining complete grease capture capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield-tray assembly creates a localized grease collection zone with specific functional properties (smooth, non-stick surface, contained reservoir) at the bottom of the blower housing. This localized design concentrates all captured grease in one accessible area rather than allowing it to distribute throughout the entire ventilation system, enabling quick and complete removal without cleaning multiple hard-to-reach areas.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and rapid removal of grease and particulate matter from kitchen ventilation systems, improving hygiene and safety by simplifying the cleaning process and reducing the risk of grease accumulation.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing centrifugal action to separate and collect grease within a reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
A blower for use in a kitchen ventilation system includes a set of blades driven by a motor for moving air containing cooking byproducts from a surrounding area and separating out cooking byproducts. A housing at least partially encompasses the set of blades and captures the separated cooking byproducts. A tray engages with the housing, which includes a reservoir for accumulating the captured cooking byproducts, wherein the tray is separable from the housing to allow discarding of the accumulated cooking byproducts.