Downdraft Cooktop Blower With Isolated Motor Cooling Airflow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Blowers for gas and electric downdraft cooktops face issues with system resistance causing grease-laden air to be expelled into the cooking environment, leading to insufficient performance and the need for separate blowers for each type of cooktop, and they must pass safety tests like the UL Articulated Finger Probe Test.
Innovation Solution
A blower design with a motor cooling system that draws air through inlet openings in the motor housing, independent of the blower housing, using a rotatable member to circulate air for cooling, eliminating the need for direct access to blower housing air and reducing system resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the blower uses dilution air from the blower motor as intake for cooling the motor, then the motor cooling function is achieved, but system resistance causes the motor to reverse and expel grease-laden air into the cooking environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the air intake system into two separate sources: one for blower housing cooling (using dilution air) and another for motor cooling (using ambient air through inlet openings in the motor housing). This segmentation prevents the motor from reversing and expelling grease-laden air while maintaining effective motor cooling.
2Device complexity
If a single blower is used for both gas and electric cooking units, then device complexity is reduced, but blower performance becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal blower system with optimized airflow characteristics that can effectively serve both gas and electric cooking units. The motor housing with dedicated cooling inlet openings and the configured fan blades enable the single blower to handle the different airflow requirements of both cooktop types without performance degradation.
3Temperature
If the motor housing has direct access to air within the blower housing for cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but grease-laden air contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces ambient air as an intermediary cooling source for the motor, separate from the blower housing air stream. The motor housing includes inlet openings that draw ambient air directly onto the motor for cooling, preventing contamination from grease-laden air while maintaining efficient heat dissipation.
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
This design prevents grease-laden air from contaminating the cooking environment, improves blower performance, and allows the blower to pass safety tests, reducing vibration, noise, and energy consumption by 65%, 25%, and 20% respectively.
Implementation Method 1
a rotatable member operative attached to the top portion of the rotor, wherein air for cooling the motor is drawn through the at least one inlet opening of the motor housing through the rotation of the rotatable member and dispelled through the at least one outlet opening of the motor housing
Implementation Method 2
a fan located between the input and the outlet of the blower housing, wherein the bottom portion of the shaft for the rotor is attached to the fan
Data Source
AI summary
A blower for a downdraft cooktop that includes a blower housing, having a top portion and a bottom portion, which includes an inlet that can be fluidly coupled to a downdraft cooktop and an outlet for removing air from the blower housing, a fan located between the input and the outlet of the blower housing, a motor having a rotor with a shaft, having a top portion and a bottom portion, and a stator, wherein the bottom portion of the rotor is operatively attached to the fan, a rotatable member operatively attached to the top portion of the rotor, and a motor housing enclosing the motor, having a top portion, a bottom portion, at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening, wherein air for cooling the motor is drawn through the motor housing without utilizing the air located within the blower housing.