Dual Direction Flow Blower for Cooktop Ventilation Capture Enhancement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooktop ventilation systems face challenges in capturing exhaust air efficiently due to the size, shape, and distance of their openings, leading to reduced airflow capture and increased noise levels, particularly from flow-induced noise, and often require additional components like secondary fans or dampers that increase costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A cooktop ventilation system featuring a dual direction flow blower/fan with a complex curve interior flow surface that directs and smooths airflow, using a single blower unit to provide both exhaust and secondary air flows, reducing noise and enhancing capture efficiency while maintaining a compact configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional ventilation systems use traditional opening configurations, then the structure is simple, but the capture ability of exhaust air is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The housing opening is segmented into multiple sections (front opening, side openings, rear opening) that can be independently configured. This segmentation allows the system to capture exhaust air from multiple directions simultaneously, enhancing capture ability without requiring a completely complex overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The air curtain system is nested within the existing housing structure, with air channels integrated into the housing walls. The secondary air flow system is contained within the same housing that already contains the primary exhaust system, creating a nested configuration that enhances functionality without proportionally increasing external complexity.
2Productivity
If multiple air flow sources are used to provide exhaust air and secondary air, then the airflow capture efficiency is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the exhaust air flow and secondary air flow into a single integrated housing structure with shared components. The housing, control system, and air distribution network serve both functions simultaneously, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems while maintaining capture efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it contains the exhaust air flow, provides channels for secondary air flow, supports the air curtain generation, and facilitates the mixing of air streams. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
3Productivity
If air channels are added to direct secondary air flow, then the air curtain formation is improved, but the housing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Air channels are added only in specific locations where secondary air flow is needed to form the air curtain, rather than throughout the entire housing. The front walls and side walls incorporate these channels at strategic positions to direct air flow precisely where required for effective curtain formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The air channels are designed with curved pathways that follow the natural flow patterns of air, allowing smooth transitions and reducing turbulence. The curved channel design enables efficient air direction without requiring sharp angles or complex junctions.
4Productivity
If the housing opening size is increased to improve exhaust capture, then the capture ability is improved, but the distance from the cooktop increases reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from relying solely on a large frontal opening to utilizing multiple dimensions for air capture. Side openings and rear openings provide additional capture surfaces in different spatial dimensions, allowing effective exhaust capture without increasing the front-to-back distance from the cooktop.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary air flow acts as an intermediary that enhances the primary exhaust air flow. By introducing controlled secondary air through the air curtain, the system improves exhaust capture effectiveness without needing to increase the physical size or reduce the distance of the housing opening from the cooktop.
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
The dual direction flow blower/fan system improves airflow efficiency, reduces noise levels, and enhances the capture of smoke, grease, and contaminated air, providing a more effective and cost-efficient ventilation solution with a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
a dual direction flow blower/fan configured to convey both the exhaust air and the secondary air through the housing in opposite directions
Implementation Method 2
providing an air curtain flowing from the housing of a cooktop ventilation appliance or system... such that the air curtain provides a virtual extension of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A cooktop ventilation system for providing ventilation of a domestic cooking appliance, includes a domestic ventilation appliance including housing having at least a first opening and a second opening, the first opening for capturing exhaust air from the domestic cooking appliance and the second opening for permitting secondary air to exit an interior of the housing to form an air curtain that enhances a capture ability of the domestic ventilation appliance to capture the exhaust air, and a dual direction flow blower/fan configured both to convey the exhaust air through the housing from the first opening in a first direction and to convey the secondary air through the housing to the second opening in a second direction, the second direction being opposite the first direction.