Fume extractor hood, method for operating a fume extractor hood

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fume extractor hoods face challenges in efficiently reducing odors and maintaining air flow while minimizing energy waste and noise, particularly in recirculation mode, and often rely on external air guiding elements that can be aesthetically and functionally limiting.

Innovation Solution

A fume extractor hood with a splitting device that separates the air flow into exhaust and recirculation streams, using a mechanical device like flaps or plates to control the flow rate, allowing for high odor reduction without external guiding elements, and a charcoal filter for odor absorption, ensuring continuous ventilation and extending the life of the cleaning device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a fume extractor hood operates in exhaust air mode, then unpleasant odors are removed efficiently, but warm air is wasted through the exhausting duct

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveodor removal efficiencyVSAvoidwarm air loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The air flow is divided into exhaust and recirculation portions, allowing selective treatment of different air streams. The recirculation portion retains warm air in the kitchen while the exhaust portion removes odors, achieving both odor removal and energy conservation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the air flow are treated differently: one portion is exhausted to remove odors, while another portion is recirculated to conserve heat. This local differentiation of air flow treatment optimizes both odor removal and energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of energy

If a fume extractor hood operates in recirculation mode, then heated air is not wasted, but the performance strongly depends on cleaning devices that decrease over time and moisture content is not reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheated air conservationVSAvoidcleaning device performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The air flow is segmented into exhaust and recirculation streams. The recirculation stream benefits from the cleaning device's odor removal capability while the exhaust stream removes moisture and provides backup odor control, creating a redundant system that maintains reliability even as cleaning device performance degrades.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If external air guiding elements are used to improve odor reduction capability, then odor collection is enhanced, but headroom is reduced and aesthetic appearance is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveodor reduction capabilityVSAvoidheadroom
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The air guiding functionality is extracted from external elements and integrated into the internal structure of the extractor hood. The splitting device and internal air ducts provide the necessary flow guidance without requiring external protruding elements, thus preserving headroom and aesthetic appearance while maintaining odor reduction capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 solution achieves efficient odor reduction with high air flow rates, reduces energy waste by recirculating warm air, and prolongs the life of the cleaning device, while eliminating the need for external air guiding elements, thus enhancing indoor climate and reducing noise levels.

Implementation Method 1

a filter element is moved to the opening to the recirculation compartment

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentEP3667176B1Fume extractor hood, method for operating a fume extractor hood
Publication Date: 2024.01.10 FRANKE FUTURUM
  • EP3667176B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3667176B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3667176B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4

AI summary

We describe a fume extractor hood (1) comprising a flow generator (2) for providing a forced flow (11) in an active mode of the flow generator (2), an exhaust duct (3) for guiding an exhaust flow (12), a cleaning device (4) for cleaning a recirculation flow (13), and a splitting device (5) for splitting the forced flow (11) in the exhaust flow (12) and the recirculation flow (13). The fume extractor hood (1) is characterized that in the active mode, the splitting device (5) is in a first fixed state with a first opening area (30) to the exhaust duct (3) so that the forced flow (11) is split in the exhaust flow (12) and the recirculation flow (13) through the cleaning device (4). Further, we describe a ventilation system for a house or a building and a method for operating a fume extractor hood (1).