Kitchen Hood Filter Cleaning with U-Shaped Soap Traps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-cleaning kitchen hoods require excessive water and energy for filter cleaning, leading to inefficient degreasing due to diluted cleaning products and short action time, resulting in high water and energy consumption, as well as ecological concerns.
Innovation Solution
A self-cleaning kitchen hood design featuring an expanded clay ball filter with a fluted lower grid and efficient cleaning means, including U-shaped supply ramps with soap traps and rotary nozzles, which concentrate the cleaning product and utilize controlled water flow and suction to enhance degreasing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a large quantity of water is used to convey cleaning product to the filter, then the cleaning product can reach the filter, but the cleaning product is greatly diluted and the degreasing effect is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning product is injected into the ramps before the water flow arrives, allowing it to be deposited on the filter surface in advance. This preliminary action ensures that when water flows through, the cleaning product is already positioned on the filter, preventing dilution during transport and maintaining effective concentration for degreasing.
2Ease of operation
If water mixed with cleaning product is conveyed to filters by ramps or mobile trolleys, then the filters can be cleaned during operation, but a large quantity of water is required (38 liters per cleaning cycle)
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses hydraulic flow through ramps to deliver the cleaning solution to the filter. The water flow is controlled and directed through channels in the ramps, allowing efficient delivery of the cleaning product without requiring excessive water quantities. The hydraulic system enables precise control of water delivery to match the actual cleaning needs.
3Productivity
If the water-cleaning product mixture is injected continuously for a certain period of time (generally 3 minutes), then the filters can be cleaned, but the first deposit of cleaning product is immediately washed off and the cleaning product has only a very short action time on the filters
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning product is deposited on the filter surface before the water flow begins. This preliminary deposition allows the cleaning product to remain in contact with the grease deposits on the filter without being immediately washed away. The water flow then acts to rinse and remove the loosened grease rather than washing off the cleaning product itself, thereby extending the effective action time.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning process is divided into distinct phases: first the cleaning product is injected and deposited on the filter, then after a predetermined time interval the water flow is activated to rinse. This periodic sequencing ensures the cleaning product has sufficient contact time to work effectively before being rinsed off, optimizing both cleaning speed and product action time.
4Ease of operation
If the cleaning product is diluted in water for cleaning, then the cleaning product can be conveyed to the filter, but the cleaning product reaches the filters in small quantities and the degreasing effect is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning product is injected into the ramps and allowed to deposit on the filter surface before the water flow begins. This preliminary action ensures that the maximum quantity of cleaning product reaches the filter in concentrated form, rather than being diluted during transport. The water then serves primarily to rinse and remove loosened grease.
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 significant water and energy savings, concentrates the cleaning product for improved degreasing, extends the cleaning product's action time, and allows for potential use of cold water, reducing environmental impact and operating costs while maintaining effective filter performance.
Implementation Method 1
an extractor fan 12 as illustrated in figure 2
Implementation Method 2
The water mixed with the cleaning product is for example conveyed to the filters by ramps
Implementation Method 3
the water must be heated to 55°C for greater cleaning efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The subject of the present invention is a self-cleaning kitchen hood comprising a filter (6), means (12) for sucking air through the filter (6) and means for cleaning the filter (6), said means for cleaning the filter comprising an upper supply rail (8) intended to convey a liquid to the upper part of the filter (6) and a lower supply ramp (8) intended to convey a liquid to the bottom of the filter (6). Each of the upper and lower ramps (7, 81) includes a U-shaped pressureless portion (71, 81). The cleaning means further comprise means for injecting a cleaning product from at least one reservoir (91, 92) into each of the pressureless portions (71, 81) of the upper and lower ramps (7, 8).