Kitchen extractor hood with directional flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing kitchen extractor hoods are cumbersome and noisy due to the need for large volumes and powerful motors to effectively extract fumes from cooktops with varying burner powers, as they generate a uniform airflow intensity that is inadequate for high-power burners, leading to excessive noise when overdimensioning the fan.

Innovation Solution

The extractor hood features a distributor with an annular body and deflector means that direct airflow towards preferential directions, generating two airflows with different flow rates, with the higher flow rate directed towards the most powerful burner, optimizing fume extraction while allowing for underdimensioned fans and reduced noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a uniform airflow intensity is generated all around the cooktop, then low-power burners are adequately screened, but high-power burners cannot be effectively extracted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefume extraction effectivenessVSAvoidadaptability to different burner powers
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The distributor generates non-uniform airflow intensity across different zones of the cooktop. Specifically, the airflow intensity is higher in zones corresponding to high-power burners and lower in zones corresponding to low-power burners. This local differentiation of airflow properties enables effective fume extraction for both low-power and high-power burners simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between extraction effectiveness and adaptability to different burner powers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the fan power is increased to handle high-power burners, then fume extraction is effective, but noise increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefume extraction effectivenessVSAvoidnoise
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of increasing fan power uniformly across all zones, the distributor creates localized high-intensity airflow regions corresponding to high-power burners. This allows the fan to operate at moderate overall power levels while still providing sufficient extraction capability where needed, thereby maintaining effectiveness without generating excessive noise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adapts airflow distribution to match burner power requirements. The distributor configuration enables different airflow intensities to be delivered to different zones, allowing the extraction system to respond appropriately to varying burner powers without requiring excessive fan power and associated noise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If the hood volume is increased to capture all fumes, then extraction coverage is improved, but the hood becomes cumbersome

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefume extraction coverageVSAvoidhood volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The distributor creates localized high-intensity airflow zones that actively draw fumes toward extraction points. This eliminates the need for a large hood volume to passively contain and capture all fumes, as the airflow is concentrated and directed effectively toward extraction openings, maintaining coverage while reducing overall hood size.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 configuration enables effective fume extraction from both low- and high-power burners without increasing the hood's size or noise, by optimizing airflow distribution and minimizing fan power requirements.

Implementation Method 1

A deflector is disposed inside the delivery conduit comprising an annular distributor provided with a plurality of blades. Each blade of the distributor is disposed according to an axis inclined by an angle, different from zero, with respect to the radial axis passing through the blade and the center of the distributor. In this way the distributor generates a vortex-shaped airflow with helicoidal profile around the airflow extracted by the hood.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVortex flow: Vortex Ring

Implementation Method 2

Such a vortex-shaped airflow acts as pneumatic screen in such a way to convey the fumes extracted from the cooktop inside the pneumatic screen generated by the distributor.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPneumatic screen effect:

Implementation Method 3

an extractor fan with at least one inlet in communication with said internal chamber of the box body, in such a way to create a depression in the internal chamber of the box body to extract fumes from the cooktop

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure difference: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 4

a delivery fan with one inlet in communication with said internal chamber of the box body and an outlet in communication with a delivery conduit having one end disposed in said base portion of the box body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced convection: Forced Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3455557B1Kitchen extractor hood with directional flow
Publication Date: 2020.02.05 B S SERVICE SRL
  • EP3455557B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3455557B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3455557B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Kitchen extractor hood with directional flow An extractor hood (100) comprises: a box body (1), an extractor fan (2) with at least one inlet (21, 22) in communication with an internal chamber (18) of the box body, a delivery fan (3) with inlet (31) in communication with the internal chamber (18) of the box body and a delivery outlet (33) in communication with a delivery conduit (5), a distributor (6; 106) disposed at the end (50) of the delivery conduit and deflector means (D) disposed above the distributor (6; 106) in such a way to direct a delivery airflow (M) from the delivery conduit (5) towards at least one preferential direction with respect to the axis (A) of the distributor, in such a way that at least two airflows (V, V"; VI, V2) with different flow rate come out from the distributor (6; 106), wherein the airflow with the higher flow rate (V"; V2) is directed towards a burner (B4) of said cooktop having a higher power than the other burners.