Mobile Vapour Screen Hood With Fixed Blower and Bellows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extractor hoods for wall units require the entire unit to be moved from a non-operating to an operating position and vice versa, making handling cumbersome and necessitating additional components for easier operation.
Innovation Solution
The extractor hood design features a blower unit mounted in a fixed position, with a movably attached frame and a flexible connecting element, such as a bellows, allowing the intake area to be moved without relocating the fan unit, and incorporating a pivot bearing or spring-loaded pivoting mechanism for easier operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the entire extractor hood unit is moved from non-operating to operating position, then the intake area can be positioned correctly for operation, but handling becomes cumbersome and requires additional lifting components
Solution Approach 1:
The extractor hood is divided into two independent parts: a stationary blower unit mounted in the upper cabinet and a movable frame with intake area. This segmentation allows the frame to be moved independently for operation while the blower unit remains fixed, eliminating the need to move the entire assembly and reducing handling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The blower unit is extracted from the movable frame and mounted separately in a fixed position within the upper cabinet. This extraction allows the frame to be moved independently without the weight and complexity of the blower unit, simplifying handling while maintaining functional connection through the flexible bellows.
2Ease of operation
If the blower unit is mounted in a fixed position, then handling is simplified, but the connection between blower unit and movable frame requires flexible elements to bridge the movement path
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible bellows connects the stationary blower unit to the movable frame, allowing the frame to move between operating positions while maintaining the air flow connection. The bellows expands and contracts to accommodate the movement, providing a simple yet effective solution that avoids complex rigid linkages or hoses.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the vapor screen is made displaceable relative to the filter area, then the suction area can be enlarged, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The vapor screen is made displaceable relative to the filter area within the frame, allowing dynamic adjustment of the suction area configuration. This enables the hood to adapt to different cooking needs by extending or retracting the vapor screen, while the displacement mechanism is integrated into the existing frame structure to minimize additional complexity.
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 significantly simplifies handling by keeping the fan unit stationary, enabling easier transition between positions and enhancing usability by compensating for movement through a flexible connection, thus reducing operator effort.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible connecting element is preferably a bellows, which compensates for the lifting distance or the pivoting distance between the permanently installed fan unit and the movable frame of the intake area.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 5~7
AI summary
The bonnet has a suction region (3) concealably formed into an upper cabinet (1) in an inactive position of the vapor fume bonnet, where the suction region is extended out of the upper cabinet at a bottom side of the upper cabinet in an operational position of the bonnet. A fan unit (2) is positionable in a fixed position in the upper cabinet, and a frame (6) is moveable with the suction region opposite to the fan unit into the operational position. A filter region of the suction region is connected with the fan unit in a flow-conducting manner over a flexible connector i.e. bellows (8).