Portable air flow apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fixed-type hoods installed over cooking equipment are ineffective in removing oil mist due to their fixed position and height, leading to odors and grease stains on walls and furniture, and are not portable for outdoor cooking.
Innovation Solution
A portable air flow apparatus with a head unit, base unit, and columnar unit that allows adjustable positioning of the suction inlet and discharge outlet, preventing bypass phenomena and enabling efficient suction and discharge of oil mist, and can be used both indoors and outdoors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fixed-type hood is installed over cooking equipment, then the hood structure is simple and installation is easy, but the hood cannot effectively remove oil mist when cooking occurs at positions far from the hood
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the fixed-type hood into a mobile cart-mounted hood that can be freely positioned and adjusted. The hood is mounted on a cart with wheels, allowing it to move to different cooking locations. The height of the hood is also adjustable via a height adjustment mechanism, enabling dynamic adaptation to various cooking positions and utensil heights, thereby maintaining effective oil mist removal efficiency while preserving installation simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile hood is designed to serve multiple cooking scenarios - it can be used with fixed cooking equipment, portable burners, and outdoor cooking setups. The cart structure includes features like a water tank for stabilizing the cart during use, and the hood itself can be adjusted to different heights and angles, making it universally applicable to various cooking methods and locations, thus improving oil mist removal efficiency across different contexts while maintaining ease of deployment.
2Ease of operation
If the hood is installed at a great height from the cooking equipment, then the hood does not interfere with cooking operations, but oil mist is not effectively removed due to long distance
Solution Approach 1:
The height adjustment mechanism allows the hood to be dynamically positioned at optimal heights for different cooking scenarios. The hood can be lowered close to the cooking surface when needed for effective oil mist capture, or raised higher when cooking operations require more space. This dynamic height adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing the hood to adapt its position based on the specific cooking situation, maintaining both operational convenience and removal efficiency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed-type hood is used, then the hood structure is stable, but the hood cannot be used for portable cooking or outdoor cooking
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile cart structure provides both stability and mobility. The cart has a stable base with a water tank that acts as a counterweight to stabilize the hood during operation, preventing tipping while allowing easy movement via wheels. This dynamic design enables the hood to be transported to outdoor locations or different rooms while maintaining structural stability during use, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The water tank in the cart serves as a counterweight to balance the hood and prevent the cart from tipping over during operation. This counterweight mechanism provides structural stability to the mobile hood system, ensuring that even though the hood is portable and can be moved to various locations, it remains stable and secure during cooking operations, thus maintaining both stability and adaptability.
4Device complexity
If the suction inlet is positioned far from the cooking surface, then the hood structure is simple, but bypass phenomena occur and oil mist removal efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile hood design allows the suction inlet to be dynamically positioned close to the cooking surface by moving the entire hood unit on the cart. The height adjustment mechanism further enables fine-tuning of the inlet position. This dynamic positioning capability eliminates bypass phenomena by ensuring the suction inlet is always in optimal proximity to the cooking surface, maintaining removal efficiency without significantly increasing structural complexity, as the adjustment mechanisms are relatively simple.
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 portable air flow apparatus effectively removes oil mist by adjusting its position to match the cooking utensil height and preventing bypass, while being stable and versatile for various cooking environments, and can also function as an air purifier.
Implementation Method 1
a discharge fan (410) positioned in the housing (130)
Data Source
AI summary
A portable air flow apparatus may include a base configured to be seated on a surface, a head comprising a suction inlet through which air is suctioned into the head and a discharge outlet through which the air suctioned in through the suction inlet is discharged, the suction inlet and the discharge outlet being horizontally spaced apart from each other at a right angle with respect to a vertical direction, and a column that connects the head and the base in such a manner that the head is vertically spaced from the base.