Separator, range hood, and range hood and cooker all-in-one machine

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing separators have a small filtering area and poor oil removal efficiency due to oil adhering to the filter screen, leading to frequent cleaning and reduced filtration effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A separator design with a housing and filtering portion that includes inclined first and second draining walls, forming a large filtering area in a small space, allowing oil fumes to adhere and flow easily for improved filtration efficiency and reduced cleaning frequency, with multiple layers of filter screens and a liquid storage area for efficient oil collection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a traditional filter screen structure is used, then the device complexity is low, but the filtering area is small and oil removal efficiency is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefiltering areaVSAvoidfilter screen structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The filter screen is transformed from a flat two-dimensional structure to a three-dimensional folded structure with multiple layers and angles. The filter surface is bent and folded to create a larger effective filtering area within the same housing volume, allowing oil fume to contact more filtering surface area while maintaining a compact device size.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple filter layers are nested within each other in a folded configuration. The filter screen is folded back on itself multiple times, with each layer nested within the previous layer, creating a compact multi-layer filtering structure that maximizes the filtering area within the limited space of the housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of operation

If the filter screen is positioned horizontally, then the structure is simple, but oil adheres to the filter screen and cannot fall off easily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoil drainageVSAvoidfilter screen arrangement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The filter screen surface is designed with curved and inclined surfaces rather than flat horizontal surfaces. The filter is folded at specific angles to create inclined draining surfaces that guide oil downward using gravity, preventing oil accumulation on the filter surface and enabling easy drainage into the liquid storage area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The filter screen is arranged asymmetrically with respect to the housing, with one end positioned higher than the other to create a downward slope. This asymmetric positioning ensures that oil naturally drains from the higher end to the lower end where the liquid storage area is located, facilitating automatic oil removal without additional mechanical components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Productivity

If the filtering area is increased, then the filtration efficiency is improved, but the device occupies more space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefiltration efficiencyVSAvoidseparator volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The filter screen is folded into a three-dimensional configuration with multiple layers and angles, allowing the filtering surface to extend in multiple directions rather than occupying a single flat plane. This vertical and angular folding enables the filter to achieve a large total filtering area while maintaining a compact horizontal footprint within the housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The filter screen is designed to utilize the dynamic flow of oil fume and gravity-driven oil drainage. The folded structure creates multiple flow paths for oil fume to contact the filter surface, while the inclined surfaces enable continuous oil drainage, maximizing filtration efficiency within the available space without requiring additional volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 design enhances filtration efficiency by increasing the filtering area, improving oil adhesion and collection, and reducing the frequency of cleaning, thereby maintaining effective filtration performance.

Implementation Method 1

oil particles and water vapor contained in the oil fume will adhere to the filtering portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Implementation Method 2

the oil adhering to the filtering portion after filtration can more easily flow downward along the first draining wall and the second draining wall

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP4438956A1Separator, range hood, and range hood and cooker all-in-one machine
Publication Date: 2024.10.02 FOSHAN SHUNDE MIDEA ELECTRICAL HEATING APPLIANCES MFG CO LTD
  • EP4438956A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4438956A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4438956A1 patent drawingFigure 5~7

AI summary

The present application provides a separator, a range hood, and a range hood and cooker all-in-one machine. The separator comprises: a housing provided with an inlet and an outlet; a filtering portion provided within the housing, wherein the filtering portion and the inner surface of the housing enclose a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity are located at different sides of the filtering portion, the first cavity communicates with the inlet, and the second cavity communicates with the outlet; the filtering portion comprises a first draining wall and a second draining wall, the first draining wall comprises a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other, the second draining wall comprises a third end and a fourth end arranged opposite to each other, the first end is away from the third end, the second end is proximal to the fourth end, and the inlet is located between the first end and the third end.