Tabletop cooking assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tabletop cooking assemblies fail to capture smoke and grease particulates effectively indoors without the need for outdoor venting or additional air make-up, often requiring large and expensive ducts or loud high-velocity blowers, which are inefficient and noisy.
Innovation Solution
A tabletop cooking assembly featuring a burner element, a pan, a grill, an exhaust plenum with apertures, an exhaust duct, and filter assemblies with metal and wool fiber filters, and a blower that draws smoke away from the grill and exhausts it outside, achieving efficient smoke capture and grease filtration without the need for outdoor venting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large overhead ducts are used to capture smoke, then smoke capture is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust system is segmented into multiple functional components: an exhaust plenum positioned adjacent to the grill, an exhaust duct connected to the plenum, and a blower device. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, replacing the need for large overhead ducts with a compact, distributed system that captures smoke at the source and transports it through a smaller duct to an exhaust location.
2Reliability
If high velocity blowers are used to achieve smoke capture, then smoke capture is improved, but noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blower device is designed to operate at velocities less than 500 feet per minute, which is sufficient to capture and transport smoke effectively while maintaining low noise levels. This velocity parameter is optimized to balance smoke capture performance with noise reduction, avoiding the need for high-velocity blowers that would create excessive noise in the confined dining area.
3Reliability
If high velocity blowers are used to achieve smoke capture, then smoke capture is improved, but grill cooling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The blower velocity is controlled to remain below 500 feet per minute, which provides adequate smoke capture while minimizing the cooling effect on the grill. This velocity threshold is carefully selected to ensure that the air flow is sufficient to draw smoke away from the cooking surface but not so high as to significantly cool the grill and affect cooking performance.
4Reliability
If exhaust systems are designed for outdoor venting, then smoke removal is improved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust system is designed to be versatile and adaptable to various installation locations. The exhaust plenum can be positioned adjacent to the grill, and the exhaust duct can be routed to different exhaust locations including walls or ceilings, providing flexibility for both indoor and outdoor venting configurations. This universal design simplifies installation by allowing the system to be adapted to different building structures and venting requirements without requiring complex custom fabrication.
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 effectively captures at least 90% of smoke and grease particulates, reducing odors and noise, and allows for portable and cost-effective installation without the need for outdoor venting or additional air make-up, while maintaining low blower velocity to prevent cooling and noise issues.
Implementation Method 1
a blower in fluid communication with the exhaust duct and the at least one filter assembly for exhausting the smoke from the exhaust duct
Implementation Method 2
at least one filter assembly is in fluid communication with the exhaust duct having at least one filter disposed therein for filtering grease from the smoke as the smoke passes through the at least one filter
Implementation Method 3
a first filter comprising a metal screen disposed within the first filter assembly for filtering grease from the smoke as the smoke passes through the first filter, and a second filter comprising a wool fiber disposed within the second filter assembly for filtering grease from the smoke
Data Source
AI summary
A tabletop cooking assembly for preparing foods thereon includes a burner element, a pan surrounding the burner element, a grill adjacent to the burner element, and an exhaust plenum adjacent to the grill having a plurality of apertures for drawing smoke away from the grill and an outlet for exhausting smoke therefrom. The exhaust plenum forms a defined volume around the grill to draw the smoke into the exhaust plenum and away from the grill such that the smoke does not pass through the grill or about the burner element. An exhaust duct and at least one filter assembly having at least one filter disposed therein are in fluid communication with the exhaust plenum for filtering grease. The subject invention also includes a blower for exhausting the smoke from the exhaust duct to an area outside of and immediately adjacent to the tabletop cooking assembly.