Ventilation channel assembly for a kitchen exhaust system and floor with said ventilation channel assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exhaust air duct systems made of sheet metal face challenges in achieving high mechanical strength while maintaining thin wall thicknesses, which is necessary for cost-effectiveness and compliance with fire protection requirements, especially when subjected to step loads or installation in building floors.
Innovation Solution
The exhaust air duct arrangement incorporates a support structure with Z-shaped sections that connect C-shaped contact sections, allowing for adjustable reinforcement and reduced pressure loss, enabling the use of thin sheet metal without compromising mechanical strength, and includes a slip-on seal to cover sharp cut edges for safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sheet metal thickness is reduced to lower costs, then cost-effectiveness improves, but mechanical strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines thin sheet metal with a polymeric support structure to create a composite system. The thin sheet metal (0.3-0.8mm) provides the duct structure, while the polymeric support structure with Z-shaped sections and contact sections provides the necessary mechanical strength and stiffness, allowing the use of thinner, more cost-effective metal without compromising overall structural integrity.
2Ease of manufacture
If sheet metal thickness is reduced to lower costs, then material cost decreases, but resistance to step loads deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The composite construction combines thin sheet metal with a specifically designed polymeric support structure. The support structure's Z-shaped sections with contact sections bearing against the sheet metal tube create a system that can withstand step loads and installation forces, enabling the use of thinner, cheaper metal while maintaining load resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure extends in the longitudinal direction of the sheet metal tube, distributing loads along the length of the duct rather than concentrating them at single points. This dimensional approach to reinforcement allows thin-walled construction to resist step loads effectively.
3Strength
If reinforcement ribs are added to increase mechanical strength, then structural strength improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding reinforcement ribs directly to the sheet metal tube (which would increase complexity), the patent extracts the reinforcement function into a separate, removable polymeric support structure. This modular approach provides the necessary strength while keeping the sheet metal tube itself simple and easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is divided into discrete components: Z-shaped sections with contact sections that bear against the sheet metal tube at specific locations. This segmentation allows the reinforcement function to be distributed along the duct length while maintaining simplicity in both the tube design and the support structure components.
4Strength
If support structure is added to increase mechanical strength, then load-bearing capacity improves, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is designed with contact sections that bear against the sheet metal tube at specific locations rather than continuously along the entire length. The Z-shaped sections provide localized reinforcement where needed (at supports and bends) while leaving the majority of the duct cross-section open for airflow, minimizing pressure loss while maintaining load-bearing capacity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an exhaust air duct arrangement (1) for a kitchen exhaust air duct system, characterized in that the exhaust air duct arrangement (1) consists of a sheet metal tube (2) and a support structure which is accommodated in the interior of the sheet metal tube (2) and can be displaced along the longitudinal direction (x) of the sheet metal tube (2). (3) consists of two opposite wall sections (4) of the sheet metal tube (2) are supported against each other.