Abstract
An air-circulator includes an housing with an air inlet, an air outlet opening, an odor filter, and an insertion opening for inserting the odor filter. The odor filter is assigned to the air outlet opening.
Claims
1. An air-circulator comprising: a housing sealed on a bottom area thereof, the housing having a plurality of sides and a top above the plurality of sides, the housing having a lid that forms at least a portion of the top of the housing, the lid having an upper surface, the housing having an air inlet opening in the upper surface of the lid, an air outlet opening in one of the sides of the housing, an odor filter having an edge profile, and an insertion opening in the upper surface of the lid for inserting the odor filter into the housing, wherein the odor filter is dedicated to the air outlet opening, wherein the housing has a pair of vertically extending opposed guiding profiles with each guiding profile defining a filter channel adapted to support the odor filter, the guiding profile including an end wall, a first projection extending generally perpendicularly from a first portion of the end wall and a second projection extending obliquely from a second portion of the end wall, wherein the second projection is inclined toward the first projection for contact with the filter along a side of the first projection and an edge of the second projection whereby the odor filter is held between the first projection and the second projection.
2. The air-circulator of claim 1, wherein the insertion opening is rectangular with a first dimension and a second dimension, the odor filter has a height, a width, and a thickness, the thickness being less than the height, and the thickness being less than the width, and the width of the odor filter is substantially equal to the first dimension of the insertion opening, and the thickness of the odor filter is substantially equal to the second dimension of the insertion opening.
3. The air-circulator of claim 1, wherein the guiding profile has a carrier formed as a second channel adjacent and generally parallel with the filter channel for guiding a protective grid.
4. The air-circulator of claim 1, wherein the lid has an fastener for fastening to a floor of a cabinet.
5. The air-circulator of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a base which has a height that generally corresponds to a height of a plinth of a cabinet.
6. The air-circulator of claim 1, wherein the air-circulator further comprises a fan which is disposed in the housing of the air-circulator.
7. A fume extractor for sucking contaminated air from a room and cleaning the air, the fume extractor comprising: a suction area; an air-circulator having a housing with an air inlet opening in fluid communication with the suction area and an air outlet opening in fluid communication with the inlet opening, the housing having a plurality of sides and a top above the plurality of sides, the housing having a lid that forms at least a portion of the top of the housing, the lid having an upper surface; an odor filter disposed intermediate the air inlet opening and the air outlet opening, the air-circulator including an insertion opening for inserting the odor filter in the housing, the odor filter having a tab movable between a position flush with the odor filter and a position where the tab projects outwardly from an outer edge of the odor filter for removal of the filter from the housing; a pair of vertically extending opposed guiding profiles inside the housing, each guiding profile defining a filter channel for supporting the odor filter, and including an end wall, a first projection extending generally perpendicularly from a first portion of the end wall and a second projection extending obliquely from a second portion of the end wall, the second projection being inclined toward the first projection for contact with the filter along a side of the first projection and an edge of the second projection; and an air supply line in fluid communication with the air-circulator, wherein the insertion opening is in the upper surface of the lid, the air inlet opening is in the upper surface of the lid, and the air outlet opening is in one of the sides of the housing.
8. The fume extractor of claim 7, wherein the air-circulator comprises a fan disposed within the housing in operative communication with the air inlet opening and the air outlet opening that sucks air in via the suction area.
9. The fume extractor of claim 7, wherein the fume extractor comprises a vertical suction area connected to a downwardly oriented air duct.
10. The fume extractor of claim 7, wherein the odor filter is closely adjacent the air outlet opening.
11. The fume extractor of claim 7, wherein the fume extractor is built into a base unit of a row of kitchen units and the air-circulator is disposed in a plinth of one of the base units of the row of kitchen units.
12. An air-circulator for disposition under a host cabinet, the host cabinet supporting a hob, the air-circulator comprising: a housing sealed on a bottom area thereof, the housing having a plurality of sides and a top above the plurality of sides, the housing having a lid that forms at least a portion of the top of the housing, the lid having an upper surface, the housing having an air inlet opening, an odor filter, and an insertion opening for inserting the odor filter into the housing, a pair of vertically extending opposed guiding profiles inside the housing, each guiding profile defining a filter channel for supporting the odor filter, and including an end wall, a first projection extending generally perpendicularly from a first portion of the end wall and a second projection extending obliquely from a second portion of the end wall, the second projection being inclined toward the first projection for contact with the filter along a side of the first projection and an edge of the second projection; and an air outlet opening covered by a protection grid spaced from the housing and the odor filter, the air outlet opening being adjacent a wall of the host cabinet and connected to the housing with an elongate feeder pipe, the feeder pipe extending between the filter and the air outlet opening, wherein the air outlet opening is configured for lateral air discharge outwardly away from the host cabinet and wherein the odor filter is dedicated to the air outlet opening, wherein the insertion opening is in the upper surface of the lid, and the air inlet opening is in the upper surface of the lid.
13. The air-circulator of claim 12 wherein the guiding profiles each form a corner of the housing.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention will be described afresh with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
(2) FIG. 1: shows a schematic perspective view of a fume extractor according to the invention in a kitchen base unit;
(3) FIG. 2: shows a schematic sectional view of the fume extractor according to FIG. 1;
(4) FIG. 3: shows a schematic sectional view of the fume extractor according to FIG. 1;
(5) FIG. 4: shows a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of the air-circulator according to the invention;
(6) FIG. 5: shows a schematic exploded view of the embodiment of the inventive air-circulator according to FIG. 4;
(7) FIG. 6: shows a schematic perspective view of a guiding profile of the air-circulator according to FIG. 4;
(8) FIG. 7: shows a schematic sectional view of the guiding profile according to FIG. 6;
(9) FIG. 8: shows a schematic perspective view of an odor filter of the air-circulator according to FIG. 4;
(10) FIG. 9: shows a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the air-circulator according to the invention;
(11) FIG. 10: shows a schematic perspective view of a third embodiment of the air-circulator according to the invention;
(12) FIG. 11: shows a schematic perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the air-circulator according to the invention;
(13) FIG. 12: shows a schematic perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the air-circulator according to the invention;
(14) FIG. 13: shows a schematic perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the air-circulator according to the invention; and
(15) FIG. 14: shows a schematic perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the air-circulator according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
(16) Shown in FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a fume extractor 1 according to the invention. The fume extractor 1 is accommodated in a base unit 2. This may, for example, be the base unit 2 of a line of kitchen units. Furthermore, a hob 3 is set into the top of the base unit 2. The fume extractor 1 is arranged such that the suction area 11 of the fume extractor 1 extends in a vertically upward manner and is arranged behind the hob 3. A grease filter (not shown) is provided in the suction area 11 or behind the suction area 11. From the suction area 11, the fume extractor 1 runs in a vertically downward manner into the base unit 2. The blower 12 of the fume extractor 1 is arranged in the interior 21 of the base unit 2 below the hob 3. An air line 4 is connected to the blower 12, i.e. to the air outlet 121 of the blower 12. This air line leads from the blower 12 to an air-circulator 5. The air-circulator 5 is arranged in the plinth 22 of the base unit 2. In the embodiment shown, air grids 221 are provided on the side walls of the plinth 22, via which air grids the air can be emitted into the space in which the fume extractor 1 is operated. The fume extractor 1 shown, in which the air sucked in via the suction area 11 is conveyed further in a downward manner, is also referred to as a down-draft fume extractor.
(17) The sectional view of the fume extractor 1 in FIG. 2 shows a section through the fume extractor 1 and the base unit 2 along a line of intersection which lies parallel to the back wall of the base unit 2 and in the embodiment shown thus parallel to the suction area 11 of the fume extractor 1. As is evident from the view, the blower 12 of the fume extractor 1 is arranged in relation to the floor 23 of the interior 21 of the base unit 2 at a distance above the floor 23. This distance is bridged by means of an air line 4, which can be embodied as a hose, pipe or duct and is not shown in FIG. 2. Here, the air line 4 (see FIG. 1) is connected at the one end to the air outlet 121 of the blower 12 and at the other end to a pipe socket 5155 of the air-circulator 5. In the embodiment shown, a fan 53 is arranged in the air-circulator 5. This fan is accommodated in the housing 51 of the air-circulator 5. The more precise structure of the air-circulator 5 will be described in greater detail later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 14. In the embodiment shown, the fan 53 consequently serves as an additional blower to the blower 12 of the fume extractor 1.
(18) Shown in FIG. 3 is a further sectional view of the fume extractor 1 and the base unit 2. Here, the cross-sectional line is perpendicular to the back wall of the base unit 2. In this view, the storage space 211 available in front of the blower 12 and above the air-circulator 5 in the interior 21 of the base unit 2 is indicated schematically.
(19) Shown in FIG. 4 is a perspective view and in FIG. 5 an exploded view of a first embodiment of the air-circulator 5. The air-circulator 5 has the shape of a shallow rectangular box. The air-circulator essentially consists of a base tray 511 and a lid 515 mounted thereon. A circular air-inlet opening 5151 is provided in the center of the lid 515, on which opening the pipe socket 5155 is placed. A pipe 52 is attached to the pipe socket 5155. Furthermore, two insertion slots 5153 are provided in the lid 515. These insertion slots 5153 run parallel to two opposing edges of the rectangular lid 515 and are adjacent to these edges, i.e. positioned in proximity to these edges. The insertion slots 5153 extend in their length over most of the length of the lid 5153. Access protection grids 513 are provided on the side walls of the air-circulator 5, which side walls are adjacent to the edges, parallel to which the insertion slots 5153 extend. The areas which are covered by the access protection grids 513 are also referred to as air-outlet areas.
(20) As can be seen from FIG. 5, the base tray 511 in the embodiment shown has a U-shape, the base of the U-shape representing the floor of the housing 51. The legs of the U-shape form two opposing side walls of the housing 51. Guiding profiles 512 are set into the base tray 511. These are provided at the corners of the base tray 511 and run vertically. An access protection grid 513 is mounted between two guiding profiles 512 on each of the two open sides of the base tray 511. An odor filter 514 is mounted respectively in the guiding profile 512 behind each access protection grid 513 in the interior of the housing 51. A lid 515 is mounted on the base tray 511. The lid 515 has a tray shape, the floor of the tray closing off top of the interior of the air-circulator 5. The edges of the tray shape are downwardly pointing and grip around the upper region of the side walls of the base tray 511 and of the access protection grids 513. The height of the edges of the lid 515 is small in comparison with the height of the base tray 511. Four outwardly oriented fastening tabs 5152 are provided on the lid 515, in particular on the lower end of the edges of the lid 515.
(21) The odor filters 514 are introduced from above through the insertion slots 5153 in the lid 515 into the interior of the air-circulator 5 and guided and held there by the guiding profiles 512. After the appropriate odor filter 514 has been introduced into the air-circulator 5, the insertion slot 5153 is sealed by means of a sealing strip 5154. This sealing strip may be composed, for example, of plastic, and be connected to the lid 515 of the housing 51 before the introduction of the odor filter 514. As described previously, in the embodiment shown a pipe socket 5155 is mounted on the lid 515, on which pipe socket a pipe 52 is mounted. The pipe 52 can be connected to the pipe socket 5155 by means of a pipe clamp 521 and/or a sealing ring. A pipe clamp 521 can likewise be used for connecting the free end of the pipe 52 to further air-line elements.
(22) The air-circulator 5 constructed in this manner is installed, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the base unit 2. Here, the base tray 511 with the access protection grids 513 provided therein is accommodated in the plinth 22 of the base unit 2. The lid 515 is held by the fasting tabs 5152 on the floor 23 of the interior 21 of the base unit 2 and can via these fastening tabs 5152 be connected to the floor 23, for example screwed thereto.
(23) This installation and the use of an air-circulator 5 according to the invention make it possible on the one hand for the space required in the interior 21 of the base unit 2 to be kept to a minimum. On the other, the accessibility of the lid 515 from the interior 21 of the base unit 2 makes it possible for access to and thus replacement of the odor filters 514 to be realized even when the air-circulator 5 is in the installed position.
(24) The guiding profile 512 which is integrated in the air-circulator 5 has according to one embodiment the form shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The guiding profile 512 comprises a basic profile 5124 that has an L shape. On the inside of a first longer leg 5124a of the L profile 5124 there is provided an inwardly oriented bridge 5125. The bridge 5125 is arranged at a distance from the free end of the first leg 5124a, extends perpendicular to the leg 5124 and runs parallel to the free end of the leg 5124. Two projections 5126a, 5126b are provided on the bridge 5125. These projections 5126a, 5126b also take the form of bridges. The first projection is provided in the vicinity of the first leg 5124a of the L profile 5124. This projection 5126a extends parallel to the first leg 5124a of the L profile 5124. The second projection 5126b, which is also referred to as a holding flange, is provided on the end of the bridge 5125 which is facing away from the first leg 5124a of the L profile 5124. This projection 5126b is inclined toward the first projection 5126a. In particular, the second projection 5126b constitutes a flange which is angled or bent away from the end of the bridge 5125 and is inclined in the direction of the first projection 5126a.
(25) An inwardly oriented screw channel 5123 is provided between the bridge 5125 and the further leg 5124b. This screw channel 5123 is formed by a bridge 5127 on the free end of which a carrier for a screw is provided.
(26) A recess 5128a extending over the length of the L profile 5124 is provided on the second leg 5124b of the L profile 5124 close to the free end. This recess 5128a serves as a further screw channel 5123. The recess 5128a changes into two braces 5128b, 5128c extending in a perpendicular manner from the second leg 5124b. These are connected to one another on the floor of the recess 5128a by means of a cross brace 5128d. The free ends of the two braces 5128b, 5128c standing at a distance from the cross brace 5128d, or the intermediate space formed between these, serves as a further screw channel 5123.
(27) A carrier or guide 5121 for the edge of the access protection grid 513 is formed between the free end of the first leg 5124a of the L profile 5124 and the first projection 5126a. The carrier or a holder 5122 for the edge of the odor filter 514 is formed between the first and the second projection 5126a, 5126b. In that the second projection 5126b is inclined toward the first projection 5126a, the odor filter 514 can be held securely between these two projections 5126a, 5126b.
(28) The guiding profile 512 can be screwed at the bottom to the base tray 511 and at the top to the lid 515 via the screw channels 5123. The joining of the individual components of the housing 51 of the air-circulator 5 is thus established by means of the guiding profiles 512. The guiding profile 512 may, for example, be an extruded part and be composed of plastic or aluminum.
(29) FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of an odor filter 514. The odor filter 514 has the shape of a rectangular plate. A tab 5141 is provided on the top of the odor filter 514, i.e. on the upwardly oriented edge of the odor filter 514 when the odor filter 514 is in the installed position, close to each of the ends. These tabs 5141 project in one position in an upward manner. The tabs 5141 are flexibly embodied and can be pressed in a further position in a downward manner and end flush with the edge of the odor filter 514. By these tabs 5141, the odor filter 514 can be gripped and held firmly. The tabs 5141 can be fastened directly to the odor filter material. However, it also lies within the scope of the invention for the odor filter material to be held in a frame. This frame may be composed, for example, of plastic. In this case, the tabs 5141 can be provided on the frame of the odor filter 514.
(30) FIGS. 9 to 14 show further embodiments of the air-circulator 5 according to the invention. The embodiments in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 correspond substantially to the first embodiment which has been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. However, in the embodiment in FIG. 9, rather than two odor filters 514, four odor filters 514 are provided. These are respectively provided adjacent to the four edges of the housing 51 of the air-circulator 5. In this embodiment, there are therefore provided in the lid 515 four insertion slots 5153 which respectively extend parallel to the edges of the lid 515. Access protection grids 513 are arranged on all four sides of the housing 51. The four access protection grids 513 can all, as has been described with reference to the first exemplary embodiment, be held between two guiding profiles 512 respectively. It is, however, also possible for only two opposing access protection grids 513 to be held in guiding profiles 512 and for the other two access protection grids 513 to be integrated into the side wall of the housing 51 such that they are connected to edge strips of the side walls. Thus, in the second embodiment in FIG. 9, optionally no base tray 511 is used but a base sheet or a base plate on which edge strips project upwardly.
(31) In the embodiment according to FIG. 10, only three odor filters 514 are provided. In this embodiment, too, the arrangement of the odor filters 514 and, correspondingly, the arrangement of the insertion slots 5153 are parallel to the side walls of the housing 51 of the air-circulator 5. In this embodiment, too, preferably at least two of the access protection grids 513 which are arranged in front of the odor filters 514 and serve as air outlet openings, are held in guiding profiles 512. The third access protection grid 513 can be integrated into the side wall of the housing 51 of the air-circulator 5. Finally, FIG. 11 shows an embodiment in which only one odor filter 514 with an access protection grid 513 arranged in front thereof is provided. The other side walls of the housing 51 of the air-circulator 5 are closed. In this embodiment, the odor filter 514 and the access protection grid 513 are preferably held between two guiding profiles 512.
(32) FIG. 12 shows an alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, an odor filter 514 is also provided. However, the access protection grid 513 which is assigned to this odor filter 514 is not provided directly in the side wall of the housing 51 of the air-circulator 5. Rather, a feeder pipe 5131 is provided on the side wall of the housing 51, which feeder pipe connects the housing 51 to an air outlet located at a distance. The air outlet has a larger area than the diameter of the feeder pipe 5131. In the embodiment shown, the air outlet is formed by a container with a rectangular outlet area. An access protection grid 513 or another grid is provided on the outlet area. Although only one feeder pipe 5131 with corresponding air outlet is shown in the Figure, it lies within the scope of the invention for corresponding feeder pipes 5131 to be provided on several of the side areas of the housing 51 of the air-circulator 5, which feeder pipes are each connected to corresponding air outlets.
(33) FIG. 13 shows a further embodiment of the air-circulator 5 according to the invention. The lid 515 and one of the side walls of the housing 51 are represented transparently in FIG. 13 in order to allow an insight into the interior of the air-circulator 5. This embodiment corresponds substantially to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. However, in the embodiment according to FIG. 13, a fan 53 is provided in the interior of the housing 51. By means of this fan 53, air is sucked in through the pipe socket 5155 and a pipe optionally fastened thereto (not shown) into the air-circulator 5 and blown out through the odor filter 514 and the access protection grid 513. The fan 53 is a radial fan so the height of the fan 53 can be kept low to suit the height of the air-circulator 5.
(34) FIG. 14 shows a further embodiment of the air-circulator 5 according to the invention. This embodiment corresponds to the embodiment shown in FIG. 13. In particular, a fan 53 is also provided in this embodiment in the housing 51. However, the pipe socket 5155 in the embodiment according to FIG. 14 is designed such that two pipes can be connected via this socket to the air-circulator 5. Such an air-circulator 5 can be used for example with fume extractors 1 in which two separate suction areas 11 are provided. These can be arranged for example vertically to the left and to the right of a hob 3.
(35) The air-circulators 5 shown in FIGS. 4 to 14 can be integrated within a base unit 2, the base tray 511 or a base plate with the guiding profiles 512 fastened thereto and the access protection grids 513 inserted into the guiding profiles 512 being embedded into the floor 23 of the base unit 2. The base tray 511 is in this position largely accommodated in the plinth 22 of the base unit 2. Before the base tray 511 is introduced into the plinth, the lid 515 is preferably mounted on the base tray 511 and screwed via the guiding profiles 512 to the guiding profiles and thus to the base tray 511. In the inserted position in the plinth 22, the fastening tabs 5152 of the lid 515 lie on the floor 23 of the base unit 2. Via these, the air-circulator 5 can be screwed to the floor 23. Via the insertion slots 5153, the odor filters 514 can be inserted into the housing 51 of the air-circulator 5.
(36) The air-circulator 5 can be provided in the same base unit 2 in which the fume extractor 1 and the hob 3 are integrated. However, it is also within the scope of the invention for the air-circulator 5 to be integrated in a base unit 2 which is adjacent to the base unit 2 in which the fume extractor 1 is provided. The insertion of the air-circulator 5 in a base unit 2 that is separated from the base unit 2 of the fume extractor 1 by further base units 2 is also within the scope of the present invention. The connection of the air-circulator 5 and of the fume extractor 1 in particular of a duct that is connected to the suction area 11, can be formed by a pipe or a hose.
(37) The present invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown. In particular, individual features of one embodiment can also be combined with the further features of a different embodiment without all the further features shown in connection with the individual feature necessarily having to be implemented.
(38) For example, the pipe socket which is shown in FIG. 14 and to which two pipes can be connected can also be provided on an air-circulator in which no fan is provided or which has a larger or smaller number of odor filters and access protection grids and thus air-outlet areas. Furthermore, in the embodiments in which more or fewer than two odor filters with corresponding air-outlet surfaces are provided, can also have a fan in the interior.
(39) The shape of the housing or the structure of the housing may also deviate from the embodiments shown.
(40) A range of benefits can be achieved with the fume extractor according to the invention and the air-circulator according to the invention. Thus, firstly, ease of assembly is provided by the shape and the concept for the fastening of the air-circulator on a cabinet and of the individual parts of the air-circulator in the air-circulator. In addition, by virtue of the fact that the housing of the air-circulator is installed in the plinth of the base unit, no change to the dwelling is required. In particular, by virtue of the air-circulator, there is no need for air-extraction pipework. The insertion slots in the lid of the housing of the air-circulator, together with the guiding profiles make it possible for the filter medium to be changed quickly and easily. In that the carrier of a fan is provided, or can be provided, with the same sheet parts modules can be constructed which provide purely an air-circulating solution with external blower or alternatively, with a built-in fan, offer an all-in-one solution. The shape of the guiding profile, which can consist of aluminum, allows fast filter changing and at the same time screwing to the sheet parts as well as insertion of the access protection. The space-saving arrangement in the base unit, in particular in the plinth of the base unit makes it possible for the remaining space to be used as possible storage for pots and pans, for example. Since the cleaned air is discharged inside the plinth of the kitchen furniture, the point of discharge can be set arbitrarily. For example, the point of discharge of the air out of the kitchen furniture may be several meters away from the air-circulator itself. An annoying draught of air during cooking can be prevented by this means. The invention permits arbitrary combinations, optionally comprising one or more filters. Furthermore, when being changed the filter medium can be held by means of the tabs attached thereto. Contact between the hands and the filter itself, and contamination of the hands thereby, can be avoided by this means. Finally, the invention provides options for connecting several exhaust elements and thereby further increases the flexibility of use of the air-circulator.
