Abstract
An image processing apparatus, in particular a camera apparatus and/or imaging apparatus for a cooker hood and a cooker hood. The camera apparatus includes a camera and/or the imaging apparatus includes an imaging device, an airflow generation apparatus, and an air channel, where an airflow generated by the airflow generation apparatus flows out of an outlet of the air channel. The outlet of the air channel is formed in a local area around the camera and/or imaging device. Disposing of the outlet of the air channel causes the airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel to form an air curtain in front of the camera and/or imaging device, thus preventing smoke from coming into contact with the camera and/or imaging device, protecting the camera and/or imaging device from pollution of smoke, and facilitating heat dissipation of the camera and/or imaging device.
Claims
1. An image processing apparatus for a cooker hood, comprising: an image processing device having an exposed surface via which images are taken or emitted; an air channel having an outlet formed on exactly one side of the image processing device; and an airflow generation apparatus configured to generate an airflow which flows out of the outlet of the air channel; wherein the air channel and the outlet are configured to direct the airflow to pass in front of the exposed surface of the image processing device.
2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a housing accommodating the image processing device and the airflow generation apparatus, said housing having an entrance to constitute an inlet of the air channel.
3. The image processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the air channel comprises a by-pass channel located outside the housing and communicating with the housing, said by-pass channel having an outlet which constitutes the outlet of the air channel.
4. The image processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the by-pass channel is a bent channel integrally formed on the housing.
5. The image processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the entrance of the housing is located at a side surface of the housing in alignment to the image processing device or at a lateral anterior side of the image processing device.
6. An image processing apparatus for a cooker hood, comprising: an image processing device; an airflow generation apparatus configured to generate an airflow; and an air channel having an outlet disposed on exactly one side of the image processing device and configured to cause the airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel to form an air curtain in front of the image processing device.
7. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the image processing device is a camera, said outlet of the air channel being formed at a location to cause the airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel to form an air curtain in front of the camera.
8. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, constructed in the form of a imaging apparatus including an imaging device as the image processing device, said outlet of the air channel being formed at a location to cause the airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel to form an air curtain in front of the imaging device.
9. The image processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the imaging device is a projecting device.
10. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the image processing device includes a camera and an imaging device.
11. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the air curtain horizontally extends in front of the image processing device.
12. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a housing accommodating the image processing device and the airflow generation apparatus, said housing having an entrance to constitute an inlet of the air channel.
13. The image processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises a side wall and a flow guide portion at the outlet of the air channel, said flow guide portion extending obliquely or perpendicularly relative to the side wall.
14. The image processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the air channel comprises a by-pass channel located outside the housing and communicating with the housing, said by-pass channel having an outlet which constitutes the outlet of the air channel.
15. The image processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the by-pass channel is a bent channel integrally formed on the housing.
16. The image processing apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a filter disposed at the entrance of the housing.
17. The image processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the image processing device is installed at a front side of the housing, said entrance of the housing being located at a back side of the housing relative to the image processing device.
18. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the airflow generation apparatus is an axial flow fan.
19. The image processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the entrance of the housing is located at a side surface of the housing in alignment to the image processing device or at a lateral anterior side of the image processing device.
20. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the airflow generation apparatus is a centrifugal fan.
21. A cooker hood, comprising an image processing apparatus comprising an image processing device, an air channel having an outlet, and an airflow generation apparatus configured to generate an airflow which flows out of the outlet disposed on exactly one side of the image processing device and configured to cause the airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel to form an air curtain in front of the image processing device.
22. The cooker hood of claim 21, further comprising: a machine housing, said image processing apparatus being installed on the machine housing; and a fan disposed in the machine housing and configured to generate a negative pressure to suction smoke, said outlet of the air channel being located at a side of the image processing device away from the fan.
23. The cooker hood of claim 21, further comprising: a machine housing, said image processing apparatus being installed on the machine housing; and a fan disposed in the machine housing and configured to generate a negative pressure to suction smoke, wherein in an operating state of the fan, an airflow generated by the fan causes the airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel to form the air curtain in front of the image processing device.
24. The cooker hood of claim 22, wherein the machine housing comprises an exhaust fume collecting hood, said image processing apparatus being installed on the exhaust fume collecting hood.
25. The cooker hood of claim 24, wherein the exhaust fume collecting hood defines a cavity which is separate from the fan, with an inlet of the air channel being located in the cavity.
26. The cooker hood of claim 24, wherein the exhaust fume collecting hood is provided with an opening communicating with the outside, with an inlet of the air channel being disposed at the opening.
27. The cooker hood of claim 26, wherein the opening is located at a top surface of the exhaust fume collecting hood.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] The disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the disclosure, and wherein:
[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagram of an area B in FIG. 1;
[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
[0037] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
[0038] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
[0039] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and
[0040] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0041] 1: Cooker hood; 2: Machine housing; 3: Fan; 4: Filter gauze; 5: Oil cap; 10: image processing apparatus (camera apparatus, imaging apparatus); 20: Exhaust fume collecting hood; 21: Bottom surface; 22: Top surface; 100: image processing device (camera, imaging device); 200: Airflow generation apparatus; 220: Opening; 300: Air channel; 302: Outlet of an air channel; 400: housing; 401: Entrance of a housing; 410: Side wall; 420: Flow guide portion; 500: By-pass channel; 502: Outlet of a by-pass channel; 600: Filter; and S: Cavity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] To further understand the objectives, structures, features and functions of the present invention, detailed descriptions are given below in coordination with the embodiments.
[0043] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagram of an area B in FIG. 1. The cooker hood 1 includes a machine housing 2, and a fan 3 applicable to generating a negative pressure for sucking smoke is disposed in the machine housing 2. The machine housing 2 includes an exhaust fume collecting hood 20 located below the fan 3. The exhaust fume collecting hood 20 defines a cavity S, and the cavity S is separate from the fan 3. A filter gauze 4 for filtering smoke and an oil cap 5 for collecting condensed grease are installed on the exhaust fume collecting hood 20. An image processing apparatus 10 is further installed on the exhaust fume collecting hood 20. The image processing apparatus 10 may be a camera apparatus or an imaging apparatus, such as a projection apparatus. The embodiments will hereinafter be described with reference to embodiments, where the image processing apparatus 10 is a camera apparatus, comprising a camera as an image processing device 100.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the camera apparatus 10 includes a camera 100, an airflow generation apparatus 200 and an air channel 300. The airflow generation apparatus 200 in this embodiment is an axial flow fan, an airflow generated by the airflow generation apparatus 200 flows out of an outlet 302 of the air channel 300, and the outlet 302 of the air channel 300 is formed in a local area around the camera 100. Specifically, the outlet 302 of the air channel 300 is located at a side of the camera 100 away from the fan 3. Special disposing, that means design, of the outlet 302 of the air channel 300 causes the airflow flowing out of the outlet 302 of the air channel 300 to form an air curtain in front of the camera 100, thus preventing smoke from coming into contact with the camera 100 and protecting the camera 100 from pollution of the smoke. In addition, flowing of the airflow of the outlet 302 of the air channel 300 may strengthen heat dissipation of the camera 100. Dashed lines with arrows in FIG. 2 represent an airflow generated by operating of the fan 3, and white solid line arrows represent the airflow generated by the airflow generation apparatus 200.
[0045] The camera apparatus 10 in this embodiment includes a housing 400 used for accommodating the camera 100 and the airflow generation apparatus 200, where the housing 400 has an entrance 401 and the entrance 401 constitutes an inlet of the air channel 300. After the camera apparatus 10 is installed on the cooker hood, the entrance 401 of the housing 400 is located in the cavity S defined by the exhaust fume collecting hood 20, that is, the inlet of the air channel 300 in this embodiment is located in the cavity S. A filter 600 is disposed at the entrance 401 of the housing 400 to clean air entering the air channel 300, so that the air sucked into the air channel 300 does not contain grease and the like.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 2, the camera 100 in this embodiment is installed at a front side of the housing 400, and the entrance 401 of the housing 400 is located at a back side of the housing 400 relative to the camera 100. The camera apparatus 10 is installed on the exhaust fume collecting hood 20 of the cooker hood with the camera 100 facing down. Thus, after the camera apparatus 10 is installed, the camera 100 is correspondingly located in a bottom portion of the housing 400, and the entrance 401 of the housing is located in a top portion of the housing 400. When the airflow generation apparatus 200 operates, air is sucked from the entrance 401 in the top portion of the housing 400, and the airflow moves downward in the air channel 300 and is discharged out of the outlet 302 of the air channel. The housing 400 is a square column that is injection molded by using a plastic material. The housing 400 includes a side wall 410, there is a flow guide portion 420 at the outlet 302 of the air channel 300, and the flow guide portion 420 obliquely extends relative to the side wall 410. After the camera apparatus 10 is installed, the flow guide portion 420 extends towards the direction of the fan 3. Thus, the flow guide portion 420 makes the airflow flowing out of the outlet 302 of the air channel obliquely move forward towards the direction of the fan 3 (represented by white solid line arrows at the outlet 302 of the air channel) and form an oblique air curtain in front of the camera 100. The flowing direction of the airflow flowing out of the outlet 302 of the air channel is substantially consistent with that of the airflow generated by operating of the fan 3 at the position, and the two airflows both flow forward towards the direction of the fan 3.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Structures and functions of elements in this embodiment are the same as those of same elements in the first embodiment, and details are not described herein again. Different from the first embodiment, the flow guide portion 420 at the outlet 302 of the air channel 300 in this embodiment perpendicularly extends relative to the side wall 410. It can be learned from FIG. 3 that the flowing direction of the airflow flowing out of the outlet 302 of the air channel is more consistent with the flowing direction of the airflow generated by operating of the fan at the position, no vortex is generated, and no airflow is turbulent at a junction of the two airflows. The flow guide portion 420 in the first embodiment obliquely extends. A vortex is possibly generated in left-front of the camera 100 and the smoke is further brought up. Thus, the smoke may possibly come into contact with a quite small exposed part of the camera. Certainly, an oblique angle of the flow guide portion 420 may be designed to reduce a possibility of generating the vortex. In addition, in comparison with the first embodiment, an air curtain horizontally extending is formed in front of the camera 100 in this embodiment. The air curtain is parallel to an exposed surface of the camera, thus more fully preventing the smoke from coming into contact with the camera, and the effect of preventing the smoke is better. In addition, the air curtain horizontally extending covers an entire exposed part of the camera, so that the heat dissipation of the camera is more uniform.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Structures and functions of elements in this embodiment are the same as those of elements having same numbers in the first embodiment, and details are not described herein again. Different from the first embodiment, the airflow generation apparatus 200 in this embodiment is a centrifugal fan. The entrance 401 of the housing 400 is located at a side surface of the housing 400, and the entrance 401 of the housing 400 is corresponding to the camera 100. A by-pass channel 500 communicating with the housing 400 is formed on the side wall 410 of the housing 400, the by-pass channel 500 is a bent channel integrally formed on the housing 400, and the housing 400 and the by-pass channel 500 are formed at a time by means of injection molding in this embodiment. An outlet 502 of the by-pass channel 500 is located in a local area around the camera 100. The outlet 502 of the by-pass channel 500 constitutes the outlet of the air channel 300. The airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel 300 forms the air curtain obliquely extending in front of the camera 100. In addition, the flowing direction of the airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel 300 is substantially consistent with that of the airflow generated by operating of the fan at the position. In comparison with the first embodiment, a further benefit of this embodiment is that because the entrance 401 of the housing is located at a side surface of the housing and is corresponding to the camera, when the airflow generation apparatus 200 operates, the air sucked from the entrance 401 flows through a part of the camera 100 located in the housing 400 during entering the airflow generation apparatus 200, and can remove some heat of the part of the camera located in the housing 400. The airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel can remove heat of the exposed part of the camera 100, thus implementing the heat dissipation of the camera in all directions, and the effect of heat dissipation is better.
[0049] Further referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Structures and functions of elements in this embodiment are the same as those of elements having same numbers in the third embodiment, and details are not described herein again. Different from the third embodiment, the flow guide portion 420 is disposed at the outlet of the air channel 300, that is, the outlet 502 of the by-pass channel, and the flow guide portion 420 perpendicularly extends relative to the side wall 410 of the housing 400. Thus, the airflow direction of an airflow flowing out of the outlet 502 of the by-pass channel 500 is more consistent with the flowing direction of an airflow generated by operating of the fan at the position, no vortex is generated, and no airflow is turbulent at a junction of the two airflows. An improved structure in this embodiment has the benefits of the second embodiment and the third embodiment. Refer to the corresponding descriptions of the second embodiment and the third embodiment, and details are not described herein again.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Structures and functions of elements in this embodiment are the same as those of elements having same numbers in the first embodiment, and details are not described herein again. Different from the first embodiment, the inlet of the air channel in this embodiment is located outside the cavity S defined by the exhaust fume collecting hood 20. Specifically, the exhaust fume collecting hood 20 includes a bottom surface 21 and a top surface 22 opposite to each other, and the bottom surface 21 is a surface of the exhaust fume collecting hood 20 located below the cooker hood when the exhaust fume collecting hood 20 is in an installing state. An opening 220 is provided at the top surface 22 of the exhaust fume collecting hood 20, the opening 220 communicates with the outside world, and the inlet of the air channel 300 is disposed at the opening 220. The entrance 401 of the housing 400 in this embodiment constitutes the inlet of the air channel 300, and the entrance 401 of the housing is located at the opening 220. In comparison with the first embodiment, a further benefit of this embodiment is that the air sucked into the air channel 300 from the entrance 401 of the housing is air above the exhaust fume collecting hood instead of air gathering smoke below the exhaust fume collecting hood. Thus, the air sucked into the air channel is relatively clean air. Thus, a service life of the filter at the entrance of the housing 400 is long, and a replacing or cleaning frequency is lower in comparison with that in the first embodiment. If a user is accustomed to cooking with a little smoke, the filter at the entrance 401 of the housing 400 in this embodiment may be omitted.
[0051] Finally, referring to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a cooker hood according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Structures and functions of elements in this embodiment are the same as those of elements having same numbers in the fifth embodiment, and details are not described herein again. Different from the fifth embodiment, in an operating state of the fan of the cooker hood 1 in this embodiment, an airflow generated by the fan causes an airflow flowing out of the outlet 302 of the air channel 300 to form an air curtain in front of the camera 100. As shown in FIG. 7, when the fan is not switched on, the airflow flowing out of the outlet 302 of the air channel perpendicularly flows downward. After the fan is switched on, a negative pressure generated by the fan is large enough, so that the airflow generated by operating of the fan causes the airflow flowing out of the outlet of the air channel to deviate towards the direction of the fan, and finally to form the air curtain in front of the camera 100.
[0052] In any of the above described embodiments, the image processing apparatus 10 of the cooker hood 1 may be an imaging apparatus comprising an imaging device. One embodiment where the imaging apparatus is a projection apparatus with a projection device as imaging device will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0053] The projection apparatus 10 includes a projection device 100, which may also be referred to as projector. The projection apparatus 10 may include further components such as control units (not shown). As described above in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image processing apparatus, i.e. the projection apparatus 10 is installed on the exhaust fume collecting hood 20.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 2, the projection apparatus 10 includes a projection device 100, i.e. a projector. From the projection device 100 images may be projected down onto a surface below the cooker hood or to a wall behind the cooker hood. The images will be projected from the bottom surface of the projection device 100. The images may be content such as media content. Alternatively, the content may be for example the image of a user interface, which may be displayed on a surface below the cooker hood. In this case, the projection apparatus 10 may further include sensor means (not shown) which can sense movement of for example the user of the cooker hood in the area of the displayed user interface.
[0055] As the cooker hood comprises an airflow generation apparatus 200 and an air channel 300 and in the depicted embodiment, an airflow is generated by the airflow generation apparatus 200, the airflow flows out of an outlet 302 of the air channel 300. The outlet 302 of the air channel 300 is formed in a local area around the projection device 100, the images projected by the projection device will not be influenced by smoke. Also the projection device will be protected from coming into contact with smoke and thus from being polluted by the smoke. In addition, flowing of the airflow of the outlet 302 of the air channel may strengthen heat dissipation of the projection device 100.
[0056] Also sensing of signals at sensor means (not shown) at the projection device 100 will not be influenced by smoke or pollution at the surface of the projection device, as such pollution is prevented by the air which is provided by the air channel according to the invention.
[0057] The projection apparatus 10 includes a housing 400 used for accommodating the projection device 100 and the airflow generation apparatus 200, where the housing 400 has an entrance 401 and the entrance 401 constitutes an inlet of the air channel 300. After the projection apparatus 10 is installed on the cooker hood, the entrance 401 of the housing 40 is located in the cavity S defined by the exhaust fume collecting hood 20, that is, the inlet of the air channel 300 in this embodiment is located in the cavity S. A filter 600 is disposed at the entrance 401 of the housing 400 to clean air entering the air channel 300, so that the air sucked into the air channel 300 does not contain grease and the like.
[0058] The installation of the projection device 100 corresponds to the installation as described above with respect to the embodiment of the cooker hood with a camera apparatus as image processing apparatus
[0059] In a further embodiment, the image processing apparatus may comprise at least one camera as well as at least one imaging device, such as a projector. In this embodiment, the camera and projector may be housed in a common housing. The layout of the housing may any of the layouts as shown and described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 7. It is, however, also possible, that the camera and projector may be arranged in separate housings, in that case separate airflow generation apparatuses may be provided or one single airflow generation apparatus may be arranged such that an air flow can be generated in the air channel of both housings. Also in this embodiment one common outlet may be used or separate outlets may be provided.
[0060] The present invention has been described in the foregoing related embodiments, but the foregoing embodiments are merely examples of implementing the present invention. It should be noted that the disclosed embodiment does not limit the scope of the present invention. In contrary, variations and modifications made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
