EP2589882A1

EP2589882A1 - Household filtering hood with pull-out tray

Info

Publication number: EP2589882A1
Application number: EP11425267.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francesco Casoli
Original assignee: Elica SpA
Current assignee: Elica SpA
Priority date: 2011-11-04
Filing date: 2011-11-04
Publication date: 2013-05-08
Also published as: CN202993316U

Abstract

The present invention relates to a home gas filtering hood (1) comprising a ventilating unit (2) having a gas intake section (3), a collecting section (4) associated with the intake section (3) of the ventilating unit (2), which is adapted to receive a gas flow therethrough in the direction from the home environment to said intake section, a tray (5) which is movable in a predetermined direction of movement (X-X) and is translationally associated with said collecting section (4), said tray (5) being configured to be movable relative to said collecting section (4) between a rest position, in which it is retracted from said collecting section and is substantially hidden to the exterior, and a work position in which said tray (5) is pulled out of said collecting section (4). The hood is characterized in that it comprises damping means (6) operably associated with said tray (5) for damping the motion of said tray (5) when the latter is moved from said work position to said rest position and/or vice versa, said damping means (6) operating along a damping axis (X-X') parallel to said predetermined direction of movement (X-X) of said tray (5).

Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a domestic gas filtering hood, particularly having a pull-out tray, as defined in the preamble of claim 1.

Background art

Domestic gas filtering hoods with pull-out trays are known in the art.
For instance, EP 1139027 , EP 0603537 , DE 102005008373 and DE2206904 disclose hoods, each having a pull-out tray adapted to move from a first rest position, in which the tray is substantially hidden from the user, to a pulled-out state relative to the collecting section.
In the embodiments of these disclosures, the tray houses the filters that are used for filtering the gas extracted by the hood's motor through the collecting section of the hood.
Particularly, in these documents, the purpose is to provide a movable tray for easier maintenance and/or replacement of the above mentioned filters when the tray is in the operating position, i.e. in the pulled-out position.
Furthermore, the disclosures of these documents also mention the advantage, inter alia, of increasing the area available to the filters when the tray is in its pulled-out position, to allow filtration of a larger volume of extracted gases.
Nevertheless, while the embodiments of these disclosures have undoubtedly advantageous features, they still suffer from certain drawbacks.
For instance, the provision and implementation of the members required for moving the tray in the hood's frame actually involves a considerable reduction of the useful space available to the filters, thereby affecting gas filtering performance.
An additional drawback of the hoods disclosed in these documents is that the hood must be designed anew, which apparently involves time and cost increase.
A further problem to be solved in hoods with pull-out trays is to ensure that the tray can be closed. In prior art hoods, the tray may not be fully closed due to a wrong force imparted to the tray as it is being closed.
If too large or too little force is applied to close the tray, then the tray is not fully closed. Particularly, when the tray is closed using too much force, then the tray may bounce against the support frame and stop in a partially pulled-out position relative to the hood, and when the tray is closed using an inadequate force, then such force may be too little to close the tray.
If the tray is not in its proper closed position, then the exterior appearance of the hood will be affected, and more importantly its filtering performance will be degraded.
Furthermore, the provision of pull-out trays as disclosed in the above mentioned documents involves the implementation of arrangements that may cause inappropriate undulatory or zig-zag movements which may eventually lead the tray to stick as it moves.

Object of the Invention

In the light of the above prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide a hood that can solve the above mentioned prior art drawbacks.
According to the present invention, this object is fulfilled by a hood having a cushioned moving tray as characterized in claim 1.
The present invention provides a home gas extracting hood with a cushioned tray moving between first and second positions, and preferably but without limitation housing the filters, that does not cover the filters' useful area and ensures that the tray can be closed regardless of the force applied, for instance, to close it.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a hood whose tray has a more accurate movement and is less exposed to sticking, even when the tray is withdrawn from or inserted into the collecting section with a withdrawing/inserting force parallel to the tray withdrawing/inserting direction.
Also, with the present invention, a hood may be equipped with a cushioned moving tray, whose motion during insertion is damped for smoother, evener insertion thereof into the collecting section, and whose motion during withdrawal is safer and less subject to undulations than in the prior art.
The present invention also allows the hood to be equipped with the cushioned moving tray without being designed anew.

Brief description of the drawings

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of one practical embodiment, which is illustrated without limitation in the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1A shows a perspective view of the damper means for damping the movement of a tray that is part of an extractor hood when these damper means are in a rest state according to the present invention;
Figure 1B shows a perspective view of the damper means for damping the movement of a tray when these damper means are in a work state of the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the hood when the tray is in the pulled-out position, i.e. when the damper means are in the position as shown in Figure 1B, according to the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the hood when the tray is in the retracted position, i.e. when the damper means are in the position as shown in Figure 1A, according to the present invention;
Figure 4 shows a perspective bottom view of the hood when the tray is in the pulled-out position, without the gas filters, according to the present invention;
Figure 5 shows a perspective bottom view of the hood when the tray is in the pulled-out position, with the gas filters, according to the present invention;

Detailed description

Referring to the accompanying figures, numeral 1 designates a home gas filtering hood of the present invention. The hood 1 comprises:

a ventilating unit 2 having a gas intake section 3;
a collecting section 4 associated with the intake section 3 of the ventilating unit, which is adapted to receive a gas flow therethrough in the direction from the home environment to the intake section 3.

Once the gases have been extracted by the intake section 3, they are evacuated through an exhaust line 4A.
In the embodiment of the figures, the intake section 3 and the collecting section 4 are confined in an enclosure 1A (or case), which may have, for instance, the shape of a parallelepiped.
Particularly, the enclosure 1A of the hood 1 extends along a vertical axis Y-Y, i.e. in a direction substantially perpendicular to a cooktop (not shown).
Such vertical axis Y-Y may represent the direction of gas flow from the home environment to the intake section 4.
The hood 1 also comprises a tray 5 which is translationally movable relative to the collecting section 4 of the hood 1 in a predetermined direction of movement X-X.
Particularly, the direction of movement X-X of the tray 5 is transverse, preferably orthogonal, to the vertical direction Y-Y.
The tray 5 is configured to be movable (or translationally movable) relative to the collecting section 4 in the direction of movement X-X between a rest position, in which it is retracted from the collecting section 4 (Figure 3) and is substantially hidden to the exterior, and a work position in which said tray is pulled out of said collecting section 4 (Figure 2).
The tray 5 is defined by two wings 5A and 5B which project, for instance, in parallel and opposite positions out of a bottom 5C and a front edge 5D which also projects out of the bottom 5C, to define a useful volume for receiving, for instance, one or more filters 5E.
It shall be noted that:

the bottom 5C of the tray 5 is configured, for instance, to support such filters 5E, which have a filtering material for filtering gases, but also not to obstruct the flow of gases, according to prior art techniques, which will be not described herein;
the edge 5D is configured, for instance, to be held by a user's hand to move the tray 5 relative the collecting section 4, i.e. the edge 5D is the part exposed to the user when the tray 5 is in its rest position.

The peculiar feature of the present invention is that the hood 1 comprises damper means 6 (Figures 1A and 1B), which are operably associated with the tray 5 to damp the motion of the tray, particularly when the tray is moved from the work position to the rest position and/or vice versa (Figures 2 and 3).
In the preferred embodiment, the damper means 6 only operate when the tray is moved from the work position to the rest position.
For this purpose, the damper means 6 are operably associated with the tray 5 to operate along a damping axis X'-X' which is parallel to the predetermined axis of movement X-X of the tray 5.
Therefore, the damping axis X'-X' of the damper means 6 is offset from the axis of movement X-X of the tray 5.
Particularly, the damper means 6 allow the tray 5 to have a damped motion, for smoother, evener insertion thereof into the frame 1A, whereas the withdrawal motion is safer and less undulatory than in the prior art.
Furthermore, due to the provision of the damper means 6 offset from the direction of movement X-X of the tray 5, the useful area of the tray may be left unchanged, whereby the volume of the tray 5 and hence the filtering capacity of the filters per unit area, when they are placed in the volume defined by the tray 7, may be left unchanged.
Finally, the presence of the damper means ensures that the tray 5 is always properly closed.
It shall be noted that the damper means 6 are preferably provided at each wing 5A, 5B of the tray 5.
To ensure mobility of the tray 5 in the direction X-X, the damper means 6 include:

a support structure 20 for translationally supporting the tray 5 from the rest position to the work position and/or vice versa, relative to the collecting section;
at least one damper 9, for damping the travel of the tray 5, when the latter moves from the rest position to the work position and/or vice versa relative to the collecting section 4, which are designed to damp the motion of the tray 5 according to appropriate damping rules.

Particularly, the support structure 20 may include:

a stationary guide element 7, associated with the collecting section 4 and extending in the direction of movement of the tray 5;
a guide element 8 which is:
- movable along the guide element 7,
- associated with the tray 5 and
- extends in the direction of movement X-X of the tray 5;
connecting means 12, which are configured to connect the damper 9 to the guide element 7.

Particularly, the damper 9 is arranged between the movable guide element 7 and the stationary guide element 8.
Such arrangement is advantageous in that it allows the members required for moving the tray to be accommodated between the collecting section 4 and each wing 5A, 5B of the tray 5, thereby minimizing the space required thereby, and ensuring a filter area, if any filter is provided, which is substantially identical to the configuration with no tray moving members.
In other words, according to a preferred embodiment, the damper 9 is not disposed within the volume of the tray 5, i.e. within the volume defined between the two wings 5A, 5B, the bottom 5C and the edge 5D of the tray 5.
The damper 9 comprises a cylinder 10 having a piston 11 sliding therein, and particularly the piston 11, preferably its foot 11A is connected to the guide element 7 via connecting means 12.
Therefore, these connecting means 12 are integral with the guide element 7 and extend in a direction of extension Z-Z which is transverse, preferably orthogonal to the direction of movement X-X of the tray 5 or, likewise, to the direction of extension X'-X' of the damper 9.
It shall be noted that, by making the piston 11 integral with the guide element 7 via the connecting means 12, the feature is obtained that any displacement imparted to the tray 5 by the user is directly transferred to the movable guide 8 and hence to the piston 11.
For this purpose, the connecting means 12 consist, for instance, of a rod or tooth made of an inelastic material, such as iron or plastic, transversely extending between the piston 11 and the guide element 7.
In practice, the operation of the damper means 6 is as follows:

as the tray 5 is pulled out, a spring in the cylinder 10 is loaded and the piston 11 comes out of the cylinder 10;
as the tray 5 is closed, the spring moves the tray back to its closed or rest position and the piston 11 provides a smooth motion, and prevents the tray from banging and/or from re-opening.

Advantageously, the presence of the damper 9 ensures that the tray 5 can be always fully closed, regardless of the force applied to the edge 5D.
In a preferred embodiment, a lock/release member 13 is provided between the piston 11 and the connecting means 12, and is movable in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the tray.
Such lock/release member 13 is configured to engage the piston 11 with the connecting means 12, i.e. to allow the piston 11 to be translationally integral with the tray 5 during the travel of the latter, and to disengage the piston 11 from the tray 5 and release the latter from the piston 11.
For instance, a coupling may be implemented, which allows oscillation about an axis of the lock/release member 13, parallel to the axis of extension Z-Z of the connecting means 12.
In other words, the lock/release member 13 tilts about the piston 11 between a first position in which it is substantially in-line with the direction X'-X' of the piston 11 and a second position in which the axis of the lock/release member 13 is incident upon such piston stroke direction.
With this lock/release member 13, when the tray 5 moves from the rest position to the work position and reaches a predetermined point of the stroke of the piston 11, the connecting means 12 are disengaged and the tray 5 is allowed to reach its work position.
It shall be noted that this predetermined point is located upstream from the work position that can be reached by the tray 5.
Particularly, as the lock/release member 13 reaches such predetermined point, it tilts about its longitudinal axis to move from the first work position to the second position, thereby disengaging the connecting means 12 and releasing the tray 5 from the piston 11.
For this purpose, a stop element is provided along the stroke of the piston 11. For example, the predetermined point is designed to coincide with the bottom dead center of the piston 11 and hence the stop element is designed to form the bottom of the cylinder 10 of the piston 11.
However, when the tray 5 moves from the work position to the rest position and reaches such predetermined point, the connecting means 12 are engaged and locked by the lock/release member 13, by a rotation thereof about its longitudinal axis, which moves it to engagement with the connecting means 12.
In other words, the tray 5 is engaged with the motion of the piston 11, so that the tray 5 is allowed to reach its rest position and the piston 11 is allowed to reach its top dead center.
Particularly, the lock/release member 13 is coupled to the foot 11A of the piston 11.
For such lock/release to occur, in a possible embodiment the lock/release member 13 comprises a body 13C having at least two locking pawls 13A and 13B, such body extending in the direction X'-X' and particularly:

the locking pawl 13A abuts the connecting means 12 when the tray 5 moves from the rest position to the work position and
the locking pawl 13B abuts the connecting means 12 when the tray 5 moves from the work position to the predetermined position of the piston 11 and remains in such abutment state until the tray moves to the rest position;
the body 13C is pivotally tilted to the foot of the piston 11.

Particularly, in a preferred embodiment, the guide element 8, i.e. the movable guide element, translationally integral with the tray 5, has two substantially parallel wings 8B and 8C extending from the bottom 8A. Particularly, the wing 8B is joined to the tray 5 and the other wing 8C is associated with the guide element 7, i.e. the stationary guide element associated with the collecting section 4.
It shall be noted that the wing 8B of the movable guide element 8 is preferably joined to the wing 5A or 5B of the tray 5.
The damper 9 is placed on the bottom 8A of the guide 8 to ensure firm support and damping of any vibration that may occur as the tray 5 moves.
It shall be noted that, to avoid undulation of the tray 5 and hence any undesired sticking or release thereof from the guides, as the tray moves between the rest position and the work position, the lock/release member 13 may be arranged to move along a slot 14 formed in a counter-frame 15, the latter being placed on the bottom 8A of the guide element 8.
Particularly, the counter-frame 15 is stationary and associated with the bottom 8A of the guide element 7, between the wings 8B and 8C of such guide element 8.
Advantageously, the provision of the damper 9 and the counter-frame 15 ensures that the tray 5 can be always fully closed, regardless of the force exerted on the edge 5D and also ensures such full closing action if the direction of the applied closing force is not parallel to the withdrawing/inserting direction X-X.
It shall be also noted that the stationary guide element 7 has a substantially inverted-U section, and is associated with the wing 8C of the guide element 8.
Such association ensures that the wing 8C of the movable guide 8 can slide relative to the stationary guide 7. A sliding block (not shown) may be interposed therebetween to facilitate such sliding motion.
Particularly, the bottom 7A of such inverted U is slideably engaged with the wing 8C of the guide element 7 and the surface 7B opposite to the bottom 7A of the guide element 7 acts as an abutment surface for the collecting section 4.
The guide 7 is connected to the collecting section 4 by two shoulders 7C which extend transverse, preferably perpendicular to the surface 7B. Each of these shoulders 7C has a through hole for receiving a bolt to join the collecting section 4 to the guide 7.
It shall be further noted that the connecting means 12 are placed on and joined to the surface 8B, e.g. near a free edge of the guide element 8.
Particularly, the damper means 6 do not cover any useful filter surface, and can also ensure that the tray will be always fully closed and provide a more accurate movement of the tray 5, less subject to sticking, even when the tray 5 is withdrawn from or inserted into the collecting section 4 with a withdrawing/inserting force parallel to the main axis X-X of the tray 5.
Those skilled in the art will obviously appreciate that a number of changes and variants may be made to the apparatus of the invention as described hereinbefore to meet specific needs, without departure from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

Claims

A domestic gas filtering hood with pull-out tray comprising:
- a ventilating unit (2) having a gas intake section (3);

- a collecting section (4) associated with the intake section (3) of the ventilating unit (2), which is adapted to receive a gas flow therethrough in the direction from the home environment to said intake section;

- a tray (5) which is movable in a predetermined direction of movement (X-X) and is translationally associated with said collecting section (4), said tray (5) being configured to be movable relative to said collecting section (4) between a rest position, in which it is retracted from said collecting section and is substantially hidden to the exterior, and a work position in which said tray (5) is pulled out of said collecting section (4),
characterized in that it comprises damping means (6) operably associated with said tray (5) for damping the motion of said tray (5) when the latter is moved from said work position to said rest position and/or vice versa, said damping means (6) operating along a damping axis (X-X') parallel to said predetermined direction of movement (X-X) of said tray (5).
An extractor hood as claimed in claim 1, wherein said damper means (6) comprise:
- a support structure (20) for translationally supporting said tray (5) from said rest position to said work position and/or vice versa, relative to said collecting section (4);

- at least one damper (9) disposed parallel and external to said tray (5).
An extractor hood as claimed in claim 2, wherein said support structure (20) comprises:
- a first guide element (7), which is stationary and associated with said collecting section (4) and extends in said direction of movement (X-X) of the tray;

- a second guide element (8), which is movable along said first guide element (7) and is associated with said tray (5) and extends in said direction of movement of the tray and

- connecting means (12), for connecting said damper (9) to said second guide element (8) to damp the motion of said tray (5).
An extractor hood as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one damper (9) is arranged between said first guide element (7) and said second guide element (8).
An extractor hood as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein said damper (9) comprises a cylinder (10) having a piston (11) sliding therein, the latter being connected to said guide element (7) via said connecting means (12), which are arranged transverse (Z-Z) to the direction of extension (X'-X') of said damper (9) so that any movement of said second guide element (8) from said rest position to said work position and/or vice versa causes a movement of said piston (11).
An extractor hood as claimed in claim 5, wherein said structure (20) comprises a lock/release member (13) which is movable in a direction parallel to the direction of movement (X-X) of said tray (5) and is arranged to engage said piston (11) with said connecting means (12), said lock/release member (13) tilting about an axis thereof (X-X), which is orthogonal to the axis of said piston (11), so that:
- as said tray (5) moves from said rest position to said work position and reaches a predetermined point of the stroke of said piston, said point being located upstream from the work position of said tray, said lock/release element (13) tilts from a first position to a second position, thereby disengaging said connecting means (12) and allowing said tray (5) to reach said work position;

- as said tray (5) moves from said work position to said rest position and reaches said predetermined point of the stroke of said piston (11), said lock/release element (13) tilts from said second position to said first position, thereby engaging said connecting means (12) and forcing said tray (5) to reach said rest position.
An extractor hood as claimed in claim 5, wherein said lock/release member (13) comprises a body (13C) with at least two locking pawls (13A, 13B) formed therein, one of which abuts said connecting means (12) when said tray moves from said rest position to said work position, whereas the other pawl abuts said connecting means when said tray moves from said work position to said predetermined position of said piston and remains in such abutment state until said tray moves to said rest position.
An extractor hood as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first guide element (7) has an inverted-U cross section, defining two substantially parallel wings (7B, 7C) ad a bottom (7A) and a surface opposite to a bottom (7A), from which said two wings (7B, 7C) extend, said surface (7B) acting as an abutment surface for the collecting section 4.
An extractor hood as claimed in claim 8, wherein said lock/release element (13) moves along a slot (14) formed in a counter-frame (15), the latter being associated with said bottom (7A) of said first guide element (7).
An extractor hood as claimed in claim 9, wherein said second guide element (8) has a bottom (8A) from which two wings (8B, 8C) extend, one of which (8C) is slideably engaged with said bottom (7A) of said first guide element (7), whereas the other wing (8B) of said second element (8) is joined to said tray (5).
An extractor hood as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said tray (5) comprises one or more filters having filtering materials and/or substances for filtering said gas flow.