EP3473937B1 - System and method for extracting and filtering of cooking fumes - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a system consisting of a vapor filter device and a hob for extracting and filtering cooking vapors below the level of the hob.

Exhaust devices for the removal of cooking and kitchen vapors are well known, particularly in the form of exhaust hoods which are arranged above stoves and hobs. Extractor hoods should be designed at head height in such a way that they do not get in the way of the user when cooking. However, the greater the distance from the hob, the greater the risk of unwanted, partial distribution of cooking vapors in the kitchen.

For several years, extraction devices have also been used in which cooking vapors are extracted as close as possible to the point of origin, i. H. between, next to, behind or directly above a hob. They can be integrated into the hob in a stationary or extendable manner.

In the DE 102007002241 A1 a device for extracting cooking vapors into an exhaust air duct located vertically below the plane of the cooktop is proposed. A fan motor of the extraction device can be arranged outside of a piece of kitchen furniture comprising the hob, e.g. B. in the basement of a house. An inlet opening of the extraction device is to be closed off by means of a rotary valve or a cover ( DE 20 2009008286 U1 ) designed to be lockable. According to DE 102008050723 A1 each hob can also be assigned devices for supplying air as a flushing medium. The trough-shaped entry and closure unit can be designed to be removable and dishwasher-safe.

Instead of such a trough-shaped unit, there are also table fans, for example according to EP 2653787 A2 known, the vertical from the worktop, respectively. Cooktop level can be pulled out. A filter element is provided in the downdraft extractor. Vapor extraction devices that can be actuated in exhaust air or air recirculation mode are also known. According to DE 202013004993 U1 air from a room can be sucked into an extractor hood in exhaust air mode. In recirculation mode, the air can also be separated from the exhaust air system and fed into a filter box with several filters, e.g. B.

activated charcoal filter. The air is cleaned in these filters in several stages and returns to the room cleaned from the filter box. In the DE 202016003254 U1 an extraction device is also proposed which has an extraction opening for cooking vapors arranged in the cooktop. The extraction opening is followed by a suction shaft in which a water filter is arranged in order to separate fat particles from the extracted air enriched with cooking fumes. For this purpose, a perforated plate is arranged in the water filter through which bubbling air is fed into the water filter. The air bubbles are intended to transport fat particles and other particles to the water surface and form a fat film. This film of grease should flow into a separate collection container and can be removed from there. Instead of the water filter, a conventional knitted metal grease filter can also be arranged, although this requires additional measures to suppress odors.

In the DE 20201100813 U1 discloses a grilling device with an extractor hood having an air duct on one side of the heating platen. A housing for an air space and an obliquely arranged filter mesh is connected to the air duct. The air to be cleaned flows through the filter mesh. The bottom area of the air duct can be cleaned with water without touching the filter mesh.

The object of the invention is to develop a system consisting of a vapor filter device and a cooktop for extracting and filtering cooking vapors below the level of the cooktop, which enables efficient removal of cooking vapors and simple cleaning of grease filters.

This problem is solved with the features of patent claim 1 .

According to the invention, the vapor filter device comprises at least one closable inlet opening for cooking vapors in the hob level, which is assigned spatially close to a hob and which communicates with an air conveying unit. The inlet opening opens into a cleaning container, in which a grease separator unit through which the cooking vapors can flow is arranged. The cleaning container also has a preferably closable outlet opening for degreased air to the air conveying unit and in its bottom area an outlet for separated grease and a cleaning liquid.

According to the invention, an efficient extraction of cooking vapors and a separation of fat, among other things, from the cooking vapors is achieved in connection with a simple, maintenance-free cleaning of the grease filter used.

Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

An essential advantage of the invention is that the cleaning of the filter of the haze filter device is maintenance-free to the extent that the filter does not have to be handled (removed and reinserted) to clean it. The filter is cleaned of the deposited fat in the haze filter device by means of an integrated cleaning module.

The haze filter device according to the invention is arranged below the hob level.

• Fig. 1: die erfindungsgemässe Dunstfiltereinrichtung in einer ersten Ausführungsform,
• Fig. 2: die erfindungsgemässe Dunstfiltereinrichtung in einer zweiten Ausführungsform.

The invention is described in more detail below in an exemplary embodiment with reference to a drawing. In the drawing show the

• 1 : the haze filter device according to the invention in a first embodiment,
• 2 : the haze filter device according to the invention in a second embodiment.

the 1 shows the system according to the invention, consisting of a vapor filter device and a hob (2) with a piece of kitchen furniture (1), in a sectional view. An inlet opening 3 is assigned spatially close to the hob 2 in the plane of the hob, through which cooking vapors and room air 4 (arrow) can be sucked in directly at the hob 2 . Depending on the number and arrangement of the hobs 2 in the hob plane, several inlet openings 3 can also be arranged. The inlet opening 3 can be closed watertight by means of a closure flap 5 .

The closure flap 5 can be rotated or pivoted, as in FIG 1 shown by way of example, or as a reversibly attachable cover (not shown).

A cleaning container 6 is arranged in the kitchen furniture 1 in a fixed or removable manner below the inlet opening 3 . The inlet opening 3 opens directly into the cleaning container 6, but if necessary a transition piece can also be arranged between the inlet opening 3 and the cleaning container 6.

A grease separation unit 7, for example in the form of a flat knitted metal grease filter or a centrifugal separator, is preferably arranged in the cleaning tank 6 approximately perpendicularly to the air flow 4 (cooking vapors and room air), fixed or removable, through which the air flow 4 flows. fat particles etc. are thereby separated at the fat separation unit 7 and the fat u. The freed air flow 4 leaves the cleaning container 6 through an outlet opening 8 below the fat separator unit 7. The outlet opening 8 can in turn be closed watertight by means of a flap 9. The flap 9 can be actuated and controlled electromechanically, for example.

An air conveying unit 10 is connected to the outlet opening 8 with the flap 9 . The air conveying unit 10 comprises an air conveying duct 11 to a fan 12 with an electric drive motor and at least one exhaust air opening 13 for the cleaned air flow 4. The exhaust air opening 13 can be assigned a unit for further air purification, for example by means of plasma or UV treatment, in particular to improve odors .

The cleaned exhaust air can be fed back into the room in recirculation mode or fed into the ambient air in exhaust air mode.

According to the invention, the cleaning container 6 is also a liquid module 20 ( 1 ) assigned. A grease-dissolving cleaning liquid 21 is provided in this liquid module 20 . This can be processed again after use. The liquid module 20 is connected to the cleaning tank 6 via a feed line 23 . The supply line 23 is routed through an opening in the cleaning container 6 to at least one injection point 29 which is arranged above and/or below the fat separator unit 7 . A plurality of injection points are preferably arranged above and below the fat separator unit 7 and directed towards it.

The cleaning liquid 21 can be a specific cleaning agent. It is preferably tap water and the liquid container 22 can be connected to a water connection in a manner that is not shown.

The liquid module 20 also includes a heater 24, which is connected upstream of a pump 25, and an addition unit 26. The cleaning liquid 21 is conveyed from the liquid container 22 by means of the pump 25 in the feed line 23 to a heater 24, where it is heated to an optimum temperature for fat dissolving heated and sprayed onto the fat separation unit 7 via preferably a plurality of injection points 29 . In addition, another cleaning agent can also be added to the cleaning liquid 21 by the addition unit 26 .

The grease separator unit 7 is preferably cleaned when the inlet opening 3 is closed.

The greasy cleaning liquid 21 collects in the bottom area 30, which is located below the outlet opening 8, of the cleaning container 6 and is returned from there through a return line 28 and a filter 27 into the liquid container 22, in particular pumped.

In simplified terms, the grease could also drip from the grease separating unit 7 into the floor area 30 and be drawn off there without the cleaning described above.

Likewise, the liquid module 20 can also be designed as a replacement module and, including the cleaning liquid 21, can be processed by a service company (recycling).

If necessary, used, greasy cleaning liquid 21 can also be fed directly to a removable collection container (not shown) and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

There is thus a filtration of fat from the charged air flow 4 and a regeneration of the fat separation unit 7 by means of cleaning liquid.

The grease filter of the grease separator unit 7 does not have to be washed out externally. Rather, this takes place in the installed state in the cleaning container 6 and the maintenance work that has been customary up to now is no longer necessary.

The flat grease filter of the grease separator unit 7 is cleaned when the opening 8 is closed. The cleaning can be carried out, for example, at fixed intervals or monitored by sensors when there is a defined grease load on the grease filter.

In a second exemplary embodiment of the haze filter device according to the invention ( 2 ) Instead of the flat metal mesh grease filter, a drum-shaped, rotatable grease filter 40 of the grease separation unit 7 is provided in the cleaning container 6, the lower area 41 of which is immersed in a bath of cleaning liquid 21 when it is rotated. Here, the adhering fat is washed out and returned with the loaded cleaning liquid 21 via the return line 28 as described above. The degreased air flow 4 is guided outwards through a hollow and perforated shaft 42 (with an outlet opening) of the drum-shaped grease filter, analogous to the exhaust air opening 13.

The rotatable grease filter 40 can be used during operation, e.g. H. are continuously moistened by the cleaning liquid 21 during the fat separation and cleaning process. This film of moisture on the surface of the grease filter 40 can improve the separation of the grease molecules.

Other forms of the grease filter of the grease separating unit 7 are also possible. They only have to be able to be cleaned with cleaning liquid 21 in a regeneration process described above.

List of reference signs

1

kitchen furniture

2

hob

3

intake port

4

Air flow (cooking fumes/room air)

5

closure flap

6

cleaning container

7

fat separation unit

8th

exhaust port

9

flap

10

air handling unit

11

air conveying channel

12

Fan

13

exhaust vent

20

liquid module

21

cleaning fluid

22

liquid container

23

supply line

24

heater

25

pump

26

addition unit

27

filter

28

return line

29

injection point

30

floor area

40

grease filter

41

Area

42

shaft (with outlet port)

Claims (8)

1. A system consisting of a fume filter device and a cooktop (2) for extracting and filtering cooking fumes underneath a cooktop plane of a piece of kitchen furniture (1), comprising at least one closable inlet opening (3) for cooking fume in the cooktop plane, wherein said inlet opening is assigned to the close vicinity of the cooktop (2) and communicates with an air conveying unit (10), wherein the fume filter device comprises a cleaning container (6), into which the inlet opening (3) leads and in which a grease separating unit (7) is arranged, through which the cooking fume can flow, and wherein the cleaning container (6) has an outlet opening for degreased air and an outlet for separated grease and a cleaning fluid (21) in a bottom region (30), characterized in that the cleaning container (6) is provided with at least one injection point (29) for the cleaning fluid (21), and in that the fume filter device comprises a fluid module (20) for a grease-dissolving cleaning fluid (21), wherein the fluid module (20) comprises a fluid container (22), a heater (24) for heating the cleaning fluid (21), a pump (25) and a supply line (23) for cleaning fluid (21) leading to the at least one injection point (29) on the grease separating unit (7), into which the heated cleaning fluid (21) is injected.
2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the grease separating unit (7) is realized in the form of a flat grease filter or a centrifugal separator.
3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the grease separating unit (7) is realized in the form of a drum-shaped rotatable grease filter (40) .
4. The system according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the outlet opening for degreased air can be closed.
5. The system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the outlet in the bottom region (30) of the cleaning container (6) is connected to a return line (28).
6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that the return line (28) is connected to the cleaning container (6).
7. A method for extracting and filtering cooking fumes by means of a system consisting of a fume filter device and a cooktop (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the extraction takes place in the close vicinity of the cooktop (2) and underneath a cooktop plane of a piece of kitchen furniture (1), and wherein an air flow is discharged by means of an air conveying unit (10), characterized in that the air flow (4) containing cooking fumes flows through a grease separating unit (7) arranged in a cleaning container (6) and subsequently flows into the air conveying unit (10) through an outlet opening, and in that the grease separating unit (7) subsequently is acted upon with an injected cleaning fluid (6), which was heated to an effective temperature for dissolving grease in a heater (24), and grease is removed from the grease separating unit (7) with this cleaning fluid.
8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the grease-enriched cleaning fluid (21) is discharged from the cleaning container (6).

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