ES2894651T3 - Suspended multipurpose hood for domestic extraction with integrated image detector-projector - Google Patents

Abstract

Suspended domestic extraction hood (100) that can be placed above a hob (2) inserted in a countertop (4) of a kitchen, said hood (100) including a body (1) with extraction means (1A) for extracting air containing smoke and/or vapors from the underlying worktop (2), said extraction taking place through a primary extraction opening (10) provided in a part (9) of said hood (100) facing said plate (2), said body (1) comprising an image projector (30), said image projector (30) being inside the body (1) of the hood (100) and being placed in the part (9) of the hood (100) facing said cooking plate (2); and a depth video camera (32) inserted in the body (1) of the hood (100) looking at the underlying worktop (2) and the worktop (4), characterized in that the projector (30) and the depth video camera ( 32) are inserted in the body (1) of the suspended hood (100) in a secondary air extraction opening (19) provided in the part (9) of the hood (100) facing the hob (2). ), said secondary air extraction opening (19) being located on one side of the primary air extraction opening (10).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Suspended multipurpose hood for domestic extraction with integrated image detector-projector

The object of the present invention is a suspended hood for domestic extraction according to the pre-characterizing clause of the main claim.

Different types of extractor hoods are known for residential kitchens, such as fixed hoods placed on a hob (and associated with an adjacent wall of the room where said hob is located or with a kitchen unit) or suspended or island hoods, fixed type or mobile type.

By way of example, reference will now be made to the specific type of hood commonly described as "island" or "suspended" or by the English term "ceiling", as for example described in European patent EP2504628B1 in the name of the same applicant.

The fundamental purpose of island hoods is to ensure adequate and efficient extraction of vapors and/or fumes generated during the preparation of food placed on a cooking plate under the hood; this is thanks to the particular "suspended" arrangement that allows greater proximity to the hob, and therefore the generation of smoke and odours, especially when configured within a work island located in a central area of a kitchen. and not in the typical installation near a wall.

An island hood can therefore be placed at different heights from the hob.

In general, even more so in recent years, hoods of this type have been developed in terms of increasingly important and sophisticated aesthetic variants, as well as the incorporation of new functions such as lighting the surrounding environment as well as the worktop and hob. cooking below.

Hoods of the type mentioned above include a body comprising at least one unit for extracting air from the cooking plate through an extraction hole.

The use of image projection technology associated with extractor hoods is also known, as for example described in European patents EP 1512914 A2 or EP 1207353 B1, as well as in document WO 2017/134216 A1.

However, all of these solutions have several limitations.

For example, WO 2017/134216 A1 describes an extractor hood above a cooktop with a body containing an image projector that is pre-installed by the manufacturer and allows the cooktop to be checked. However, the introduction of the projection function has quite an important aesthetic and dimensional impact on the hood, with the consequence that it completely distorts the conventional configuration of the extraction element, inevitably affecting its efficiency.

With respect to the solutions described in European patents EP 1512914 A2 and EP 1 207353 B1, these documents describe extractor hoods equipped with a projector capable of projecting images onto a projection surface. In these two previous documents, the projector is an "external" element, projecting from the hood; This projector has the sole function of projecting "passive" images with information on the operating status of the hood itself or generic multimedia content. In addition to this, in the case of European patent EP 1207353 B1 it is necessary to use the vertical wall of the kitchen as a projection surface. However, all the above solutions refer to wall-mounted hoods in which the degree of freedom of the area occupied by the projection is rather limited. Also, the projector is subject to possible shocks because it is exposed.

US 2011/0253693 A1 discloses a system for monitoring and controlling a cooking environment with a range hood having a camera mounted thereon.

Furthermore, the known solutions mentioned above only describe the possibility of projecting images on a projection surface.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved suspended hood.

In particular, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a suspended hood that overcomes the limitations present in solutions in the known art by incorporating new features that improve its performance and comfort during the food preparation and cooking process.

Another object is to provide a hood of the type mentioned above which, despite being enhanced with functions not strictly related to air extraction, has optimal functionality in the extraction element, with its corresponding filters.

Another object is to provide an extractor hood of the mentioned type, which allows the user, who is preparing food on the cooking plate below, to be adequately informed on how to carry out this preparation in the best possible way.

A further object is to provide a hood of the mentioned type which can also provide the aforementioned user information on the ingredients that are used for the preparation of food to help this operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extractor hood of the type indicated above, in which the extractor unit can function automatically according to the actual conditions of production of volatile organic substances from the cooking plate that contribute to the formation of odors associated with cooking. cooking process; this without the need for rigid communication, based on a fixed protocol, between the hob and the extractor hood.

Another object is to provide a hood of the mentioned type in which the automatic extraction function can be performed by the hood independently of the type of hob, further comprising the possibility of working in combination not only with induction or electric hob but also gas.

Another object is to provide a hood of the mentioned type that also allows monitoring the quality of the air in the room or kitchen in general to monitor the presence of particular pollutants, measure the temperature and humidity and, consequently, operate the hood in "air conditioning" mode. of air", even when the food preparation process is not in progress.

Another object is to provide an extractor hood of the type mentioned above that is also capable of monitoring the actual state of typical cooking processes, such as boiling water or frying or adding alcoholic substances, also identifying unwanted cooking situations, such as burning of substances. fats, along with the type of heat-producing source used for the cooktop (either gas or induction).

Another object of the invention is to provide a hood of the mentioned type that "communicates" with the hob so that it can automatically adjust the heating power of the individual heating elements of said hob in a closed circuit to maintain the entire cooking process. controlled cooking.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extractor hood that can be connected to the internet.

These and other objects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art are achieved by a suspended hood for domestic extraction according to the main claim.

For a better understanding of the present invention, the following drawings are attached purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a hood according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the hood of Figure 1 from below;

Figure 3 shows a cross section according to line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 show the parts shown with A and B in Figure 3, respectively enlarged;

Figure 6 shows a perspective view from below of the hood of Figure 1 with an open part thereof;

Figure 7 shows, enlarged, the part indicated by C in Figure 6;

Figure 8 shows a view similar to that of Figure 6, but with a different part of the bell in cross section; and

Figure 9 shows an enlarged view of the part indicated by D in Figure 8.

With reference to the above figures, an extractor hood 100 according to the invention comprises an extractor body 1 containing the usual known functional components (such as an extraction unit with at least one fan 1A, one or more filters 1B, at least one grid in Figure 1C, etc.) capable of drawing air from a cooking plate 2 (shown as an example in Figure 1), said air containing fumes and/or vapors generated by the preparation of food placed in corresponding containers (not shown) above of heating elements 3 of said cooking plate 2. These heating elements can be of any type, such as gas, electric or induction.

The hood 100 is installed suspended above the cooktop 2 and a worktop 4 adjacent to the cooktop 2 (see Figure 1). In particular, the body 1 of the hood 100 is attached to a ceiling in the room where the surfaces 2 and 4 are located by means of fixing elements 5 and the corresponding cables 6 (generally steel).

More specifically, the body 1 has a first part 8 that contains, in the case described, two fans (extraction elements) 1A and a second element 9 to act as a mobile support for the grille (extraction element) 1C that delimits an opening extraction 10. In the first part 8 there is a grille for the discharge of the filtered air.

The opening 10 and the grill 1C are provided in a main capture and filtration area 13 of the hood 100 which is also equipped with a panel for diffused light 18. This is surrounded by a secondary extraction opening 19.

Inside the body 1 of the hood, in the secondary extraction opening 19 (which in the example is annular and continuous), there is at least one sensor 20 for monitoring substances in the air connected to a corresponding control unit 21, preferably a microprocessor .

The location is specifically chosen to make the sensor interact only with the air drawn perimetrically by each fan 1A, so that this sensor 20 is not affected by the direct exhaust flow that normally passes through the main capture area 13. This location makes sensor readings more reliable over time, as they are not directly affected by fatty substances and oils in the exhaust air that could cause the sensor itself to deteriorate.

The or each sensor provided is capable of monitoring different categories of substances in the air, such as: VOCs (volatile organic compounds), CO, CO ² , NOx, CH ⁴ and solid particles. It is also capable of monitoring environmental parameters such as temperature and relative humidity.

Said sensor provides a global air quality index that takes into account all the measurable parameters by assigning a specific weight to the various pollutants and also averaging their value with respect to comfort parameters such as temperature and humidity.

Even when the hood is not used for the specific purpose of extracting vapors and odors generated by the cooking process, each sensor 20 that monitors substances in the air is capable of monitoring the quality of the ambient (i.e. kitchen) air. and if placed in "automatic" mode, it is able to activate automatically when the thresholds of particular contaminants are exceeded that bring the global index below the ideal values.

The control unit (microprocessor) 21 associated with each sensor or, alternatively, each sensor (if equipped with its own microprocessor unit) is capable of aggregating the various monitored substances into recognition "patterns" specific to the cooking process, such as the curve for boiling water or frying with oil, and it also recognizes the appropriate cooking thresholds, avoiding the typical burning of food or frying temperatures that are too high. This high sensitivity ensures that the hood works automatically based on the actual amount of "odors" being generated, adjusting the correct extraction capacity accordingly, regardless of the type of hob being used, and not requiring a connection of any kind between the hob and the hood.

However, as an added feature, when the cooktop and hood are connected, the hood 100 can automatically generate a feedback signal to a standard cooktop control unit based on recognized cooking patterns, to adjust the heating performance of each active heating element and avoid cooking processes such as overheating when frying that generates undesirable substances or typical burns, as well as, for example, indicating that the boiling threshold has been reached.

This same information on the quality of the air, as well as the information relating to other operating states of the hood, can be transmitted by means of images projected on the worktop 4 by projecting images 25 present on the hood 1. In particular, these means are such that they project images on said worktop, but they also allow the taking of images of objects placed on the worktop 4 or on the hob 2, as described below. These means 25 will then be called recognition and projection means.

The recognition and projection means 25 preferably comprise a pointing autofocus laser picoprojector 30, a highly reflective mirror 31 and a depth or 3D type video camera 32. These means 25 are placed in the secondary perimeter extraction opening 19 in such a way that a recognition cone 33 and a projection cone can escape through this opening 19. These cones preferably overlap.

The system is fully integrated and miniaturized.

Of course, both the sensor 20 that detects air quality and the recognition and projection means 25 can be installed in a "flexible" way in any area of the perimeter of the hood as long as they are inside its body 1 and close to the opening 19. This allows maximum flexibility in the installation and positioning of the projected area with respect to the worktop 4.

The combination of projection and recognition through the 3D video camera provides the possibility of creating new and very useful functions. Two possible scenarios arising from the use of sensor 20 and media 25 are described below.

A first scenario foresees the use of projection to take advantage of various multimedia content, including videos, images that can also affect the food preparation process, such as tutorials and video-recipes; said content can also come from the internet to which the hood connects through an appropriate Wi-Fi module (not shown) or Bluetooth. At the same time, the 3D video camera 32 can recognize some simple gestures made by the user that allow navigation through said content, such as: changing images, starting or pausing videos, etc.

A second scenario is to be able to automatically help the user in certain food preparation processes. For example, when placing some raw materials such as vegetables, pasta, flour, sugar, etc., on the worktop 4 in the area defined by the projection cone 33 corresponding to a recognition area, it will be possible to automatically recognize the type of food by means of the video camera 32, calculate its relative volume and through the average specific weight (stored in a memory unit, which contains the possible types of food that can be used) provide the end user with an indication of the weight of that food, in practice performing the "virtual scale" function. This evaluation can even be performed by the unit 21 to which the recognition and projection means 25 and this memory unit are connected. Since the hood connects to the Internet, based on recognized and weighed foods, unit 21 can search a database related to food preparation and suggest possible recipes that can be made with those ingredients and quantities to the user. .

Obviously, instead of the unit 21, the hood 100 can have its own command and control unit (not shown) which is capable of supervising all the functions of the hood according to the invention.

Therefore, through the projection it is possible to deliver supporting content such as video-recipes and, where possible, the projection can deliver images to support the preparation process so that the user can be automatically guided during this process to operate. optimally, for example to carry out a process of cutting vegetables or a process of plating correctly in an optimal way.

Finally, the first part 8 and the second part 9 of the extraction body 1 are mechanically independent from each other, but are connected to each other by means of hinges 52 that allow rotary movement (see Figures 6 and 8) of the second part 9 with respect to to the first 8. Filter 1B can then be accessed for replacement. Hydraulic or pneumatic pistons 70 join the second part 9 to 8 (in addition to the hinges 52) and guide their relative movement.

Thanks to this invention, a suspended extraction hood for domestic use is provided that is improved with respect to known extractor hoods and is capable of monitoring the extracted air and/or the air in the room in which it is placed, which among other things it can also allow the possible monitoring of the level of residual filtering capacity of the filters of the extractor hood itself, evaluated on the basis of the analysis of the extracted air carried out after the insertion of any clean filter in the opening 19 in the body 1 of the extractor hood. extractor hood.

In addition, thanks to the invention it is possible to monitor the preparation of food on the cooktop 2 and also to act on the control of the heating elements 3 of the cooktop itself without the need for special physical connections between the hood and the cooktop . The control can be applied regardless of whether these elements are electric or gas (burners); in the latter case it is possible to act on the usual solenoid valve located on the gas pipe that supplies the burners to reduce the heat output (flame) delivered.

The invention makes it possible to combine the function of projecting images (itself known), an image recognition function and "gestures" by using a depth-aware video camera (3D camera). The combination of the two functions allows to introduce new functions that can automatically help the user in the food preparation process as described. This function is performed through the recognition and projection means incorporated in the space inside the hood 100 near the secondary extraction perimeter.

In this space there is also at least one sensor for substances in the air in the vicinity of this secondary extraction to allow three main functions to be carried out:

a) automatically set the operating condition of the extraction unit (motor speed of each fan) according to the actual condition that produces the volatile organic substances that help form odors related to the cooking process. This overcomes the need for rigid communication based on a fixed protocol between the hob and the extractor hood. It will be noted that the automatic extraction function can be carried out by the hood regardless of the type of cooking plates to therefore also include the possibility of working in combination with gas cooking plates;

b) use the same sensor to monitor the air quality in the kitchen in general, to monitor the presence of particular contaminants, to measure temperature and humidity and consequently to operate the hood in "air conditioning" mode even when the food preparation process is not in progress;

c) through the same sensor it will be possible to monitor the real state of typical cooking processes such as boiling water or frying or adding alcoholic substances, etc. In addition, it will be possible to identify some undesired cooking situations such as the burning of fatty substances and finally identify the type of heat production source used for the hob (either gas or induction).

Advantageously, the hood 100 can also communicate with the hob via a wireless system and, based on the information collected by the sensor of substances in the air, automatically adjust the heating power of the individual heating elements in a closed circuit. to keep under control the process of cooking food.

Finally, through the usual wireless electronic communication card (wifi or bluetooth), the bell 100 can be connected to web services that can be used through the recognition and projection means 25.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described. However, in a simplified embodiment, the hood 100 may not have a continuous type of secondary extraction opening 19, but may have several secondary extraction openings in which the sensor 20 and means 25 are placed so that they can function according to the embodiment described.

These variants of the invention also fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

According to an example that does not form part of the claimed invention, the sensor 20 can be located inside a secondary extraction opening while the detection and projection means 25 can be placed inside a casing of the body 1 of the hood 100 that opens towards the underlying cooktop 2.

Claims (12)

1. Suspended domestic extraction hood (100) that can be placed above a hob (2) inserted in a countertop (4) of a kitchen, said hood (100) including a body (1) with extraction means (1A ) to extract air containing smoke and/or vapors from the underlying worktop (2), said extraction taking place through a primary extraction opening (10) provided in a part (9) of said hood (100) facing said cooking plate (2), said body (1) comprising an image projector (30), said image projector (30) being inside the body (1) of the bell (100) and being placed in the part (9) of the bell (100) that looks to said cooking plate (2); and a depth video camera (32) inserted in the body (1) of the hood (100) looking at the underlying worktop (2) and the worktop (4), characterized in that the projector (30) and the depth video camera ( 32) are inserted in the body (1) of the suspended hood (100) in a secondary air extraction opening (19) provided in the part (9) of the hood (100) facing the hob (2). ), said secondary air extraction opening (19) being located on one side of the primary air extraction opening (10). Suspended hood (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said image projector (30) and said depth video camera (32) define means for recognizing and projecting images (25), said image projector (30) being placed and depth video camera (32) inside the same seat in the body (1) of the hood (100). 3. Suspended hood (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said image projector (30) is a pointing autofocus laser picoprojector. 4. Suspended hood (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a high reflectance mirror (31) capable of receiving the images generated by the image projector (30) and reflecting them towards the hob (2) and the countertop (4) underlying. 5. Suspended hood (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said image projector (30) and said depth video camera (32) are connected to a control unit preferably connected to the internet and capable of detecting the type of objects and /or food on the cooking plate (2) or countertop (4) through what is recorded by the depth video camera (32) and control the projection of useful images for the preparation of food on the cooking plate ( 2) through said image projector (30). 6. Suspended hood (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that the control unit is capable of determining the weight of each food item based on its three-dimensional image taken by the depth video camera (32). 7. Suspended hood (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises sensor means (20) to monitor substances in the air, said sensor means (20) being inside the body (1) of the hood (100) and arranged in such a way that they are not directly affected by the air attracted by the extraction means (1A), said sensor means (20) being capable of detecting at least one characteristic of this extracted air or of the air of the environment where the bell (100). Suspended hood (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that the sensor means (20) are placed in the secondary air extraction opening (19). 9. Suspended hood (100) according to claims 5 and 7, characterized in that it comprises at least one of the following characteristics: said sensing means (20) are capable of monitoring one or more of the following substances in the air: VOC, CO, CO ² , NOx, CH ⁴ ; said sensor means (20) monitor parameters of the environment in which the hood (100) is placed, such as the temperature and humidity of that environment; said sensor means (20) are connected to a control unit (21), preferably a microprocessor, said control unit (21) being connected or coinciding with the control unit of the image projector (30) and the depth video camera ( 32). 10. Suspended hood (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that said control unit (21) is connected to a control unit for the hob (2) to control the power generated by each heating element (3) of said cooking plate (2) according to the characteristics of the monitored and detected air, said power control making it possible to control the cooking process of a food placed on said cooking plate (2) on said heating element (3). 11. Suspended hood (100) according to claims 1 and 7, characterized in that the extraction means (1A) for drawing air from the cooking plate (2) function according to the characteristics of the detected air. 12. Suspended hood assembly for domestic extraction (100) according to claim 1 and a cooking plate (2) having several heating elements (3), said suspended hood (100) including sensor means (20) to monitor substances in the air and a control unit to which said sensor means (20) are connected, characterized in that said control unit is also capable of controlling the operation of said heating elements (3) of the plate cooking (2) based on the monitoring of substances in the air carried out by said sensor means (20).