GB2567183A

GB2567183A - Kitchen extractor unit

Info

Publication number: GB2567183A
Application number: GB1716246.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kelvin Conroy Andrew; Ronald Harris Tony; Joseph Hibben Anthony
Original assignee: Howden Joinery Ltd
Current assignee: Howden Joinery Ltd
Priority date: 2017-10-05
Filing date: 2017-10-05
Publication date: 2019-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 2037-10-05
Also published as: GB2567183B; GB201716246D0; WO2019069092A1

Abstract

A kitchen installation comprises a cabinet 1 supporting a worktop 4 where a rear wall 3 of the cabinet 1 confronts a building wall 11. A cooking hob 14 is mounted in the worktop 4. An inlet head 20 of an extractor unit is fixedly attached to the building wall 11, rearward of the cooking hob 14. The inlet head has an inlet 32 in a front face 42 for drawing air away from the hob. The installation may have a fan 21 located in a void 9 between a base 2 of the cabinet 1 for drawing air from the inlet head 20, through a duct 22 extending through a void 13 between the rear 3 of the cabinet 1 and the building wall 11. An air inlet head 20 for a kitchen extractor where the inlet head 20 comprises an enclosure with air inlets in a front wall, an impermeable rear wall, and an air outlet in a base is also claimed.

Description

KITCHEN EXTRACTOR UNIT

This invention relates to kitchen extractor units.

Cooking can generate humid and odour-laden air. It is generally desirable to extract that air from a kitchen to make the kitchen more pleasant and reduce residual moisture. This is normally done with an extractor unit.

One form of extractor unit is a cooker hood extractor. This comprises a hood which is mounted over a cooker. A fan draws air into the hood and forces it to an outlet. The outlet could be a vent to outdoors. Cooker hood extractors are convenient to install and do not occupy any worktop space. However, they need to be mounted some distance above the cooker, to allow a person to access pans on the cooker. This means they need a powerful fan in order to effectively draw in a substantial proportion of the vapour or fumes from the cooker. This can make them noisy.

An alternative form of extractor is the downdraft extractor as described in, for example, US 8,312,873, US 2009/0137201 and US 2013/0319400. A downdraft extractor is installed at the level of a worktop. An inlet structure extends out of the worktop. A fan located below the worktop draws air generally horizontally into the inlet structure and then downwards below the worktop. The air is vented to an outlet, which could be to outdoors or to a space below the body of a kitchen cabinet. Because they are mounted in the worktop, and can therefore be closer to the hotplate of a cooker than can a hoodtype extractor, a downdraft extractor can require less suction power and therefore operate more quietly than a hood-type extractor. However, typical downdraft extractors suffer from a number of problems. Because the inlet structure extends out of the middle of the worktop, it is obtrusive in the kitchen and prone to accidental damage: for example being bent sideways. For these reasons, downdraft extractors are typically provided with a mechanism that enables the inlet structure to be retracted so that its top is flush with the top of the worktop. This mechanism adds to the cost. Also, the retraction mechanism is typically bulky, and as a result many downdraft extractors are unsuitable for installation in a row of kitchen units running along a wall. Instead such downdraft extractors need to be installed in island units.

In many kitchens the cooker is installed in a kitchen unit that abuts a wall. To stop the wall being stained by material splashed from pans on the cooker, the region of the wall adjacent the cooker can be covered with a layer of a non-absorbent material such as ceramic tiles, metal or glass. This is known as a splashback.

It would be desirable to have an improved design of extractor.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a kitchen installation comprising: a cabinet supporting a worktop, the rear wall of the cabinet confronting a wall of a building; a cooking hob mounted in the worktop; and an inlet head for an extractor unit, the inlet head being fixedly attached to the building wall at a location rearward of the cooking hob, the extractor unit having an air inlet in its front face for drawing air away from the hob.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an inlet head for a kitchen extractor, the inlet head comprising an enclosure defining a chamber therein, the enclosure having a front wall having an air inlet therethrough, a rear wall opposite the front wall and a base having an air outlet therethrough, the major part of the rear wall being impermeable to air and the rear wall being adapted for attachment to a wall of a building.

More than 90% of the surface area of the rear wall may be impermeable to air.

The kitchen installation may comprise a fan for drawing air from the inlet head. The fan may be coupled to the inlet head by a duct. At least part of the duct may extend through a void between the rear of the cabinet and the building wall.

The cabinet may have a base wall. The fan may be located in a void between the base wall and the floor of a room where the cabinet is installed.

The inlet head may comprise an enclosure defining a chamber therein, the inlet head may have a base defining an air outlet, and the worktop may have an opening therethrough, the opening being aligned with the air outlet for permitting air to be drawn out of the chamber.

The chamber may be airtight but for the said air inlet and the said air outlet.

The front face of the inlet head may be a major face of the inlet head.

The inlet head may have a rear face opposite the front face. The inlet head may be fixedly attached to the building wall by the rear face.

The front face may be vertical.

The front face may be defined by a sheet of material which is folded to also form one or more of the sides and the top of the extractor head.

The inlet head may abut the upper surface of the worktop. The lower surface of the inlet head may abut the upper surface of the worktop. The worktop may hold a cooking hob forward of the extractor head. The cooking hob may be located between the extractor head and a front rim of the worktop, preferably in a direction perpendicular to the front rim of the worktop and/or to the building wall.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a kitchen cabinet having a cooker hob and a downdraft extractor.

Figure 2 is a three-quarters view of the inlet head of a downdraft extractor from in front and above.

Figure 3 is a three-quarters view of the inlet head of figure 2 from behind and below.

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the inlet head of figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the extractor and cabinet of figure 1, illustrating a fixing mechanism.

Figure 1 shows a kitchen cabinet indicated generally at 1. The cabinet comprises a cupboard defined by a base 2, a rear wall 3, a worktop 4, a hinged door 5 and sidewalls

6. Only one side wall is shown in figure 1. The base 2 of the cupboard is supported above the floor 7 on legs 8. This defines a lower void 9 between the base 2 and the floor 7. The front of the lower void is closed by a plinth 10. Behind the cabinet is a building wall 11. The cabinet is attached to the wall with fixings. The fixings space the rear wall 3 of the cupboard from the wall, leaving a rear void 13 between the rear wall 3 of the cupboard and the building wall 11. The rear wall 3 confronts the building wall 11. The rear of the worktop abuts the building wall 11.

A cooker hob 14 is installed on the worktop 4. In this example the hob is recessed into the worktop so that its upper surface is roughly flush with the upper surface of the worktop. As is conventional, the hob includes hotplates.

Figure 1 also shows an extractor unit. The extractor unit comprises an inlet head 20. A fan or blower 21 communicates with the inlet head via a duct 22 to draw air in through the inlet and to push the air to an outlet 23. In this case the outlet is a grille in the plinth 10, but the outlet could communicate with the exterior of the building in which the cabinet is located. In some embodiments the fan could be located in the inlet head

20.

The inlet head 20 comprises a casing 30 defining a chamber 31 within it. The chamber 31 is airtight (fully or substantially so) except for (i) an inlet 32 and (ii) an outlet 33. The inlet 32 faces the hob. The inlet is located in a front wall 42 of the inlet head. In this example, the inlet head is located rearwards of the hob with respect to the front of the cabinet 1. Hence the inlet 32 is directed towards the front of the cabinet 1. The inlet is covered with a grille (see figure 2) which could be formed by a mesh (e.g. of wire), louvres or perforated sheet material. The grille helps stop large objects entering the chamber 31. A filter 34 may be installed behind the grille to help stop splashed liquid from entering the chamber 31 and to trap odours. The grille may be clipped releasably to the casing 30 so that it can be removed when the filter 34 is to be cleaned or replaced.

The rear of the casing 30 abuts the wall 11 behind the cabinet. Preferably the casing is fixed directly to the wall 11, for example by adhesive or by screws extending into the wall 11. The casing may comprise a rear wall 36 which abuts the wall 11 and helps define the chamber 31. Alternatively, the rear of the chamber 31 may be defined at least in part by the wall 11 itself. The rear wall may include fixing holes 37 whereby it can be screwed to the wall 11. These holes may be of round, keyhole or any other convenient form. Gaskets or adhesive patches may be provided to seal the holes in an air-tight manner once the inlet head has been attached to a wall. The rear surface may be adapted in other ways for attachment to a wall: for example, it may be provided with self-adhesive fixings, roughened for better adherence to adhesive or provided with suitable clips or other wall fixings.

The casing 30 overlaps the worktop 4. There is a hole 40 through the worktop. The duct 22 communicates with the outlet 33 of the inlet head 20 via the hole 40. The upper end of the duct is coupled to the inlet head in such a way that the interior of the duct is attached in an air-tight way to the outlet 33, so a negative pressure in the duct can draw a negative pressure in the inlet head 20. The duct 22 may extend through the hole 40, in which case its wall may be sealed to the periphery of the outlet 33. Alternatively, the periphery of the outlet 33 may be sealed to the upper surface of the worktop 4 around opening 40 and the wall of the duct 22 may be sealed to the lower surface of the worktop 4 around opening 40, as discussed in more detail below. The lower end of the duct is coupled to an inlet of the fan/blower 21. The fan may be located in the rear void 13. More conveniently, the fan is located in the lower void 9, as shown in figure 1. The fan may, for example, be an axial or a centrifugal fan. The fan is conveniently powered by an electric motor. The motor may be controlled manually or automatically, e.g. by a humidity sensor in the kitchen or in response to operation of the hob 14.

In this example the outlet 35 of the fan 21 opens to the lower void 9, from which air can be vented to the kitchen through the grille 23 in the plinth 10. Alternatively, the outlet 35 could be ducted to an external vent.

In operation, when the fan 21 is running it develops, via the duct 22, a negative pressure in the chamber 31 of the inlet head. This draws air into the head from the region of the hob. Air drawn in through the head passes through the fan 21 and out through the ultimate outlet 23.

Because the inlet head is located rearward of the hob, between the hob and the wall, it is generally not obtrusive in the kitchen. It does not protrude from the worktop in an area where food preparation normally takes place. The area between the rear of the hob 14 and the wall 11 behind it is normally unused, so positioning the extractor there can be an efficient use of space. By fixing the inlet head to the wall in an unobtrusive location, the need for a mechanism to retract the head into the worktop can be avoided. This can reduce cost; and when a mechanism is provided it typically occupies a considerable amount of space under the worktop, and requires the extractor to be spaced from nearby obstructions such as wall 11. In contrast, the inlet head of the extractor of figure 1 abuts wall 11. The inlet head of the extractor of figure 1 is incapable of downward retraction into the region below worktop 4.

Since a major face of inlet head 20 (i.e. rear face 36) is attached to the wall 11, it can be mounted relatively firmly, so that it is unlikely to be bent out of position. In contrast, extractor heads that protrude from a worksurface and are accessible on both of their major sides can be bent under force from misplaced pans and the like.

The inlet head 20 overlaps and covers a region of the wall 11 facing the hob. Preferably, the base of the inlet head abuts the worktop 4. Positioning the inlet head in such a location can avoid the need for a separate splashback to be installed behind the hob. That can reduce cost and save on installation time when the kitchen is being fitted.

The inlet head 20 is generally in the form of a cuboid-shaped panel. It has a first major surface 42 and a second major surface 36. The first major surface faces the hob 14. The second major surface 36 faces the wall 11 behind the hob. The inlet head has a top 38 and sides 39 which extend between the major faces. The inlet head has a base which defines outlet opening 33. The inlet head could, for example be from 20 to 60mm deep. It could, for example, be from 400 to 800mm wide. It could, for example, be from 200 to 500mm tall. The inlet head is arranged so that its thinnest dimension is perpendicular to the face of the wall 11 which the inlet head abuts. The front face of the inlet head defines the inlet 32. Preferably, only one face of the inlet head defines an inlet. Preferably that face is the face opposite the face that abuts the wall

11. The rear face of the inlet head is preferably substantially airtight. Preferably the majority of the surface area of the rear surface, or more preferably more than 80% or more than 90%, of the rear surface of the inlet head is impermeable to air.

The inlet head may conveniently be made of sheet metal, for example sheet stainless steel or aluminium.

The duct 22 may be of any convenient shape. In order to enable the duct to operate efficiently it is preferred that the duct is of elongate cross-section. That is, that the duct is of a shape whose cross-section perpendicular to its length is substantially longer in one direction transverse to that length (“width”) than in the orthogonal direction transverse to that length (“depth”). For example, the duct may have a width that is at least twice and more preferably at least four times its depth. This allows it to efficiently occupy the rear void 13.

The inlet head, the duct 22 and the fan/blower 21 may be packaged together as a single vendible product. For example, they may be packaged together in a single box. They may be provided together with instructions to attach the inlet head fixedly to a wall adjacent to a cooking hob. These measures can make the installation of the extractor easier.

Figure 5 shows one convenient way in which the extractor may be installed. The duct 22 has a wall 50. An adapter 53 is provided. The adapter has an upper end, a lower end and a through-hole extending between the upper and lower ends. The lower end of the adapter is configured to mate with the duct wall 50 in an air-tight manner. The upper end of the adapter is provided with a flange 54. The flange extends outboard of the lower end of the adapter. As a result, the opening 40 can be made of such a size that the lower end of the adapter can pass through the opening but the flange of the upper end of the adapter can be retained on the upper side of the opening 40, as shown in figure 5. In this way, the adapter can prevent the duct falling away from the worktop 4. The duct can be sealed to the worktop by a bead 51 of adhesive located between the flange 54 of the adapter and the upper surface of the worktop. The outlet 33 of the inlet head 20 can be sealed to the worktop by a bead 52 of adhesive around the lower surface of the inlet head. In each case, the adhesive may, for example, be a silicone sealant. In this way, an air-tight coupling is conveniently provided between the interior of duct 22 and the interior chamber 31 of the inlet head 20. Other mechanisms may be adopted. For example, a resilient gasket could be provided between the base of the inlet head and the worktop, and the inlet head could be clamped to the worktop so as to pinch the gasket, forming an air-tight seal. A resilient gasket (which may be the same one) could be provided between the duct and/or the adapter and the worktop and the duct/adapter could be clamped to the worktop, forming an air-tight seal.

The front wall 42 may be flat. This can allow it to fit conveniently behind a hob. The rear wall 36 may be flat. This can allow it to fit securely against a conventional wall. The base of the inlet head may be flat. This can allow it to be sealed securely to or to neatly abut a flat upper surface of a worktop. The upper surface 38 of the inlet head may be flat or curved. It may slope downwards away from the rear surface.

The rear wall 36 confronts a wall of the building. It may be located adjacent the wall or spaced from it. A passage for the extraction of air from the extractor head may be located between the rear wall and the building wall. The rear wall 36 may be substantially parallel with the building wall. The rear wall may be located a distance of between 0 and 200mm from the building wall. A worktop of the cabinet may bridge between the rear wall and the building wall.

There may be an absence of a mechanism for retracting the extractor head into the cabinet. This can increase space in the cabinet. The extractor head may be incapable of retraction into the cabinet. The extractor head may be rigidly fixed relative to the worktop.

A lamp may be integrated in the inlet head for illuminating the region in front of the inlet head.

The applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features, to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein, and without limitation to the scope of the claims. The applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A kitchen installation comprising:

a cabinet supporting a worktop, the rear wall of the cabinet confronting a wall of a building;

a cooking hob mounted in the worktop; and an inlet head for an extractor unit, the inlet head being fixedly attached to the building wall at a location rearward of the cooking hob, the extractor unit having an air inlet in its front face for drawing air away from the hob.

2. A kitchen installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the kitchen installation comprises a fan for drawing air from the inlet head, the fan being coupled to the inlet head by a duct, and at least part of the duct extending through a void between the rear of the cabinet and the building wall.

3. A kitchen installation as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cabinet has a base wall and the fan is located in a void between the base wall and the floor.

4. A kitchen installation as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the inlet head comprises an enclosure defining a chamber therein, the inlet head has a base defining an air outlet, and the worktop has an opening therethrough, the opening being aligned with the air outlet for permitting air to be drawn out of the chamber.

5. A kitchen installation as claimed in claim 4, wherein the chamber is airtight but for the said air inlet and the said air outlet.

6. A kitchen installation as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the front face of the inlet head is a major face of the inlet head.

7. A kitchen installation as claimed in claim 6, wherein the inlet head has a rear face opposite the front face, and the inlet head is fixedly attached to the building wall by the rear face.

8. An kitchen installation as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the front face is vertical.

9. An inlet head as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the front face is defined by a sheet of material which is folded to also form one or more of the sides and the top of the extractor head.

10. A kitchen installation as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the inlet head abuts the upper surface of the worktop.

11. An inlet head for a kitchen extractor, the inlet head comprising an enclosure defining a chamber therein, the enclosure having a front wall having an air inlet therethrough, a rear wall opposite the front wall and a base having an air outlet therethrough, the major part of the rear wall being impermeable to air and the rear wall being adapted for attachment to a wall of a building.

12. An inlet head as claimed in claim 11, wherein more than 90% of the surface area of the rear wall is impermeable to air.