US2971451A - Ventilator unit - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 14, 1961 J. H. FEIG VENTILATORUNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1958 INVENTOR.

JEROME H- BY W ATTO/P H.

Feb. 14, 1961 J. H. FEIG VENTILATORUNIT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1958 INVENTOR.

J EROME H- FEIG BY ATTOIF/VEX Feb. 14, 1961 J. H. FEIG VENTILATOR UNIT s Sl1eets -Sheet 5 Filed June 16, 1958 INVENTOR.

JEROME H-FE G ATTU/F/VEX 2,971,451 VENTILATOR UNIT Jerome H. Feig, North Hollywood, Calif., assignor to Progress Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 16, 1958, Ser. No. 742,254 6 Claims. (Cl. 98-115) This invention relates to ventilating hoods, and particularly to ventilating rangehoods for drawing otf cooking odors and heat from the general area of a cooking range.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a ventilating rangehood which may be either wall mounted or mounted from the bottom of a storage cabinet of the type generally found in kitchens located over a cooking range and in which the exhaust duct may be connected to either the top or rear wall of the hood.

Another object of this invention is to provide a yentilating rangehood containing its own exhaust blowers and including provisions for providing auxiliary lighting in the area of the cooking range with a control panel for selectively energizing the exhaust blower and light singly or in combination.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a ventilating rangehood provided with an exhaust blower and auxiliary light which may be selectively electrically operated within a completely enclosed housing so constructed and arranged so as to provide ready access to the blower and light circuits for easy servicing and maintenance and which eliminates the electrical shock hazard due to exposed wiring.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a ventilating rangehood having side walls which taper inwardly and forwardly to the hood front so that the doors of the adjacent cabinets may be fully opened.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification together with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates the ventilating hood assembly mounted beneath the cabinet.

Figure 2 illustrates a plan view of the ventilating hood assembly showing the control buttons on the front apron and the arrangement for top venting of the hood.

Figure 3 is a side sectional view taken along the lines 33 of Figure 2.

' Figure 4 is a side sectional view taken along the lines 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5, consisting of Figures 5a through 5 is an exploded view showing the parts contained within the housing which encloses the exhaust blower and light arrangement.

Figure 5a illustrates an underside fragmentary view of the central hood area where the top and side walls Figure 5b illustrates a typical blower assembly for mounting to the hood in the region shown in Figure 5a.

Figure 5c illustrates a wiring tray for securement to the hood.

Figure 5d illustrates the housing for enclosing the blowers and'a light assembly.

Figure 5e illustrates an electrical control box and attached light assembly.

Figure 5] illustrates a damper and venting duct mounting assembly for securement to the outside top or rear wall of the hood.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the lighting fixture and its mounting bracket which is mounted to the ventilating hood and also carries the control buttons.

Figure7 is a sidevsectional view illustrating the exhaust blowers mounted for top venting through the hood.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 8-8 of'Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side sectional view of the exhaust blowers mounted for rear venting through the hood.

Figure 10 is a fragmented sectional view taken along the lines of 1010 of Figure 9.

In the various figures like elements are denoted by like reference characters.

Turn now to an examination of Figures 1, 2, and 3,

which illustrate the external features of the ventilating hood and housing which encloses the exhaust blower and light assemblies. Figure 1 illustrates a hood 20 mounted beneath a wall-mounted cabinet 22, the hood 20 being physically secured to either the cabinet 22 or to the rear Wall, or to both. The hood 20 is formed of a pair of side walls 71, a back wall 72, a front apron 73, a top wall 74, and a pair of diagonal portions '70 running inwardly and forwardly from the side walls 71 and merging with the front apron 73. Since the apron '73 extends forwardly from the front of the cabinet 22, it will be appreciated that cabinets placed to the left and the right of the cabinet 22 and extending downward below the top of the hood 20 would be restricted to a limited open door position if it were not for the forwardly and inwardly extending areas which permit door opening of adjacent cabinets substantially beyond 90 degrees. Suspended within the hood is an enclosure 21 which houses the blower and light assemblies and the electrical wiring. The sides and bottom of the enclosure 21 may be louvered as at 38 to permit heat and odors to be drawn inwardly therethrough by the exhaust blowers and forced out through the vent stack. Also mounted in the enclosure 21 is a curved window 37 for transmission of light to the cooking area, and this window 37 may be either transparent or translucent and formed of glass, plastic, or any other suitable substance.

The plan view of Figure 2 shows the electrical control buttons 32 extended through the front apron 73 of the hood 20 and a cut-out plate 31. arrangement is illustrated in Figure 3. The control buttons 32 are mounted to the lighting fixture support and control box 28 which is secured to the underside of the hood-front apron 73 by a pair of nuts 29 which are threaded onto a pair of bolts 30, the latter being affixed to or through the plate 31. The bolts 30 on the plate 31 extend through the hood front apron 73 and through a pair of cars bent outwardly from the box 28.

These ears 75 are best seen in the view of Figure 6 and in the exploded view of Figure 5. The back wall 72 of the hood 2!) has bent outwardly and upwardly from the bottom thereof a pair of hinge hooks .36 which extend through a pair of complementally formed slots 35 in the housing 21 thereby allowing the latter to be pivoted in a vertical plane about the hinge hooks 36. The hinge hooks 36 and the slots 35 are best seen in the showings of Figure 3 and the exploded view of Figure 5.

The housing 21 is secured in its normally closed position by a wing bolt 33 which extends through a hole in a tongue 34 forwardly extending from the housing 21 and threadingly engaged through a hole in the bottom of the control box 28. This fastening engagement is best seen in the views of the Figures 3 and 4. Figure 2 also illustrates the arrangement of top venting for the exhaust by means of an automatic damper 24 pivotly secured to a damper frame 23 by a rod 25, the damper assembly being secured to the hood top 74 by a pair of sheet metal screws 2727. The venting action takes place through a pair of holes 41 cut through the hood top 74 in position for registration with the exhaust mouth of a pair of centrifugal blowers which are mounted to the underside of the hood top.

Turn now to a consideration of the exploded view of Figure 5. Figure 5a illustrates a fragmentary view of the A side view of this central section of the back wall 72 and top 74 of the hood 20. The hinge hooks 36 which depend from the rear wall 72 are here clearly visible as are two pairs of venting holes 41 and 42, the vent holes 41 in the top74 allowing for top venting of the ventilating hood 20 whereas the holes 42 in the rear walls 72 are located for venting through the rear wall of the hood 20. A pair of lipped angle brackets 39 are secured to the back and top inner hood surfaces by mounting feet offset from the lip portions as for example by welding, for securing the blower assembly shown in Figure b in position for top or back venting. The blower assembly of Figure 5b is secured by sliding the outer edges 65 of the exhaust mouth flanges 55 under the raised lips 62 of the angle brackets 39 and thereafter locking the flanges 55 against displacement by tightening of the pressure screws 40 threaded through the lipped portion 62 of the angle brackets 39. When so mounted the exhaust mouths of the blower assembly register with either the pair of top venting holes 41 or with the pair or back venting holes 42. The top and back venting positions assumed by the blower assembly of Figure 5b are illustrated in the showings of the Figures 7 through 10, to be subsequently described.

As further shown in Figure 5a a bracket 43 is aflixed to the back wall 72 of the ventilating hood 20 and a bracket 45 is aflixed to the top 74. The bracket 43 has depending from the bottom thereof a bolting piece 49 adapted to pass through a hole 26 in the wiring tray 48 illustrated in Figure 5c. The bracket 43 is also apertured in registration with a corresponding aperture through the rear wall 72 so that electrical power may be introduced through the rear wall of the hood by a pair of electrical conductors 44. The sectional view of Figure 4 more clearly shows this arrangement and also illustrates a strain relieving cable clamp 66 located adjacent the outer rear wall 72 of the ventilating hood 20. The bracket 45 affixed to the top 74 of the ventilating hood 20 supports an electrical outlet socket 47 which is energized from a circuit within the junction box 46, the latter also being supported by the bracket 45. The electrical outlet socket 47 mounted on the bracket 45 transmits power to the motor 54 of the blower assembly of Figure 5b through the cable 56 and the plug 57, the latter being adapted for plugging engagement into the socket 47.

As previously mentioned, the control box 28 illustrated in Figure Se is adapted for mounting to the underside of the ventilating hood front apron 73 by the ears 75 and the nuts 29. A pair of conductors 61 is shown entering the control box 28 for bringing power to the control switches mounted upon the latter. Only two leads are shown for illustrational purposes whereas in actuality there will be a plurality of such leads running between the control box 28 and the junction box 46 mounted in the bracket 45. The switches 32 (not visible in Figure 5e) mounted on the control box 28 may be wired to provide a plurality of functions. For example, the five switches 32 shown in Figure 2 may be so wired that the left-hand most switch energizes the light bulbs 59 shown in Figure 5e and its adjacent switch deenergizes the light bulbs, the middle switch may completely deenergize the blower assembly of Figure 5b and the two right-hand switches may energize the same blower assembly for low speed or high speed operation.

The wiring tray 48 illustrated in Figure 5c is seen to have a cut-out 52 and a forward lip 51, the latter being turned into a downwardly extending position. The lip 51 is adapted to fit into an aperture 63 in the back of the control box 28, this interlocking engagement being readily apparent in the cross-sectional view of Figure 4. When so engaged, the wiring tray 48, is front supported by the lip 51 in vertically pivotal fashion and may be swung upwards for engagement with the top 74 and rear wall 72 of the ventilating hood 20. The wiring tray 48 may be secured in this position by a wing nut 50 threaded onto the bolting extension 49 depending from the bracket 43 which fits through the aperture 26 in the wiring tray 48- With the wiring tray 48 so positioned, the bracket 45, and hence the junction box 46, are enclosed and the electrical outlet socket 47 mounted in the bracket is accessible to the plug 57 of the blower assembly by virtue of the cut-out 52 in the side of the wiring tray 48. Thus, the wiring tray 48 which completely encloses the electrical conductors running between the power inlet in the rear wall 72, the junction box 46, and the control box 28, eliminates the electrical shock hazard attendant to exposed wiring for example when one of the light bulbs 59 (Figure Se) is being replaced. This is extremely important since the light bulbs 59 are subject to burn out and would normally be replaced by a housewife or other person not familiar withthe requirements for electrical safety, and therefore, electrical wiring which may be exposed when the housing 21 is hinged downward for access to the lights can present a serious shock hazard.

Figure 5d, which illustrates the housing 21 has already been generally described in connection with Figures 1 and 3. The wide slotted opening 68 in the front housing 21 is provided so that the width ofthe control box 28 may fit therein when the housing is hinged upward into its fastening position. Before passing from Figure'Sd to Figure 5f it should be noted that the louvers 38 in the housing 21 may be optionally dispensed with and be replaced by apertures with mounting brackets for securing removable grease filters to the housing, or the louversmay be retained and the grease filters mounted behind the louvers on the inside surfaces of the housing 21.

Figure 5] shows a bottom view'of the automatic damper assembly seen in top view in Figure 2. The installed automatic damper assembly may be best seen in the showings of Figures 4, 7, and 9 to which attention should now be directed. Figures 4 and 7 show the damper assembly arranged for top venting with the damper supporting frame 23 seated on the outside top 74 of the vent hood 20 and lipped over in engagement with the back wall 72. In such position, the damper 24 rotates in a vertical plane about the hinge pin 25 when the impellers 60 of the blowers 53 are rotating. The damper 24 remains open while the blowers 53 areoperating and thereby exhausting into the vertically rising duct 66, and automatically falls into its horizontal closure position when the supporting airflow from the blowers ceases.

Figure 9 illustrates the condition for back venting wherein the damper supporting frame 23 is seated and secured against the back wall 72 of the ventilating hood 20 and is lipped for a short distance over the top 74. In this case the air stream from the blowers 53 will rotate the damper 24 about the hinge pin 25 into a horizontal position, and the damper 24 will automatically fall into a vertical closure position when the air stream from the blowers 53 ceases. Figures 8 and 10 clearly illustrate the manner in which the blower assembly is mounted for top or rear venting with the exhaust mouth flanges 55 of'the blower assembly slidably engaged under the lipped portions 62 of the angle brackets 39 and securely clamp by v the pressure screws 40.

Return now to a consideration of Figures 4 and 5 for an understanding of the assembly procedure. First, the prewired control box 28 may be wired into the junction box 46 in the bracket 45 and also physically mounted to the underside of the front apron 73 of the venting hood 20 with the control switches 32 extending therethrough. Next, the power cable 44 may be led in through the back wall and bracket 43 vertically along the back wall 72 and then forwardly along the top 74 and into the junction box 46. The wiring tray 48 may now be placed in position by inserting the downwardly turned lip 51 into thev opening 63 in the back of the control box 28, then swinging the wiring tray upward surrounding and enclosing the power wiring and .then being fastened by means of the boltingpiece 49 and wing nut 50. At this point the wiring is completely enclosed. Finally, the damper assembly and blowerassern'bly aremounted for either 101) or rear venting as desired, the damper assembly being secured by the screws 27 as previously described, and the blower assembly being secured by the pressure screws 40 after being slidably engaged by the lipped portions 62 of the angle brackets 39. The blower plug 57 is now inserted into the prewired electrical outlet 47 and the housing 21 is hung from the hinge hooks 36 on the rear wall 72 and pivoted upwardly and locked in position to the bottom of the control box 28 by the wing bolt 33.

Although this invention has been described in connection with application to the venting of heat and cooking odors from a cooking range, it is equally applicable to a wide variety of other applications, for example in a chemical laboratory for the removal of vapors which may be poisonous or of disagreeable odor. Various modifications and changes may be made from time to time to the invention without departing from the essential spirit thereof.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A ventilating hood assembly including top and rear walls joining in a substantially right angled corner with each wall being apertured proximate said corner, an electrically operated blower assembly including an outwardby flanged exhaust mouth, blower mounting means attached to said apertured walls on opposite sides of and closely adjacent to the said wall apertures for removably securely mounting said blower assembly exhaust mouth in registration with either one of said wall apertures for optional top or back venting of said hood, said blower mounting means comprising first and second angle brackets each having a pair of mounting feet and a lipped portion ofiset from each of said feet, one of said pair of mounting feet of each bracket being secured to said back wall and the other of said pair being secured to said top wall, said lipped portions forming with said back wall a first pair of parallel facing channels and forming with said top wall a second pair of parallel facing channels. said wall apertures lying intermediate said facing channels, each of said facing channels enclosingly slidably engaging an edge 'of said blower exhaust mouth flange, screw means threaded through said bracket linped portions for pressing the exhaust mouth flange firmly against the hood venting wall, and an automatic damper assembly including an exhaust duct mounting flange securable over the apertured portion of either of said top or back walls whereby an exhaust duct may be connected for optional top or back venting of said hood.

2. A ventilating hood assembly including top and rear walls joining in a substantially right-an led corner with each wall being apertured proximate said corner, and an exhaust duct mounting flange securable over the apertured portion of either of said walls whereby an exhaust duct may be connected for optional top or back venting of said hood. a first bracket mounted on said rear wall. and an L-shaped wiring tray of U-shaned cross-section detachably mountable to the underside of said hood with one leg vertically disposed along the back wall and the other leg horizontally disposed alongthe top wall. the open mouth of the U-shaped cross-section of the wiring trav being closed by the back and top walls when the wiring tray is mounted and thereby forming a wiring conduit, said rear well being apertured within the bounds of said conduit for the introduction of electrical Wiring to said conduit, said ventilating hood having also a front wall with an electrical control box detachably mounted to its underside, said control box having an apertured rear wall through which wiring may be led into the control box from said wiring tray, the forward end of the horizontally disposed leg of said Wiring tray having means detachably interlocked with the said rear wall of said control box, and the vertically disposed leg of said wiring tray being detachably secured to said first bracket by means carried on the latter, whereby a completely closed conduit for electrical wiring between said control box and blower assembly including a blower having an exhaust mouth and an electric motor coupled to the blower for driving the same when the motor is energized, and blower assembly mounting means attached to said apertured top and rear walls on opposite sides of and closely adjacent to the said wall apertures for removably securely mount ing said blower assembly exhaust mouth in registration with one of said wall apertures for optional top or back venting of said hood, said blower motor being disposed within the angle of said L-shaped wiring tray closely beneath the horizontal ieg thereof and closely adjacent to the vertical leg thereof, and means for energizing said blower motor from wiring extending through said wiring tray.

3. The ventilating hood assembly according to claim 2 wherein said motor energizing means includes a second bracket affixed to the underside of said top Wall within the bounds of said wiring conduit and having an electrical socket mounted thereto, said wiring tray surrounding said second bracket and being apertured for accessibility to said socket, said socket being wired for selective energization from said control box.

4. The ventilating hood assembly according to claim 2 wherein said wiring-introducing-aperture in said rear Wall registers with an aperture in said rear wall mounted first bracket so that electrical wiring is introduced to said conduit through said registered apertures.

5. The ventilating hood assembly according to claim 1 including a first bracket mounted on said rear wall, and an L-shaped wiring tray of U-shaped cross-section detachably mountable to the underside of said hood with one leg vertically disposed along the back wall and the other leg horizontally disposed along the top wall, the open mouth of the U-shaped cross-section of the wiring tray being closed by the back and top walls when the wiring tray is mounted and thereby forming a wiring conduit said rear wall being apertured within the bounds of said conduit for the introduction of electrical wiring to said conduit, said ventilating hood having also a front wall with an electrical control box detachably mounted to its underside said control box having an apertured rear wall through which wiring may be led into the control box from said wiring tray, the forward end of the horizontally disposed leg of said wiring tray carrying means detachably interlocked with the said rear wall aperture of said control box, and the vertically disposed leg of said wiring tray being detachably secured to said first bracket by means carried'on the latter whereby a completely closed conduit for electrical wiring between said control box. and wiring-introducing-aperture in said rear wall is formed, said blower assembly including an electrically energizable blower motor disposed Within the angle of said L-shaped wiring tray closely beneath the horizontal leg thereof and closely adjacent to the vertical leg thereof, and means for energizing said blower motor from wiring extending through said wiring tray.

6. The ventilating hood assembly according to claim 5 wherein said motor energizing means includes a second bracket afixed to the underside of said top wall within the bounds of said wiring conduit and having an electrical socket mounted thereto, said wiring tray surrounding said second bracket and being apertured for accessibility to said socket, said socketbeing wired for selective energization from said control box.

References Cited in the file of this: patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,349,668 Marker May 23, 1944 2,548,406 Sonntag Apr. 10, 1951 2,633,071 Erickson Mar. 31, 1953 2,710,573 Marker June 14, 1955 2,780,981 Miller Feb. 12, 1951 2,807,994 Bernstein Oct. 1, 1957 2,828,683 Joseph Apr. 1, 1958 2,839.987 Pryne June 24, 1958 2,857,836 Bernstein Oct. 28, 1958

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