IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,945,356
Granted Patent B2
US 10,945,356 · App. 16/000,929 · Granted Mar 9, 2021

Cooking exhaust systems having one or more airflow features

Inventors: James Lee Armstrong (Louisville, KY); Michael A. Funk (Louisville, KY); Stephen Bernard Froelicher (Shepherdsville, KY)
Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
H05K7/20972F24C15/006G02F1/133385A47J36/38F24C15/2021F24C15/2042G02F2201/36
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,945,356
App. No.
16/000,929
Granted
Mar 9, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Cooking exhaust systems for use with a cooktop appliance are provided herein. An exhaust system may include a casing, an image monitor, and an air handler. The casing may define an air inlet and an air outlet above the cooktop appliance. The image monitor may be supported on the casing. The air handler may be mounted within the casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough. The air outlet may define an airflow curtain path extending outward from the casing in front of the image monitor.

Claims (29)

1. A system for motivating air adjacent to a cooktop appliance comprising a cooktop surface, the system defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the system comprising:

a casing defining an air inlet and an air outlet above the cooktop appliance;

an image monitor having an imaging surface on which an image is selectively displayed, the image monitor being supported on the casing above the air outlet; and

an air handler mounted within the casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough,

wherein the air outlet defines an airflow curtain path for air exiting the casing, the airflow curtain path extending outward from the casing and forward along the transverse direction in front of the image monitor, and

wherein the air inlet is defined through the casing above the air outlet, the air inlet being defined at a location behind the image monitor relative to the transverse direction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the air outlet is a first air outlet, wherein the casing further defines a second air outlet above the first air outlet, and wherein the second air outlet defines a coolant airflow path along the imaging surface.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second air outlet is defined above the imaging surface.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a bezel panel extending about a perimeter of the imaging surface at a position forward therefrom, wherein the second air outlet is defined forward from the bezel panel.

5. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a bezel panel extending about a perimeter of the imaging surface at a position forward therefrom, wherein the second air outlet is defined between the bezel panel and the imaging surface.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the air handler is positioned upstream from the first air outlet and the second air outlet.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the air handler is a first air handler upstream from the first air outlet, and wherein the system further comprises a second air handler upstream from the second air outlet in fluid parallel to the first air handler.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the casing extends in the vertical direction from a top end of the casing to a bottom end of the casing, and wherein the air inlet is defined through the casing proximal to the top end of the casing.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the casing extends in the transverse direction between a front end of the casing and a rear end of the casing, and wherein the casing defines an air passage extending along the vertical direction from the air inlet between the front end of the casing and the rear end of the casing.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the casing extends in the vertical direction from a top end of the casing to a bottom end of the casing, wherein the air handler is positioned within an air passage extending between the air inlet and the air outlet, wherein the casing further defines an exhaust passage extending in fluid isolation from the air passage from an exhaust inlet proximal to the bottom end and an exhaust outlet proximal to the top end of the casing.

11. A system for motivating air adjacent to a cooktop appliance comprising a cooktop surface, the system defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the system comprising:

a casing defining an air inlet, a first air outlet, and a second air outlet above the cooktop appliance, the second air outlet being above the first air outlet;

an image monitor supported on the casing above the first air outlet, the image monitor comprising an imaging surface on which an image is selectively displayed; and

an air handler mounted within the casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the first air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough,

wherein the first air outlet defines an airflow curtain path for air exiting the casing, the airflow curtain path extending outward from the casing and forward along the transverse direction in front of the image monitor,

wherein the second air outlet defines a coolant airflow path extending from a position above the imaging surface and therealong,

wherein the air inlet is defined through the casing above the air outlet, the air inlet being defined at a location behind the image monitor relative to the transverse direction, and

wherein the air handler is positioned upstream from the first air outlet and the second air outlet.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the air inlet is defined through the casing behind the image monitor relative to the transverse direction.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a bezel panel extending about a perimeter of the imaging surface at a position forward therefrom, wherein the second air outlet is defined forward from the bezel panel.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a bezel panel extending about a perimeter of the imaging surface at a position forward therefrom, wherein the second air outlet is defined between the bezel panel and the imaging surface.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the casing extends in the vertical direction from a top end of the casing to a bottom end of the casing, and wherein the air inlet is defined through the casing proximal to the top end of the casing.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the casing extends in the transverse direction between a front end of the casing and a rear end of the casing, and wherein the casing defines an air passage extending along the vertical direction from the air inlet between the front end of the casing and the rear end of the casing.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the casing extends in the vertical direction from a top end of the casing to a bottom end of the casing, wherein the air handler is positioned within an air passage extending between the air inlet and the air outlet, wherein the casing further defines an exhaust passage extending in fluid isolation from the air passage from an exhaust inlet proximal to the bottom end of the casing and an exhaust outlet proximal to the top end of the casing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 7, 2018
From: ARMSTRONG, JAMES LEE; FUNK, MICHAEL A.; FROELICHER, STEPHEN BERNARD
To: HAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 046009/0432 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190380230A1 · Dec 12, 2019