Filter for a Kitchen Fume Extractor
This patent application claims priority to German Patent Application 102023135921.5 filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office on 20. DEC 2024, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Technical Field
The invention relates to a filter for a kitchen fume extractor and to a use of a filter in a kitchen fume extractor.
Prior Art
US 2019/0200803 A1 discloses a grill device that includes a first grill seat and a second grill seat movably connected to the first grill seat such that the second grill seat is movable between a closed position, where the second grill seat overlaps with the first grill seat in an up-and-down direction to define a grill space there between for accommodating a food to be grilled, and an opened position. The second grill seat has a fume collecting chamber which is disposed opposite to and in spatial communication with the grill space in the up-and-down direction when the second grill seat is in the closed position. The grill device comprises a filter assembly which is removably mounted on a fume collecting seat, and has a filter member which is mounted in the fume collecting chamber and rested on resting protrusions, and a porous cover which is removably sleeved around the fume collecting seat to cover the filter member. The filter member is an activated carbon with a honeycomb. The removable fume collecting chamber is detachably mounted by turning to the second grill seat.
Disclosure of the Invention
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved filter for a kitchen fume extractor.
Another object is to provide a use of an improved filter in a kitchen fume extractor.
According to an aspect of the invention the object is achieved by a filter for a kitchen fume extractor, comprising a cylindrical filter housing with a first end, in particular an inflow end, and a second end, in particular an outflow end, and with a filter element receiving space located between the first end and the second end, the second end being configured to be fluidly connected to an inflow region of an air handling component of the kitchen fume extractor, a filter element detachably received in the filter element receiving space of the filter housing, wherein the filter element comprises a monolithic adsorbent filter body, in particular a honeycomb filter body comprising activated carbon, and wherein the filter housing comprises a connecting device downstream of the filter element receiving space, the connecting device being adapted and configured to detachably couple the filter housing to the air handling component by a turning movement around a longitudinal axis of the filter housing relative to the air handling component, and wherein the connecting device extends at least partly over a downstream flow cross section of the filter element.
According to a further aspect of the invention the further object is achieved by a use of a filter in a kitchen fume extractor, wherein a second end, in particular an outflow end, of the filter is fluidly connected to an inflow region of an air handling component of the kitchen fume extractor, wherein a cylindrical filter housing of the filter is detachably coupled to the air handling component with a connecting device by a turning movement around a longitudinal axis of the filter housing relative to the air handling component.
Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.
According to an aspect of the invention, a filter for a kitchen fume extractor is proposed, comprising a cylindrical filter housing with a first end, in particular an inflow end, and a second end, in particular an outflow end, and with a filter element receiving space located between the first end and the second end, the second end being configured to be fluidly connected to an inflow region of an air handling component of the kitchen fume extractor, a filter element detachably received in the filter element receiving space of the filter housing. The filter element comprises a monolithic adsorbent filter body, in particular a honeycomb filter body comprising activated carbon. The filter housing comprises a connecting device downstream of the filter element receiving space, the connecting device being adapted and configured to detachably couple the filter housing to the air handling component by a turning movement around a longitudinal axis of the filter housing relative to the air handling component. The connecting device extends at least partly over a downstream flow cross section of the filter element.
The proposed filter comprises a filter element with a monolithic adsorbent filter body, in particular a honeycomb filter body, mounted detachably in a cylindrical filter housing. It is also conceivable that the filter element comprises adsorbents in particulate form, including particulate activated carbon or loose fills in a container or bag. Thus, the filter element can be removed from the filter housing for replacement or regeneration. After the replacement or regeneration, the filter element may be mounted in again. As the filter element can be taken out from the filter housing, the material of the filter housing does not have to withstand high regeneration temperatures. The filter housing is mounted to the kitchen fume extractor, in particular to an air handling component of the kitchen fume extractor by a connecting device which may advantageously be provided with a bayonet coupling means. The connecting device is arranged in a central longitudinal axis of the filter on a downstream side of the filter and thus extends over the flow cross section of the filter element. This leads to the benefit that the filter housing can be smaller or at most the same outer diameter as the air handling component and can be connected via the connecting device in a small space, in the event of space constraints in the kitchen fume extractor. Thus, the filter housing can be mounted or remounted by a turning movement around the longitudinal axis relative to the air handling component. The filter housing can be mounted to the air handling component during manufacture of the kitchen fume extractor or during installation of the filter onto the air handling component. The filter housing can advantageously remain connected to the air handling component, while allowing the filter element to be detached for replacement or regeneration.
The possibility of replacing and/or regenerating the filter element separately offers the opportunity for a cheaper and easier way of using inexpensive and simple materials such as plastics for the manufacture of the filter housing. Also waste material may be avoided. Thus the filter can be made cheaper and more competitive.
The filter may be applied advantageously to a kitchen fume extractor as suggested. In other embodiments, the filter may also be applied to systems having air handling components. Air handling components, such as blowers, typically have a cylindrical housing to accommodate its rotating blades. Thus, the cylindrical filter housing may advantageously cooperate with the cylindrical body of the air handling component to provide a durable and tight sealing between the filter housing and the housing of the air handling component. Advantageously, air that is extracted by the air handling component flows through the filter without leakage.
According to a favorable embodiment of the filter, the connecting device may be configured to cooperate with a connecting counter device at the inflow region of the air handling component. Thus, an easily mountable connection between the filter housing and the air handling component may be achieved. The filter housing can be quickly disassembled and then reassembled, should replacement of the filter housing be required, or if removal of the filter housing is desired to replace or regenerate the filter element.
According to a favorable embodiment of the filter, the connecting device may be configured as a bayonet component for a bayonet connection with the connecting counter device. In particular, one of the connecting device and the connecting counter device may be configured as at least one radial protrusion, wherein the other one of the connecting device and the connecting counter device may be configured as at least one radial counter member cooperating with at least one radial protrusion when the filter housing is mounted to the air handling component by turning. The bayonet connection may provide a robust and easy to handle connecting means to mount or remount the filter housing to the air handling component.
According to a favorable embodiment of the filter, the second end of the filter housing may be configured to be sealed on an outer rim of the inflow region of the air handling component in an intended mounting position. Thus, a durable and tight sealing between the filter housing and the housing of the air handling component may be achieved.
According to a favorable embodiment of the filter, the filter housing may comprise radially oriented struts, wherein the connecting device is fixed to the struts. In particular, the filter housing and/or the struts and/or the connecting device may be formed as one piece. The struts provide stabilization of the filter housing as well as a load-bearing attachment of the connecting device to the filter housing. Thus, stable mounting and fixation of the filter housing to the air handling component may be achieved.
According to a favorable embodiment of the filter, the struts may be located downstream of the filter element in the filter housing, wherein the struts may support the filter body when mounted in the filter element receiving space. By this way, the filter element is safely fixed against air pressure by the streaming air during operation of the filter.
According to a favorable embodiment of the filter, the filter body may be fixed to the filter housing in the filter element receiving space by at least one connecting means. Easy and quick mounting and replacement of the filter element may thus be achieved. The filter element may safely be fixed to the filter housing.
According to a favorable embodiment of the filter, the connecting means may comprise at least one of a snap fit connection, a spring lock connection, an elastic band, in particular a rubber band. In particular, the snap fit connection may comprise at least one inward-facing hook at a wall of the filter housing. Easy and quick mounting and replacement of the filter element may thus be achieved. The filter element may safely be fixed to the filter housing.
According to a favorable embodiment of the filter, the connecting means may comprise a cover part, in particular a retaining ring, being fixed to the first end of the filter housing by at least one of a screw thread or a grid pattern. Easy and quick mounting and replacement of the filter element may thus be achieved. The filter element may safely be fixed to the filter housing. According to a further aspect of the invention, a use of a filter in a kitchen fume extractor is proposed, wherein a second end, in particular an outflow end, of the filter is fluidly connected to an inflow region of an air handling component of the kitchen fume extractor. A cylindrical filter housing of the filter is detachably coupled to the air handling component with a connecting device by a turning movement around a longitudinal axis of the filter housing relative to the air handling component.
The filter comprises a filter element with a monolithic adsorbent filter body, in particular a honeycomb filter body, mounted detachably in a cylindrical filter housing. Thus, the filter element can be removed from the filter housing for replacement or regeneration. After the replacement or regeneration, the filter element may be mounted in again. As the filter element can be taken out from the filter housing, the material of the filter housing does not have to withstand high regeneration temperatures.
The filter housing is mounted to the kitchen fume extractor, in particular to an air handling component of the kitchen fume extractor by a connecting device which may advantageously be provided with a bayonet coupling means. The connecting device is arranged in a central longitudinal axis of the filter on a downstream side of the filter and thus extends over the flow cross section of the filter element. Thus, the filter element can be mounted or remounted by a turning movement around the longitudinal axis relative to the air handling component.
The possibility to replace and/or regenerate the filter element separately offers opportunities for a cheaper and easier to manufacture filter housing like plastics. Also waste material may be avoided. Thus the filter may be cheaper and more competitive.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The present invention together with the above-mentioned and other objects and advantages may best be understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments, but not restricted to the embodiments, wherein is shown in:
Figure 1 a kitchen fume extractor with a filter according to an embodiment of the invention in a partly sectional isometric view;
Figure 2 an exploded view of the kitchen fume extractor according to Figure 1 with two embodiments of the filter;
Figure 3 an air handling component of the kitchen fume extractor in a close isometric view; Figure 4 a filter according to one embodiment of the invention in an isometric view to the second end;
Figure 5 the filter according to Figure 4 in an exploded view;
Figure 6 the filter according to Figure 4 in a partly sectional view;
Figure 7 the filter according to Figure 4 in a top view on the second end;
Figure 8 a filter according to a further embodiment of the invention in an isometric view to the second end;
Figure 9 the filter according to Figure 8 in an isometric view to the first end;
Figure 10 the filter according to Figure 8 in an exploded view; and
Figure 11 the filter according to Figure 8 in a partly sectional view.
Detailed Description of the Drawings
In the drawings, like elements are referred to with equal reference numerals. The drawings are merely schematic representations, not intended to portray specific parameters of the invention. Moreover, the drawings are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention.
Figure 1 depicts a kitchen fume extractor 100 with a filter 10 according to an embodiment of the invention in a partly sectional isometric view. In Figure 2 an exploded view of the kitchen fume extractor 100 according to Figure 1 with two embodiments of the filter 10 are depicted.
The kitchen fume extractor 100 comprises a housing 102, which is cut in Figure 1 in order to show the inside of the kitchen fume extractor 100. The housing 102 comprises an air inlet 104 with a grille 108 and an air outlet 106. The grille 108 is a removable part for cleaning and/or replacement. Inside the housing 102, an air handling component 110, a blower, is located. The air duct between the outflow region 113 of the air handling component 110 and the air outlet 106 of the housing 102 is omitted.
A filter 10 may be used in the kitchen fume extractor 100, wherein a second end 16, in particular an outflow end, of the filter 10 may be fluidly connected to an inflow region 112 of the air handling component 110 of the kitchen fume extractor 100. Hereby, a cylindrical filter housing 12 of the filter 10 may be detachably coupled to the air handling component 110 with a connecting device 30 by a turning movement around a longitudinal axis 32 of the filter housing 12 relative to the air handling component 110. As may be seen particularly in the exploded view in Figure 2, the air handling component 110 comprises two inflow regions 112 on both sides of the air handling component 110, where filters 10 may be connected to.
A filter 10 for the kitchen fume extractor 100 comprises a cylindrical filter housing 12 with a first end 14, in particular an inflow end, and a second end 16, in particular an outflow end, and with a filter element receiving space 18 located between the first end 14 and the second end 16.
The second end 16 is configured to be fluidly connected to the inflow region 112 of the air handling component 110 of the kitchen fume extractor 100.
A filter element 20 is detachably received in the filter element receiving space 18 of the filter housing 12. The filter element 20 comprises a monolithic adsorbent filter body 22, in particular a honeycomb filter body comprising activated carbon.
The filter housing 12 comprises a connecting device 30 downstream of the filter element receiving space 18. The connecting device 30 is adapted and configured to detachably couple the filter housing 12 to the air handling component 110 by a turning movement around a longitudinal axis 32 of the filter housing 12 relative to the air handling component 110. The connecting device 30 extends at least partly over a downstream flow cross section 24 of the filter element 20.
The connecting device 30 is configured to cooperate with a connecting counter device 130 at the inflow region 112 of the air handling component 110.
The connecting counter device 130 is particularly depicted in Figure 3, where the air handling component 110 of the kitchen fume extractor 100 is shown in a close isometric view. The connecting device 30 of the filter 10 is depicted in Figure 4, where a filter 10 according to one embodiment of the invention is shown in an isometric view to the second end 16.
The connecting device 30 is configured as a bayonet component 36 for a bayonet connection 34 with the connecting counter device 130. The connecting device 30 is configured as at least one radial protrusion 38, wherein the connecting counter device 130 is configured as at least one radial counter member 132 cooperating with at least one radial protrusion 38 when the filter housing 12 is mounted to the air handling component 110 by turning.
The connecting device 30 may however also take the form of a push connection. In general any form-fit connection may be used. The second end 16 of the filter housing 12 is configured to be sealed on an outer rim 114 of the inflow region 112 of the air handling component 110 when mounted to the air handling component 110.
As may be seen from Figure 4, the filter housing 12 comprises radially oriented struts 40, wherein the connecting device 30 is fixed to the struts 40. The filter housing 12 and/or the struts 40 and/or the connecting device 30 may advantageously be formed as one piece.
The struts 40 are located downstream of the filter element 10 in the filter housing 12. The struts 40 may favorably support the filter body 22, which is placed on an inner rim 46 at the circumferential wall 44 of the filter housing 12, when mounted in the filter element receiving space 18.
The two embodiments of filters 10 shown in Figure 2 differ in the way the filter element 20 is fixed to the filter housing 12 when placed in the filter receiving space 18.
In the first embodiment left to the air handling component 110, the filter element 20 is fixed by a retaining ring 52 as a connecting means 41 , whereas in the second embodiment right to the air handling component 110, the filter element 20 is fixed by snap fit connecting means 41.
The first embodiment of the filter 10 is shown in Figures 4 to 7. Figure 4 depicts the filter 10 according to the first embodiment of the invention in an isometric view to the second end 16, Figure 5 in an exploded view, Figure 6 in a partly sectional view and Figure 7 the filter according to Fig. 4 in a top view on the second end.
The filter body 22 may be fixed to the filter housing 12 in the filter element receiving space 18 by at least one connecting means 41. The filter body 22 is placed on the inner rim 46 at the circumferential wall 44 of the filter housing 12 and then fixed by the at least one connecting means 41. In this embodiment, the connecting means 41 comprises a cover part 48, in particular a retaining ring 52, which may be fixed to the first end 14 of the filter housing 12 by at least one of a screw thread 50 or a grid pattern.
As may be seen from Figure 5, the retaining ring 52 comprises an internal thread 51 which is foreseen to engage with an outer thread 50 on the circumferential wall 44 of the filter housing 12 when the filter element 20 is inserted into the filter element receiving space 18 and placed on the inner rim 46. The radial struts 40 in the filter housing 12 act as an additional counter support for fixation of the filter element 20. Thus, the filter element 20 may be fixed to the filter housing 12 by screwing the ring 52 to the filter housing 12 in a tight manner. The filter body 22 may be a monolithic adsorbent filter body 22, in particular a honeycomb filter body comprising activated carbon. In various embodiments, the activated carbon may be made from coconut shell, wood, bamboo, fruit or vegetable pits, charcoal, cellulose, or lignocellulose materials. The activated carbon may be extruded together with the support material (e.g., clay (cordierite) or resins) to form a plurality of parallel channels directly as one homogenous composition. This embodiment has the advantage that it provides a particularly high filter capacity. Alternatively, the activated carbon may be coated on the support material (e.g., clay (cordierite)), that forms the honeycomb design.
Another possible filtration materials are pleated filter elements and granular foams.
During operation, air is flowing through the channels 26 as a turbulent airflow which offers the possibility for the activated carbon to adsorb gases. The channel structure favorably may be provided as 10 to 650 cells per square inch (cpsi).
As the filter body 22 is a monolithic body without additional attachments, the filter body 22 may advantageously be heated in an oven for regeneration when removed from the filter housing 12.
Thus an advantage of using a monolithic filter body of activated carbon is that in case needed, for instance when it needs to be replaced because it is saturated, only the filter body itself has to be taken out of the filter housing 12. This body can then be regenerated (for example thermally, by placing it in an oven). After regeneration it can be placed back in the filter housing. This improves sustainability as no new filter body is needed. It also lowers the costs as plastic parts can be used for the housing 12. Plastic is cheaper than metal which would otherwise be necessary if the filter body would need to be regenerated together and simultaneously with its housing.
In Figures 4 and 5, the arrangement of the radial protrusions 38 as bayonet components 36 for the bayonet connection 34 to connecting counter device 132 of the air handling component 110 is shown.
In the sectional view in Figure 6, the channels 26 of the filter body 22 are to be seen, going through the filter element 20 in a parallel direction to the longitudinal axis 32. Also the fixation of the filter element 20 by the retaining ring 52 as a cover part 48 to the filter housing 12 may be recognized.
Figure 7 shows the regular radial distribution of the struts 40 in the filter housing 12 carrying the connecting device 30 midst in the flow cross section 24 of the filter element 20. The second embodiment of the filter 10 is depicted in Figures 8 to 11 , whereas in Figure 8 the filter is shown in an isometric view to the second end 16, in Figure 9 in an isometric view to the first end 14, in Figure 10 in an exploded view and in Figure 11 in a partly sectional view.
In this embodiment, the connecting means 41 may comprise at least one of a snap fit connection, a spring lock connecting, an elastic band, in particular a rubber band. In the embodiment shown, the connecting means 41 is realized as a snap fit connection comprising two inward-facing hooks 42 at the circumferential wall 44 of the filter housing 12.
In Figure 9, the two hooks 42 of the connecting means 41 seen fixing the filter element 20 are to be seen from an outer side, whereas in Figure 10 the two hooks 42 are to be seen from an inner side. When the filter element 20 is placed on the inner rim 46 at the circumferential wall 44, the two hooks 42 snap over the filter body 22 thus fixing the filter body 22 in its position.
In the sectional view in Figure 11 , the functions of the hooks 42 may also be recognized with snapping over the filter body 22.
The through going parallel channels 26 of the filter body 22 are to be seen, just as in the former embodiment.
The connecting device 30 to connect the filter 10 to the air handling component 110 is also the same as in the former embodiment.
Reference Numbers
10 filter 12 filter housing 14 first end 16 second end 18 filter element receiving space 20 filter element 22 filter body 24 flow cross section 26 channel 30 connecting device 32 longitudinal axis 34 bayonet connection
36 bayonet component 38 radial protrusion 40 strut 41 connecting means 42 hook 44 wall 46 inner rim 48 cover part 50 thread 51 thread 52 ring 60 air fluid direction
100 kitchen fume extractor 102 housing 104 air inlet 106 air outlet 108 grille 110 air handling component 112 inflow region 113 outflow region 114 outer rim 130 connecting counter device 132 counter member