Modular vent hood blower kit for in-line or external application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10001284-B2
Application number	US-201715434849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Oct 24, 2013
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A vent hood kit comprises a canopy assembly having an intake end and an outlet end, a blower housing selectively and alternatively coupled with the exhaust end of the canopy assembly in an in-line position and an external position, a blower assembly disposed within a blower housing and in communication with the intake end in both the in-line and external positions and an exhaust duct adapter of the blower housing is configured to be in communication with the intake end in both the in-line and external positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vent hood kit for a kitchen appliance, the vent hood kit comprising:
a canopy having an air intake;
a blower assembly selectively operable between in-line and external positions that are each in communication with the air intake; and
a main blower housing attached to the canopy and an accessory blower housing positioned distal from the canopy, wherein;
the blower assembly in the in-line position is disposed within the main blower housing;
the blower assembly in the external position is disposed within the accessory blower housing; and
the blower assembly is selectively operable between the in-line and external positions while the main blower housing is coupled to the canopy.

2. The vent hood kit of claim 1 , wherein the canopy includes an air outlet in communication with the air intake.

3. The vent hood kit of claim 2 , wherein the main blower housing is directly coupled to the air outlet of the canopy.

4. The vent hood kit of claim 1 , wherein the external position is further defined by the blower assembly being configured to deliver steam from an area proximate the air intake, through an aperture defined in an accessory exhaust duct adapter of the accessory blower housing and to an area distal from the air intake.

5. The vent hood kit of claim 1 , wherein the main blower housing includes an exhaust duct adapter and the accessory blower housing having an inlet duct adapter that is selectively engaged with the exhaust duct adapter in the in-line and external positions.

6. The vent hood kit of claim 5 , wherein a duct extends from the exhaust duct adapter of the main blower housing to the inlet duct adapter of the accessory blower housing when the blower assembly is disposed in the external position.

7. The vent hood kit of claim 5 , wherein a control is configured to operate the blower assembly when the blower assembly is in either of the in-line and external positions, and wherein a turbulence reduction mechanism is disposed between the air intake and one of the exhaust duct adapter of the main blower housing and an accessory exhaust duct adapter of the accessory blower housing.

8. The vent hood kit of claim 1 , wherein the blower assembly is configured to be selectively and alternatively movable between the in-line and external positions.

9. The vent hood kit of claim 1 , wherein the main blower housing includes a plurality of housing walls defining an interior volume, wherein the blower assembly is disposed within the interior volume and coupled with at least one of the plurality of housing walls in the in-line position.

10. The vent hood kit of claim 9 , wherein the accessory blower housing includes a plurality of accessory housing walls defining an accessory interior volume, wherein the blower assembly is disposed within the accessory interior volume and coupled to at least one of the plurality of accessory housing walls in the external position.

11. The vent hood kit of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of housing walls defines an in-line receptacle and the plurality of accessory housing walls defines an accessory receptacle, and wherein the blower assembly is selectively and alternatively received by the in-line receptacle and the accessory receptacle in the in-line and external positions, respectively.

12. A vent hood kit comprising:
a canopy assembly;
a blower housing having a blower assembly;
an exhaust duct adapter coupled to the blower housing and in communication with the canopy assembly, wherein the blower assembly and blower housing are selectively and alternatively coupled with the canopy assembly and selectively operable between in-line and external positions that are each in communication with the canopy assembly; and
a canopy accessory cover that is selectively attached directly to the canopy assembly in the external position, wherein the blower housing is selectively attached directly to the canopy assembly in the in-line position, and the in-line position being free of the canopy accessory cover.

13. The vent hood kit of claim 12 , further comprising:
an inlet accessory cover configured to be selectively attached to an inlet end of the blower housing when the blower assembly is in the external position, wherein the canopy accessory cover and the inlet accessory cover are engaged with one another.

14. The vent hood kit of claim 13 , wherein a duct extends between the canopy accessory cover and the inlet accessory cover when the blower assembly is disposed in the external position, wherein at least one of the canopy assembly, the canopy accessory cover, the inlet accessory cover, the duct and the blower housing includes a noise reduction material.

15. The vent hood kit of claim 12 , wherein an inlet end of the blower housing is attached to an outlet end of the canopy assembly when the blower assembly is in the in-line position.

16. The vent hood kit of claim 12 , wherein the blower assembly is configured to be selectively disposed between the in-line and external positions, and wherein a plurality of intake ports are in communication with the blower assembly, wherein the plurality of intake ports are configured to collect steam from a corresponding plurality of spaces distal from the canopy assembly and direct the steam to the exhaust duct adapter, wherein the plurality of intake ports are engaged with a primary branch adapter that receives ductwork from the corresponding plurality of spaces and directs the steam from the ductwork to the blower assembly.

17. The vent hood kit of claim 12 , wherein the blower housing includes a plurality of housing walls defining an interior volume, wherein the blower assembly is disposed within the interior volume and coupled to at least one of the plurality of housing walls.

18. The vent hood kit of claim 12 , wherein a control is configured to operate the blower assembly when the blower assembly is in either of the in-line and external positions.

19. A vent hood kit comprising:
a blower housing defining an inner volume, a blower assembly disposed within the inner volume, and an inlet aperture defined within a wall of the blower housing;
a canopy assembly that selectively engages the inlet aperture when the blower housing is in one of an in-line position defined by the blower housing being directly connected to the canopy assembly, and an external position defined by the blower housing being distal from the canopy assembly;
a controller coupled to the blower housing and in selective communication with the canopy assembly and the blower assembly; and
at least one accessory cover that is configured to engage at least one of the inlet aperture of the blower housing and the canopy assembly when the blower housing is disposed in the external position, wherein the in-line position is free of the at least one accessory cover.

20. The vent hood kit of claim 19 , wherein the controller is defined proximate the wall of the blower housing.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Bruin-Slot Zachary J

Classifications

• F24C15/2042 Primary

  Devices for removing cooking fumes structurally associated with a cooking range e.g. downdraft (F24C15/2007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F3/1607

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F11/0001

  for ventilation (F24F11/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24C15/2078

  movable · CPC title

• F24C15/20 Primary

  Removing cooking fumes (parts, details or accessories of cooking-vessels for withdrawing or condensing cooking vapours from such vessels A47J36/38) · CPC title