Extendible and retractable cooking smoke shielding and guiding apparatus

A cooking smoke shielding and guiding apparatus comprises: a housing including an outer casing, a storing chamber defined in the outer casing and having a slot formed in an end portion of the outer casing, and a plurality of fixing elements formed on said outer casing adapted for fixing the outer casing on a kitchen object by the fixing elements; a shielding plate slidably retractably stored in the storing chamber of the housing or slidably extended outwardly through the slot of the outer casing for shielding and guiding cooking smoke; and a driving mechanism mounted in the storing chamber and operatively extending the shielding plate outwardly from the storing chamber, or operatively retracting the shielding plate inwardly into the storing chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to draft the smokes, fumes, odors or waste gas outwardly from a kitchen, an exhaust system may be installed in the kitchen for exhausting the smokes or waste gas (such as from a gas stove or range) outwardly for keeping a clean air in the kitchen or room.

However, a conventional kitchen exhaust system including exhaust hood and fan is separately installed above the stove or oven. During cooking in the kitchen, the smokes or waste gas (when a gas stove is used) may be spread sidewardly to cause pollution in the kitchen or room because there is a distance between the stove and the exhaust hood of the exhaust system. Before being sucked and exhausted by the exhaust system, the smokes or waste gas will be spread from the stove into the surroundings to cause pollution because there is no shield or baffle provided around the stove for shielding the smokes or waste gas.

The present inventor has found the drawbacks of a conventional kitchen exhaust system, and invented the present extendible and retractable cooking smoke shielding and guiding apparatus, in order to efficiently shield, guide, and draft the kitchen smokes and waste gas outwardly for keeping a non-polluted environment in a kitchen or home.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a cooking smoke shielding and guiding apparatus comprising: a housing including an outer casing, a storing chamber defined in the outer casing and having a slot formed in an end portion of the outer casing, and a plurality of fixing elements formed on said outer casing adapted for fixing the outer casing on a kitchen object by the fixing elements; a shielding plate slidably retractably stored in the storing chamber of the housing or slidably extended outwardly through the slot of the outer casing for shielding and guiding cooking smoke; and a driving mechanism mounted in the storing chamber and operatively extending the shielding plate outwardly from the storing chamber, or operatively retracting the shielding plate inwardly into the storing chamber.

According to the present invention, there is provided with an apparatus, wherein the driving mechanism comprises: a driving motor, a winch driven by the driving motor; a guiding rail formed in a central portion in the outer casing and having a first roller rotatably mounted on a first end portion of the guiding rail and a second roller rotatably mounted on a second end portion of the guiding rail opposite to the first guiding roller; a sliding block having the shielding plate secured on the sliding block and slidably moving on the guiding rail to cooperatively move the shielding plate with respective to the guiding rail; a rope wound on the winch and having a first rope end secured to the sliding block facing towards the first end portion of the guiding rail and having a second rope end secured to the sliding block facing towards the second end portion of the guiding rail, whereby upon rotation of the driving motor and the winch either clockwise or counter-clockwise, the rope will be pulled by the winch to move the sliding block and the shielding plate either towards the first end portion or towards the second and portion of the guiding rail.

According to this invention, there is provided with a fixing element including hook, bracket, or holes for fixing the housing on a kitchen object by screws, bolts, etc. According to this invention, the outer casing comprises a pair of side rails disposed on opposite sides of the storing chamber for slidably moving the shielding plate along the pair of side rails.

In this invention, a buffer member is provided between the shielding plate and each side rail.

In this invention, the housing further comprises a decorative plate covering an outer end portion of said outer casing.

Still, the decorative plate includes a control switch of the driving mechanism mounted on the decorative plate.

According to this invention, the outer casing includes a dust-proof plate pivotally secured to the outer casing, and resiliently restored inwardly as restored by a restoring spring formed on a bottom portion of the outer casing to normally close the slot in the outer casing.

In this invention, the shielding plate is made of transparent material, and further includes an illuminator mounted on the shielding plate for projecting lights sidewardly or outwardly.

In this invention, the shielding plate includes a display adapted for displaying a signal as input by a user into said display. Such a display may be linked by wired, or wireless (such as Bluetooth) signal connection between a user's mobile device and the display so as to input signals, message, information, recipes, movies, or programs into the display.

In this invention, the driving mechanism is controlled by a wired or wireless signal control. Also plural cooking smoke shielding and guiding apparatuses may be synchronously cooperatively operated as controlled by a plurality of the driving mechanisms.

The kitchen object may refer to a housing of an exhaust system, a cabinet, a counter, or a kitchen wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown inFIGS. 1-6, the cooking smoke shielding and guiding apparatus100of the present invention comprises: a housing10including an outer casing11, a storing chamber12formed in the outer casing11and having a slot121formed in an end of the storing chamber12; and a plurality of fixing elements13formed in the outer casing11for fixing the housing10on a kitchen object F; a shielding plate20movably stored in the storing chamber12; and a driving mechanism30mounted in the storing chamber12of the housing10for operatively extending the shielding plate20outwardly through the slot121for shielding or deflecting cooking smoke in a kitchen, or for operatively retracting the shielding plate20inwardly into the storing chamber12of the housing10.

As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the driving mechanism30of the smoke shielding and guiding apparatus100of the present invention comprises: a driving motor31mounted in the housing10, a winch311driven by the driving motor31, a guiding rail32formed or vertically formed in a central portion in the housing10and having an upper roller (or a first roller)321formed on an upper (or a first) portion of the guiding rail32and a lower (or second) roller322formed on a lower (or second) portion of the guiding rail32; a sliding block33secured with the shielding plate20on the sliding block33and slidably moving on the guiding rail32; a rope34wound on the winch311and having a first rope end341secured to the sliding block33facing towards an upper (or first) end32aof the guiding rail32, and having a second rope end342secured to the sliding block33facing towards a lower (or second) end32bof the guiding rail32; whereby upon a clockwise rotation of the driving motor31in a clockwise direction R1to cooperatively wind the winch311(also in direction R1) as shown inFIG. 3, the rope34with the first rope end341secured to the sliding block33will form a tension rope section T of the rope34between the winch311and the first rope end341as wound across the upper roller321, while forming a loose rope section L between the winch311and the second rope end342as wound across the lower roller322, to thereby retract the sliding block33and the shielding plate20into the storing chamber12in the outer casing11of the housing10; and whereby upon a counter-clockwise rotation of the motor31and winch311in a counter-clockwise direction R2as shown inFIG. 4, the rope34with the second rope end342secured to the sliding block33will form another tension rope section T between the winch311and the second rope end342as wound across the lower roller322, while forming another loose rope section L between the winch311and the first rope end341as wound across the upper roller321, to thereby extend the sliding block33and the shielding plate20outwardly beyond the slot121of the outer casing11of the housing10for shielding or deflecting cooking smoke in a kitchen.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the fixing element13may be a hanger, a hook, a bracket, a screw hole, or a nail hole, adapted for fixing the housing10on a kitchen object F by bolt, screw, nail or any other devices. The fixing elements13are not limited in this invention.

As shown inFIG. 5, a pair of side rails35a,35bare provided in the storing chamber12and disposed on opposite sides of the housing10to help guide the opposite end portions of the shielding plate20to be slidably moved within the opposite side rails35a,35b. A buffer member36is packed in between the shielding plate20and each side rail35aor35bto prevent from frictional wearing during sliding movements of the shielding plate20within the side roils35a,35b, thereby keeping a beautiful appearance of the shielding plate20.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the housing10further includes a decorative plate14covering an outer end portion of the housing10for ornamental purpose when installing the present invention on a kitchen object F such as a cabinet or other kitchen equipments. A control switch37of the driving mechanism30may be mounted on the decorative plate14of the present invention30so as to control the outward extending or inward retracting movements of the shielding plate20within the housing10.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the decoration plate14is mounted on an outer end portion of the outer casing11of the housing10. Or, the decorative plate14may be mounted on a bottom edge portion of the housing10adjacent to the slot121as shown inFIG. 11. Upon installation of the present invention on the kitchen object F, the decorative plate14may be well decorated in consideration of colors, patterns, designs or personal favorite styles to reveal overall beautiful decorative features of the kitchen art or appearance.

As shown inFIG. 6, the present invention further includes a dust-proof plate15pivotally secured to said outer casing and resiliently inwardly restored to normally close the slot121of the outer casing11of the housing10as restored by a restoring spring16formed in a bottom portion of the outer casing11adjacent to the slot121. Upon outward extending of the shielding plate20through the slot121, the dust-proof plate15may be pushed outwardly (or downwardly) by the outward (or downward) moving of plate20to open the slot121. Upon retraction of the shielding plate20into the storing chamber12of the casing11, the dust-proof plate15will be inwardly (or upwardly) restored by the restoring spring16to finally close the slot121when the shielding plate20is retracted inwardly (or upwardly) completely. Therefore, a flat and smooth appearance of the present invention (when the dust-proof plate15is closed) will be presented to be commensurate with the flat and smooth appearance of the kitchen cabinet, counter or other kitchen equipments.

As shown inFIG. 11, the shielding plate20may be made of transparent materials, including glass, acrylic, poly-carbonate, etc. Or, an illuminator21may be mounted on or in the shielding plate20which is transparent so that the light as emitted from the illuminator21may be transmitted, reflected, deflected, or spread in plural directions through the transparent shielding plate20to reveal an optical illuminative and decorative effect for the present invention.

The shielding plate20may be formed as a display for LED, DLED or other display devices. Such a display formed on the shielding plate20may serve as a message or memo board for inputting a signal or leaving a message on the display or may serve as a “screen” showing a recipe as downloaded from an internet for cooking reference in a kitchen. The display on the shielding plate20may be electronically connected with a mobile device such as a cell phone or mobile phone by a wired or wireless signal connection such as by a Bluetooth so as to input signal into the display.

The driving mechanism30of the present invention may serve to control the extending movement (or up movement) or retracting movement (or down movement) of the shielding plate20by wired signal control or by wireless signal control, not limited in this invention. The cooking smoke shielding and guiding apparatus may be provided with plural sets, which may be synchronously controlled and operated so as to extend or retract plural shielding plates20simultaneously as controlled by the plural driving mechanisms30. For example, three shielding plates20may be simultaneously retracted as shown inFIG. 9.

The kitchen object F may refer to a kitchen cabinet, a kitchen counter, a housing of an exhaust system, a kitchen wall, or other kitchen equipments for installing a gas stove, a range, or an oven; not limited in this invention.

As shown inFIG. 7, a cooking smoke shielding and guiding apparatus100may be provided in a kitchen object F to upwardly extend the shielding plate20to form a U-shaped “compartment” U with the neighboring walls to shield or guide a smoke or combustion waste gas of a gas stove S so as to draft the smoke or waste gas upwardly outwardly as sucked by an exhaust system (not shown), wherein the smoke or waste gas is confined within the U-shaped compartment U with minus pressure and well shielded, deflected, guided, and drafted by the shielding plate200and its neighboring walls upwardly outwardly as sucked by the exhaust system (which may be an exhaust fan or system). Meanwhile, the air-conditioned room air (with positive pressure) in the kitchen will also be shielded or baffled by the shielding plate20, indicating that the interior air of the air conditioning system will be kept clean and not be mixed or contaminated by the smoke or waste gas from the gas stove S. The U-shaped compartment U may then be considered as a “duct” for discharging smoke or waste gas of the stove or range in a kitchen. The layout as shown inFIG. 7is just a design example for implementing the apparatus of the present invention in a kitchen. The apparatus of the present invention may be served as an individual or independent unit so that it may be equipped in a kitchen to be commensurate with a gas range, stove, oven, cabinet, counter or other kitchen equipments for a satisfactory design including planning of interior systematic furnitures. The present invention may be put into a design or layout to be commensurate with the user's favorite interest or choices.

As shown inFIG. 8, two shielding plates20of the two smoke shielding and guiding apparatuses100of the present invention are extended to form a U-shaped confined compartment U around the gas stoves S, whereby the smoke or waste gas from the gas stores S will be shielded by the two shielding plates20and will be deflected, guided and drafted upwardly outwardly as sucked by an exhaust system (not shown) installed in a kitchen object F above the stoves. The U-shaped compartment U will form a negative pressure chamber to suck the smoke or waste gas outwardly, without contaminating the interior air in the kitchen or room. This example is provided for shielding smoke or waste gas of stoves which are installed in a kitchen area having “open space” which may easily spread smoke or waste gas sidewardly into kitchen or room to cause air pollution, if without being installed with the shielding plates20of the present invention.

As shown inFIG. 9, three shielding and guiding apparatuses100of the present invention may be provided to extend three shielding plates20outwardly to form a U-shaped compartment to confine the stoves S for shielding and guiding smoke or waste gas outwardly by an exhaust system (not shown) to prevent air pollution in a kitchen. InFIG. 9, there shows no partition or wall around the stoves S so that three apparatuses100and an exhaust system (not shown) should be provided for shielding and drafting smoke outwardly. As shown inFIG. 10, an exhaust system E is installed above the three shielding plates20of three apparatuses100when outwardly extended to define a U-shaped compartment U to shield and draft smoke upwardly outwardly through the exhaust system E.

The present invention may be incorporated into a systematic kitchen equipments or furnitures for well implementing kitchen equipments for the user. The cooking smoke shielding and guiding apparatus100may be produced as a “module” or unit for an easy handling, assembly and installation for a user to be commensurate with (or to be a part of) the kitchen equipments such as range, stove, oven, cabinet, counter, table, and exhaust system. So, this invention with its convenient uses may thus increase its commercial value. Meanwhile, by the aid of plural shielding plates20, a smoke or waste gas “duct” may be formed to efficiently shield and draft the smoke and waste gas outwardly to keep a clean interior air and prevent air pollution in a kitchen or room. When not use for drafting smoke outwardly, the shielding plates20may be downwardly or inwardly retracted to reveal an open space in a kitchen. The smokes may also refer to fumes, odors or waste gas in the kitchen and will be well exhausted by the present invention.

Even though, the above-mentioned description shows a vertical extending or retracting movement of the shielding plate20. However, the shielding plate20may also be provided to be extended or retracted horizontally, not limited in this invention. The shielding plate20may be downwardly extended or upwardly retracted. Of course, it can be vice versa, such that the shielding plate20may be upwardly extended or downwardly retracted by optional design choices.

The present invention may be further modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.