Abstract:
The present invention proposes a flexible, collapsible range hood extension which can easily be installed and removed, as needed, from an existing hood.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority based on provisional application 60/399,276 filed Jul. 30, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Fi ld of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to venting means in general and more particularly to hoods for venting cooking fumes and specifically extensions for hoods.  
           [0004]    2. Background of the invention  
           [0005]    Greasy fumes from cooking have been the bane of many housewives for years. In olden times, it was easy to leave doors and windows open to let air circulate but nowadays, with increasing heating costs, city living, latex based wall paints and fine delicate interior decorating, getting rid of greasy fumes before they can settle is of the utmost importance.  
           [0006]    Fans became popular in post WWII years, soon followed by hoods. In the intervening years, various wall protectors, grease guards, and hoods without fans were developed. These accessories were meant to deflect the splattering of grease droplets as well as directing fumes, sometimes toward a ceiling or wall vent or electric fan. These deflectors were generally collapsible for easy storage when not in use. With the advent of the standard range hoods, those types of accessories became obsolete.  
           [0007]    However, standard range hoods do not overhang over the entire range top surface but rather approximately half of the top area of a range. This is for a practical reason since the head of an adult usually reaches that height or pretty much so and it would become an encumberance, not to say an injury hazard, if hoods were to reach too far forward.  
           [0008]    There are some range hoods which can be pulled forward much like one pulls out on a drawer in order to have the hood overhang over much of the range surface but they are made of hard metal with sharp corners onto which a user can easily come into contact and potentially get injured.  
           [0009]    When cooking specially steamy or smoke producing foods, the fan can&#39;t circulate air fast enough and some fumes escape the hood and circulate throughout the rest of the house.  
           [0010]    There is hence a need for a device which improves the fume collecting capabilities of standard range hoods.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    In order to more appropriately collect fume, the present invention proposes a flexible, collapsible range hood extension which can easily be installed and removed, as needed, from an existing hood.  
           [0012]    It is therefore a first object of this invention to provide for a hood extension to improve a range hood&#39;s ability to collect fume while being releasably attached from it.  
           [0013]    It is a second object of this invention to provide for a a hood extension which can be installed in seconds and removed just as fast.  
           [0014]    It is a third object of this invention to provide for a hood extension which can be collapsed or folded for easy and unobtrusive storage, usually in the narrow space between a range and kitchen cabinetry or range and refrigerator.  
           [0015]    It is a fourth object of this invention to provide for a hood extension which can be easily cleaned of grease, dirt and grime and which is generally unaffected by such grease, dirt and grime as well as heat.  
           [0016]    It is a fifth object of this invention to provide for a hood extension which has rounded corners and a generally soft structure to avoid potential injury for the user as well as not hindering a users view of the range top.  
           [0017]    The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, by way of examples. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 Is a perspective elevation showing a hood extension floating above a range hood with dotted lines showing how it connects to the hood.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 Is a side elevation of the hood extension installed.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 a  Is a front underside elevation of the hood extension showing the magnetic strip.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 b  Is a side elevation of the hood extension folded, in storage configuration.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 a  Is a side elevation of an alternate embodiment with an articulation in the closed configuration.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 b  Is a side elevation of an alternate embodiment with an articulation in the opened configuration. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    A hood extension ( 10 ) to fit over an existing range hood ( 22 ) has a top planar surface ( 12 ) and a peripheral flap ( 14 ) which extends from the perimeter of the planar surface ( 12 ) on at least one side but preferably the front and two lateral sides of the planar surface ( 12 ) and in a generally perpendicular fashion therefrom when in use. The planar surface ( 12 ) preferably has rounded corners ( 16 ) to reduce the risk of injury, although it may not be necessary since many padding solutions could be employed to serve a similar purpose without departing from the scope of the present invention. The peripheral flap ( 14 ) can be of a soft, pliable, curtain like material or be rigid, in which case it would be split at the corners between the front and the two lateral sides to allow for folding.  
         [0025]    A window ( 18 ), made out of clear material allows a user ( 30 ) a clear view of the range. Of course, if the hood extension is made out of a transparent material such a window ( 18 ) would be unnecessary. On the underside of the top planar surface ( 12 ) is a strip of magnetized material ( 20 ), as seen in FIG. 3 a  which is one means by which the hood extension ( 10 ) can be releasably attached to a range hood ( 22 ). At this point in time, magnets appear to be the preferred means for releasable attachment, as soft adhesives or hook and pile type attachments would have drawbacks as would an elastic band surrounding the hood or two mechanical connectors clipping the lateral sides of the existing range hood ( 22 ). The hook and pile would require prior installation of an adhesive strip having the hook or pile in a permanent fashion on the existing range hood ( 22 ) for mating with its complementary strip on the hood extension ( 10 ) and the elastic band or the connectors would be subject to hanging, dangling and breaking.  
         [0026]    In order to use the hood extension ( 10 ), the user ( 30 ) simply picks it up, positions it over the existing range hood ( 22 ), at which point the peripheral flap ( 14 ) unfolds then, insuring proper alignment between the hood extension ( 10 ) and the magnetized material ( 20 ), lets it drop and the magnetized material ( 20 ) provides secure attachment to the existing range hood ( 22 ). Fumes ( 24 ) can now be collected by a fan ( 26 ). Because of the transparent window ( 18 ) a clear line of sight ( 28 ) can be had by the user ( 30 ).  
         [0027]    More specifically, FIG. 4 a  discloses a side elevation of an alternate embodiment of the hood extension ( 10 ) with an articulation ( 32 ) in the closed configuration as in normal operating mode. Because of the various activities surrounding a range and also, depending upon the height of the user ( 30 ), the hood extension can, at times be struck by the user ( 30 ), especially in situations of emergency when something is burning of overflowing and in the heat of the moment, the user ( 30 ) could bump the hood extension ( 10 ). In such extreme situations, The hood extension can split at a junction point ( 34 ) separating the articulation ( 32 ) section from the rest of the hood extension ( 10 ) as a way of absorbing the shock of the interaction between the hood extension ( 10 ) and the user ( 30 ) without being disengaged from the range hood ( 22 ) and without falling off. In FIG. 4 b , the articulation ( 32 ) is now in an open configuration and a retainer ( 36 ) limits the displacement of the articulation. The retainer ( 36 ) could either be a normally folded piece of material or, it could be a biasing means to automatically bring the articulation ( 32 ) back in the closed configuration. Either way, the retainer ( 36 ) can be as wide as the hood extension ( 10 ) or very narrow or there can be more that one such retainer ( 36 ).