Patent Description:
Many designs are known for cooking fume extraction hoods. In particular, such hoods may be extraction hoods, i.e. designed to channel the cooking fumes outside the building. Alternatively, filter hoods are provided, which reintroduce the cooking fumes back into the same environment after filtering them.

In particular, such hoods comprise a main body adapted to be fixed to a wall and having an intake opening designed to face a cooktop. A channeling duct is in fluid communication with the intake opening. One or more filters are interposed between the intake opening and the suction means, If the hood is a filter hood, it shall have a vent opening downstream of the suction means and able to directly vent the filtered fumes into the environment. If the hood is an extraction hood, the fumes are channeled to a chimney and to the outside environment.

Hybrid solutions are also known, which are able to operate in both filtering and extraction modes. The prior art document <CIT> discloses a fume extraction hood that can be built in a wall cabinet and used in both extraction and filtering modes.

In detail, the hood of DE' <NUM> comprises a telescopic pull-out drawer having an inlet opening facing a cooktop and defining a compartment in which a suction unit is located.

The drawer is designed to alternate between a pulled-out configuration in which it projects out of the wall cabinet and leaves a top outlet opening exposed, and a retracted configuration in which the main body is recessed into the cabinet so that the latter will close the outlet opening.

<CIT> is another prior art document, disclosing a fume extraction hood that can be built into a wall cabinet and be used in both extraction and filtering modes. Many of the features of this hood are similar to those of the above discussed document DE' <NUM>. The hood disclosed in DE'<NUM> comprises indeed a telescopic pull-out drawer of a wall cabinet and contains a suction unit.

<CIT> is also known as part of the prior art. This document discloses a cooking fume extraction hood comprising a main body with an inlet opening and a compartment housing first suction means configured to generate a first suction flow.

The hood of EP'<NUM> also comprises a pull-out drawer attached to the main body and adapted to alternate between a retracted configuration and a pulled-out configuration. In the pulled-out configuration, the drawer defines a second intake opening that is fluid-dynamically connected with second suction means via a channel inside the drawer.

Disadvantageously, the solutions of DE' <NUM> and DE' <NUM> have a quite complex construction, as they comprise drawers having both intake and vent openings. In addition, the hoods of these documents require displacement of substantially all the internal parts of the hood. The solution of EP'<NUM> seems simpler, but it should be noted that in this hood design the pull-out drawer has the purpose of widening the intake opening and allowing the use of an additional extractor.

The prior art documents <CIT> and <CIT> disclose the preamble of claim <NUM> and also disclose cooking fume extraction hoods that can be built into a wall cabinet. The hoods of AT'<NUM> and DE'<NUM> comprise a main body and a drawer that slides relative to the main body to alternate between a pulled-out configuration in which it projects out of the wall cabinet and leaves a top outlet opening open, and a retracted configuration in which the main body is recessed into the cabinet so that the latter will close the outlet opening.

The hoods of AT'<NUM> and DE'<NUM> comprise moving filter means. More in detail, these filter means are attached to the sliding drawer to be located in an intake opening when the sliding drawer is moved to the pulled-out position. It shall be noted that when the sliding drawer is in the retracted position, the filtering means are stacked one on top of the other.

It should be noted that the movement of the sliding drawer of the hood causes the filter means to rub against each other, and foul each other when sliding one on top of the other. More in detail, as the sliding drawer alternates between the pulled-out configuration and the retracted configuration, the bottom surface of one filter will slide on the top surface of the other filter, which will be likely fouled.

It shall be noted that the top surface of the filter means is arranged inside an extraction chamber of the hood. Therefore, the next time the suction means of the hood will be turned on, the dirt deposited on the top surface of the filter means will be sucked in by the suction means.

Disadvantageously, the solutions of AT'<NUM> and DE'<NUM>, in addition to being constructively rather complex as they require the displacement of the filter means, are unable to keep the interior of the extraction chamber clean, and hence to preserve the integrity of any odor filters and of the components of the suction unit downstream of the moving filter means.

In this context, the technical purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooking fume extraction hood that can obviate the aforementioned prior art drawbacks.

In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a cooking fume extraction hood at least of filtering type, that has a pull-out drawer with a simplified structure.

The aforementioned technical purpose and objects are substantially fulfilled by a cooking fume extraction hood that comprises the technical features as disclosed in one or more of the accompanying claims.

The cooking fume extraction hood comprises a main body configured to be fixed to a wall and having an intake opening designed to face a cooktop to draw in cooking fumes. Suction means are in fluid communication with the intake opening. Filter means are located between the intake opening and the suction means.

A vent opening is located downstream of the suction means and is configured to vent filtered fumes directly into the environment and away from the cooktop.

The hood also comprises a pull-out portion that slides relative the main body and has a bottom wall facing the cooktop and a top wall opposite to the bottom wall. The vent opening is located on the top wall of the pull-out portion.

The suction means are housed in the main body.

The hood of the invention solves the technical problem because it has a much simpler construction than prior art existing solutions.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will result more clearly from the illustrative, non-limiting description of a preferred, non-exclusive embodiment of a cooking fume extractor hood as shown in the annexed drawings, in which:.

Referring to the attached figures, numeral <NUM> designates a cooking fume extraction hood as defined in the present invention. The hood <NUM> is preferably an extraction hood or hybrid extraction/filtering hood.

More in detail, the hood <NUM> comprises a main body <NUM>, which is configured to be fixed to a wall. It should be noted that in the context of the present description the wall-fixation may be of direct or indirect type, in particular the main body <NUM> can be built into a wall cabinet <NUM>, which is fixed to the wall in a well-known manner.

More in detail, the main body <NUM> of the hood <NUM> comprises an upper portion <NUM> and a lower portion <NUM>. Each of these portions <NUM>, <NUM> substantially has the shape of a parallelepiped, and has a rear wall 18a, 19a that can face a wall of a room in which the hood <NUM> is installed. The upper portion <NUM> also comprises a front wall 18b, opposite to the rear wall 18a. Both portions <NUM>, <NUM> comprise respective pairs of side walls 18c, 19c arranged transverse to the rear walls 18a, 19a. The lower portion <NUM> of the main body <NUM> is hollow, and has a pair of inner side surfaces <NUM> defined on the side walls 19c and facing each other.

The main body <NUM> has an intake opening <NUM>, which is designed to face a cooktop (not shown) to draw in cooking fumes.

The hood <NUM> also comprises suction means <NUM> in fluid communication with the intake opening <NUM>. These suction means <NUM> may be of well-known type, e.g. a centrifugal impeller <NUM> protected by a pair of side grilles (not shown). It shall be noted that, according to the present invention, the suction means <NUM> are entirely housed in the main body <NUM>.

If the hood <NUM> is a hybrid extraction/filter hood, it shall comprise switching means <NUM> for changing the direction of the air flow. These switching means <NUM> will not be further described, as they form the subject of a separate patent application by the Applicant hereof.

The hood <NUM> is also equipped with filter means <NUM>, located between the intake opening <NUM> and the suction means <NUM>. These filter means comprise a grease filter 8a and preferably an odor filter <NUM>. The filter means <NUM> may be of a type that is known to the skilled person, and will not be further described herein.

As shown in <FIG>, the filter means <NUM> are attached to the main body <NUM>, and are thus stationary with respect to the main body. In particular, it should be noted that the filter means <NUM> will be stationary (fixed) with respect to the main body upon sliding of what will be later referred to as pull-out portion <NUM> of the hood <NUM>.

According to one aspect as shown in <FIG>, the filter means <NUM>, namely the grease filter 8a, are only attached to the main body <NUM>.

In the embodiment of <FIG>, the filter means <NUM>, namely the grease filter 8a, are arranged in the intake opening <NUM> thereby completely occupying it.

Preferably, the main body <NUM> comprises a lower edge, which peripherally bounds, at least in part, the intake opening having the filter means <NUM>, namely the grease filter 8a, attached thereto. The hood <NUM> has a vent opening <NUM> located downstream of the suction means <NUM>. Such vent opening <NUM> is configured to vent filtered fumes directly into the environment and away from the cooktop.

According to the present invention, the hood <NUM> comprises at a pull-out portion <NUM>. This pull-out portion has a bottom wall <NUM> that faces the cooktop and a top wall <NUM> opposite to the bottom wall <NUM>.

In particular, the pull-out portion <NUM> is housed inside the lower portion <NUM> of the main body <NUM>. The pull-out portion <NUM> also has a front side <NUM>, opposite to the rear wall 19a of the lower portion <NUM> of the main body <NUM>.

It shall be noted that the vent opening <NUM> is located on the top wall <NUM> of the pull-out portion <NUM>. On the other hand, it should be noted that the intake opening <NUM> is entirely located on the main body <NUM>. In other words, the intake opening <NUM> is not located on the pull-out portion <NUM>.

It shall be noted that, according to the present invention, the pull-out portion <NUM> is slidable relative to the main body <NUM>, in particular is switchable between a stored configuration and an operational configuration. In the stored configuration, the pull-out portion <NUM> is at least partially and preferably entirely housed within the main body <NUM>. In the operational configuration, the pull-out portion <NUM> extends away from the front wall 18b of the first portion <NUM> of the main body <NUM>. The vent opening <NUM> is in fluid communication with the suction means <NUM> in the operational configuration but not in the stored configuration.

According to one aspect as shown in <FIG>, the filter means <NUM> are not placed on the pull-out portion <NUM> of the hood. The filter means <NUM> are thus stationary with respect to the main body <NUM> upon alternation of the pull-out portion <NUM> between the stored configuration and the operational configuration. In other words, no filtering means <NUM> is arranged on the pull-out portion <NUM>.

Therefore, it may be inferred from <FIG> that the hood <NUM> of the present invention does not comprise moving filter means <NUM>. Therefore, all the filter means <NUM> are stationary and do not move during alternation of the pull-out portion <NUM> between the stored configuration and the operational configuration.

Advantageously, this allow to keep the interior of the main body (extraction chamber) clean, and hence to preserve the integrity of any odor filters <NUM> and of the components of the suction means <NUM> arranged downstream of the grease filter.

It should be noted that the hood comprises a vent conduit <NUM> located between the suction means <NUM> and the vent opening <NUM>. In particular, the vent conduit <NUM> is partially defined by the walls <NUM>, <NUM> of the pull-out portion <NUM>.

More specifically, the exhaust duct <NUM> comprises a first portion 13a, located directly downstream of the suction means <NUM>. This first portion 13a is fixed inside the main body <NUM>, and is rigidly joined thereto.

The vent conduit <NUM> also includes a second portion 13b, downstream of the first portion 13a. The second portion is defined inside the sliding portion <NUM>.

More in detail, the first portion 13a of the exhaust duct <NUM> comprises a first intermediate opening <NUM> downstream of the suction means <NUM>. Likewise, the second portion 13b of the vent conduit <NUM> has a second intermediate opening <NUM> upstream of the vent opening <NUM>. The first <NUM> and second <NUM> intermediate openings are designed to substantially overlap when the pull-out portion <NUM> is in operational configuration. This allows the filtered fumes vented by the suction means <NUM> to flow out to the vent opening <NUM>.

To facilitate the sliding movement of the sliding portion <NUM>, the hood <NUM> is equipped with a pair of guides <NUM> attached to the main body <NUM> and/or the pull-out portion <NUM>. In particular, the pull-out portion <NUM> slides along the guides <NUM>, to alternate between the operational configuration and the stored configuration. As shown for example in <FIG>, the guides <NUM> may comprise a rail 16a attached to the pull-out portion <NUM> and one or more wheels 16b attached to the main body <NUM>.

Preferably, the hood <NUM> is designed to be built into a wall cabinet <NUM>. By way of example, this wall cabinet <NUM> has a rear surface <NUM> facing a wall and a front surface <NUM> opposite to the rear surface <NUM> and configured to face the outside environment. By way of example, the wall cabinet <NUM> may comprise a pair of doors <NUM>, which define the front surface <NUM>.

The main body <NUM> is then housed in the wall cabinet <NUM>. Preferably, the pull-out portion <NUM> is placed proximate to the front surface <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A cooking fume extractor hood (<NUM>) comprising
- a main body (<NUM>) configured to be fixed to a wall and having an intake opening (<NUM>) configured to face a cooktop to draw in cooking fumes;
- suction means (<NUM>) in fluid communication with the intake opening (<NUM>);
- filter means (<NUM>) located between the intake opening (<NUM>) and the suction means (<NUM>);
- a vent opening (<NUM>) located downstream of the suction means (<NUM>), the vent opening (<NUM>) being configured to vent filtered fumes directly into the environment and away from the cooktop:
- a pull-out portion (<NUM>) slidable relative to the main body (<NUM>) and has a bottom wall (<NUM>) facing the cooktop and a top wall (<NUM>) opposite to the bottom wall (<NUM>), the vent opening (<NUM>) being placed on the top wall (<NUM>) of the pull-out portion (<NUM>);
said suction means (<NUM>) being housed in the main body (<NUM>),
characterized in that all the filter means (<NUM>) are not placed on the pull-out portion (<NUM>) of the hood and are thus stationary with respect to the main body (<NUM>) upon sliding of the pull-out portion (<NUM>).