Patent ID: 7699051

Claim:
An appliance including a range hood for a cook top having a heating element comprising a hood housing having a set of outer panels defining a cavity for venting at least one of air and effluent from the cook top; a cover disposed within the hood housing and separating the cavity into an upper cavity and a lower cavity, the cover having a hole that is defined by a set of inner panels and wherein the inner panels are spaced from the outer panels such that a first channel and a second channel are defined by an outer surface of the cover and an inner surface of the hood housing, wherein the channels are configured to move air that passes from the lower cavity to the upper cavity back toward the cook top to create an air curtain around each side of the cook top; a fan assembly having a fan mounted below the cover and aligned with the hole and above a heating element on the cook top; a sensor to scan the cook top for an item placed thereon and provide feedback to operate the fan assembly; a filter mounted below the fan assembly for removing a material from the effluent before the effluent is presented to the fan assembly; and a first plate and a second plate positioned above and extending parallel to the cover to define a pressure chamber; wherein the air curtain prevents effluent from escaping from the hood.