CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.

62/896,210 filed on September 5, 2019, entitled “Exhaust System for Use In Kitchen Applications” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/046,773 filed on July 1, 2020, entitled “Exhaust System for Use In Kitchen Applications,” the content of each of these applications is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD

[0002] This disclosure is directed to an exhaust system, or hood, for use in providing ventilation of a cooking surface in a kitchen. More specifically, this disclosure is related to an exhaust system for a mobile kitchen, kitchen, or food truck, that is designed to vent directly from the hood through a vertical wall of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Typically, exhaust systems in kitchen environments are vented upwards, through the ceiling in the room. This is especially true in mobile kitchen applications, such as food trucks. While ceiling vented exhaust systems are available for mobile kitchens, it may not be ideal to add an exhaust system to the roof of the truck, which adds height and weight to the vehicle.

[0004] It would be preferable to vent the exhaust from cooking operations from the side of the vehicle. However, doing so requires attention to protrusions from the vehicle and prevention of natural elements, such as wind, rain, and debris, from entering the exhaust system. Therefore, the use of a low profile exhaust system incorporating these features would be beneficial.

SUMMARY

[0005] An exhaust system for use in a kitchen, the exhaust system including a hood body having a top rear panel, a left side panel, a right side panel, and a bottom rear panel. The exhaust system further includes a filter, a motor assembly, and a fan disposed at an angle relative to the top rear panel of the hood body. In one embodiment, the fan is disposed between the filter and the motor assembly and includes a plurality of paddles configured to disperse air from the fan radially outward in a direction perpendicular to a center axis of the fan. In another embodiment, the exhaust system is configured to be mounted to a side wall of the kitchen and to ventilate air from within the hood body through a vertical wall of the kitchen. In one embodiment, the kitchen is a mobile kitchen or a food truck.

[0006] In one embodiment, an exhaust system for use in a kitchen includes a hood body including a top rear panel, a left side panel, a right side panel, and a bottom rear panel. The exhaust system includes an internal filter, a motor assembly, and a fan disposed at an angle from the top rear panel of the hood body. The exhaust system also includes an external filter system disposed at a distal end of the vent duct. The fan is disposed between the filter and the motor assembly and includes a plurality of paddles configured to disperse air from the fan radially outward in a direction perpendicular to a center axis of the fan. The exhaust system is configured to be mounted to a side wall of the kitchen and to ventilate air from within the hood body through a vertical wall of the kitchen using a vent duct.

[0007] In another embodiment, a mobile kitchen includes an exhaust system for use in a kitchen. The exhaust system includes a hood body including a top rear panel, a left side panel, a right side panel, and a bottom rear panel. The exhaust system also includes an internal filter, a motor assembly, and a fan disposed at an angle that is between about 0 degree and about 90 degrees from the top rear panel of the hood body. The fan is disposed between the filter and the motor assembly and includes a plurality of paddles configured to disperse air from the fan radially outward in a direction perpendicular to a center axis of the fan. The exhaust system is configured to be mounted to a side wall of the kitchen and to ventilate air from within the hood body through a vertical wall of the kitchen using a vent duct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The accompanying figures, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example configurations and data, and are used merely to illustrate various example embodiments. In the figures, like elements bear like reference numerals.

[0009] Figure l is a side view of one embodiment of a food truck equipped with the exhaust system of the present disclosure. [0010] Figure 2 is a rear view of one embodiment of a food truck equipped with the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a food truck equipped with the exhaust system of the present disclosure, with the roof of the truck removed.

[0012] Figure 4 is a top view of one embodiment of a food truck equipped with the exhaust system of the present disclosure, with the roof of the truck removed.

[0013] Figure 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 6 is a perspective cutaway view of one embodiment of the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 7 is a side cutaway view of one embodiment of the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 8 is a top view of one embodiment of the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 9 is a bottom view of one embodiment of the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 10 is a front view of one embodiment of the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 11 is an exploded side view of one embodiment of with the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 12 is an exploded top perspective view of one embodiment of with the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 13 is an exploded bottom perspective view of one embodiment of with the exhaust system of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 14 is a side cutaway view of one embodiment of the exhaust system of the present disclosure. [0023] Figure 15 is a front view of one embodiment of the exhaust system of the present disclosure

[0024] Figure 16 is a front perspective of one embodiment of the exhaust system including an external filter system.

[0025] Figure 17 is a top cutaway view of one embodiment of the exhaust system including an external filter system.

[0026] Figure 18 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the external filter system.

[0027] Figure 19 is a front view of one embodiment of the external filter system.

[0028] Figure 20 is a side view of one embodiment of the external filter system.

[0029] Figure 21 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the external filter system.

[0030] Figure 22 is a cross-sectional and detail view of the internal set of louvers disposed within one embodiment of the external filter system.

[0031] Figure 23 is a front perspective view of a bottom portion of the track portion of one embodiment of the external filter system.

[0032] Figure 24 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the external filter of the external filter system.

[0033] Figure 25 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the overlapping wire meshes of one embodiment of the external filter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] With reference to Figure 1, mobile kitchens, such as food trucks, are generally equipped with an exhaust system, enabling the user to provide ventilation of heat created by the use of a stove or other cooking surface in a confined space. In most mobile kitchens, the stove or cooking surface is disposed below the hood, with the heat and grease from the cooked food radiating upwardly therefrom. While it will be appreciated that a primary use of the exhaust system described herein will be for mobile kitchen, such as for use in food trucks, it should be appreciated that this system may be used in any application where it is necessary or preferable to have the heat from a stove, or other cooking surface, ventilated directly through a side wall of a space or structure, such as small kitchen, without the need for extensive ductwork, an external fan or a blower.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, a food truck 10 will generally include substantially vertical walls (for example a left side wall 12, a right side wall 14, and a back wall 15), a roof 16, and a floor 17. In one embodiment, a ventilation system 18 (hereinafter “a hood”) may be mounted to either side wall 12 or 14. By way of example, and as shown in Figures 1-3, the hood may be mounted to the right side wall 14. Optionally, the hood 18 may also be secured to the roof 17 (not shown). In addition, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the hood 18 may be vented directly through the left side wall 14 using a ventilation duct 42.

[0036] It should be appreciated that the exact style of the ventilation duct may vary, depending on the configuration of the kitchen. However, in one embodiment, the ventilation system 14 may be configured to ventilate air from within the hood body 20 through any one or a combination of the substantially vertical walls (the left side wall 12, the right side wall 14, and the back wall 15), the roof 16, and the floor 17 of the food truck 10. For example, in one embodiment, an opening may be created through the left side wall 14 of the food truck 10. In this embodiment, the hood 18 may then be mounted to the left side wall 14 so that the hood 18 covers the opening and is indirect communication with the ventilation duct 42. The user of the food truck 10 may then optionally cover the opening on the outside of the truck 10 with a louvered covering (as described below) to prevent rain and other contaminants from entering the kitchen.

[0037] Now referring to Figures 5-7, the hood 18 may include a hood body 20 that may be defined by a top rear panel 22, a top front panel 24, a right side panel 26, a left side panel 28, and bottom rear panel 30. As shown in the Figures, the panels of the hood body 20 may be connected to one another using snap fit, mechanical fastening, or other suitable mechanism for connecting the components. In one embodiment, the panels may be made of stainless steel, aluminized or galvanized steel, or other suitable materials. Figure 8, 9, and 10 depict top, bottom, and front views of the hood 18, including the panels of the hood body and filter. The dimensions of the hood 18 may vary depending on at least the dimensions and/or configurations of the kitchen. In one embodiment, the hood 18 may have a length of about 18 inches to about 192 inches (about 45.72 centimeters or cm to about 487.68 cm), a depth of about 18 inches to about 84 inches (about 45.72 cm to about 213.36 cm), and a height of about 12 inches to about 54 inches (about 30.48 cm to about 137.16 cm).

[0038] Figure 7 is a schematic drawing, showing a side cutaway view of one embodiment of the hood. As shown in Figure 7, the hood 18 may also include an internal filter 32, a fan mounting bracket 34, a fan 36, a motor assembly 38. In one embodiment, the hood 18 also includes an upper filter rack 40 that connects the internal filter 32 to the hood body 20.

[0039] Now, with reference to Figures 11, 12, and 13, the hood 18 includes an internal filter 32, a fan mounting bracket 34, a fan 36, and motor assembly 38 that are configured to be disposed at approximately about a 0 to about a 90 degree angle or about a 45 to about a 90 degree angle from the side wall (26 or 28) of the food truck 10. The fan 36 is configured to be disposed an angle that is between about 0 degree and about 90 degrees relative to the top rear panel 22 of the hood body 20. The internal filter 32 and mounting bracket 34 may be made of stainless steel or other suitable materials. The internal filter 32 may be removably mounted to the mounting bracket 34 by any removable mounting mechanism, for example interference fit, snap fit, clearance fit, and mechanical fastening. The internal filter 32 may be removed for cleaning. The mounting bracket 34 is configured to be disposed between the internal filter 32 and the fan 36 and attaches the fan 36 and motor to the hood 18 using mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or by other suitable mechanisms. The motor assembly 38 may be commercially available from known sources. In one embodiment, the motor assembly 38 is chosen or configured such that the rotation of the fan 36 generate sufficient suction to draw air through the internal filter 32 into the fan 36 and disperse the air outside the truck 10. For example, the motor assembly 38 may be configured such that the fan 36 rotates at speeds between about 300 and about 3600 rotation per minute or RPM. The motor assembly 38 is generally disposed between the fan 36 and a ventilation duct 42 (as shown in Figure

7)·

[0040] Importantly, the fan 36 is configured to include a plurality of paddles 44 (Figure

11) that are disposed about the outer circumference of the fan 36. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, when the fan 36 is activated, it rotates along axis A. The paddles 44 are configured to then draw air through the internal filter 32 and into the fan 36 and then be dispersed in a radial direction as shown by the arrows in Figures 14 and 15. Specifically, this allows the air to be dispersed outside of the grease stream generated from the cooking surface, and though the ventilation duct through the side wall of the truck 10.

[0041] Referring now to Figures 16 and 17, the hood 18 may also include an external filter system 46 disposed at the distal port of the vent duct 42. Referring now to Figure 17, the external filter system 46 may include a louver frame body 50, a set of V-shaped louvers 52, and an external filter 48 slidably (as shown in Figure 21) disposed within the louver frame body 50. The external filter system 46 is generally disposed at an offset position from the motor assembly 38 along the back of the hood 18.

[0042] Figure 18-20 show the front perspective, front, and side views of the external filter system 46. Referring now to Figure 21-23, the externally facing filter 48 may be slidably disposed within a track system 54 of the louver frame body 50 that extends around the periphery of the frame body 50. As shown in Figure 21, the external filter may be secured within the frame by attaching a removable top portion 56 of the frame track 54. The filter 48 may be removed in order to easily clean the filter 48 and remove any grease or particulates that may be built up on the internal surface of the filter 48.

[0043] It should be appreciated that the exact style of the external filter 48 may vary, depending on at least the filtering efficiency requirements. In one embodiment, the external filter 48 may include a mesh design 70. In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 24 and 25, the external filter 48 may include a first sheet of wire mesh 72 and a second sheet of wire mesh 74. The wire meshes 72 and 74 have undulating pattern 76 and 78 (e.g., a smoothly rising and failing form or outline), respectively. The first and second wire meshes 72 and 74 may overlap one another in any suitable manner to adjust the filtering effects. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 25, the first and second wire meshes 72 and 74 are overlapping one another such that the undulating pattern 76 of the first wire mesh 72 is substantially perpendicular to the undulating pattern 78 of the second wire mesh 74. As may be appreciated, the external filter 48 may include more than or less than two sheets of wire meshes (e.g., one sheet, three sheets), and the wire meshes may overlap one another such that the undulating patterns are at any suitable angles relative to one another. The wire meshes 72 and 74 may be formed of any suitable sizes and patterns, for example, square and/or diamond, and the mesh size may be about 0.02 inches by 0.02 inches (about 0.05 cm by about 0.05 cm) to about 0.88 inches by about 0.88 inches (about 2.24 cm by about 2.24 cm). The wire meshes 72 and 74 may be made of any suitable material, for example, metals, metal alloys, polymers, textiles, etc.

[0044] The set of V-shaped louvers 52 are disposed within the frame body 50, as shown in figure 21, and function to facilitate the transfer of the exhaust from the vent duct 42 to the external filter 48, while preventing rain from penetrating the hood system 18 from the outside. As shown in Figure 22, when viewed from the top of the frame body 50, comprise a set of individual louvers

52 that have a general V-shape. A V-shaped angle 51 of the louvers 52 may be about 30 to about 120 degrees, about 30 to about 100 degrees, about 30 to about 90 degrees, about 40 to about 70 degrees, about 51 to about 60 degrees. The louvers 52 may be generally vertically attached to the back 58 of the frame body 52 and may be formed of a single piece of material or a combination of pieces combined to form each louver 52. As rain hits the louvers 52, it is directed downward to water drains 60 disposed in a bottom portion of the frame track 54, preventing water from entering the vent duct 42 and ultimately the motor assembly 38 and fan 36 within the hood 18. The distance

53 between the louvers 52 and/or the angle 51 of the louvers 52 may vary to effectively direct and prevent water from entering the vent duct 42, the motor assembly 38, and the fan 36. In one embodiment, the distance 53 may be about 6 % to about 12 % of the lateral dimension (the length) of the back 58 or may be about 1 inch to about 1.65 inches (about 2.54 cm to about 4.19 cm). In one embodiment, and the angle 51 may be about 51 degrees to about 60 degrees.

[0045] The louvers 52 may be attached to the back 58 of the frame body 52 via any suitable removably or non-removably mechanism for connecting the components, for example, via an adhesive, wedding, mechanical fastening, snap fit, interference fit, clearance fit, etc. In one embodiment, each of the louvers 52 may include a first attaching protrusion or hook 55 and a second attaching protrusion or hook 57. The frame body 52 may include louver receivers 59 which are attached to the back 58 via any suitable removable or non-removable mechanism (e.g., adhesive, wedding, threaded connection, mechanical fastening, etc.). Each of the louver receivers 59 may be formed of a single piece of material of a combination of pieces combined to form each louver receiver 59. In the illustrated embodiment, the louver receivers 59 are attached to the back 58 via threaded connections. Each of the louver receivers 59 may include a first receiving protrusion or hook 61 and a second receiving protrusion or hook 63. The first attaching protrusion 55 of the louver 52 is received by the second receiving protrusion 63 of the louver receiver 59, and the second attaching protrusion 57 of the louver 52 is received by the first receiving protrusion 61 of the adjacent louver receiver. Depending on the relative position of the louver receivers 59, the louver receiver 59 may include the first receiving protrusion 61, the second receiving protrusion 63, or both.

[0046] While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.