TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a hood body comprising a protective circuit box for the protection of electronic components from contaminants such as oil and steam, and in particular a hood assembly.

PRIOR ART

The hood body of a built-in hood is usually mounted inside a cabinet on top of a hob. The body has an opening on which a frame is inserted parallel or angled to the hob. The body extends upwards in a funnel-like narrowing form. There is an exhaust hole at the top of the body. A radial fan is located inside the body as driven by a control circuit. The control circuit is provided on a printed circuit board with electronic components. The intake air that the radial fan sucks from the opening and transmits to the exhaust outlet generally contains contaminants such as oil particles and vapor. A protective box is used to prevent external factors from damaging the control circuit. The protective box contains the electronic circuit board and attaches inside the body by means of fastening elements.

CN109099487A describes a protective circuit box disposed on the hood. The hood comprises a housing and a circuit board with a control circuit arranged in housing. There is a heated transistor on the circuit board. The heated transistor is connected to a radiator that transfers the heat out of the box. At the same time, it prevents oil and gas particles from adhering to the components on the control circuit of the control card, and prevents high-temperature oil and gas from heating the transistor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a circuit box in which the electronic components are protected from the intake air moving inside the body.

In order to achieve said objective, the invention comprises a hood assembly with a hood body surrounded by adjacent lateral walls connecting an opening of a cavity with an opposite exhaust outlet in a fluid transmission manner. The body is made of one-piece plastic material and the hood assembly further comprises an integrated hollow circuit box on the lateral wall. Due to the to integrated structure of the hood body and the integrated circuit box, it is least affected by the hot intake air, which has a flow path between the opening and the exhaust outlet, and contains oil and steam. A long-lasting operation time is obtained by protecting a circuit board with electronic components on it, which will be disposed in the circuit box. In addition, contaminants containing oil does not accumulate on the circuit box and the hood body.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the circuit box is having an inner extension in the cavity extending from the lateral wall towards the opening and surrounding a storage chamber. The inner extension makes it possible to access the circuit box from the opening. In this way, it becomes possible to access the storage chamber from the opening, for example, in the hood body used for the built-in hood. In case of any maintenance need, the operator can reach the circuit box by reaching from the opening without removing the hood body.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, inner extension is having a removable lower lid at the lower end near the opening covering the storage chamber. The lower lid facilitates serviceability. Simply by opening the bottom cover, which is accessed from the opening, the storage chamber inside the circuit box is accessed, and after the circuit board is serviced here, the bottom cover is mounted back on the lower end of the inner extension.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a removable fastening element is provided therebetween to mount the bottom cover to the inner extension. In this way, the lower lid can be securely fastened to the inner extension, for example by applying a pre-tension to improve sealing.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a window is provided on the lower lid opening to reach the storage chamber. The window allows access to the storage chamber when the lower lid is closed, for example a cable or different functional elements for power connection or signal transmission of the electronic components that will be located in the storage chamber.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an upper extension is arranged on the lateral wall such that extending from lower end of the circuit box to reach the inner extension. The upper extension allows the storage chamber volume to be enlarged by increasing size of the circuit box. In this way, by extending the lateral wall of plastic material in two directions, an increase in the internal volume of the circuit box is achieved without impairing the structural strength of the lateral wall. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper extension is in a hollow form, surrounding the storage room from its upper part. It is possible to mount an electronic circuit board to the body of the hood by extending partially inside the cavity and partially outside.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper extension is coaxially aligned with the lower extension. This makes it possible to obtain both the lower and upper extensions from the hood body by molding in one operation with a single core.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a top cover that removably covers a duct is provided in the upper extension and reaching the storage chamber. The top cover allows access to the storage room from the upper part of the hood body. This makes it possible to easily access the storage room from the outside of the hood body without removing the frame, especially after the installation of a frame with a filter in the mouth after the air intake fan is placed on the hood body.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it includes a transition opening provided on the upper cover in a way that reaches the duct. The passage opening allows functional elements such as cable connection to access the storage room from the upper part of the hood body when the top cover is closed.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper extension and the lower extension are integrated together into a tubular form. With its tube-like form, thin and flat structure, it provides a compartment that will form a slot for the electronic circuit board without compromising the structural strength on the lateral wall and minimally affects the aerodynamics of the intake air.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hood body and the circuit box is made of plastic injection molding in an integrated manner. In this case, both the hood body and the circuit box are produced together in a single operation, providing high resistance against thermal stresses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 is an external perspective view of a representative embodiment of the built-in hood assembly according to the subject matter invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged illustration of the hood assembly in Figure 1 with the top cover mounted. Figure 3 is an enlarged illustration of the hood assembly in Figure 1 with the top cover disassembled.

Figure 4 is an inside perspective view of a representative embodiment of the built-in hood assembly of the subject matter invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged illustration of the hood assembly shown in Figure 4 with the bottom cover installed.

Figure 6 is an enlarged illustration of the hood assembly shown in Figure 4 with the bottom cover disassembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed explanation, the subject development of the invention is explained without any limitation and only with reference to examples to better explain the subject.

In Figure 1 , a hood body (10) used in a domestic built-in hood is shown in perspective from the outside before assembly. The hood body (10) is made of plastic material in one piece and has a pyramid-like hollow form cut straight from the top. An exhaust outlet (11 ) is provided in the cut flat upper part of the hood body (10). The circular exhaust outlet (11 ) is positioned facing an opening (16) that is delimited in the opposite lower part of the hood body (10). The extension axis of the exhaust outlet (1 1 ) is perpendicular to the opening (16) the plane. The hood body (10) has four planar lateral walls (12) that narrowly extend from the opening (16) and converge on a flat ceiling (17) where the exhaust outlet (1 1) is disposed. A front wall (15) and a parallel rear wall extend perpendicular to the opening (16) from the lateral walls (12). Other adjacent lateral walls (12) extend symmetrically inclined in the mirror axis. The opening (16) is rectangular and surrounded by a flange (13). A circuit box (20) extends outward from the lateral wall (12) itself perpendicular to the plane of the opening (16) in a rectangular prism-like form. On a flat upper end (22) of the circuit box (20), there is a top cover (24) facing towards the outer corner. In Figure 2, an upper extension (26) of the circuit box (20) extended upwards from the lateral wall (12) is shown in detail from its upper end (22). The top end (22) is in a flat flat form and the top cover (24) is sealed in a rectangular recess (271 ) in the corner portion. A fastener (23), which is a screw, fixes the top cover (24) detachably at the upper end (22). There is a passage opening (244) on the side of the top cover (24) so that the cable can pass through. In this way, when the through-opening (241 ) is disposed in the recess (271 ) in the upper end (22), the top cover (24) it is located on the outward facing part of the extension (26). In Figure 3, the top cover (24) is shown in disassembled condition. The top cover (24) has a flat top plate

(242) extending downwards from the skirt portions. There are holes (241 ) on the front corners of the upper plate (242). Holes (241 ) are also provided aligned on the corresponding recess

(271 ) of the upper extension (26). Thus, the screw-shaped fasteners (23) pass through the corresponding hole (241 ) and fix the top cover (24) to the upper extension (26). Two prongs

(243) in the form of forks are provided on the inward facing portion of the top plate (242). When the upper cover (24) is mounted on the upper extension (26) by covering a duct (25), the tabs (243) fit into the upper end (22). A semi-circle-like hole (241 ) is located on the forward -facing skirt part of the top plate (242). When the top cover (24) is mounted on the duct (25), the hole (241 ) provides access to the duct (25).

In Figure 4, a cavity (18) formed by the hood body (10) made of one-piece plastic injection is shown from below. An inner extension (27) in the form of a continuation of the upper extension

(26) in the circuit box (20) is extended to surround a storage chamber (29) within the cavity (18) with a rib structure that increases thermal resistance. The inner extension (27) is longer in length than the upper extension (26) and has a corrugated-like form to increase structural strength. The inner extension (27) is extended perpendicular to the plane of the opening (16) with its lower end adjacent to the opening (16). A flat and flat bottom cover (28) is mounted on the inner extension (27) with the help of the connecting element (23) covering it from its lower end. A window (282) is provided in the bottom cover (28) in the form of a through hole in a rectangular form to allow cable passage. In Figure 5, the lower lid (28) is shown in detail. The form of the bottom cover (28) has corresponding protrusions (281 ) which are adjusted to fit the recesses (271 ) along a peripheral edge (272) of the lower end of the inner extension (27), in accordance with the cross-sectional form of the tube-like inner projection (27). The bottom cover (28) is in the form of a rectangular shape with a short end rounded in line with the inner extension (27) section. The bottom cover (28) shown in the disassembled condition in Figure 6 is fixed to the inner extension (27) removable from the bottom with screw-shaped fasteners (23) passing through the holes corresponding to the screw slots (273) formed on the peripheral edge (272). An electronic circuit board (not shown) is mounted in storage chamber (29). After the electronic circuit board assembly, the bottom cover (28) is disposed on the peripheral edge

(272) and mounted to the inner extension (27) by means of fasteners (23). The inner extension

(27) protects the storage chamber (29) from the air flow generated by a suction fan (not shown) to be placed in the cavity (18) between the opening (16) and an exhaust outlet (11 ). While the hood body (10) is formed in one piece by plastic injection, the circuit box (20) is extended both upwards and downwards from the lateral wall (12), and the upper extension (26) and the inner extension (27) are formed in a single operation, respectively. In this way, the tube-like durable circuit box (20) is obtained as part of the lateral wall (12). Since the lateral wall (12) and the circuit box (20) are integrated, there are no joints. Thus, both the accumulation of dirt in the circuit box (20) and the entry of hot oily steam into the storage chamber (29) during the intake air flow in the cavity (18) are prevented. In this way, the circuit board containing electronic components has a longer operational life.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 Hood body

11 Exhaust outlet

12 Lateral wall

13 Flange

15 Front wall

16 Opening

17 Ceiling

18 Cavity

20 Circuit box

22 Upper end

23 Fastener

24 Top cover

241 Hole

242 Top plate

243 Claws

244 Passage opening

25 Duct

26 Upper extension

27 Inner appendage

271 Recess

272 Peripheral edge

273 Screw housing

28 Lower lid

281 Tab

282 Window

29 Storage chamber