Dining arrangement

Claim 2

A dining arrangement such as for a restaurant wherein dining tables are provided for optional partial self service by table occupants in the broiling of meats comprising: tables spaced about a room and having open-air broiler means located in their tops, a peripheral portion of each table top about the broiler means defining a dining surface around and under which chairs are adapted to be assembled, a duct common to said dining tables and having an exit opening outside of the room, said broiler means including air conduit means having an air intake at one side of the broiler and an air exit opening into said common duct. power driven fan means fluid associated with the conduit means and common duct for drawing a stream of air laterally across the broiler surface into the intake for collecting smoke and odor laden gases caused by broiling meat on the broiler, moving the air through the conduit means and common duct and exhausting the air through said common duct air exit exteriorly of the room.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said common duct includes a portion extending at least partially across the room between adjacent ones of said tables, and adjacent the floor thereof.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 2 wherein the duct is located beneath the floor.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 2 including a privacy barrier extending at least substantially the entire height between the table tops and floor, and having therein at least a portion of said common duct, and said privacy barrier having on either side said tables.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said power driven fan means are within said conduit means and further including second power driven fan means to draw air through the common duct for maintaining a lower than atmospheric air pressure within the common duct for receiving smoke and odor laden gases thereinto from the broilers and exhausting such to the atmosphere exteriorly of the room.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 5 wherein an entrance to the common duct is provided in communication with the atmosphere outside the room.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 6 wherein the entrance is provided with damper means for maintaining a relatively constant negative pressure within the common duct over a varied number of broilers exhausting thereinto.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 1 including means for preventing reverse flow of air through the conduit intake into a room room.

Claim 10

A dining arrangement such as for a restaurant wherein dining tables are provided for optional partial self service by table occupants in the broiling of meat comprIsing: a room, a plurality of tables spaced about the room, air duct means common to said dining tables and disposed near the room in the vicinity of said tables, and power driven exhaust fan means for drawing air through said common air duct means and exhausting to the atmosphere, said tables having tops with a portion receiving an open-air broiler for the broiling of meat thereon, a portion of each table top disposed about the broiler defining a dining surface around and under which chairs are adapted to be assembled, air conduit means and power driven air moving means associated with each open-air broiler and including an air intake disposed to one side of a broiling surface thereof for drawing a stream of air laterally across the broiling surface for entrapping smoke and odor laden gases caused by broiling meat thereon and exhausting into said common duct.

Claim 11

A dining arrangement such as for a restaurant wherein dining tables are provided for optional partial self service by table occupants in the broiling of meat comprIsing: a room, a plurality of tables spaced about the room, air duct means common to said dining tables and disposed near the room in the vicinity of said tables, and power driven exhaust fan means for drawing air through said common air duct means and exhausting to the atmosphere, said tables having tops with a portion receiving an open-air broiler for the broiling of meat thereon, a portion of each table top disposed about the broiler defining a dining surface around and under which chairs are adapted to be assembled, air conduit means and power driven air moving means associated with each open-air broiler and including an air intake disposed to one side of a broiling surface thereof for drawing a stream of air laterally across the broiling surface for entrapping smoke and odor laden gases caused by broiling meat thereon and exhausting into said common duct.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 9 wherein said air duct means has an entrance open to the atmosphere.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 10 wherein said air duct entrance is provided with damper means for maintaining a relatively constant negative pressure within the duct independent of the number of broilers exhausting into said duct.

Claim 14

The invention according to claim 9 wherein the air duct means is disposed adjacent the floor.

Claim 15

The invention according to claim 9 including means in the conduit means for preventing reverse flow of air from the air duct.

Claim 16

In a restaurant having tables adapted for optional self service in broiling meat by guest at each table comprising: a plurality of dining tables having open-air broiling means located in the tops thereof and dining surfaces around the perimeters thereof in proximity to the broiling means whereby table guest may serve themselves in the broiling of meat on the broiling means, a duct common to said dining tables and having an exit exteriorly of the restaurant, air ventilating means associated with each broiling means and having conduit means and an air intake opening disposed adjacent and to one side of each broiling means for drawing air across the broiling surface for collecting cooking smoke and fumes through said intake opening for exhaustion through said conduit means into said common duct communicating with exteriorly of the restaurant, power driven fan means associated with the common duct for drawing air, smoke and fumes therethrough for exhaustion to the atmosphere.

Claim 17

In a restaurant having tables adapted for optional self service in broiling meat by guest at each table comprising: a plurality of dining tables having open-air broiling means located in the tops thereof and dining surfaces around the perimeters thereof in proximity to the broiling means whereby table guest may serve themselves in the broiling of meat on the broiling means, a duct common to said dining tables and having an exit exteriorly of the restaurant, air ventilating means associated with each broiling means and having conduit means and an air intake opening disposed adjacent and to one side of each broiling means for drawing air across the broiling surface for collecting cooking smoke and fumes through said intake opening for exhaustion through said conduit means into said common duct communicating with exteriorly of the restaurant, power driven fan means associated with the common duct for drawing air, smoke and fumes therethrough for exhaustion to the atmosphere.

Claim 18

The invention according to claim 14 including means preventing back draft through the ventilating means of the broiling means from the common duct.

Claim 19

The invention according to claim 14 wherein an entrance to the main duct is open to the atmosphere and includes damper means therein which opens in response to air drawn therethrough by said fan so as to maintain a relative constant lower than atmospheric pressure in said duct independent of the number of broiling means being ventilated thereinto.

Claim 20

In an arrangement of a plurality of open-air broilers located in a room for the broiling of meat, the improvement residing in smoke and odor removal means comprising: ventilating air conduit means associated with each broiler and having an air intake disposed adjacent thereto for collecting smoke and odors caused by broiling meat, common elongate duct means having an intermediate portion into which the broiler conduit means are connected, one end of said duct means being open and having a damper openable progressively in response to lowering air pressure within the duct, the other end of said duct means having power driven fan means for expelling air from said duct through said other end, damper means in each said broiler conduit means selectively openable for permitting air flow therepast into said duct means with collected smoke and odor laden gases for exhaustion through said other end, said damper at the duct means one end opening admitting sufficient air into the duct to maintaiN therein a relatively constant lower than atmospheric pressure independent of the number of broilers discharging into the duct at any time.

Claim 21

In an arrangement of a plurality of open-air broilers located in a room for the broiling of meat, the improvement residing in smoke and odor removal means comprising: ventilating air conduit means associated with each broiler and having an air intake disposed adjacent thereto for collecting smoke and odors caused by broiling meat, common elongate duct means having an intermediate portion into which the broiler conduit means are connected, one end of said duct means being open and having a damper openable progressively in response to lowering air pressure within the duct, the other end of said duct means having power driven fan means for expelling air from said duct through said other end, damper means in each said broiler conduit means selectively openable for permitting air flow therepast into said duct means with collected smoke and odor laden gases for exhaustion through said other end, said damper at the duct means one end opening admitting sufficient air into the duct to maintaiN therein a relatively constant lower than atmospheric pressure independent of the number of broilers discharging into the duct at any time.

Claim 22

The invention according to claim 17 wherein the dampers are spring loaded and biased toward a normally closed position and openable in response to air pressure thereagainst.

Claim 23

The invention according to claim 17 wherein the duct means damper is biased toward a normally closed position and openable in response to air pressure thereagainst and the dampers in the broiler conduit means are openable selectively upon energization of electric heating elements in respective broilers.

Claim 24

The invention according to claim 17, wherein said duct means one end and other end each opens to the atmosphere outside of said room.

Claim 25

The invention of claim 1, including flow control means in each of said conduit means, said power driven fan means being operable to maintain a lower than atmospheric air pressure within the common duct adjacent the conduit means air exits for drawing in smoke and odor laden gases from the broilers and further exhausting the thus drawn-in air through said exit opening outside of the room, said common duct futther having an entrance opening to the environment remote from said tables, with said conduit means air exits being between said common duct entrance and exit, said power driven fan means further drawing air through the common duct entrance, mixing it with any air drawn through the conduit means as determined by the flow control means and exhausting the mixture through said exit opening outside of the room, and flow restriction means in said common duct entrance.

Claim 26

The invention of claim 21, wherein said flow restriction means is variable to maintain a relatively constant negative pressure within said common duct over a varied number of broilers exhausting thereto as determined by said flow control means.