Kitchen hood apparatus for separating foreign matter from fluid

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: each helical means has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading and trailing edges of adjacent helical means having notches which accommodate portions of the leading and trailing edges of the adjacent helical means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 including: means operable to introduce a liquid into the inlet of the passage.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the means to collect foreign matter includes a cup-like member having an inside flange surrounding a passage through the member, said flange having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the inside cylindrical wall and annularly spaced from the wall to provide an annular throat, and said flange being located in axial alignment with the tubular passage adjacent the outlet end thereof whereby fluid flows through said passage and foreign matter and fluid flows through the annular throat and foreign matter is collected in the cup-like member.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein: said cup-like member has an outside flange extended around the lower end of the wall, said outside flange being radially spaced from said wall and providing a second passage for the flow of fluid around the lower end of the wall, and means connecting the outside flange to the wall.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 including: means operable to introduce a liquid into the inlet end of the passage.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: each helical section includes a helical element having a continuous helical flight with approximately 180° twist, said flight having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the passage.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein: adjacent helical elements have ends that are normally disposed relative to each other.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein: the adjacent ends of the helical elements have notches which accommodate adjacent portions of the adjacent helical elements.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: the means to collect the foreign matter includes a member having an inside flange surrounding a passage through the member, said flange being spaced from the outlet end of the wall forming an annular outlet opening with the wall, said flange being located in longitudinal alignment with the passage formed by the wall whereby fluid can flow through said passage of the member and the separated foreign matter flows through the annular outlet opening.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: said member has an outside flange extended around the outlet end of the wall, said outside flange being radially spaced from said wall and providing a second passage for the flow of fluid around the outlet end of the wall.

Claim 15

A hood assembly for use with cooking equipment for collecting gas and foreign matter and separating the foreign matter from the gas comprising: housing means having wall structure defining a chamber having an open forward side for receiving gas and foreign matter from the cooking equipment, a plurality of foreign matter separator units mounted on the wall structure, each of said units having an upright uninterrupted fluid impervious cylindrical wall defining a tubular passage, an upper inlet end open to said passage and said chamber and a lower outlet end open to the passage, means for drawing contaminated gas through said passage and exhausting the cleaned gas, each of said separator units having helical means located in and extended along the length of their respective passages, each helical means comprising a plurality of helical flights each with a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the associated passage and with about 180° twist, said helical flights being twisted in the same direction and located in end to end relationship with adjacent helical flights in each passage having terminal edges circumferentially orientated about 90° relative to each other to divide the gas and foreign matter moving in the passage into separate streams at each flight whereby gas and foreign matter flowing through the respective passages follows a helical path and the foreign matter entrained in the gas moves outwardly into engagement with and toward the outlet end of said cylindrical wall, and annular collecting means fixed with respect to the cylindrical wall adjacent the outlet end of each cylindrical wall to collect the foreign matter moving from the cylindrical wall and to permit cleaned gas to pass centrally thereof, said collecting means having an outer annular wall surrounding the outlet end of the cylindrical wall and an inner annular flange surrounding a gas outlet opening aligned with the outlet end of the tubular passage to permit cleaned gas to flow through the collecting means, said flange having a diameter smaller than said passage and spaced from the outlet end of said cylindrical wall whereby foreign matter moves from the cylindrical wall to the collecting means, and drain means between said annular wall and flange to allow collected foreign matter to drain from the collecting means.

Claim 16

A hood assembly for use with cooking equipment for collecting gas and foreign matter and separating the foreign matter from the gas comprising: housing means having wall structure defining a chamber having an open forward side for receiving gas and foreign matter from the cooking equipment, a plurality of foreign matter separator units mounted on the wall structure, each of said units having an upright uninterrupted fluid impervious cylindrical wall defining a tubular passage, an upper inlet end open to said passage and said chamber and a lower outlet end open to the passage, means for drawing contaminated gas through said passage and exhausting the cleaned gas, each of said separator units having helical means located in and extended along the length of their respective passages, each helical means comprising a plurality of helical flights each with a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the associated passage and with about 180° twist, said helical flights being twisted in the same direction and located in end to end relationship with adjacent helical flights in each passage having terminal edges circumferentially orientated about 90° relative to each other to divide the gas and foreign matter moving in the passage into separate streams at each flight whereby gas and foreign matter flowing through the respective passages follows a helical path and the foreign matter entrained in the gas moves outwardly into engagement with and toward the outlet end of said cylindrical wall, and annular collecting means fixed with respect to the cylindrical wall adjacent the outlet end of each cylindrical wall to collect the foreign matter moving from the cylindrical wall and to permit cleaned gas to pass centrally thereof, said collecting means having an outer annular wall surrounding the outlet end of the cylindrical wall and an inner annular flange surrounding a gas outlet opening aligned with the outlet end of the tubular passage to permit cleaned gas to flow through the collecting means, said flange having a diameter smaller than said passage and spaced from the outlet end of said cylindrical wall whereby foreign matter moves from the cylindrical wall to the collecting means, and drain means between said annular wall and flange to allow collected foreign matter to drain from the collecting means.

Claim 17

The hood assembly of claim 13 including: means operable to introduce a liquid into the inlets of each of the passages.

Claim 18

The hood assembly of claim 13 wherein: each helical means has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading and trailing edges of adjacent helical means having notches which accommodate portions of the leading and trailing edges of the adjacent helical means.

Claim 19

The hood assembly of claim 13 wherein: the means to collect foreign matter includes a cup-like member having an inside flange surrounding a first passage through the member, said flange having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the passage and spaced from the wall forming an annular outlet opening with the wall, said flange being located in axial alignment with the tubular passage whereby gas flows through the first passage and foreign matter flows through the annular outlet opening and is collected in the cup-like member.

Claim 20

The hood assembly of claim 16 wherein: said cup-like member has an outside flange extended around the lower end of the cylindrical wall, said outside flange being radially spaced outwardly from said wall and providing a second passage for the flow of gas around the outlet end of the wall and means connecting the outside flange to the cylindrical wall.

Claim 21

The hood assembly of claim 16 including: means located between adjacent separator units operable to dispense fire quenching substance into the area surrounding the separator units.

Claim 22

A hood assembly for use with cooking equipment for collecting gas and foreign matter and separating the foreign matter from the gas comprising: housing means having wall structure defining a chamber having an open forward side for receiving gas and foreign matter from the cooking equipment, a plurality of foreign matter separator units, each of said units having an upright uninterrupted fluid impervious wall forming a tubular passage, an upper inlet end open to said passage and said chamber, and a lower outlet end open to said passage, means mounting the separator units in the housing means, means for drawing gas and foreign matter through said passage of each unit and exhausting the matter through said passage of each unit and exhausting the cleaned gas, each of said separator units having helical means located in and extended along the length of their respective passages, each helical means comprising a plurality of helical sections, said helical sections located in end to end relation with adjacent sections having terminal edges circumferentially oriented relative to each other to divide the gas and foreign matter flowing through the passage into separate streams whereby gas and foreign matter flowing through the respective passages follows a helical path and the foreign matter entrained in the gas moves outwardly into engagement with said wall and toward the outlet end of said wall, and annular collecting means mounted in the housing means adjacent the outlet end of said wall to collect the foreign matter moving from the end of said wall and to permit cleaned gas to pass centrally thereof, said collecting means having an annular wall surrounding the outlet end of the wall forming the tubular passage, said annular wall including an inner annular flange surrounding a gas outlet opening aligned with the outlet end of the passage to permit clean gas to flow through the collecting means, said flange having a diameter smaller than said passage and spaced from the outlet end of said wall forming the tubular passage whereby foreign matter moves from the wall forming the tubular passage to the collecting means and drain means in said annular wall to allow collected foreign matter to drain from the collecting means.

Claim 23

A hood assembly for use with cooking equipment for collecting gas and foreign matter and separating the foreign matter from the gas comprising: housing means having wall structure defining a chamber having an open forward side for receiving gas and foreign matter from the cooking equipment, a plurality of foreign matter separator units, each of said units having an upright uninterrupted fluid impervious wall forming a tubular passage, an upper inlet end open to said passage and said chamber, and a lower outlet end open to said passage, means mounting the separator units in the housing means, means for drawing gas and foreign matter through said passage of each unit and exhausting the matter through said passage of each unit and exhausting the cleaned gas, each of said separator units having helical means located in and extended along the length of their respective passages, each helical means comprising a plurality of helical sections, said helical sections located in end to end relation with adjacent sections having terminal edges circumferentially oriented relative to each other to divide the gas and foreign matter flowing through the passage into separate streams whereby gas and foreign matter flowing through the respective passages follows a helical path and the foreign matter entrained in the gas moves outwardly into engagement with said wall and toward the outlet end of said wall, and annular collecting means mounted in the housing means adjacent the outlet end of said wall to collect the foreign matter moving from the end of said wall and to permit cleaned gas to pass centrally thereof, said collecting means having an annular wall surrounding the outlet end of the wall forming the tubular passage, said annular wall including an inner annular flange surrounding a gas outlet opening aligned with the outlet end of the passage to permit clean gas to flow through the collecting means, said flange having a diameter smaller than said passage and spaced from the outlet end of said wall forming the tubular passage whereby foreign matter moves from the wall forming the tubular passage to the collecting means and drain means in said annular wall to allow collected foreign matter to drain from the collecting means.

Claim 24

The hood assembly of claim 19 including: means operable to introduce a liquid into the inlets of each of the passages.

Claim 25

The hood assembly of claim 19 wherein: each helical means has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading and trailing edges of adjacent helical means having notches which accommodate portions of the leading and trailing edges of the adjacent helical means.

Claim 26

The hood assembly of claim 19 wherein: the means to collect foreign matter includes a member having an inside flange surrounding a first passage through the member, said flange having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the passage and spaced from the wall forming an annular outlet opening with the wall, said flange being located in axial alignment with the tubular passage whereby gas flows through the first passage and foreign matter flows through the annular outlet opening and is collected in the member.

Claim 27

The hood assembly of claim 22 wherein: said member has an outside flange extended around the lower end of the wall, said outside flange being radially spaced from said wall providing a second passage for the flow of gas around the end of the wall.

Claim 28

The hood assembly of claim 22 including: means located between adjacent separator units operable to dispense fire quenching substance into the area surrounding the separator units.

Claim 29

The hood assembly of claim 19 wherein: said helical sections include helical elements having transverse ends, adjacent ends being angularly located relative to each other.

Claim 30

The hood assembly of claim 25 wherein: the angular relationship of the adjacent ends is between 30° and 90°.