HOOD ENCLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR COOK-TOP DOWNDRAFT VENTILATION

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a hood enclosure assembly for cook-top downdraft ventilation and associated systems, techniques, and configurations. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more structural elements for placement on one or both of the cooking surface or a surface adjacent to the cooking surface that is substantially parallel with the cooking surface, the one or more structural elements being configured to form a cavity to house a vent of a downdraft ventilation system. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate to ventilation and, in particular, to a hood enclosure assembly for cook-top downdraft ventilation and associated systems, techniques, and configurations.

BACKGROUND

Current cook-top downdraft ventilation systems may provide ineffective or inefficient ventilation of airborne cooking particles such as smoke, steam, grease or other particulate. In FIG. 1, an example prior art cook-top downdraft ventilation system 100 is depicted with a vent 104 disposed adjacent to a cooking surface 102. The vent 104 is generally configured to draw air 106 from surrounding ambient adjacent to the cooking surface 102. However, the vent 104 may not effectively or efficiently draw in airborne cooking particles 108 for a variety of reasons. For example, vent 104 suction may decrease based on a distance away from the vent 104, thus, suction may be insufficient to draw in airborne cooking particles 108 from a more distant region of the cooking surface 102. Such effect may be further exacerbated with an increased height of a cooking utensil 110 such as a pot or pan. In the prior art system 100, a structure 105 of the vent 104 may not effectively shield against turbulent airflow on sides and/or from behind the vent 104, which may increase turbulence of the airflow into the vent 104 from the cooking surface 102 and adversely affect ventilation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example prior art cook-top downdraft ventilation system 100.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an example cook-top downdraft ventilation system, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a side view of an example cook-top downdraft ventilation system, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a hood enclosure assembly, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an exploded perspective view of the hood enclosure assembly of FIG. 4, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a top view, back view, front view and side view of the hood enclosure assembly of FIG. 4, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a hood enclosure assembly in a foldable configuration, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 8a schematically illustrates a perspective view of the hood enclosure assembly of FIG. 7 in a folded configuration, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 8b schematically illustrates a side view of the hood enclosure assembly of FIG. 8a in the folded configuration, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an example method of fabricating a hood enclosure assembly, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of an example method of using a hood enclosure assembly, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure describes a hood enclosure assembly for cook-top downdraft ventilation and associated systems, techniques, and configurations. In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying figures which form a part hereof wherein like numerals may designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown by way of illustration embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments in accordance with the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

The description may use perspective-based descriptions such as up/down, back/front, over/under and top/bottom. Such descriptions are merely used to facilitate the discussion and are not intended to restrict the application of embodiments of the present invention.

The term “coupled” along with derivatives, may be used. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.

The description may use the phrases “in an embodiment,” or “in various embodiments,” which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present invention, are synonymous.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an example cook-top downdraft ventilation system 200 (hereinafter “system 200”), in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, the system 200 includes a vent 104, a cooking surface 102 disposed adjacent to the vent 104 and an enclosure assembly 250, as can be seen.

The vent 104 may be a downdraft vent. In some embodiments, the vent 104 includes at least a portion that is configured to draw air 106 (e.g., dashed arrows) in a downward direction (e.g., with a downward component towards a region below a height of the vent 104 or in a direction of gravitational force of the earth). For example, the vent 104 may be coupled with a duct that is configured to carry the air 106 downward away from the cooking surface 102.

In some embodiments, the vent 104 is a pop-up vent. The vent 104 may be configured to extend to a height above the cooking surface 102, as can be seen. For example, the structure 105 may be configured to move up to bring the vent 104 to a height above the cooking surface 102 to ventilate during cooking activity and to move down to bring the vent 104 to a level below the cooking surface 102 after cooking activity. In other embodiments, the vent 104 may be configured in other suitable configurations. For example, the vent 104 may be flush with the cooking surface 102 or flush with a surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102. In some embodiments, the surface 112 may form a plane that is substantially parallel with the cooking surface 102.

The cooking surface 102 may include, for example, a surface of a cook-top stove, oven or range or other suitable cooking surface 102 that includes one or more heating elements for cooking. The heating element(s) may include, for example, burners 103 (e.g., gas or electric) or the like.

An enclosure assembly 250 may be disposed on one or both of the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102. Portions of the vent 104, structure 105 and cooking surface 102 are depicted in dashed form to indicate that such features are behind the enclosure assembly 250 in the view of FIG. 2. According to some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may include one or more structural elements for placement on one or both of the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102. The one or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may include, for example, one or more components that form the back, top and sides of the enclosure assembly 250.

In some embodiments, the one or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may be configured to form a cavity 250a to house the vent 104. That is, the vent 104 may be disposed within the cavity 250a when the enclosure assembly 250 is positioned on one or both of the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102. According to some embodiments, the one or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may include a first side component (e.g., first side component 425 of FIGS. 4-5) configured to form a left side of the cavity 250a, a second side component (e.g., second side component 435 of FIGS. 4-5) configured to form a right side of the cavity 250a, a back component (e.g., back component 445 of FIGS. 4-5) configured to form a back side of the cavity 250a and a top component (e.g., top component 455 of FIGS. 4-5) configured to form a top side of the cavity 250a. In some embodiments, edges of the top component, the first side component and the second side component may be flush or substantially flush at a front side of the cavity 250a that is disposed opposite to the back side of the cavity 250a, as can be seen.

In other embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may include more or fewer components than depicted in FIGS. 4-5. In one embodiment, the enclosure assembly 250 may include any suitable combination of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455 of FIGS. 4-5. For example, two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455 may be formed as part of a single continuous material structure (e.g., a single piece of metal). In other embodiments, two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455 may be coupled in a removable fashion (e.g., using a screw, magnet or other removable fastening mechanism to temporarily hold the components together) or in a permanent fashion (e.g., welding or other permanent fastening mechanism). The enclosure assembly 250 may be composed of any of a wide variety of suitable materials including, for example, metal, polymer or ceramic materials, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may be composed of stainless steel or a powder coated sheet metal.

In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may be configured for manual placement on one or both of the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102. The enclosure assembly 250 may have dimensions and weight that allow a person to position the enclosure assembly 250 over the vent 104 using only their hands. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may be configured for manual removal from one or both of the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102. In such embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may be a portable, removable hood to facilitate ventilation when and where needed (e.g., during cooking activity). The one or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may be configured for disassembly (e.g., manual disassembly) in some embodiments. For example, components 425, 435, 445 and 455 of FIGS. 4-5 may be taken apart and/or may be collapsible to facilitate storage and/or cleaning of the enclosure assembly 250 when not in use. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may be secured in position to house the vent 104 either temporarily or permanently using any suitable securing or fastening mechanism.

In some embodiments, the cavity 250a formed by the enclosure assembly 250 is configured to extend over the vent 104 when placed on the cooking surface 102 and/or surface 112. In some embodiments, the cavity 250a may extend over at least a portion of the cooking surface 102 when placed on the cooking surface 102 and/or surface 112.

The cavity 250a formed by the enclosure assembly 250 may create an environment over the cooking surface 102 that increases ventilation of airborne cooking particles 108 such as steam, smoke, grease and the like through the vent 104 relative to the system 100 of FIG. 1. The enclosure assembly 250 may be designed or configured to direct inflow of air 106 towards the vent 104 from a region over the cooking surface 102. For example, suction of the vent 104 may create a low pressure region around the vent 104 and the enclosure assembly 250 may direct the low pressure region to an opening of the cavity 250a facing the cooking area over the cooking surface 102. The directed low pressure region may increase air movement across the cooking area over the cooking surface 102 towards the vent 104. For example, the enclosure assembly 250 may direct suction of air 106 through the opening of the cavity 250a in a region over the cooking surface 102 such that the air 106 primarily passes through the opening of the cavity 205a, which may result in a more steady flow (e.g., increased laminarity or laminar flow) of the air 106 over the cooking surface 102 towards the vent 104 to increase a likelihood that airborne cooking particles 108, even at a distant region of the cooking surface 102, will be drawn into the vent 104. Additionally, a height of the opening of the cavity 250a may provide, allow or create a pathway for currents of air 106 from a region above a height of the vent 104 towards the vent 104, which may increase a likelihood that airborne cooking particles 108 that are released at a height above the cooking surface 102 (e.g., at a height that is equal to or greater than a height of the vent 104) will be drawn into the vent 104. Extension of the top and side components of the enclosure assembly 250 over the vent 104 and the cooking surface 102 may increase effectiveness of suction from the vent 104 over the cooking surface 102.

In some embodiments, the back, top and side components of the enclosure assembly 250 may increase effectiveness of the vent 104 by shielding the vent 104 from interfering airflow (e.g., turbulent airflow) that may otherwise approach the vent 104 from the back, top and side directions. The enclosure assembly 250 may increase laminarity of air 106 flowing into the vent 104 over the cooking surface 102. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may increase an efficiency of ventilating airborne cooking particles 108 through the vent 104 from ˜80% to 100% relative to the system 100 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a side view of an example cook-top downdraft ventilation system (e.g., the system 200 of FIG. 2), in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. As can be seen, the enclosure assembly 250 is configured such that air 106 and airborne cooking particles 108 are drawn towards the vent 104 through an opening of the enclosure assembly 250 that faces an area directly over the cooking surface 102. The vent 104 and a portion of structure 105 are depicted in dashed form to indicate that such features are disposed behind the enclosure assembly 250 in the view of FIG. 3. Further, some of the air 106 and airborne cooking particles 108 are depicted behind the enclosure assembly 250 in the view of FIG. 3 to show how they may be drawn towards the vent 104.

According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the enclosure assembly 250 may have a curved profile 250b. For example, the top component and/or the back component of the enclosure assembly 250 may include a curved profile 250b. The curved profile 250b may enhance ventilation by reducing turbulence that may be associated with angled (e.g., rectangular) corners. The curved profile 250b may increase a laminarity of air 106 currents within the enclosure assembly 250.

In some embodiments, a portion of the enclosure assembly 250 (e.g., portion of top component) may extend at least partially downward towards the opening of the enclosure assembly 250 from a position between the opening and a back component of the enclosure assembly 250, where the position has a greater height (e.g., height H2) relative to a height (e.g., height H1) of the enclosure assembly 250 at the opening. In other words, feature 250c may slope down from a height H2 to height H1 of the enclosure assembly 250, as can be seen. The feature 250c may increase efficiency of the ventilation using the enclosure assembly 250 relative to an enclosure assembly 250 that does not include the feature 250c. In some embodiments, the height H1 may be a height of the enclosure assembly 250 at the front side of the cavity and the height H2 may be height at a position between the front side of the cavity and the back side of the cavity. The heights H1 and H2 may be relative to the cooking surface 102 and the height H1 may be less than the height H2. In some embodiments, the feature 250c may have a profile that is linear or substantially linear, as can be seen. In other embodiments, the feature 250c may have a profile that is non-linear.

The benefit of improved vent 104 efficiency using an enclosure assembly 250 with feature 250c may result from changes of air 106 velocity and/or pressure according to Bernoulli's principle. For example, velocity and/or pressure changes for air 106 that passes over the feature 250c may affect air flow through the opening of the enclosure assembly 250 in a way that increases efficiency of ventilation. The feature 250c may be referred to as a “wing” or may additionally or alternatively be referred to as a “bevel” or “lid.”

In some embodiments, height H1 or height H2 may have a value from about 16 inches to about 20 inches. The heights H1, H2 may have other values in other embodiments. In some embodiments a height (e.g., H1 or H2) of the enclosure assembly 250 may be adjustable to accommodate varying heights of the cooking utensil 110 and/or vent 104 from the cooking surface 102. A height of the enclosure assembly 250 may be adjusted, for example, using any suitable mechanism such as, for example, coupling or decoupling an extension to the bottom of the enclosure assembly using temporary or permanent fastening mechanism, extending or retracting an extension portion that is slideably engaged with the enclosure assembly, folding or unfolding an extension that is coupled with the enclosure assembly using a hinge, and the like.

Various dimensions of the system 200 are depicted in FIG. 3. For example, in addition to the heights H1 and H2, a vertical distance h between a top edge of a cooking utensil 110 and an edge of the enclosure assembly 250 at the opening, a horizontal distance S between a far edge of the cooking utensil 110 and edge of the enclosure assembly 250 at the opening, and a depth W of the enclosure assembly 250 are depicted. A pressure P (e.g., lower pressure) created at the opening by the vent 104 is also depicted.

A relationship of the dimensional design of the system 200 is described in Equations [1] and [2]. For example, a maximum vertical distance h for the system 200 to provide ventilation of airborne cooking particles 108 may be defined by the relationship of Equation [1], where m is a mass of the airborne cooking particles 108, S is the horizontal distance between the far edge of the cooking utensil 110 and the edge of the enclosure assembly 250 at the opening of the cavity, F is a force of suction of the vent 104 (e.g., a vacuum level of the vent 104) and V_g is a vertical velocity of the airborne cooking particles 108.

$\begin{array}{cc}h=\sqrt{\frac{m·s}{F}}·V_g& \left[1\right]\end{array}$

The vertical velocity V_g of the airborne cooking particles 108 may be directly or substantially proportional to a temperature T of the cooking utensil 110 and the force F of suction of the vent 104 may be directly or substantially proportional to a velocity V of air 106 through the vent 104. Accordingly, the relationship of Equation [1] may be rewritten as follows in Equation [2]:

$\begin{array}{cc}h\propto \sqrt{\frac{m·s}{v}}·T& \left[2\right]\end{array}$

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a hood enclosure assembly (hereinafter “enclosure assembly 250”), in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. The enclosure assembly 250 may comport with embodiments described in connection with FIGS. 2-3.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, according to some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may include one or more structural elements for placement on one or both of the cooking surface 102 or the surface 112 adjacent to the cooking surface 102. The one or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may include, for example, one or more components that form the back, top and sides of the enclosure assembly 250.

In some embodiments, the one or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may be configured to form a cavity 250a to house the vent 104. According to some embodiments, the one or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly 250 may include a first side component 425 configured to form a left side of the cavity 250a, a second side component 435 configured to form a right side of the cavity 250a, a back component 445 configured to form a back side of the cavity 250a and a top component 455 configured to form a top side of the cavity 250a. In some embodiments, edges of the top component 455, the first side component 425 and the second side component 435 may be flush or substantially flush at a front side of the cavity 250a that is disposed opposite to the back side of the cavity 250a, as can be seen.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an exploded perspective view of the enclosure assembly 250 of FIG. 4, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, the first side component 425, second side component 435, back component 445 and top component 455 may be discrete parts of the enclosure assembly 250. In some embodiments, the discrete parts of the enclosure assembly 250 may be manually assembled by a user of the enclosure assembly 250. In some embodiments, the side components 425 and 435 may include extensions, as can be seen, for fastening of the top component 455 and/or back component 445 using, for example, screws or magnets, or combinations thereof.

In other embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may include more or fewer components than depicted in FIG. 5. In one embodiment, the enclosure assembly 250 may include any suitable combination of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455. For example, two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455 may be formed as part of a single continuous material structure (e.g., a single piece of metal). In other embodiments, two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 and 455 may be coupled in a removable fashion (e.g., using a magnet or removable fastening mechanism to temporarily hold the components together) or in a permanent fashion (e.g., welding or permanent fastening mechanism). The enclosure assembly 250 may be composed of any of a wide variety of suitable materials including, for example, metal, polymer or ceramic materials, or combinations thereof.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a top view, back view, front view and side view of the enclosure assembly 250 of FIG. 4, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. The side view may be a side view of the first side component 425 (e.g., left side) of FIGS. 4-5.

In some embodiments, dimensions of the enclosure assembly 250 from the top view may include a length L from 900 millimeters (mm) to 950 mm and width W from 210 mm to 250 mm. Dimensions of the enclosure assembly 250 from the back view may include a height H2 from 345 mm to 365 mm. The enclosure assembly 250 may have other suitable dimensions in other embodiments.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a hood enclosure assembly 250 in a foldable configuration, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. FIG. 8a schematically illustrates a perspective view of the hood enclosure assembly 250 of FIG. 7 in a folded configuration, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, the hood enclosure assembly 250 may include components (e.g., side components 725, 735, top component 755 and/or back component 745) that are configured to fold. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the side components 725, 735 and top component 755 are configured to fold using hinges 760 or other suitable structure to provide the folded configuration as depicted in FIG. 8a.

Folding the hood enclosure assembly 250 may facilitate shipping, storage and/or assembly of the hood enclosure assembly 250. In some embodiments, the hood enclosure assembly 250 may include a handle 777 to facilitate transport (e.g., carrying by a person) of the hood enclosure assembly 250. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly 250 may include one or more fastening mechanisms such as, for example, one or more locks disposed on interior surfaces of one or more of the components 725, 735, 745 or 755 to prevent folding of the enclosure assembly 250 when in use. Other suitable fastening mechanisms may be used to prevent folding of the enclosure assembly 250 in other embodiments.

FIG. 8b schematically illustrates a side view of the hood enclosure assembly 250 of FIG. 8a in the folded configuration, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an example method 900 of fabricating a hood enclosure assembly (e.g., enclosure assembly 250 of FIGS. 2-6), in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. The method 900 may comport with techniques described in connection with FIGS. 2-6 in some embodiments.

At 902, the method 900 may include receiving a material for fabrication of one or more structural elements (e.g., one or more of components 425, 435, 445 or 455 of FIGS. 4-5) of an enclosure assembly. For example, material may be received by a manufacturer or by manufacturing equipment that is configured to form the one or more structural elements using molding, shaping, cutting, or any other suitable process. According to various embodiments, the received material may be composed of metal, polymer or ceramic materials, or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the received material is a metal such as steel.

At 904, the method 900 may include fabricating the one or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly for placement on or adjacent to a cooking surface. The enclosure assembly may be configured for placement on one or both of a cooking surface or a surface adjacent to the cooking surface that is substantially parallel with the cooking surface. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly may be configured to form a cavity to house a vent of a downdraft ventilation system.

In some embodiments, the one or more structural elements may be fabricated using a molding, shaping, cutting or any other suitable process to form the received material into a structural element of the enclosure assembly. In some embodiments, fabricating the one or more structural elements may include forming a first side component (e.g., first side component 425 of FIGS. 4-5) configured to form a left side of the enclosure assembly, forming a second side component (e.g., second side component 435 of FIGS. 4-5) configured to form a right side of the enclosure assembly, forming a back component (e.g., back component 445 of FIGS. 4-5) configured to form a back side of the enclosure assembly and/or forming a top (e.g., top component 455 of FIGS. 4-5). According to one embodiment, fabricating the one or more structural elements may include using a sheet metal fabrication process to form discrete components 425, 435, 445 or 455 as described herein.

In some embodiments, fabricating the one or more structural elements may include forming any two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 or 455 as part of a unitary structure (e.g., a single materially continuous structure). For example, a single piece of metal may be bent or otherwise molded to provide the back component 445 and one or more of the side components 425 or 435 in a unitary structure.

At 906, the method 900 may include coupling together two or more of the structural elements. For example, in some embodiments, two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 or 455 may be coupled together. The structural elements may be coupled together using any of a variety of suitable techniques such as, for example, temporary techniques (e.g., magnets, screws and the like) or permanent techniques (e.g., welding), or combinations thereof. Subsequent to fabricating the one or more structural elements at 904 and/or coupling together two or more of the structural elements, the structural elements of the enclosure assembly may be assembled and/or sold to a user of a downdraft ventilation system for assembly and use.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of an example method 1000 of using a hood enclosure assembly (e.g., enclosure assembly 250 of FIGS. 2-6), in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. The method 1000 may comport with techniques described in connection with FIGS. 2-6 in some embodiments.

At 1002, the method 1000 may include receiving one or more components of a hood enclosure assembly. The components may include, for example, components 425, 435, 445 or 455 of FIGS. 4-5. For example, a user of the enclosure assembly may receive the one or more components from a manufacturer or seller.

At 1004, the method 1000 may include assembling the hood enclosure assembly to form a cavity (e.g., cavity 250a of FIGS. 2, 4) to house a vent (e.g., vent 104 of FIGS. 2, 3) of a downdraft ventilation system (e.g., system 200 of FIG. 2). The hood enclosure assembly may be assembled, for example, by using any suitable fastening mechanisms including, for example, temporary or permanent mechanisms. Assembling may include, for example, coupling together two or more of the components 425, 435, 445 or 455 of FIGS. 4-5 using screws, magnets, insert features, or other suitable fastening mechanism. In other embodiments, assembling may include extending hinged components away from one another to provide a cavity space. Other suitable techniques to assemble the hood enclosure assembly may be used in other embodiments.

At 1006, the method 1000 may include placing the hood enclosure assembly on or adjacent to a cooking surface (e.g., cooking surface 102 of FIGS. 2-3). The hood enclosure assembly may be configured for manual placement on the cooking surface and/or a surface (e.g., surface 112 of FIG. 2) that is adjacent to the cooking surface. When placed, the cavity may be configured to extend over the vent and/or over at least a portion of the cooking surface. In some embodiments, the enclosure assembly may be permanently fastened to the cooking surface or the adjacent surface. In other embodiments, the enclosure assembly may be temporarily placed on the cooking surface (e.g., when needed for cooking). Guides for placement of the hood enclosure assembly may be used. For example, a base structure with marks or grooves to receive edges of the hood enclosure assembly may be disposed on the cooking surface and/or the adjacent surface in some embodiments.

At 1008, the method 1000 may include removing the hood enclosure assembly from the cooking surface or an adjacent surface. In some embodiments, the hood enclosure assembly may be manually removed from the cooking surface and/or the adjacent surface.

At 1010, the method 1000 may include disassembling the hood enclosure assembly for storage. In some embodiments, removing the hood enclosure assembly at 1008 may include one or more actions of disassembling the hood enclosure assembly for storage at 1010. In other embodiments, the hood enclosure assembly may be removed and then disassembled. In an embodiment, disassembly may be performed manually and without the use of an additional tool. Disassembly may allow storage and/or cleaning of the hood enclosure assembly when not in use.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in understanding embodiments of the present invention. However, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are order dependent.

Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that embodiments in accordance with the present invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of ways. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments in accordance with the present invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An enclosure assembly comprising:

one or more structural elements for placement on one or both of the cooking surface or a surface adjacent to the cooking surface that is substantially parallel with the cooking surface, the one or more structural elements being configured to form a cavity to house a vent of a downdraft ventilation system.

2. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the cavity is configured to extend over the vent.

3. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the cavity is configured to extend over at least a portion of the cooking surface.

4. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more structural elements are configured for manual placement on one or both of the cooking surface or the surface adjacent to the cooking surface and manual removal from on one or both of the cooking surface or the surface adjacent to the cooking surface.

5. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more structural elements are configured for manual disassembly to facilitate storage.

6. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more structural elements comprise:

a first side component configured to form a left side of the cavity;

a second side component configured to form a right side of the cavity;

a back component configured to form a back side of the cavity; and

a top component configured to form a top side of the cavity.

7. The enclosure assembly of claim 6, wherein two or more of the first side component, the second side component, the back component and the top component are fastened together or part of a single continuous structure.

8. The enclosure assembly of claim 6, wherein the top component has a curved profile.

9. The enclosure assembly of claim 6, wherein edges of the top component, the first side component and the second side component are substantially flush at a front side of the cavity that is disposed opposite to the back side of the cavity.

10. The enclosure assembly of claim 9, wherein:

the top component has a first height at the front side of the cavity and a second height at a position between the front side of the cavity and the back side of the cavity;

the first height and the second height are relative to the cooking surface; and

the first height is less than the second height.

11. The enclosure assembly of claim 6, wherein one or more of the first side component, the second side component, the top component or the back component are configured to fold using a hinge.

12. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein an opening of the cavity has a height from 345 millimeters (mm) to 365 mm above the cooking surface.

13. The enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the vent is a pop-up vent that, when extended, is disposed at a height above the cooking surface.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a material for fabrication of one or more structural elements of an enclosure assembly; and

fabricating the one or more structural elements of the enclosure assembly using the material, the one or more structural elements for placement on one or both of a cooking surface or a surface adjacent to the cooking surface that is substantially parallel with the cooking surface, the enclosure assembly being configured to form a cavity to house a vent of a downdraft ventilation system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein fabricating the one or more structural elements comprises:

forming a first side component configured to form a left side of the cavity;

forming a second side component configured to form a right side of the cavity;

forming a back component configured to form a back side of the cavity; and

forming a top component configured to form a top side of the cavity.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

receiving the material for fabrication comprises receiving a metal material; and

fabricating the one or more structural elements comprises using a sheet metal fabrication process to form the one or more structural elements.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein fabricating the one or more structural elements comprises:

forming two or more of the first side component, the second side component, the back component and the top component as part of a single continuous structure.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein fabricating the one or more structural elements comprises:

coupling together two or more of the first side component, the second side component, the back component and the top component.

19. A system comprising:

a vent of a downdraft ventilation system; and

an enclosure assembly disposed on one or both of a cooking surface or a surface adjacent to the cooking surface that is substantially parallel with the cooking surface, the enclosure assembly defining a cavity to house the vent within the cavity.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising the cooking surface, wherein:

the enclosure assembly is permanently fastened to the cooking surface or a surface adjacent to the cooking surface;

the vent is a pop-up vent that, when extended, is disposed at a height above the cooking surface; and

the cavity is configured to extend over the vent and at least a portion of the cooking surface.