Exhaust hood with UVC light assembly

Abstract

An exhaust hood is provided for filtering pollutants from exhaust air. The exhaust hood includes a light assembly and an air blower assembly for generating a stream of air in front of the light assembly.

1 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a light assembly; and    an air blower assembly for generating a stream of air in front of the light assembly.    
   
   
       2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the light assembly comprises one or more ultraviolet light bulbs.  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more ultraviolet light bulbs emit ultraviolet rays in the “C” wavelength range of ultraviolet light.  
   
   
       4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a hood for housing the light assembly and the air blower assembly, wherein the hood has front, rear, and side walls, and a ceiling.    
   
   
       5 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air blower assembly comprises a fan and an air chamber communicatively connected thereto, wherein the air chamber directs the stream of air in front of the light assembly.  
   
   
       6 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the air chamber has an opening to discharge the stream of air in front of the light assembly.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the air chamber has a second opening to discharge a second stream of air behind the light assembly.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a hood positioned above a cooking surface, wherein the hood has front, rear, and side walls, and a ceiling;    an exhaust collar creating an opening in the ceiling of the hood;    a first fan attached to the exhaust collar, for drawing exhaust air from the hood into an exhaust duct positioned above the exhaust collar;    a filter for filtering the exhaust air, positioned between the exhaust collar and the cooking surface;    a light assembly positioned between the exhaust collar and the filter;    a second fan for producing a first stream of clean air;    an air intake chamber communicatively connected at a first end to the second fan, the air intake chamber having an opening at a second end for discharging the first stream of clean air in front of the light assembly.    
   
   
       9 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the air intake chamber has a second opening at the second end for discharging a second stream of clean air behind the light assembly.  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the second stream of clean air is redirected to the front of the light assembly, and combines with the first stream of clean air.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the light assembly comprises one or more ultraviolet light bulbs.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the one or more ultraviolet light bulbs emit ultraviolet rays in the “C” wavelength range of ultraviolet light.  
   
   
       13 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the filter blocks ultraviolet rays from escaping from the exhaust hood.  
   
   
       14 . A method of substantially removing pollutants from exhaust air, the method comprising the steps of: 
 drawing exhaust air through a filter;    causing a chemical reaction between ultraviolet rays emitted from a light assembly and the pollutants in the exhaust air; and    directing a first stream of clean air in front of the light assembly.    
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising a step of directing a second stream of clean air behind the light assembly.  
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising the step of redirecting the second stream of clean air to the front of the light assembly, and combining with the first stream of clean air.  
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the filter blocks the ultraviolet rays from escaping from the exhaust hood.