Vent hood for a cooking appliance

Abstract

A vent hood for a cooking appliance is provided. The vent hood includes a vent body forming an inlet opening configured to receive a flow of gases into the vent body. The vent body forms an internal pathway through which the flow of gases is permitted to an outlet opening. The vent body forms a first port and a second port each extending through the vent body to provide fluid communication between the internal pathway and an exterior volume. The first port is positioned proximate to the inlet opening. The second port is positioned proximate to the outlet opening. The first port and the second port are each configured to transmit a respective pressure value from the internal pathway to a pressure transducer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vent hood for a cooking appliance, the vent hood comprising:
 a vent body forming an inlet opening configured to receive a flow of gases into the vent body, the vent body forming an internal pathway through which the flow of gases is permitted to an outlet opening, the vent body forming a first port and a second port each extending through the vent body to provide fluid communication between the internal pathway and an exterior volume, the first port positioned proximate to the inlet opening, the second port positioned proximate to the outlet opening, the first port and the second port each configured to transmit a respective pressure value from the internal pathway to a pressure transducer.   
     
     
         2 . The vent hood of  claim 1 , the vent hood comprising:
 a tube fitting positioned at the first port and the second port.   
     
     
         3 . The vent hood of  claim 1 , the vent hood comprising:
 an inlet manifold at which the inlet opening is formed; and   a central manifold coupled to the inlet manifold, the central manifold positioned distal to the inlet opening at the inlet manifold.   
     
     
         4 . The vent hood of  claim 3 , wherein the first port is positioned at the inlet manifold, and wherein the second port is positioned at the central manifold. 
     
     
         5 . The vent hood of  claim 3 , wherein the first port and the second port is each positioned at the central manifold. 
     
     
         6 . The vent hood of  claim 3 , wherein the first port and the second port is each positioned at the inlet manifold. 
     
     
         7 . A system for airflow determination at a vent hood for a cooking appliance, the system comprising:
 a vent body forming an inlet opening configured to receive a flow of gases into the vent body, the vent body forming an internal pathway through which the flow of gases is permitted to an outlet opening, the vent body forming a first port and a second port each extending through the vent body to provide fluid communication between the internal pathway and an exterior volume, the first port positioned proximate to the inlet opening, the second port positioned proximate to the outlet opening;   a computing device operably coupled to the first port and the second port, the computing device configured to obtain a differential pressure value corresponding to a difference in pressure between the first port and the second port, wherein the difference in pressure between the first port and the second port correspond to the internal pathway at the vent hood.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , the vent hood comprising:
 a tube fitting positioned at the first port and the second port.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , the vent hood comprising:
 an inlet manifold at which the inlet opening is formed; and   a central manifold coupled to the inlet manifold, the central manifold positioned distal to the inlet opening at the inlet manifold.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the first port is positioned at the inlet manifold, and wherein the second port is positioned at the central manifold. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the first port and the second port is each positioned at the central manifold. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the first port and the second port is each positioned at the inlet manifold. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the computing device comprises:
 a differential pressure transducer configured to determine the difference in pressure between the first port and the second port.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , the computing device comprising a processor configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 determining a difference in pressure between the first port and the second port; and   determining an airflow value based at least on the difference in pressure between the first port and the second port.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , the operations comprising:
 comparing the airflow value to an airflow threshold;   generating a first signal when the airflow value is at or above the airflow threshold value; and   generating a second signal when the airflow value is below the airflow threshold value.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , the operations comprising:
 obtaining a location signal; and   determining the airflow threshold based on the location signal.   
     
     
         17 . A method for airflow determination at a vent hood for a cooking appliance, the method comprising:
 forming a first port and a second port each extending through the vent hood to provide fluid communication between an internal pathway and an exterior volume, the first port positioned proximate to the inlet opening, the second port positioned proximate to the outlet opening;   obtaining, via a computing device, a differential pressure between the first port and the second port, wherein a first pressure from the first port and a second pressure from the second port each correspond to the internal pathway at the vent hood; and   determining, via the computing device, an airflow value based at least on the differential pressure between the first port and the second port.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein obtaining the differential pressure between the first port and the second port comprises:
 determining a first pressure value corresponding to the internal pathway at the first port at the vent hood; and   determining a second pressure value corresponding to the internal pathway at the second port at the vent hood.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , the method comprising:
 comparing, via the computing device, the airflow value to an airflow threshold;   generating, via the computing device, a first signal when the airflow value is at or above the airflow threshold value; and   generating, via the computing device, a second signal when the airflow value is below the airflow threshold value.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , the method comprising:
 obtaining, via the computing device, a location signal; and   determining, via the computing device, the airflow threshold based on the location signal.