Ultra-violet recirculating exhaust hood system

Abstract

A recirculating hood for exhausting fumes from a food cooking apparatus features a housing defining an interior chamber within which is positioned a filter system and an ultraviolet lamp. A fan exhausts fumes from the cooking apparatus through an inlet opening into the interior chamber and draws the fumes through the filter system and past the ultra-violet lamp. As a result, the fumes are filtered and irradiated with ultra-violet light before they are returned to the room space that the hood shares with the food cooking apparatus.

1 . A recirculating food cooking system comprising:
 a) an exhaust hood including a housing defining an interior chamber and having an inlet opening;   b) a food cooking apparatus sharing a room space with the exhaust hood;   c) a filter positioned within the interior chamber;   d) an ultra-violet lamp positioned within the interior chamber to provide ultra-violet light within the interior chamber; and   e) a fan in communication with the interior chamber, said fan drawing fumes from the cooking apparatus through the inlet opening and the filter and exposing the fumes to ultra-violet light before exhausting the fumes to the room space.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the fan is positioned within the interior chamber of the exhaust hood. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the ultra-violet lamp provides ultra-violet light having wavelengths in the “C” wavelength range. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the filter is positioned adjacent to the inlet opening so that fumes passing through the inlet opening travel through the filter prior to exposure to the ultra-violet light. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the filter and the ultra-violet lamp are oriented in the interior chamber of the exhaust hood such that fumes from the cooking apparatus pass through the filter prior to exposure to the ultra-violet light. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the ultra-violet lamp is a lamp tube. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the filter includes a grease filter. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the filter includes an electrostatic precipitator. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the filter includes a charcoal filter. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the filter includes a polysorb filter. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 7  wherein filter further comprises an electrostatic precipitator. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the food cooking apparatus includes a frypot and a heating element for heating contents of the frypot. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the food cooking apparatus is an oven. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an enclosure featuring back and side walls that define an interior and wherein said food cooking apparatus is removably positioned in the interior of the enclosure. 
   
   
       15 . A recirculating exhaust hood for exhausting fumes to a shared room space comprising:
 a) a housing defining an interior chamber and having an inlet opening;   b) a filter positioned within the interior chamber;   c) an ultra-violet lamp positioned within the interior chamber to provide ultra-violet light within the interior chamber; and   d) a fan in communication with the interior chamber, said fan drawing fumes through the inlet opening and the filter and exposing the fumes to ultra-violet light before exhausting the fumes into the shared room space.   
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the fan is positioned within the interior chamber. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the ultra-violet lamp provides ultra-violet light having wavelengths in the “C” wavelength range. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the filter is positioned adjacent to said inlet opening so that fumes drawn through the inlet opening travel through the filter prior to exposure to the ultra-violet light. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the filter and the ultra-violet lamp are oriented in the interior chamber of the exhaust hood such that fumes are drawn through the filter prior to exposure to the ultra-violet light. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the ultra-violet lamp is a lamp tube. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the filter includes a grease filter. 
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the filter includes an electrostatic precipitator. 
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the filter includes a charcoal filter. 
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the filter includes a polysorb filter. 
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 21  wherein filter further comprises an electrostatic precipitator. 
   
   
       26 . A method of re-circulating fumes from a food cooking apparatus comprising the steps of:
 a) filtering fumes from the cooking apparatus;   b) exposing the filtered fumes to ultra-violet light; and   c) delivering the filtered and exposed fumes back to a room space within which the food cooking apparatus is positioned.   
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said step c) comprises exposing the filtered fumes to ultra-violet light having wavelengths in the “C” wavelength range. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein step b) includes filtering the fumes with at least one filter selected from the group consisting of a charcoal filter, a grease filter, a polysorb filter and an electrostatic precipitator. 
   
   
       29 . A module for retrofitting an exhaust hood that exhaust fumes from a food cooking apparatus comprising:
 a) a filter; and   b) an ultra-violet lamp joined to the filter, said joined filter and ultra-violet lamp adapted to be mounted within the exhaust hood so that fumes traveling through the exhaust hood are filtered by the filter system and exposed to ultra-violet light from the ultra-violet lamp.   
   
   
       30 . The module of  claim 29  wherein the ultra-violet lamp provides ultra-violet light having wavelengths in the “C” wavelength range. 
   
   
       31 . The module of  claim 29  wherein the ultra-violet lamp is a lamp tube. 
   
   
       32 . The module of  claim 29  wherein the filter includes a grease filter. 
   
   
       33 . The module of  claim 32  wherein the filter also includes an electrostatic precipitator. 
   
   
       34 . The module of  claim 29  wherein the filter includes an electrostatic precipitator. 
   
   
       35 . The module of  claim 29  wherein the filter comprises a grease filter and a charcoal filter. 
   
   
       36 . The module of  claim 35  wherein filter further comprises an electrostatic precipitator. 
   
   
       37 . The module of  claim 29  wherein the filter comprises a grease filter and a polysorb filter. 
   
   
       38 . The module of  claim 37  wherein filter further comprises an electrostatic precipitator.