Claims:1. A portable cleaning device (10) for a household appliance (11),
said portable cleaning device (10) comprising:
- a housing (12) having a front cover (14), a center unit (16) and a back cover (18);
- a first filter (20) and a second filter (22) positioned on either side of said center unit (16) in said housing (12);
said portable cleaning device (10) positioned in proximity to said appliance (11), said cleaning device (10) adapted to collect plurality of impurities generated during working of said appliance (11).

2. The cleaning device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said center unit (16) comprises a fan (24), a motor (26) connected to said fan (24) and a control unit (28) adapted to control at least one operation of said fan (24) and said motor (26).

3. The cleaning device (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said center unit (16) comprises at least one rechargeable battery (30) adapted to provide power to said motor (26) for collecting said plurality of impurities.

4. The cleaning device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of impurities are chosen from a group of impurities comprising grease, small particles of cooked food, oil particles generated from cooking fumes, odor of said cooking fumes and the like.

5. The cleaning device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first filter (20) is positioned in between said front cover (14) and said center unit (16), said first filter (20) adapted to collect said grease particles generated during working of said appliance (11).

6. The cleaning device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second filter (22) is positioned between said center unit (16) and said back cover (18), said second filter (22) comprises a filtering material for filtering said odor of said cooking fumes.

7. The cleaning device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said center unit (16) is rotated/flipped in such a way that, said cleaning device (10) acts as an air circulation unit.

8. The cleaning device (10) as claimed in claim 7, wherein said second filter (22) adapted to filter impurities in an atmospheric air and said device (10) adapted to provide fresh air, when used as said air circulation unit.

9. The cleaning device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning device (10) comprises a stand (30) and a guide rail assembly (32) formed on either side of said device (10), such that, a height of said cleaning device (10) is adjusted using said guide rail assembly (32).

10. The cleaning device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cleaning device (10) is made of heat-resistant and anti-inflammable material
, Description:Field of the invention
[0001]This disclosure relates to a portable cleaning device for a household appliance.

Background of the invention
[0002]In a home kitchen or a commercial kitchen, contaminated gas such as smoke, smell of food, greasy vapor or the like as well as heat is generated during cooking foods, and the contaminated gas spreads over the kitchen or a whole room. In general, a kitchen exhaust hood is installed above a gas range, a cookware, for preventing the contaminated gas from spreading. Thereby, the contaminated gas is discharged to an outside by using a suction force of an exhaust fan installed in the kitchen exhaust hood.

[0003] A Korean patent application KR100556835B1 discloses a kitchen exhaust hood, intakes indoor air into the inlet formed in the upper or lower portion of the horizontal exhaust duct inside the horizontal exhaust duct integrally formed in the lower portion of the vertical exhaust duct and the horizontal exhaust duct A centrifugal fan for discharging to the outlet formed in the lower portion through the inner flow path of the is installed, the outlet is formed in at least one corner portion of the front, left side, right side corner portion of the horizontal exhaust duct.

Brief description of the invention:

[0004]It is an object of the invention to provide a cleaning device for a household appliance.

[0005]The objects are solved by having the features according to claim 1.

[0006]The invention relates to a portable cleaning device for a household appliance. The portable cleaning device comprises a housing having a front cover, a center unit and a back cover. The cleaning device further comprises a first filter and a second filter positioned on either side of the center unit in the housing. The portable cleaning device positioned in proximity to the appliance, the cleaning device adapted to collect plurality of impurities generated during working of the appliance.

[0007]A feature of this invention is that, the center unit comprises a fan, a motor connected to the fan and a control unit adapted to control at least one operation of the fan and the motor.

[0008]Another feature of this invention is that, the center unit comprises at least one rechargeable battery adapted to provide power to the motor for collecting the plurality of impurities.

[0009]Another feature of this invention is that, the plurality of impurities are chosen from a group of impurities comprising grease, small particles of cooked food, oil particles generated from cooking fumes, odor of said cooking fumes and the like.

[0010]Another feature of this invention is that, the first filter is positioned in between the front cover and the center unit, the first filter adapted to collect the grease particles generated during working of the appliance.

[0011]Another feature of this invention is that, the second filter is positioned between the center unit and the back cover. The second filter comprises a filtering material for filtering the odor of the cooking fumes.

[0012]Another feature of this invention is that, the center unit is rotated/flipped in such a way that, the cleaning device acts as an air circulation unit.

[0013]Another feature of this invention is that, the second filter adapted to filter impurities in an atmospheric air and the device adapted to produce fresh air, when used as the air circulation unit.

[0014]Another feature of this invention is that, the cleaning device comprises a stand and a guide rail assembly formed on either side of the device, such that, a height of the cleaning device is adjusted using the guide rail assembly.

[0015]Another feature of this invention is that, the cleaning device is made of heat-resistant and anti-inflammable material.

[0016]The above mentioned portable cleaning device is made compact in size, thus not only provides the easy movement of the device but also provides a low-cost solution. The device is used as a multi-purpose device both as the cleaning device and as the air-circulation device. The device provides a solution for the fume extraction, as it is brought closer to the source (device), thus preventing the fumes from travelling around the room and depositing grease on surfaces, before being removed from the kitchen. The device also provides a way to introduce and increase fresh air quantity in the kitchen environment and tackles the issues of pests in the kitchen as there is no deposition of impurities on the surface where the appliance is placed. The device also provides less installation cost and the maintenance cost when compared to the conventional ducted hoods.

[0017]The filters provided in the device can be replaced when needed without any much hassle. The device also acts as a retrofit solution to the existing exhaust fans/ducted hoods. The number of devices used in a room can be increased based on the requirement. Like in a bigger kitchen like hotels/restaurants, one can have multiple devices positioned strategically to absorb the odors generated and to clear the surroundings. This allows modularity across different kitchen spaces - the combination of the two functions and the ease of switching between them intuitively but rotating the fan unit, results in a comfortable and grease free air and environment.

Brief description of the accompanying drawings
An embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the following accompanying drawings;
[0018] Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of a portable cleaning device, in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;
[0019] Figure 2 illustrates the portable cleaning device in accordance to the present invention; and
[0020] Figure 3 illustrates the portable cleaning device for a household appliance in accordance to the present invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0021] Figure 1 illustrates a portable cleaning device 10 for a household appliance 11, in accordance to one embodiment of the invention. The portable cleaning device 10 comprises a housing 12 having a front cover 14, a center unit 16 and a back cover 18. The cleaning device 10 further comprises a first filter 20 and a second filter 22 positioned on either side of the center unit 16 in the housing 12. The portable cleaning device 10 positioned in proximity to the appliance 11, the cleaning device 10 adapted to collect plurality of impurities generated during working of the appliance 11.

[0022]Further the construction of the portable cleaning device 10 for the household appliance 11 is explained in detail. According to one embodiment of the invention, the household appliance 11 is a chosen from a group of appliance comprising a single burner gas stove or a multi-burner gas stove, an induction stove, an electric stove and the like. However, the appliance 11 is not restricted to the stove, but can be of any other appliance that emits smoke, heat and impure particles like grease, oil. The cleaning device 10 clears the environment/surrounding of the appliance 11 when placed in proximity to the appliance 11. In one instance, if the appliance 11 is a stove, during the cooking of the food, the cooking process emits lots of grease, oil particles along with the vapors/fumes and heat. The cooking process also emits heat during the operation of the appliance 11.

[0023]In order to provide a clean and a cool surrounding/environment, the present invention provides a solution in the form of the portable cleaning device 10. The cleaning device 10 can be carried and is placed as per the user requirement. The cleaning device 10 is made compact and comprises at least two filters (20/22) for filtering the grease and the odor generated during the cooking process. However, based on the requirement, the number and the type of filters (20/22) can be altered.

[0024]The center unit 16 comprises a fan 24, a motor 26 connected to the fan 24 and a control unit 28 adapted to control at least one operation of the fan 24 and the motor 26. The control unit 28 is chosen from a group of control units comprising a microcontroller, a microprocessor, an integrated chip, a digital circuit and the like. The control unit 28 operates the motor 26 to rotate the fan 24 based on a signal from the user. The housing 12 of the device 11 comprises a switch or a radio button (not shown) which is operated to activate the motor 26 and to operate the fan24 for absorbing the impurities generated during the cooking process. According to one embodiment of the invention, the motor 26 is an induction motor.

[0025]The fan 24 structure is similar to that is known in the state of the art. The control unit 28, the motor 26 and the fan 24 are electrically connected and is positioned in the center unit 16 of the housing 12. The front cover 14 along with the first filter 20 is positioned at one side of the center unit 16 and the second filter 22 along with the back cover 18 is positioned on other side of the center unit16. According to one embodiment of the invention, the assembly of the front cover 14, the first filter 20, the center unit 16, the second filter 22, the back cover 18 is made rotatable.

[0026]The assembly mentioned above can be rotated 180 degrees, thus bringing the back cover 18 and the second filter 22 facing the user of the device 10. The back cover 18 of the device 10 comprises multiple vents/openings 40 for allowing the air to flow through. The front cover 14 comprises dimensions less than the dimensions of the first filter 20, for allowing the cooking fumes/air to flow into the device 10 when used as a cleaning device 10.

[0027]The center unit 16 comprises at least one rechargeable battery 30 adapted to provide power to the motor for collecting the plurality of impurities. The center unit 16 further comprises a docking station 38 for charging the batteries 30 when the device 10 is not in use. An electric wire connection is provided from the docking station 38 for charging the batteries 30. According to one embodiment of the invention, the batteries 30 can be charged through a USB cable with a slot for accommodating the cable in the docking station 38.

[0028]According to one embodiment of the invention, the device 10 is operated by directly plugging into a socket and providing the electric power. Upon activation of the switch /radio button present on the housing 12 of the device 10, the fan 26 in the device 10 is operated and clears the surrounding of the appliance 11 by sucking the cooking fumes, heat, impurities in the cooking fumes during the cooking process. The plurality of impurities are chosen from a group of impurities comprising grease, small particles of cooked food, oil particles generated from cooking fumes, odor of said cooking fumes and the like. However it is to be understood that, the impurities are not limited to the above mentioned, but can be of any other impurities that are known to a person skilled in the art.

[0029]The first filter 20 of the housing 12 is positioned in between the front cover 14 and the center unit 16 and the first filter 20 is adapted to collect the grease particles generated during working of the appliance 11. The first filter 20 is designed in such a way that, the grease particles are trapped in the filtering element and the filtered air is passed to the fan in the center unit 16. The filtered air is sucked by the fan 24 and further passes through the second filter 22. According to one embodiment, the first filter 20 comprises multiple portions with different filtering materials for filtering not only the grease materials, but any other type of impurities generated during the operation of the appliance 10.

[0030]The second filter 22 is positioned between the center unit 16 and the back cover 18. The second filter comprises a filtering material for filtering the odor of the cooking fumes. According to one embodiment of the invention, the filtering material is charcoal which is used to filter the odor generated from the cooking process. It is to be understood for a person skilled the art that, the filtering material is not restricted to charcoal, but can be of any other material that is known in the state of the art , which absorbs and filters the odor/smell generated. The front cover 14, the first filter 20, the center unit 16, the second filter 22, the back cover 18 are assembled into one component and the center unit 16 is rotated/flipped in such a way that, the cleaning device 10 acts as an air circulation unit 44.

[0031]As mentioned above, the cleaning device 10 when used as the air circulation unit 44, the second filter 22 adapted to filter impurities in an atmospheric air and the device10 adapted to produce fresh air, when used as the air circulation unit 44. The second filter 22 filters the bad odors /smells that are present in the surrounding environment of the cleaning device 10. The fan 24unit sucks the air to flow inside upon receiving the activation signal from the user of the device 10. When the device 10 is acting as the air circulation unit 44, the air that is sucked from the atmosphere will pass through the first filter 20 where the dust/smog particles are filtered out. Then the filtered air is passed through the center unit 16 followed by the second filter 22.

[0032]The second filter 22 filters any odor/smell present in the filtered air and the fresh air is circulated to the user of the device 10. In this instance, the back cover 18 comprises multiple vents 40 that are used to pass the filtered fresh air to the user of the device 10. When the device 10 is used for cleaning purpose, then the filtered fumes/vapors generated from the cooking process is filtered and the filtered vapors are released into the atmosphere through the vents 40 present on the back cover 18. The smaller size of the front cover 14 than the first filter 20, allows the air to enter the device 10 through sideways, when the device 10 is used as the air circulation unit 44.

[0033]The cleaning device 10 comprises a stand 42 and a guide rail assembly 32 formed on either side of the device 10, such that, a height of the cleaning device 10 is adjusted using the guide rail assembly 32. The stand 42 and the cleaning device 10 are made as separate components according to one embodiment. The stand 42 comprises the guide 34 on either side corresponding to the rail 36 made on the side surfaces of the housing 12.

[0034]By moving the guide 34 in the rail 36, the height of the device 10 is altered accordingly. When used as a cleaning device 10, the height of the device 10 is adjusted based on the height of the appliance 11. When used as the air circulation unit 44, the device 10 height is adjusted based on the atmospheric air available (i.e., according to a window frame or the like). The device 10 is made of is made of heat-resistant and anti-inflammable material, such that the heat generated during the operation of the appliance 11 will not damage the device 10.

[0035]A method of working of the portable cleaning device 10 for the household appliance 11 is explained in detail. The device 10 when used as the cleaning device 10, is positioned in proximity to the appliance 11. In one instance, the appliance 11 is a stove. The device 10 is positioned near to the stove as shown in the figure 2. When the stove is operated, the cooking process generates multiple impurities that needs to be cleared. The cooking fumes/vapors that are generated during the cooking process, is sucked into the device 10, upon activating a switch/radio button present on the device 10 by the user. According to one embodiment of the invention, the device 10 comprises a sensor that is adapted to detect/sense the fumes/vapor in the surroundings and gets activated.

[0036]The sucked cooking fumes/vapors are made to pass through the front cover 14 and the first filter 20 before entering the center unit 16. The first filter 20 filters the grease/oil particles present in the cooking vapors /fumes and the filtered air is made to pass through the center unit 16. From there, the filtered air undergoes through second round of filtration for removing any odors/smells present in the filtered air. The second filter 22 filters all the odor/smell present in the air and releases the odorless filtered air into the atmosphere through the vents 40 of the back cover 18.

[0037]When the device 10 is used as the air circulation unit 44, the center unit 16 along with the front cover 14 and the back cover 18 is flipped or rotated as shown in the figure 1. In this arrangement, the back cover 18 acts as the front cover 14 and the vice-versa. Upon activation of the device 10, the motor 26 operates the fan 24 to suck the air from the atmosphere.

[0038]The sucked air is made to pass through the front fcover 14 and the first filter 20, where the impurities like dust particles are filtered. The dimensions of the front cover 14 is made smaller than the first filter 20, in such a way that, the impurities during the cooking process will be sucked inside through the sideways. The filtered air enters into the center unit 16 followed by the second filter 22 and then gets filtered for removal of any odors present in the air that is sucked into the device 10. The odorless fresh air is circulated to the user of the device 10 through the vents 40 of the back cover 18.

[0039]According to one embodiment of the invention, the first filter 20 and the second filter 22 are positioned in between of the front cover 14 and the back cover 18 and is made as one component. The center unit 16 is made as a separate component. The center unit 16 and the assembly of the front cover 14, first filter 20, second filter 22, and back cover 18 are interconnected by stacking upon each other. The entire above mentioned assembly along with the center unit 16 is mounted on a stand kind of structure for elevation.

[0040]The above mentioned portable cleaning device 10 is made compact in size, thus not only provides the easy movement of the device 10 but also provides a low-cost solution. The device 10 is used as a multi-purpose device both as the cleaning device 10 and as the air-circulation unit 44. The device 10 provides a solution for the fume extraction, as it is brought closer to the source (device), thus preventing the fumes from travelling around the room and depositing grease on surfaces, before being removed from the kitchen. The device 10 also provides a way to introduce and increase fresh air quantity in the kitchen environment and tackles the issues of pests in the kitchen as there is no deposition of impurities on the surface where the appliance 11 is placed. The device 10 also provides less installation cost and the maintenance cost when compared to the conventional ducted hoods.

[0041]The filters(20/22) provided in the device 10 can be replaced when needed without any much hassle. The device 10 also acts as a retrofit solution to the existing exhaust fans/ducted hoods. The number of devices used in a room can be increased based on the requirement. Like in a bigger kitchen like hotels/restaurants, one can have multiple devices positioned strategically to absorb the odors generated and to clear the surroundings. This allows modularity across different kitchen spaces - the combination of the two functions and the ease of switching between them intuitively but rotating the fan unit 24, results in a comfortable and grease free air and environment.

[0042] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.

List of Reference Signs
10 cleaning device
11 household appliance
12 housing
14 front cover
16 center unit
18 back cover
20 first filter
22 second filter
24 fan
26 motor
28 control unit
30 at least one rechargeable battery
32 guide rail assembly
34 guide
36 rail
38 docking station
40 vents of back cover
42 stand
44 air circulation unit