HK1163790A - Cooktop with forced convection cooling - Google Patents

Description

Cooking appliance with forced convection cooling

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a ventilation system for cooling a cooking appliance that can be placed in a kitchen countertop, and more particularly, to a ventilation system for cooling the complete machine circuit used by the control elements of the cooking appliance.

Background

Planar cooking surfaces, known as cooktops, are well known in the art. A cooktop is a kind of cooking stove that has a burner only on its top, and which is usually installed in a kitchen countertop. A typical cooktop includes a frame to which are secured a plurality of heating elements covered by a glass-ceramic panel or other type of cooking surface. In addition, the cooktop includes a plurality of control elements, each of which is associated with manipulating a respective heating element mounted to the cooktop. In addition, the control elements interact with a heat sensitive microprocessor included within the cooktop frame. However, the demand for high power output and the development of more compact designs have made it increasingly difficult to maintain lower operating temperatures for control electronics and cooktop peripherals and cabinets.

To help maintain lower temperatures, various ventilation systems for cooktops have been developed. These ventilation systems typically involve ventilating the cooktop through inlet holes provided in the surface of the cooktop. Some of these ventilation systems also provide the function of directing the airflow through the electronics associated with the control elements. However, including inlet holes in the cooktop surface reduces the amount of available surface, can be unsightly, and can also result in food or liquid being trapped within the cooktop frame.

Accordingly, there is a need for an unobtrusive ventilation system that can effectively cool control elements, associated electronics, and the area around the heating element below the cooktop appliance.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a ventilation system for improving the ventilation of a cooktop cooking appliance. In one aspect, the present invention provides a cooking appliance configured to fit within a countertop opening in a countertop, the cooking appliance comprising: a frame including a bottom wall and peripheral sides extending from a periphery of the bottom wall defining a chassis of the cooking appliance; a cooktop disposed on top of the frame; one or more air inlets on a cooktop side of the cooktop; a heating element enclosure disposed below the cooktop and within the frame, the heating element enclosure comprising one or more heating elements; an air mover located below the heating element housing; and one or more control circuits disposed between the air intake and the air mover. Operation of the air mover of the cooking appliance draws air in through the air inlet and through the one or more control circuits. In one embodiment of the cooking appliance, the cooktop comprises a glass-ceramic material.

In another embodiment of the cooking appliance, the cooktop includes a plurality of cooking zones. In a further embodiment, the heating element is selected from the group comprising an infrared halogen lamp, an electric heating coil, an electric heating strip and an induction coil, or in particular an electric heating strip. In some embodiments, the heating element may provide a high power output. In other embodiments, the cooktop includes a user interface having one or more touch pad controllers operatively connected to the control circuitry.

In another embodiment of the cooking appliance, the cooktop is nearly flush with the countertop when the cooking appliance is disposed within the countertop opening. In a further embodiment, a deflector is provided on the frame, the deflector being arranged to cover a lower portion of the air inlet. In further embodiments, one or more louvers are provided below the deflector and on the frame. In yet another embodiment, a trim including one or more vents is provided over a side of the countertop including the air intake.

The cooking appliance may comprise one or more air outlets and/or air inlets. For example, in one embodiment, one or more air outlets are provided in one or more cooktop sides of the cooktop. In another embodiment, the cooking appliance comprises a plurality of air outlets. In still other embodiments, the cooking appliance comprises a plurality of air inlets. In another embodiment, the frame further comprises a ventilation chamber comprising one or more air movers arranged to discharge air through one or more air outlets in the ventilation chamber.

Another aspect of the invention provides a cooking appliance configured to fit within a countertop opening in a countertop, the cooking appliance comprising: a frame including a bottom wall and peripheral sides extending from a periphery of the bottom wall defining a chassis of the cooking appliance; a glass-ceramic cooktop disposed on top of the frame, the cooktop including a user interface and a cooking area, wherein the cooktop is nearly flush with the countertop when the cooking appliance is disposed in an opening in the countertop; an air inlet on a cooktop side of the cooktop; an air outlet in the bottom wall of the frame; a flow guide device disposed on the frame and configured to cover a lower portion of the air inlet and a lower portion of the air outlet; a heating element enclosure disposed below the cooktop and within the frame, the heating element enclosure comprising one or more heating elements; an air mover located below the heating element housing; and one or more control circuits disposed between the air intake and the air mover. Operation of the air mover of the cooking appliance draws air in through the air inlet and through the one or more control circuits.

In further embodiments of this aspect of the invention, the cooking appliance may include a plurality of air inlets located in one or more cooktop sides of the cooktop. In another embodiment, a trim including one or more vents is provided over a side of the countertop including the air intake. In other embodiments, the heating element is selected from the group consisting of an infrared halogen lamp, an electric heating coil, an electric heating tape, and an induction coil.

In yet another embodiment, the cooking appliance comprises one or more air outlets in one or more cooktop sides of the cooktop.

Unless stated otherwise, "a", "an", "at least one" are used interchangeably and mean one or more than one. Also herein, the recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers subsumed within that range (e.g. 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, 5, etc.). It is also understood that all spatial orientations, such as "horizontal," "vertical," "top," "upper," "lower," "bottom," "left," and "right," are for illustrative purposes only and can be varied within the scope of the present disclosure.

The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The following description more particularly exemplifies illustrative embodiments. Guidance is provided throughout this application by way of lists of examples, which examples may be used in various combinations. In each example, the list serves only as a representative group and should not be interpreted as a unique list.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a top right perspective view of an embodiment of a cooking appliance mounted within a countertop opening of a kitchen countertop;

FIG. 2 is a top right perspective view of an embodiment of a cooking appliance including an air ventilation system;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance taken along line A-A' of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top right perspective view of the air inlet and guide mounted to the frame of the cooking appliance;

FIG. 5 is a bottom right perspective view of the air inlet and guide mounted to the frame of the cooking appliance;

FIG. 6 is a bottom right perspective view of a side of the frame of the cooking appliance with the guide removed to reveal the side access opening;

FIG. 7 is a top right perspective view of an embodiment of a cooking appliance wherein the cooktop is transparent to reveal the heating elements within the heating element housings;

FIG. 8 is a front bottom perspective view of an embodiment of a cooking appliance wherein the frame further includes a ventilation cavity; and

FIG. 9 is a rear bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the cooking appliance wherein the frame further includes a vent cavity;

the following detailed description is to be read with reference to the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings have like reference numerals. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments provided herein have many alternative embodiments that may be used within the scope of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention provides a cooking appliance comprising a ventilation system for cooling the appliance. Fig. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, wherein a perspective view of a cooking appliance 10 is shown, the cooking appliance 10 having been placed into a countertop opening 12 of a countertop 14. The cooking appliance 10 includes a cooktop 16 located on a portion of the countertop 14. The cooktop 16 can be positioned such that when the cooking appliance 10 is placed within the countertop opening 12, the cooktop 16 is nearly flush with the countertop 14. Alternatively, the cooktop 16 may be slightly higher (e.g., about 1 to 2ml higher) than the countertop 14. It should be understood that the cooking appliance 10 may be used to provide heat for various cooking purposes, but the cooking appliance 10 may also be used to provide heat to items for non-cooking purposes. The countertop 14 may be a kitchen countertop, or may be a countertop 14 disposed elsewhere.

The cooktop 16 includes a flat work surface, and the cooktop 16 is typically, but not necessarily, rectangular in configuration. For example, the cooktop 16 may be sized 20 inches by 30 inches, or 20 inches by 36 inches. The cooktop 16 may be configured to fit within the countertop opening 12, or it may be slightly larger such that a peripheral portion of the cooktop 16 extends beyond the countertop opening 12 to allow the peripheral portion of the cooktop 16 to rest on the countertop 14.

The cooktop 16 may be made of various materials such as metal, glass, or porcelain. For some types of cooking appliances 10, a thermally transparent material such as a glass-ceramic material (e.g., microcrystalline glass) is preferred. Glass-ceramic materials, such as microcrystalline glass, are useful as cooktop materials because they have a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and readily conduct visible and infrared radiation emitted by the heating element. The cooktop 16 can have a thickness of from about 2 millimeters to about 15 millimeters, with a thickness of about 4 millimeters being well suited for a microcrystalline glass cooktop. The cooktop 16 may include a heating area 18, where cooking is typically performed, and a user interface 20, the user interface 20 including one or more controllers 22, which one or more controllers 22 may be used to control the operation of the cooking appliance 10.

The cooktop 16 can include one or more cooktop sides along the periphery of the cooktop 16. For example, a rectangular cooktop, such as that shown in the figures, includes a first cooktop side 24, a second cooktop side 26, a third cooktop side 28, and a fourth cooktop side 30. One or more of the cooktop sides can be covered by a trim 32 that also extends over a portion of the top surface of the cooktop 16. The trim 32 may make the cooktop 16 more aesthetically pleasing with the cooktop 16 resting on the countertop 14, and may be made from various materials such as cold rolled steel with a baking finish or stainless steel. The trim 32 may also include one or more vents 34 to provide access to outside air for the ventilation system of the cooking appliance 10. Vents 34 may be located on the sides of the trim 32 to facilitate blocking spillage from entering the chassis of the cooking appliance 10. The vents 34 may provide access to outside air for the dual purpose of obtaining cool air for venting into the cooking appliance 10 and exhausting hot air from within the cooking appliance 10. The vent 34 may be a variety of different shapes. For example, the vent 34 may be a plurality of slots as shown in fig. 1 and 2. Alternatively, the vent 34 may be a long horizontal opening along the underside of the trim 32.

As shown in fig. 2, the cooktop 16 is attached over a frame 36. The frame 36 includes a bottom wall 38 and peripheral sides extending from the periphery of the bottom wall 38, thereby defining a chassis of the cooking appliance 10. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the perimeter sides include a first frame side 42, a second frame side 44, a third frame side 46, and a fourth frame side 48. The ventilation system of the present invention allows for the use of a smaller volume chassis with frame sides extending only about 3 to 4 inches down from the cooktop 16, which may enable the cooking appliance 10 to fit in the countertop opening 12 at a smaller depth. This may make it easier to mount the cooking appliance 10 to other cooking appliances such as fireplaces.

The cooktop 16 is typically securely attached to the frame 36 such that the cooktop 16 can support the frame 36 when the cooking appliance 10 is placed within the countertop opening 12. However, in some embodiments, small shims (not shown) may be placed under the cooktop 16 near the sides of the cooktop where the cooktop rests on the countertop to provide a gap between the countertop 14 and the cooktop 16 to provide an airflow channel. When provided, the shims typically raise the cooktop 16 on the countertop 14 by about 1-2 millimeters.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the cooking appliance 10 taken along line 3-3' in fig. 1. The cooking appliance 10 includes a heating element housing 50 located below the cooktop 16 and within the frame 36. More specifically, the heating element housing 50 is located below the heating region 18 of the cooktop 16. The cooking appliance 10 may also include one or more cooktop carrier strips 52, the cooktop carrier strips 52 being long rectangular strips of material located below the cooktop sides to help hold the cooking appliance 10 securely within the countertop opening 12.

The cooking appliance 10 also includes an air inlet 54, the air inlet 54 being an opening that allows external air to enter the cooking appliance 10. The air inlets 54 are removed portions (e.g., cutouts) of the cooktop sides to allow airflow through the cooktop 16 into the cooking appliance 10. The shape of the air inlet 54 may be different. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the air inlets 54 are essentially long rectangles extending along the cooktop side regions, typically with rounded corners along the inside of the rectangles. For example, the air inlet 54 may be a rectangular cutout having a length of about 4 inches to 8 inches along the side of the cooktop 16 and a depth of about 0.5 inches to 1 inch into the cooktop 16, or the air inlet 54 may be a cutout having a length of about 6 inches to 7 inches and a depth of about 3/4 inches.

The air scoop 54 may be positioned below the trim 32 such that the air scoop 54 may easily access one or more vents 34 in the trim 32. While the air inlets 54 on the sides of the cooktop are generally relatively inconspicuous, especially when the air inlets 54 are covered by the trim 32. The air inlet 54 and other components involved in providing ventilation to the cooking appliance 10 are shown in fig. 4-6. The air may flow directly into the cooking appliance 10 from the air inlet 54, or may first enter the deflector 56. Typically, if air inlets 54 are provided, there is no need to provide an airflow path by lifting the cooktop 16 using shims. However, if desired, the airflow path may be provided by both of these approaches.

In some embodiments, the cooking appliance 10 includes one or more deflectors 56. Fig. 4 shows a top perspective view of the air inlet 54 and the deflector 56, while fig. 5 shows a bottom perspective view of the air inlet 54 and the deflector 56. The deflector 56 is a construction consisting essentially of a sheet of material positioned below the air inlet 54 that helps prevent spillage (e.g., water) from the cooktop 16 from leaking into the cooking appliance 10. Accordingly, one or more deflectors 56 may be disposed on the frame 36 adjacent to the one or more air inlets 54. The deflector 56 should be positioned on the frame 36 such that the upper edge of the deflector 56 enters the space provided by the air inlet 54 and is located above the lower surface of the cooktop 16. However, the upper edge of the deflector 56 should also leave a gap between the top of the cooktop 16 and the upper edge of the deflector 56 to allow air flow. The gap may have a size of about 1/16 inches to about 1/8 inches, with a preferred gap size of about 3/32 inches.

The deflector 56 may include deflector sides 58 attached to the deflector 56 and the frame 36 such that the deflector 56 forms an open-top chamber. The deflector 56 may also include a deflector lip 60 at an upper edge of the deflector 56. Deflector lip 60 is a short strip of material extending outwardly from the upper edge of deflector 56 over a portion of countertop 14 that can help support cooking utensil 10 in countertop opening 12.

In addition to reducing the flow of undesirable materials into the cooking appliance 10, the deflector 56 may also help direct airflow into the cooking appliance 10. Air flows into the air inlet 54, then into the space between the rear of the deflector 56 and the first frame side 42 of the frame 36, and then into the cooking appliance 10 itself through louvers located on the first frame side 42 of the frame 36 and behind the deflector 56. Fig. 6 provides a view of the first frame side 42 of the frame 36 of the cooking appliance 10 with the deflector 56 removed to allow the louvers 62 to be seen. The louver 62 is formed with a louver opening 63, the louver opening 63 being perpendicular to the plane of the sheet metal. The size of the louvers 62 may vary from about 1/2 inches to 3.5 inches in width and from about 1/8 inches to about 1/4 inches in clearance from the first frame side 42. The louvers 62 are oriented to direct air upwardly, thereby providing an additional barrier to prevent liquid from entering the chassis of the cooking appliance 10 in the event of a spill on the cooktop 16.

The cooking appliance 10 also includes one or more air movers 64. The one or more air movers 64 move air to provide forced convection cooling to the cooking appliance 10. Examples of air movers 64 include fans and crossflow blowers. Alternatively, an axial flow air mover 64 or a centrifugal air mover 64 may be used. The one or more air movers 64 are mounted within the frame 36, generally below the heating element housing 50. Activation of the air mover 64 drives air out of the cooking appliance 10 through one or more air outlets 66, the air outlets 66 being openings in the frame 36 of the cooking appliance. The air mover 64 may be mounted to the frame 36 or to a ventilation cavity 72 attached to the frame 36 such that the air outlet 66 is proximate the air mover 64. Positioning the air mover 64 in this manner causes the creation of a negative air pressure within the chassis that results in air movement within the cooking appliance 10. This also allows the hot air generated by the operation of the cooking appliance 10 to be directly discharged out of the cooking appliance 10. Alternatively or additionally, one or more air outlets 66 may be provided at regions further from the air mover 64, such as on the side of the cooktop 16.

The cooktop 16 also includes a user interface 20 having one or more controllers 22. The controller 22 is an input device that allows a user to control the operation of the cooking appliance 10. For example, the controller 22 may be a touch pad controller that allows a user to turn on the heating element 74 within the heating element housing 50 to various different temperatures. The user interface 20 may also include a display device 68, such as a liquid crystal display or a light, to provide information regarding the operation of the cooking appliance 10.

A control circuit 70 is provided within the chassis of the cooking appliance 10, the control circuit 70 being operatively connected with the controller 22 and the display device 68 of the user interface 20. The control circuit 70 typically includes a microprocessor and various other items such as an analog/digital converter to allow data to be input to the microprocessor from external sensors, timers or various controllers 22. The control circuit 70 is typically provided on a printed circuit board that is mounted within the chassis of the cooking appliance 10. The control circuit 70 may be disposed near the user interface 20 or positioned in other areas within the chassis. The control circuitry 70 is located between the air inlet 54 and the air mover 64 such that operation of the air mover 64 draws air through the air inlet 54 and past the one or more control circuitry 70. The one or more air intakes 54 may be positioned proximate to the control circuitry 70 such that relatively cool outside air flows through the control circuitry 70. The airflow through the chassis in one embodiment of the invention is shown by arrows in figure 3. Venting of the control circuit 70 helps to reduce the temperature of the control circuit 70 caused by heat generated by the heating element 74.

Fig. 7 shows a top right perspective view of an embodiment of the cooking appliance 10, wherein the cooktop 16 is transparent to reveal the heating elements 74 within the heating element enclosure 50. The heating element 74 is a device that emits thermal energy or energy capable of causing heating within the cookware that is transmitted through the cooktop 16 to heat the cookware placed on top of the cooktop. Examples of suitable heating elements 74 include various non-combustion driven heating elements that can cause heating within a ferromagnetic or ferromagnetic cooking item placed on a coil, such as infrared halogen lamps, electric heating coils, electric heating tape, and induction coils. Electrical heating tapes are particularly suitable for some embodiments. Examples of suitable electrical heating strips include Magma, supplied by ceramasspeed limited^TMThe tape is electrically heated. Alternatively, cookingThe appliance may include a gas burner as the heating element 74, even though this would require the inclusion of gas lines and the provision of holes in the cooktop 16 above the gas burner. Embodiments of the present invention may include heating elements capable of providing high power outputs (e.g., about 8 kilowatts to 11 kilowatts).

The heating element housing 50 may include a plurality of heating elements 74 to provide multiple cooking zones in the cooktop 16. The individual heating elements 74 may be individually controlled by the controller 22 provided in the user interface 20. The heating element 74 is supported by an element support 76 disposed within the heating element housing 50. A thermal limiter 78 may also be provided in association with the heating element 74 to monitor the temperature of the heating element 74 and prevent the temperature of the cooktop 16 from rising above a desired level.

Fig. 8 and 9 provide a front bottom perspective view and a rear bottom perspective view, respectively, of another embodiment of the cooking appliance 10, wherein the frame 36 also includes a ventilation cavity 72. The ventilation cavity 72 may be disposed below the heating element housing 50 and may include one or more air movers 64 positioned to expel air from one or more air outlets 66 disposed on the ventilation cavity 72. The air mover 64 may be attached within the ventilation cavity 72 using a fan mount 80. The air outlet 66 and associated air mover 64 are positioned a distance from the air inlet 54 such that air drawn in from outside air passes through the air inlet 54 and through the control circuit 70 before exiting the cooking appliance 10 from the air outlet 66. These air flows are shown by arrows in fig. 8 and 9. The airflow from the air outlet 66 in the ventilation cavity 72 is generally blown into the cabinet below the cooking appliance 10. The air outlet 66 can be provided either on the ventilation cavity or on the side of the hob. The air outlet 66, which is placed on the side of the hob, may have the same shape as the air inlet 54 and may also be provided with a flow guiding device 56 and covered by the trim 32 with the air outlet 34.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the cooking appliance 10 may include a plurality of air inlets 54 and a plurality of air outlets 66. The air inlets 54 may be disposed on more than one side of the cooktop 16. For example, fig. 8 and 9 show air inlets 54 disposed on the first cooktop side 24 and the third cooktop side 28, such that the air inlets 54 are located at the front and rear of the cooking appliance 10. Similarly, the air outlet 66 may be disposed on more than one side of the cooktop 16. For example, fig. 8 and 9 also show air outlets 66 disposed on the first cooktop side 24 and the third cooktop side 28, such that the air outlets 66 are located at the front and rear of the cooking appliance 10. Both the air inlet 54 and the air outlet 66 on the cooktop side can include flow guides 56. Additionally, the air outlet 66 may also be disposed on the bottom wall 38 of the frame 36 or on the ventilation cavity 72.

While various embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that the invention is susceptible to numerous variations and modifications as known to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is therefore intended that the invention not be limited to the details shown and described herein, but that the invention will include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. A cooking appliance configured to fit within a countertop opening in a countertop, the cooking appliance comprising:

a frame including a bottom wall and peripheral sides extending from a periphery of the bottom wall defining a chassis of the cooking appliance;

a cooktop disposed on top of the frame;

one or more air inlets on a cooktop side of the cooktop;

a heating element enclosure disposed below the cooktop and within the frame, the heating element enclosure comprising one or more heating elements;

an air mover located below the heating element housing; and

one or more control circuits disposed between the air intake and the air mover;

wherein operation of the air mover draws air through the air inlet and through the one or more control circuits.

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooktop comprises a glass-ceramic material.

3. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooktop includes a plurality of cooking zones.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the heating element is selected from the group consisting of an infrared halogen lamp, an electric heating coil, an electric heating strip, and an induction coil.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 4, wherein the heating element is an electrical heating strip.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the heating element is capable of providing a high power output.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooktop is nearly flush with the countertop when the cooking appliance is disposed within the countertop opening.

8. The cooking appliance according to claim 7, wherein a deflector is provided on the frame, the deflector being provided to cover a lower portion of the air inlet.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 8, further comprising: one or more louvers on the frame below the deflector.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein a trim comprising one or more vents is provided over a side of the countertop that includes an air intake.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 1, further comprising: one or more air outlets in one or more cooktop sides of the cooktop.

12. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooking appliance comprises a plurality of air outlets.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooking appliance comprises a plurality of air inlets.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the frame further comprises a ventilation cavity comprising one or more air movers configured to expel air through one or more air outlets in the ventilation cavity.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooktop includes a user interface including one or more touchpad controllers operatively connected to the control circuit.

16. A cooking appliance configured to fit within a countertop opening in a countertop, the cooking appliance comprising:

a frame including a bottom wall and peripheral sides extending from a periphery of the bottom wall defining a chassis of the cooking appliance;

a glass-ceramic cooktop disposed on top of the frame, the glass-ceramic cooktop including a user interface and a cooking area, wherein the cooktop is nearly flush with the countertop when the cooking appliance is disposed in an opening in the countertop;

an air inlet on a cooktop side of the cooktop;

an air outlet in the bottom wall of the frame;

the flow guide device is arranged on the frame and is used for covering the lower part of the air inlet and the lower part of the air outlet;

a heating element enclosure disposed below the cooktop and within the frame, the heating element enclosure comprising one or more heating elements;

an air mover located below the heating element housing; and

one or more control circuits disposed between the air intake and the air mover;

wherein operation of the air mover causes air to flow into the air inlet, through the one or more control circuits, and out the air outlet.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 16, further comprising: a plurality of air inlets located in one or more cooktop sides of the cooktop.

18. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein a trim comprising one or more vents is provided over a side of the countertop that includes an air intake.

19. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein the heating element is selected from the group consisting of an infrared halogen lamp, an electric heating coil, an electric heating strip, and an induction coil.

20. The cooking appliance of claim 16, further comprising: one or more air outlets in one or more cooktop sides of the cooktop.