UV emitter module and use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11547770-B2
Application number	US-201816961708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2018
Priority date	Feb 9, 2018
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

UV lamp modules for the ultraviolet irradiation of a substrate. The modules include multiple low-pressure mercury lamps, each having a longitudinal axis, located in a waterproof housing having a bottom, a top and a beam exit opening in the bottom which is closed by a beam exit window. To maintain hygiene, homogeneity and compactness, a first airflow zone for the supply of cooling air and a second, separate airflow zone for the discharge of heated cooling air are formed iii the housing. Viewed in a cross-section through the housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the lamps and in a viewing direction from the bottom to the top, the beam exit window, the lamps and the airflow zones are arranged one after the other. The first airflow zone comprises an air supply duct which is equipped with at least one air-guiding mechanism for supplying cooling air to the lamps.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A UV lamp module for the ultraviolet irradiation of a substrate, comprising:
a lamp arrangement that includes multiple low-pressure mercury lamps each having a longitudinal axis;
a waterproof housing surrounding the lamp arrangement and having a bottom side, a top side and at least two side walls connecting the bottom side and the top side to each other, and a beam exit opening on the bottom side which is closed by a beam exit window;
a first airflow zone formed in the housing and having an air supply duct with at least one air-guide for the supply of cooling air to the lamp arrangement; and
a second airflow zone, which is separated from the first airflow zone, formed in the housing for the discharge of heated cooling air and having an exhaust air duct,
wherein, viewed in a cross-section through the housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the low-pressure mercury lamps and in a viewing direction from the bottom side to the top side, the beam exit window, the lamp arrangement and the airflow zones are arranged one after the other, and
wherein the air supply duct has a first central axis and the exhaust air duct has a second central axis, and the first central axis and the second central axis extend parallel to one another in a common housing central plane which extends perpendicular to the beam exit window.

2. The UV lamp module according to claim 1 , wherein, viewed in the cross-section through the housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the low-pressure mercury lamps and in a viewing direction from the bottom side to the top side, the first airflow zone is arranged upstream of the second airflow zone.

3. The UV lamp module according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has a central plane and exhibits mirror symmetry in relation to the housing central plane.

4. The UV lamp module according to claim 1 , wherein the air supply duct of the first airflow zone has an inner diameter and the second airflow zone has an exhaust air duct with an inner diameter, and the exhaust air duct inner diameter differs by less than +/−10% from the air supply duct inner diameter.

5. The UV lamp module according to claim 1 , wherein in a cross-section through the housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the low-pressure mercury lamps the housing top side exhibits a curvature.

6. The UV lamp module according to claim 5 , wherein the at least two side walls fit closely with the curvature of the top side and form an angle with each other in the range of between 5 and 40 degrees.

7. The UV lamp module according to claim 1 , wherein the beam exit opening has a peripheral shoulder, to which the beam exit window is adhesively bonded.

8. The UV lamp module according to claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axes of the low-pressure mercury lamps extend in a common lamp plane and the lamp arrangement is configured to produce a UV irradiation intensity of at least 100 mW/cm 2 on the substrate measured at a distance of 48 mm from the lamp plane.

9. The UV lamp module according to claim 1 , further comprising a reflector and wherein the lamp arrangement has a side facing away from the beam exit window and is at least partially surrounded by the reflector on its side facing away from the beam exit window.

10. The UV lamp module according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the housing side walls has a visible side provided with a marking created by laser engraving, and then the visible side has been polished by electropolishing.

11. The use of a UV lamp module according to claim 1 in a disinfection system for the ultraviolet irradiation of packaging material for food or medicines.

12. The UV lamp module according to claim 4 , wherein the exhaust air duct inner diameter and the air supply duct inner diameter are identical.

13. A UV lamp module for the ultraviolet irradiation of a substrate, comprising:
a lamp arrangement that includes multiple low-pressure mercury lamps each having a longitudinal axis;
a waterproof housing surrounding the lamp arrangement and having a bottom side, a top side and at least two side walls connecting the bottom side and the top side to each other, and a beam exit opening on the bottom side which has a peripheral shoulder and is closed by a beam exit window adhesively bonded to the peripheral shoulder;
a first airflow zone formed in the housing and having an air supply duct with at least one air-guide for the supply of cooling air to the lamp arrangement; and
a second airflow zone, which is separated from the first airflow zone, formed in the housing for the discharge of heated cooling air,
wherein, viewed in a cross-section through the housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the low-pressure mercury lamps and in a viewing direction from the bottom side to the top side, the beam exit window, the lamp arrangement and the airflow zones are arranged one after the other and the first airflow zone is arranged upstream of the second airflow zone,
wherein the air supply duct of the first airflow zone has a central axis and the second airflow zone has an exhaust air duct with a central axis, and the air supply duct central axis and the exhaust air duct central axis extend parallel to one another in a common housing central plane which extends perpendicular to the beam exit window,
wherein the air supply duct of the first airflow zone has an inner diameter and the second airflow zone has an exhaust air duct with an inner diameter, and the exhaust air duct inner diameter differs by less than +/−10% from the air supply duct inner diameter,
wherein in a cross-section through the housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the low-pressure mercury lamps the housing top side exhibits a curvature, and
wherein the longitudinal axes of the low-pressure mercury lamps extend in a common lamp plane and the lamp arrangement is configured to produce a UV irradiation intensity of at least 100 mW/cm 2 on the substrate measured at a distance of 48 mm from the lamp plane, and wherein at least one of the housing side walls has a visible side provided with a marking created by laser engraving, and then the visible side has been polished by electropolishing.

14. The UV lamp module according to claim 13 , wherein the housing has a central plane and exhibits mirror symmetry in relation to the housing central plane.

15. The UV lamp module according to claim 13 , wherein the exhaust air duct inner diameter and the air supply duct inner diameter are identical.

16. The UV lamp module according to claim 13 , wherein the at least two side walls fit closely with the curvature of the top side and form an angle with each other in the range of between 5 and 40 degrees.

17. The UV lamp module according to claim 13 , further comprising a reflector and wherein the lamp arrangement has a side facing away from the beam exit window and is at least partially surrounded by the reflector on its side facing away from the beam exit window.

18. The use of a UV lamp module according to claim 13 in a disinfection system for the ultraviolet irradiation of packaging material for food or medicines.

19. A UV lamp module for the ultraviolet irradiation of a substrate, comprising:
a lamp arrangement that includes multiple low-pressure mercury lamps each having a longitudinal axis;
a waterproof housing surrounding the lamp arrangement and having a bottom side, a top side and at least two side walls connecting the bottom side and the top side to each other, and a beam exit opening on the bottom side which is closed by a beam exit

Assignees

• Heraeus Noblelight Gmbh

Inventors

• Kraft Johannes
• Schloemp Silke
• Winderlich Jan

Classifications

• H01J61/523 Primary

  Heating or cooling particular parts of the lamp · CPC title

• A61L2202/11

  Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps · CPC title

• A61L2/10 Primary

  Ultraviolet [UV] radiation · CPC title

• H01J61/72

  having a main light-emitting filling of easily vaporisable metal vapour, e.g. mercury · CPC title

• F21V29/83 Primary

  the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes · CPC title