Ultraviolet lamp system and method for controlling emitted ultraviolet light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9439273-B2
Application number	US-201113704385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2011
Priority date	Jul 12, 2010
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus, method, and program product to control a lamp system. The apparatus comprises a plasma lamp bulb ( 20 ) and a microwave generator ( 12 ) operable to generate a microwave energy field to excite the plasma lamp bulb ( 20 ) to emit ultraviolet light ( 24 ). The apparatus further comprises a sensor ( 70 ) to measure the intensity of the ultraviolet light ( 24 ) and a reflector ( 42 ) positioned between the plasma lamp bulb ( 20 ) and the sensor ( 70 ) The reflector ( 42 ) is operable to reflect at least a portion of the ultraviolet light ( 24 ) generated by the plasma lamp bulb ( 20 ). The method comprises receiving a target intensity for the ultraviolet light ( 24 ) and measuring an intensity of the ultraviolet light ( 24 ) using a sensor ( 70 ). The method further comprises comparing the target intensity to the measured intensity and, in response to the comparison, adjusting power to a microwave generator ( 12 ) to adjust the intensity of the ultraviolet light ( 24 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for generating ultraviolet light, the apparatus comprising:
a chamber;
a plasma lamp bulb inside said chamber;
a microwave generator operable to generate a microwave energy field to excite said plasma lamp bulb to emit the ultraviolet light;
a sensor inside said chamber and configured to measure an intensity of the ultraviolet light; and
a reflector inside said chamber and positioned between said plasma lamp bulb and said sensor, said reflector operable to reflect the ultraviolet light generated by said plasma light bulb and to transmit a portion of the ultraviolet light through said reflector to said sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control system configured to control emission of the ultraviolet light, said control system configured to receive a target intensity for the ultraviolet light, determine the measured intensity of the ultraviolet light from said sensor, evaluate whether the target intensity corresponds to the measured intensity, and adjust power to said microwave generator to adjust the intensity of the ultraviolet light.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said control system is further configured to increase the power to said microwave generator when the target intensity of the ultraviolet light is higher than the measured intensity of the ultraviolet light.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said control system is further configured to decrease the power to said microwave generator when the target intensity of the ultraviolet light is lower than the measured intensity of the ultraviolet light.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a shutter positioned between said sensor and said reflector, said shutter configured to substantially block ultraviolet light from at least a portion of said sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said control system is further configured to operate said shutter to at least partially expose said portion of said sensor to the ultraviolet light.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said control system includes a display, and said control system is further configured to indicate the measured intensity of the ultraviolet light on said display.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said control system includes a display, and said control system is further configured to determine a variation in at least one of said plasma lamp bulb, said reflector, or said microwave generator and indicate the variation on said display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said sensor measures the intensity of the ultraviolet light through a thickness of said reflector.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said reflector includes a dichroic coating, and said sensor measures the intensity of the ultraviolet light transmitted through said dichroic coating.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said reflector includes a dichroic coating with a first portion of a first thickness and a second portion of a second thickness, and said sensor measures the intensity of the ultraviolet light transmitted through said second portion of said dichroic coating.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said reflector includes dichroic coating and a portion of said reflector lacks said dichroic coating, and said sensor measures the intensity of the ultraviolet light transmitted through said portion of said reflector.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said reflector includes an opening extending through a thickness of said reflector, and said sensor is configured to measure the intensity of the ultraviolet light transmitted through said opening.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shutter positioned between said sensor and said reflector, said shutter configured to substantially block the ultraviolet light from at least a portion of said sensor when closed.

15. A method of controlling a lamp system that produces ultraviolet light, comprising:
generating the ultraviolet light with a plasma lamp bulb located inside a chamber;
reflecting the ultraviolet light with a reflector inside the chamber;
receiving a target intensity for the ultraviolet light;
transmitting a portion of the ultraviolet light through the reflector to a sensor inside the chamber;
measuring an intensity of the ultraviolet light using the sensor;
comparing the target intensity with the measured intensity; and
adjusting power to a microwave generator in response to the comparison to adjust the intensity of the ultraviolet light.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein adjusting the power comprises:
if the target intensity of the ultraviolet light is higher than the measured intensity of the ultraviolet light, increasing the power to the microwave generator.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein adjusting the power comprises:
if the target intensity of the ultraviolet light is lower than the measured intensity of the ultraviolet light, decreasing the power to the microwave generator.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein measuring the intensity of the ultraviolet light using the sensor comprises:
operating a shutter associated with the sensor to at least partially expose a portion of the sensor; and
capturing an indication of the measured intensity of the ultraviolet light from the sensor.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein measuring the intensity of the ultraviolet light using the sensor comprises:
operating the shutter to block the portion of the sensor from exposure to the ultraviolet light.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
indicating the measured intensity of the ultraviolet light on a display.

21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining a variation in at least one of the plasma lamp bulb, the reflector, or a magnetron configured to provide microwave energy used to excite the plasma lamp bulb to generate the ultraviolet light; and
indicating the variation on a display.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein measuring the intensity of the ultraviolet light using the sensor further comprises:
transmitting the ultraviolet light through a dichroic coating on the portion of the reflector.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein measuring the intensity of the ultraviolet light using the sensor further comprises:
transmitting the ultraviolet light through an opening in the reflector to the sensor.

Assignees

• Borsuk James M
• Khoury James
• Mcghee Edward C
• Smith James
• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Borsuk James M
• Khoury James
• Mcghee Edward C
• Smith James

Classifications

• H05B41/38 Primary

  Controlling the intensity of light · CPC title

• H05B41/2806 Primary

  with semiconductor devices and specially adapted for lamps without electrodes in the vessel, e.g. surface discharge lamps, electrodeless discharge lamps · CPC title

• Y02B20/22

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01J65/044

  the field being produced by a separate microwave unit · CPC title

• Y02B20/00

  Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps · CPC title