Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation system

• US 20060045817A1
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHI Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Purgenix, Inc.
• Inventors: Sutton, Richard P., Horne, Joel E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,038,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/121
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/12 Lighting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/16 Connections to a HVAC unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

A modular germicidal light grid system for use inside an air treatment apparatus that has a plenum in which a stream of air is enclosed. The system comprises at least one elongate member and at least one lamp assembly. Each lamp assembly comprises a housing defining at least one socket and is mounted to one elongate member at a predetermined position. The system further comprises at least one linear germicidal light source. Each light source has a longitudinal axis and a distal end constructed and arranged to mount within one socket of the housing. The elongate member is mounted within the plenum and the lamp assembly is mounted to the elongate member such that the longitudinal axis of the light source extends therein the stream of air and is positioned at an acute light angle relative to the direction of flow of the stream of air.

Claims

1. A modular germicidal light grid system for use inside a plenum downstream of a cooling apparatus, the system comprising:

a support assembly comprising;

at least one elongate first member; and

at least one elongate second member mounted and positioned substantially perpendicular to the elongate first member;

at least one lamp assembly, each lamp assembly constructed and arranged to mount to at least a portion of one elongate second member of the support assembly at a predetermined position, each lamp assembly comprising a housing having a transverse axis, the housing defining at least one socket that extends at an acute angle relative to the transverse axis of the housing; and

at least one linear germicidal light source, each light source having a longitudinal axis and a distal end constructed and arranged to mount within one socket of the housing,

wherein at least one of the elongate first and second members is connected to a portion of the plenum, wherein the at least one elongate first member and the at least one elongate second member are positioned within a common plane, and wherein the at least one light source extends such that the longitudinal axis of the at least one light source is positioned at an acute light angle relative to the common plane.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transverse axis of the housing is substantially perpendicular to the common plane.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one elongate first member is spaced a predetermined distance from the cooling apparatus.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each at least one socket of the housing has a longitudinal axis that is oriented rearwardly away from the cooling apparatus.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each at least one socket of the housing has a longitudinal axis that is oriented forwardly toward the cooling apparatus.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power supply and at least one ballast device electrically coupled to the power supply and the at least one socket of the housing.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the housing of each light assembly defines an internal cavity, and wherein the at least one ballast device is disposed therein the internal cavity.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one ballast device has a wiring assembly that extends from the internal cavity of the housing through a port defined in the housing, wherein the wiring assembly is electrically coupled to the at least one socket.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the elongate second member defines a conduit adapted for disposition of wiring coupling the power supply and the at least one socket of the housing.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wiring assembly is electrically coupled to wiring disposed therein the elongate second member such that the wiring assembly is electrically coupled to the power supply.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the lamp assembly is releasably mounted to the elongate second member of the support assembly.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongate second member defines a trough, and wherein a portion of the housing is sized and shaped for disposition within a portion of the trough of the elongate second member.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the portion of the housing defines an elongate flange member having a pair of longitudinally extending, opposing male protrusions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the pair of opposing male protrusions of the flange member is sized and shaped for overlying registration within the portion of the trough of the elongate second member.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the pair of opposing male protrusions of the flange member is constructed and arranged for a friction fit with the portion of the trough.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the elongate second member has a substantially U shape in cross-section.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongate second member defines a trough that has a pair of opposing, longitudinally extending, edges that bend inwardly to form a pair of opposing male protrusions, and wherein a portion of the housing is sized and shaped for disposition within a portion of the trough.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the pair of opposing male protrusions are spaced apart a predetermined distance, further comprising a fastener coupled to the housing of the light assembly and a planar member that defines a bore, the planar member having a dimension greater than the predetermined distance and being sized and shaped for positioning within a portion of the trough, whereby the fastener is constructed and arranged to engage the bore of the fastener such that, in use, a portion of the planar member can be placed in contact with a portion of the pair of opposing male protrusions to secure the housing of the light assembly in the predetermined position.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the elongate first members is connected to an interior surface of the plenum.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongate second member is slidably mounted to the elongate first member.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the acute angle is between about 100 to less than about 900.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the acute angle is between about 20°

to about 80°

.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the acute angle is between about 30°

to about 70°

.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the acute angle is about 60°

.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the acute angle is about 45°

.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing of the lamp assembly comprises a first body member, an opposed second body member, and an extension conduit connected to and extending between the first and second body members, wherein the extension conduit extends substantially coaxial to the transverse axis of the housing, wherein the at least one socket is defined on the second body member, and wherein a portion of the first body member of the housing is constructed and arranged to mount to the portion of the elongate second member.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each of the elongate first and second members are spaced the predetermined distance from the cooling apparatus.

29. A modular germicidal light grid system for use inside a plenum containing a cooling apparatus, the system comprising:

a support assembly comprising;

at least one elongate first member; and

at least one elongate second member mounted and positioned substantially perpendicular to the elongate first member;

at least one lamp assembly, each lamp assembly constructed and arranged to mount to a portion of one elongate second member of the support assembly at a predetermined position, each lamp assembly comprising a housing defining at least one socket; and

at least one linear germicidal light source, each light source having a longitudinal axis and a distal end constructed and arranged to mount within one socket of the housing,

wherein at least one of the elongate first and second members is connected to a portion of the plenum, wherein the at least one elongate first member and the at least one elongate second member are positioned within a common plane, and wherein each lamp assembly is constructed and arranged to mount to a portion of one elongate second member such that the longitudinal axis of the at least one linear light source extends at an acute light angle relative to the common plane.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the housing has a transverse axis, and wherein the at least one socket that extends at an acute angle relative to the transverse axis of the housing.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the transverse axis of the housing is substantially perpendicular to the common plane.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the support assembly is positioned downstream of the cooling apparatus.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the support assembly is positioned downstream of the cooling apparatus.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one elongate second member is spaced a predetermined distance from the cooling apparatus.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein each of the elongate first and second members are spaced the predetermined distance from the cooling apparatus.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein each at least one socket of the housing has a longitudinal axis that is oriented rearwardly downstream from the cooling apparatus.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein each at least one socket of the housing has a longitudinal axis that is oriented forwardly upstream toward the cooling apparatus.

38. The system of claim 29, further comprising a power supply and at least one ballast device electrically coupled to the power supply and the at least one socket of the housing

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the housing of each light assembly defines an internal cavity, and wherein the at least one ballast device is disposed therein the internal cavity.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein the lamp assembly is releasably mounted to the elongate second member of the support assembly.

41. The system of claim 30, wherein the acute angle is between about 10°

to less than about 90°

.

42. The system of claim 30, wherein the acute angle is between about 20°

to about 80°

.

43. The system of claim 30, wherein the acute angle is between about 30°

to about 70°

.

44. The system of claim 30, wherein the acute angle is about 60°

.

45. The system of claim 30, wherein the acute angle is about 45°

.

46. The system of claim 29, wherein the elongate second member defines a trough, and wherein a portion of the housing is sized and shaped for disposition within a portion of the trough of the elongate second member.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the portion of the housing defines an elongate flange member having a pair of longitudinally extending, opposing male protrusions.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the pair of opposing male protrusions of the flange member is sized and shaped for overlying registration within the portion of the trough of the elongate second member.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the pair of opposing male protrusions of the flange member is constructed and arranged for a friction fit with the portion of the trough.

50. The system of claim 46, wherein the elongate second member has a substantially U shape in cross-section.

51. A modular germicidal light grid system for use inside an air treatment apparatus having a plenum in which a stream of air is entrained therein, the stream of air having a direction of flow, the system comprising:

at least one elongate member;

at least one lamp assembly, each lamp assembly comprising a housing having a transverse axis, the housing defining at least one socket that extends at an acute angle relative to the transverse axis of the housing, a portion of the housing of each lamp assembly constructed and arranged to mount to a portion of the at least one elongate member at a predetermined position; and

at least one linear germicidal light source, each light source having a longitudinal axis and a distal end constructed and arranged to mount within one socket of the housing,

wherein the at least one elongate member is mounted within the plenum, wherein the at least one lamp assembly is mounted to the at least one elongate member such that the longitudinal axis of the at least one light source extends therein the stream of air and is positioned at an acute light angle relative to a plane transverse to the direction of flow of the stream of air.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the at least one elongate member comprises at least one elongate first member and at least one elongate second member.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the at least one elongate second member is mounted to a portion of the at least one elongate first member.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the at least one elongate second member is positioned substantially perpendicular to the at least on elongate first member.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein the at least one light assembly is mounted to the at least one elongate second member.

56. The system of claim 51, further comprising a means for mounting the at least one elongate member to a portion of the plenum.

57. The system of claim 51, further comprising a means for mounting the light assembly to the at least one elongate member.

58. The system of claim 51, wherein the at least one member is spaced a predetermined distance from a cooling apparatus.

59. The system of claim 51, further comprising a power supply and at least one ballast device electrically coupled to the power supply and the at least one socket of the housing.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the housing of each light assembly defines an internal cavity, and wherein the at least one ballast device is disposed therein the internal cavity.

61. The system of claim 51, wherein the lamp assembly is releasably mounted to the at least one elongate member.

62. The system of claim 51, wherein the acute angle is between about 10°

to less than about 90°

.

63. The system of claim 51, wherein the acute angle is between about 20°

to about 80°

.

64. The system of claim 51, wherein the acute angle is between about 30°

to about 70°

.

65. The system of claim 51, wherein the acute angle is about 60°

.

66. The system of claim 51, wherein the acute angle is about 45°

.

67. A modular germicidal light grid system for use inside an air treatment apparatus having a plenum in which a stream of air is entrained therein, the stream of air having a direction of flow, the system comprising:

at least one elongate member;

at least one lamp assembly, each lamp assembly comprising a housing defining at least one socket, the housing of each lamp assembly mountable to the at least one elongate member at a predetermined position; and

at least one linear germicidal light source, each light source having a longitudinal axis and a distal end constructed and arranged to mount within one socket of the housing,

wherein the at least one elongate member is mounted within the plenum, wherein the at least one lamp assembly is mounted to the at least one elongate member such that the longitudinal axis of the at least one light source extends therein the stream of air and is positioned at an acute light angle relative to a plane transverse to the direction of flow of the stream of air.

68. The system of claim 67, wherein the housing has a transverse axis, and wherein the socket extends at an acute angle relative to the transverse axis of the housing.

69. The system of claim 67, wherein the at least one elongate member comprises at least one elongate first member and at least one elongate second member.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein the at least one elongate second member is mounted to a portion of the at least one elongate first member, and wherein the at least one elongate second member is positioned substantially perpendicular to the at least on elongate first member.

71. The system of claim 67, wherein the at least one light assembly is mounted to the at least one elongate second member.

72. The system of claim 67, further comprising a means for mounting the at least one elongate member to a portion of the plenum.

73. The system of claim 67, further comprising a means for mounting the light assembly to the at least one elongate member.

74. The system of claim 73, further comprising a power supply and at least one ballast device electrically coupled to the power supply and the at least one socket of the housing.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein the housing of each light assembly defines an internal cavity, and wherein the at least one ballast device is disposed therein the internal cavity.

76. The system of claim 67, wherein the acute light angle is between about 10°

to less than about 90°

.

77. The system of claim 67, wherein the acute light angle is between about 20°

to about 80°

.

78. The system of claim 67, wherein the acute light angle is between about 30°

to about 70°

.

79. The system of claim 67, wherein the acute light angle is about 30°

.

80. The system of claim 67, wherein the acute light angle is about 45°

.