Lamp and Reflector Arrangements for Apparatuses with Multiple Germicidal Lamps

• US 20140158917A1
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenex Disinfection Services, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Xenex Healthcare Services, LLC
• Inventors: Stibich, Mark A., Froutan, Paul P., Ogle, James R., Smith, Troy D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,816,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/504.R
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/16 Mobile applications, e.g. portable devices, trailers, devices mounted on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/25 Rooms in buildings, passenger compartments
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

Germicidal lamp apparatuses are provided with lamps disposed between upper and lower bases of a support structure. In some embodiments, a longitudinal axis of a lamp is at an acute angle greater than 0° relative to a region of the lower base between the lamp and another lamp. In addition, the longitudinal axis of the other lamp is at either a right angle or an obtuse angle relative to said region. Other embodiments of apparatuses include a reflector system disposed between the upper and lower bases which is common to the lamps and which includes a reflector with slanted peripheral edge. Other germicidal lamp apparatuses are provided which include a reflector with multiple sections each contoured to manipulate directionality of light emitted from a subset of lamps. In such cases, the apparatuses are configured to move the reflector and/or collectively move the lamps during illumination of the lamps.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a support structure comprising an upper base and a lower base vertically spaced from each other; and

first and second elongated germicidal lamps each with opposing ends respectively coupled to the upper and lower bases, wherein;

a longitudinal axis of the first elongated germicidal lamp is at an acute angle greater than 0°

relative to a region of the lower base between the first and second elongated germicidal lamps; and

a longitudinal axis of the second elongated germicidal lamp is at either a right angle or an obtuse angle relative to said region of the lower base.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axes of the first and second elongated germicidal lamps are parallel to each other.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axes of the first and second elongated germicidal lamps are not parallel to each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second elongated germicidal lamps neighbor each other among arrangement with additional elongated germicidal lamps of the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising additional elongated germicidal lamps, wherein the first and second elongated germicidal lamps and the additional elongated germicidal lamps are arranged about a common reference axis of the support structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reflector system spaced adjacent to one of the first and second elongated germicidal lamps, wherein the reflector system comprises at least one of:

a section proximate the upper base of the apparatus which is contoured to direct light emitted from the adjacent elongated germicidal lamp in substantially downward direction; and

a section proximate the lower base of the apparatus which is contoured to direct light emitted from the adjacent elongated germicidal lamp in substantially upward direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reflector spaced adjacent to one of the first and second elongated germicidal lamps, wherein the reflector comprises a concave curvature having opposing ends twisted in opposite directions at angles less than or equal to approximately 90 degrees relative to a midsection of the concave curvature.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of germicidal lamps; and

a reflector adjacent the plurality of germicidal lamps, wherein the reflector comprises multiple sections each contoured to manipulate directionality of light emitted from a subset of the plurality of germicidal lamps, and wherein the apparatus is configured to automate movement of the reflector and/or collect movement of the plurality of germicidal lamps during illumination of the plurality of germicidal lamps such that positions of each of the plurality of germicidal lamps relative to the multiple sections of the reflector is altered.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to automate movement of the reflector and/or collect movement of the plurality of germicidal lamps during illumination of the plurality of germicidal lamps such that a distance between a given point on one of the multiple sections to a virtual line which is tangential to surfaces of the plurality of germicidal lamps facing the reflector is unchanged.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one of the multiple sections comprises a convex curvature.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one of the multiple sections comprises a concave curvature.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of germicidal lamps is arranged about a vertical reference axis, and wherein the reflector is concentric with the vertical reference axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of germicidal lamps is a linear array of germicidal lamps, and wherein the apparatus is configured to automate movement of the reflector in parallel with the plurality of germicidal lamps and/or is configured to automate collective movement of the plurality of germicidal lamps in parallel with the reflector.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the reflector is configured such that contours of the multiple sections may be altered.

25. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the multiple sections of the reflector are panels each contoured to manipulate directionality of light emitted from a different subset of the plurality of germicidal lamps.

15. An apparatus for disinfecting a room, comprising:

a support structure comprising an upper base and a lower base vertically spaced from each other;

a plurality of elongated germicidal lamps each with opposing ends respectively coupled to the upper and lower bases; and

a reflector system common to the plurality of elongated germicidal lamps and disposed between the upper and lower bases, wherein the reflector system comprises a reflector with a peripheral edge slanted relative to a horizontal plane of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the reflector comprise a conical reflector disposed in proximity to the upper or lower base.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of elongated germicidal lamps is arranged about a vertical reference axis extending through the support structure, and wherein the reflector comprises a reflector central to the plurality of elongated germicidal lamps.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the reflector is one of a plurality of reflector panels of the reflector system arranged at a slant relative to a horizontal plane of the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein one or more of the reflector panels are convex panels.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein one or more of the reflector panels are concave panels.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least one of the concave panels has opposing ends respectively twisted in opposite directions at angles of approximately 90 degrees or less relative to its midsection.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of elongated germicidal lamps is slanted relative to a horizontal plane of the apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the slanted elongated germicidal lamp and at least one of the reflector panels are slanted in the same direction.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the slanted elongated germicidal lamp and at least one of the reflector panels are slanted in opposing directions.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the reflector comprises an hour glass shape.