Rotatable ultraviolet lamp reflector and heat sink

• US 4,005,135 A
• Filed: 04/07/1975
• Issued: 01/25/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Chemical Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sun Chemical Corporation
• Inventors: Helding, Norman A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Howard S.
• Application Number:
  US05/565,601
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 204/158 R, 250/527, 34/1, 34/4, 21/DIG. 2, 21/102 R, 240/1 R, 240/9 A, 240/47
• US Class Current: 422/186.3
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/123 Ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/28 by radiation, e.g. from the sun

Abstract

Ultraviolet curing lamp systems consist of parallel-mounted, elongated ultraviolet lamps which are mounted within elongated reflectors. The reflectors have water-cooling conduits extending along their exterior surfaces, and further have flat, elongated shields extending over the top of the reflector housing. Cooling fluid is introduced into and removed from the cooling channels by coaxial water fittings at opposite corners of the reflector assembly, and the entire reflector assembly and lamp is rotatable about these water inlet and outlet fittings. The parallel assemblies are so disposed that they can illuminate a moving web or sheets of material having radiation curable substances thereon, and are rotatable to a shutter position in which the assemblies are rotated at 90° to their web-illuminating position so that the radiation from each lamp assembly falls on the water-cooled panel on top of an adjacent assembly. The lamp power is also reduced at the time the reflector assemblies are rotated to the rotated position in which ultraviolet energy is removed from the web region.

Claims

1. Apparatus for curing photopolymerizable materials which are moved in a plane, comprising a plurality of spaced parallel disposed lamp and reflector assemblies which are elongated along lines parallel to said plane and generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of said photopolymerizable materials;

each of said lamp and reflector assemblies consisting of an elongated lamp disposed within an elongated reflector which is generally curved partially around said lamp and which terminates on two parallel-extending edges which are parallel to said lamp, whereby said generally curved reflector focuses the radiation of said lamp beyond said two parallel-extending edges of said reflector and toward objects which face said lamp;

means for rotatably mounting each of said lamp and reflector assemblies comprising pivotal mounting means which is generally coaxial with corresponding ones of said two parallel-extending edges of each of said reflectors; and

means for simultaneously rotating each of said lamp and reflector assemblies between a first position at which the radiation of said lamps is directed toward said plane to a second position at which the radiation of at least one of said lamps is directed toward the rear surface of the reflector of an adjacent lamp and reflector assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes a source of power for said lamps and means connecting said source of power to said means for rotating said assemblies for reducing the power to said lamps when said assemblies are moved to their said second position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said photopolymerizable material is printing ink and said lamps are ultraviolet lamps.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes flat elongated heat sink plates mechanically secured to and thermally connected to and being generally coextensive with the rear surface of each of said reflectors;

the radiation of each of said lamps being directed toward said plates of an adjacent reflector when said assemblies are rotated to their said second position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 which further includes a plurality of elongated cooling fluid conduits secured to the surface of each of said heat sink plates which is disposed away from its respective reflector, and extending generally parallel to the direction of said lamp;

said plurality of conduits for each of said reflectors being interconnected between an input fluid fitting and an output fluid fitting;

said input fluid fitting and said output fluid fitting of said reflectors being disposed at opposite respective ends of said reflectors and being coaxial with the axis of rotation of their respective reflector.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes a plurality of elongated cooling fluid conduits secured to the rear surface of each of said reflectors and extending generally parallel to the direction of said lamps;

said plurality of conduits for each of said reflectors being interconnected between an input fluid fitting and an output fluid fitting;

said input fluid fitting and said output fluid fitting of said reflectors being disposed at opposite respective ends of said reflectors and being coaxial with the axis of rotation of their respective reflector.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 which further includes a fixed heat sink plate disposed adjacent the open end of the reflector of the first of the plurality of lamp and reflector assemblies, whereby the radiation of said lamp of said first assembly is directed toward said fixed heat sink plate when said assemblies are moved to their second position.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 which further includes flat elongated heat sink plates mechanically secured to and thermally connected to and being generally coextensive with the rear surface of each of said reflectors;

the radiation of each of said lamps being directed toward said plates of an adjacent reflector when said assemblies are rotated to their said second position.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 which further includes flat elongated heat sink plates mechanically secured to and thermally connected to and being generally coextensive with the rear surface of each of said reflectors;

the radiation of each of said lamps being directed toward said plates of an adjacent reflector when said assemblies are rotated to their said second position.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 which further includes a second plurality of elongated cooling fluid conduits secured to the surface of each of said heat sink plates which is disposed away from its respective reflector and extending generally parallel to the direction of said lamp;

said second plurality of conduits being interconnected with said plurality of conduits between said input and output fluid fittings.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 which further includes a fixed heat sink plate disposed adjacent the open end of the reflector of the first of the plurality of lamp and reflector assemblies, whereby the radiation of said lamp of said first assembly is directed toward said fixed heat sink plate when said assemblies are moved to their said second position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 which further includes a source of power for said lamps and means connecting said source of power to said means for rotating said assemblies for reducing the power to said lamps when said assemblies are moved to their said second position.