Uniform ultraviolet strobe illuminator and method of using same
First Claim
1. An apparatus for illuminating an ultraviolet material with ultraviolet light comprising:
- a housing having an interior chamber, an interior wall on one side of the interior chamber, a first side of the chamber facing the ultraviolet material, a second side of the chamber opposite the first side, a first opening and a second opening in the first side, and a third opening in the second side,a passageway having a perimeter surrounded by an outer wall, the passageway extending substantially from the second opening to the third opening, the passageway perimeter defining the interior wall of said chamber,a strobe lamp disposed within said chamber having an ultraviolet light output wherein the passageway perimeter prevents the ultraviolet light generated by said strobe lamp from passing into said passageway, andan ultraviolet bandpass filter covering said first opening of said chamber, but not said passageway, to block substantially all nonultraviolet light generated by said strobe lamp.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for illuminating with ultraviolet light an optically readable code formed with ultraviolet material, preferably an ultraviolet ink or resin. The apparatus includes:
a housing having an interior chamber, an interior wall on one side of the interior chamber, a first side of the chamber facing the ultraviolet material, a second side of the chamber opposite the first side, a first opening and a second opening in the first side, and a third opening in the second side,
a passageway having a perimeter surrounded by an outer wall, the passageway extending substantially from the second opening to the third opening, the passageway perimeter defining the interior wall of the chamber,
a strobe lamp disposed within the chamber having an ultraviolet light output wherein the passageway perimeter prevents the ultraviolet light generated by the strobe lamp from passing into the passageway, and
an ultraviolet bandpass filter covering the first opening of the chamber, but not the passageway, to block substantially all nonultraviolet light generated by the strobe lamp. The apparatus preferably further includes a second filter of a color which matches the color of the ultraviolet material to transmit only light of that color to an image sensor, such as a CCD device, positioned behind the passageway. The method includes illuminating the strobe lamp in response to the activation of a proximity sensor and then reading the code with the image sensor.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for illuminating an ultraviolet material with ultraviolet light comprising:
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a housing having an interior chamber, an interior wall on one side of the interior chamber, a first side of the chamber facing the ultraviolet material, a second side of the chamber opposite the first side, a first opening and a second opening in the first side, and a third opening in the second side, a passageway having a perimeter surrounded by an outer wall, the passageway extending substantially from the second opening to the third opening, the passageway perimeter defining the interior wall of said chamber, a strobe lamp disposed within said chamber having an ultraviolet light output wherein the passageway perimeter prevents the ultraviolet light generated by said strobe lamp from passing into said passageway, and an ultraviolet bandpass filter covering said first opening of said chamber, but not said passageway, to block substantially all nonultraviolet light generated by said strobe lamp. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of reading an optically readable code imprinted on a surface in ultraviolet material comprising a first color, said method comprising:
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providing an illuminator apparatus comprising;
a strobe lamp;
a housing having a light emitting end and a cavity;
a passageway disposed in said housing optically isolated from said strobe lamp;
said strobe lamp having an ultraviolet light output, and an ultraviolet bandpass filter positioned to block substantially all nonultraviolet light generated by said strobe lamp from impinging upon said optically readable code;placing a sensor near said illuminator apparatus and means for reading an image behind said illuminator apparatus; moving an optically readable code first in frontof said sensor to activate said sensor and then moving said code in front of said illuminator apparatus; illuminating the strobe lamp in response to the activation of said sensor, said ultraviolet filter permitting only ultraviolet light to pass through onto said optically readable code, thereby causing said ultraviolet material of said optically readable code to fluoresce and emit light substantially of said first color comprising a first band of wavelengths; and reading said optically readable code with said reading means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. Apparatus for illuminating an ultraviolet optically readable symbol comprising:
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a housing having a light emitting end and a cavity; a strobe light disposed in said housing cavity having an ultraviolet radiation output; a passageway disposed in said housing optically isolated from said strobe light; and a first bandpass filter coupled to said housing so that the strobe light ultraviolet radiation output passes through said first filter and does not pass into said passageway, the first filter having a bandpass frequency range in the ultraviolet range. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification