Ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture

• US 9,358,313 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uvas LLC
• Original Assignee: Uvas LLC
• Inventors: Deal, Jeffery L.
• Primary Examiner(s): IPPOLITO, NICOLE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US14/509,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20150041679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 422/1, 422/3, 422/22, 422/24, 250/453.11, 250/454.11, 250/455.11, 250/493.1, 250/504.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/11 Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/25 Rooms in buildings, passenger compartments
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/111 Sensor means, e.g. motion, brightness, scent, contaminant sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/429 applied to measurement of ultraviolet light using counting tubes G01T
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An ultraviolet area sterilizer or disinfector is incorporated into a building structure where concern exists regarding the presence of pathogenic bacteria on environmental surfaces. Ultraviolet C (UV-C) generators generate UV-C that is directed to architectural partitions of an enclosed area. The architectural partitions reflect UV-C to kill pathogens in the enclosed area. The device transmits a calculated dose of UV-C from a fixture mounted to an architectural partition in the enclosed area. Once an effective cumulative dose of UV-C has been reflected to radiation sensors, as measured by the sensors, the device shuts down. The device may allocate power to specific UV-C emitters so as to direct UV-C radiation more uniformly throughout the area, as measured by the sensors.

Claims

1. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture, comprising:

a fixture housing constructed and arranged for mounting in an architectural partition of a room of a building;

an ultraviolet-C radiation emitter mounted in the fixture housing,

a radiation sensor mounted in the fixture housing and positioned in the fixture housing to receive reflected ultraviolet-C radiation emitted from the ultraviolet-C radiation emitter and reflected from surfaces in the room; and

a controller, wherein the radiation sensor communicates to the controller a dosage of Ultraviolet-C radiation received by the radiation sensor.

2. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of ultraviolet-C radiation emitters are mounted in the fixture housing.

3. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 2, wherein the controller is constructed and arranged to reduce an ultraviolet-C radiation emission level of the plurality of ultraviolet-C radiation emitters in response to a cumulative dosage of ultraviolet-C radiation received by the radiation sensor.

4. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 2, wherein the plurality of ultraviolet-C radiation emitters are positioned at least 2 meters above a floor of the room in which the fixture housing is mounted.

5. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein the controller is constructed and arranged to reduce an ultraviolet-C radiation emission level of the ultraviolet-C radiation emitter in response to a cumulative dosage of ultraviolet-C radiation received from the radiation sensor.

6. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, further comprising visible light emitters that are mounted in the fixture housing.

7. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein the radiation sensor is positioned in a surround and within the fixture housing, wherein the surround is constructed and arranged to block direct radiation emitted by the ultraviolet-C radiation emitter.

8. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein the fixture housing comprises a cover constructed and arranged to alternatively obstruct and permit ultraviolet-C radiation emissions from the ultraviolet-C radiation emitter.

9. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein the fixture housing comprises a cover constructed and arranged to alternatively obstruct and permit ultraviolet-C radiation emissions from the ultraviolet-C radiation emitter, and wherein the cover is formed of a material that permits passage of visible light through the cover but materially blocks passage of ultraviolet-C radiation through the cover.

10. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of ultraviolet-C radiation emitters are mounted in the fixture housing, and wherein a plurality of radiation sensors are mounted in the fixture housing.

11. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 10, wherein the controller reduces an ultraviolet-C radiation emission level of the plurality of ultraviolet-C radiation emitters in response to a cumulative dosage of ultraviolet-C radiation received by the radiation sensors.

12. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein the radiation sensor is recessed within the fixture housing, and the radiation sensor is positioned to receive reflected radiation emitted by the ultraviolet-C radiation emitter.

13. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein the radiation sensor is positioned within the fixture housing so as to not receive material levels of direct ultraviolet-C radiation from the ultraviolet-C radiation emitter.

14. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein the fixture housing constructed and arranged for mounting in a ceiling of the room of the building.

15. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet-C radiation emitter is positioned at least 2 meters above a floor of the room in which the fixture housing is mounted.

16. An ultraviolet radiation emitting fixture as described in claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet-C radiation emitter is positioned to direct UV-C radiation at an angle of not less than 150 degrees from the plane of the ceiling.