Not Applicable
1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to air conditioning systems and, more particularly, to ultraviolet light fixtures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the last several years, the use of ultraviolet (UV) light in commercial and residential air conditioning applications has become more popular. A UV light source in the UV-C spectrum, specifically at 253.7 nm, and potentially UV light in other frequencies such as 187 nm, has been shown to be extremely effective in destroying bacteria and fungi in air conditioning systems.
During operation of an air-conditioning system, water condenses on the heat exchanger (typically referred to as the condensing coil). The drain pan is situated below the coil and collects run-off from the coil. Because the cool and moist environmental conditions in the coil are conducive to microbial infestations, UV lamps are often used to illuminate the coil and drain pan. U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,276 to Fencl et al claims that the UV lamp should be oriented perpendicular to the fins of the coil for maximum reflection within the coil.
Mounting a substantially straight lamp perpendicular to the fins, however, has some significant shortcomings. First, in some orientations, the fins will be horizontal in relation to the drain pan. If a substantially linear UV lamp is mounted perpendicular to the drain pan, its effectiveness in killing bacteria in the drain pan may be reduced. Further, mounting a linear UV lamp perpendicular to the fins may result in the use of a relatively short UV lamp, which will not emit as much UV energy as would a longer lamp.
In U.S. Ser. No. 10/026,167, filed Dec. 21, 2001, entitled “Angled UV Fixture” to Burnett, which is incorporated by reference herein, an angled UV lamp fixture is shown. The angled orientation overcomes many of the shortcomings of the prior art.
It is also important that a UV lamp be mounted inexpensively and securely, with precautions taken to reduce the risk of inadvertent UV exposure.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a method and apparatus for UV filtration that maximizes energy to the coil and drain pan for higher microbial efficacy.
In a first aspect of the invention, a mounting system for mounting a germicidal lamp to a sidewall at an angle comprises first and second slide clips. The first slide clip has a planar surface having an opening for engaging the germicidal lamp and an extended portion formed at an angle to said first planar surface, such that the planar surface is held at an desired angle relative to the sidewall when the first slide clip is positioned against the sidewall with the extended portion in contact with the sidewall. The second slide clip has a planar surface with an opening for engaging the germicidal lamp and is slideably engaged with said first slide clip.
In a second aspect of the invention, a germicidal lamp is mounted in a duct. An access cover is coupled to the duct for covering said germicidal lamp, where the access cover has a hole formed therein for receiving an electrical connection to the contacts.
In a third aspect of the invention, an integral piece of material has openings formed therein for receiving a plurality of germicidal lamps. The integral piece of material is secured to a sidewall to mount the germicidal lamps.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
a illustrates a perspective view of a coil illuminated by a angled germicidal lamp;
a and 4b illustrate side and front views of the retainer mechanism of
a and 5b illustrate top and side views of an alternative embodiment of an angled mounting system;
a and 6b illustrate top and side views of a security access cover for preventing access to a UV lamp without prior disconnection of the ballast power supply;
c illustrates a top view of a flanged plug for use with the security access cover of
a and 7b illustrate side and front view of a multiple lamp mounting clip.
The present invention is best understood in relation to
a illustrates a generalized perspective view of the present invention. A coil 10, having fins 12 and coolant exchange tubes 14, is disposed in a duct 15 of an air conditioning system. A drain pan 16 is disposed below the coil, such that condensation from the coil 10 flows into the drain pan 16. A germicidal lamp 18 is disposed between a first position near an upper corner 20 of the coil 10 and a second position near opposite lower corner 22. Airflow is shown as passing through a filter 24, which typically precedes the coil 10 in the direction of the airflow. Generally, the airflow is produced by a blower motor (not shown). The blower motor is often placed between the coil 10 and filter 22, although it could also be placed before the filter or after the coil. The relative order of the blower motor, filter 24 and coil 22 is not critical for the operation of the present invention. Also, while the duct of
In operation, the air in duct 15 is forced through the coil 10 by a blower motor. The fins 12 are cooled by the coolant exchange tubes 14; hence air passing over the fins is cooled as well. Cooling the air causes condensation to form on the tubes 14 and fins 12. Gravity causes the condensation to flow towards the drain pan 16. The cool moist conditions are ideal for the growth and reproduction of bacteria, mold and other microorganisms on the coil 10 and in the drain pan 16.
The germicidal lamp 18 shines on both the coil 10 and the drain pan 16 Typically, the germicidal lamp is a UVC frequency lamp, which has been shown to be extremely effective in combating bacteria and mold and other airborne organisms. Other frequencies could also be used.
Placing the germicidal lamp 18 at an angle of 10 degrees to 80 degrees to a duct sidewall 17, preferably from a position near one corner of the coil 10 towards an opposite comer of the coil 10 (rather than orienting the lamp horizontally or vertically with respect to a sidewall 17 of duct 15) provides significant benefits. First, the angled disposition of the lamp 18 allows a longer lamp to be used. A longer lamp provides a greater energy output than a shorter lamp of the same intensity. Hence, more energy is available for destroying microorganisms. The increased energy is particularly evident in the drain pan 16.
b and 1c illustrate top and side views, respectively, of the air conditioning system of
Angled mount 26 includes angled coupler 34 (shown in cross-section) and restraining mechanism 36. Angled coupler 34 abuts a sidewall 17 of duct 15 and flange 32, thus holding the longitudinal axis of lamp 18 at a desired angle to the plane of the sidewall 17 of duct 15 and, consequently, to the coil 10, as shown in FIG. 1. Restraining mechanism 36 holds the flange 32 and angled coupler 34 fixedly against duct 15.
In typical installations, the coil 10 is accessible from the outside through a “cabinet” or “housing”. For purposes of this specification, the cabinet or housing will be considered part of the duct 15. Further, electronics for powering the germicidal lamp 18, commonly referred to as a “ballast”, are contained in a housing which is typically secured to the outside of the duct 15. It is possible, and sometimes most efficient, to attach the lamp 18 to the ballast housing; therefore, for purposes of the specification, the ballast housing or any other housing for containing the end of lamp 18, is considered to be part of the pertinent sidewall 17 of duct 15 as well.
a and 4b illustrate side and front views of the restraining mechanism 36 of
b illustrates a front view of the restraining mechanism in the locked position.
In operation, the angled germicidal lamp shown in
In general, the lamp is oriented between two opposite corners, as shown in FIG. 1. The germicidal lamp 18, however, should be angled such that the end of the lamp does not protrude lower than the plane of the top of the drain pan 16. Also, in order to enter at a flat portion of the duct 15, the lamp may be positioned somewhat below the upper corner of the coil 10. Typically, the angle of the longitudinal axis of the lamp will be between 10 and 80 degrees relative to the horizontal plane at the top of the coil 10 or at the edge of the drain pan 16, depending upon the application and the relationship between coil depth, width, height and angle of tilt in the air-handling unit. The lamp 18 could enter the duct at a corner as well, although the mounting may be more difficult.
a and 5b illustrate an alternative embodiment for angling lamp 18. In this embodiment, an automatically angled restraint mechanism 50 including two slide clips 38 is used to angle the lamp 18. A “bottom” slide clip 38a (i.e., the slide clip 38 closest to the sidewall 17) is oriented such that an angled portion 52 and opposite tip 54 cause the planar portion 56 of the clip 38 to form a desired angle with the sidewall 17. The planar portion 56 of “upper” slide clip 38b rests against the planar portion 56 of slide clip 38a. The slide clips 38a and 38b are oriented such that a hole is formed in their interiors to expose hole 19 in sidewall 17.
Threaded studs 42, which are attached to sidewall 17, are disposed through overlapping slots 40 of both clips 38a and 38b, such that the slide clips 38 can travel up and down in relation to the studs 42 when the restraining mechanism is in an “unlocked” state. Nuts 44 are threaded to screw onto studs 42. A locking washer 46 and a spring 48 are disposed about stud 42 between the bottom clip 38a and the sidewall 17.
The restraining mechanism 50 provides significant benefits to the installer. First, it is easily and inexpensively manufactured from sheet metal.
Second, it is easily installed at the site. Third, the angled portion 52 can be designed to support different angles, or it can be bent using standard tools at the installation site to provide the proper angle.
a and 6b illustrate a front view and a cross-sectional side view, respectively, of a security access cover 60 for protecting technicians and home owners from possible electrical shock while servicing the UV lamp 18. The security box 60 can be used with any UV lamp orientation, either straight or angled. For ease of illustration, the security access cover 60 is shown in
The security access cover 60 is attached to sidewall 17 of duct 15 using, for example, studs 62 and nuts 64. The security access cover 60 completely covers the endcap 30 of the lamp 18. An access hole 66 is disposed through the cover to allow access by a plug 68, including female power socket 70, power cable 72, and shield 74 (shown in cutaway view in
In operation, the security access cover is difficult to remove without first disconnecting the plug 68 from the UV lamp 18. This greatly reduces the possibility of a technician or home owner from UV exposure and from accidental contact with the electrical output of the ballast and prevents anyone from removing the lamp without first disconnecting the lamp from the electricity from the ballast.
c illustrates an embodiment of shield 74 where it is impossible to remove the security access cover 60 without first disconnecting the power. In this embodiment, a flange 76 (or other protrusion) is disposed about the top of shield 74, such that the flange 76 is located on the top of security access cover 60 when connected to the UV lamp in normal operation. Any attempt to remove the security access cover 60 will cause the flange to automatically disconnect the socket 70 from the lamp 18. The flange 76 may have text for instructing the individual to remove the plug prior to removing the cover 60.
a and 7b illustrate front and side views of a multi-lamp slide clip 80. Multi-lamp slide clip 80 includes a plurality of openings 82, for securing respective lamps 18 to a sidewall of a duct 15 or other casing, formed in an integral sheet of material, such as sheet metal. In the preferred embodiment, two slots 40 are positioned adjacent to each opening 82. An angled extension 84 protrudes from the top of the slide clip 80.
In operation, the multi-lamp slide clip 80 is used to secure multiple lamps 18 to a duct 15 or to other casing. Studs 48 and nuts 44 may be used to hold the multi-lamp slide clip 80 to the sidewall, as shown above in connection with FIG. 3. The lamps 18 can be mounted straight (perpendicular to the sidewall) or at an angle. An angled mount can be achieved by using techniques described above, such as couplers 34 shown in
The multi-lamp slide clip allows multiple lamps 18 to be easily installed and removed. The lamps 18 could be used for sterilization of a surface of a coil, a filter, or for general air sterilization.
An access cover such as that shown in
The retaining assemblies described herein could be used not only to illuminate a rectangular coil, as shown in
Although the Detailed Description of the invention has been directed to certain exemplary embodiments, various modifications of these embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be suggested to those skilled in the art. The invention encompasses any modifications or alternative embodiments that fall within the scope of the Claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,727 (U.S. Ser. No. 10/026,167) filed Dec. 21, 2001 to Burnett, issued Apr. 1, 2003, entitled “Angled UV Fixture”.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2590191 | Logan | Mar 1952 | A |
2614471 | Markowitz | Oct 1952 | A |
2977461 | Jones | Mar 1961 | A |
2982508 | Larsen et al. | May 1961 | A |
4361864 | Spiro | Nov 1982 | A |
4941071 | Knauf | Jul 1990 | A |
4947297 | Druffel et al. | Aug 1990 | A |
5023765 | Barton | Jun 1991 | A |
5902552 | Brickley | May 1999 | A |
6575606 | Shaw | Jun 2003 | B2 |
6630678 | Guzorek | Oct 2003 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 10026167 | Dec 2001 | US |
Child | 10403260 | US |