Elongate ultraviolet light source
AssigneeJenAct Limited
InventorsRichard Little, David Briggs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
It is desirable to be able to provide evenly illuminated, long lasting, relatively high power ultraviolet radiation for manufacturing processes such as sterilisation and ink or adhesive curing. A generally rigid waveguide (2) having a slot (8) formed in one of its short sides (4) (or optionally one of its long sides (6)) may have an ultraviolet energisable elongate lamp (10) inserted therein. When the waveguide is coupled to a source of microwave energy, the slot radiates and the radiated energy is coupled almost exclusively into the lamp (10). With suitable choices of slot widths this provides even illumination with minimal microwave leakage.
Claims12
A coupler for coupling microwave energy into an elongate microwave energisable lamp comprising a generally rigid waveguide having a generally rectangular cross section and four generally planar, elongate walls, one of the walls defining a slot which passes through the entire thickness of the wall.
An elongate ultraviolet light source comprising an elongate microwave energisable lamp and a generally rigid waveguide having a generally rectangular cross section and four generally planar, elongate walls, one of the walls defining a slot which passes through the entire thickness of the wall, the bulb being partially inserted into or laid over the slot and the waveguide being couplable to a source of microwave energy such as a magnetron.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.