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CA2233596A1 Expired / Lapsed CA ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Ultraviolet sensing apparatus

Assignee: Advanced Systems Ltd
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Filing: 1996-10-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-10-30
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Abstract

Abstract UV sensing apparatus comprises a substantially light-proof housing (1), an aperture (1a) formed in the housing, a filter (2) positioned within the housing at the internal mouth of the aperture, a fluorescent member (3) positioned within the housing on that side of the filter remote from that adjacent to the aperture, and a light sensor (4) positioned within the housing to receive light emitted by the fluorescent member. The filter (2) is such that it substantially removes visible light, the fluorescent member (3) is such as to fluoresce when subjected to UV radiation, and the light sensor (4) is positioned so that substantially none of any electromagnetic radiation entering the housing (1) via the aperture (1a) impinges upon the light sensor.

Inventors

  • 👤 Anthony George Standfast Piper
  • 👤 David Michael Hodgkinson
  • 👤 Adrian Kenworth Taylor
  • 👤 Martin Thomas Pickering
  • 👤 Roderick Nigel Jones
  • 👤 Gresham Randal Thomas Clacy

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction CA
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 15:08
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01J; G01J1/00; G01J1/58; G01J1/42; G01J1/429

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 176 words
UV sensing apparatus comprising a housing which is substantially opaque to electromagnetic radiation, an aperture formed in the housing, a filter positioned within the housing at the internal mouth of the aperture, a fluorescent member positioned within the housing on that side of the filter remote from that adjacent to the aperture, and a light sensor positioned within the housing to receive light emitted by the fluorescent member, wherein the filter is such that it substantially removes visible light, the fluorescent member is such as to fluoresce when subjected to UV radiation, and the light sensor is positioned so that, without the provision of a second filter, substantially none of any electromagnetic radiation entering the housing via the aperture impinges upon the light sensor, and wherein the internal geometry of the apparatus and the size of the aperture are such as to constrain the angles of electromagnetic radiation entering the apparatus so that IR radiation is not reflected internally within the fluorescent member at angles which allow the IR radiation to egress towards the light sensor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 176 words
UV sensing apparatus comprising a housing which is substantially opaque to electromagnetic radiation, an aperture formed in the housing, a filter positioned within the housing at the internal mouth of the aperture, a fluorescent member positioned within the housing on that side of the filter remote from that adjacent to the aperture, and a light sensor positioned within the housing to receive light emitted by the fluorescent member, wherein the filter is such that it substantially removes visible light, the fluorescent member is such as to fluoresce when subjected to UV radiation, and the light sensor is positioned so that, without the provision of a second filter, substantially none of any electromagnetic radiation entering the housing via the aperture impinges upon the light sensor, and wherein the internal geometry of the apparatus and the size of the aperture are such as to constrain the angles of electromagnetic radiation entering the apparatus so that IR radiation is not reflected internally within the fluorescent member at angles which allow the IR radiation to egress towards the light sensor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 41 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refractive indices of IR within the apparatus are such that IR is not reflected internally within the fluorescent member at angles which allow the IR to egress towards the light sensor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 44 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the light sensor is shielded by an internal housing wall in such a manner that substantially none of any electromagnetic radiation entering the housing via the aperture impinges upon the light sensor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 52 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the aperture is sized so that electromagnetic radiation entering the sensing apparatus is insufficient to cause saturation of the fluorescent member, and so that the light sensor is not saturated by the light emitted by the fluorescent member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 33 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the aperture is circular and has a diameter lying within the range of from 0.25 mm to 3 mm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 25 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the aperture has a diameter lying within the range of from 0.75 mm to 2 mm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 23 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the filter is made of a dark blue glass.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 36 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fluorescent member is an acrylic slab coated on one side with an organic dye which fluoresces when subjected to UV radiation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 23 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the coated side of the acrylic slab is that side adjacent to the filter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 35 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fluorescent member is an acrylic slab which is doped with an organic dye which fluoresces when subjected to UV radiation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 20 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the organic dye is a phosphor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 31 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the dye is such as to emit light of a predetermined frequency when subjected to UV radiation.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 18 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the dye is such as to emit green light.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 37 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the fluorescent member is such that the intensity of fluorescent light emitted is substantially linearly proportional to the intensity of UV radiation received.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 21 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the light sensor is a light-dependent resistor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 24 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the resistance of the light-dependent resistor varies linearly with the intensity of the received light.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 51 words
UV sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 8, or in any one of claims 9 to 16 when appendant to claim 8, wherein the light sensor is positioned at an edge of the acrylic slab so that fluorescent light passes to the light sensor only by internal reflection within the slab.

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