US4287554A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Radiation apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1979-06-29
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Granted: 1981-09-01
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Expires: 1999-06-29
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for producing ultraviolet radiation, particularly a quick-tanning or therapeutic sunlamp, has a source of substantially uniform ultraviolet radiation, including at least two closely adjacent tubular low-pressure mercury lamps; an arrangement for intercepting at least the major percentage of wavelength bands of ultraviolet radiation below approximately 300 mm; and a reflector system cooperating with said source and defining at least one opening for the escape of ultraviolet radiation consisting essentially of the remaining wavelength band of ultraviolet radiation, said reflector system including for each of said lamps a trough-shaped reflector surrounding the lamp along an arc, and at least one intermediate portion between adjacent ones of said lamps and two lateral portions having zones which project forwardly of said intermediate portion and have forward edge portions defining said opening, the space between said lateral portions and forwardly of said intermediate portion being substantially unobstructed, and the source and reflector system cooperating to establish in the vicinity of the opening a high-density radiation field, the heat output of said lamps being sufficiently low so that the temperature in the region of said radiation field is below the range of discomfort of a person exposed to the field. The apparatus may include a mirror flanked by the lamps so that a user can enjoy the benefits of the ultraviolet radiation at no additional expenditure of time while looking into the mirror for other purposes.
Inventors
- 👤 Friedrich Wolff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:52
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N5/00; A61N5/06; A61N5/0613; A61N5/0614; A61N2005/0664; A61N2005/0665
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
208 words
Apparatus for producing ultraviolet radiation, particularly a quick-tanning sunlamp, comprising a source of substantially uniform ultraviolet radiation, including at least two spaced-apart tubular low-pressure mercury lamps; means for intercepting at least the major percentage of wavelength bands of ultraviolet radiation below approximately 300 nm; and support means cooperating with said source and defining at least one opening for the escape of ultraviolet radiation consisting essentially of the remaining wavelength band of ultraviolet radiation, said support means including reflector means which includes for each of said lamps a trough-shaped reflector surrounding the respective lamp along at least one arc, at least one intermediate portion between adjacent ones of said lamps, and two lateral portions having zones projecting forwardly beyond said intermediate portion and spaced therefrom across the respective reflectors, said lateral portions having forward edge portions defining said opening and the space between said lateral portions and forwardly of said intermediate portion being substantially unobstructed, said source, in cooperation with said reflector means, thus establishing a high-density radiation field in the vicinity of said opening, the heat output of said lamps being sufficiently low so that the temperature in the region of said radiation field is below the range of discomfort of a person exposed to said radiation field.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
208 words
Apparatus for producing ultraviolet radiation, particularly a quick-tanning sunlamp, comprising a source of substantially uniform ultraviolet radiation, including at least two spaced-apart tubular low-pressure mercury lamps; means for intercepting at least the major percentage of wavelength bands of ultraviolet radiation below approximately 300 nm; and support means cooperating with said source and defining at least one opening for the escape of ultraviolet radiation consisting essentially of the remaining wavelength band of ultraviolet radiation, said support means including reflector means which includes for each of said lamps a trough-shaped reflector surrounding the respective lamp along at least one arc, at least one intermediate portion between adjacent ones of said lamps, and two lateral portions having zones projecting forwardly beyond said intermediate portion and spaced therefrom across the respective reflectors, said lateral portions having forward edge portions defining said opening and the space between said lateral portions and forwardly of said intermediate portion being substantially unobstructed, said source, in cooperation with said reflector means, thus establishing a high-density radiation field in the vicinity of said opening, the heat output of said lamps being sufficiently low so that the temperature in the region of said radiation field is below the range of discomfort of a person exposed to said radiation field.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said source further includes at least one further lamp similar to said one lamp and mounted in said support means in registry with said opening and spaced from said one lamp; and wherein said support means includes reflector means including for each of said lamps a trough-shaped reflector surrounding the respective lamp along at least one arc, and said reflector means including at least one intermediate portion between adjacent ones of said lamps and two lateral portions having zones which project forwardly of said intermediate portion and have forward edge portions defining said opening, the space between said lateral portions and forwardly of said intermediate portion being substantially unobstructed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said lamps are closely adjacent to one another and said reflectors merge with each other in said intermediate portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said source comprises at most two further of said lamps.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, said trough-shaped reflectors each having a maximum width, and said zones of said lateral portions projecting forwardly of said intermediate portion by a distance which is substantially equal to said maximum width.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said forward edge portions are transversely spaced from one another by a predetermined distance which is slightly greater than the width of a human face.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said distance is between substantially 17-20 cm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said zones extend substantially parallel to each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the height of said intermediate portion, as considered from the bottoms of the troughs of said reflectors, is sufficiently short so that direct ultraviolet radiation from each of said lamps can impinge upon that one of said lateral portions which is laterally remote from the respective lamp.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional configuration of said reflector means includes two laterally inner arcs which constitute said intermediate portion and intersect one another at an acute angle, and two laterally outer arcs each of which defines with one of said inner arcs a trough for one of said lamps and has a laterally inner end merging with the respective inner arc midway of the trough under an obtuse angle and a laterally outer end merging tangentially with one of said zones.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said zones are planar and straight.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said support means includes a housing surrounding said source and reflector means and having an outlet for said ultraviolet radiation field.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12, said housing being of parallelepiped outline and having a front side provided with said outlet, and a rear side, lateral sides, and ends, at least some of which are configurated to support said housing on a substrate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12, said housing having inner wall surfaces which constitute said reflector means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said housing surrounds said reflector means and defines therewith a clearance; and further comprising venting ports in said housing communicating with said clearance.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12; and further comprising at least one bracket on said housing at said outlet thereof, for facilitating proper placement of body portions to be irradiated with reference to said outlet.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
78 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said support means includes a housing, and at least one light-reflective portion in said housing having at least a region which extends laterally beyond said source by a distance sufficient for viewing at least most of the face of the user therein; and wherein said source emits at least the predominant part of its radiation in a direction parallel to the main reflecting direction of said region of said light-reflective surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said light-reflective portion is a mirror.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said source emits a substantial proportion of its radiation in a direction which has a component toward said region of said light-reflective portion.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said source includes at least one further lamp similar to said lamp, said lamps flanking said region of said light-reflective portion at opposite sides thereof.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said lamps are straight and extend substantially vertically.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said lamps are straight and extend substantially horizontally.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein said source includes two additional lamps similar to said lamps and arranged substantially vertically at opposite sides of said region of said light-reflective portion to flank the latter.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said region of said light-reflective portion has a concave spherical configuration.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said support means further includes a trough-shaped reflector arranged behind said lamp as viewed through said opening, said reflector reflecting a part of the radiation emitted by said lamp in a direction which has a component toward said region of said light-reflective portion.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein said trough-shaped reflector is so mounted in said housing that its central plane encloses an acute angle with the plane of said opening.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein said housing includes a mounting portion including said light-reflective portion, and at least one additional portion mounted on said mounting portion for pivoting about an axis.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein said lamp and said reflector are elongated and straight and are so mounted on said additional portion of said housing as to extend substantially parallel to said axis.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
64 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein said housing further includes a further additional portion mounted on said mounting portion for pivoting about an axis parallel to and spaced from said axis, said axes being arranged at opposite sides of said mounting portion; and wherein each of said additional portions has a width substantially corresponding to one-half of the width of said mounting portion.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said housing includes a mounting portion including said light-reflective portion, and at least one additional portion mounted on said mounting portion and extending frontwardly of said opening.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein said additional portion has an inner surface facing said opening and being reflective at least to ultraviolet radiation.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein said additional portion is pivotally connected to said mounting portion.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
64 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein said housing further includes a further additional portion mounted on said mounting portion for pivoting about an axis parallel to and spaced from said axis, said axes being arranged at opposite sides of said mounting portion; and wherein each of said additional portions has a width substantially corresponding to one-half of the width of said mounting portion.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2, said zones of said lateral portions projecting forwardly of said intermediate portion by a distance of at least 8.5 cm.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
138 words
Apparatus for irradiating selected portions of a human body by ultraviolet radiation, particularly a quick-tanning sunlamp, comprising support means defining at least one opening at which the respective portion to be irradiated is to be situated; and means for establishing a high-density radiation field of essentially ultraviolet radiation of wavelengths exceeding approximately 300 nm at said opening of said support for irradiation of the respective portion, including a source of substantially uniform ultraviolet radiation which includes at least one tubular low-pressure mercury lamp having an output sufficiently low for the temperature in the region of said radiation field to be below the range of discomfort for a person exposed to said radiation field at said opening, and means for intercepting at least the major percentage of ultraviolet radiation wavelengths below approximately 300 nm before reaching said radiation field.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
138 words
Apparatus for irradiating selected portions of a human body by ultraviolet radiation, particularly a quick-tanning sunlamp, comprising support means defining at least one opening at which the respective portion to be irradiated is to be situated; and means for establishing a high-density radiation field of essentially ultraviolet radiation of wavelengths exceeding approximately 300 nm at said opening of said support for irradiation of the respective portion, including a source of substantially uniform ultraviolet radiation which includes at least one tubular low-pressure mercury lamp having an output sufficiently low for the temperature in the region of said radiation field to be below the range of discomfort for a person exposed to said radiation field at said opening, and means for intercepting at least the major percentage of ultraviolet radiation wavelengths below approximately 300 nm before reaching said radiation field.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4091441A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-08-31 | 1985-03-02 | 1985-09-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-08-31 | 1989-03-02 | 1989-09-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-08-31 | 1993-03-02 | 1993-09-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |