The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 24, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 13, 1999
Charles Joseph Aloisio, Jr., Atlanta, GA (US);
Terry M. Sanderson, Tucson, AZ (US);
John Michael Turnipseed, Lilburn, GA (US);
Fitel USA Corp., Norcross, GA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for monitoring a UV curing lamp system to determine whether a UV-curable material passing through the curing lamp system is being properly cured. A thermal sensor is disposed to measure the temperature of gas being exhausted from a center tube of the UV curing lamp system. The center tube typically has nitrogen gas pumped into it to purge air from the center tube. The UV-curable material passes through the center tube. If a defect exists in the center tube, or if insufficient UV radiation is reaching the UV-curable material, the temperature of the gas stream exhausted from the center tube will drop. The temperature of the gas is compared to first and second threshold values, respectively, to determine whether a defect in the center tube exists or whether insufficient radiation is reaching the UV-curable material, respectively.