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:
Jul. 29, 2003
Filed:
Jun. 10, 2002
Allen P. Blacker, Jr., Hoffman Estates, IL (US);
Thomas Becker, Valparasio, IN (US);
Kevin McKay, Romeoville, IL (US);
Simon N. Whittle, Shorewood, IL (US);
Aetek UV Systems, Romeoville, IL (US);
Abstract
A UV curing system includes a light source, which produces UV light and non-useful light (heat energy), a shade member having a lamp-side surface that reflects light and provides thermal insulation to the target substance, and a housing having an internal reflecting surface. The shade member is situated between the light source and the target substance so that all, or most, light from the light source does not directly strike the target substance. The housing is situated on the opposite side of the light source from the barrier and partially encloses the light source. The shape of the internal reflecting surface of the housing, the shape of the shade member, and the location of the internal reflecting surface of the housing, the shade member and the light source with respect to each other are selected so that at least some of the UV light emitted by the light source is reflected onto the target substance after striking the shade member and/or the internal reflecting surface of the housing and non-useful light emitted by the light source is attenuated (by path length increase, physical blockage, insulating properties of the shade member and/or dichroic filter action) thereby keeping the target substance cooler during a curing process than it would otherwise have been without the presence of the shade member.