UV light mounting bracket

Abstract

A bracket assembly for mounting a UV light is disclosed. The bracket assembly includes first and second spaced apart posts, each post including a height. The bracket assembly also includes a crossbracket extending therebetween and mounted to the posts, the crossbracket including a UV light mounted thereon, the crossbracket being mountable at different locations along the height of the posts. The crossbracket is pivotably mounted to the posts such that at least a portion of the crossbracket can be pivoted away from at least one post. Also disclosed are a system wherein the UV light mounting bracket assembly is positioned adjacent a target surface to be disinfected from microorganisms and a method of using the mounting bracket assembly.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The principles disclosed herein relate generally to the field of surface and air disinfection through the use of ultraviolet (UV) lights/germicidal lamps. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a mounting bracket assembly for mounting a UV light for disinfection purposes and a method of using the mounting bracket assembly.

BACKGROUND

UV lights and/or germicidal lamps and their use in air and surface disinfection are generally known in the art. UV lights emit ultraviolet radiation that destroys harmful microorganisms that tend to grow in certain environments. One particular environment where UV lights are used for disinfection purposes is in the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry. HVAC systems typically comprise fans and ducts for moving air where needed. An HVAC system may also include a cooling section and a heating section for, respectively, cooling and heating the air. In most systems, air is drawn in, filtered, cooled or heated, humidified, and then delivered to a room. Air may also be drawn from the room for recirculation through the HVAC system.

In an HVAC environment, UV lights can be used to control the growth of molds, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms which tends to occur at the cooling section of the HVAC system. For example, the coil and the drain pan of a heat exchanger, due to the moisture, usually present ideal breeding grounds for such microorganisms. If the formation and growth of such microorganisms are not controlled, the air that is circulated by the HVAC system can spread mold spores and mycotoxins throughout the buildings, leading to the spread of infectious disease and other health problems. The mold, bacteria, and other microorganims growing on equipment such as a heat exchanger can also affect the functionality and the heat transfer efficiency of such equipment, as well as of the entire system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,276 (the '276 patent) to Steril Aire U.S.A., Inc., incorporated by reference, describes some of the problems associated with the uncontrolled growth of microorganisms in HVAC systems. The '276 patent specifically describes the use of germicidal lamps in close proximity to coils/fins of a heat exchanger to reduce the growth of harmful mold and bacteria that tend to grow on the coil and the drain pans of such HVAC equipment.

It is well known in the art that, in order to provide effective disinfection, a UV light needs to be positioned in close proximity to the surface being disinfected and continuous UVC exposure needs to be applied. The '276 patent describes the optimum positioning of the UV light in an HVAC system to be approximately twenty inches from the leading edge of the fins of a heat exchanger, wherein the germicidal tubes are oriented to face the fins of the heat exchanger at right angles. Often times, reflector plates are utilized behind the UV lights/germicidal lamps to capture the radiation that is emitted from the lamps and reflect it at various angles to expose the radiation to a larger area.

Since effective disinfection requires positioning the UV lights in close proximity to the surface to be disinfected and facing the lights toward the surface, there is usually a very limited amount of room available between the UV light mounting assemblies and the surfaces for servicing purposes. Maintenance of the UV lights and the reflector plates, such as cleaning, replacing, repairing, etc., becomes cumbersome, and, in certain instances, the entire mounting assembly may have to be disassembled to get access to the lights.

What is needed in the art is a mounting fixture that provides for easy servicing of the UV lights and the reflector plates. What is also needed is a UV light-mounting fixture that is usable in many different kinds of environments since UV lights have a wide range of utility.

SUMMARY

The principles disclosed herein relate to an apparatus and method for disinfection of surfaces by using a UV light.

In one particular aspect, the disclosure is directed to a mounting arrangement for a UV light that allows the light to be pivoted or otherwise moved away from a target surface or structure to allow servicing of the UV light.

In another particular aspect, the disclosure is directed to a bracket assembly for mounting a UV light, the bracket assembly comprising a pair of spaced apart posts and a crossbracket extending therebetween and mounted to the posts, the crossbracket including a UV light mounted thereon, the crossbracket being mountable at different locations along heights of the posts, the crossbracket pivotably mounted to the posts such that at least a portion of the crossbracket can be pivoted away from at least one post.

In yet another particular aspect, the disclosure is directed to a method of using the UV light mounting bracket assembly for mounting the UV light adjacent a surface to be disinfected from microorganisms.

In yet another particular aspect, the disclosure is directed to a system having the UV light mounting bracket assembly positioned adjacent a surface to be disinfected from microorganisms.

The UV light mounting bracket assembly disclosed herein having features in accordance with the inventive concepts of the disclosure may be used in a number of different environments for a number of different uses such as disinfection of surfaces, disinfection of air, in HVAC systems, in automobile painting facilities, etc. It will be understood that the environment with respect to which the inventive aspects of the disclosure will be described should not be used to limit the scope of the invention.

A variety of additional inventive aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The inventive aspects can relate to individual features and combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a UV light mounting bracket assembly having features that are examples of inventive aspects in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, the UV light mounting bracket assembly shown in combination with an HVAC system;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing a front view of the UV light mounting bracket assembly of FIG. 1, the UV light mounting bracket assembly shown mounted to a duct wall of the HVAC system;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the UV light mounting bracket assembly of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the UV light mounting bracket assembly of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The principles disclosed herein relate generally to the field of surface and air disinfection through the use of ultraviolet (UV) lights/germicidal lamps. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a mounting bracket assembly for mounting a UV light for disinfection purposes and a method of using the mounting bracket assembly.

As noted previously, the mounting bracket assembly having features that are examples of inventive aspects in accordance with the principles of the disclosure may be used to mount UV lights for disinfection purposes in a number of different environments. The UV light mounting bracket assembly may be used for disinfection of air as well as the disinfection of surfaces that may contain harmful microorganisms. The mounting bracket assembly may be used within the ducts of an HVAC system or within a room space. The mounting bracket assembly can be mounted adjacent any surface, such as the cooling coil or a drain pan of a heat exchanger or a ceiling tile of a room. The mounting bracket assembly may also be constructed to be used in water. The mounting bracket assembly in accordance with the disclosure may be used in any environment that is suited to utilize a UV light. Accordingly, the environment with respect to which the inventive aspects of the disclosure will be described should be considered a representative example and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of a UV light mounting bracket assembly having features that are examples of inventive aspects in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure is shown in FIGS. 1-4, designated generally at 20.

In FIG. 1, the UV light mounting bracket assembly 20 is shown positioned within an HVAC system 10. An example HVAC system, as illustrated in FIG. 1, includes a duct 12 that houses two kinds of heat exchangers 11: 1) a heating coil 14, and 2) a cooling coil 16. The UV light mounting bracket assembly 20 is shown positioned adjacent the cooling coil 16. The arrows 18 represent the direction of airflow through the duct 12. The air, as it is forced to flow through the HVAC system, for example by a fan (not shown), is first heated by the heating coil 14 and then cooled by the cooling coil 16. It is to be understood that the HVAC system 10 is only a representative example and other systems including other configurations are also possible. For example, in other HVAC systems, the heat exchangers may be placed such that the air is cooled first by the cooling coil and then heated by the heating coil. Since the cooling coil 16 and the drain pan (not shown) tend to be target breeding grounds for mold spores, bacteria and other types of microorganisms, the UV light mounting bracket assembly 20 is preferably positioned adjacent the cooling coil 16. By being positioned in close proximity to the surface being disinfected, the radiation emitted by the UV lights can be highly effective in destroying the microorganisms on the surfaces of the cooling coil and the drain pan, improving the efficiency of the system.

It should be understood that the UV lights may be placed at any location adjacent the cooling coil, or the surface to be disinfected (i.e., the target surface), for effective disinfection. In certain preferred embodiments, the distance D between the UV lights 30 and the cooling coil 16 is about 10 to 30 inches. More preferably, the distance D between the UV lights 30 and the cooling coil 16 should be about 10 to 25 inches. Most preferably, the distance D between the UV lights 30 and the cooling coil 16 should about 12 to 24 inches. It should be understood that these distances may vary depending upon the environment and the design of the system the UV lights are used in and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of the duct 12 of the HVAC system 10 taken along section line 2-2 of FIG. 1. The duct 12 of the HVAC system is illustrated to have a generally square cross section with an upper wall 13, a lower wall 15, and right and left sidewalls 17 and 19. The UV light mounting bracket assembly 20 is shown as mounted to the lower wall 15 of the duct 12. It will be appreciated that the mounting bracket assembly 20 may be mounted on any wall of the duct 12. In certain preferred embodiments, the mounting bracket assembly 20 is constructed to fit within a duct having a width from 48 to 144 inches and having a height from 24 to 180 inches. The mounting bracket assembly 20 may be mounted to the walls of the duct 12 by any means generally known in the art, e.g., fasteners, welding, etc. An L-shaped bracket, such as the bracket 60 shown in FIG. 2, a foot, or other kinds of mounting arrangements generally known in the art can be used to mount the bracket assembly 20.

Referring to FIG. 1, the UV light mounting bracket assembly 20 is mounted in such a way that the UV lights 30 face the surface of the cooling coil 16 and the direction of the airflow 18. In a preferred embodiment, the UV light mounting bracket assembly 20 is mounted to position the UV lights 30 generally perpendicular to the fins (not shown) of the cooling coil 16 which may extend up and down, parallel to the sidewalls 17, 19 of the duct 12. This configuration is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,276 and is known in the art to provide one of the more effective disinfection techniques for an HVAC system.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there are shown two crossbrackets 26 mounted on the mounting bracket assembly 20. It should be understood that one, two, or more crossbrackets 26 can be mounted on the mounting bracket assembly 20. The vertical distance between the two crossbrackets (between the lights) is represented by letter S. In a preferred embodiment, when there are two crossbrackets used, the distance between the top wall 13 of the duct 10 and the UV lights 30 of the upper crossbracket should be about ½ S. Similarly, in a preferred embodiment, the distance between the bottom wall 15 of the duct and the UV lights 30 of the lower crossbracket should be also about ½ S for effective disinfection.

The UV light mounting bracket assembly 20 having features that are examples of the inventive aspects in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the UV light mounting bracket assembly 20. Referring thereto, the UV light mounting bracket assembly 20 generally includes a first mounting post 22 and a second mounting post 24 spaced apart from the first mounting post 22. In certain embodiments, the mounting posts can be made out of galvanized steel. As noted above, the mounting posts 22 and 24 are generally used to mount the bracket assembly 20 adjacent a surface for disinfection. The UV light mounting assembly 20 includes a crossbracket 26 extending between and mounted to the posts 22, 24.

It should be appreciated that one, two, or more mounting posts may be used in the bracket assembly 20. The mounting posts 22, 24 generally include a C-shaped cross-section with a backwall 55 and opposing sidewalls 56, 57. The sidewalls 56, 57 include punched holes 23 along the height H of the posts. The holes 23 allow the crossbracket 26 to be mounted at various locations along the height H of the posts 22, 24 and also provide for pivotability of the crossbracket 26, as will be described in further detail below. Other structures can also be used to provide for the height-adjustability of the crossbrackets 26 relative to the mounting posts, such as clamps, etc. While holes 23 provide for adjustability at discrete locations along the height H of the posts, other structures such as clamps may provide continuous adjustability along the height H. The holes 23 of the posts may also be used to mount the bracket assembly 20 adjacent surfaces to be disinfected.

The crossbracket 26 includes an elongated main body 27 with a first end 28 and a second end 29, and a length L defined between the two ends. At each end, the crossbracket 26 includes a hinged bracket 31 that is used to mount the crossbracket 26 to the posts 22, 24. The hinged brackets 31 also include a C-shaped cross section that nests around the posts 22, 24. The hinged brackets 31 include an upper set of holes 32 and a lower set of holes 33. The hinged brackets 31 are coupled to the posts with clevis pins 34 that are inserted through the lower set of holes 32 and through the holes 23 of the posts. The upper set of holes 32 receive quick release pins 35 that are designed to be easily removable to provide for the pivotability of the crossbracket 26. The hinged brackets 31 may also be made out of galvanized steel.

The main body 27 of the crossbracket includes a housing 36 that is used to house the electrical components associated with powering the UV lamps 30. The housing 36 includes a front face 37 to which the lamp sockets 38 are attached. The lamp sockets 38 are located generally toward the center portion of the main body 27 and may be circline-type sockets that are preferably constructed of a UVC resistant polycarbonate material. The UV lights are supported at the opposite ends by support clamps 39 that are located adjacent the hinged brackets 31.

It should be understood that UV lights are defined to mean any type of lights that emit UV radiation at any bandwidth. In a preferred embodiment, the UV lights should be of the type generally known in the art for use in disinfection. They may be, for example, high output lights that emit UVC, primarily at about 253.7 nm, which is known in the art to provide effective disinfection. Preferably, the UV lights may be the hot cathode, four pin, and single-ended type. U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,186 assigned to Steril-Aire USA, Inc., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discusses germicidal lamps that are used for disinfection purposes. In other embodiments, the UV lights may be pulse lamps that emit all bandwidths of WV.

As illustrated in the FIGS. 2-4, the main body 27 of the crossbracket 26 may also include reflectors 40 mounted between the front face 37 and the UV lights 30. The reflectors 40 may be polished aluminum reflectors. The reflectors 40, as depicted, include a flat plate 41 and two angled plates 42, 43 extending from the flat plate 41. The angled plates 42, 43 reflect the UVC light at different angles to provide for radiation exposure to a wide surface area. It should be understood that many different designs could be used for the reflectors. In certain embodiments, instead of providing separate reflector plates, the front face 37 of the main body 27 may be coated with a reflective coating.

The UV lights 30 extend lengthwise along the length L of the main body 27 between the sockets 38 and the support clamps 39. The UV lights 30 are shown to be mounted in a partially overlapping orientation. It will be appreciated that one, two, or more lights can be mounted on the crossbracket 26 and in various orientations. Lights that are not linearly shaped can also be used.

The housing 36 of the main body 27 provides an enclosure for the electrical components of the crossbracket 26. The housing 36 is provided with a key holed cover 44 that forms the back side of the enclosure. The cover 44 provides protection as well as quick access to the electrical components.

Within the housing enclosure, there is provided two ballasts 45 and a power terminal strip 46 for powering the UV lights 30. The ballasts 45 are generally known in the art, and, in certain embodiments, may be electronic, high frequency, program type with auto-adjusting, variable voltage, high output ballasts. In a preferred embodiment, the ballasts 45 provide precise lamp filament preheat, optimizing the lamp life.

The power terminal strip 46 mounted within the housing 36 provides an access location for quick field electrical connections. Each ballast 45 may be electrically connected to the power terminal strip 46 in a parallel configuration. Each ballast 45, in turn, may provide power to a designated socket 38.

The UV lights are powered by an electrical enclosure 47 shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 2 and 3. The electrical enclosure 47 is connected to the power terminal strip 46 via cables 50 as shown in FIG. 2 to provide power to the UV lights 30. In an embodiment where two or more crossbrackets 26 are used, the terminal strips 46 of the crossbrackets 26 may be interconnected via cables 50 to supply power to all the UV lights 30. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical enclosure 47 may house an electronic timer (not shown) that monitors lamp usage and illuminates an indicator light (not shown) after a certain number of hours of use to signal for required lamp replacement.

FIG. 4 illustrates a partial perspective view of the mounting bracket assembly 20. In FIG. 4, the pivotability aspect of the crossbracket 26 for servicing purposes is illustrated in greater detail. As discussed previously, the radiation from the UV light is most effective when the UV lights are directly facing the target surface to be disinfected. FIG. 4 illustrates a mounting bracket assembly 20 that has two crossbrackets 26a and 26b. Crossbracket 26a is shown in a first position, which may be referred to as the operating position 51. During the operating position 51, the UV lights 30 face the target surface with the reflectors 40 being behind the UV lights 30. In this position, the front face 37 of the crossbracket 26 is positioned generally parallel to a plane P that extends between the two posts. The plane P is partially illustrated in FIG. 4. Crossbracket 26b is shown in a second position. This position may be referred to as the servicing position. In order to rotate the crossbracket to the servicing position, the quick release pin 35 is removed from each post and the crossbracket is pivoted in the direction indicated by the arrow 53 in FIG. 4. In the servicing position 52, the front face 37 of the crossbracket is oriented generally perpendicular to the plane P. In this position, the reflectors 40 and the UV lights 30 face upwards and provide for easy access to the components of the crossbracket for servicing. Servicing may include, for example, cleaning/replacing the reflector plates, cleaning/replacing the UV lamps, repair of electrical components such as the sockets, etc.

The crossbrackets 26 are configured to be movable anywhere between the operating position 51 and the servicing position 52, as illustrated by the rotation arrow 53.

Although in a preferred embodiment, the rotation of the crossbrackets 26 occurs along a vertical plane, other embodiments, where the crossbrackets may be rotated along a horizontal plane, are also contemplated. In other embodiments, for example, the mounting bracket assembly 20 could be configured such that one of the hinged brackets 31 may be completely detached from one of the posts and rotated about the other post to expose the lights in a sideways orientation, instead of an upwards orientation, for servicing.

The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.

Claims

1. A bracket assembly for mounting a UV light, the bracket assembly comprising:

first and second spaced apart posts, each post including a height; and

a crossbracket extending therebetween and mounted to the posts, the crossbracket including a UV light mounted thereon, the crossbracket being mountable at different locations along the height of the posts, the crossbracket pivotably mounted to the posts such that at least a portion of the crossbracket can be pivoted away from at least one post to move the crossbracket from an operating position to a servicing position.

2. A bracket assembly according to claim 1, wherein the posts define a plane extending therebetween, the crossbracket including a front face, the crossbracket being movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being such that the front face of the crossbracket is substantially parallel to the plane defined between the posts and the second position being such that the front face of the crossbracket is substantially perpendicular to the plane defined between the posts.

3. A bracket assembly according to claim 2, wherein the crossbracket includes a light-reflecting surface between the front face of the crossbracket and the UV light.

4. A bracket assembly according to claim 1, wherein the crossbracket is pivotably mounted with pins that are received within holes defined in the posts.

5. A bracket assembly according to claim 1, wherein the crossbracket is adjustable along the height of the posts at discrete locations.

6. A bracket assembly according to claim 1, wherein the crossbracket includes two UV lights mounted thereon.

7. A bracket assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bracket assembly includes two crossbrackets mounted on the two posts.

8. A bracket assembly according to claim 2, wherein the crossbracket is moved from the first position to the second position by removing a pin from a hole in a post.

9. A system comprising:

a target surface including a height;

a bracket assembly for mounting a UV light, the bracket assembly mounted adjacent the target surface, the bracket assembly including a UV light mounted thereon, the bracket assembly being movable between a first operating position wherein the UV lights face the target surface and a second servicing position wherein the UV lights are oriented away from the target surface, the bracket assembly being constructed such that the UV light mounted thereon can be moved to different positions along the height of the target surface.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the bracket assembly includes first and second spaced apart posts, each post including a height, and a crossbracket extending therebetween and mounted to the posts, the crossbracket including the UV light mounted thereon, the crossbracket including a front face, the front face of the crossbracket being substantially parallel to the target surface at the first operating position and being substantially perpendicular to the target surface at the second servicing position.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the target surface is substantially parallel to a plane defined between the two posts.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the crossbracket is mountable at different locations along the height of the posts and along the target surface.

13. A system according to claim 9, wherein the target surface includes a surface of a heat exchanger.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the bracket assembly is positioned adjacent the surface of a heat exchanger at a distance of about 12 to 24 inches.

15. A system according to claim 9, wherein the UV light is located between a light reflector located on the bracket assembly and the target surface.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein the crossbracket is pivotably mounted with pins that are received within holes defined in the posts.

17. A system according to claim 10, wherein the bracket assembly includes two crossbrackets mounted on the two posts.

18. A method of using a mounting bracket assembly for mounting a UV light, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting a UV light on the mounting bracket assembly, the bracket assembly including first and second spaced apart posts each including a height, the bracket assembly also including a crossbracket extending therebetween and mounted to the posts, the crossbracket including the UV light and being mountable at different locations along the height of the posts; and

positioning the mounting bracket assembly adjacent a target surface, the crossbracket pivotably mounted to the posts of the mounting bracket assembly such that at least a portion of the crossbracket can be pivoted away from the surface to move the crossbracket from an operating position to a servicing position.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the surface includes a surface of a heat exchanger.

20. A bracket assembly for mounting a UV light, the bracket assembly comprising:

first and second spaced apart posts, each post including a C-shaped cross section and a plurality of holes located along a height of each post; and

a crossbracket extending therebetween and mounted to the posts, the crossbracket including an elongated main body with two ends and a hinged bracket at each end, the hinged brackets including a C-shaped cross-section configured to nest around the posts, the main body including a housing defining a front face and a removable back cover, the front face including a UV light mounted thereon and a light reflecting surface between the front face and the UV light, the housing including a ballast and a power terminal strip within an interior of the housing electrically connected to the UV light, the hinged brackets including holes that mate with the holes in the posts for removably mounting crossbracket along the height of the posts with pins, the crossbracket also being pivotably mounted to the posts through the holes of the hinged brackets with pins such that the crossbracket is movable between an operating position and a servicing position.