TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is directed to disinfection systems for disinfection purposes and, more specifically, to an ionizer as well as a UV-C lamp.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure is directed to disinfection systems for disinfection purposes and, more specifically, to ionizers as well as a UV-C lamps.

An ionizer is a device that may emit ions, i.e. charged particles, to help trap, or remove, contaminants in its environment. An ionizer is often used to tackle particles that would be too small to filter out. The emission of negative ions in the air may have improved air quality through the removal of dust, allergens, pollen, pet dander, mold spores and other airborne bacteria.

The ionizer uses a high voltage between ionization electrodes for ionizing molecules. Different types of ionizers exist, for example an ionizer that emits negative ions, or anions, which are particles with one or more extra electrons, conferring a net negative charge to the particle. Cations are positive ions which miss one or more electrons, resulting in a net positive charge. Some commercial air purifiers are designed to generate negative ions. Another type of air ionizer is the electrostatic discharge, ESD, ionizer which is used to neutralize static charge.

An Ultraviolet, UV,-C lamp is a lamp that it is characterized in that it produces ultraviolet C, UV-C, light. Ultraviolet, UV, light covers a wavelength spectrum from 100 to 380 nm and is subdivided into three regions by wavelength: UV-A which covers 320 to 400 nm, UV-B which covers 280 to 320 nm, and UV-C which covers 200 to 280 nm. UVC is considered to have the strongest germicidal effect and is widely used to inactivate microorganisms.

Typically, a lamp driver is present arranged for receiving a mains input and for converting said mains input into a high voltage for powering the UV-C lamp. There is an ongoing need in the presented technical field to develop ionizers and UV-C lamps in an efficient manner.

The inventors have realized that it would be desirable to provide a disinfection system that comprises an ionizer as well as a UV-C lamp such that electronic circuitry that is present in such a system may be used for both the ionizer as well as the UV-C lamp.

It is therefore an objective to provide for a disinfection system that comprises the ionizer as well as the UV-C lamp with improved efficiency.

Accordingly, in a first aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a disinfection system, comprising: an ionizer arranged for receiving a high voltage from a lamp driver, and for using said received High voltage for ionizing molecules; an Ultraviolet, UV,-C lamp arranged for receiving said high voltage from said lamp driver, and for using said received high voltage for emitting UV-C light; said lamp driver arranged for receiving an input supply and for converting said input supply to said high voltage such that both said ionizer and said UV-C lamp are provided with said same high voltage.

The present disclosure is based on the insight that the same lamp driver may be used for the UV-C lamp and the ionizer. In such a case, only one driver may be employed in the disinfection system, wherein that one driver drives both the UV-C lamp and the ionizer.

It was found by the inventors that the output voltage of the lamp driver that is used for the UV-C lamp may also be suitable for the ionizer, as the ionizer requires more or less the same input voltage as the UV-C lamp. That is, the UV-C lamp voltage is in the order of several kilovolts, comparable with the voltage needed by the ionizer for ionization purposes.

In the above, the lamp driver is thus a driver that is made suitable for driving an UV-C lamp. The output of the lamp driver is tailored to the requirements of the UV-C lamp. This means that the lamp driver may have a specific time varying voltage output, may have a specific voltage amplitude of the output, or anything alike. It is thus a lamp driver that is specific to function of empowering the UV-C lamp.

The inventors have found that such a lamp driver may have an output that is in the same range as that is required for an ionizer. Although the lamp driver is not designed specifically for an ionizer, it surprisingly turned out that such lamp driver is actually suitable for use with an ionizer.

The above described insight of reusing electronics for multiple functions reduces the system costs and improves the disinfection efficiency of the system as a whole.

In an example, the ionization electrodes of said ionizer are directly connected to said lamp driver, such that said high voltage is provided to said ionization electrodes.

The inventors have thus found that the output of the lamp driver may be directly connected to the ionization electrodes. Even though the lamp driver is not tailored to the requirements of the ionizer, it turns out that the ionization electrodes operate effectively in that the environment of the ionizer is provided with charged ions to help trap, or remove, contaminants.

In a further example, the lamp driver is any of: a converter for outputting a voltage pulse train, said voltage pulse train being said high voltage; a half bridge in combination with a resonant tank.

The converter may, for example, be a resonant flyback converter that produces the voltage pulse train. A voltage pulse train may, for example, be a repetitive pattern of voltage pulses, wherein each voltage pulse has a high amplitude, for example somewhere between 2000V - 5000V. The pulses may be provided, for example, each 2ps - 20ps, or anything alike.

The half bridge in combination with the resonant tank may be used for provided an AC output, having an amplitude of somewhere between 2000V - 5000V, and may have a frequency in the range of lOKHz - 80KHz, for example somewhere between 40KHz - 50KHz.

In an example, the lamp driver is embodied in an integral housing. An integral housing means that the lamp driver is embodied as a single unit. The lamp driver may, for example, be sold separately or anything alike. The lamp driver may have input terminals and output terminals for connecting the input supply on the input terminals and the ionizer as well as the UV-C lamp on the output terminals, respectively.

In an example, the integral housing thus comprises output terminals for providing said High voltage, and wherein both said ionizer and said UV-C lamp are connected to said output terminals.

In an example, the ionizer may be physically connected to the lamp driver, but may also be physically connected to the UV-C lamp. The ionizer may use the same connector as the connector that is used for connecting the UV-C lamp to the lamp driver, or may use a separate, dedicated, one for the connection.

In a further example, the ionizer comprises a rectifier for rectifying said received high voltage from said lamp driver.

The inventors have noted that although the ionizer requires a high voltage, similar to the voltage provided to the UV-C lamp, the required high voltage may be a Direct Current, DC, voltage. As such, it may be beneficial to introduce a rectifier for rectifying the AC voltage to a DC voltage. The rectifier itself may be implemented in a straightforward manner, for example by utilizing two or more diodes. Although additional components are required in such a scenario, the costs and complexity of the disinfection system is still confined to a minimum given that the largest complexity, i.e. the lamp driver, is re-used for both the ionizer and the UV-C lamp. The perhaps additional burden of introducing a rectifier does not outweigh the benefits of reusing the lamp driver.

In a further example, the system comprises two or more UV-C lamps, each arranged for receiving said high voltage from said lamp driver, and/or two or more ionizers, each arranged for receiving said high voltage from said lamp driver.

It was noted that the lamp driver may be suitable for driving multiple devices simultaneously. For example, two or more ionizers and/or two or more UV-C lamps simultaneously.

In a further example, a distance between ionization electrodes comprised by said ionizer is tuned to said received high voltage.

The inventors have realized that the high voltage that is typically provided by the lamp driver to the UV-C lamp does not necessarily fully match with the input voltage range that is acceptable for an off-the-shelf ionizer. However, the order of magnitude of the provided high voltage may be used for this particular purpose. As such, the inventors have realized that it may be beneficial to amend the ionizer in such a way that it is made suitable for the high voltage that is also provided to the UV-C lamp. This may be done by amending the distance between the ionization electrodes of the ionizer. A higher voltage may result in a larger distance between the ionization electrodes of the ionizer. A lower voltage may result in a smaller distance between the ionization electrodes of the ionizer.

It is noted that the ionization electrodes may comprise carbon-fiber brushes as those appear to be especially suitable for operation with the lamp driver.

In a further example, the lamp driver is arranged for providing said high voltage in a range of between 1000V - 5000V. The above mentioned range may be a known range that is acceptable for UV- C lamps. As mentioned above, the lamp driver may be tailored to the specific UV-C lamp and the ionizer may be made suitable for the lamp driver by, for example, amending the distance between the ionization electrodes of the ionizer.

In a further example, the distance between the ionization electrodes comprised by said ionizer is between 30mm - 90mm.

In a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ionizer for operation in any of the previous examples, and arranged for receiving said high, AC, voltage from said lamp driver, and for using said received high voltage for ionizing molecules.

It is noted that the advantages as mentioned with respect to the first aspect of the present disclosure, being the disinfection system, are also applicable to the second aspect of the present disclosure, being the ionizer.

In a further example, the ionizer comprises a rectifier for rectifying said received high voltage.

In another example, the ionizer is arranged to receive said High voltage in a range of between 1500V - 5000V, and wherein a distance between ionization electrodes comprised by said ionizer is in a range of between 30mm - 90mm.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment s) described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 discloses a disinfection system in accordance with the present disclosure;

Fig. 2 discloses two implementations of lamp drivers, with their corresponding output, in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 discloses a disinfection system 1 in accordance with the present disclosure. The quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the cleanliness of surfaces we touch have an impact on our health and well-being. There is always a risk of contracting and spreading viruses and bacteria, especially in busy public areas such as offices, factories, shops, bars, restaurants, schools, museums and in the public transportation sector. The disinfection system 1 in accordance with the present disclosure is directed to UV- C lighting as well as to ionization to improve the quality of the environment. UV-C radiation is, for example, a disinfectant for air, surfaces, objects and water that can reduce the risk of infection. Many bacteria and viruses tested to date respond to UV-C disinfection. In laboratory tests, it is tested that UV-C light sources inactivated 99% of a known virus on a surface at an exposure time of about 6 seconds. A clear indication that UV-C can play a valuable role in the protection strategy.

An ionizer is a device that uses a form of ionization to clean the air around it. This type of device is very powerful because it can help to get rid of particles that are very small in size. This includes most pollen, bacteria, allergens, and dust that cause breathing problems and overall lower health.

Compared to HEPA filter technology, which is the biggest competing type of air purifier for an ionizer, the ionizer doesn’t operate by way of a physical paper filter.

An air ionizer, also known and as an ionic air purifier, may operate by emitting negatively charged ions into the air. These ions attract positively charged particles, which include things like allergens, dust, and bacteria and causes a bond to form between them.

Once the particles are connected to an ion a so-called bond is formed. The bond is heaver which causes the bonded particular to fall to the ground and/or become trapped on an electrostatic collection plate. If equipped with such a feature, the ionizer may be washed clean and re-used during the lifespan of the device.

The disinfection system 1 shown in Figure 1 basically comprises three components.

The first component is the Ultraviolet, UV,-C lamp 7 that is used for emitting

UV-C light.

An Ultraviolet, UV,-C lamp is a lamp that it is characterized in that it produces ultraviolet C, UV-C, light. Ultraviolet, UV, light covers a wavelength spectrum from 100 to 380 nm and is subdivided into three regions by wavelength: UV-A which covers 320 to 400 nm, UV-B which covers 280 to 320 nm, and UV-C which covers 200 to 280 nm. UVC is considered to have the strongest germicidal effect and is widely used to inactivate microorganisms. Preferably the UV-C lamp emits light having a wavelength of about 222nm.

The second component is the ionizer 2, as explained above.

The third component is the lamp driver as indicated with reference numeral 6. The lamp driver 6 is arranged for receiving an input supply 5 and for converting the input supply to a high voltage at the terminals 8, 9. The lamp driver 6 is a driver that is specifically designed for the UV-C lamp 7 that is connected thereto. The output of the lamp driver 6 is thus tailored to the specific input requirements of the UV-C lamp.

However, the inventors have found that the output of the lamp driver may also be used for the ionizer 2. As such, the ionizer 2 is also connected to the lamp driver, for example via the terminals 8, 9, or anything alike.

In the disinfection system 1 shown in Figure 1, two diodes as indicated with reference numerals 3 and 4 are shown. These diodes may be employed for converting an AC output voltage, if the output is AC, to a DC voltage.

In an alternative, the electrodes of said ionizer are directly connected to said lamp driver 6, such that said high voltage is provided to said ionization electrodes.

Figure 2 discloses two implementations 11 of lamp drivers, with their corresponding output, in accordance with the present disclosure.

On the left hand side, a resonant flyback converter 12 is shown, which is arranged for receiving a low voltage Direct Current, DC, input 13, and to convert that particular input to a high voltage output 14.

The output characteristics of the resonant flyback converter 12 resemble a voltage pulse train as shown in the graph on the left hand side of Figure 2. The output is a voltage pulse train in that it comprises a repetitive pattern of narrow pulses, wherein each pulse has a high voltage, in this particular case of roughly -4000V.

The above described voltage pulse train may thus be directly connected to the ionizer electrodes of the ionizer.

An alternative is shown on the right hand side of Figure 2, which depicts a Power Factor Corrector, PFC, in combination with a Half Bridge, HB, as well as a resonant tank, LLC 15. Such a converter is arranged to receive a mains input 16 and to convert the mains input into a high voltage Alternating Current, AC, sinewave 17 as shown in the graph on the right hand side.

Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “Comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope thereof.