QUARTZ SLEEVE SUPPORT FOR A UV-LAMP

Abstract

An apparatus for the treatment of water includes an elongated housing having a first end and a second end. The first end has a water inlet and the second end has a water outlet. An elongated ultraviolet radiation source with a sleeve is concentrically located within the elongated housing. The elongated ultraviolet radiation source has, at its first end, electrical connections, which extend through the second end of the housing and have a second free end held in a support element. The support element includes a supporting structure containing a ring element and from thereon radially inwardly running arms. The arms are designed in such a way that during assembly the arms are resiliently deformed and wherein, if assembled, the arms are pressed against the sleeve, so that the free end of the ultraviolet radiation source is held by the arms in a resilient manner.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. An apparatus for the treatment of water, said apparatus comprising: an elongated housing having a first housing end and a second housing end, said first housing end having a first water conduit and said second housing end having a second water conduit; an elongated ultraviolet radiation source with a sleeve located within the elongated housing, said elongated ultraviolet radiation source having a first end with electrical connections and a second free end; and a support element that supports the second free end, wherein the support element comprises a supporting structure containing a ring element and resiliently deformable arms extending radially inwardly from the ring element, wherein the deformable arms have a first end which is fixed to the ring element and a tip portion, and wherein the second free end of the support element is resiliently held by the tip portions of the arms.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a diameter of the sleeve is between 40% and 60% of a diameter of the ring element.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the arms are equally spaced in a peripheral direction of the ring element.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the arms are oblong and equally shaped.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, in a relaxed state of the arms, inner ends of the arms form a substantially circular opening with a diameter less than a diameter of the sleeve.

21. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the supporting structure has at least six arms.

22. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the supporting structure has spacers extending radially outward of the ring element.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the spacers are equally spaced in a peripheral direction of the ring element and a free circumferential surface of the ring element predominates.

24. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the support element comprises flaps arranged on a second set of arms that extend radially outward of the ring element.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the flaps are angulated so that the flaps do not radially project over the supporting structure.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein each flap extends from one of the arms of the second set of arms at a location that is about half of a length of said one of the arms of the second set of arms.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein each arm of the second set of arms is substantially rectangular with an oblong shape.

28. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the support element has at least four of said flaps, each flap being arranged on one arm of the second set of arms, wherein the second set of arms are equally distributed along a circumference of the ring element.

29. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the support element is a one-piece stamped and bent part.

30. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the sleeve constitutes glass of an ultraviolet lamp or an additional sleeve tube surrounding the radiation source.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all figures the same reference signs denote the same components or functionally similar components.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a UV reactor with an inventive quartz sleeve support;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the inventive quartz sleeve support of FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows in longitudinal section and spatial representation the inventive quartz sleeve support of FIGS. 1 and 2, and

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention in longitudinal section and spatial representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the UV reactor 1 consists of a cylindrical housing 2 with inlet 3 for water to be purified and an outlet 4 for the treated water. A UV lamp 5 with a lamp body extending into a quartz sleeve 6 is arranged centred in the UV reactor 1. On the outlet side the UV lamp 5 is support by a bushing 7 and is provided with electrical connections. On the inlet side the UV lamp 5 is supported by a support element 8. The support element 8 is provided with a circular opening 9 through which the quartz sleeve 6 passes.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the support element 8 has two functional elements: a supporting structure 10 containing a ring element 11 and from thereon radially inward running arms 12, wherein the arms 12 are spaced equally in peripheral direction and to disturb laminar flow of the water four or more flaps 13 on the inlet side.

[0033] The arms 12 are essentially rectangular and have an oblong shape. The inner ends 12 of the arms 12 form a substantially circular opening 14. The diameter of the circular opening 14 is less than the diameter of the quartz sleeve 6 and the quartz sleeve 6 can be inserted into the opening 14 by bending the arms 12. The arms 12 can also be pre-angulated according to the quartz sleeve 6 diameter. The supporting structure 10 is resilient and absorbs movement e.g. vibrations of the UV lamp. The arms 12 can press against the quartz sleeve 6 at the tapered end portion of the free end, so that the ultraviolet radiation source 5, 6 is held in place by the arms in longitudinal direction. However it is also possible, that the arms 12 press against the free end of the quartz sleeve 6 at the cylindrical part thereof, so that the ultraviolet radiation source 5, 6 is held by the arms in a resilient manner, while moveable in longitudinal direction.

[0034] The flaps 13 are arranged on arms 13, which extend radially outward of the supporting structure 10, e.g. the ring element 11, and are arranged equally spaced in peripheral direction. In case of the shown embodiment, each arm 13 holds a single flap 13. The arms 13 are essentially rectangular and have an oblong shape oriented in radial direction. In running state the arms 13 are angulated away from the distal free end 6 of the quartz sleeve 6, in reverse direction of water flow. In this state, the arms 13 form spacers, which slightly extend radially outward of the ring element 11. The flaps 13 are as well essentially rectangular and have an oblong shape. Their width is about twice as wide as the width of the arms 13. The flaps 13 are arranged at the arms 13 at about half their length. The length of the arms 13 is roughly the same as the length of the flaps 13. The flaps 13 are preferably bent inward so that the flaps 13 do not project over the ring element 11 and/or the spacers. The flaps 13 are arranged perpendicular to the water flow, increasing the disruption of flow. The consequence is that the flow of water is turbulent and more effective treatment of microorganisms in the water may be achieved.

[0035] The invention is not limited to a specific amount of flaps 13. The design of the flaps 13 and their arms 13 as well as their orientation, e.g. angle, can vary.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The support element 8 has the supporting structure 10 and instead of flaps arranged on arms, spacers 15 extending radially outward. The inward orientated arms 12 themselves disrupt the flow of water from the inlet to the outlet side.

[0037] Preferably, the support element 8 is one piece, made out of steel sheets as a stamped-bent part.

[0038] In another preferred embodiment with no additional quartz sleeve being present, the inventive quartz sleeve support holds the quartz glass of the lamp directly. In this case the glass of the lamp is referred to as sleeve.

[0039] The inventive quartz sleeve support is simple, easy to fabricate and thus cheap, and allows easy installation without any risk of breaking the sleeve.