LED UV Pipe Curing with Reflectors for Even Irradiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing UV radiation sources for curing plastics tubes in sewage pipes are unreliable and produce uneven irradiation, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors in the curing process.
Innovation Solution
The device employs light-emitting diodes (LEDs) aligned in the processing direction with a reflector that radially reflects UV radiation onto the plastics tube, ensuring even and effective irradiation, even if individual LEDs fail.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vacuum tube UV radiators are used for curing plastics tubes, then curing capability is achieved, but reliability deteriorates and service life is short
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the light source from vacuum tube technology to LED technology. This parameter change results in significantly improved reliability and extended service life while maintaining the required UV curing capability. The LED-based light source operates more reliably and has a longer operational duration compared to vacuum tube radiators.
2Manufacturing precision
If light-emitting diodes are attached to the outer wall of the housing for even distribution, then even irradiation is attempted, but irradiation uniformity deteriorates when individual LEDs fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reflector as an intermediary element between the LEDs and the plastics tube. The reflector is specifically designed to distribute UV radiation evenly across the tube surface, compensating for variations in individual LED performance and failures. This intermediary component ensures that the radiation distribution remains uniform even when some LEDs fail, thereby maintaining irradiation consistency.
3Area of stationary object
If light-emitting diodes are distributed over the outer wall, then even irradiation is attempted, but the effectively irradiated surface area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the reflector to redirect UV radiation from a primarily axial emission pattern to a radial distribution pattern. By positioning LEDs to emit mainly in the axial direction and using the reflector to bounce radiation radially onto the tube surface, the system enlarges the effectively irradiated surface area while maintaining evenness of irradiation across the tube.
4Reliability
If individual light-emitting diodes fail, then device operation continues, but irradiation evenness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the system with redundancy and compensation mechanisms in advance. The reflector is configured to distribute radiation from multiple LEDs across the entire tube surface, creating an overlapping radiation pattern. This beforehand cushioning ensures that if individual LEDs fail, the remaining LEDs can still provide sufficient and even irradiation through the reflector's distribution mechanism, maintaining both operational continuity and irradiation evenness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration provides reliable, even, and effective UV irradiation for curing plastics tubes, ensuring consistent results and minimizing errors due to LED failures.
Implementation Method 1
the light source is formed by at least one light-emitting diode which emits UV radiation
Implementation Method 2
at least one reflector, which reflects the emitted UV radiation radially with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing
Implementation Method 3
curing a plastics tube, which is impregnated with UV-curing synthetic resin
Data Source
AI summary
Device (1) for curing a plastics tube (100), which is impregnated with UV-curing synthetic resin, in a sewage pipe (101), said device comprising an elongate housing (2), the longitudinal axis of which extends in the processing direction (102) along the sewage pipe (100), and at least one light source (3) which emits UV radiation, the light source (3) being formed by at least one light-emitting diode (5) which emits UV radiation (4), wherein, in the housing (2), the at least one light-emitting diode (5) is aligned in the processing direction (102) such that the main emission direction (6) of the UV radiation emitted by the light-emitting diode (5) is oriented substantially in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the housing (2), the emitted UV radiation (4) impinging on at least one reflector (7, 8), which reflects the emitted UV radiation (4) radially with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing (2) such that the emitted UV radiation (4) impinges on the plastics tube (100) to be cured transversely to the processing direction (102).