US 11,788,265 B2
Interchangeable drain disinfecting device with UV source irradiation optimization
Max Munn, Tarrytown, NY (US)
Assigned to STERILUMEN, INC., Tarrytown, NY (US)
Filed by STERILUMEN, INC., Tarrytown, NY (US)
Filed on Mar. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/199,116.
Application 17/199,116 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/987,837, filed on Aug. 7, 2020.
Application 16/987,837 is a continuation of application No. 16/538,296, filed on Aug. 12, 2019, granted, now 10,738,446.
Prior Publication US 2021/0198879 A1, Jul. 1, 2021
Int. Cl. E03C 1/126 (2006.01); A61L 2/24 (2006.01); A61L 2/10 (2006.01)
CPC E03C 1/126 (2013.01) [A61L 2/10 (2013.01); A61L 2/24 (2013.01); A61L 2202/11 (2013.01); A61L 2202/14 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A disinfecting device for disinfecting the interior of a drain pipe leading from a drain inlet of a sink basin to a U-shaped trap beneath the sink basin, the device comprising a drain pipe section below or downstream of the sink drain inlet, said drain pipe section having a cylindrical tubular wall having a substantially circular cross-section and having a predetermined thickness and defining an interior space and interior surface and formed with a hole in said tubular wall between the sink drain inlet and the U-shaped trap; at least one UV-C LED module positioned to register with said hole and including a UV-C LED that when energized generates a radiation beam having a predetermined radiation angle “θ” to transmit UV-C light into said drain pipe section through said hole to irradiate at least a portion of said interior surface and pathogens contained therein with UV-C light in proximity to said drain inlet; a substantially flat transparent lens having a diameter “D” and at least partially coextensive with said tubular wall thickness and arranged within said hole, said lens having an inwardly facing surface substantially tangent to a point on said interior surface of said tubular wall aligned with said hole; and energizing means for energizing said at least one UV-C LED module, said UV-C LED being spaced a distance from said lens a predetermined distance “s” and a thickness “t” to cause said radiation beam to irradiate said inner surface along at least a portion of said drain pipe proximate to said lens, wherein
s=D/[2 tan(θ/2)]−t,
whereby energizing said at least one UV-C LED module maximizes exposure of pathogens on said interior surface and airborne pathogens within said interior space to said UV-C conical radiation beam and reduces the ability of pathogens from entry into the sink basin.