Patent Number: 047541466
Section: summary

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a national phase application corresponding to PCT/EP 85/00669 filed Dec. 4, 1985 and based, in turn, on German Utility Models G 84 37 162.5 of Dec. 19, 1984 and G 85 28 202.2 of Oct. 3, 1985 under the International Convention. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sun-tanning apparatus comprising a bed-type supporting surface and a plurality of low-pressure A-type ultraviolet (UV-A) tubes arranged within a housing of the apparatus that are used as radiation generators, said tubes being arranged parallel to and at a distance from each other. These tubes are arranged in a trough-like reflector and are covered above by a supporting or bed surface that rests on the side walls of the housing and which is transparent to A-type ultraviolet radiation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sun-tanning devices of this kind are known. Usually, these devices contain 10 to 20 low-pressure UV-A types, each of which is surrounded by a trough-shaped reflector, with an angle of at least 180.degree. between the axes. These reflectors are supported in the housing of the sun-tanning apparatus. The supporting or bed surface is supported on the side walls of the housing and also on the face edges of the individual reflectors that project above the low-pressure tubes. These known devices have the disadvantage that because the supporting surface lies on the face edges of the reflectors, a striped pattern results from the UV-A radiation that emerges, as almost no radiation emerges in the area of the face edges of the reflectors but only in the area of the reflector openings. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an improved sun-tanning apparatus of the type described above, wherein a largely even, flat radiation outlet area is provided. Thus there is provided a sun-tanning apparatus comprising a supporting surface, and a plurality of low-pressure UV-A tubes arranged within a housing of the apparatus parallel to and at a distance from each other, said tubes being located in a trough-like reflector and covered on top by a supporting surface that rests on the side walls of the housing and which permits the passage of UV-A radiation, wherein between the low-pressure UV-A tubes there are spacers distributed over the entire length and/or breadth of the apparatus in between the low pressure UV-A tubes, the supporting surface resting on the upper end of these spacers, the lower end of said spacers being secured in or on the base of the reflector. According to the present invention, spacers are arranged between the low-pressure UV-A tubes, the spacers being distributed over the length and/or breadth of the apparatus, wherein the supporting surface rests on the upper end of the spacers and the lower end of the spacers is secured in or on the base of the reflector. Thus the supporting surface is supported only in the region of the spacers so that the radiation emitted from the low-pressure UV-A tubes can pass almost completely unhindered to the outside through the supporting surface. In one embodiment the spacers are a plurality of stand-off bolts that are distributed over the length and breadth of the apparatus, the supporting surface resting on the upper end of the bolts, the lower end of the bolts being secured in the base of the reflector. The stand-off bolts are arranged in rows in the longitudinal and/or transverse direction of the apparatus. In a preferred embodiment there are four rows of stand-off bolts, located between the second, fifth, eighth and eleventh low-pressure UV-A tubes, with a total of thirteen tubes being provided. It is preferred that the stand-off bolts be in a symmetrical arrangement in order to achieve completely even support for the bed or supporting surface. However, it is also possible to use an asymmetrical arrangement, such that the stand-off bolts that make up the individual rows are staggered or are placed at irregular intervals. The stand-off bolts are in the form of studs, the lower end of which are screwed into nuts that are attached to the underside of the reflector base. A nut is provided on the inner side of the reflector and acts as a lock nut and serves to allow for precise adjustment of the stand-off distance, such that the supporting surface lies evenly on the face sides of the stand-off bolts. In a second embodiment the spacers are spacer profiles that extend wholly or in part over the length of the apparatus, the supporting surface resting on one face end of said profiles and the other end faces of the profiles being secured to the base of the reflector. It is preferred that the spacers be configured as T-spacers. The horizontal arms of the T-spacers are secured to the base of the reflector, for example by being screwed into position, by rivetting, cementing, or the like, whereas the supporting surface is installed on the face sides of the vertical arms of the T-spacers. It is advantageous that there by four spacer sections in the horizontal portion of the reflector, each of which has two or three low-pressure UV-A tubes. According to another feature of the present invention the spacer profiles are produced from material that permits the passage of UV-A radiation, so that the radiation emitted from adjacent low-pressure UV-A tubes can pass to the outside relatively unhindered. To this end it is preferred that the spacer profile be of acrylic glass. The spacer profiles are 2-4 mm thick, which is adequate to withstand the loads to which the supporting surface is subjected. It is advantageous to use low-pressure UV-A tubes that have their lower halves, as viewed in cross-section, internally silvered so that the radiation is reflected within the tubes and radiated to the outside through the supporting surface. Radiation that emerges and strikes the reflector will be reflected in the conventional manner.