Abstract:
A heat sink and ozone generator arrangement includes an ozone generator, which has a center tube and a rod electrode mounted in the center tube and defining with the center tube an annular air gap for the production of ozone upon presence of air and a corona discharge in the annular air gap, and a heat sink mounted on the periphery of the center tube and adapted to dissipate heat from the ozone generator.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to an ozone generating apparatus and more particularly, to a heat sink and ozone generator arrangement, which effectively dissipates heat from the ozone generator during working of the ozone generator, thereby improving the quality of generated ozone.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Ozone can be used to sterilize water, packing water, pharmaceutical/food grade cleaning water, etc., to purify air, to oxidize organic substances that are not biodegradable, or to bleach cosmetic grade kaolinite. Further, during a water therapy, for example, SPA, ozone may be used as a water therapy medium because ozone can decompose dirt and waste matter in capillaries on the skin to improve breathing of the skin when dissolved in water.  
         [0005]     Various ultraviolet ozone generators, electrolytic ozone generators and corona discharge ozone generators have been disclosed, and have appeared on the market. During working of an ozone generator, the temperature of the ozone generator gradually increases and may reaches a high level up to 80˜150° C. When surpassed 30° C., the concentration of ozone starts to drop. Therefore, the desired high concentration of ozone is not possible if the temperature of the ozone generator surpassed a high level.  
         [0006]     Therefore, it is desirable to provide an ozone generator, which has means to dissipate heat, keeping the ozone generator in the optimum working temperature level.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a heat sink and ozone generator arrangement, which quickly dissipates heat from the ozone generator during working of the ozone generator, keeping the ozone generator to function normally. It is another object of the present invention to provide a heat sink and ozone generator arrangement, which improves the functioning of the ozone generator, thereby maintaining the concentration of generated ozone within the optimum range.  
         [0008]     To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the heat sink and ozone generator arrangement comprises an ozone generator adapted to generate ozone, the ozone generator comprising a center electrode assembly and a center tube, the center electrode assembly comprising a rod electrode mounted in the center tube for producing a corona discharge, the rod electrode defining with the center tube an annular air gap for the production of ozone upon presence of air and a corona discharge in the annular air gap; and a heat sink mounted on the periphery of the center tube and adapted to dissipate heat from the ozone generator, the heat sink comprising a plurality of radiation fins for dissipation of heat. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is an elevational assembly view of a heat sink and ozone generator arrangement according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the heat sink and ozone generator arrangement according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a sectional elevation of the heat sink and ozone generator arrangement according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an elevational assembly view of a heat sink and ozone generator arrangement according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]     Referring to FIGS.  1 ˜ 3 , a heat sink and ozone generator arrangement in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of an ozone generator  10  and a heat sink  20 .  
         [0014]     The ozone generator  10  comprises a center electrode assembly  12 , a first end connector  14 , a center tube  16 , a grounding electrode  17 , and a second end connector  18 . The center electrode assembly  12  comprises an end plate  121  and a rod electrode  122 . The end plate  121  comprises a plurality of mounting holes  123  and a high-voltage electrode  125 . The high-voltage electrode  125  is connected to a power cord (not shown). The rod electrode  122  is a quartz glass tube stuffed with alumina  126  (see  FIG. 3 ), which is electrically connected to the high-voltage electrode  125 , forming the charge-discharging terminal of the center electrode assembly  12 . The first end connector  14  is an electrically insulative member comprising a barrel-like connector body  142 , a mounting plate  141  extended around the periphery of one end of the connector body  142 , an axial hole  143  axially extended through the mounting plate  141  and the barrel-like connector body  142  for receiving the rod electrode  122  of the center electrode assembly  12 , an air inlet tube  145  perpendicularly extended from the periphery of the barrel-like connector body  142  in air-communication with the axial hole  143 , and a plurality of mounting holes  144  formed in the mounting plate  141  and respectively connected to the mounting holes  123  of the end plate  121  of the center electrode assembly  12  with screws  124 .  
         [0015]     The center tube  16  is a metal tube connected between the first end connector  14  and the second end connector  18  to accommodate the rod electrode  122  of the center electrode assembly  12 . The center tube  16  defines with the rod electrode  122  of the center electrode assembly  12  an annular air gap  30  (see FIG.  3 ).  
         [0016]     The grounding electrode  17  is formed of a metal clamp clamped on the periphery of the center tube  16 , having two distal ends respectively terminating in a respective end lug  171 . The two end lugs  171  of the grounding electrode  17  each have a mounting hole  172 . A screw  173  is mounted in the mounting holes  172  of the two end lugs  171  to secure the grounding electrode  17  to the periphery of the center tube  16 .  
         [0017]     The second end connector  18  comprises a receiving open chamber  181 , which receives one end of the center tube  16 , and an air outlet tube  182  perpendicularly extended from the periphery thereof in air-communication with the annular air gap  30 . Therefore, the air inlet tube  145  forms with the annular air gap  30  and the air outlet tube  182  an air passage.  
         [0018]     The heat sink  20  is comprised of a first heat sink member  21  and a second heat sink member  22 . The first heat sink member  21  and the second heat sink member  22  are shaped like a semicircular tube, each comprising two mounting flanges  211  or  221  symmetrically disposed at two sides, a plurality of mounting holes  212  or  222  symmetrically formed in the mounting flanges  211  or  221 , and a plurality of radially extended radiation fins  213  or  223 . Screws  224  are fastened to the mounting holes  222  in the mounting flanges  221  of the second heat sink member  22  and the mounting holes  212  of the mounting flanges  211  of the first heat sink member  21  to secure the first heat sink member  21  and the second heat sink member  22  to the periphery of the center tube  16 . Further, an electric fan (not shown) may be used to cause currents of air toward the radiation fins  213 ,  223  of the first heat sink member  21  and second heat sink member  22  of the heat sink  20 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows an alternate form of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the heat sink  20  is comprised of a first heat sink member  21  and a second heat sink member  22 . The first heat sink member  21  and the second heat sink member  22  are shaped like a semicircular tube. The first heat sink member  21  and the second heat sink member  22  each comprise two mounting flanges  231  and a plurality of mounting holes  232  symmetrically formed in the mounting flanges  231 . The second heat sink member  22  is a smoothly arched plate member having a smooth outer surface without radiation fins.  
         [0020]     After connection of electricity to the ozone generator  10 , a corona discharge is produced in the annular air gap  30  between the center tube  16  and the rod electrode  122  of the center electrode assembly  12 . At the same time, a flow of air is delivered through the air passage, which is formed of the air inlet tube  145 , the annular air gap  30 , and the air outlet tube  182 . When air is passing through the corona discharge area, oxygen molecule bonds are broken, thereby producing monoatomic oxygen that is bonded with other oxygen molecules to form triatomic oxygen, i.e., the so-called ozone. Triatomic oxygen thus produced passes out of the ozone generator  10  through the air outlet tube  182 . During the aforesaid corona discharge, a big amount of heat is produced and transferred through the center tube  16  to the heat sink  20  where the radiation fins  213  and  223  of the first heat sink member  21  and second heat sink member  22  of the heat sink  20  dissipate heat into the open air, and therefore the concentration of the ozone generated by the ozone generator  10  is maintained within the expected range.  
         [0021]     A prototype of heat sink and ozone generator arrangement has been constructed with the features of FIGS.  1 ˜ 4 . The heat sink and ozone generator arrangement functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
         [0022]     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.