Patent ID: 7400445

Claim:
An accelerated weathering device comprising: a weathering fixture adapted to hold at least one product sample; an illuminator disposed proximate to the weathering fixture wherein the illuminator comprises a light source and an optical filter disposed proximate to the light source, the optical filter comprising a detectable amount of at least one visible light absorbing component in a total amount of less than 0.5 wt-% based on the total elemental concentration of the optical filter, the remainder of the optical filter comprises one or more inorganic oxides that do not absorb visible or ultraviolet light, and wherein illumination passed through the optical filter has a first ratio of total irradiance for wavelengths shorter than 290 nm to total irradiance for wavelengths ranging from 300 nm to 400 nm of less than 2.0×10 −6 , a second ratio of irradiance at 310 nm to total irradiance for wavelengths ranging from 300 nm to 400 nm of at least 1.2×10 −3 , and a third ratio of total irradiance at wavelengths ranging from 400 nm to 700 nm to total irradiance at wavelengths ranging from 290 nm to 800 nm of at least 0.6.