Aircraft equipped with a wide-opening light signaling system
By incorporating light-emitting devices with protective glasses featuring localized thickness variations, the aircraft's anti-collision lighting system achieves enhanced angular opening and overlap with the tail device, addressing the limitations of existing systems and improving aircraft visibility and safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2020013348
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2020-12-16
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-27
- Estimated Expiration
- 2040-12-16
AI Technical Summary
Existing anti-collision lighting systems on aircraft have limited angular opening due to the embedding of light-emitting devices in the wing profile, which obstructs light beams and fails to ensure overlap with the light-emitting device on the tail.
The aircraft is equipped with a light signaling system featuring light-emitting devices at the wingtips and tail, with protective glasses having localized thickness variations to increase the angular opening of light beams, ensuring overlap with the tail device without compromising aerodynamic properties.
The solution enhances the angular opening of light beams, ensuring complete overlap with the tail device, thereby improving the visibility and safety of the aircraft in flight, while maintaining the aerodynamic integrity of the wing.
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Aircraft equipped with a wide-opening light signaling system Technical field
[0001] The technical field of the invention is aircraft signaling systems, and in particular such systems intended to avoid aircraft collisions. State of the prior art
[0002] An anti-collision lighting system allows an aircraft to be visible in flight or on the runway, regardless of the direction in which it is facing. In the case of a fixed-wing aircraft, the system generally comprises three light-emitting devices, one on the left wing preferentially emitting towards the left front, one on the right wing preferentially emitting towards the right front and one on the tail preferentially emitting to the rear. The light beams emitted by these devices overlap in order to emit light without discontinuity in all angular directions in the horizontal plane.
[0003] The light emitting devices located at the wingtip are embedded in the wing profile and protected from the environment by a protective glass or transparent plastic, depending on the shape of the wings.
[0004] The embedding in the wing profile is necessary to maintain the aerodynamic properties of the wing but generates an obstruction of a part of the emitted light beams limiting the angular opening of these beams.
[0005] The emitted light beams are subject to the Snell-Descartes laws when passing through the protective glass of the light emitting device. Depending on the material used to make the protective glass and the angle of incidence relative to the normal of the protective glass, the rays are transmitted with an incidence such that they are obscured by the embedding in the wing profile or even completely reflected inside the light emitting device.
[0006] It is thus understood that the geometry of the light emitting device and of the embedding as well as the nature of the protective glass limit the maximum angle of incidence of the light beams contributing to the angular opening in the horizontal plane of the anti-collision lighting system. In certain combinations of these parameters, the overlap with the light emitting device located on the tail of the device is then not ensured.
[0007] There is therefore a need for an anti-collision light system comprising at least one light-emitting device at the wingtip making it possible to obtain a sufficient angular opening in the horizontal plane to ensure overlap with the corresponding angular aperture of the light-emitting device arranged on the tail of the device. Statement of the invention
[0008] The subject of the invention is an aircraft equipped with a light signaling system comprising at least one light emitting device at the end of each wing and at least one light emitting device at the end of the tail, each light emitting device at the end of the wing being arranged in a recess made in the profile of the wing and comprising a covering, at least one light source and a protective glass arranged on the recess so that the outer surface matches the shape of the wing.
[0009] The inner surface of the protective glass is provided with at least one localized thickness variation so as to increase the angular opening of each light emitting device at the wingtip in order to ensure the overlap between the light emitting devices at the wingtip and the light emitted by the light emitting device on the tail.
[0010] The outer surface of the protective glass may be smooth so as not to modify the aerodynamic properties of the wing.
[0011] The localized thickness variation may be a concavity arranged opposite a light source and included in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane.
[0012] The localized thickness variation may be a concave section line aligned with a column of light emitting devices, and perpendicular to the horizontal plane.
[0013] The localized thickness variation may be a thickness discontinuity included in a plane normal to the plane of the wing.
[0014] The localized thickness variation may be a prism.
[0015] The localized thickness variation may be a circular concave cavity opposite the at least one light source.
[0016] A circular concave cavity can be obtained by intersecting a torus with the flat inner surface of the protective glass, the torus being centered on the direction normal to the protective glass aligned with the light source.
[0017] The protective glass may have a variable thickness so that the inner surface of the protective glass substantially matches the shape of the cavity, in order to minimize the distance between said inner surface and the at least one light source. Brief description of the drawings
[0018] Other aims, characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:
[0019] - [Fig.l] illustrates a sectional view in the plane of the wings of the aircraft of a device light emission of an anti-collision light system according to a first embodiment,
[0020] - [Fig.2] illustrates a sectional view in the plane of the wings of the aircraft of a device light emission of an anti-collision light system according to a second embodiment, and
[0021] - [Fig.3] illustrates a sectional view in the plane of the wings of the aircraft of a device light emission of an anti-collision light system according to a third embodiment, Detailed description
[0022] [Fig.l] illustrates a first embodiment of a light emitting device 1 at the end of an aircraft wing. More specifically, [Fig.l] is a sectional view in the plane of the wings of an aircraft of a light emitting device 1.
[0023] The light emitting device 1 comprises a covering 2 designed to be embedded in the profile of the wing 3, delimiting a cavity closed by a protective glass 4. The outer surface of the protective glass remains smooth.
[0024] The cavity comprises a light source 5 arranged so as to emit light towards the outside through the protective glass 4. The light emitting device 1 comprises means for supplying the light source, not illustrated.
[0025] In order to increase the opening in the plane of the wings of the light emitting device, the protective glass comprises a concave modification 6 of its entry surface in the horizontal plane arranged in front of the light source 5.
[0026] When the light-emitting device 1 comprises several light sources, arranged in particular in a matrix manner in rows and columns, the concave modification 6 takes the form of a concave section line opposite each column of light sources. It is noted that a column of sources is then defined as an alignment of sources along a line perpendicular to the plane of the wing.
[0027] A second embodiment of a light emitting device 1 is illustrated by [Fig.2], in which elements identical to those of [Fig.l] are designated by the same reference numeral.
[0028] The light emitting device 1 comprises a covering 2 designed to be embedded in the profile of the wing 3, delimiting a cavity closed by a protective glass 4. The outer surface of the protective glass remains smooth.
[0029] The cavity comprises a light source 5 arranged so as to emit light towards the outside through the protective glass 4. The light emitting device 1 comprises means for supplying the light source 5, not illustrated.
[0030] The light emitting device 1 comprises discontinuities 7 of thickness on a portion of the protective glass, the remainder of the protective glass remaining smooth. The discontinuities are advantageously arranged on the path of the light rays having the greatest incidence relative to the normal to the protective glass.
[0031] These discontinuities make it possible to locally reduce the angle of incidence of a part of the light rays of the beam and to increase the transmission coefficient. Thus the areas of the light beam which were degraded or obscured by the geometry of the wing are partly restored.
[0032] In a particular embodiment, each discontinuity has the shape of a prime.
[0033] These discontinuities make it possible to improve the overlap of the light beams emitted by the light emitting devices arranged at the wingtip and by the light emitting device arranged in the tail, by increasing the horizontal distribution of the light intensity in the plane of the wings emitted by the light emitting devices arranged at the wingtip.
[0034] A third embodiment of a light emitting device 1 is illustrated in [Fig.3].
[0035] This figure shows the light emitting device 1 and the covering 2 adapted to be embedded in the profile of the wing 3, delimiting a cavity closed by a protective glass 4. The outer surface of the protective glass remains smooth.
[0036] The light emitting device 1 comprises a plurality of light sources 5a arranged so as to emit light towards the outside through the protective glass 4. The light emitting device 1 comprises means for supplying the light sources 5a, not illustrated.
[0037] The protective glass 4 has a variable thickness so that the inner surface of the protective glass substantially matches the shape of the cavity, in order to minimize the distance between said inner surface and the plurality of light sources 5 a.
[0038] The inner surface of the protective glass is also provided with circular concave cavities opposite each light source 5a. A circular concave cavity is obtained by intersection of a torus with the flat inner surface of the protective glass.
[0039] This embodiment not only makes it possible to reduce the Fresnel losses for the entire light beam by reducing the number of interfaces but also to increase the opening in the plane of the wings beyond which the environment of the optical system obscures the beam.
[0040] Such a light emitting device has the advantage of integrating an optical beam broadening function into the protective glass.
[0041] Power is improved due to the reduction in the number of air-matter interfaces compared to a light emitting device comprising a protective glass. and a separate optical beam broadening means.
[0042] The beam width is also improved because the widening takes place at the level of the protective glass and is therefore not limited by the embedding in the wing.
[0043] In addition to improving the power and beam width, such a design reduces the number of parts to be manufactured while improving the depth compactness of the signaling system.
[0044] The light signaling system has been described in relation to an aircraft. However, it concerns any aircraft equipped with wings and a tail, such as in particular a helicopter or a drone.
Claims
Claims
1. Aircraft provided with a light signaling system comprising at least one light emitting device (1) at the end of each wing and at least one light emitting device at the end of the tail, each light emitting device (1) at the end of the wing being arranged in a recess made in the profile of the wing (3) and comprising a covering (2), at least one light source (5, 5a) and a protective glass (4) arranged on the recess so that the outer surface matches the shape of the wing, characterized in that the inner surface of the protective glass (4) is provided with at least one localized variation in thickness (6, 7, 8) so as to increase the angular opening of each light emitting device (1) at the end of the wing in order to ensure the overlap between the light emitting devices (1) at the end of the wing and the light emitted by the light emitting device on the tail.
2. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the protective glass (4) is smooth so as not to modify the aerodynamic properties of the wing.
3. Aircraft according to any one of claims 1 or 2, in which the localized thickness variation (6) is a concavity arranged opposite a light source and included in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane.
4. An aircraft according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the localized thickness variation (6) is a concave section line aligned with a column of light emitting devices, and perpendicular to the horizontal plane.
5. An aircraft according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the localized thickness variation (7) is a thickness discontinuity comprised in a plane normal to the plane of the wing.
6. An aircraft according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the localized thickness variation (7) is a prism.
7. An aircraft according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the localized thickness variation (8) is a circular concave cavity opposite the at least one light source (5a).
8. An aircraft according to claim 7, wherein a circular concave cavity is obtained by intersection of a torus with the flat inner surface of the protective glass, the torus being centered on the normal direction to the protective glass aligned with the light source.
9. Aircraft according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein the protective glass (4) has a variable thickness so that the inner surface of the protective glass (4) substantially matches the shape of the cavity, in order to minimize the distance between said inner surface and the at least one light source (5a).