aircraft lighting fixtures

Abstract

To provide an aircraft lighting device that controls the direction of illumination to reliably illuminate the illumination area. [Solution] The system comprises a housing 2 with an opening on one side, a light-transmitting outer lens 5 provided in the opening 2a of the housing 2, an LED substrate provided inside the housing 2 and equipped with multiple LEDs, and an inner lens 10 provided inside the housing 2, having a mounting portion 11 and an equal number of lens portions 12 to 17 corresponding to each LED that emit light incident from each LED through the outer lens 5 toward the outside of the housing 2. Each lens portion 12 to 17 has an incident surface that is inclined toward the respective emission direction and an emission surface that is a convex curved surface, and the direction of emission of light is controlled by the inclination angle of each incident surface and the convex curved surface of each emission surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aircraft lighting fixture that is used by being mounted on an aircraft body.

Background Art

[0002] As external lighting, there are various types of aircraft lighting fixtures depending on the intended use. Examples include anti-collision lights for preventing collisions between aircraft, navigation lights for indicating the flight attitude and flight direction of the aircraft body, landing lights for illuminating the runway during takeoff and landing, ice detection lights for checking ice accretion on the aircraft body during high-altitude flight, and cargo loading lights for illuminating cargo during cargo loading and unloading. Such aircraft lighting fixtures are required to be compact and to illuminate a predetermined irradiation area with a predetermined illuminance.

[0003] To meet this demand, conventionally, an LED is used as the light source, and without providing a reflector, an inner lens in which a plurality of lens portions that are convex curved surface lenses are integrated is used to emit light from the LED so as to cover a predetermined irradiation area. In order to reliably illuminate the entire irradiation area, a multi-curved surface lens (Patent Document 1) or a prism (Patent Document 2) in which the irradiation direction of a part of the lens portion that controls the irradiation direction is different from that of the other lens portions is used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the conventional technology described above, the inner lens configuration becomes complex because specially structured multi-curved lenses or prisms are integrated with other general convex curved lens sections. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is not easy to manufacture an inner lens with the desired function.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide an aircraft lighting device that can reliably illuminate a desired illumination area using an inner lens in which multiple convex curved lens portions are integrally provided. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides an aircraft lighting fixture to be placed on the fuselage of an aircraft, comprising: a housing with an opening on at least one side; a light-transmitting outer lens provided in the opening of the housing; an LED substrate provided inside the housing and equipped with a plurality of LEDs which are light sources; and an inner lens provided inside the housing and having a mounting portion and the same number of lens portions corresponding to each of the LEDs which emit light incident from each of the LEDs through the outer lens toward the outside of the housing, wherein each lens portion has an incident surface that is inclined toward the emission direction and an emission surface that is a convex curved surface, thereby controlling the irradiation direction of the emitted light.

[0008] According to this embodiment, since each incident surface of each lens portion is a flat plane and is inclined toward the direction of emission, the irradiation direction of the emitted light emitted from the emission surface forming a spherical or aspherical convex curved lens can be controlled by the inclination angle of the incident surface.

[0009] Furthermore, in one embodiment, in addition to the above embodiment, the lens portions are arranged side by side, with the light emitted from the lens portion at one end being emitted toward the other end, and the light emitted from the lens portion at the other end being emitted toward the one end.

[0010] According to this embodiment, the light emitted from each lens portion is not obstructed by the aperture edge corresponding to the end of the housing in the direction in which the lens portions are aligned, and the emitted light is emitted so as to intersect outside the housing, thus ensuring that a wide illumination area is reliably illuminated.

[0011] Furthermore, in one embodiment, in addition to the above embodiments, the lens portions are arranged in two rows, with the light emitted from the lens portion of one row being emitted toward the other row, and the light emitted from the lens portion of the other row being emitted so as to intersect with the light emitted from the lens portion of the first row in the direction of emission.

[0012] According to this embodiment, the light emitted from each lens section intersects in front of the emission direction, so a wide illumination area can be reliably illuminated.

[0013] Furthermore, in one embodiment, in addition to the first and second embodiments, the lens portions are arranged in two rows, with the light emitted from the lens portions of one row being emitted toward the other row, and the light emitted from the lens portions of the other row being emitted so as to intersect with the light emitted from the lens portions of the first row outside the housing.

[0014] According to this embodiment, the light emitted from each lens section intersects outside the housing, so that it is not obstructed by the opening edge of the housing that extends along the row of lens sections and is not prevented from emitting outside the housing, and the illumination area can be reliably illuminated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] This invention provides an aircraft lighting device that can reliably illuminate an area by controlling the direction of illumination. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] A schematic perspective view showing an aircraft equipped with an aircraft lighting fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention, along with a partially enlarged view. [Figure 2] A perspective view similarly showing the mounted state of the aircraft lamp to the airframe. [Figure 3] An exploded view similarly of the aircraft lamp. [Figure 4] An exploded view similarly of the light source unit section. [Figure 5] A plan view similarly of the light source unit section. [Figure 6] A cross-sectional view taken along the A-A arrow line of Fig. 5, similarly with a part omitted. [Figure 7] A cross-sectional view taken along the B-B arrow line of Fig. 5, similarly with a part omitted. [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view taken along the C-C arrow line of Fig. 5, similarly with a part omitted. [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view taken along the D-D arrow line of Fig. 5, similarly with a part omitted. [Figure 10] A cross-sectional view taken along the E-E arrow line of Fig. 5, similarly with a part omitted. [Figure 11] A schematic diagram similarly schematically showing the emission direction of the emitted light from each lens portion. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the nature of the invention.

[0018] The present embodiment is a preferred example applied to a cargo loading light that illuminates the work area during loading and unloading of cargo into and from the cargo compartment of an aircraft, particularly the cargo located within the work area. As shown in Fig. 1, the aircraft lamp 1 is disposed on the airframe 101 in the vicinity of the loading / unloading opening 102 of the cargo compartment of the aircraft 100. For air transportation of cargo, cargo (not shown) loaded on the cargo transport vehicle 103 is carried into the cargo compartment through the loading / unloading opening 102, or the cargo in the cargo compartment is carried out from the cargo compartment through the loading / unloading opening 102 and loaded onto the cargo transport vehicle 103. The work area where this loading / unloading operation is performed is the illumination area, which is a three-dimensional region.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, the aircraft lighting fixture 1 consists of a housing 2, a light source unit 3, and an outer lens 4. As shown in Figure 2, the aircraft lighting fixture 1 is fixedly positioned by screwing a flange 2b, provided on the opening 2a (see Figure 3) of the housing 2, to the periphery of a recess (not shown) provided on the aircraft body 101 at the position where the aircraft lighting fixture 1 is to be positioned. In the following description, the vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back directions are defined as the front view of the aircraft lighting fixture 1 in its positioned state as shown in Figure 2. Note that these directions are for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the directions in the configuration of the embodiment.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the housing 2 is a bottomed elliptical cylindrical housing made of a metal material such as aluminum, with an open front surface that forms an opening 2a and a flange 2b provided around the periphery of the opening 2a. The light source unit 3 is housed inside the housing 2, and an outer lens 4 is provided to close the opening 2a. The housing 2 is provided with a connection part 21 for connecting a power supply line (not shown) to supply power from an external power source. In addition, a heat sink 22 is positioned on the rear surface of the housing 2 such that numerous heat dissipation fins are exposed through a rectangular through-hole (not shown).

[0021] The outer lens section 4 comprises a light-transmitting outer lens 5 made of heat-resistant glass and an elliptical, annular lens retainer 6 made of aluminum. The outer lens 5 is sandwiched at its periphery with the lens retainer 6 by a gasket (not shown) to ensure airtightness, and in this sandwiched state, it is fastened with screws 23 to four fixing parts 2c inside the housing 2. As a result, the inside of the housing 2 becomes a highly airtight storage space.

[0022] Next, the light source unit 3 will be described. As shown in Figure 4, the light source unit 3 comprises an inner lens 10, an LED substrate 30, and an LED module holder 40 that houses a control substrate (not shown).

[0023] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the LED module holder 40 is made of a metal material such as aluminum and is integrally formed as a whole. The front surface of the LED module holder 40 is a fixing surface 41 for fixing the LED substrate 30 and the inner lens 10. This fixing surface 41 is a square shape with rounded corners and is an inclined surface that slopes downward from left to right relative to the rear surface at a predetermined angle. This inclination angle is set according to the target illumination area. In addition, the left and right sides of the LED module holder 40 are provided with mounting parts 42a to 42d for screwing into the housing 2, and protruding shafts 43a and 43b for gripping the LED module holder 40 with a suitable tool such as pliers when removing it from the housing 2. The fixing surface 41 is provided with insertion holes 44 for inserting power supply lead wires (not shown) that will be described later for supplying power to each LED.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, the LED substrate 30 has a rectangular shape with cutouts at the four corners, and six LEDs 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, which are light sources, are mounted on its front surface in two rows of three at intervals. The LEDs 31, 32, and 33 in the upper row are arranged almost perpendicularly along the upper edge of the LED substrate 30, with the middle LED 32 positioned slightly towards the upper edge than the other LEDs 31 and 33. The LEDs 34, 35, and 36 in the lower row are arranged along the lower edge of the LED substrate 30, with the middle LED 35 positioned further towards the lower edge so as not to overlap the other LEDs 34 and 36 in the vertical direction. The LED substrate 30 is provided with through holes 37 and 38, and the LED substrate 30 is attached to the fixing surface 41 by fastening fixing members such as screws (not shown) through the through holes 37 and 38. Near the LED 35 of the LED substrate 30, an insertion hole 39 is provided, which corresponds to the insertion hole 44 of the fixed surface 41.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the inner lens 10 is made of a transparent material such as polycarbonate resin, has a rectangular planar shape, is approximately the same size as the fixing surface 41 of the LED module holder 40, and has rounded corners in accordance with the LED module holder 40. The inner lens 10 is integrally formed and comprises a mounting portion 11 formed from its peripheral edge and six lens portions 12 to 17 corresponding to each of the LEDs 31 to 36, which emit light incident from each of the LEDs 31 to 36 outwards from the outer lens 5 to the outside of the housing 2. The lens portions 12 to 17 are arranged in two rows of three, with adjacent portions overlapping.

[0026] The corners of the lens portions 12, 14, 15, and 17, which are located at the four corners of the inner lens 10, are cut out, and these cut-out corner portions 12c, 14c, 15c, and 17c also serve as part of the mounting portion 11. Since the aforementioned cut-out corner portions 12c, 14c, 15c, and 17c are located at the corners of the respective lens portions 12, 14, 15, and 17, they do not significantly affect the emission of light incident on each of the lens portions 12, 14, 15, and 17 from the respective LEDs 31 to 36.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, through holes 18a to 18d are provided in the notched corners 12c, 14c, 15c, and 17c, which are part of the mounting portion 11. The inner lens 10 is attached to the fixing surface 41 of the LED module holder 40 by fastening fixing members, such as screws (not shown), through the respective through holes 18a to 18d.

[0028] As shown in Figures 6 to 10, each lens portion 12 to 17 of the inner lens 10 has an incident surface 12a to 17a which is a plane inclined toward the respective emission direction, and an emission surface 12b to 17b which is a convex aspherical surface. The inclination angle of each incident surface 12a to 17a and the aspherical lenses of each emission surface 12b to 17b control the direction of the emitted light. The inclination angle of each incident surface 12a to 17a is set taking into consideration the inclination angle of the fixed surface 41 of the LED module holder 40. Each LED 31 to 36 corresponding to each lens portion 12 to 17 is positioned offset from the center of the corresponding lens portion 12 to 17 (see Figure 5). This makes it possible to shift the position of high illuminance in the irradiation area of ​​the emitted light from each lens portion 12 to 17 away from the center.

[0029] As shown in Figure 11(a), the inclination of each incident surface 12a to 17a causes the light emitted from each lens portion 12, 15 on the right end of each row (three lenses in two rows) to be emitted toward the left end, while the light emitted from each lens portion 14, 17 on the left end is emitted toward the right end. The lens portions 13, 16 located in the center are inclined toward the right end, similar to the lens portions 14, 17, but at a smaller angle than the lens portions 14, 17, and are configured to emit light toward the center than the lens portions 14, 17. With this configuration, the light emitted from each lens portion 12 to 17 is emitted to the outside of the housing 2 without being obstructed by the left and right opening edges of the housing 2 and the lens retainer 6.

[0030] Furthermore, the inclination angles of each incident surface 15a to 17a are set to be smaller and in the same direction as the inclination angles of the corresponding incident surfaces 12a to 14a above and below. As shown in Figure 11(b), the inclination of each incident surface 12a to 14a causes the light emitted from each lens section 12 to 14 in the upper row to be emitted in the direction of the lower row, and the inclination of each incident surface 15a to 17a causes the light emitted from each lens section 15 to 17 in the lower row to be emitted downward so as to intersect with the light emitted from each lens section 12 to 14 in the upper row outside the housing 2. With this configuration, the light emitted from each lens section 12 to 17 is emitted outside the housing 2 without being obstructed by the upper and lower opening edges of the housing 2 and the lens retainer 6.

[0031] By controlling the irradiation direction, which is the direction of emission of light from each lens section 12 to 17, the irradiation areas of each LED 31 to 36 corresponding to each lens section 12 to 17 partially overlap, forming a unified whole that is visible as if illuminated by a single light source.

[0032] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments. For example, the positional relationship between each of the LEDs 31-36 and each of the lens portions 12-17, which are located in corresponding positions to each other, may be set so that their respective central portions correspond to each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 1 Aircraft lights 2 Housing 2a opening 2b flange 2c Fixed part 3. Light source unit 4. Outer lens section 5 Outer Lens 6. Lens retainer 10 Inner Lenses 11 Mounting part 12-17 Lens section 12a~17a Incidence plane 12b~17b Output surface 12c, 14c, 15c, 17c Notched corners 30 LED boards 31-36 LEDs 40 LED Module Holders 41 Fixed surface

Claims

1. In aircraft lighting fixtures installed on the fuselage of an aircraft, A housing with at least one side open, A light-transmitting outer lens provided in the opening of the housing, An LED substrate is provided inside the housing and is equipped with multiple LEDs that serve as light sources, The housing is provided with an inner lens having a mounting portion and an equal number of lens portions corresponding to each LED, which allow light incident from each LED to pass through the outer lens and be emitted outwards from the housing. Each lens section has an incident surface that is a plane inclined toward each exit direction, and an exit surface that is a convex curved surface, controlling the direction of irradiation of the emitted light. A lighting fixture for aircraft characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned lens sections are arranged side by side, with light emitted from one end of the lens section directed toward the other end, and light emitted from the other end of the lens section directed toward the first end. The aircraft lighting fixture according to feature 1.

3. Each of the aforementioned lens sections is arranged in two rows, with the light emitted from one row of lens sections being directed toward the other row, and the light emitted from the other row of lens sections being directed toward the front of the light emitted from the first row of lens sections in the direction of emission. An aircraft lighting device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Each of the aforementioned lens sections is arranged in two rows, with the light emitted from one row of lens sections being directed toward the other row, and the light emitted from the other row of lens sections being directed so as to intersect with the light emitted from the first row of lens sections outside the housing. An aircraft lighting device according to claim 1 or 2.

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