aircraft lighting fixtures

Abstract

We provide a compact aircraft lighting fixture that houses a detachable light module. [Solution] The present invention provides an aircraft lighting device comprising a housing with a front opening, an outer lens detachably attached to the front opening of the housing and defining a light chamber inside, a light source, a substrate on which the light source is mounted, an inner lens that receives light emitted from the light source, forms it into a predetermined light distribution and emits it, and a light module detachably installed inside the light chamber, wherein the light module has an outer shape smaller than the entrance to the light chamber when viewed from the front, and has protrusions formed approximately in the center of the left and right sides. The light module can be removed from the light chamber by grasping the protrusions. The gap between the housing and the light module can be reduced, and the entire lighting device can be made smaller.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Aircraft lighting fixtures include various types of fixtures as external lighting according to their intended use. A lighting fixture provided on an aircraft body is required to allow a light module arranged in a lamp chamber to be replaceable. For this reason, the housing of the aircraft lighting fixture has a large opening and is formed in a dish shape (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when the opening of the housing is enlarged, the light module is easy to take out, but there is a problem that the entire lighting fixture becomes large. Aircraft lighting fixtures are desired to be compact due to issues related to arrangement and weight.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide an aircraft lighting fixture that accommodates a detachable light module and can be reduced in size.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, in a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a light module is provided which is detachably installed inside the light chamber, having a housing with a front opening, an outer lens detachably attached to the front opening of the housing and defining a light chamber inside, a light source, a substrate on which the light source is mounted, an inner lens that receives light emitted from the light source, forms it into a predetermined light distribution and emits it, and a retaining member to which the substrate and the inner lens are fixed, wherein the light module has an outer shape smaller than the entrance to the light chamber when viewed from the front, and protrusions are formed approximately in the center of the left and right sides.

[0007] Furthermore, in a second embodiment, the light module and the lantern are configured in a roughly columnar shape that is pushed out in the front-rear direction, as in the first embodiment.

[0008] Furthermore, in a third embodiment, in the first or second embodiment, a plate having an opening smaller than the front opening is attached to the front opening to constitute the inner flange portion of the housing, and the opening becomes the entrance / exit.

[0009] Furthermore, in a fourth embodiment, as in the first to third embodiments, mounting portions for the housing are provided protruding from the left and right sides of the light module, and these mounting portions are spaced apart from the back surface of the light module and offset vertically from the protrusions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a miniaturized aircraft lighting fixture that houses a detachable light module. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows the usage state of an aircraft lighting device according to a preferred embodiment of this configuration. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of an aircraft lighting fixture. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of an aircraft lighting fixture. [Figure 4] This is a horizontal cross-sectional view of an aircraft lighting fixture. [Figure 5] The light module is shown. Figure 5(A) is a top view. Figure 5(B) is a left side view. Figure 5(C) is a perspective view. [Figure 6] This is an aircraft light fixture with the cover removed. [Figure 7] This shows how to remove the light module using tools. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments of this configuration will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative and not limiting to the invention, and not all features or combinations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. In addition, in the descriptions of embodiments and modifications, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and redundant descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0013] (Aircraft lights) Figure 1 is a perspective view of aircraft 100 equipped with aircraft lighting fixture 1. It shows the aircraft lighting fixture 1 in use. Figure 2 is an external perspective view of aircraft lighting fixture 1. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of aircraft lighting fixture 1. Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of aircraft lighting fixture 1.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the aircraft 100 has a cargo compartment door 102 on the side of the fuselage 101. The aircraft light 1 is a cargo light used when loading / unloading cargo from the aircraft 100 at night or in dark weather. The aircraft light 1 is installed on the fuselage 101 near the bottom of the door 102 and illuminates the area around the entrance to the cargo compartment.

[0015] As shown in Figure 3, the aircraft lighting fixture 1 includes a housing 2, an outer lens 4, a plate 3, an inner lens 5, a light source substrate 6 on which a light source 6a is mounted, a holding member 8, and a heat sink 9.

[0016] A front opening 2a is formed on the front surface of the box-shaped housing 2, and an outer lens 4 is attached to the front opening 2a to define a lamp chamber S on the inner side. In the aircraft lamp 1, the front direction is mainly the direction in which light is emitted, and in the following description, the direction of the front opening 2a of the housing 2 is defined as the front, and the directions of front, rear, left, right, top and bottom are indicated.

[0017] The housing 2 is manufactured by pressing a flat metal member such as aluminum or copper alloy, and has a rear surface 2d and a peripheral side surface 2b standing forward from the peripheral edge of the rear surface 2d, and an outer flange 2c is formed on the peripheral edge of the front opening 2a.

[0018] The front opening 2a of the housing 2 has a substantially rectangular shape, with left and right sides formed as arcs bulging outward. The rear surface 2d and the front opening 2a of the housing 2 are generally of the same shape, and the lamp chamber S has a substantially columnar (substantially rectangular parallelepiped) extruded shape formed by extruding the front opening 2a rearward.

[0019] The plate 3 is a flat metal plate with an opening 3a formed in the center, and is attached to the front surface of the housing 2 so as to cover the front opening 2a of the housing 2. The opening 3a of the plate 3 is smaller than the front opening 2a. When the plate 3 is attached to the housing 2, the region from the opening 3a of the plate 3 to the front opening 2a serves as an inner flange portion 3b of the housing 2, and the opening 3a serves as the access port of the lamp chamber S.

[0020] The aircraft lamp 1 is attached substantially horizontally to the fuselage 101 of the aircraft 100 located at an extremely high position above the ground. If a component dropped into the lamp chamber S slides down directly from the lamp chamber S and falls off the aircraft lamp 1, it is extremely dangerous even if the component is small. By attaching the plate 3 and providing the inner flange portion 3b at the front opening 2a, components in the lamp chamber S are prevented from falling out of the lamp chamber S, and such risks are avoided.

[0021] The outer lens 4 has an outer lens body 4a and a frame 4b provided in a frame shape around the outer circumference of the outer lens body 4a. The outer lens body 4a is made of a light-transmitting resin material such as glass or polycarbonate resin. The frame 4b is made of a metal plate and the outer lens body 4a is fitted into a large opening in the center and integrated into it. The part that comes into contact with the plate 3 has a cushioning gasket (not shown), and the height of the outer lens 4 can be adjusted by the tightening depth of the first fixing member B1, which will be described later.

[0022] An L-shaped nut 11 is positioned on the inner surface of the circumferential side surface 2b of the housing 2, near the front opening 2a, and is fixed with screws. The bolt of the first fixing member B1 is inserted through a hole provided in the frame 4b and screwed into the L-shaped nut 11. In this way, the outer lens 4 is fastened to the housing 2, sandwiching the plate 3 fixed to the front opening 2a.

[0023] The L-shaped nut 11 has a fixing surface and a locking surface that are perpendicular to each other. The locking surface is provided with a female threaded portion, and the fixing surface is fixed to the inner surface of the circumferential surface 2b so as to be flush with the outer flange 2c. A notch 3c is formed in the plate 3 corresponding to the arrangement of the L-shaped nut 11. The outer lens 4 is fixed to the housing 2 by the first fixing member B1, and the outer lens 4 can be removed from the housing 2 by removing the first fixing member B1. In this way, the outer lens 4 is detachably attached to the housing 2. The attachment method is not limited to L-shaped nuts; the outer lens 4 may also be attached to the outer flange 2c. Furthermore, the detachable fixing method for the outer lens 4 is not limited to screwing or fastening; it may be configured to be detachable using conventionally known configurations such as lance engagement or concave / concave engagement.

[0024] An earth cable 10 extending from inside the light chamber S is connected to the outer lens 4. The other end of the earth cable 10 is fixed to the housing 2 of the light chamber S. Even if lightning strikes and causes electrical current to flow to the housing 2, electricity will flow from the earth cable 10 through the housing 2 to the fuselage 101, preventing the aircraft lighting fixture 1 from failing due to overcurrent caused by the lightning strike. Since the earth cable 10 is connected with sufficient slack, even if the outer lens 4 is removed, the outer lens 4 will remain connected to the housing 2 by the earth cable 10. The earth cable 10 acts as a lifeline, preventing the outer lens 4 from falling off the housing 2.

[0025] A light module M is housed inside the lantern chamber S. Figure 5 shows the light module M. The light module M consists of an inner lens 5, a light source substrate 6 on which a light source 6a is mounted, a control substrate 7, and a holding member 8 to which these are attached.

[0026] The retaining member 8 is made of a metal material such as aluminum, and its outer shape is roughly columnar (roughly rectangular). The front surface 8b of the retaining member 8 serves as a base for fixing the light source substrate 6 and the inner lens 5, and is an inclined surface that is tilted at a predetermined angle to the rear surface. The inside of the retaining member 8 is hollow, and the control substrate 7 is housed and fixed therein (see Figure 4).

[0027] The retaining member 8 has two outwardly protruding mounting portions 8a on each of its left and right sides. There are a total of four mounting portions 8a on the left and right sides of the retaining member 8, two at the top and two at the bottom, near and spaced apart from the rear surface.

[0028] Furthermore, cylindrical protrusions 8c are provided approximately in the center of the left and right sides. As shown in Figure 5, the protrusions 8c are located in the center of the two mounting parts 8a in the vertical direction, and are also offset in the front-to-back direction from the two mounting parts 8a located closer to the rear. The reason why the protrusions 8c are located approximately in the center of the left and right sides, and why they are offset in the vertical and depth directions from the two upper and lower mounting parts 8a, is to allow the light module M to be removed from the light chamber S and installed inside the light chamber S. More details will be described later.

[0029] The inner lens 5 is made of a transparent material such as glass or polycarbonate resin, and its outer shape is generally the same as that of the light source substrate 6. The inner lens 5 has lens portions that bulge out in a convex shape on its surface, corresponding to the arrangement of the light sources 6a, and adjacent lens portions are joined together. In this embodiment, six light sources 6a are mounted on the light source substrate 6, and the inner lens 5 is a multi-curved lens in which six hemispherical lenses are integrated.

[0030] The front surface 8b of the retaining member 8, the inner lens 5, and the light source substrate 6 are roughly the same size externally. Through holes are formed in the four corners of the inner lens 5 and the four corners of the light source substrate 6, and the light source substrate 6 and the inner lens 5 are assembled integrally to the front surface 8b of the retaining member 8 in a stacked state by fixing members such as screws.

[0031] The heat sink 9, positioned inside the lamp chamber S, is fixed to the rear surface 2d of the housing 2 with its fins 9a exposed to the outside of the lamp chamber S through an opening provided on the rear surface 2d of the housing 2. Mounting portions 9b protruding forward are provided at the four corners of the front surface of the heat sink 9. The mounting portions 9b are formed to correspond to the mounting portions 8a of the retaining member 8, and a female screw portion 9c extending in the front-to-back direction is formed in the center of the front surface of the mounting portions 9b.

[0032] On the front surface of the heatsink 9, relative recesses are formed by mounting portions 9b protruding at the four corners, into which the retaining member 8 fits. When the retaining member 8 fits into the recesses on the front surface of the heatsink 9, the through hole 8d formed in the center of the mounting portion 8a of the retaining member 8 communicates with the female thread portion 9c. When the bolt of the second fixing member B2 is inserted through the through hole 8d and screwed into the female thread portion 9c, the light module M is fixed to the front surface 8b of the heatsink 9. When the second fixing member B2 is removed, the light module M becomes detachable from the heatsink 9 and can be removed from the light chamber S. In this way, the light module M is detachably attached to the heatsink 9 and placed inside the light chamber S.

[0033] To prevent the second fixing member B2 from falling out, a cylindrical elastic member is fitted into the through hole 8d. The second fixing member B2 is inserted through the inner hole of the cylindrical elastic member and positioned in the through hole 8d. Even if the second fixing member B2 is removed from the heat sink 9, the elastic force of the elastic member holds the second fixing member B2 in place in the through hole 8d, preventing it from falling out of the light module M.

[0034] A male connector 7a, fixed to the housed control board 7, is exposed through a notch on the left side of the retaining member 8. A female connector (not shown) connected to the aircraft's power supply is connected to the male connector 7a within the lighting chamber S, thereby supplying power to the aircraft lighting fixture 1.

[0035] (Attaching and detaching the light module) Figure 6 is a front view of the aircraft lighting fixture 1 with the outer lens 4 removed. Plate 3 is colored with light gray to indicate the opening 3a. In addition, the light module M is colored with dark gray.

[0036] As shown in Figure 6, when the aircraft lighting fixture 1 is viewed from the front, the opening 3a is viewed from the front. The holding member 8 of the light module M is roughly columnar in shape, as if extruded in the front-to-back direction, and is roughly rectangular in shape. The outer shape of the light module M, including the mounting part 8a and projection 8c that protrude from the side, is smaller than the opening 3a. For this reason, the light module M can be removed from the opening 3a. When replacing the light source 6a, the entire light module M is removed from the opening 3a and replaced with a new light module M.

[0037] When replacing the light module M, the worker grasps the side of the light module M and removes it through the opening 3a. Because the projection 8c protrudes, the worker can hook the projection 8c with their fingertips when pulling or grasping the light module M. Furthermore, to ensure that the worker can stably remove the light module M, it is preferable to use a tool that can grip with its tip, such as pliers or needle-nose pliers.

[0038] Figure 7 shows, as an example, the state in which the light module M is removed from the light chamber S using a tool T (pliers) with two arms connected by a joint so as to be able to rotate relative to each other. As shown in Figure 7, the worker grips the projections 8c that protrude to the left and right from the side of the holding member 8 with the two tools T. Because the projections 8c of the light module M are gripped by the two tools T, the worker can lift the light module M stably.

[0039] When an operator lifts the light module with tool T, it is preferable to grasp and support the projection 8c near the joint rather than grasping it with the tip of tool T, as this allows for a more stable lift of the light module M. Furthermore, it is preferable that the tips of the two arms are placed on the upper and lower mounting parts 8a, as this allows the light module M to be supported at three points: the projection 8c, the upper mounting part 8a, and the lower mounting part 8a, thus allowing for a more stable lift of the light module M. The two arms of tool T fit between the upper and lower mounting parts 8a, opening the openings at the tips to apply force from above and below to support the light module M, while the projection 8c fits into the constricted part of the two arms, preventing rotation (see Figure 5(B)). The projection 8c is preferably cylindrical so that it can be easily grasped by tool T from any angle. The mounting part 8a is preferably rectangular parallelepiped so that it can be easily gripped by tool T.

[0040] In this embodiment, the aircraft lighting fixture 1 is positioned generally horizontally, and an inner flange portion 3b is formed in the front opening 2a to prevent it from falling out. Therefore, when removing the light module M from the lighting chamber S, it is necessary not only to pull the light module M from inside the lighting chamber S forward, but also to lift it up and remove it from the lighting chamber S through the opening 3a. When the arm of the tool T is placed on the upper mounting portion 8a, it supports the light module M, and the mounting portion 8a stops rotating around the projection 8c, allowing the light module M to be lifted up and removed from the lighting chamber S without rotating it. In this embodiment, since the mounting portion 8a of the holding member 8 is provided spaced apart from the rear surface of the holding member 8, the tip of the tool T can be inserted behind the rear surface of the holding member 8, and the arm can be placed on the mounting portion 8a.

[0041] (Replacement procedure) Here is an example of the procedure for replacing the light module M. First, remove the first fixing member B1 with a tool such as a screwdriver, and then remove the outer lens 4. Since the outer lens 4 is connected to the ground cable 10, even if the worker releases the outer lens 4 after removing it, it will remain suspended by the ground cable 10 and will not fall.

[0042] Next, the female connector (not shown) connected to the male connector 7a of the light module M is removed. Then, a tool such as a screwdriver is inserted to release the fixing of the second fixing member B2. The light module M, released from the fixing of the second fixing member B2, falls into the light room S. Even if the aircraft light fixture 1 is positioned below horizontal, the plate 3 and the inner flange portion 3b of the front opening 2a prevent the light module M from falling out of the light room S. Furthermore, as described above, the second fixing member B2 is held in place by the mounting portion 8a of the retaining member 8 without falling out.

[0043] The worker holds a tool (tool T as an example) in both hands, grasps the projection 8c with tool T, hooks the arm of tool T onto the mounting part 8a, lifts the light module M, and removes it from the lamp chamber S (see Figure 7). The worker then installs the new light module M into the lamp chamber S using the reverse procedure described above.

[0044] (Effects and Benefits) The light module M is designed to be easily lifted because it can be grasped and lifted by its projection 8c. Therefore, even if the gap between the light chamber S and the light module M is narrowed, it can still be removed from the light chamber S. This configuration allows for a miniaturization of the entire lighting fixture. Even if the outer dimensions of the light module M are increased to the size of the entrance to the light chamber S, it can still be removed from the light chamber S.

[0045] When a worker uses a tool that can be gripped with two arms, such as pliers (for example, tool T), the arms of such a tool are generally thinner than fingers, thus reducing the gap between the light module M and the light chamber S that houses the light module M. This allows the overall shape of the aircraft lighting fixture 1 to be reduced. Even if the gap between the entrance to the light chamber S and the overall shape of the light module M is too narrow for a finger to fit, the light module M can be removed from the light chamber S by inserting a tool and gripping the projection 8c. As in this embodiment, it is preferable that the overall shape of the light chamber S and the overall shape of the light module M are similar. This reduces the gap between the inner surface of the housing 2 and the light module M, thereby reducing the overall shape of the aircraft lighting fixture 1.

[0046] The aircraft lighting fixture 1 has a housing 2 with its circumferential surface 2b extending in the front-to-back direction, and the light chamber S also has a roughly extruded shape, as if pushed out in the front-to-back direction. The light module M also has a shape that extends in the front-to-back direction. Both the light chamber S, which houses the size of the light module M, and the light module M itself have a shape that appears to be pushed out in the front-to-back direction, which is the direction in which the light module M is removed. As a result, the space between the light module M and the light chamber S can be efficiently narrowed, allowing the aircraft lighting fixture 1 to be made smaller.

[0047] In aircraft lighting fixtures installed on the fuselage of an aircraft, preventing parts from falling off is crucial for safety. In aircraft lighting fixture 1, an inner flange portion 3b is provided to act as a fall-prevention wall for the light chamber S, suppressing the detachment of parts from the light chamber S. While the presence of an inner flange makes it difficult to remove large parts such as modules from the light chamber S, in this embodiment, a projection 8c is provided to make it easier to lift and remove the parts from the light chamber S.

[0048] The configuration allows not only the projection 8c but also the mounting portion 8a to be hooked onto the tool's arm, enabling stable removal of the light module M. Furthermore, the operator can stably lift the light module M by gripping either of the projections 8c protruding from the sides of the holding member 8 with a single tool. Since the tool used is not a specialized tool for aircraft lighting 1, but rather a standard pair of pliers readily available to the operator, the light module M can be easily attached and detached. In this embodiment, the projection 8c has a protrusion length similar to (or even shorter than) the mounting portion 8a, so it does not interfere with removal and minimizes the gap.

[0049] Attaching plate 3 is not mandatory, and the front opening 2a may be configured as an entrance to the lamp chamber S. If there is no risk of parts falling out, such as when the front opening 2a is positioned facing upwards, then it is not necessary to attach plate 3. The outer lens 4 only needs to have at least a portion of the lens that defines the lamp chamber S as a light-transmitting portion, and may consist only of a light-transmitting material, or it may be a two-color molded product.

[0050] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and it is possible to combine them based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such forms are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1:Aircraft lights 2: Housing 2a: Front opening 3: Plate 3a: opening 3b: Inner flange section 4: Outer lens 5: Inner lens 6: Substrate for light source (substrate) 6a: Light source 8: Retaining member 8a: Mounting part 8c: Protrusion 100: Aircraft M: Light Module S:Light room

Claims

1. A housing with a front opening, An outer lens that is detachably attached to the front opening of the housing and defines a light chamber on the inside, A light module is detachably installed in the lamp chamber, comprising a light source, a substrate on which the light source is mounted, an inner lens that receives light emitted from the light source, forms it into a predetermined light distribution, and a holding member to which the substrate and the inner lens are fixed. Equipped with, The aforementioned light module, when viewed from the front, has a smaller outer shape than the entrance to the light chamber, and has protrusions formed approximately in the center of its left and right sides. A lighting fixture for aircraft characterized by the following features.

2. The light module and the light chamber are configured in a roughly columnar shape that is pushed out in the front-rear direction. The aircraft lighting fixture according to feature 1.

3. A plate with an opening smaller than the front opening is attached to the front opening to form the inner flange portion of the housing, and the opening becomes the entrance / exit. An aircraft lighting fixture according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Mounting portions for the housing are provided protruding from the left and right sides of the light module. The mounting portion is provided spaced apart from the back of the light module and offset vertically from the projection. An aircraft lighting fixture according to claim 1 or 2.

5. Mounting portions for the housing are provided protruding from the left and right sides of the light module. The mounting portion is provided spaced apart from the back of the light module and offset vertically from the projection. The aircraft lighting fixture according to feature 3.

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