Aircraft Cabin Lighting Device for Gap Illumination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting solutions for aircraft cabins, which involve drilling holes in trim panels for neon tube fixtures, can cause panel damage and require lengthy maintenance procedures as operators must remove lighting elements and power supplies before disassembly, leading to loss of cabin lighting.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a lighting device with a housing fixed to the fuselage rails, featuring a concave shape matching the trim panels, allowing lighting through gaps without mechanical connection to the panels, facilitating disassembly and maintaining cabin illumination during trim panel removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If lighting elements are fixed by drilling holes in trim panels, then the cabin can be illuminated, but the trim panels may break during drilling and maintenance becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is segmented into independent components: the lighting element remains fixed in the fuselage structure while the trim panel is a separate removable component. This segmentation allows the lighting system to remain functional while the trim panel is removed for maintenance, eliminating the need to remove lighting elements during panel maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting element is extracted from the trim panel structure and repositioned to be fixed directly to the fuselage. This extraction removes the harmful mechanical connection between the lighting element and trim panel, allowing the panel to be removed without disturbing the lighting system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If lighting elements are drilled into trim panels, then the panels can provide integrated lighting, but the panels become fragile and prone to breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting element is extracted from the trim panel and repositioned to the fuselage structure. This removes the drilling operation from the panel fabrication process, preserving the panel's structural integrity and eliminating the creation of stress concentration points that would make the panel prone to breaking.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuselage structure acts as an intermediary carrier for the lighting element. Instead of the trim panel directly supporting the lighting element (which requires drilling), the fuselage serves as the mounting structure, allowing the panel to remain intact while still achieving integrated lighting functionality.
3Ease of repair
If lighting elements are removed during trim panel disassembly, then the panels can be maintained, but the cabin loses its lighting and maintenance time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented so that the lighting element is part of the fixed fuselage structure while the trim panel is a separate removable component. This allows the panel to be disassembled and maintained independently without affecting the lighting system, eliminating the time-consuming process of removing and reinstalling lighting elements during maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting element remains continuously functional during trim panel maintenance operations. Since the lighting element is fixed to the fuselage and not the removable panel, it continues to provide cabin illumination throughout the maintenance process, eliminating periods of darkness and reducing overall maintenance time.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft fuselage comprising a structural wall and a floor delimiting a cabin for passengers, said wall being covered by a plurality of adjacent trim panels arranged in succession in the longitudinal direction of the fuselage and spaced from one another with a gap between two adjacent panels. Each panel is also fixed to the wall and has a concave shape adapted to the shape of the fuselage. At least one lighting device is disposed at the level of at least one of the gaps and is arranged perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage. The lighting device comprises a housing fixed to the wall. The housing is provided with an opening on a face oriented toward the interior of said cabin. The housing further comprises at least one lighting element making it possible to light the cabin through the gap.