Aircraft Lighting Assembly With Beam Steering Without Moving Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional aircraft lighting systems require separate units for spotlights and wide-angle lights, are typically stationary, and need manual adjustment to maintain proper illumination during vehicle movement, which limits their effectiveness and safety.
Innovation Solution
A fixed lighting assembly with adjustable optics and LEDs that can change beam direction and intensity without moving parts, allowing for automatic or manual configuration into various modes such as spotlight, floodlight, or landing modes, and can steer the light beam across axes using lenses and strategically placed LEDs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate lighting units are used for spotlights and wide-angle lights, then specific lighting functions are achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple lighting functions (spotlight, wide-angle light, navigation light, position light) into a single integrated lighting unit. This single unit uses multiple light sources with different emission patterns and colors that can be selectively activated to provide all required lighting functions, thereby reducing the total number of separate lighting units while maintaining functional versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting unit is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously or selectively - it can operate as a spotlight, wide-angle light, navigation light, or position light depending on which light sources are activated. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated units for each lighting function
2Ease of operation
If lights are stationary, then structural simplicity is maintained, but illumination effectiveness decreases during vehicle movement
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting unit incorporates adjustable components that allow the beam direction and spread angle to be dynamically changed during operation. The system can switch between different lighting modes (spotlight, wide-angle, navigation, position) and adjust beam orientation to maintain effective illumination as the vehicle moves, transforming a static lighting system into a dynamic adaptive one
3Productivity
If manual adjustment is required for lighting orientation, then device complexity is reduced, but operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system automatically selects and switches between different lighting modes (spotlight, wide-angle, navigation, position) based on operational requirements. The system self-regulates which light sources are activated and adjusts beam orientation without requiring continuous manual intervention, thereby improving operational efficiency while incorporating intelligent control capabilities
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the performance and safety of aircraft operations by providing adaptable and efficient illumination that can be directed precisely where needed, reducing the need for multiple lighting units and manual adjustments, while maintaining lower heat and amperage usage.
Implementation Method 1
Lighting unit 100 may use a combination of LEDs (light emitting diodes), LED dies, optics, and/or lenses to focus light in different directions where illumination is desired
Implementation Method 2
Lighting unit 100 may use a combination of LEDs (light emitting diodes), LED dies, optics, and/or lenses to focus light in different directions where illumination is desired
Data Source
AI summary
A fixed lighting assembly that is able to change between configurations, including from a floodlight to a spotlight and any configuration in between, allows for a substantial improvement in performance and safety of a vehicle. Additionally, the fixed lighting assembly includes the capability for the light beam to move across one or more axis to steer the light to a desired direction without the use of moving parts. Instead, the steering is performed using lenses, strategically placed LEDs, optics, and associated drivers to illuminate different areas and create a variety of beam shapes. Additionally, the brightness or intensity of the beam can also be changed without using moving parts. A control module may be used to automatically configure these changes. The fixed lighting assembly may be manually controlled to change to one or more preconfigured modes, such as a spotlight mode, flood light mode, landing mode, taxiing mode, etc.