Aircraft Navigation Light With Red Filter for Brightness Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aircraft navigation lights with green and red LEDs often have brightness discrepancies due to differing luminous flux, necessitating separate designs and increased certification and production costs.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a red light filter to adjust the luminous flux of green LEDs to match red LEDs, allowing a single design to be used for both left and right navigation lights, with a shared power supply and orientation sensor for automatic color selection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If green LEDs are used for right-side navigation lights and red LEDs for left-side navigation lights, then the navigation lights can provide their respective colors, but the green navigation light is perceived as brighter than the red navigation light due to higher luminous flux of green LEDs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrightness of navigation light outputVSAvoidperceived brightness balance between green and red lights

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by introducing a red light filter that selectively attenuates the luminous flux of green LEDs. The filter modifies the optical parameter (luminous flux) of the green light source to reduce its perceived brightness, thereby balancing the visual output between green and red navigation lights while maintaining their respective color characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The red light filter acts as an intermediary element placed between the green LED light source and the external environment. This intermediary component selectively blocks portions of the green light spectrum to reduce luminous flux, enabling brightness balancing without directly modifying the LED itself or requiring separate green and red LED designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If separate designs are used for green and red navigation lights to account for brightness differences, then each light can be optimized for its color, but the device complexity and certification requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolor accuracy of navigation lightVSAvoidnumber of different light designs

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universality by designing a single navigation light assembly that can function for both left-side (red) and right-side (green) positions. The same physical housing, mounting structure, and optical elements are used, with only the LED color and filter configuration differing. This reduces the number of unique designs from two complete assemblies to one standardized platform with variable components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by making only the necessary local modifications to achieve color differentiation. Instead of redesigning entire assemblies, only specific components (LED type and filter) are changed locally within the standardized housing, maintaining overall design consistency while accommodating the specific color requirements of each navigation light position

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Illumination intensity

If different designs are used for green and red navigation lights, then brightness can be optimized for each color, but production costs and assembly complexities increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrightness of navigation lightVSAvoidproduction cost and assembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The standardized housing and mounting structure serve multiple functions across both left and right navigation light installations. This universal platform allows for bulk production of common components, reducing per-unit manufacturing costs and simplifying inventory management, while still enabling color-specific optimizations through interchangeable LED and filter combinations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Achieves comparable brightness for green and red navigation lights, reducing certification efforts, production costs, and assembly complexities while meeting regulatory requirements.

Implementation Method 1

the red light filter reduces the luminous flux of the green navigation light output

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight filtering: Filter (optical)

Data Source

PatentEP4596422A1Aircraft navigation light and aircraft comprising the same

Publication Date: 2025.08.06 GOODRICH LIGHTING SYST GMBH

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AI summary

An aircraft navigation light (8) comprises a support portion (80), a light source comprising at least one green LED (81), the light source being arranged on the support portion, an optical element (84) arranged over the light source for shaping an aircraft navigation light output, and a red light filter (210). A method of producing an aircraft navigation light (8) comprises the steps of providing a support portion (80), providing a light source comprising at least one green LED (81), arranging the light source on the support portion (80), molding an optical element (84) over the light source, and molding a red light filter (210) over the optical element (91).