Aircraft headlight, aircraft comprising an aircraft headlight and method of manufacturing an aircraft headlight

Abstract

An aircraft headlight comprises at least one light source and an integrated, single-piece optical structure. The integrated, single-piece optical structure includes a light transmissive protective cover portion, forming an outer light emission surface of the aircraft headlight, and at least one reflector portion, arranged for directing light that is emitted by the at least one light source through the light transmissive protective cover portion.

Claims

1. An aircraft headlight, comprising: at least one light source; a housing accommodating the at least one light source; and an integrated, single-piece optical structure, which includes: a light transmissive protective cover portion, forming an outer light emission surface of the headlight, wherein the integrated, single-piece optical structure including the light transmissive protective cover portion closes the housing at least on one side thereof; and at least one reflector portion, arranged for directing light that is emitted by the at least one light source through the light transmissive protective cover portion, wherein the at least one reflector portion protrudes into an inner space of the housing thereby positioning the at least one light source between the light transmissive protective cover portion and the at least one reflector portion, wherein the integrated, single-piece optical structure substantially has a u-shape or a v-shape in at least one cross-section, with the light transmissive protective cover portion forming a first leg and the at least one reflector portion forming a second leg of the u-shape or the v-shape, wherein the integrated, single-piece optical structure is an injection-molded structure and is made from a polymer based material, and wherein a metallic reflective coating is provided at the at least one reflector portion.

2. The aircraft headlight according to claim 1, wherein the light transmissive protective cover portion has a substantially rectangular shape, wherein the substantially rectangular shape has a lateral extension (L) of between 40 mm and 150 mm, and wherein the substantially rectangular shape has a height extension (H) of between 20 mm and 50 mm.

3. The aircraft headlight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reflector portion has an at least partially spherical shape or an at least partially parabolic shape.

4. The aircraft headlight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises a plurality of light sources; wherein the at least one reflector portion comprises a plurality of reflector portions; and wherein each of the plurality of reflector portions is associated with one or more of the plurality of light sources and is arranged for directing light from the one or more light sources through the light transmissive protective cover portion.

5. The aircraft headlight according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft headlight is a landing light, a take-off light, a taxi light, a runway turn-off light, or a multi-functional light, which combines the functionalities of at least two of a landing light, a take-off light, a taxi light, and a runway turn-off light.

6. An aircraft, such as an airplane or a rotorcraft, comprising the at least one aircraft headlight according to claim 1, wherein the at least one aircraft headlight is installed in a wing of the aircraft or in a wing root of the aircraft or on a running gear of the aircraft.

7. A method of manufacturing an aircraft headlight, wherein the method comprises: forming an integrated, single-piece optical structure, which includes: a light transmissive protective cover portion; and at least one reflector portion; arranging at least one light source at at least one predefined position between the light transmissive protective cover portion and the at least one reflector portion with respect to the integrated, single-piece optical structure, such that the at least one reflector portion directs light emitted by the at least one light source through the light transmissive protective cover portion; arranging the at least one light source in a housing; arranging the integrated, single-piece optical structure in the aircraft headlight such that the light transmissive protective cover portion forms an outer light emission surface of the aircraft headlight; and arranging the integrated, single-piece optical structure to cooperate with the housing, wherein the integrated, single-piece optical structure closes the housing at least on one side thereof; and applying a metallic reflective coating to at the at least one reflector portion, wherein the integrated, single-piece optical structure substantially has a u-shape or a v-shape in at least one cross-section, with the light transmissive protective cover portion forming a first leg and the at least one reflector portion forming a second leg of the u-shape or the v-shape, and wherein the integrated, single-piece optical structure is formed by injection-molded structure and is made from a polymer based material.

8. The aircraft headlight according to claim 2, wherein the substantially rectangular shape has a lateral extension (L) of between 80 mm and 120 mm.

9. The aircraft headlight according to claim 2, wherein the substantially rectangular shape has a height extension (H) of between 25 mm and 40 mm.

10. The aircraft headlight according to claim 1, wherein the polymer based material is a polycarbonate based material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further embodiments of the invention will be described in the following with respect to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1A depicts a schematic top view of an aircraft in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein the aircraft is equipped with a plurality of aircraft headlights according to exemplary embodiments of the invention;

(3) FIG. 1B shows a schematic front view of the aircraft shown in FIG. 1A, when in cruise flight;

(4) FIG. 1C shows a schematic side view of the aircraft shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, when approaching an airport;

(5) FIG. 2 depicts a schematic cross-sectional view of an aircraft headlight according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

(6) FIG. 3 depicts an enlarged cross-sectional view of an integrated, single-piece optical structure of an aircraft headlight according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(7) FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of an integrated, single-piece optical structure of an aircraft headlight according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the integrated, single piece optical structure comprising a single light transmissive protective cover portion and two reflector portions;

(8) FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of a housing, which is shaped to be combined with the single-piece optical structure depicted in FIG. 4;

(9) FIG. 6A depicts a first cross-sectional view of an aircraft headlight in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprising the integrated, single-piece optical structure depicted in FIG. 4 and the housing depicted in FIG. 5;

(10) FIG. 6B depicts a second cross-sectional view of an aircraft headlight in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprising the integrated, single-piece optical structure depicted in FIG. 4 and the housing depicted in FIG. 5; and

(11) FIG. 7 depicts a perspective view of an aircraft headlight in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprising the integrated, single-piece optical structure depicted in FIG. 4 and the housing depicted in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) FIG. 1A shows a schematic top view of an aircraft 100, in particular of a passenger airplane 100, from a position above the aircraft 100. The aircraft 100 is in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, having a plurality of aircraft headlights according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. FIG. 1B shows a schematic front view of the aircraft 100, which is depicted in FIG. 1A.

(13) The aircraft 100 comprises a fuselage 160 and two wings 170a, 170b extending laterally from the fuselage 160. The wings 170a, 170b are joined with the fuselage 160 at the wing roots 175a, 175b of the aircraft 100. A respective engine 180a, 180b is attached to each of the wings 170a, 170b.

(14) The aircraft 100 further comprises two horizontal stabilizers 140a, 140b and a vertical stabilizer 150, which are mounted to an aft section of the fuselage 160.

(15) The aircraft 100 is equipped with a variety of exterior aircraft lights.

(16) Out of the total set of exterior aircraft lights, which may be provided at the exterior of the aircraft 100, only two combined landing and take-off lights 130a, 130b, two taxi lights 132a, 132b, two runway turn-off lights 134a, 134b, and two red-flashing beacon lights 120a, 120b are depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

(17) The aircraft 100 may be equipped with additional exterior lights, which may in particular include at least one of navigation lights, logo lights, wing scan lights, engine scan lights, white strobe anti-collision lights and/or cargo loading lights. For clarity and simplicity of the illustration and description, these additional types of exterior aircraft lights are not depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

(18) In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the combined landing and take-off lights 130a, 130b, the taxi lights 132a, 132b, and the runway turn-off lights 134a, 134b are located in the wing roots 175a, 175b of the aircraft 100. The wing roots 175a, 175b are those portions of the fuselage 160, to which the wings 170a, 170b are mounted. The wing roots 175a, 175 may also be seen as connecting portions between the fuselage 160 and the wings 170a, 170b.

(19) Each of the combined landing and take-off lights 130a, 130b, the taxi lights 132a, 132b, and the runway turn-off lights 134a, 134b may be an aircraft headlight according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, as it is described in the following with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

(20) In further embodiments, which are not explicitly depicted in the figures, aircraft headlights 2 according to exemplary embodiments of the invention may be located in other portions of the wings 170a, 170b.

(21) FIG. 1C shows a schematic side view of the aircraft 100, which is depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B, during an approach to an airport. As depicted in FIG. 1C, the aircraft 100 further comprises an additional landing light 136, mounted to a front running gear/front landing gear 190 of the aircraft. The additional landing light 136 may also be an aircraft headlight in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(22) FIG. 2 depicts a schematic cross-sectional view of an aircraft headlight 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(23) The aircraft headlight 2 comprises a housing 4 defining an inner space 5 of the aircraft headlight 2. When the aircraft headlight 2 is mounted to an aircraft 100, the housing 4 may be accommodated in the fuselage 160 or in a wing 170a, 170b of the aircraft 100. It is also possible that the housing is mounted to a running gear/landing gear of the aircraft 100.

(24) The aircraft headlight 2 further comprises at least one light source 6, for example at least one LED, which is supported by a support structure 8. The support structure 8 may include a circuit board, in particular a printed circuit board, which comprises electrically conductive paths for supplying electric energy to the at least one light source 6.

(25) The aircraft headlight 2 further comprises an integrated, single-piece optical structure 10, which includes a light transmissive protective cover portion 12 and at least one reflector portion 14. FIG. 3 depicts an enlarged cross-sectional view of the integrated, single-piece optical structure 10.

(26) In the cross-section depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the integrated, single-piece optical structure 10 has a u-shape or a v-shape, with the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 forming a first leg and the at least one reflector portion 14 forming a second leg of the u-shape or the v-shape.

(27) The first leg, which is part of the light transmissive protective cover portion 12, is part of an outer light emission surface of the aircraft headlight 2. The light transmissive protective cover portion 12 may constitute a complete outer surface at at least one side of the housing 2, as it is depicted in FIG. 2.

(28) The second leg, which is part of the at least one reflector portion 14, protrudes into an inner space of the housing 2.

(29) The light transmissive protective cover portion 12 may be completely light transmissive. Alternatively, the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 may be partially light transmissive, i.e. the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 may include light transmissive areas and opaque areas.

(30) The outer surface of the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 may be the outermost portion of the light emission surface of the aircraft headlight 2. The outer surface of the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 may also be coated with an outer coating. Also in this case, the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 is considered to constitute the outer light emission surface of the aircraft headlight 2.

(31) The at least one reflector portion 14 is arranged and configured for directing light that is emitted by the at least one light source 6 through the light transmissive protective cover portion 12.

(32) The at least one reflector portion 14 may have an at least partially spherical shape or an at least partially parabolic shape.

(33) The integrated, single-piece optical structure 10 is integrally formed as a single piece, i.e. the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 and the at least one reflector portion 14 are produced in combination in the same process. In other words, the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 and the at least one reflector portion 14 are not produced separately and then joined in an additional joining step.

(34) The integrated, single-piece optical structure 10 may by formed by molding, in particular by injection molding. The integrated, single-piece optical structure may be made from a polymer based material, in particular from a polycarbonate based material.

(35) A reflective coating 16, in particular a metallic reflective coating, may be provided at the at least one reflector portion 14. The at least one reflector portion 14 may be partially or completely covered by the reflective coating 16.

(36) In case the aircraft headlight 2 comprises a plurality of light sources 6, the aircraft headlight 2 may comprise a plurality of reflector portions 14, and a respective one of the reflector portions 14 may be assigned to each of the light sources 6.

(37) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an integrated, single-piece optical structure 10, comprising a single light transmissive protective cover portion 12 with two reflector portions 14a, 14b. The integrated, single-piece optical structure 10 may be used in aircraft headlights in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention.

(38) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a housing 4, which is configured to cooperate with the integrated, single-piece optical structure 10 depicted in FIG. 4.

(39) FIG. 6A shows a first cross-sectional view of an aircraft headlight 2 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprising the single-piece optical structure depicted in FIG. 4 and the housing depicted in FIG. 5.

(40) FIG. 6B shows a second cross-sectional view of an aircraft headlight 2 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprising the single-piece optical structure depicted in FIG. 4 and the housing depicted in FIG. 5.

(41) The cross-sectional planes of the cross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B extend parallel to each other and are orthogonal to the plane of the light transmissive protective cover portion 12.

(42) The cross-sectional plane of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 6A extends through a first reflector portion 14a of the integrated, single-piece optical structure 10, and the cross-sectional plane of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 6B extends through a second reflector portion 14b of the integrated, single-piece optical structure 10.

(43) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the aircraft headlight 2 of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

(44) In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 4 to 7, the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 of the aircraft headlight 2 has a substantially rectangular shape. The substantially rectangular shape may include rounded edges.

(45) The substantially rectangular shape of the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 may in particular have a lateral extension L of between 40 mm and 150 mm, more in particular a lateral extension of between 80 mm and 120 mm.

(46) The substantially rectangular shape of the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 may in particular have a height extension H of between 20 mm and 50 mm, more in particular a height extension of between 25 mm and 40 mm.

(47) The housing 4 may have a depth D of between 100 mm and 200 mm, more in particular a depth D of between 120 mm and 170 mm. The housing 4 may extend into the interior of the aircraft 100, in particular into the interior of a wing 170a, 170b of the aircraft 100, with its depth D, when the aircraft headlight 2 is mounted to the aircraft 100. It can also be said that the housing may extend a depth D into the skin of the aircraft 100. The aircraft 100 may have a corresponding slot for receiving the housing 4. It is also possible that the housing 4 is mounted to a running gear/landing gear of the aircraft 100.

(48) The aircraft headlight 2, depicted in FIGS. 6A, 6B and 7, comprises at least two light sources 6a, 6b, with at least one light source being associated with each one of the two reflector portions 14a, 14b, respectively. Each of the two reflector portions 14a, 14b is arranged for directing light from the respectively associated at least one light source through the light transmissive protective cover portion 12 for providing one of two light outputs of the aircraft headlight 2.

(49) The at least two light source 6a, 6b may be switchable independently of each other. In such a configuration, the aircraft headlight 2 may selectively emit a first light output by activating the at least one light source 6a that is associated with the first reflector portion 14a, may selectively emit a second light output by activating the at least one light source 6b that is associated with the second reflector portion 14b, and may selectively emit a third light output, which is a combination of the first and second light outputs, by simultaneously activating the at least one light source 6a that is associated with the first reflector portion 14a and the at least one light source 6b that is associated with the second reflector portion 14b.

(50) The aircraft headlight 2 may for example, be a combined landing and take-off light, wherein the first light output is a landing light output and the second light output is a take-off light output.

(51) In another exemplary embodiment, the aircraft headlight 2 may be a combined landing and taxi light, wherein the first light output is a landing light output and the second light output is a taxi light output.

(52) In yet another exemplary embodiment, the aircraft headlight 2 may be a combined taxi and runway turn-off light, wherein the first light output is a taxi light output and the second light output is a runway turn-off light output.

(53) In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 7, the aircraft headlight 2 has the form of a plug-in module, which may also be referred to as cassette or cartridge. Such a plug-in module may have very compact dimensions, may combine multiple lighting functions, and may be conveniently mounted to an aircraft in different locations, such as in the wings or in the wing roots or in the fuselage or at a running gear. While the compact implementation helps in all kinds of aircraft, it may be particularly welcome in smaller aircraft, such as recreational airplanes or private jets, or in unmanned aircraft.

(54) While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.