Aircraft light and aircraft comprising at least one air-craft light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926419-B2
Application number	US-202318166174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2023
Priority date	Feb 8, 2022
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

An aircraft light includes a support board and a supporting profile. The support board supports at least one electric light source, in particular at least one LED. The support board has two lateral edges, which extend in a longitudinal direction of the support board and which are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction (T) of the support board. The supporting profile comprises a receiving space for receiving and supporting the support board. The receiving space is defined by a base, extending in a longitudinal direction (L) of the supporting profile and in a transverse direction (T) of the supporting profile, and two opposing side walls protruding from the base. The supporting profile further comprises two undercut sections, forming opposing slots in the two opposing side walls that are dimensioned for accommodating a lateral edge of the support board, respectively.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft light, comprising:
a support board supporting at least one electric light source, wherein the support board has two lateral edges, which extend in a longitudinal direction of the support board and which are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction (T) of the support board; and
a supporting profile comprising:
a receiving space for receiving and supporting the support board, wherein the receiving space is defined by a base, extending in a longitudinal direction (L) of the supporting profile and in a transverse direction (T) of the supporting profile, and two opposing side walls protruding from the base;
two undercut sections, forming opposing slots in the two opposing side walls that are dimensioned for accommodating a lateral edge of the support board, respectively;
wherein at least one of the two lateral edges of the support board comprises at least one spring element for elastically fixing the support board within the receiving space, with the two lateral edges of the support board being arranged in opposing slots.

2. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the undercut sections comprises an inclined portion for clamping the support board towards the base.

3. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the undercut sections comprises a groove, formed within the base.

4. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one spring element includes an elastic finger, which extends from a lateral edge of the support board.

5. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one spring element includes a slit, which is located close to a lateral edge of the support board, and an elastic bar, which defines an outer rim portion of the opening and which forms a portion of a lateral edge of the support board.

6. The aircraft light according to claim 5 ,
wherein the elastic bar extends substantially straight along the lateral edge of the support board; or
wherein the elastic bar has a curved configuration or a trapezoidal configuration.

7. The aircraft light according to claim 5 , wherein the elastic bar has an engaging protrusion, which extends from the elastic bar in the transverse direction (T), wherein the engaging protrusion extends from a central portion of the elastic bar.

8. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two lateral edges of the support board comprises at least one spring element.

9. The aircraft light according to claim 1 ,
wherein the support board is a flexible support board, wherein the flexible support board is bendable in the transverse direction (T).

10. The aircraft light according to claim 1 ,
wherein the supporting profile is an extrusion profile.

11. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein the distance in the transverse direction (T) between the two side walls is between 5 mm and 50 mm.

12. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of support boards, wherein each of the plurality of support boards comprises at least one spring element for elastically fixing the respective support board within the receiving space, and wherein the plurality of support boards are arranged in a row extending along the longitudinal direction (L) of the supporting profile.

13. The aircraft light according to claim 12 ,
wherein each of the plurality of support boards supports at least one light source; or
wherein the plurality of support boards comprise at least one first support board, which supports at least one electric light source, and at least one second support board supporting electric circuitry, which does not include an electric light source.

14. The aircraft light according to claim 1 ,
wherein the aircraft light is an interior aircraft light,
wherein the aircraft light is at least one of
a lavatory illumination light;
a galley illumination light;
an aisle illumination light, which is configured to be installed along an aisle of a passenger cabin of an aircraft; and <a cabin illumination light, which is configured to be installed along an overhead baggage compartment in a passenger cabin.

15. An aircraft comprising:
at least one aircraft light according to claim 1 .

16. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises at least one LED.

17. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two lateral edges of the support board comprises a plurality of spring elements.

18. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein the support board is a printed circuit board made of a material comprising fiberglass-reinforced epoxy-laminated sheets.

19. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting profile is made of metal, wherein the metal is aluminum or an alloy comprising aluminum, or wherein the supporting profile is made of a plastic material, wherein the plastic material is a material comprising polycarbonate or fiberglass-reinforced epoxy-laminated sheets.

20. The aircraft light according to claim 1 , wherein the extension of each undercut section in the transverse direction (T) is between 1 mm and 5 mm.

Assignees

• Goodrich Lighting Systems Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Pawliczek Carsten
• Hessling-Von Heimendahl Andre

Classifications

• B64D11/00 Primary

  Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F21V19/003

  Fastening of light source holders, e.g. of circuit boards or substrates holding light sources · CPC title

• B64D2011/0038

  Illumination systems for cabins as a whole · CPC title

• B64D2203/00

  Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs · CPC title

• F21W2106/00

  Interior vehicle lighting devices · CPC title