Exterior helicopter light unit and method of operating an exterior helicopter light unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751637-B2
Application number	US-201414337261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2014
Priority date	Jul 30, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An exterior helicopter light unit is disclosed that comprises a movable light head comprising a light source, a first motor and a second motor for actuating the movable light head, and an inverse differential gear assembly coupling the first and second motors to the movable light head in such a way that the first and second motors can tilt and rotate the movable light head in operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An Exterior helicopter light unit, comprising:
a movable light head comprising a light source,
a first motor and a second motor for actuating the movable light head, and
an inverse differential gear assembly coupling the first and second motors to the movable light head in such a way that the first and second motors can tilt and rotate the movable light head in operation,
wherein the inverse differential gear assembly is a bevel differential gear assembly and comprises:
a carrier structure, which comprises a cage,
a first input gear and a second input gear, wherein the first input gear comprises a first bevel gear and the second input gear comprises a second bevel gear, each of the first and second input gears rotatably coupled to the carrier structure, with the first motor being drivingly coupled to the first input gear and the second motor being drivingly coupled to the second input gear,
a connection structure, rotatably coupled to the carrier structure and coupling the first and second input gears to each other, wherein the connection structure comprises a third bevel gear and wherein the third bevel gear is in engagement with the first and second bevel gears, with the movable light head being in a rotation transmission relationship with the connection structure,
wherein the carrier structure, the first and second input gears, and the connection structure are coupled in such a way that:
a rotation of the first and second input gears in the same direction results in a rotation of the carrier structure, tilting the movable light head, and
a rotation of the first and second input gears in opposite directions results in a rotation of the connection structure, rotating the movable light head.

2. The Exterior helicopter light unit according to claim 1 , wherein the movable light head is fixedly coupled to the connection structure via a light arm.

3. The Exterior helicopter light unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first motor is drivingly coupled to the first input gear via a first gear assembly and wherein the second motor is drivingly coupled to the second input gear via a second gear assembly, wherein
the first gear assembly comprises a first worm, fixedly coupled to a motor shaft of the first motor, and a first spur gear, fixedly coupled to the first input gear and in engagement with the first worm, and
the second gear assembly comprises a second worm, fixedly coupled to a motor shaft of the second motor, and a second spur gear, fixedly coupled to the second input gear and in engagement with the second worm.

4. The Exterior helicopter light unit according to claim 1 , having a symmetric design with the first motor and the second motor being identical motors.

5. The Exterior helicopter light unit claim 1 , wherein the first and second motors are servo motors.

6. The Exterior helicopter light unit claim 1 , wherein a motor shaft of the first motor and a motor shaft of the second motor are substantially parallel, with the motor shaft of the first motor and the motor shaft of the second motor being parallel to a tilting plane, defined by a rotation axis of the connection structure in various tilting states and with a rotation axis of the first input gear and a rotation axis of the second input gear being in a plane substantially orthogonal to the motor shafts of the first and second motors respectively.

7. The Exterior helicopter light unit claim 1 , further comprising
a mounting plate, with the first and second motors being fixedly mounted to the mounting plate and the inverse differential gear assembly being rotatably mounted to the mounting plate, and
a spring element arranged between the mounting plate and the inverse differential gear assembly in such a way that the first and second input gears and the connection structure are pre-loaded with respect to each other.

8. The Exterior helicopter light unit according to claim 1 , wherein the exterior helicopter light unit is a search and/or landing light.

9. A Method of operating an exterior helicopter light unit according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
effecting a pure tilting of the movable light head by controlling the first and second motors to rotate the first and second input gears in the same direction with the same rotation speed, and
effecting a pure rotating of the movable light head by controlling the first and second motors to rotate the first and second input gears in opposite directions with the same rotation speed.

10. The Method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of:
effecting a combined tilting and rotating of the movable light head by controlling the first and second motors to rotate the first and second input gears with different rotation speeds.

11. An Exterior helicopter light unit, comprising:
a movable light head comprising a light source,
a first motor and a second motor for actuating the movable light head, and
a transmission assembly coupling the first and second motors to the movable light head, the transmission assembly comprising:
a carrier structure, which comprises a cage, with the first motor being drivingly coupled to the carrier structure for rotation thereof,
a rotation input gear, which comprises a first bevel gear, with the second motor being drivingly coupled to the rotation input gear, and
a rotation output gear, which comprises a second bevel gear, rotatably coupled to the carrier structure, with the movable light head being in a rotation transmission relationship with the rotation output gear,
wherein the first bevel gear and the second bevel gear are arranged within the cage and are in engagement with each other,
wherein the carrier structure, the rotation input gear and the rotation output gear are coupled in such a way that
a rotation of the carrier structure results in a tilting of the movable light head, and
a rotation of the rotation input gear results in a rotation of the rotation output gear, rotating the movable light head.

12. A Method of operating an exterior helicopter light unit according to claim 11 , comprising the steps of:
effecting a pure rotating of the movable light head by controlling the second motor to rotate the rotation input gear, and
effecting a pure tilting of the movable light head by controlling the first motor to rotate the carrier structure and by controlling the second motor to force the rotation input gear to counteract a rotation tendency of the rotation output gear induced by the rotation of the carrier structure.

13. The Exterior helicopter light unit according to claim 11 , wherein the movable light head is fixedly coupled to the connection structure via a light arm.

14. The Exterior helicopter light unit claim 11 , wherein the first and second motors are servo motors.

15. The Exterior helicopter light unit claim 11 , wherein a motor shaft of the first motor and a motor shaft of the second motor are substantially parallel, with the motor shaft of the first motor and the motor shaft of the second motor being parallel to a tilting plane, defined by a rotation axis of the connection structure in various tilting states and with a rotation axis of the first input gear and a rotation axis of the second input gear being in a plane substantially orthogonal to the motor shafts of the first and second motors respectively.

16. The Exterior helicopter light unit claim 11 , further comprising
a mounting plate, with the first and second motors being fixedly mounted to the mounting plate and the inverse differential gear assembly being rotatably mounted to the mounting plate, and
a spring e

Assignees

• Goodrich Lighting Systems Gmbh

Inventors

• Schoen Christian
• Hessling Von Heimendahl Andre

Classifications

• B64D47/06 Primary

  for indicating aircraft presence · CPC title

• B64D47/04 Primary

  the lighting devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead · CPC title

• B60Q1/245

  Searchlights, e.g. adjustable from within the vehicle (adjustable headlights B60Q1/06) · CPC title