Optical device for indicating the glide angle for aircraft

• US 20060119839A1
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calzoni S.r.l. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Calzoni S.r.l. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: De Maria, Laura, Bertin, Daniele Maria
• Granted Patent: US 7,535,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/139.30
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/20 Arrangement of optical beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

Optical device for indicating the glide angle for aircraft, comprising at least one unit (10) for generating a light ray with a predefined colour, at least one unit (20) for transmitting said light ray and creating a light image, and at least one unit (30) for remotely projecting said light image, characterized in that said generating unit (10) comprises at least one light source consisting of an LED (11) and said unit (20) for transmitting the light ray and creating a light image is of the optical fibre type (21, 22).

Claims

1. An optical device for indicating a glide angle for an aircraft, comprising at least one unit (10) for generating a light ray with a predefined color, at least one unit (20) for transmitting said light ray and creating a light image, and at least one unit (30) for remotely projecting said light image, wherein said light ray generating unit (10) comprises at least one light source consisting of an LED (11) and said unit (20) for transmitting the light ray and creating a light image of the optical fibre type (21,22)

2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said unit (10) for generating a light ray of predefined color comprises a plurality of LEDs (11) for generating differently colored rays.

3. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein said device comprises a plurality of LEDs (11) for each differently colored ray.

4. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said light ray (10) is mechanically constrained to a support flange (12).

5. The optical device according to claim 4, wherein a guide sleeve (13) for connection to said transmission unit (20) is coaxially constrained to said support flange (12).

6. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said unit (10) for generating a light ray is powered by a unit (100) equipped with associated devices (110) able to provide an electric supply current with a programmed intensity.

7. The optical device according to claim 6, wherein said power supply unit (100) has devices (120) able to cause switching on and off of the light source (11) with a predefined frequency.

8. The optical device according to claim 7, wherein said predefined frequency is a modulation frequency is predefined in accordance with the specific color of a sector of the projected light ray.

9. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said transmission unit (20) further comprises one end equipped with a jack (23) suitable for connection to said sleeve (13) for guiding the light source (11).

10. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said jack (23) is associated with a set of focussing lenses (24)

11. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said transmission unit (20) comprises at least one section (21) of flexible optical fibre.

12. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said transmission unit (20) comprises at least one section (22) of boxed optical fibre suitable for ensuring the formation of a light image to be projected at an end opposite to that end for connection to the light source.

13. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the optical fibres (21,22) are intertwined so as to form the image to be projected with uniform distribution of the luminosity of the sources.

14. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said projection unit (30) comprises associated projection optics (31) which are substantially conventional and suitable for remotely projecting the image present at the end of the boxed part (32) in the form of a light beam.

15. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein said unit further comprises a unit (40) for directing the projected light beam.

16. The optical device according to claim 15, wherein said direction unit (40)comprises a movable mirror (41) which can be rotated upon actuation of a controlled associated means (42).

17. Method for generating a light beam for indicating a glide angle for aircraft, wherein said method comprises the following steps:

generating at least one light ray;

transmitting said light ray and creating an image to be projected;

remotely projecting the image in the form of a light beam;

generation of said light ray being obtained by means of LEDs and transmission of the light ray to the projection device being obtained by means of optical fibre.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said projected beam is divided into differently coloured sectors.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said method envisages at least one light source for each colour of the projected beam.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein said transmission unit (20) comprises at least one section (21) of flexible optical fibre.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein said transmission unit (20) comprises at least one section (22) of boxed optical fibre suitable for determining the formation of a light image to be projected at an end opposite to that connected to the light source.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein said optical fibres are intertwined in order to produce formation of the image to be projected.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein said optical fibres are joined together in a longitudinal direction in order to form corresponding differently colored zones of the projected beam.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the projected light beam is frequency-modulated.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said modulation is obtained by means of switching on and off of the light source with a predefined frequency.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said frequency is predefined in accordance with the specific color of the light ray emitted by the associated source.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein comprises a step for directing the remotely projected beam so as to vary the angle of the said beam with respect to the decking/landing surface of the aircraft.