Emergency lighting arrangement with decentralized emergency power supply for an aircraft
First Claim
1. In an aircraft having an on-board power supply network and a plurality of emergency light units arranged distributed in said aircraft,an improvement wherein:
- each one of said emergency light units respectively comprises, incorporated therein as a unit, at least one normal operation light emitting element, at least one emergency light emitting element, at least one capacitor, and a controller that is connected to said power supply network, said at least one capacitor, and said at least one emergency light emitting element;
said controller is adapted to selectively switch between a normal mode when operating power is available from said power supply network and an emergency mode when said operating power is not available from said power supply network;
said normal operation light emitting element is connected directly or through said controller to said power supply network so as to be powered from said power supply network when said operating power is available;
said controller includes a charging circuit adapted to charge said at least one capacitor using said operating power in said normal mode; and
said controller further includes a switching circuit adapted to disconnect said at least one emergency light emitting element from said at least one capacitor in said normal mode, and to connect said at least one emergency light emitting element to said at least one capacitor in said emergency mode so as to illuminate said at least one emergency light emitting element using power supplied from said at least one capacitor in said emergency mode.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An emergency lighting arrangement preferably includes plural emergency light units connected to an on-board power supply network of an aircraft, and plural emergency current sources that each include at least one capacitor. Each emergency light unit includes an emergency light emitting element and a control unit that automatically connects the capacitor of the emergency current source to the emergency light emitting element upon the failure of the on-board power supply network. Preferably, the emergency current source including the capacitor is integrated into the emergency light unit. The emergency light unit may further include normal operation light emitting elements selectively connected by the control unit to the on-board power supply network. The control unit switches between normal operation of the normal light emitting elements and charging of the capacitor, and emergency operation in which the capacitor discharges through the emergency light emitting element.
31 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In an aircraft having an on-board power supply network and a plurality of emergency light units arranged distributed in said aircraft,
an improvement wherein: -
each one of said emergency light units respectively comprises, incorporated therein as a unit, at least one normal operation light emitting element, at least one emergency light emitting element, at least one capacitor, and a controller that is connected to said power supply network, said at least one capacitor, and said at least one emergency light emitting element; said controller is adapted to selectively switch between a normal mode when operating power is available from said power supply network and an emergency mode when said operating power is not available from said power supply network; said normal operation light emitting element is connected directly or through said controller to said power supply network so as to be powered from said power supply network when said operating power is available; said controller includes a charging circuit adapted to charge said at least one capacitor using said operating power in said normal mode; and said controller further includes a switching circuit adapted to disconnect said at least one emergency light emitting element from said at least one capacitor in said normal mode, and to connect said at least one emergency light emitting element to said at least one capacitor in said emergency mode so as to illuminate said at least one emergency light emitting element using power supplied from said at least one capacitor in said emergency mode.
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2. An emergency lighting arrangement in an aircraft that includes an on board power supply network, said emergency lighting arrangement comprising:
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a plurality of emergency light units arranged in a cabin of said aircraft, wherein each one of said emergency light units respectively includes, incorporated therein, at least one emergency light emitting element and at least one normal operation light emitting element; and a plurality of emergency current sources arranged in said cabin, wherein each one of said emergency current sources respectively includes at least one capacitor and a controller connected thereto; wherein each one of said emergency current sources is respectively allocated and connected to said at least one emergency light emitting element of at most two of said emergency light units; wherein, respectively with respect to each said emergency current source, said controller of said emergency current source is connected to said power supply network to detect whether operating power is available from said power supply network, and said controller of said emergency current source is arranged and adapted to automatically connect said at least one capacitor of said emergency current source to said at least one emergency light emitting element to which said emergency current source is allocated, so as to power said at least one emergency light emitting element with electrical energy stored in said at least one capacitor when. said operating. power is not available from said power supply network; and wherein said at least one normal operation light emitting element of each one of said emergency light units is connected to said power supply network and powered from said power supply network when said operating power is available. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An emergency lighting arrangement in an aircraft that includes an on-board power supply network, said emergency lighting arrangement comprising:
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a signal line adapted to provide a signal indicating a failure of said on-board power supply network; an emergency power source comprising at least one power storage capacitor, which is connected at least indirectly to said on-board power supply network to be charged by power from said on-board power supply network in a normal operating mode when power is available from said on-board power supply network; normal operation light emitting elements, which are connected at least indirectly to said on-board power supply network to be powered by power from said on-board power supply network in said normal operating mode; and at least one emergency light unit that comprises emergency light emitting elements, and a controller that is connected to said on-board power supply network, said signal line, said emergency light emitting elements, and said normal operation light emitting elements; wherein said controller is adapted to detect said failure of said on-board power supply network and in response thereto to automatically connect said emergency light emitting elements with said power storage capacitor so as to power said emergency light emitting elements.
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Specification