Device for improved illumination efficiency

• US 7,717,593 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Clark, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; Jacob Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Makiya; David J
• Application Number:
  US11/760,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20080304273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 362/470, 362/471, 362/490, 362/484
• US Class Current: 362/471
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/43 General lighting
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0038 Illumination systems for cabins as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

Interior lighting and illumination systems for aircraft, particularly commercial passenger airplanes. Efficient beam forming optical light emitting diode arrangements having offset apertures for maximizing effectiveness are positioned in the ceiling panels above the aisles between sets of seats in the passenger cabins for cross bin illumination of stowage areas. The efficient beam forming optical LED devices are positioned to shine on opposite storage/stowage bins and are positioned to overcome line of height light source restrictions such as may be imposed by a valence. The devices are effective for illuminating across the aisles, thus creating a cross-bin lighting system.

Claims

1. An illumination system for a ceiling structure of an airplane having at least a first row of stowage bins adjacent said ceiling structure, said illumination system comprising:

a. an illumination device placed adjacent said ceiling structure and opposite said first row of stowage bins, said illumination device further comprising a lighting source fixture;

b. a light emitting diode attached to said lighting source fixture wherein said light emitting diode is subject to a line of sight height restriction for illuminating a stowage bin positioned opposite said lighting source fixture;

c. a beam forming optic coupled to said light emitting diode;

d. a height limiting aperture placed in the path of an output beam formed by said coupled optic and light emitting diode configured to limit the height of the output beam and maintain efficient optical coupling whereby said aperture is offset from an optical center of said illumination device thereby limiting the height and enhancing the relative intensity of a coupled beam and thereby providing an efficient beam forming optical light emitting diode device configured with a larger area of illumination from the beam-forming optics than an area allowed by the line-of-sight restriction, thereby providing an increase in optical coupling efficiency.

2. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein said lighting source fixture is placed behind a valence member providing said line of sight height restriction for illuminating said stowage bin positioned opposite said lighting source fixture and effective for providing at least a portion of light from said fixture to overcome said valence height restriction to reach and illuminate an opposite stowage bin at a tangential point.

3. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein a pair of said efficient beam forming optical light emitting diode devices are positioned on either side of said ceiling structure, each adjacent an opposite stowage bin and effective for illuminating said oppositely positioned bin, thereby providing aircraft cabin cross bin lighting.

4. The system of claim 1 whereby a plurality of said illumination devices are arranged in a longitudinal array for the illumination of an aircraft cabin.

5. The illumination system of claim 1 further comprising a heat sink member attached to the lighting source fixture for extending the operational life of the device.

6. The illumination system of claim 1 further comprising power supply and control means integrated with the illumination device.

7. The illumination system of claim 1 further comprising a reflector member for precise aiming of an illumination beam from said lighting fixture.

8. The illumination system of claim 7 wherein said reflector member has a conic shape.

9. The illumination system as described in claim 1 wherein said ceiling structure has a curved configuration.

10. The illumination system as described in claim 1 wherein additional lighting devices direct light to the ceiling structure.

11. The illumination system as described in claim 10 wherein said direct light is a blue color light.

12. The illumination system as described in claim 1 wherein the light emitting diodes are selected from the group consisting of white LED lights, RGB LED lights and RGBW LED lights.

13. The illumination system as described in claim 1 wherein a first lighting source fixture is positioned above a second lighting source fixture.

14. The illumination system as described in claim 13 wherein said first and second lighting source fixtures are positioned adjacent one another in longitudinal alignment.

15. The illumination system as described in claim 1 wherein said lighting source fixture comprises a plurality of LED lights.

16. A method for illuminating a ceiling structure of an airplane having at least a first row of stowage bins adjacent said ceiling structure, said method comprising:

a. placing an illumination device adjacent said ceiling structure and opposite said first row of stowage bins, said illumination device further comprising a lighting source fixture;

b. attaching a light emitting diode to said lighting source fixture wherein said light emitting diode is subject to a line of sight height restriction for illuminating a stowage bin positioned opposite said lighting source fixture;

c. coupling a beam forming optic to said light emitting diode;

d. placing a height limiting aperture in the path of an output beam formed by said coupled optic and light emitting diode, whereby the beam forming optic provides a larger area of illumination than an area allowed by the line of sight height restriction thereby providing an increase in optical coupling efficiency, and

e. offsetting said aperture from the optical center of said illumination device thereby coupling said beam by offsetting the aperture from an optical center of the device, limiting the height of said coupled beam, and enhancing the relative intensity of said coupled beam, thereby providing an efficient beam forming optical light emitting diode device having a larger area of illumination than allowed by the line-of-sight restriction, thereby providing an increase in optical coupling efficiency effective for aircraft cabin illumination.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of positioning said lighting source fixture behind a valence member thereby providing said line of sight height restriction imposed by said valence when illuminating a stowage bin positioned opposite said lighting source fixture and providing at least a portion of light from said fixture over said valence reaching and illuminating an opposite stowage bin at a tangential point.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of positioning a pair of said efficient beam forming optical light emitting diode devices on either side of said ceiling structure, each adjacent an opposite stowage bin and illuminating said oppositely positioned bin and thereby providing aircraft cabin cross bin lighting.