AIRCRAFT LIGHT

• US 20130077329A1
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Hessling, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 9,132,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/470
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 47/02 for large numbers of passengers, e.g. omnibus
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/06 for indicating aircraft presence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/60 characterised by the use of a forced flow of gas, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/713 in direct thermal and mechanical contact of each other to form a single system
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/30 for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An aircraft light comprises a housing (24), at least one light source (32) to be cooled, the at least one light source (32) being arranged in the housing (24), a heat sink element (26) thermally coupled to the at least one light source (32) and defining a cooling surface (36) exposable to a cooling airstream (52) for the cooling airstream (52) to flow along the cooling surface (36) in a flow direction. The cooling surface (36) extends between upstream and downstream end portions (40,42) spaced apart in the flow direction and means for generating a pressure difference between the upstream and downstream end portions (40,42) of the cooling surface. Due to the pressure difference, a cooling airstream (52) flowing along the cooling surface (36) is created.

Claims

1. An aircraft light comprising:

a housing;

at least one light source to be cooled with, at least one light source being arranged in the housing;

a heat sink element thermally coupled to the at least one light source and defining a cooling surface exposable to a cooling airstream for the cooling airstream to flow along the cooling surface in a flow direction, wherein the cooling surface extends between upstream and downstream end portions spaced apart in the flow direction; and

means for generating a pressure difference between the upstream and downstream end portions of the cooling surface, wherein, due to the pressure difference, a cooling airstream flowing along the cooling surface is created.

2. The aircraft light according to claim 1, wherein the means for generating a pressure difference comprises a means for generating a gas jet stream creating a pressure drop at the downstream end portion of the cooling surface so that the pressure at the downstream end portion of the cooling surface is lower than the pressure at the upstream end portion of the cooling surface.

3. The aircraft light according to claim 2, wherein the gas jet stream comprises exhaust gas ejected along an ejecting direction through an exhaust gas outlet of a gas turbine of an auxiliary power unit of an aircraft, and wherein the housing is positioned adjacent to the exhaust gas outlet with the cooling airflow direction pointing substantially perpendicularly to the ejecting direction and with the upstream end portion of the cooling surface facing away from the exhaust gas outlet.

4. The aircraft light according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink element comprises projecting cooling fins the surfaces of which form a portion of the cooling surface.

5. The aircraft light according to claim 1, further comprising lateral cooling airflow guiding projections extending between the upstream and downstream end portions of the cooling surface.

6. The aircraft light according to claim 1, wherein the cooling surface comprises a structure for creating turbulences in areas of the cooling airstream closest to the cooling surface.

7. The aircraft light according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is an LED.

8. The aircraft light according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of an electric and electronic component to be cooled, wherein the component is thermally coupled to the heat sink element.

9. The aircraft light according to claim 1, further comprising an airstream guiding element located downstream of the cooling surface and guiding a part of the cooling airstream along the housing generating a shielding air layer protecting the housing being exposed to the atmosphere around the housing.

10. The aircraft light according to claim 9, wherein the airstream guiding element is located outside of the housing.