In lighting

• US 6,994,459 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thales Optronique SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales Optronique SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Curry, Paul Denton, Worsdell, Anthony William
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAYNE, SHARON E
• Application Number:
  US10/047,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 362/470, 362/509, 362/520, 362/227, 362/326, 362/800, 362/545, 340/956, 340/980, 340/982, 340/321, 340/815.45, 340/815.75, 340/815.76, 359/528, 359/530, 359/533
• US Class Current: 362/470
• 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: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/26 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An optical unit for an aircraft warning light comprising an array of LEDs, the unit comprising a transparent plastics molded body having first and second opposing faces and being provided with optical means on its first and optionally also its second face to propagate fractions of light emitted from the LEDs in selected directions in accordance with a predetermined angular distribution. The optical means may, for example, take the form of discrete convex lenses, cylindrical aspherical lenses, prisms or total internal reflection structures and combinations thereof selected according to the emission requirements for the warning light. The optical unit will therefore differ depending on whether it is for use on a navigation light or an anti-collision light and will generally be spaced at a predetermined, fixed distance from the LED array.

Claims

1. An external in flight aircraft warning light assembly comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted on the exterior of the aircraft;

a transparent window protecting an opening in the housing;

a light source comprising an array of LEDs disposed in the housing; and

an optical unit also disposed in the housing behind the window and fixed in front of the array of LEDs, the optical unit comprising a transparent, molded body having first and second opposing faces, the first and second opposing faces each including at least one of refractive optics, diffractive optics and reflective optics, the optical unit being adapted to collect the light emitted from the LEDs and propagate fractions of the collected light to provide a warning signal in accordance with a predetermined non-uniform angular distribution that varies in intensity over a range of angles based on the at least one of the refractive optics, the diffractive optics and the reflective optics;

wherein the first opposing face of the transparent molded body includes a plurality of lenses adapted to collect light from the LEDs incident upon the optical unit;

wherein the second opposing face is adapted to transmit the collected light from the optical unit, and the second opposing face comprises a plurality of prisms adapted to propagate the collected light in accordance with the predetermined angular distribution and extending along one or both of the length and width of the LED array to form a series of ridges on an outer surface of the optical unit; and

wherein the array of LEDs comprises a plurality of strings of LEDs, each string being connected in parallel with the other strings of said plurality of strings and comprising a plurality of LEDs connected in series, and the prisms are positioned to extend across the LEDs of a plurality of the strings.

2. An assembly as in claim 1, wherein the LED strings are arranged in rows, and the prisms lie in a plane parallel to the array and extend orthogonally with respect to the rows.