Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Aircraft
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-11
2001-03-20
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Aircraft
C362S479000, C362S490000, C362S488000, C362S147000, C362S545000, C362S470000, C362S219000, C362S800000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203180
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a lighting arrangement which is mounted on or in the ceiling of a vehicle in particular a cabin lighting arrangement which is mounted in an aeroplane cabin.
Aeroplane cabins are conventionally lit by means of fluorescent tubes, the electrical actuation of which must satisfy the special requirements in the aeroplane for example in regard to freedom from electromagnetic interference, and thus to a certain degree is expensive and complicated.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Hitherto low-voltage incandescent lamps have been used for the emergency lighting in aeroplane cabins. Such incandescent lamps have to be replaced at regular intervals as they have only a very limited service life. In order to satisfy the specifications which apply in regard to aeroplane cabin design, concerning the radiation characteristic, those incandescent lamps are disposed in reflector housings of a special configuration, as is described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,223.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lighting arrangement which enjoys a long life and which is very substantially free from maintenance, which can be easily actuated and which nonetheless satisfies the required specifications.
In accordance with the invention that object is attained by a lighting arrangement which comprises a plurality of punctiform light sources, and wherein the punctiform light sources have at least one light emitting diode, and are at least partially connected to each other in parallel or in series relationship and are connected to at least one power supply unit. Developments and additional configurations of the invention are set forth in the detailed portion of the specification.
Hereinafter the invention is described in the form of a cabin lighting arrangement for aircraft. However the description—as regards inter alia in particular the properties and advantages according to the invention—equally well relates to lighting arrangements in road and rail vehicles, watercraft or other craft or vehicles.
The arrangement of a plurality of punctiform light sources, which are basically in the form of light spots or spotlights at or in the ceiling of the cabin of an aircraft, preferably an aeroplane, provides for uniform illumination of the cabin. The use of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the punctiform light sources makes expensive electrical actuation of the cabin lighting arrangement redundant. In addition the power consumption drops considerably in comparison with the use of incandescent lamps. Thus, a simpler and smaller power supply can be used when employing lighting emitting diodes. Furthermore the service life of light emitting diodes is many times greater than that of fluorescent tubes and incandescent lamps so that there is no longer any need for the expensive operation of replacing defective lamps. Light emitting diodes can be produced with the most widely varying radiation characteristics, and for that reason the specifications which apply in regard to aircraft design, concerning the radiation characteristic of lamps, can be satisfied. In addition there are completely new options in regard to the design of the cabin lighting (“starry sky”).
In a preferred embodiment, a respective Zener diode is connected in parallel in the reverse direction in relation to each light emitting diode or each group of light emitting diodes which are connected in parallel relationship with each other. A plurality of such light units are connected in series. If now one of the light emitting diodes or light emitting diode groups fails, a large part of the supply voltage is applied thereto and to the parallel-connected Zener diode, which has the result that the Zener diode breaks down. In that way the current can “flow past” the defective light emitting diode or light emitting diode group, and this ensures that, in the event of failure of a light emitting diode or a group of light emitting diodes, the entire run of light units which are connected in succession does not fail. The power supply unit is now preferably such that it always provides a constant current flow so that, in the event of failure of one or even several light units, the other light units are not supplied with an excessively high voltage.
Depending on the respective density of the punctiform light sources arranged at the ceiling of the aeroplane cabin, the lighting arrangement according to the invention can be used for illuminating the whole of the cabin, as reading lamps for the individual seat places, or as emergency lighting over the gangways between the rows of seats. Depending on the respectively desired design, it is possible to use various coloured light emitting diodes or preferably white light emitting diodes. The white light emitting diodes can comprise units formed from two or more coloured light emitting diodes or so-called luminescence conversion diodes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4158223 (1979-06-01), Walley et al.
patent: 4794373 (1988-12-01), Harrison
patent: 5661374 (1997-08-01), Cassidy
patent: 5803579 (1998-09-01), Turnbull
Alavi Ali
Diehl Striftung & Co.
O'Shea Sandra
Scully Scott Murphy & Presser
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