Airfield light

An airfield light includes a light assembly mounted on a base and a transparent cover disposed over the light assembly and secured to the base. The light assembly includes a curved LED (light emitting diode) assembly having a circuit board with at least a portion that is curved along its length. A plurality of LEDs are spaced apart along the length of the circuit board and are configured to emit light through the transparent cover.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to lights, and more specifically airfield lights such as lights used along runways or taxiways.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Airfield lights are used for various purposes, such as to indicate to airfield personnel and pilot boundaries and/or intended directions of travel along runways and/or taxiways.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In one aspect, an airfield light generally comprises a light assembly, and a cover disposed over the light assembly. The light assembly comprises a curved LED assembly. The curved LED assembly includes a circuit board having at least a portion that is curved along its length, and a plurality of LEDs spaced apart along the length of the circuit board.

Other features of the present disclosure will be in part apparent and in part pointed out herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 1, an embodiment of an airfield light is generally indicated at reference number10. The airfield light10can be used for various purposes. For example, several of the airfield lights10may be positioned one after another along a runway for indicating boundaries, intended direction of travel, and/or distance to the end of the runway, etc. As will be described in further detail below, the light10has a modular design permitting the light to be configured in manufacture to meet a variety of lighting needs.

The illustrated embodiment of the light10is an elevated airfield light (e.g., a high intensity runway light) including a head12and a stem14, each indicated generally inFIG. 1. The stem14includes a post16, such as a pipe, for elevating the head12. A threaded connector18is provided at a lower end of the stem14for mounting the light10on a suitable base. The head12includes first and second (front and rear) light assemblies22A,22B, a base26, a collar28, and a cover30for covering the light assemblies22A,22B. As explained in more detail below, the first light assembly22A is configured to emit light of a selected first color generally in a first direction (e.g., forward), and the second light assembly22B is configured to emit light of a selected second color in a second direction (e.g., rearward), which may be generally opposite the first direction. The first and second colors may be the same color or may be different colors.

Referring toFIG. 3, the cover30is generally colorless, although it may be colored and/or tinted. The cover30has a generally dome shape including a rounded top portion, a first (front) truncated portion30A (i.e., first planar portion) generally opposing the first light assembly22A through which light emitted from the first light assembly is transmitted, and a second (rear) truncated portion30B (i.e., second planar portion) generally opposing the second light assembly22B through which light emitted from the second light assembly is transmitted. The interior and exterior surfaces of the first and second truncated portions30A,30B are generally planar and parallel to each other.

Referring still toFIG. 3, the base26includes a housing32defining a cavity, a platform34disposed over an open upper end of the housing, and the collar28secured (e.g., by fasteners—not shown) to a flange32A of the housing32. Electronics and/or electrical components38for operating the light assemblies are positioned in the housing26and are electrically connected to the light assemblies22A,22B (e.g., by suitable cables or wiring). The light assemblies22A,22B are mounted on the platform34, as explained in more detail below. InFIG. 2, a gasket34A is shown on an upper end of the platform34. In assembly, a lower flange30C of the cover30is sandwiched between the platform34(below) and the gasket34A (above). The collar28secures the cover30to the base26by clamping the gasket34A and flange30C of the cover between the collar and the platform34. The gasket34A inhibits ingress of liquid and debris into the light10to protect the light assemblies22A,22B, electronics and/or electrical components38. A lower end of the housing26is mounted on an upper end of the stem14. Cables or wiring from the electronics and/or electrical components38in the housing26are fed through the stem14and out a lower end of the stem. The base26and stem14may be formed from metal (e.g., cast aluminum) or other suitable material.

As shown inFIG. 2, each light assembly22A,22B generally includes a support40, at least one directional illuminator42(e.g., a directional LED module) and at least one curved LED (light emitting diode) assembly, generally indicated at48. In the illustrated embodiment, the directional illuminators42are LED modules (i.e., LED assemblies or LED illuminators). The LED modules42include LEDs mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), such as a rigid PCB, and reflectors43directing the light emitted from the LEDs to a desired direction (e.g., forward or rearward, respectively). It is understood that the at least one directional illuminator may be of other designs and constructions without necessarily departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the directional illuminator may not be an LED module.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support40functions as a heat sink for the at least one directional illuminator42(e.g., a directional LED module) and the at least one curved LED assembly48. The support40can be formed of a suitable thermally conductive and heat-dissipating material, such as metal (e.g., cast aluminum). The illustrated heat sink40includes an upper LED module mounting surface. The directional LED module42(e.g., high intensity LED module) is mounted on the upper LED module mounting surface. Further details on the head12of the air field light10may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/975,404, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The curved LED assembly48includes a circuit board52having at least a portion that is curved along its length, and a plurality of LEDs54mounted on the circuit board. In one or more embodiments, the circuit board52may comprise a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) or a flex-rigid PCB to allow the circuit board to bend into a suitable shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the circuit board52has a generally circular shape that surrounds the light assemblies22A,22B adjacent a lower end of the supports40. For example, the illustrated circuit board52is curved about a generally vertical axis, such as the vertical axis of the light10, or described another way, the circuit board is curved within a generally horizontal plane. In other embodiments, the circuit board may be curved about a generally horizontal axis, or described another way, the circuit board is curved within a generally vertical plane. In other embodiments, the circuit board may have other shapes, such as rectangular or oval or other shapes, that surround the support. In the illustrated embodiment, the curved LED assembly48is mounted on the support40, at the base of the light assemblies22A,22B adjacent the platform34. The curved LED assembly48may be mounted at other positions on the light assemblies22A,22B. The curved LED assembly48may be attached to the support40by any suitable means, such as by adhesive or mechanical fasteners (e.g., screws). In one embodiment, the curved LED assembly48is generally spaced apart from the light assemblies22A,22B and only engages the light assemblies at its point of attachment to the light assemblies.

The LEDs54are spaced apart from one another along the length (e.g., arcuate length) of the circuit board52. As shown inFIG. 4, there are 8 LEDs54on the circuit board, with 4 LEDs facing generally in a forward direction and 4 LEDs facing generally in a rearward direction. That is, a first set of LEDs54(e.g., 4 forward facing LEDs) are associated with the first light assembly22A and emit light in generally the first (e.g., forward) direction, and a second set of LEDs (e.g., 4 rearward facing LEDs) are associated with the second light assembly22B and emit light in generally the second (e.g., rearward) direction. The LEDs54in the first set of LEDs match the color of the first light assembly22A and are generally uniformly spaced apart from one another along the length of the circuit board52, although they may be non-uniformly spaced. The LEDs54in the second set of LEDs match the color of the second light assembly22A and are generally uniformly spaced apart from one another along the length of the circuit board52, although they may be non-uniformly spaced. It is understood that there may be any suitable number of LEDs54on the circuit board(s)52and the LEDs may be other than uniformly spaced apart from one another. For example, the LEDs54may be primarily disposed forward (e.g., spaced in the first direction) of the first light assembly22A and rearward (e.g., spaced in the second direction) of the second light22B (e.g., not disposed along the sides of the light assemblies). The LEDs54are electrically coupled to the electronics38via the circuit board52, in a way that is generally understood in the art. The LEDs54may have colors matching the color of the light assembly22A,22B to which they are associated.

The illustrated curved LED assembly48creates a halo effect to provide a signal to pilots flying above the airfield—as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8. In particular, the cover30partially reflects light emitted from the curved LED assembly48to create the halo effect, whereby the first light is transmitted through a first (front) half of the cover30including a first (front) half of the rounded top portion of the cover, and the second light is transmitted through a second (rear) half of the cover including a second (rear) half of the rounded top portion. In this way, light emitted by the airfield light10is visible by pilots flying above the airfield. Moreover, light from the curved LED assembly48is transmitted through the cover multi-directionally. For example, as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, light from the LEDs54of the first set is emitted from the LEDs and transmitted through the cover30in forward, lateral, and upward directions, and light from the LEDs of the second set is emitted from the LEDs and transmitted through the cover in rearward, lateral, and upward directions. Where the light assemblies22A,22B of the airfield light10already create a halo effect, the curved LED assembly48will further facilitate and contribute to the halo effect of the airfield light. In this manner, the curved LED assembly48provides an easy and cost affordable way to increase the brightness of an existing airfield light.

Referring toFIG. 6, in another embodiment, the curved LED assembly may not completely surround the supports40of the light assemblies22A,22B. For example, as shown inFIG. 6, the airfield light10includes two curved LED assemblies48′ (broadly, a single curved LED assembly with two parts). Each curved LED assembly48′ comprises arcuate circuit boards52′ (e.g., flexible or flex-rigid PCBs) that extend partially around the support40of each light assembly22A,22B and a plurality of LEDs54′ on each circuit board. The circuit boards52′ may be of other curved shapes without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, opposite ends of each curved LED assembly48′ are attached to opposite sides of the support40. When the curved LED assembly48′ is attached to the support40, the flexible circuit board52bends into the arcuate shape that partially surrounds the light assembly22A,22B. Each circuit board52′ includes a set of LEDs54′ (e.g., set of 4 LEDs) generally uniformly spaced apart from one another along the length of the circuit board which match the color of the light assembly22A,22B with which it is associated. The features of the first curved LED assembly48apply equally to this second embodiment of the curved LED assembly48′, and, thus, for ease of comprehension, where analogous parts are used, reference numerals with a trailing prime (′) are employed.

Modifications and variations of the disclosed embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.