Abstract:
A device for displaying an luminous message on the fairing of an aircraft includes: an electroluminescent sheet plated against the fairing; a means for attaching the electroluminescent sheet onto the fairing; a means for supplying the electroluminescent sheet with electricity; a means for electrically connecting the electroluminescent sheet to the means for supplying electricity; and a means for controlling the electroluminescent sheet in an powered-on state, in which the electroluminescent sheet is supplied with electricity and emits light, or in a powered-off state, in which the electroluminescent sheet is inoperative.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/FR2014/050982, filed on Apr. 23, 2014, which claims the benefit of FR13/53877, filed on Apr. 26, 2013. The disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a device for displaying a luminous message on the fairing of an aircraft. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0004]    It is known to affix on the fairing of an aircraft an information message, such as a registration number. 
         [0005]    It is meant by fairing the external wall, or the casing, of the aircraft in its broad sense, thus comprising the external wall of a turbomachine nacelle as well as the external wall of a wing of the aircraft for example. 
         [0006]    The display of this type of message is usually carried out by means of an adhesive film plated on the fairing of the aircraft, or by means of a drawing achieved by painting directly on the fairing. 
         [0007]    We have discovered that this type of message, which is intended to be seen from the outside of the aircraft, is that it is visible only when some visibility conditions are fulfilled. 
         [0008]    Indeed, in foggy or rainy weather or at night, the message may not be seen properly or may not be visible. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    The present disclosure provides a device allowing this type of message to be seen from outside the aircraft, whatever the visibility conditions. 
         [0010]    For this purpose, the present disclosure proposes a device for displaying a luminous message on the fairing of an aircraft, characterized in that it includes: 
         [0011]    at least one electroluminescent sheet plated on the fairing, 
         [0012]    a means for attaching the electroluminescent sheet on the fairing, 
         [0013]    a means for supplying the electroluminescent sheet with electricity, 
         [0014]    an electrical means for joining the electroluminescent sheet on the electricity supply means, and 
         [0015]    a means for controlling the electroluminescent sheet in a lighted state in which the electroluminescent sheet is supplied with electricity and emits light, or in a switched-off state in which the electroluminescent sheet is inoperative; 
         [0016]    Thus, the device according to the present disclosure allows making the message displayed on the fairing of the aircraft visible whatever the visibility conditions. 
         [0017]    According to another feature, the fairing includes successively, from the inside to the outside of the aircraft: 
         [0018]    a plate forming a support substrate, 
         [0019]    a first coating stage, 
         [0020]    a second stage for displaying the message comprising the electroluminescent sheet and the associated attaching means, 
         [0021]    an external protective layer, 
         [0022]    The second stage for displaying the message has the lowest possible thickness, for limiting the overthickness formed on the fairing. 
         [0023]    To this end, the electroluminescent sheet is devoid of protection, the protection being provided by the external protective layer applied on the fairing after attaching the electroluminescent sheet. 
         [0024]    More particularly, the protective layer is a transparent varnish for protecting against ultraviolet radiation. 
         [0025]    According to another aspect, the electroluminescent sheet is cut out according to the shape of the luminous message to be displayed. 
         [0026]    In addition, the means for attaching the electroluminescent sheet is constituted of an adhesive film. 
         [0027]    Furthermore, the electricity supply means is arranged inside the aircraft, and the electrical means for joining the electroluminescent sheet includes at least two electric wires which electrically join the electroluminescent sheet and the electricity supply means, and which pass through at least one hole arranged in the fairing of the aircraft. 
         [0028]    Advantageously, the electroluminescent sheet displays an information message. 
         [0029]    Likewise, the electroluminescent sheet may also display an advertising message. 
         [0030]    Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0031]    In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0032]      FIG. 1  is an overall side view, which illustrates an aircraft including a turbomachine nacelle equipped with a device for displaying a luminous message according to the present disclosure; 
           [0033]      FIG. 2  is a perspective detailed view, which illustrates the nacelle of  FIG. 1  equipped with the display device; and 
           [0034]      FIG. 3  is a schematic detailed view in section along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 , which illustrates the arrangement of the electroluminescent sheet of the device for displaying on the nacelle. 
       
    
    
       [0035]    The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0036]    The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. 
         [0037]    In the description and claims, in order to clarify the description and claims, it will be adopted in a non-limiting manner the terms longitudinal, vertical and transversal in reference to the trihedral L, V, T indicated in the Figures. 
         [0038]    It has been represented on  FIG. 1  an aircraft  10  including a turbomachine nacelle  12  which is equipped with a device  14  for displaying a luminous message on the fairing  16  of the aircraft  10 . 
         [0039]    Here, the term “fairing” designates the external wall, or the casing, of the aircraft  10  in its broadest sense, which comprises the external wall of the nacelle  12  as well as the external wall of a wing of the aircraft  10  for example. 
         [0040]    As can be seen on the diagram on  FIG. 3 , the fairing  16  of the nacelle  12  is constituted, from the inside to the outside of the nacelle  12 , a plate  18  forming a support substrate, a first coating stage  20 , a second stage  22  for displaying the message and an external protective layer  24 . 
         [0041]    Here the plate  18  is produced in a carbon alloy. However, in a non-limiting manner, the plate  18  may be produced from a metallic aluminum sheet for example or from any other suitable support. 
         [0042]    The first coating stage  20  is constituted of a first layer  20   a  of protective paint, a second layer  20   b  of support paint, a third layer  20   c  of finishing paint. 
         [0043]    The first layer  20   a  allows in particular to protect the plate  18  from corrosion and outside aggressions. It is constituted of a layer of epoxide polymer based paint for example. 
         [0044]    The second layer  20   b  is a layer of paint forming a paint base of uniform color intended to support the third layer  20   c  of finishing paint. 
         [0045]    The second stage  22  includes four electroluminescent sheets  26  belonging to the display device  14 , which are each attached on the fairing  16  by an attaching means  28 . 
         [0046]    Each electroluminescent sheet  26  forms an isolated element of the message to be displayed. 
         [0047]    The message to be displayed is the word “LOGO” according to the form described here, each letter of this message forming an isolated element, that is to say, an element which is not connected with an adjacent element. 
         [0048]    The message to be displayed may be an advertising logo, or an information message or any other type of visual message. 
         [0049]    The electroluminescent sheets  26  are cut out according to the shape of luminous message to be displayed. 
         [0050]    According to the example described here, each electroluminescent sheet  26  is cut out such as to delimit a letter of the message to be displayed. 
         [0051]    In order to facilitate the comprehension of the description, only the electroluminescent sheet  26  representing the first letter “L” of the message, represented schematically in section on  FIG. 3 , and called “electroluminescent sheet  26 ” hereafter, is described in detail in the rest of the description. 
         [0052]    The electroluminescent sheet  26  comes in the form of a flexible film with the finest possible thickness, for limiting the overthickness formed on the fairing  16  of the aircraft  10 . 
         [0053]    To this end, the electroluminescent sheet  26  is devoid of a protective film against ultraviolet radiation which is usually present, thanks to which the electroluminescent sheet  26  has a thickness of around two hundred micrometers. 
         [0054]    In addition, the attaching means  28  associated with the electroluminescent sheet  26  is constituted of a flexible adhesive film  30  of “double sided” type which is covered with glue on each of its faces, one first face  32  being stuck on the third finishing layer  20   c  of the first coating stage  20  and a second face  34  being stuck on the electroluminescent sheet  26 . 
         [0055]    The adhesive film  30  has a thickness of around one hundred micrometers, such that the assembly constituted by the adhesive film  30  and the electroluminescent sheet  26  has a low thickness of three hundred micrometers. 
         [0056]    Nevertheless, according to a variant, the attaching means  28  may be produced by projecting glue in the form of an aerosol on the first coating stage  20  of the fairing  16 . 
         [0057]    Finally, the protective layer  24  is a layer of transparent protective varnish, which is applied on the fairing  16  for covering the electroluminescent sheet  26  and the third  20   c  layer of finishing paint. 
         [0058]    This protective layer  24  allows protecting the electroluminescent sheet  26  and the third layer  20   c  of finishing paint, in particular against bad weather and ultraviolet radiation. 
         [0059]    The varnish used for forming the protective layer  24  here has a thickness of about seventy micrometers. 
         [0060]    According to another aspect, the display device  14  includes a first wire  36   a  and a second wire  36   b  forming an electric connecting means for electrically connecting the electroluminescent sheet  26  on an associated electricity supply means. 
         [0061]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , each wire  36   a ,  36   b  includes a first end electrically connected to the electroluminescent sheet  26  and a second end electrically connected to the associated supply means  38 . 
         [0062]    To this end, a first piercing  40   a  and a second piercing  40   b  are arranged in the fairing  16  through the plate  18 , the first coating stage  20  and the attaching means  28  of the electroluminescent sheet  26 , for the passage of the first wire  36   a  and the second wire  36   b  respectively. 
         [0063]    The supply means  38  is a source of direct current which is arranged inside the aircraft  10  and which delivers a voltage of twelve to one hundred and ten Volts. The supply means  38  here is constituted by one of the direct current networks which usually equips the aircraft  10 . 
         [0064]    Nevertheless, the supply means  38  may be constituted by an independent electric energy source, such as an electric battery for example. 
         [0065]    In addition, the display device  14  includes a means  42  for controlling the electroluminescent sheet  26  in a lighted state in which the electroluminescent sheet  26  is electrically supplied so as to emit light, or in a switched-off state in which the electroluminescent sheet  26  is inoperative. 
         [0066]    Thus, when the electroluminescent sheet  26  occupies its lighted state, the message drawn by the electroluminescent sheet  26  is visible on the fairing  16  of the aircraft  10  even in conditions of low visibility and/or low luminosity. 
         [0067]    The control means  42  may be driven by a member of the aircraft  10  crew for example, via a man-machine interface. 
         [0068]    According to another form, an opening is arranged in the second layer  20   b  of support paint and the third layer  20   c  of finishing paint, for example by means of a stencil. 
         [0069]    The opening is of the shape of the message to be displayed and the electroluminescent sheets  26  for delimiting a housing in which the electroluminescent sheets are attached by the attaching means  28 . 
         [0070]    This variant allows limiting the overthickness formed on the fairing  16  by the assembly constituted by the electroluminescent sheets  26  and the associated attaching means  28 . 
         [0071]    Each electroluminescent sheet  26  may use the organic light-emitting diode technology, known by the OLED acronym.