Abstract:
An integrated reading light and personal air outlet for a passenger service unit (PSU) employs a housing carried in the PSU with an air nozzle mounted within the housing and a light ring of light emitting diodes mounted to the housing surrounding the air nozzle. The housing is swivels in the PSU for orientation of a primary axis for directing a light beam from the LED light ring and the air nozzle separately swivels within the housing for orientation of a secondary axis for directing airflow from the nozzle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates generally to the field of passenger service units for aircraft and, more particularly, to a PSU employing an integrated reading light concentric to an adjustable air outlet. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Passenger service units are present on substantially all commercial aircraft in passenger service. For large aircraft, the number of PSUs can be very large and for high density seating arrangements compact arrangement of the elements in the PSU provides both space and weight savings. Reading lights  2  and Personal Air Outlet (PAO)  4  functionality are separate assemblies on all existing Passenger Service Unit (PSU) systems as shown in  FIG. 1  of the application. This results in more weight and cost and requires more space to provide the necessary functions in the PSU system. It also affects the aesthetics of the overhead system due to the clutter with hundreds of parts over the passenger seats. 
   It is therefore desirable to provide integrated PSU components with reduced size and increased integration. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides an integrated reading light and personal air outlet for a passenger service unit (PSU) having a housing mounted in the PSU with an air nozzle mounted within the housing and an LED light ring mounted to the housing surrounding the air nozzle. In exemplary embodiments, the housing is movably supported within the PSU to swivel for orientation of a primary axis for directing a light beam from the light ring and the air nozzle is mounted within the housing to swivel for orientation of a secondary axis for directing airflow from the nozzle. The nozzle incorporates a flow adjustment ring, an outer circumferential surface of the adjustment ring providing a grasping surface for swiveling the air nozzle. The light ring incorporates a rotary switch on an external circumference thereof with an outer surface of the switch providing a grasping surface for swiveling the housing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an pictorial view of exemplary Prior Art PSU systems; 
       FIG. 2  is an isometric view of an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a pictorial view of one embodiment of a PSU employing the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is an isometric rear section view of the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is an elevation section view of the embodiment of the invention; and, 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the elements of the embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the present invention provides an integrated light and air assembly  10  for an aircraft PSU which employs a personal air outlet (PAO)  12  concentrically surrounded by a light ring  14  employing multiple individual light emitting diodes (LEDs)  16  as light sources for the embodiment shown. The PAO incorporates a partial spherical body  18  which, for the embodiment shown in the drawings, is carried in an inner race  19  providing a front hemispherical engagement having an outer element  20  suspended by a partial spherical surface  21  in a housing  22  of the integrated assembly. A snap ring  23  secures the outer element of the inner race to the housing and a threaded insert  25  provides a rear hemispherical engagement to secure the body in the inner race. A connector  24  extends from the housing for attachment to a duct in the low pressure low volume air system contained within the PSU fascia or cabin ceiling of the aircraft. The housing also employs a substantially spherical section to be carried in a truncated spherical outer race  26  which is suspended in the face plate  32  of PSU as will be described in greater detail subsequently. 
   A PSU employing the present invention is significantly simplified over the prior art as shown in  FIG. 3 . For the embodiment shown, three integrated reading light and personal air units  10  according to the invention are mounted in an angled recess  35  in the PSU panel. Use of integral controls and switches as will be described in greater detail subsequently, allow elimination of separate switch elements providing a compact and simplified structure. 
   The interfaces between the PAO sphere and cavity and the housing and race are lubricious to allow swiveling of the integrated system elements for direction of the airflow from the PAO and the light beam from the LED ring as desired by the passenger. The dimensional tolerance of the housing and race provide a higher tension for rotation of the housing within the race than the tension for rotation of the PAO sphere within its mating cavity to allow the PAO airflow to be readily adjusted without impacting the directional orientation of the light beam. 
   Unlike conventional PSU lighting systems employing incandescent light sources, including the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,227 which provided a concentric arrangement, reflector systems are not required by the LED ring. The individual LEDs are projection devices which provide a directed beam. Orientation of the LED beam axis  28  for each LED with respect to an axis of symmetry  30  of the LED ring is accomplished to provide desired overall beam breadth from the LED ring as shown in  FIG. 5 . The axis of symmetry  31  for airflow from the PAO nozzle is coincident with the light ring axis in  FIG. 5 . Swiveling the PAO body within the housing allows a divergence of the airflow axis and the light ring axis. The directional orientation of the beam from each individual LED allows tailoring of the beam pattern for optimum use in reading. The ring in the embodiment shown in the drawings is circular, however, in alternative embodiments other geometric shapes are employed to further tailor the beam shape. An exemplary rectangular arrangement provides a flattened beam geometry which is further adjustable by the passenger by rotationally swiveling the housing in addition to swiveling the pointing axis for the beam. 
   Unlike the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,227 which provided a concentric arrangement with a large nozzle surrounded by an incandescent lamp, this nozzle is compact and surrounded by the light source. This compact nozzle provides high velocity air from existing low pressure air distribution systems and provides the ability to aim the light and nozzle individually. 
   As shown for the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 , the swivel mounting for the housing is provided using race  26  mounted within the PSU. For the embodiment shown, the rim of the aperture in the recess is engaged intermediate a snap ring  27  and a circumferential ridge  29  on the race. The housing is a truncated spherical shape to allow an aperture  34  to provide air flow through the body  18  for the personal air outlet which is exposed through a second opposing aperture  36  in the housing. For the embodiment shown, the race incorporates a threaded insert  33  which provides a rear hemispherical support for the housing and secures the housing within the race. Connector  24  is attached to race  26  for the embodiment shown. Light ring  14  surrounds the second aperture with electrical connection for the light sources routed through the housing. While shown as complete concentric ring elements in the embodiment of the drawings, reduced surface section contact rings or pads are employed in alternative embodiments to suspend the body within the housing and the housing within its race while retaining the multidirectional rotation capability to swivel the body and the housing. 
   The PAO incorporates a nozzle flow adjustment ring  38  rotatably mounted in the body which constricts flow from the nozzle by adjustment of the ring inner surface relative to a substantially conical strake  40 . Threaded interconnection  39  of the ring and strake allows the relative motion between the nozzle elements for flow adjustment. Ring  38  also acts as the grasping surface for swiveling the PAO for adjusting the axis of air flow. As seen in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 , a vane set  43  assists in airflow direction into the nozzle. 
   The light ring for the embodiment shown houses the LEDs in a circular channel  41  which incorporates a rotary switch/dimmer in a bezel  42  for activation and light level adjustment on the LEDs. For the embodiment shown, the bezel is supported by tines  43  which engage an inner lip  45  on the aperture in the housing allowing rotation of the bezel. As with the nozzle flow adjustment ring, the dimpled circumferential surface  44  of the switch/dimmer bezel provides a grasping surface for swiveling of the housing to direct the axis of the light beam and rotating the bezel. A dimple  45  (best seen in  FIG. 6 ) extending inward from the bezel provides an electrical switch stop element. Ribs or wings on the circumferential surface of the switch/dimmer are added in alternative embodiments for additional friction or leverage in operating the switch and swiveling the housing for directing the light beam. A cover lens  46  is employed in the embodiment shown to provide a clean appearance for the LED ring and blend individual beams from the separate LEDs. Various optical properties can be provided in the lens to further focus or diffuse the LED beams. 
   Having now described the invention in detail as required by the patent statutes, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications and substitutions to the specific embodiments disclosed herein. Such modifications are within the scope and intent of the present invention as defined in the following claims.