Abstract:
A beacon lamp which may find use in and around airports, communication towers, etc. The beacon lamp includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) its as light source. The plurality of LEDs can be mounted on an LED module which is in turn secured to a base. A transparent outer cover is provided to cover the plurality of LEDs. The LED module can include heat fins to enhance heat sinking properties. The outer cover and base can also include portions to improve free air convection to also improve heat sinking properties. The LEDs may be connected in parallel to provide redundancy in the event that certain LEDs burn out. The beacon lamp is also structured to allow the outer cover to be easily removed from the base to access the LED modules, to allow easy relamping of the beacon lamp.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention is directed to a beacon lamp which, for example, may be used in and around airports, communication towers, etc.  
           [0003]    2. Discussion of the Background  
           [0004]    Beacon lamps are in a widespread use in and around airports and on communication towers. Such beacon lamps provide warnings and indications for approaching aircraft.  
           [0005]    Currently known beacon lamps in and around airports and on communication towers utilize incandescent or xenon lamps and typically flash their incandescent or xenon light bulbs. However, the use of such incandescent or xenon lamps results in certain drawbacks, as recognized by the inventors of the present invention.  
           [0006]    A first drawback is that incandescent light bulbs are relatively energy inefficient, and thus use a large amount of power. A second drawback with both incandescent and xenon beacon lamps is that such lamps typically burnout within 18 to 24 months as that is the typical lifetime of an incandescent light bulb or a xenon light bulb. That is a particular drawback in beacon lamps because beacon lamps are often placed in locations which are  20  difficult and dangerous to reach. As a result, the maintenance and replacement of background incandescent and xenon beacon lamps can be both difficult and costly. A third drawback is that xenon light bulbs require a large amplitude, short duration driving pulse. That pulsing of a xenon light bulb can cause noise or electrical interference which can be extensive and detrimental to radio and cell tower transmissions.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a novel beacon lamp which can overcome the drawbacks in the background art.  
           [0008]    A further more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel beacon lamp which has improved energy efficiency.  
           [0009]    A further more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel beacon lamp which has a long life, to thereby reduce maintenance costs.  
           [0010]    A further more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel beacon lamp which does not emit any detrimental electrical interference.  
           [0011]    To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention sets forth a novel beacon lamp which utilizes light emitting diodes (LEDs) as the illumination source. The LEDs may be interconnected and mounted on a bracket to form an LED subassembly module. The LED subassembly module may provide heat sinking for the LEDs. Further, the novel beacon lamp of the present invention is structured to allow easy relamping of the LED components. The drive circuitry for the LED components can also include various features such as providing a regulated DC current, power factor correction, harmonic distortion correction, etc.  
           [0012]    The use of LEDs as a light source in the novel beacon lamp of the present invention provides the benefits that LEDs are significantly more energy efficient than both incandescent and xenon lamps, and thus the novel beacon lamp of the present invention has improved energy efficiency. LEDs also have a lifetime typically four to five times greater than that of incandescent and xenon light bulbs, and thus the novel beacon lamp of the present invention will have to be relamped less frequently than the background beacon lamps, to thereby reduce maintenance costs. Further, LEDs do not require short duration, large amplitude driving pulses, and thus do not emit interference which may interfere with the radio or cell towers. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 shows the novel beacon lamp of the present invention from a top perspective view;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 shows a novel beacon lamp of the present invention from a bottom perspective view;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 shows a novel beacon lamp of the present invention in an exploded view;  
         [0017]    FIGS.  4 A- 4 D show a specific module and lens arrangement of the novel beacon lamp of the present invention; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 shows a circuit overview of drive and light emission elements of the novel beacon lamp of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 shows a schematic in control circuitry of the present invention; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 shows in further detail control circuitry in the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the novel beacon lamp  19  of the present invention is shown.  
         [0022]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the beacon lamp  19  of the present invention includes a base  6 . The base  6  typically is a structural assembly and may be formed from a metal such as aluminum which has good heat dissipation properties, or from fiberglass or other materials. Mounted on the metal base  6  is a terminal housing  5  which provides a site for wire termination. The terminal housing  5  is a junction for wiring to connect the wiring of the beacon lamp  19  to existing wiring, such as existing tower wiring. Formed above the base  6  is an outer housing  3 . The outer housing  3  is mounted onto the base  6  by a clamp latch  4 . The clamp latch  4  can be clamped and unclamped to allow the outer cover  3  to be lifted off of the metal base  6 . Thereby, easy access to the lamp components housed inside the outer cover  3  is provided with the structure in the present invention.  
         [0023]    The outer cover  3  also includes a screen portion  2 . The screen portion  2  is provided to allow free convection of air within the beacon lamp  19 . The outer cover  3  also includes a top cover portion  1  mounted on the top of the outer cover  3 . The top cover  1  may typically be formed of aluminum sheet metal, and the outer cover may typically be formed of acrylic, a clear glass, plastic material, etc., and could also be tinted to match a desired emission color. The outer cover  3  is attached to the screen portion  2 , and the screen portion  2  is attached to the top cover  1 .  
         [0024]    As shown more specifically in FIG. 2, the metal base  6  also includes a screening portion  9  which is also provided to allow the free convection of air to occur within the beacon lamp  19 . The screening portion  9  can also prevent infestation from bugs or birds. As also shown in FIG. 2 the clamp latch  4  is mounted to a base block  7 . Module knobs  8  are also provided to secure a lamp module (shown later) to the metal base  6 . The module knobs  8  also allow for the easy removal of the lamp module for relamping, as discussed further below.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 shows the beacon lamp  19  of the present invention in an expanded view. As shown in FIG. 3 the outer cover  3  is mounted on a telescoping tube  24  which is securely mounted to the metal base  6  by a flange  26 .  
         [0026]    As also shown in FIG. 3, an electrical housing  21  is connected by cable  22  to the terminal housing  5 . The electrical housing  21  includes at least two power-input wires  23  to connect to an existing controller (discussed further below). With such a structure in the present invention, providing power to LEDs and LED driving circuitry in the beacon lamp  19  is simply performed by connecting the beacon lamp  19  to an existing light controller, as discussed further below.  
         [0027]    As also shown in FIG. 3 two LED modules  20  are provided on which LED elements as the illumination source for the beacon lamp  19  are provided. The LED modules  20  each include a connector  25 .  
         [0028]    A specific structure of each LED module  20  is shown in FIG. 4A.  
         [0029]    As shown in FIG. 4A each LED module  20  includes an LED assembly  13  mounted on an inner heat sink bracket  10 . The LED assembly  13  is mounted to the inner heat sink bracket  10  via a thermally conductive electrical insulator  15 , which can be formed of a material such as a pressure sensitive adhesive loaded with oxide particles and coated in Kapton thermally cool polymide film, as one example. A lens  18  is provided to mount over each LED assembly  13 . The lens  18  may be formed of acrylic.  
         [0030]    The LED assembly  13  includes a plurality of individual LED elements  13   a . The LEDs  13   a  are specifically chosen to be high power LEDs capable of withstanding at or above 55° C. Acceptable LEDs for this purpose are SnapLED LEDS manufactured by Lumileds, such as model No. HPWS-FH 00 . A specific construction of the lens  18  is shown in FIGS.  4 B- 4 D, which also specifically illustrate the shape of the lens  18 . As shown in FIGS.  4 B- 4 D, the lens  18 , in the embodiment disclosed, includes six one-directionally powered plano/convex Fresnel lenses  41 . Each Fresnel lens  41  is aligned with one row of LEDs of the LED assembly  13 . Each Fresnel lens  41  converges light emitted from the respective row of LEDs aligned therewith in a vertical direction to keep the light unchanged in a horizontal direction, so as to better comply with applicable lighting regulations. Each Fresnel lens  41  has a convex surface as an outer surface to better rollimate the light beam and reduce light loss. The lens  18  is thus one directionally powered to converge light emitted from the LEDs. Utilizing  36  for each of two modules of such high powered LED assemblies  13  and one directionally powered converging lens  18  provides an effective luminous intensity output of minimum  1500  candela to maximum  2500  candela in an omnidirectional 360°, which meets FAA requirements set forth in circular 150/5345/43 for beacon lighting equipment.  
         [0031]    One factor the inventors considered by utilizing LEDs as light sources is that LEDs generate heat and LEDs are sensitive to heat in the sense that light output of an LED decreases with increasing temperature. That is, the intensity of the light output by an LED typically diminishes at a rate of about 1% per ° C. Further, exposure of LEDs to increased temperatures can also reduce the lifetime of the LEDs.  
         [0032]    In view of those problems the beacon lamp  19  of the present invention takes approaches to ensure adequate heat sinking for heat generated by the LEDs  13   a . More specifically, the inner heat sink bracket  10  includes convection fins  10   a  and is designed to provide heat sinking for the LED assemblies  13  by providing a conductive heat path to the convection fins  10   a . The convection fins  10   a  are designed to allow for maximized heat transfer to air and free convection.  
         [0033]    Also, and as noted above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer cover  3  includes the screen portion  2  and the base  6  includes the screen portion  9 , which allow airflow to enhance the free convection.  
         [0034]    It is also noted that the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the present specification utilizes LED panels which each include six series-connected clusters of three parallel-connected LEDs. The parallel interconnection of the LEDs  13   a  ensures that if a single LED extinguishes only that single LED is effected. The remaining two LEDs in parallel with the extinguished LED would then share the current from the failed LED, to thereby increase the LED current and intensity in each of those two remaining LEDs by one-third, to compensate for the extinguished LED. With such a structure, three parallel LEDs  13   a  must fail before the entire LED panel  13  fails.  
         [0035]    Further, in the structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 two LED modules  20  are provided for each beacon lamp  19 . Each LED module  20  can include 18 LED panels  13 . With such a structure there are 324 LEDs  13   a  for each LED module  20 , with two parallel-connected strings of nine series-connected LED panels  13  for each module. Of course other possible embodiments could provide for LEDs  13   a  in series/parallel paths to provide continued, albeit partial, illumination.  
         [0036]    Further, in the structure shown in FIG. 3 module brackets  12  are provided to secure the two LED modules  20  to each other. These brackets  12  can be replaced by clamps or other devices to fasten the two LED modules  20  to each other.  
         [0037]    The beacon lamp  19  of the present invention is also structured to ensure easy relamping. That is, when the LEDs  13   a  fail or another maintenance problem arises, the system of the present invention can be easily relamped. To achieve a structure which allows for easy relamping, and as discussed above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer cover  3  is secured to the base  6  by clamp latches  4 , and the LED modules  20  are secured to the base  6  by modules knobs  8 .  
         [0038]    With such a structure, to relamp the beacon light  19  of the present invention first the outer cover  3  is unclamped from the base  6  by releasing the clamp latches  4 . The outer cover  3  is then lifted from the base  6  by the operation of the telescoping tube  24 . The telescoping tube  24  can then lock in an extended position to enable access to the LED modules  20 . The LED modules  20  can be removed by disconnecting the connectors  25 , loosening the module knobs  8 , loosening the module brackets  12 , and then lifting the LED modules  20  from the base  6 . Then, the LED modules  20  can be replaced by new modules.  
         [0039]    As discussed above, and as shown in FIG. 5, the beacon lamp  19  can be connected to an existing controller  51  for a beacon lamp, so that the beacon lamp  19  can be easily retrofit onto existing lamp sites. As also shown in FIG. 5, the beacon lamp  19  is connected to an LED beacon controller  50 . That LED beacon controller  50  may be housed in the electrical housing  21 , and directly connects to the existing controller  51 . FIGS. 6 and 7 detail driving and control circuitry for the beacon lamp  19  as housed in the electrical housing  21 . The driving circuitry to the beacon lamp  19  can provide an adjustable electronically controlled current source.  
         [0040]    The existing controller  51  provides to the beacon lamp  19  properly timed flashing signals and provides monitor and alarm interfaces. The LED beacon controller  50  provides a constant current source to the beacon lamp  19 . By providing a constant current from the LED beacon controller  50 , the LED beacon controller  50  can operate if the beacon lamp  19  is provided on a tower of any length with negligible affects. That results because the LED beacon controller  50  can adjust its output voltage to accommodate different conductor lengths, by maintaining an output of a constant current. The LED beacon controller  50  can also be adjustable in order to accommodate variations in the output of the LEDs of the beacon lamp  19 .  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 6 provides a more detailed disclosure of the LED beacon controller  50  of FIG. 5.  
         [0042]    The LED beacon controller  50  has a function of providing an electrical interface between the existing controller  51  and the beacon lamp  19 . The LED beacon controller  50  receives a flashing signal from the existing controller  51 , processes the signal, and sends the proper amount of electrical energy to the beacon lamp  19 . The LED beacon controller  50  also provides a monitoring function which can signal to the existing controller  51  that the beacon lamp  19  is functional.  
         [0043]    As shown in FIG. 6 an AC line filter  51  receives an input AC voltage. The AC line filter filters the high frequency components of the input current, and provides a filtered output of the input AC voltage to a doubler and filter  52 , i.e. a rectifier filter, and to a bias supply  56 . The bias supply  56  provides the unit with the required voltages to operate the power control circuits and the interfaces to the existing controller  51 .  
         [0044]    The doubler and filter  42  multiplies the input voltage to twice the peak on the AC input. The doubler and filter circuit  52  can also increase the input voltage above a maximum voltage required by the beacon lamp  19  based on and the height of the tower, and can filter out the low frequency AC line ripple. The filtered AC line voltage provided to the doubler and filter  52  is multiplied by two, to provide a voltage to the main control  54 . As one typical operating embodiment, the AC input to the doubler and filter  52  can be multiplied by two to provide a voltage input to the main control  54  of 300 Vdc filtered. The main control  54  processes the input voltage, i.e. the 300 Vdc, by PWM techniques to supply the beacon lamp  19  with an adjustable current source.  
         [0045]    The main control  54  provides its output voltage to the over voltage protection circuit  55  and the control interface  53 . The over voltage protection circuit  55  monitors the voltage output of the main control  54  and can short out the output to protect the beacon lamp  19  when an over voltage is output. That is, the over voltage protection circuit  55  can, when activated, generate a short circuit across the beacon lamp  19  and cause a series fuse to open, to protect the beacon lamp  19  from an over voltage. The control interface  53  receives signals from the existing controller  51 , processes the signal, and sends an on/off signal to the main control  54 . The control interface  53  can also receive a status of the lamp from the main control  54  and can provide the status to the existing controller  51  via, e.g., a 10 amp ac signal for incandescent monitor circuits or other formats in the existing controller  51 .  
         [0046]    The main control  54  thus provides several functions of power control, alarm control, lamp protection, on/off control, and other miscellaneous functions. The main control  54  thus controls the current supply to the beacon lamp  19  on the tower to thereby control the intensity of light output by the beacon lamp  19 .  
         [0047]    Further details of the main control  54  of FIG. 6 are provided in FIG. 7.  
         [0048]    First, FIG. 7 includes a block power converter  70 , shown in the dotted lines, which itself is made up of a power converter  71 , an I sense circuit  73 , an isolation circuit  75 , a driver control circuit  76 , and a PWM circuit  77 .  
         [0049]    The current flows from the main control  54  through the beacon lamp  19  and back into the main control  54  via the lamp return input. The lamp current is regulated by the power converter circuit  71 . Such a function may be achieved by utilizing a standard buck converter topology with feedback.  
         [0050]    The lamp current is sensed by the I sense circuit  73  and is compared against a reference current to produce an error signal through the isolation circuit  75  provided to the PWM circuit  77 . That error signal is representative of the difference between the sensed lamp current and the reference lamp current. The PWM circuit  77  converts the error voltage to a pulse width modulated signal, proportional to the error voltage. The pulse width modulation signal is then fed to the driver control  76 , which controls the current provided to the beacon lamp  19 .  
         [0051]    The LED beacon controller  50  also provides circuitry to protect from over voltage and over current situations. A voltage failure mode can occur when resistance in the beacon lamp  19  increases. To achieve such operations, the V sense circuit  81  senses an output voltage from the power converter  71 , i.e. a voltage being provided to the beacon lamp  19 , and when the sensed voltage reaches a predetermined set point, i.e., a first threshold valve, the V sense circuit  81  can override the current control signal using, e.g., a wired “ORed” circuit in the isolation block  75 . The V sense circuit  81  can then control the output to the beacon lamp  19  to provide a constant voltage to the beacon lamp  19 . At the time of such an over voltage situation, the other circuits operate as in a normal current mode of operation and the V&amp;I failure detection circuit  83  can detect that condition of the over voltage and indicate a failure, such as by an LED indicator. However, such a condition will not shut down the beacon lamp  19  and the beacon lamp  19  can remain lit, although it may have a decreased brightness. If the voltage or current does exceed an absolute maximum value, i.e. a second threshold value, the V&amp;I failure detection circuit  83  can detect either condition as a major failure and can activate an electronic disconnect circuit  82  which can latch off all controls to provide an open circuit in the beacon lamp  19 , and to thereby shut down the beacon lamp  19 , through operation in the failure latch/detect circuit  85 .  
         [0052]    The main control  54  also includes an on/off control circuit  86  which can activate the beacon lamp  19  with a proper signal.  
         [0053]    The main control  54  also includes a DV/DT limit circuit  88 , a power on reset (POR) circuit  87 , and an isolated bias circuit  84 . The DV/DT limit circuit  88  is active during a leading edge of the beacon lamp&#39;s  19  on time, and can limit a rate of a voltage rise across an output capacitor of the beacon lamp  19 . Such a limiting operation can limit a voltage overshoot and surge current in the output capacitor. The power on reset (POR) circuit  87  resets the fault latches and ensures an orderly start up when power is applied. The isolated bias circuit  84  can provide power for all the circuits which are not at the same reference as output by the bias supply circuit  56 .  
         [0054]    The beacon lamp  19  will also typically operate in a flashing mode. To maximize reliability of the system, flashing can be accomplished by switching output transistors on and off rather than continual toggling of an entire power supply.  
         [0055]    Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.