The invention is now described in more detail with reference to the attached schematic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a not to scale view of an emergency illumination system, in which emergency lighting means are arranged in a ventilation device,
FIG. 2 is a not to scale view of a first emergency illumination system according to the invention, in which the emergency lighting means are arranged in a cabin illumination device,
FIG. 3 is a not to scale view of a second embodiment of the invention, in which an emergency lighting means is arranged in a cabin component, and
FIG. 4 is a not to scale view of a third embodiment of the invention, in which a plurality of emergency lighting means are arranged between elements of ceiling cladding.
FIG. 1 shows schematically a ventilation device 2 with multiple fins and/or slats 4, with which air is fed into or out of a cabin of an aircraft. Between the fins and/or slats 4, and shifted back from the air outlet openings and air inlet openings of the ventilation device, a plurality of emergency lighting means 6, each in the form of an LED, are arranged. It is understood that the internal space of a ventilation device, compared with the cabin to be ventilated, is darker, since the cabin is illuminated in use, whereas the internal space of the ventilation device is not illuminated, and furthermore the fins and/or slats 4 shade the light of the cabin illumination. Because the internal space of the ventilation device 2 is dark, the emergency lighting means 6 in it cannot be detected, since they have no contrast to their environment.
In normal operation, the emergency lighting means 6 also have no contrast to the ventilation device 2 and the fins and/or slats 4, i.e. they are invisible to a passenger.
In emergency, the emergency lighting means 6 are activated via an autonomous power supply (not shown), so that they emit light, which enters the cabin through the intermediate spaces between the fins and/or slats 4 of a ventilation device 2. The emergency lighting means 6 only become detectable by a passenger in this rare case.
FIG. 2 shows an emergency lighting means 16, which is arranged in a cabin illumination device 10. The cabin illumination device 10 includes a lighting means 12, which can be a fluorescent tube, incandescent lamp or halogen lamp, a reflector 14 and a diffuser disc formed as a light outlet 19. In the cabin illumination device 10, a plurality of emergency lighting means 16 in the form of LEDs are arranged on a supporting board 18. The emergency lighting means 16 is independently and autonomously supplied with current by the lighting means 12. Because of the diffuser disc 19, a passenger cannot detect the elements in a cabin lighting illumination device 10, whereby the emergency lighting means 16 have no contrast to the other elements of the cabin illumination device and the cabin illumination device 10 as a whole, and are thus invisible to a passenger. Even if the light outlet 19 is not formed as a diffuser disc, a passenger cannot detect the switched-off emergency lighting means 16 if the lighting means 12 is switched on, because the lighting means 12 has such brightness that the passenger by looking directly into the cabin lighting device 10 is dazzled, so that the switched-off emergency lighting means 16 has no contrast to the cabin illumination device 10 or the elements of the cabin illumination device 10.
If the emergency lighting means 16 are switched on by switching on the autonomous emergency power supply, they emit light which enters the cabin via the light outlet 19. A passenger detects that the emergency lighting means 16 are present only in this rare case.
The cabin illumination device can be a reading lamp or a radiator, which is arranged on the ceiling of the aircraft. Multiple emergency lighting means can be provided. Multiple redundant sets of emergency power supply and at least one emergency lighting means can be present. In this way, the safety of the emergency lighting is increased.
In this embodiment, the emergency lighting means is disguised in a “cabin illumination device”, so that in normal operation it is invisible to a passenger. The expression “normal operation” means that no emergency exists.
FIG. 3 shows, schematically and not to scale, two overhead bins 20, which are arranged in the upper region of the cabin. Between the overhead bins, according to the invention an emergency lighting means 22, which can be in the form of an LED, is arranged. The emergency lighting means 22 is in an intermediate space between the two overhead bins. Because the intermediate space between the overhead bins is not illuminated, the emergency lighting means 22 has no contrast to its surroundings, i.e. to the intermediate space between the overhead bins 20 and the overhead bins 20 as such. At the lateral end of the intermediate space, a screen can be arranged, so that the intermediate space is undetectable for a passenger if he looks laterally in the direction of the overhead bins 20. If the emergency lighting means 22 is in the form of an LED, only a very small intermediate space between the overhead bins 20 is required, so that a passenger is not aware of the intermediate space. At the lower end of the intermediate space, between the overhead bins 20, a diffuser can also be arranged, so that a passenger is not aware of the intermediate space between the overhead bins 20.
If the emergency lighting means 22 is supplied with current via an autonomous power supply, the light which the emergency lighting means 22 emits emerges from the intermediate space between the overhead bins 20 and illuminates the cabin. A passenger of the aircraft detects that the emergency lighting means 22 are present only in this rare case.
FIG. 4 shows a plurality of emergency lighting means 34, which according to the invention are arranged between two ceiling cladding elements 32a, 32b of ceiling cladding 30. Because the intermediate space between the ceiling cladding elements 32a, 32b is not lit, the emergency lighting means 34 have no contrast to their environment, i.e. to the intermediate space between the ceiling cladding elements 32a, 32b and the ceiling cladding elements 32a, 32b as such.
The present invention thus provides emergency cabin illumination with at least one emergency lighting means, which in its switched-off state has no contrast to its surroundings. The surroundings of the emergency lighting means can be a cabin component or a space on a cabin component. For the purpose of the invention, a plurality of elements in a cabin can also be considered as one cabin component. For instance, the emergency lighting means can be arranged in ceiling cladding, which represents a cabin component and consists of multiple elements.
Because the emergency lighting means in its switched-off state has no contrast to its surroundings, the emergency lighting means is not detected by a passenger in the cabin of the aircraft. Consequently, the passenger is not unnecessarily confronted with the possibility of an accident or emergency, so that the passenger feels safer in the aircraft. In an emergency, the light which the emergency lighting means emits emerges from or on the cabin component, and thus illuminates the cabin so that a passenger can leave the cabin safely in an emergency.
Patent Application
20080013332
