Patent Application
20090303084
Embodiments are generally related to airport runway light systems and installations. Embodiments are also related to elevated airport lights for airport runway light systems. Embodiments are also related to elevated airport and heliport lights for use in airport runway light and heliport touchdown and lift-off (TLOF)/final approach and take-off (FATO) lighting systems. Embodiments are additionally related to techniques for providing visible indication of elevated airport lights during non-operational conditions.
Lighting systems are essential navigational aids for aircraft, boats, and other vehicles. Such lighting systems provide guidance, signaling and demarcation functions. Modern airports incorporate numerous specialized elevated lighting systems for illuminating the edge of an airport runway, taxiway and parking areas in order to minimize the possibility that an aircraft may inadvertently travel off the edge of a runway or taxiway. Typical elevated lighting systems include, but are not limited to, runway edge lighting, runway threshold lighting, runway end lighting, and taxiway edge lighting systems. Elevated lights located in the runway edges can be specially designed to define runways and taxiways, and inhibit pilots from inadvertently maneuvering airplanes off designated runways and taxiways.
An elevated light usually includes a housing that is attached to a mast. The mast is firmly fastened via a frangible coupling to a base plate, which is embedded into the surface of the ground. A typical housing may include the use of light emitting diodes (LEDs), which receive power from a power supply through the mast. The mast projects upward from the frangible coupling in the base plate and supports the LEDs above the surface of the ground in order to provide elevated lighting. An electrical plug may also be provided at the bottom of the mast to couple the electrical wiring of the LEDs to a main line of the airport lighting system.
Moreover, the airport lighting system can exhibit a set of regulations to be maintained in the assembly of the elevated airport light. Some regulations dictate that, during daytime viewing or other times when the assembly is not in operation, a minimum colored surface area of, for example, two-and-half square inches, shall be visible from any direction that indicates the color of the light emitted during operation. The majority of prior art elevated airport lights utilize a colored lens to filter the full spectrum incandescent/halogen bulb light output to meet color requirements and, therefore, comply with this regulation. With the advent of LED technology, the use of filtering colored glass was no longer required but was still employed in order to meet the regulations. In addition, some of the prior art elevated lights can also utilize a colored glass, a clear lens and different colored LEDs in order to produce a family of lights. Such a colored lens and/or glass configuration, and the color LEDs, are more expensive, which increases the overall cost of the elevated airport lights. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a means for indicating the elevated airport light color at a lower cost.
In an effort to address the foregoing difficulties, it is believed that a need exists for an improved method for providing visible indication of elevated airport light color, which meets required regulations without the need for expensive colored glass and/or lens. It is believed that the approach disclosed herein can address these and other continuing needs.
The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the embodiments disclosed and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.
It is, therefore, one aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved elevated airport light for use with airport runway light systems.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved method and apparatus for providing visible indication of elevated airport light color.
The aforementioned aspects and other objectives and advantages can now be achieved as described herein. An improved method and apparatus for providing visible indication of elevated airport light color during a non-operation condition, is disclosed. A set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) can be assembled to a housing of an elevated airport light. A clear glass may be assembled to the housing and the set of LEDs can be completely covered by the clear glass. Multiple colored tapes can be applied to a vertical portion of the lamp housing such that a minimum of, for example, two-and-half square inches of the tape is visible from different angles. Therefore, the use of colored tapes can provide a clear visible indication of the elevated airport light color during a non-operational condition and without the need for expensive colored glass and/or lens.
Furthermore, the LEDs can be elevated above a surface of the ground with the help of a mast that is mounted to a base plate via a frangible coupling. The color of the colored tapes is generally the color of the light emitted from the LEDs. The colored tape may be reflective or non-reflective, but may not be retro-reflective. The colored tapes can also be applicable to bi-directional elevated lights, where the tape can be of one color on one side of the elevated light and a different color on the other side of the elevated light. Such a technique can also be accomplished by applying paint to an appropriate area of the housing, in the event that the housing shape does not permit the application of the colored tape. Hence, regulations can be met by substituting clear glass and colored tapes for the more expensive colored glass. Further cost savings may be achieved through the “economy of scale”, wherein the number of clear glass covers purchased will be greater than the individual numbers of the various colored glass covers.
The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the embodiments and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the embodiments disclosed herein.
The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.
The mast 150 and the base plate 170 can provide a source of power through a power coupler (not shown) by utilizing a set of electrical wires (not shown). The mast 150 can be designed as hollow to allow the electrical wires between the LEDs 120 in the housing 110 and the base plate 170. The power coupler can further be connected with a main power line (not shown) in the airport runway light system 400. Such a power coupler can provide the required power to the LEDs 120 via the mast 150. The mast 150 secures to the base plate 170 via the frangible coupling 160 to provide a stable support for the housing 110 during harsh weather conditions or other conditions impacting operation and/or orientation of the elevated airport light 100. The frangible coupling 160 enables an easy breakaway of the mast 150 from the base plate 170 when an airplane 450, as illustrated in
Moreover, the housing 110 further comprises a clear colorless glass 130 at its top for permitting the transmission of, and possible directing of, the light emitted from the LED light source 120. Several colored tapes 140 can be applied to a vertical portion 131 of the housing 110, such that a minimum portion of, for example, two-and-half square inches, of the tape 140 is visible from different angles. The color of the colored tape 140 is the color of the light emitted from the LED light source 130. These colored tapes 140 can be generally utilized in automotive applications and other markets. Such a colored tape can provide a clear visible indication of the elevated airport light color during a non-operation condition without the need for expensive colored glass and/or lens.
In addition, these colored tapes 240 can also be applicable to bi-directional elevated lights 200, where the tape 240 can be one color on one side of the elevated light 200 and a different color on the other side of the elevated light 200. The elevated airport light 200 can also be accomplished by applying paint to the appropriate area of the housing 210, in the event that the housing shape cannot permit the application of colored tape 240. Hence, the regulations can be met, while reducing product cost, by substituting clear glass 230 with the colored tapes 240 for the more expensive colored glass and by increasing the number of the clear glass 230 covers purchased as compared to the individual numbers of the various colored glass covers.
It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also, that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
