US 12,312,098 B2
Exterior aircraft light, aircraft comprising an exterior aircraft light, and method of assembling an exterior aircraft light
Marion Depta, Lippstadt (DE); Elmar Schrewe, Anröchte (DE); and Anil Kumar Jha, Lippstadt (DE)
Assigned to GOODRICH LIGHTING SYSTEMS GMBH & CO. KG, Lippstadt (DE)
Filed by Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Lippstadt (DE)
Filed on Dec. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/544,121.
Claims priority of application No. 22215714 (EP), filed on Dec. 21, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0208671 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
Int. Cl. B64D 47/04 (2006.01); F21S 41/19 (2018.01); H05K 1/11 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 47/04 (2013.01) [F21S 41/192 (2018.01); B64D 2203/00 (2013.01); H05K 1/111 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An exterior aircraft light, comprising:
a light source having a first electrode and a second electrode;
a light source support for supporting the light source; and
at least one optical element that is arranged over the light source for shaping a light output of the exterior aircraft light,
wherein the light source support comprises conductive traces for supplying electric energy to the light source,
wherein the light source support comprises a first group of electric contact areas, which are spaced from each other and which are electrically connected with each other, and a second group of electric contact areas, which are spaced from each other and which are electrically connected with each other,
wherein the first group of electric contact areas and the second group of electric contact areas form an extended electric contact structure that allows for the light source to be positioned on the light source support in a plurality of different positions,
wherein the first electrode of the light source is soldered to a subset of the first group of electric contact areas and wherein the second electrode of the light source is soldered to a subset of the second group of electric contact areas,
wherein light from the light source contributes differently to the light output of the exterior aircraft light for the plurality of different positions on the light source support,
the exterior aircraft light is a wing-mounted forward navigation light,
the light output of the forward navigation light has a cut-off angle (γ) with respect to the light source support, and
a first cut-off angle (γ), present when the light source is arranged at a first end region of the first and second groups of electric contact areas, differs from a second cut-off angle (γ), present when the light source is arranged at a second end region of the first and second groups of electric contact areas.