NO321161B1 - Lighting device for signaling, identification or marking - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device for signalling on and identification and marking of airport traffic areas, e.g. take-off runways, landing runways, taxiways and the like. Said device has light sources (1) for direct emission of visible light. To reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs for said lighting devices, it is proposed that the light sources take the form of semiconductor components.

Description

The invention relates to a lighting device for signalling, identification or marking, with light sources designed as semiconductor elements, e.g. as light emitting diodes (LED) or as light emitting polymers.

With the help of such semiconductor elements, the light emission from a lighting device as stated above can take place in a predetermined color, without the need for any optical radiation filters. Correspondingly, such a semiconductor element outside the visible area will not generate significant radiation, in particular no significant heat-generating infrared or ultraviolet radiation. The energy consumption for the operation of such a semiconductor element or a lighting device with such semiconductor elements is thus low.

In EP 0 390 479, a display device, such as an outdoor sign, is described. The light sources are semiconductor elements such as LEDs or light-emitting polymers. A substrate holding the semiconductor elements is almost completely covered by the semiconductor elements. The important components are well protected both in relation to the weather and in relation to torque.

The task underlying the invention is, based on the above-mentioned state of the art, to produce a lighting device whose light emission can be easily adapted to different needs and can be adapted to different lighting conditions.

This task is solved according to the invention in that the lighting device has a control device, by means of which the intensity of light emission from the semiconductor elements can be controlled in a variable manner. In this way, the light emission from the lighting device can be adapted to the most diverse conditions by varying the intensity with which the semiconductor elements emit light. As such semiconductor elements also emit light with a wavelength range that is very narrow and constant even when the light emission is regulated with regard to intensity, the color of the light emitted from the lighting device is the same at different intensities for the emitted light. The adaptation of the light emission from the semiconductor elements to the changes predetermined by the control device takes place in the microsecond range, so that the light device according to the invention can also satisfy high requirements.

If the lighting device according to the invention has different semiconductor elements for emitting light in different colors, whereby the emitted light from different semiconductor elements can be arbitrarily mixed, the light emitted from the lighting device can be set in any way with respect to color and/or intensity. It is thus possible, with the help of one and the same lighting device, to emit light of a different colour. The efficiency of such a lighting device can be increased by the semiconductor elements radiating their light with a very narrow color bandwidth and a high saturation. Since the color of the emitted light does not change appreciably with regulation of the intensity, a color setting selection can be made with respect to the efficiency. With such a designed lighting device according to the invention, light can be radiated practically in the entire visible color range, as it is possible to achieve all technically suitable colors.

For this, no mechanical movement of lamps, filters or other physical, moving parts is necessary; the corresponding properties of the lighting devices according to the invention appear on the basis of static, controlled building parts. By addition of colors, which are formed by the individual semiconductor elements, the light visible to the human eye can have any color, as a resolution of the light from different semiconductor elements is no longer resolvable after two minutes, which corresponds to a distance of 0.5 m from the lighting device.

Appropriately, the lighting device is dimmable and/or can be switched off using the control device that serves to control the energy supply.

If this control device has an electronic light regulator, the reaction sensitivity for the semiconductor elements can be adapted to the usual reaction sensitivity for incandescent lamps or tungsten-halogen lamps, so that the lighting device according to the invention can be combined with ordinary lighting devices that have tungsten-halogen and incandescent lamps in the same system.

The control device can be in signal connection with a central unit via an energy supply line and/or a separate electrical or optical data line. The control device can serve to regulate the radiation intensity of the semiconductor elements. Moreover, with the help of the control device, it can be preset in which of several possible directions light is emitted, if the lighting device is designed as a bidirectional or omnidirectional lighting device.

With the help of this control device, the emission intensity and the number of semiconductor elements that emit light of different colors can be adjusted, so that with the help of the light device according to the invention, light of any color can be emitted at any intensity.

In addition, the control device can set a specific order one after the other of output and possibly different input operating states.

Of course, according to an advantageous embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention, it is possible by means of the control device to monitor the operating state and the performance of the semiconductor elements that act as a light source.

If the lighting device according to the invention has semiconductor elements that emit red, green and blue light respectively, the semiconductor elements being arranged alternately, it is possible to emit important, variable white light in any desired form, especially when operating an airport. In this way, the lighting device can be optimally adapted to different climatic conditions, whereby different lighting conditions can of course also be taken into account. Since red, blue and green are arranged in the outer corners of a color triangle and the lighting device can have corresponding semiconductor elements in the desired number, all colors can be produced with the help of this lighting device. Moreover, with the help of the lighting device according to the invention, in practice, arbitrarily predetermined requirements with regard to light propagation can be met without further ado.

If only red, yellow, orange or green light is to be emitted by means of the lighting device according to the invention, it is sufficient if it has semiconductor elements that emit red or green light, which are arranged alternately. Semiconductor elements that emit blue light are not necessary in this case, as they have no effect on the light emission in the aforementioned colours. If light is only to be produced in the aforementioned four colours, namely red, yellow, orange and green, the use of semiconductor elements that emit blue light means that the lighting device according to the invention can be designed with smaller dimensions at the same possible light intensity.

It is possible to arrange mutually adjacent rows of semiconductor elements offset from one another, whereby under certain circumstances a denser coating of a substrate with semiconductor elements is produced.

If the control device for the lighting device according to the invention has a pulse width modulation device, by which the electrical energy supplied to the semiconductor elements can be controlled, a high degree of efficiency results for the operation of the lighting device according to the invention, as the available energy with the help of the pulse width modulation device can be optimally adapted to the requirements of the lighting device respectively the requirements for the semiconductor elements. No thyristor-controlled power supply is required, which in turn would typically cause harmonic and reactive losses in the main source. Moreover, during operation of the lighting device according to the invention, no stroboscopic effect appears which could affect the correct observation of the lighting device.

It is possible for several semiconductor elements in the lighting device to form a cluster, whereby 2-200, preferably 2-30 semiconductor elements can belong to a cluster. In this way, failure of semiconductor elements can be compensated for, as a cluster that has several semiconductor elements also remains functional if one or more semiconductor elements fail.

The lighting device according to the invention can in an advantageous embodiment be designed as a cluster device of several individual clusters, e.g. of 1-30, preferably 1-16 clusters. In this way, the spatial light distribution for the lighting device can be optimized in accordance with predetermined requirements. The global photometric properties of the lighting device are determined by the cluster device.

In an advantageous embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention, the semiconductor elements in a cluster, which are preferably designed without a socket, are arranged on a common substrate.

If the substrate that holds the semiconductor elements on its side facing the semiconductor elements is equipped with a layer of reflective material, it is ensured that

the radiation portions of the semiconductor elements, which are not directed towards the beam output surface of the cluster, respectively the lighting device, are deflected to the greatest extent possible in the direction towards the surface.

According to an embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention, in which a mirror surface is arranged on the output side of the semiconductor elements, by means of which the radiation of the semiconductor elements is deflected, the direction of radiation for the lighting device can be arranged practically arbitrarily depending on the position of the mirror surface.

If the beam output surface of the lighting device in its dimensions roughly corresponds to the surface of the substrate that holds the semiconductor elements, a uniform and thus perceived as pleasant light emission from the lighting device appears.

If the lighting device according to the invention can be assembled from possibly different clusters and/or cluster devices in a module-like manner, it is possible without much effort to join such a lighting device for practically any conceivable application and all conceivable requirements or needs.

Thus, e.g. a lighting device which is made bidirectional and which has two cluster devices, each of which radiates in a direction opposite to the other, is used at an airport for centerline guidance in a straight taxiway and also as a holding light; if the lighting device has two cluster devices that emit light in mutually inclined directions, it can be used on taxiways to indicate the center line of these or as holding lights.

If the cluster devices for these lighting devices have several, e.g. 3 or 5, next to each other arranged clusters, whereby mutually adjacent clusters each time enclose an angle smaller than 180 o, an optimization of the spatial distribution of the light emitted from the lighting device can be achieved.

If the lighting device is to be designed omnidirectionally, it is advantageous if its cluster devices are designed curved and form a circle or a cylindrical shell.

If the lighting device is to emit light in two directions, it is advantageous if the semiconductor elements are arranged in rows or in slots. If the lighting device is to emit light omnidirectionally, it is advantageous to arrange the semiconductor elements in circles or cylinders. However, other arrangements of the semiconductor elements are also possible.

By means of the reflective design of the side of the substrate facing the semiconductor elements, an elementary optical system can be produced in cooperation with the radiation output sections of the semiconductor elements themselves, if the radiation sections of the semiconductor elements have the form of an aspherical lens. The use and distribution of the light produced can thus be designed optimally. The semiconductor elements of the lighting device according to the invention can be made of an inorganic or organic material, in particular of plastic. This results in significant advantages in terms of weight and manufacturing possibilities.

In addition, the individual clusters can be molded or sprayed from a plastic, since a recyclable plastic can be used as plastic. It is possible for the individual clusters to choose a good heat-conducting material, whereby a pressure-resistant plastic can also be used.

If the clusters form a compact unit with a housing for lighting, any hollow convection space is omitted.

If a cover plate is arranged in front of the semiconductor elements in the lighting device according to the invention, with the help of which the rays emitted from the semiconductor elements can be optically influenced, the light emission of the lighting device can e.g. is improved by bundling or straightening the rays.

The semiconductor elements can be assigned an optical device for beam refraction and/or total reflection, whereby a high-power optic is provided, with the help of which light radiation can be designed optimally, so that in any case it satisfies the requirements for airport operation already mentioned at the outset.

If the outside of the cover plate is easily cleanable and hardened, the maintenance charge for the lighting device can be reduced. Appropriately, the outside of the cover plate should be designed to be self-cleaning, as it is possible to coat the cover plate in a suitable manner.

A compact design of the lighting device can be achieved if the semiconductor elements are arranged embedded in a filling body.

If the filler body which embeds the semiconductor elements on the active surface or the light output opening for the semiconductor elements has a recess, the utility of the above-mentioned elementary optical system can be maintained, as the optical system includes the reflective design of the side of the substrate facing the semiconductor elements as well as the aspherical lens in the radiation section of the semiconductor elements.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention, the filling body is made of a transparent material, e.g. a transparent resin, especially epoxy resin, whose refractive index approximately corresponds to that of the cover plate. This eliminates optical losses at the transition surface between the filling body and the cover plate.

The individual semiconductor elements are suitably designed so that they can be handled fully automatically or semi-automatically.

Appropriately, the clusters in the lighting device according to the invention are components of a redundant working system, so that a total failure of the lighting device according to the invention is reliably prevented in any case. Since, due to the redundant design of the system formed by the clusters, any failure of a single semiconductor element does not necessarily have to lead to the replacement of a cluster, the cost of maintaining the lighting device according to the invention can be further reduced.

To further simplify the assembly, superstructure or repair of the lighting device according to the invention, it is advantageous if one or more clusters in the lighting device are designed as replaceable sub-units, particularly as cassettes. A replacement of a cassette belonging to the lighting device can then be carried out on site.

Such a cassette is advantageously type-coded, so that it can only be built into the lighting device corresponding to its predetermined device in the lighting device; this makes it virtually impossible to make mistakes when replacing such cassettes on site. In an advantageous embodiment, for the realization of this type coding, protrusions or recesses can be formed on the outside of the cassette, which are assigned to recesses or protrusions on the holder in the lighting device that accommodates the cassette. Such protrusions or depressions, both in the case of the cassette and also in the case of the holder on the lighting device side, can contribute to reinforcement and resistance to shear stress. With the help of the holder, loads and stresses that are directed onto the cassette can be transferred to the roadway, whereby this can be both mechanical, namely static and dynamic loads, as well as thermal loads resulting from the requirement for heat dissipation. For connecting the cassette, a receptacle for electrical contacts, sealed against the surroundings, is arranged on the holder. In order to connect the cassette in the desired way to an energy supply, the holder can also have an energy supply and control part.

If the base body or the cassette's housing is completely or partially filled with an electrically non-conductive material, such as e.g. resin or plastic, galvanic corrosion can be avoided.

If the electrically non-conductive material has been added to a non-conductive filling material, e.g. glass, the thermal dissipation and load-absorbing capacity of the cassette can be increased. The thermal resistance between the clusters present in the cassette is reduced, so that the heat transfer between the clusters and the base body or the cassette's housing instead depends on thermal conduction instead of convection. As there is no cavity inside the cassette, the cassette is inherently water- and gas-tight.

If the walls, in particular a bottom wall in the base body or the housing of the cassette, are designed as heat conductors, e.g. of stainless steel or aluminium, the temperature gradient in the cassette can be reduced.

The outside of the cassette is advantageously equipped with a hardening, at least at the main stress areas. In this way, damage that can be attributed to sanding, scraping or point loads can be largely avoided. Moreover, such reinforcement, especially at the cassette's attachment points, can lead to load and shear stresses being better distributed on the recording part of the lighting device. The externally exposed surface of the cassette or the entire lighting device can be hardened using sapphire or similar glass, so that a reduction in efficiency for the lighting device due to grinding, physical or chemical damage is avoided. As already stated above in the corresponding place, the lighting device according to the invention can be arranged for the issuing of signals on, as well as the identification and marking of traffic surfaces at airports, e.g. runway, runways, taxiways, etc. It can easily be designed in accordance with the standards applicable in air traffic or for airports, e.g. ICAO, FAA, DOT, CIE, MIL-C-25050.

In the case of a design of the lighting device as recessed or "under ground" or lighting, in the absence of cavities, it is ensured that during the transmission of light by a vehicle or aircraft, the lighting device or the cassettes that form it are not loaded with bending stress, but exclusively with compressive stress Since with a lighting device such as the "under ground Mys designed, the temperature increase during operation of the light sources is less than 20% of the temperature increase with ordinary lighting devices, the stresses on the "under ground Mys that are run over by flight decks can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, the risk of burns to the operating personnel can be ruled out in all essential.

It is also possible to design the lighting device according to the invention so that it can be used for identification or identification and marking of traffic surfaces in road traffic, e.g. for roadway direction instructions, roadway dividing lines, speed limit instructions etc.

In addition, a design of the lighting device according to the invention in the area of shipping is also discussed, e.g. for beacons, speed sector instructions, buoy markings, etc.

According to an advantageous design of the invention, the basic body or the housing of the lighting device is made of a metallic and electrically non-conductive material. The use of such materials for lighting devices at airports was until now not practically feasible, as the tungsten-halogen incandescent lamps used as light sources produced too high temperatures. As the non-metallic and non-conductive materials applicable in the case of the invention are electrically insulating, no galvanic corrosion occurs in the lighting device according to the invention. The material used in the lighting device according to the invention can be shaped with little effort into practically any design. It can also serve as a heat conductor to conduct away the heat generated by the lighting device to the mounting part that accommodates the lighting device or to the roadway. Since the entire base body or the entire housing of the lighting device according to the invention can be designed as an insulator by selecting the currently applicable materials, there is no need for an expensive, separate insulator. A recyclable plastic can be used for the base body or the housing of the lighting device, whereby the resulting ecological benefits emerge. As the materials that can now be used for the design of the lighting device according to the invention have a significantly longer lifetime compared to the state of the art, the utilization cycle for the lighting device according to the invention is extended in a corresponding way.

The semiconductor elements in the lighting device according to the invention can be electrically adjustable between very low and very high potentials, as the wavelength range for the emitted radiation is very narrow over the entire regulation range and largely constant with respect to position and width, so that light can be emitted over the entire regulation range with one of the same color.

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with the help of examples of execution which are shown in the drawings, the use of the invention in the airport area being particularly described. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 a principle representation of a semiconductor element which is designed as a light-emitting diode,

fig. 2-4 principle drawings, seen in front view, side view and elevation of a first embodiment of a cluster for a lighting device according to the invention,

fig. 5-7 principal drawings, seen in front view, side view and elevation of a second embodiment of a cluster for a lighting device according to the invention,

fig. 8 a plan view of a first embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention,

fig. 9 a plan view of a second embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention,

fig. 10 a plan view of a third embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention,

fig. 11 a sectional view of the e.g. on fig. 8 illustrated embodiment of the lighting device according to the invention,

fig. 12 a view corresponding to fig. 11, where the lighting device is designed by clusters according to fig. 5-7,

fig. 13 a further embodiment of the lighting devices according to the invention,

fig. 14-17 principle representations of different clusters with semiconductor elements,

fig. 18 a drawing of color determined for use in airport lighting systems,

fig. 19 a principle presentation of management, regulation in the monitoring of airport lighting systems,

fig. 20 in principle presentation, the output side of a

pulse width modulation device for the lighting device according to the invention,

fig. 21 a control device for the lighting device according to the invention, and fig. 22 a variant of the control device for the lighting device according to the invention.

The lighting device according to the invention has a number of semiconductor elements, which in the case of the embodiments described below are designed as light-emitting diodes 1. The one in fig. 1, the light-emitting diode 1 illustrated in principle has, in the area in which the generated light radiates from the diode 1, a design as an aspherical lens 2, as illustrated in fig. 1.

By means of the aspherical design of the light-refracting lens 2, the distribution of the light emitted from the diode can be optimised.

In the case of the light-emitting diode 1, it is particularly a bright, or super bright, LED.

The lighting device according to the invention is assembled from a number of the aforementioned light-emitting diodes 1. A number of such light-emitting diodes 1 can be combined into a cluster 3 which is illustrated in fig. 2-4. By that in fig. 2-4 illustrated embodiment has the cluster 3, ten light-emitting diodes 1, which are arranged in two superimposed rows with five light-emitting diodes 1 each time.

It is possible to arrange the center lines of the diodes 1 in a row at an angle with respect to the center lines of the diodes in an adjacent row.

All the light-emitting diodes in this cluster 3 are arranged without a socket on a substrate 4 which serves as a holder for the light-emitting diodes 1. The cluster 3 has an elementary optical system, which includes a reflective layer 5 which is placed on the substrate 4 on the opposite the light-emitting diodes 1 turned side. To this elementary optical system belong the aspherical lenses 2 in the light-emitting diodes 1, which optimize the use of the distribution of the light produced by the light-emitting diodes 1. The aspherical lens 2 each time forms the actual active surface, respectively the light outflow opening for the light-emitting diodes 1.

That in fig. 2-4 illustrated cluster 3 is designed as a modular part which can be assembled with other identical or similar clusters 3. On the beam exit surface 6, the cluster 3 is closed by means of a cover plate 7, which in the case of fig. 2-4 illustrated cluster 3 is arranged parallel to the substrate 4. The radiation output surface 6 of the cluster 3 corresponds in its dimensions essentially to the surface 4 of the substrate, which is almost completely covered by the light-emitting diodes 1.

The light-emitting diodes 1 in the cluster 3 are surrounded by a filler body 8 which fills the space between the substrate 4 and the cover plate 7 and which is made of a transparent material, e.g. of a resin. The filling body 8 has a recess 9, which is assigned directly to the radiating section of the cluster 3, which is formed by the aspherical lenses 2 of the cluster's 3 light-emitting diodes. The recess 9 is designed between the active surface of the light-emitting diodes 1 in the cluster 3 and the filler body 8 in order not to lose the utilization of the elementary optical system formed by the reflective layer 5 of the substrate 4 and the aspherical lenses 2 of the light-emitting diodes 1 .

The refractive index of the material that forms the filler bodies 8 appropriately corresponds to that of the material that forms the cover plate 7. This can prevent optical losses at the contact surface between the filler body 8 and the cover plate 7.

The outer side of the cover plate 7 for the cluster 3 is hardened and smoothly designed and can also be designed to be self-cleaning.

In the embodiment of the cluster 3 as illustrated in fig. 2-4, it is by means of the arrow in fig. 3 illustrated the direction of radiation from the cluster 3 arranged perpendicular to the plane of the substrate 4.

By means of fig. 5-7 illustrated embodiment for the cluster 3 is the one by means of the arrow in fig. 6 illustrated the direction of radiation from the cluster 3 deflected by 90°, for which purpose the mirror surface 10 is arranged between the light-emitting diodes 1 and the radiation output surface 6 of the cluster. The mirror surface 10 deflects the light rays in the illustrated embodiment 90° to the side, so that it emerges parallel to the plane of the substrate 4 from the cluster 3 through its radiation output surface 6 or through its cover plate 7 respectively.

In fig. 8, a taxiway center and holding light is illustrated for a rectilinear section of a taxiway. This is a so-called bidirectional lighting device, with a first cluster device 11 that radiates in one direction marked by arrow 13, and a second cluster device 12 that radiates in the direction opposite to the cluster device 11, which is marked with arrow 14.

At the one in fig. 8 illustrated lighting device is a compact device, where the two cluster devices 11, 12 are arranged in a common housing 15. The area of the inner space in the housing 15 which is arranged between the two cluster devices 11, 12 and in fig. 8 on the side of the two cluster devices 11, 12, is filled with a suitable material. The housing can be made of metal.

Apart from the fact that it radiates out in different directions, the two cluster devices 11, 12 correspond to each other, so that in the following the cluster device 11 on the right side of fig. 8.

The cluster device 11 has three clusters 3 which are arranged in a row next to each other, each of these clusters 3 e.g. can have it on fig. 2-4 illustrated embodiment. The middle cluster 3 is arranged at right angles to the center line 16 of the taxiway, whereby it intersects this center line 16 in its middle area. The two outer clusters 3 enclose with the middle cluster 3 each time an angle that is slightly less than 180 o. This achieves an effective horizontal light distribution. Covering it in fig. 8 illustrated lighting device is a hardened, smooth and thus easily cleanable designed outer surface.

The one in fig. 9 illustrated lighting device likewise serves to mark the center line of a taxiway, however, at a curved part of this and as a holding light that can be used there. It differs from that in fig. 8 illustrated lighting device in that the radiation directions for the two cluster devices 11, 12 are slanted in relation to each other and in that each cluster device 11, 12 is made with five individual clusters 3 which can also be the embodiments illustrated in fig. 2-4. The middle cluster 3 in the two cluster devices 11, 12 is, as it concerns a curved part of the taxiway, arranged offset and inclined in relation to the center line CL of the lighting device. The cluster 3 for the two cluster devices 11,12 likewise encloses an angle a with the respective adjacent clusters 3, which angle is somewhat less than 180 o.

Fig. 10 shows a lighting device that works in all directions, which can also be arranged for marking a taxiway. In an illustrated embodiment, six curved clusters 17 are arranged, which mutually form a closed circle and are separated from each other by means of structural ribs 18. With the help of the six curved clusters 17, light can be radiated in practically all directions.

By the above with the help of fig. 8-10 described lighting devices, the outer optical surface can be transparent and hard designed, e.g. of sapphire or glass with a hardened surface, so that a decrease in the efficiency of the lighting device due to wear and physical or chemical damage is avoided. The outer optical surface can be hardened or coated in such a way that any Fresnel losses are reduced.

In fig. 11 and 12 are illustrated cross-sections of lighting devices, which roughly correspond to the lighting devices illustrated in fig. 8-10 and which are designed as "under-ground" lights. They differ significantly from the others in that in fig. 11, clusters 3 are used according to the one in fig. 2-4 described embodiment, while in the case of under-ground light according to fig. 12, clusters of the embodiment explained with the help of fig. 5-7.

The lighting device according to fig. 11 and 12 are arranged with significant parts below ground level 19. Those in fig. Arrows shown in 11 and 12 mark the radiation directions for under-ground light. As can be seen in particular from fig. 11 is the part of the under-the-ground light which has clustered respectively the clusters 3, designed as a cassette 20 which forms a replaceable unit which can be replaced without much effort. Such an under-ground light can have one or more such cassettes 20. Depending on the design of the lighting device, several identical or different cassettes can be assembled into a lighting device.

In an advantageous embodiment, such a cassette 20 is structurally coded, the structural code corresponding to its arrangement in the lighting device. This makes it virtually impossible to make a mistake when replacing the cassette 20 on the spot. The build-up coding can be carried out by means of protrusions or recesses on the cassette side, whereby corresponding recesses or protrusions are arranged in a recording part 21 on the lighting device. Such relief-like designs, respectively designs of the cassette 20 and the receiving part 21 equipped with pressings, can also contribute to the resistance to shear loads.

The basic body or the housing for the cassette 20 is completely or partially filled with an electrically non-conductive material, e.g. a resin or a plastic. This prevents galvanic corrosion. The non-conductive material can have a thermally conductive material added, e.g. glass, so as to increase the thermal dissipation and load capacity of the cassette 20.

The heat transfer between the clusters 3 and the base body or the housing of the cassette 20 is then based on thermal conduction instead of air-gas convection, so that the thermal resistance of the cassette 20 is reduced to a considerable extent.

As there is no convection gas, any aircraft or vehicle loads that act on the cassette 20 do not lead to bending, but exclusively to compressive stresses, which can be more easily absorbed or dissipated.

As there are no cavities in the cassette 20 and thus no convection gas, the cassette is inherently water and gas tight.

The temperature increase that takes place in the cassette 20 is only less than 20% of the temperature increase in a lighting device with a normal tungsten-halogen light source, so that aircraft or vehicle tires are much less stressed and it can be ruled out that operating and maintenance personnel burn themselves.

The bottom wall of the cassette 20 can be formed by a heat conductor, e.g. stainless steel or coated aluminium, whereby the temperature gradient in the cassette 20 is reduced.

The outside of the cassette 20 can be designed hardened, e.g. of a stainless steel, so that damage can be avoided that can be traced back to wear, scratches or point loads.

The attachment points of the cassette 20 can be designed to be reinforced, so that load stresses and shear stresses on the structure or the receiving part 21 on which the cassette 20 is stored can be distributed in a better way.

The introduction of energy or the transmission of signals to the cassette 20 is carried out by means of self-cleaning and self-sealing contacts. Water- and vapor-tight protection against the surroundings is provided.

Due to the design of the lighting device with light-emitting diodes 1, the electrical energy transfer between the cassette 20 and the other parts of the lighting device takes place at a very low voltage level, so that a "hot" cassette replacement can be carried out without risk of damage to the electrical contacts and without risk of an electric shock for the staff; The voltage level is thus below a peak voltage of approx. 25V.

The cassette 20 is arranged above an energy supply and control device 22 in the lighting device.

As the cassette 20 is largely constructed without cavities, it resists mechanical loads of 100G, vibrational loads up to 30G, whereby it is immaterial whether the lighting device is energized or not.

With the aid of the recording part 21, loads and stresses affecting the cassette 20 are transferred to the roadway. These loads concern static and dynamic mechanical loads, as well as thermal loads arising from the requirement to remove the generated heat. Fig. 13 shows an embodiment of the lighting device, which is arranged in the usual way over a carriageway. There, too, a module-like replaceable designed cassette 20 is arranged over an energy supply and control device 22, the energy supply and control device 22 being arranged by means of a detachable coupling 23 above the ground level 19. Fig. 14 shows in principle a cluster 3 which is composed of red, green and blue light emitting diodes. The light-emitting diodes 1 for each color are, with respect to the intensity at which they emit light, adjustable in a manner to be described. As the light-emitting diodes 1 for each of the three colors can emit light in any desired intensity, with the help of those in fig. 14 shown clusters 3 practically emit light in all visible colours, whereby light of different intensity can also be emitted. With the help of the colors red, green and blue, as is especially apparent in connection with fig. 18, brought forth the possibility that light of any intensity and in any color imaginable for possible signals can be emitted.

With such a design of a cluster 3, white light can also be emitted with different intensities, which is difficult with the usual lighting devices. This goes back to the fact that red, green and blue in the color spectrum are arranged approximately at the corners of a triangle that describes the visible color range, as can be seen from fig. 18.

The light emitted from cluster 3 is no longer distinguishable in individual light sources at a distance of two arc minutes, corresponding to an observation distance of 10 m, so that light of the desired color and intensity can be produced for any purpose. This also applies in particular to the standards applicable in air traffic ICAO, FAA, DOT, MIL-C-25050.

Especially for the production of variable white light, a cluster 3 is best suited, which, as has already been mentioned, contains light-emitting diodes 1, whose light is red, blue and green respectively. These three colors are, as previously mentioned, arranged in the outer corners of the one in fig. 18 showed triangle, which corresponds to the mentioned standards.

For the marking of taxiway markings and route indications for aircraft, only four colors are required, namely red (R), yellow (Y), orange and green (G). For such an application, it is simpler and less complicated if a cluster 3 only has two different types of light-emitting diodes 1, namely those that emit red light and those that emit green light. Such a cluster 3 is basically illustrated in fig. 15. Hereby, diodes 1 that emit blue light can be dispensed with.

The cluster 3 according to fig. 16 and 17 differ from those in fig. 14 and 15 illustrated clusters only in that the individual light-emitting diodes 1 are not arranged in mutually staggered rows; on the contrary, in the case of clusters 3 according to fig. 16 and 17 the light-emitting diodes 1 arranged below and above each other are not mutually offset.

Light-emitting diodes 1 can be obtained from different manufacturers and with different colors. Thus, e.g. the company Toshiba LED lamps for emitting light in red, orange and yellow, the company Hewlett-Packet manufactures diodes for emitting light in amber, orange, red-orange and red, the company Ledtronics manufactures diodes for emitting light in green, yellow, organza, red and.blue color.

The control of the energy supply to the light-emitting diodes 1 is achieved with minimal losses by means of a pulse-width modulation device 24, whereby peak currents are set in an initialization process, by means of which the type of construction of the light-emitting diode is identified in accordance with the result of a comparison of the voltage drop across a chain of light-emitting diodes in comparison with the voltage drop across a reference LED.

By means of fig. 19, the control or introduction and integration of the lighting device according to the invention in a control system for an airport is now explained in more detail.

An air traffic center 25, a reserve center 26 and a maintenance center 27 are suitably connected to a control 28 for the driving routes and the staging areas ("gate"). This control 28 is again connected to substations 29, 30, 31 of which in fig. 19 only illustrates substation 29 in more detail.

It should be pointed out that in fig. 19 illustrates a star-shaped connection between the control 28 and the substations 29, 30, 31, but that it is in principle also possible to arrange a loop connection or a bus connection.

The substation 29 has a subcontrol device 32 with a panel 33. On the subcontrol device 32, the actual control devices 22 for the lighting device according to the invention are each time connected via a CCR 34 and a master connection 35. For the control device 22, which is illustrated in detail in fig. 21 and 22, belongs to the already mentioned pulse width modulation device 24. Its output power can vary, as can be seen from fig. 20, the upper part of which illustrates an output power for the pulse width modulation device 24 with low intensity and the lower part of which illustrates an output line for the pulse width modulation device 24 with high intensity.

Those in fig. 21 and 22 illustrated control devices only differ from each other in that the one in fig. 21 illustrated control device 22 has no separate data line 36, but only an energy supply line 37, which also serves for data communication.

The control device 22 includes a power adaptation and sensor unit 38, which is connected to the pulse width modulation device 24 and a controller 39.

The pulse width modulation device 24 is likewise connected to the controller 39 and an omission sensor 40, which is likewise connected to the controller 39 and can be controlled via the light-emitting diodes 1 in the light device. The controller 39 is connected via a modem 41 and a connection circuit 42 to the energy supply line 37 and data line 36 respectively.

An Intel 8051 device can be used as controller 39. A personal computer can be used as sub-control station device 32, whereby it can be a SICOMP PC.

The control of the lighting device includes the regulation of the emission intensity of the diodes 1, selection of their direction or directions in which light is to be emitted from the lighting device, selection of color in which the light is to be emitted, the light flash coding or the temporal succession of light pulses, a time-dependent controlled input and/or output, a monitoring of the diodes 1, an automatic "Power on Default start-up" selection and an automatic "Fallback Defaulf selection in the event of a control failure. Additional eventualities are possible.

The input power to the control device 22 is automatically registered and adapted to the requirements for the lighting device.

In the case of a standard constant current series circuit input power, the output power for the pulse width modulation device 24 is adapted so that the typical exponential reactions of tungsten-halogen or incandescent lamps are produced, so that the lighting device according to the invention can be combined with ordinary lighting devices in one and the same circuit .

Modem 42 codes the modulated control signals from the energy supply line 37 or the data line 36 and is assigned to the control signals. Alternately, the modem 41 modulates and encodes the monitoring signals, which come from the lighting device, in order to make these available to a central control and monitoring system. The modem 41 works in two directions, in order to be able to transmit control and monitoring signals in a suitable way.

Part of the control device 22 is a monitoring part, with the help of which the lighting device can be monitored with regard to wire breaks, earth faults, supply faults, etc.

Cluster 3 can e.g. is also monitored using a selenium cell for functionality.

Claims (45)

1. Lighting device for signaling to and for marking traffic surfaces, with light sources designed as semiconductor elements (1), e.g. as light-emitting diodes (LED) or as light-emitting polymers, whereby various semiconductor elements (1) are provided in the form of clusters which in each case emit light in different colours, characterized by the lighting device is suitably designed as an airport lighting device that can be run over by an aircraft and is intended for the lighting of departure taxiways, landing taxiways, taxiways and the like, and has a control device (22) with a pulse width modulation device (24), whereby the electrical energy fed to the semiconductor elements (1) can be controlled, and consequently that the intensity of the light emission from the semiconductor elements (1) can be varied in a controlled manner. 2. Lighting device according to claim 2, characterized in that the emitted light from different semiconductor elements (1) can be mixed as desired by means of the control device (22). 3. Lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it can be switched on and off using the control device (22), which serves for control and energy supply. 4. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the control device (22) has an electronic light regulator. 5. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the control device (22) is in signal connection with a central unit via an energy supply line (37) and/or a separate electrical or optical data line (36). 6. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that with the help of this light can be radiated in several directions and with the help of the control device (22) a radiation direction or radiation directions can be selected. 7. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, by means of the control device (22), the emission intensity and the number of semiconductor elements (1) which emit light of different colors can be set, so that with the aid of the lighting device, light of any color can be emitted at any intensity. 8. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-7, characterized in that with the help of the control device (22) a specific sequence of output and possibly different input operating states can be set. 9. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the operating state and performance of the semiconductor elements (1) can be monitored using the control device (22). 10. Lighting device according to one of claims 1 - 9, characterized in that it has semiconductor elements (1) which emit red, green and blue light, the semiconductor elements being arranged alternately. 11. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-9, characterized in that it has semiconductor elements (1) which emit red and green light, and which are arranged alternately. 12. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-11, characterized in that the mutually adjacent semiconductor element rows are arranged offset in relation to each other. 13. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-12, characterized in that 2-200, preferably 2-30 semiconductor elements (1) form a cluster (3). 14. Lighting device one of claims 1-13, characterized by the fact that it is designed as a cluster arrangement of several individual clusters (3). 15. Lighting device according to claim 14, characterized in that 1-30, preferably 1-16 clusters (3) form a cluster arrangement (11, 12). 16. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-15, characterized in that the semiconductor elements (1) of a cluster (3) are arranged on a common substrate (4). 17. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-16, characterized in that its individual semiconductor elements (1) are designed without sockets. 18. Lighting device according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the substrate (4) which holds the semiconductor elements (1) on its side facing the semiconductor elements (1) is equipped with a layer (5) of a reflective material. 19. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-18, characterized in that a mirror surface (10) is arranged on the output side of the semiconductor elements (1) by means of which the radiation direction of the semiconductor elements (1) is deflected. 20. Lighting device according to one of claims 16-19, characterized in that its radiation output surface (6) in its dimensions roughly corresponds to the surface of the substrate (4) which holds the semiconductor elements (1). 21. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-20, characterized in that it is designed bidirectionally and has two cluster devices (11, 12), one of which radiates light in a direction opposite to the direction of radiation for the other. 22. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-20, characterized in that it is designed bidirectionally and has two cluster devices (11, 12) which radiate light in mutually inclined directions. 23. Lighting device according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that each cluster device (11, 12) has several, e.g. 3 or 5, clusters (3) arranged next to each other, the adjacent clusters (3) each subtending an angle of less than 180°. 24. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-20, characterized in that it is omnidirectionally designed and that its cluster devices are designed curved and form a circle or a cylinder shell. 25. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-24, characterized in that its semiconductor elements (1) are arranged in rows and columns. 26. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-24, characterized in that its semiconductor elements (1) are arranged in circles or cylinders. 27. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-26, characterized in that its semiconductor elements have a radiation section (2) in the form of an aspherical lens. 28. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-27, characterized in that its semiconductor elements (1) are made of an inorganic or organic material, in particular of plastic. 29. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-28, characterized in that the clusters (3) form a compact unit with a housing (15) in the lighting device. 30. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-29, characterized in that a covering plate is arranged in front of the semiconductor elements (1), by means of which the rays emitted by the semiconductor elements can be optically influenced. 31. Lighting device according to claim 30, characterized in that the beams can be bundled or directed using the cover plate (7). 32. Lighting device according to claim 29 or 30, characterized in that the semiconductor elements (1) are assigned to an optical device for beam refraction and/or total reflection. 33. Lighting device according to one of claims 30-32, characterized in that the outside of the cover plate (7) is easily cleanable and hardened. 34. Lighting device according to claim 33, characterized in that the outside of the cover plate (7) is coated. 35. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-34, characterized in that its semiconductor elements (1) are arranged incorporated in a filling body (8). 36. Lighting device according to claim 35, characterized in that the filling body (8) for the semiconductor elements (1) has a recess (9) on their active surface, or a light output opening (2). 37. Lighting device according to claim 35 or 36, characterized in that its filling body (8) is made of a transparent material, e.g. a transparent resin, especially epoxy resin, whose refractive index approximately corresponds to that of the cover plate (7). 38. Lighting device according to one of claims 1-37, characterized in that one or more clusters (3) in the lighting device are designed as a replaceable sub-unit, in particular as a cassette (20). 39. Lighting device according to claim 38, characterized in that the cassette (20) is type-coded. 40. Lighting device according to claim 39, characterized in that projections or recesses are formed on the outside of the cassette (20), which are assigned to recesses or projections on the holder (21) in the lighting device which accommodates the cassette (20). 41. Lighting device according to one of claims 38 -40, characterized in that the housing of the basic body or the cassette (20) is filled in whole or in part with electrically non-conductive materials, e.g. resin or plastic. 42. Lighting device according to one of claims 38-41, characterized in that the electrically non-conductive material has been added to a non-conductive filler, e.g. glass. 43. Lighting device according to one of claims 38-42, characterized in that the walls, in particular a bottom wall in the housing of the base body or the cassette (20) are designed as heat conductors, e.g. of stainless steel or aluminium. 44. Lighting device according to one of claims 38-43, characterized in that the outside of the cassette (20) is equipped with a hardened part, at least in the main stress areas. 45. Lighting device according to one of claims 1 - 44, characterized in that its basic body or housing is made of a non-metallic and electrically non-conductive material.