# US 12,000,581 B1 · Exterior decorative lighting

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- Number: US 12,000,581 B1
- Document ID: US12000581B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/114,016
- Filed: 2023-02-24
- Published: 2024-06-06
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-02
- Assignees: Goodrich Corporation
- Applicants: Goodrich Corporation
- Inventors: Yaswanth Kumar Maddali; Abhilash Krishna
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000581B1

## CPC

- F21V 5/046: {the lens having a rotationally symmetrical shape about an axis for transmitting light in a direction mainly perpendicular to this axis, e.g. ring or annular lens with light source disposed inside the ring}
- B64C 23/069: {using one or more wing tip airfoil devices, e.g. winglets, splines, wing tip fences or raked wingtips}
- F21V 5/008: {Combination of two or more successive refractors along an optical axis}
- F21W 2104/00: Exterior vehicle lighting devices for decorative purposes
- F21W 2107/30: for aircraft
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

A system is provided for illuminating a winglet cap of a winglet. The system includes the winglet cap, a light source, a total internal reflection (TIR) lens positioned in proximity to the light source, and a prismatic lens positioned between the light source and the winglet cap. In the system, light produced by the light source reflects off a surface of the TIR lens and passes through the prismatic lens. In the system, the prismatic lens bends the light and directs the bent light toward an inside surface of the winglet cap.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for illuminating a winglet cap of a winglet, the system comprising:
the winglet, the winglet cap positioned on a leading edge of the winglet;
a light source disposed within the winglet;
a total internal reflection (TIR) lens positioned in proximity to the light source; and
a prismatic lens positioned between the light source and the winglet cap, wherein light produced by the light source reflects off a surface of the TIR lens and passes through the prismatic lens, and
wherein the prismatic lens bends the light and directs the light toward an inside surface of the winglet cap, and
wherein the light source and the prismatic lens are coupled to support structures that allow the light source and/or the prismatic lens to translate so as to either increase or decrease a mating distance between the light source and/or the prismatic lens and the inside surface of the winglet cap.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the TIR lens surrounds the light source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the light reflected off the surface of the TIR lens contacts the inside surface of the prismatic lens and wherein the inside surface of the prismatic lens is a combination of several straight edges with different inclinations with respect to an opposing surface of the prismatic lens.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein, responsive to the light reflected off the surface of the TIR lens contacting a straight edge of the inside surface of the prismatic lens, the light is bent towards a normal of the straight edge so that the light is transmitted through the prismatic lens substantially perpendicular to the straight edge, and wherein, responsive to the light exiting an outside surface of the prismatic lens, the light is bent away from the normal of the straight edge.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the inside surface of the prismatic lens is formed to substantially match a contour of the winglet cap.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the winglet cap further includes a plurality of holes through which the light passes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of holes is configured in a pattern within the winglet cap.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of holes are drilled perpendicular to a face of the winglet cap.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the light source is at least one of a light emitting diode (LED), an ultra-LED, a micro-LED, an organic LED, a quantum dot LED, or a compact fluorescent light (CFL).

### Claim 10

An aircraft comprising a system for illuminating a winglet cap of a winglet, the aircraft comprising:
the aircraft;
the winglet coupled to a wing of the aircraft:
the winglet cap positioned on a leading edge of the winglet;
a light source disposed within the winglet:
a total internal reflection (TIR) lens positioned in proximity to the light source;
a prismatic lens positioned between the light source and the winglet cap;
a controller; and
a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the controller, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
controlling the light source to generate a first light, wherein the first light produced by the light source reflects off of a surface of the TIR lens and passes through the prismatic lens, wherein the prismatic lens bends the first light and directs the first light toward an inside surface of the winglet cap, and wherein the light source and the prismatic lens are coupled to support structures that allow the light source and/or the prismatic lens to translate so as to either increase or decrease a mating distance between the light source and/or the prismatic lens and the inside surface of the winglet cap.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the TIR lens surrounds the light source.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the first light reflected off of the surface of the TIR lens contacts the inside surface of the prismatic lens and wherein the inside surface of the prismatic lens is a combination of several straight edges with different inclinations with respect to an opposing surface of the prismatic lens.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The aircraft of claim 12, wherein, responsive to the first light reflected off the surface of the TIR lens contacting a straight edge of the inside surface of the prismatic lens, the first light is bent towards a normal of the straight edge so that the first light is transmitted through the prismatic lens substantially perpendicular to the straight edge, and wherein, responsive to the light exiting an outside surface of the prismatic lens, the light is bent away from the normal of the straight edge.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the inside surface of the prismatic lens is formed to substantially match a contour of the winglet cap.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the winglet cap further includes a plurality of holes through which the first light passes.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the plurality of holes is configured in a pattern within the winglet cap.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the plurality of holes are drilled perpendicular to a face of the winglet cap.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the light source is at least one of a light emitting diode (LED), an ultra-LED, a micro-LED, an organic LED, a quantum dot LED, or a compact fluorescent light (CFL).