MASKING METHOD

Abstract

A method for masking an aeronautical structure with a frisket before painting such aeronautical structure, including the steps of: providing the aeronautical structure comprising at least one hole; providing the frisket; providing at least one jamming element, wherein said jamming element is configured to be inserted into the at least one hole; providing at least one C-shaped jamming element configured to be placed on a lateral of the first section; arranging the frisket partially over the at least one hole; inserting the at least one jamming element into the at least one hole, partially holding the frisket; wrapping the first section of the aeronautical structure with the frisket, said first section being masked to avoid its painting; and placing the at least one C-shaped jamming element laterally embracing the first section with the frisket, the frisket being clamped against said first section.

Claims

1. A method for masking an aeronautical structure with a frisket before painting the aeronautical structure, wherein the aeronautical structure comprises a first section and a second section separated by a border, the method comprising: a) providing the aeronautical structure comprising at least one hole in the first and/or the second section; b) providing the frisket having an area corresponding to an area of the first section, wherein the first section is to be masked; c) providing at least one jamming element which is to be inserted into the at least one hole of the first and/or the second section; d) providing at least one C-shaped jamming element which is to be placed on a lateral of the first section; e) arranging the frisket partially over the at least one hole of the first and/or second section; f) inserting the at least one jamming element into the at least one hole of the first and/or second section to partially holding the frisket; g) wrapping the first section of the aeronautical structure with the frisket, wherein the wrapping masks the first section to avoid paint on the first section, and h) placing the at least one C-shaped jamming element laterally embracing the first section with the frisket, wherein the frisket is clamped against said first section by the at least one C-shaped jamming element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one jamming element provided in step comprises: an internal surface partially holding the frisket during step f); and an external surface opposite the internal surface; wherein the external surface comprises a slot configured to house a sealing strip, wherein said sealing strip seals a border between the first and second sections.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein step g) comprises covering the at least one jamming element with the frisket.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein between steps g) and h) the method further comprises inserting a pin along with a portion of the frisket into a recess of the external surface of the at least one jamming element, wherein the inserted pin secures the frisket to the

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps e) to h) are performed automatically by at least one tool head robot that comprises at least one robotic arm and at least one six-axis head.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one jamming element comprises QR codes or radio frequency identifications configured to be identified by the tool-head robot.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the frisket is a membrane or a fiber reinforced polymer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one jamming element and the at least one C-shaped jamming element are formed by an additive manufacturing process.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aeronautical structure is a lifting surface and the second section is a torsion box of the lifting surface, and the first section is an elevator of the lifting surface.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one hole is an elevator bearing rib hole located adjacent to the border.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein step h) comprises placing two of the at least one C-shaped jamming elements at opposite lateral sides of said first section of the structure.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein step h) comprises: placing a root C-shaped jamming element of the at least one C-shaped jamming elements to laterally embrace the elevator with the frisket from a root side of the torsion box, and placing a tip C-shaped jamming element of the at least one C-shaped jamming elements to laterally embrace the elevator with the frisket from a tip side of the torsion box.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein the border is a gap between a trailing edge of the torsion box and the elevator.

14. The method for claim 1 further comprising painting the second section of the aeronautical structure while the frisket is wrapped onto the first section.

15. A jamming element comprising: an internal surface configured to partially hold a frisket to an outer surface of an aerodynamic structure, an external surface opposite the internal surface and comprising a straight and dimensionally constant slot configured to house a sealing strip and configured to be aligned with an edge of the aerodynamic surface; wherein the internal surface includes an elongated protrusion configured to be seated onto an internal element of an aeronautical structure; and the external surface includes a recess configured to be inserted by a pin, and a handle configured to assist in detaching the jamming element from the aerodynamic surface.

16. A method to mask a first section of an aerodynamic structure, wherein the first section is separated by a border from a second section of aerodynamic structure, the method includes: aligning an edge region of a frisket with an side of the first section which faces the border; pushing jamming elements each into a respective hole in the first section at or near the side of the first section such that the edge region of the frisket is between the jamming elements and the side of the first section; applying the frisket to an outer surface of the first section such that the outer surface is covered by the frisket; and clamping side edges of the frisket to opposite ends of the first section by applying to each of the ends of the first section a respective C-shaped jamming element such that the firsket is between the C-shaped jamming element and the outer surface of the frisket.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising painting the second section after the frisket covers the outer surface of the first section.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the aeronautical structure is a lifting surface, the second section is a torsion box of the lifting surface, and the first section is an elevator of the lifting surface, and the method further comprises deflecting the elevator downward from the torsion box before pushing the jamming elements into each respective hole.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0072] These and other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearly understood in view of the detailed description of the invention which becomes apparent from a preferred embodiment of the invention, given just as an example and not being limited thereto, with reference to the drawings.

[0073] FIGS. 1aI, 1aII and 1aIII show different views of a jamming element.

[0074] FIG. 1b shows a series of jamming elements housing a sealing strip in their slots.

[0075] FIGS. 1cI and 1cII show different C-shaped jamming elements.

[0076] FIG. 2a shows the aeronautical structure comprising holes in the elevator.

[0077] FIGS. 2bI and 2bII show two views of the aeronautical structure with the jamming elements inserted and the C-shaped jamming elements placed.

[0078] FIG. 3 shows a schematic flowchart of the method for masking an aeronautical structure.

[0079] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the method for masking an aeronautical structure.

[0080] FIG. 5 shows a schematic tool-head robot.

[0081] FIG. 6 shows a schematic flowchart of an automated method for masking an aeronautical structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0082] Jamming Elements (4) and C-Shaped Jamming Elements (5)

[0083] FIGS. 1aI, 1aII and 1aIII show a lateral, upper and rear view of a jamming element (4). It is to be noted that this is an exemplary illustration since the cross-sectional shape depends on the shape of the corresponding hole (2.2); therefore each jamming element (4) used in an aeronautical structure (1) may have a different cross-sectional shape and size according to the hole where it is to be inserted.

[0084] The jamming element (4) comprises:

[0085] an internal surface (4.2) facing the interior (1.1) of the aeronautical structure (1) when inserted, therefore being positioned inside the hole (2.2) in such position;

[0086] an external surface (4.1) opposite the internal surface (4.2), comprising a substantially straight and dimensionally constant slot (4.1.1) extending entirely adjacent to the border (2.1) of said external surface (4.1) and being configured to house a sealing strip (6).

[0087] As can be seen, the slot (4.1.1) additionally comprises a coverage (4.1.5) configured to assure the housing of the sealing strip (6) and also to improve the covering of the joining between the external surface (4.1) and the second section (2.5).

[0088] The internal surface (4.2) further comprises a substantially elongated protrusion (4.2.1) configured to be seated onto an internal element of the interior (1.1) of the aeronautical structure (1). Hence, the seating of the protrusion (4.2.1) onto the internal element, e.g. a rib, determines the entering of the jamming element (4) into the hole (2.2).

[0089] Furthermore, the external surface (4.1) further comprises:

[0090] a recess (4.1.2) configured to be inserted by a pin (4.1.3) attaching the frisket in the middle, and

[0091] a handle (4.1.4) configured to operate the jamming element (4) during its detaching. Therefore, the handle (4.1.4) may be accessible from outside the aeronautical structure (1) even when the jamming element (4) is inserted.

[0092] Additionally, the at least one jamming element comprises QR codes or radio frequency identifications (4.3) configured to be identified by the tool-head robot (7).

[0093] FIG. 1b shows two consecutive jamming elements (4), both housing the same sealing strip (6) in their slots. Preferably, the sealing strip (6) is made of rubber. For illustrative purposes, the jamming elements (4) are not shown inserted into their corresponding holes (2.2). In addition, both jamming elements (4) comprise a different cross-sectional shape and size according to the corresponding hole (2.2) to be inserted.

[0094] FIGS. 1cI and 1cII show two different C-shaped jamming elements (5) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tip C-shaped jamming element (5.1) is configured to laterally embrace the first section (2), i.e. the elevator, from the tip side (2.6) of the torsion box (2.5) of the lifting surface (1), and root C-shaped jamming element (5.2) is configured to laterally embrace the first section (2), i.e. the elevator, from the root side (2.7) of the torsion box (2.5) of the aeronautical structure (1).

[0095] Throughout this document, in the event the aeronautical structure (1) is a lifting surface; the second surface (2.5) is equivalent to the torsion box, and the first section (2) is equivalent to the elevator.

[0096] The tip C-shaped jamming element (5.1) comprises an external surface (5.1.1) and an internal surface (5.1.2) reproducing a complementary shape of a portion of the elevator by the tip side (2.6). Also, the shape of said internal surface (5.1.2) must be slightly smaller than the portion of the elevator by the tip side (2.6) to assure clamping a frisket (3) against said first section (2) when the tip C-shaped jamming element (5.1) is placed.

[0097] The root C-shaped jamming element (5.2) comprises an external surface (5.2.1) and an internal surface (5.2.2) reproducing a complementary shape of a portion of the elevator by the root side (2.7). Also, the shape of said internal surface (5.2.2) must be slightly smaller than the portion of the elevator by the root side (2.7) to assure clamping the frisket (3) against said first section (2) when the root C-shaped jamming element (5.2) is placed.

[0098] In a particular embodiment, the tip (5.1) and root (5.2) C-shaped jamming elements comprise QR codes or radio frequency identifications (not shown in the figure) configured to be identified by the tool-head robot (7).

[0099] Aeronautical Structure (1) Before and after Placing and Inserting the Elements (4, 5)

[0100] FIG. 2a shows the configuration of the aeronautical structure (1) provided in the method of masking, previously to perform the next steps of said method. As can be seen, the aeronautical structure (1) is a lifting surface, i.e. a wing or a HTP, comprising an upper surface (2.8) and a lower surface (2.9). Furthermore, the lifting surface (1) comprises a first section or elevator (2), and a second section or torsion box (2.5).

[0101] In other embodiments, the first section (2) is another structural part of the lifting surface, such as the leading edge erosion plate or the like.

[0102] In addition, the torsion box (2.5) comprises a root and a tip, and therefore the lifting surface or aeronautical structure (1) comprises a root side (2.7) and a tip side (2.6). Likewise, the root side (2.7) and tip side (2.6) of the lifting surface (1) also apply to the elevator (2).

[0103] The torsion box (2.5) comprises a leading edge intended to attach the erosion plate, and a trailing edge intended to attach the elevator (2); and thus the border (2.1) between the elevator (2) and torsion box (2.5) is formed by the gap between a trailing edge of the torsion box (2.5) and the elevator (2).

[0104] As can be seen, the elevator bearing rib holes (2.2) are located adjacent to the border (2.1) in the upper surface (2.8) of the lifting surface, particularly in the upper surface of the elevator (2).

[0105] FIGS. 2bI and 2bII show two views of the aeronautical structure or lifting surface (1) shown in FIG. 2a, but with jamming elements (4) inserted in the final configuration and the C-shaped jamming elements (5.1, 5.2) placed. For illustrative purposes, the frisket (3) is not shown in FIGS. 2bI and 2bII.

[0106] FIG. 2bI is a view from the tip side (2.6) of the aeronautical structure (1) showing the tip C-shaped jamming element (5.1). On the other hand, FIG. 2bII is a view from the root side (2.7) of the aeronautical structure (1) showing the root C-shaped jamming element (5.2). Also, it is shown a series of jamming elements (4) inserted into their corresponding holes (2.2) in the elevator (2) extending adjacent to the gap (2.1).

[0107] Method for Masking the Elevator (2) of a Horizontal Tail Plane (1) with a Frisket (3)

[0108] FIG. 3 shows schematically a flowchart with the sequence for masking the elevator (2) of the Horizontal Tail Plane (1) with a frisket (3). The sequence comprising the steps of:

[0109] deflecting the elevator (2) of the HTP (1) 15 downwards;

[0110] arranging the frisket (3) partially over at least one elevator bearing rib hole (2.2) of said elevator (2),

[0111] inserting at least one jamming element (4) into the at least one elevator bearing rib hole (2.2) of the elevator (2), partially holding the frisket (3);

[0112] wrapping the elevator (2) of the HIP (1) with the frisket (3), said elevator (2) being masked to avoid applying paint or another surface treatment;

[0113] placing one root C-shaped jamming element (5.2) laterally embracing the elevator (2) with the frisket (3) from the root side (2.7); and

[0114] placing one tip C-shaped jamming element (5.1) laterally embracing the elevator (2) with the frisket (3) from the tip side (2.6).

[0115] FIG. 4 shows a sequence for masking the elevator (2) of the Horizontal Tail Plane (1), wherein at least one jamming element (4) is covered with the frisket (3). The sequence comprises the steps of:

[0116] figure a) in the top left: the frisket (3) is arranged partially over the at least one elevator bearing rib hole (2.2) towards the torsion box (2.5);

[0117] figure b) in the top right: inserting the at least one jamming element (4) into the corresponding elevator bearing rib hole (2.2), partially holding the frisket (3);

[0118] figure c) in the bottom right: the frisket (3) is flipped over the at least one jamming element (4) towards the elevator (2), for wrapping thereof;

[0119] figure d) in the bottom left: the root C-shaped jamming element (5.2) is placed laterally embracing the elevator (2) with the frisket (3) from the root side (2.7), and the tip C-shaped jamming element (5.1) is placed laterally embracing the elevator (2) with the frisket (3) from the tip side (2.6).

[0120] Method for Automatically Masking the Elevator (2) of a Horizontal Tail Plane (1) with a Frisket (3)

[0121] FIG. 5 shows a schematic drawing of a tool-head robot (7) that comprises at least one robotic arm (7.1) connected at one end to a supporting base (7.3), and connected at the other end to at one six-axis head (7.2).

[0122] The six-axis head (7.2) or hexapod comprises a 6-axis (XYZ, Pitch, Roll, Yaw) actuator for moving in each direction or around each rotation axis. In addition, the six-axis head (7.2) comprises a tool kit with the tool required to automatically perform the steps e) to h) of the method of masking the aeronautical structure according to a first inventive aspect of the invention.

[0123] In a particular embodiment, the supporting base (7.3) of the tool-head robot (7) is mounted on a rail (not shown in the figures) to allow displacement of the tool-head robot (7) rolling over stages in the assembly line. Optionally, this displacement of the tool-head robot (7) rolling over stages in the assembly line may be performed by wheels on the supporting base (7.3) (not shown in the figures) following markers in the floor, preferably using Automatic Guided Vehicle technology. In both particular embodiments, the tool-head robot (7) incorporates detecting means, e.g. object recognition tool, to avoid any clash with the aeronautical structure (1) that could cause damage thereto.

[0124] FIG. 6 shows schematically a flowchart with the sequence for automatically masking the elevator (2) of the Horizontal Tail Plane (1) with a frisket (3) by using a tool head robot (7.2). This sequence comprising the steps of:

[0125] deflecting the elevator (2) of the HTP (1) 15 downwards;

[0126] the tool-head robot (7) arranging the frisket (3) using the six-axis head (7.2) partially over at least one elevator bearing rib hole (2.2) of said elevator (2),

[0127] the tool-head robot (7) identifying the jamming element (4) to be inserted by its QR code (4.3) and inserting said jamming element (4) into the corresponding elevator bearing rib hole (2.2) of the elevator (2);

[0128] identifying and inserting the subsequent jamming elements (4) to be inserted into their corresponding elevator bearing rib holes (2.2) of the elevator (2), partially holding the frisket (3);

[0129] the tool-head robot (7) wrapping the elevator (2) of the HTP (1) with the frisket (3), said elevator (2) being masked to avoid applying paint or another surface treatment;

[0130] the tool-head robot (7) identifying the tip C-shaped jamming element (5.1) to be placed by its QR code and placing said tip C-shaped jamming element (5.1) laterally embracing the elevator (2) with the frisket (3) from the tip side (2.6); and

[0131] the tool-head robot (7) identifying the root C-shaped jamming element (5.2) to be placed by its QR code and placing said tip C-shaped jamming element (5.2) laterally embracing the elevator (2) with the frisket (3) from the root side (2.7).

[0132] While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms comprise or comprising do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms a or one do not exclude a plural number, and the term or means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.