EXTRUSION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FILLING A GROOVE WITH A FILLING COMPOUND

Abstract

An extrusion device and method for filling a groove with a filling compound. The extrusion device includes an extrusion head which is designed or configured to spring in and out in an extrusion direction of the extrusion device in a manner that is spring-resilient in the extrusion direction.

Claims

1. An extrusion device for filling a groove with a filling compound, comprising: an extrusion head configured to spring in and out in an extrusion direction of the extrusion device in a manner that is spring-resilient in an extrusion direction.

2. The extrusion device according to claim 1, wherein the extrusion head comprises two cylinder elements plugged into one another and slidable with respect to one another, between which a cylinder spring is arranged.

3. The extrusion device according to claim 2, wherein the two cylinder elements are hollow in order for the filling compound to be passed through.

4. The extrusion device according to claim 2, wherein the extrusion head comprises a housing, from which a connection end of each of the two cylinder elements protrudes, wherein a first cylinder element of the two cylinder elements is rigidly connected to the housing, and a second cylinder element of the two cylinder elements is mounted in the housing so as to be able to slide in a manner of a piston.

5. The extrusion device according claim 4, wherein at least one of the two cylinder elements and the housing contain polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) at least at a surface or are coated with PTFE.

6. The extrusion device according claim 2, wherein at least one of the two cylinder elements and a housing of the extrusion head contain polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) at least at a surface or are coated with PTFE.

7. The extrusion device according to claim 1, further comprising: an extrusion nozzle which is configured to extrude the filling compound from the extrusion head.

8. The extrusion device according to claim 7, wherein the extrusion nozzle is made of a plastic material.

9. The extrusion device according to either claim 7, wherein the extrusion head is configured to have a first thread and the extrusion head is configured to have a complementarily formed first counter thread, such that the extrusion nozzle can be screwed onto the extrusion head and unscrewed from the extrusion head.

10. The extrusion device according to claim 1, further comprising: a material magazine which is configured to receive the filling compound and which is connected to the extrusion head such that the filling compound can be introduced from the material magazine into the extrusion head by applying pressure.

11. The extrusion device according to claim 10, wherein the extrusion head is configured to have a second thread and the material magazine is configured to have a complementarily formed second counter-thread, such that the extrusion head can be screwed onto the material magazine and unscrewed from the material magazine.

12. The extrusion device according to claim 1, further comprising: a robot which is configured to move the extrusion head along the groove and, in the process, to fill the groove with the filling compound by extruding the filling compound from the extrusion head.

13. A method for filling a groove with a filling compound, comprising: moving an extrusion head along the groove; and extruding the filling compound from the extrusion head into the groove; wherein the extrusion head springs in or out in an extrusion direction in a spring-resilient manner in line with a depth profile of the groove.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein movement of the extrusion head along the groove is controlled by a robot.

15. A method of using an extrusion device, comprising filling at least one of a groove in a wing structure of an aircraft or spacecraft and a groove between wing structures of an aircraft or spacecraft, the extrusion device comprising: an extrusion head which is configured to spring in and out in an extrusion direction of the extrusion device in a manner that is spring-resilient in the extrusion direction.

16. A method for filling at least one of a groove in a wing structure of an aircraft or spacecraft and a groove between wing structures of an aircraft or spacecraft, the method comprising: moving an extrusion head along the groove; and extruding the filling compound from the extrusion head into the groove; wherein the extrusion head springs in or out in an extrusion direction in a spring-resilient manner in line with a depth profile of the groove.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The present disclosure is described in greater detail in the following with reference to the embodiments set out in the schematic drawings, in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a number of schematic views of individual parts of an extrusion head of an extrusion device according to the disclosure herein for filling a groove in an aircraft or spacecraft with a filling compound in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure herein;

[0028] FIG. 2a, 2b, 2c are examples of individual stages of the assembly of an extrusion device and the extrusion head from FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic flow chart of a method according to the disclosure herein for filling a groove in an aircraft or spacecraft with a filling compound in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure herein; and

[0030] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the use of the extrusion device from FIG. 2 in the method from FIG. 3.

[0031] The accompanying figures are intended to provide further understanding of the embodiments of the disclosure herein. They illustrate embodiments and are used to explain principles and concepts of the disclosure herein in connection with the description. Other embodiments and many of the stated advantages can be seen from the drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale in relation to one other.

[0032] In the figures of the drawings, unless specified otherwise, like elements, features and components that have the same function and effect are in each case provided with like reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIG. 1 is a number of schematic views of individual parts of an extrusion head of an extrusion device according to the disclosure herein for filling a groove of an aircraft or spacecraft with a filling compound in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure herein. FIG. 2a to FIG. 2c show examples of individual stages of the assembly of an extrusion device comprising the extrusion head from FIG. 1.

[0034] In FIG. 1, reference numeral 3 denotes the extrusion head. The extrusion head 3 is shown disassembled into the individual parts thereof in FIG. 1. Basically, the extrusion head 3 comprises a first cylinder element 6, a second cylinder element 6, a cylinder spring 7 and a housing 13. To fasten these components together, in this example embodiment a set screw 15, a plurality of screws 16 and a locking disc 17 are further provided. The housing 13 comprises a screw thread 18 for receiving the set screw 15, and the locking disc 17 comprises corresponding screw threads 18 for the screws 16.

[0035] Both the two cylinder elements 6, 6 and the housing 13 are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in the embodiment in FIG. 1. Alternatively, however, they may also comprise or consist of PTFE merely at the surface and/or be coated with PTFE. For example, these may be plastics components which are merely coated with PTFE. The locking disc 17 may also be made of PTFE and/or a plastics material. In principle other materials which allow a filling compound 5 to be cleaned effectively and without residue are also further alternatively or additionally provided. The cylinder spring 7 and the screws 15, 16 may also comprise or consist of metal or of a metal alloy or the like.

[0036] The two cylinder elements 6, 6 are designed or configured to be hollow and in such a way that they can be plugged into one another such that they can slide with respect to one another, in other words the two cylinder elements 6, 6 together form a type of sliding joint or rotary sliding joint. In this embodiment, the first cylinder element 6 is provided with a sliding projection 14 onto which both the cylinder spring 7 and the second cylinder element 6 can be plugged. The first cylinder element 6 is further designed or configured to have a thread 11, which will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2a to FIG. 2c, at one connection end. Likewise, the second cylinder element 6 is designed or configured to have a thread 9 at one connection end (see FIG. 2a to FIG. 2c).

[0037] It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art from the context that alternative embodiments which achieve the same purpose are included in the disclosure herein. For example, more than two cylinder elements may be provided. In particular, the extrusion head 3 may be constructed according to the principle of a telescopic connection or telescopic rod, comprising two or more tubes or cylinder portions that are guided in parallel into one another and can be moved out in a linear manner as far as a stop to a maximum extension length and moved back into one another again. Accordingly, more than one cylinder spring may be provided for this purpose. In principle, the disclosure herein also further comprises other spring mechanism(s) or means familiar to a person skilled in the art. For example, as an alternative to a mechanical spring, the extrusion head 3 may be designed or configured to have a pneumatic and/or hydraulic spring system, for example likewise on the basis of a plurality of cylinder elements guided in parallel within the meaning of a sliding joint or rotary sliding joint.

[0038] In the embodiment in FIG. 1, the housing 13 is also formed as a hollow cylinder which is designed in such a way that, when plugged into one another, there is room for the two cylinder elements 6, 6 in the cylinder (cf. FIG. 2a to FIG. 2c). In combination with the housing 13, the two cylinder elements 6, 6 form a type of piston system or spring system within the meaning of a sliding joint, in which the second cylinder element 6 can spring into the housing 13 and out of the housing 13 in a spring-resilient manner. The cylinder spring 7 provides a restoring force for this purpose. The precise construction of the extrusion device 1 is illustrated in the following with reference to FIG. 2a to FIG. 2c.

[0039] FIG. 2a to FIG. 2c show examples of individual stages of the assembly of an extrusion device 1 and the extrusion head 3 from FIG. 1.

[0040] FIG. 2a shows the extrusion head 3 from FIG. 1 after it has been assembled in part. On the left of FIG. 2a, the first cylinder element 6 has already been inserted into the housing 13, where it has been fastened using the set screw 15. For this purpose, the set screw 15 has been introduced into the screw thread 18 of the housing in such a way that the set screw 15 presses against the first cylinder element 6 in the interior of the housing 13, and thus fixes it in position. Further, on the right of FIG. 2a, the cylinder spring 7 has already been placed on the second cylinder element 6. Likewise, the screws 16 have been introduced into the screw thread 18 of the locking disc 17 and placed on the second cylinder element 6 together therewith.

[0041] In FIG. 2b, the two components from FIG. 2a have been assembled and screwed together. For this purpose, the second cylinder element 6 has been introduced into the housing 13, where it has been placed on the first cylinder element 6. Subsequently, the screws of the attachment plate 17 on the housing 13 have been tightened. This results in an extrusion head 3 comprising a cylindrical housing 13, from which a connection end of each of the two cylinder elements 6, 6 protrudes. The first cylinder element 6 is rigidly connected to the housing 13, whilst the second cylinder element 6 is mounted in the housing 13 so as to be able to slide in the manner of a piston. The protruding connection ends of the two cylinder elements 6, 6 are each formed as a thread 9, 11, so as to connect the extrusion head 3 to further elements of the extrusion device 1.

[0042] In this connection, FIG. 2c shows the assembled extrusion head 3 from FIG. 2b, onto which an extrusion nozzle 8 on one side and a material magazine 10 on the other side have now been screwed. For this purpose, the extrusion nozzle 8 comprises a first counter-thread 11, which is formed so as to complement the first thread 9 of the second cylinder element 6. Correspondingly, the material magazine 10 comprises a second counter-thread 11, which is formed so as to complement the second thread 11 of the first cylinder element 6.

[0043] The material magazine 10 is designed or configured to receive filling compound 5. Here, the material magazine 10 is connected to the extrusion head 3 in such a way that the filling compound 5 can be introduced from the material magazine 10 into the extrusion head 3 by applying pressure. As a result of pressure being applied, the filling compound 5 is introduced into the extrusion nozzle 8 through the two hollow cylinder elements 6, 6 of the extrusion head 3. The extrusion nozzle 8 in turn is designed or configured to extrude the filling compound 5 from the extrusion head 3 into an extrusion device 4, in such a way that the filling compound can be ejected into a groove 2 or the like (cf. FIG. 4). The extrusion head 3 is designed or configured to spring in and out in the extrusion direction 4 of the extrusion device 1 in a manner that is spring-resilient in the extrusion direction 4. The use of an extrusion device 1 formed in this manner will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a schematic flow chart of a method M according to the disclosure herein for filling a groove 2 in an aircraft or spacecraft with a filling compound 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure herein.

[0045] In M1, the method M comprises moving an extrusion head 3 along the groove 2. The movement of the extrusion head 3 along the groove 2 may for example be controlled by a robot 12. Further, in M2, the method M comprises extruding the filling compound 5 out of the extrusion head 3 into the groove 2. The extrusion head 3 springs in or out in a spring-resilient manner in the extrusion direction 4 in line with a depth profile of the groove 2. The robot 12 is accordingly designed or configured to move the extrusion head 3 along the groove 2 and, in the process, to fill the groove 2 with the filling compound 5 by extruding the filling compound 5 from the extrusion head 3.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the use of the extrusion device 1 from FIG. 1 in the method M from FIG. 3.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a joint transition or groove 2 between two wing structures 19 of an aircraft or spacecraft. For example, the wing structures may be components of a laminar airplane wing, it being possible for example for a wing structure 19 to be a rigid leading wing edge which is rigidly connected to a second wing structure 19, for example a wing box. When a leading wing edge of this type is attached to the wing box, this results in a groove 2, such as is depicted schematically in FIG. 4. To meet applicable requirements for maintaining a laminar flow, a groove 2 of this type should be filled with a filling compound 5 as precisely as possible. At the same time, grooves 2 of this type should be filled rapidly and cost-efficiently in an automated manner. The use of the extrusion device 1 in the method M according to the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 now makes it possible to fill grooves 2 of this type quickly and at the same time precisely. For this purpose, the extrusion head 3, together with the extrusion nozzle 8 fastened thereto, springs in and out in a spring-resilient manner in the extrusion direction 4 in line with a depth profile of the groove 2. The distance between the extrusion nozzle 8 and the groove 2 is therefore automatically kept at a suitable minimum distance as a result of the spring-resilient action of the extrusion head 3, so long as the extrusion nozzle 8 is positioned on the groove 2. Thus, unlike in conventional methods, the robot 12 no longer has to adhere to a predefined distance between the extrusion nozzle 8 and the groove 2, since this is compensated automatically by the extrusion head 3 according to the disclosure herein.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a perpendicular positioning of the extrusion device 1 above the groove 2 between the two wing structures 19. In principle, however, the extrusion device 1 may also equally be moved along the groove 2, in other words in a groove axis direction, at an angle of less than 90 to the plane of the wing structures 19. For example, the extrusion device 1 and in particular the extrusion head 3 may be moved along the groove at an angle of between 45 and 90 to the horizontal. In principle, it is possible, in general, to orient the extrusion device 1 at an angle of inclination that corresponds to a bevel surface.

[0049] In principle, the present disclosure is further also useable for filling joint transitions or grooves in general vehicles, such as road vehicles, railway vehicles and/or water vehicles or the like, or generally in the transport sector. Beyond the transport industry, the disclosure herein may in principle also be used in all other technical fields in which there is a need for particularly precise gluing and/or sealing.

[0050] In the above detailed description, various features have been combined in one or more examples to improve the cogency of what is described. However, it should be clear that the above description is merely illustrative and not limiting in nature by any means. It is used to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents of the various features and embodiments. Many other examples will be immediately and directly clear to a person skilled in the art from the above description on the basis of his expert knowledge.

[0051] The embodiments were selected and described in order to explain the principles behind the disclosure herein and the possible practical applications thereof as clearly as possible. As a result, persons skilled in the art can modify and use the disclosure herein and the various embodiments thereof in an optimal manner with respect to the intended application. In the claims and the description, the terms containing and having are used as neutral terminology for the corresponding term comprising. Further, use of the terms a and an does not in principle exclude the possibility of a plurality of features and components described in this manner. While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure(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, an 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.