Clamping system for positioning a first component and a second component relative to each other as well as a method for producing a dimensional compensation between two components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207456-B2
Application number	US-201615248225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A clamping system for positioning a first component and a second component relatively to each other includes a clamping device, a separating foil and an electrical contacting device. The clamping device is adapted to fix the first and second components in a desired joining position under creation of a gap therebetween with a characteristic measure of tolerance relative to each other in a first position of the clamping device and to release this fixation in a second position of the clamping device. The separating foil includes an anti-stick layer and a heating layer connected with electrically conducting contact zones for heating a compensation compound arranged in the gap. The electrical contacting device is mechanically couplable with the clamping device or a supporting device holding the clamping device and is adapted for creating an electrical contact with the contact zones at least in the first position of the clamping device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A clamping system for positioning a first component and a second component relatively to each other, the system comprising:
a clamping device;
a separating foil; and
an electrical contacting device,
wherein the clamping device is adapted to fix the first component and the second component in a desired joining position under creation of a gap between the components with a characteristic measure of tolerance relative to each other in a first position of the clamping device and to release the fixation in a second position of the clamping device,
wherein the separating foil comprises an anti-stick layer and a heating layer connected with electrically conducting contact zones for heating a compensation compound arranged in the gap, and
wherein the electrical contacting device is mechanically couplable with the clamping device or a supporting device holding the clamping device and is adapted for creating an electrical contact with the contact zones at least in the first position of the clamping device,
wherein the electrical contacting device comprises at least two poles arranged at a distance to each other, creating an electrical connection with the heating layer through touching the contact zones, and
wherein each of the poles is coverable by a cap, wherein the respective cap releases a contact surface of the associated pole in the first position for creating the electrical contact.

2. The clamping system according to claim 1 , wherein the cap is shaped sleeve-like and is movable in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface on the respective pole,
wherein a spring holds the cap in a neutral position, in which the cap extends over the contact surface and covers the contact surface completely and is movable into an opening position through pressing the cap onto a corresponding surface, such that the contact surface rests on the corresponding surface.

3. The clamping system according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping device comprises two clamping bodies movable relative to each other, and configured to grip and fixate the first component and the second component in a tong-like manner in the joining position, wherein the poles are arranged at at least one of the clamping bodies.

4. The clamping system according to claim 1 , wherein the contacting device comprises a spring device arranged between the poles and the clamping device or the support device and is configured to prevent a mechanical tensioning of the poles with the contact zones in the first position.

5. The clamping system according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping device comprises a first clamping surface configured to be brought into a surface contact with the first component or the second component,
wherein the contacting device is coupled with the first clamping device through at least one supporting arm, and
wherein the at least one supporting arm is adapted for being coupled with a supporting device for holding the clamping device on the support device.

6. The clamping system according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one supporting arm extends in a transverse direction to the intended force direction of the at least one clamping body, and
wherein the electrical contacting device comprises at least two poles arranged on at least one support body extending at an angle from the at least one supporting arm and substantially parallel to the desired force direction.

7. The clamping system according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping device comprises at least one clamping body pressible onto one of the first component and the second component for a fixation.

8. The clamping system according to claim 1 further comprising a holding device for clamping one of the first component or the second component,
wherein the clamping device is couplable with the holding device, such that in the first position, a fixation of the other of the first component or the second component relative to the clamped first component or second component on the holding device is accomplished.

9. The clamping system according to claim 8 , wherein the holding device is a robot or a device moved by a robot.

10. A method for producing a dimensional compensation between a first component and a second component, comprising the steps:
applying a separating foil onto one of the first component and the second component in a desired joining position, wherein the separating foil comprises an anti-stick layer and a heating layer connected to electrically conducting contact zones for heating of a compensation compound arranged in the gap;
positioning the first component and the second component relative to each other in an intended joining position under creation of a gap between the components having a characteristic measure of tolerance;
placing at least one clamping device and bringing into a first position for fixating the first component and the second component relative to each other, wherein an electrical contacting device mechanically coupled with the at least one clamping device, assumes an electrical connection with the contact zones of the separating foil, wherein the electrical contacting device comprises at least two poles arranged at a distance to each other, creating an electrical connection with the heating layer through touching the contact zones, wherein each of the poles is coverable by a cap;
releasing a contact surface of each of the associated pole by removing the cap covering the corresponding pole;
inserting a curable compensation compound into the gap;
curing the compensation compound under heating the separating foil by the heating layer provided with a voltage through the electrical contacting device;
bringing the at least one clamping device into a second position and releasing the at least one clamping device; and
removing the separating foil.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the assuming the electrical connection includes a guided touching or mechanically pressing of a contact surface of the respective pole onto an associated contact zone.

12. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the positioning the first component and the second component relative to each other includes clamping of one of the first component and the second component in a holding device, and
wherein the applying of at least one clamping device includes coupling of the at least one clamping device with the holding device, such that in the first position a fixation of the other of the first component or the second component relative to the first component or the second component clamped at the holding device is accomplished.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein, after positioning two clamping bodies movable relative to each other of the at least one clamping device grip and fixate the first component and the second component in the joining position in a tong-like manner.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Malke Christian
• Schildt Rainer

Classifications

• B29C66/004

  Preventing sticking together, e.g. of some areas of the parts to be joined · CPC title

• B29C65/54

  between pre-assembled parts · CPC title

• B29C66/7212

  characterised by the composition of the fibres · CPC title

• B29L2009/00

  Layered products · CPC title

• B29C65/7855

  Provisory fixing · CPC title