Adaptable surface treatment repair system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10226944-B2
Application number	US-201615251921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2016
Priority date	Aug 30, 2016
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A surface treatment repair assembly for applying a surface treatment to a contoured surface includes an attachment device configured to removably attach to the contoured surface and a robotic unit is coupled to the attachment device. Furthermore, a treating unit is operably mounted on the robotic unit and including a plurality of applicator heads forming a treatment array and each applicator head is configured to apply a surface repair treatment. At least one sensor is mounted on the treating unit and configured to identify a target area for the surface repair treatment and a controller is operably coupled to the robotic unit and the treating unit. The controller is programmed to control a movement of the robotic unit to position the treatment array adjacent to the target area and to selectively operate the treatment array to apply the surface repair treatment on the target area of the contoured surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surface treatment repair assembly for applying a surface treatment to a contoured surface, the surface treatment repair assembly comprising:
an attachment device configured to removably attach to the contoured surface;
a robotic unit coupled to the attachment device, the robotic unit including an articulated support arm;
a treating unit operably mounted on the articulated support arm of the robotic unit and including a plurality of applicator heads forming a treatment array, each applicator head configured to apply a surface repair treatment;
a plurality of sensors operably coupled to the treating unit, at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is an optical sensor configured to scan the contoured surface and generate an image data set of the contoured surface;
a controller operably and communicably coupled to the robotic unit, the treating unit and the plurality of sensors, the controller programmed to:
compare the image data set generated by the optical sensor with a pristine image data set of the contoured surface;
identify a damaged portion of the surface treatment and define a target area for the surface repair treatment based on the comparison between the image data set and the pristine image data set;
control a movement of the robotic unit to position the treatment array adjacent to the target area; and
selectively apply the surface repair treatment on the target area to repair the damaged portion of the surface treatment on the contoured surface.

2. The surface treatment repair assembly of claim 1 , further comprising the plurality of sensors including at least one orientation sensor configured to determine an orientation of each applicator head and generate an orientation data set, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the orientation sensor and is further programmed to position each of the plurality of applicator heads based on the orientation data set.

3. The surface treatment repair assembly of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further programmed to position each of the plurality of applicator heads in real time.

4. The surface treatment repair assembly of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further programmed to maintain each applicator head in a normal orientation relative to a contour of the contoured surface based on the orientation data set.

5. The surface treatment repair assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of applicator heads comprises a plurality of inkjet printing heads, and selective operating the treatment array comprises applying a decorative layer to the contoured surface.

6. The surface treatment repair assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first stage linear actuator operatively coupled to the treatment array and configured to actuate the treatment array and a second stage linear actuator operatively coupled to each applicator head of the treatment array and configured to actuate each applicator head of the treatment array.

7. An airplane surface treatment repair assembly for applying a surface treatment of an airplane, the surface treatment repair assembly comprising:
an attachment device configured to removably attach to an exterior surface of an airplane;
a robotic unit coupled to the attachment device, the robotic unit including an articulated support arm;
a treating unit operably mounted on the articulated support arm of the robotic unit and including a plurality of applicator heads forming a treatment array, each applicator head configured to apply a surface repair treatment to the exterior surface of the airplane;
a plurality of sensors operably coupled to the treating unit, at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors is an optical sensor configured to scan the contoured surface and generate an image data set of the exterior surface of the airplane;
a controller operably and communicably coupled to the robotic unit, the treating unit and the plurality of sensors, the controller programmed to:
compare the image data generated by the optical sensor with a pristine image data set of the exterior surface of the airplane;
identify a damaged portion of the surface treatment and define a target area for the surface repair treatment based on the comparison between the image data set and the pristine image data set;
control a movement of the robotic unit to position the treatment array adjacent to the target area; and
selectively apply the surface repair treatment on the target area to repair the damaged portion of the surface treatment on the exterior surface of the airplane.

8. The treatment assembly of claim 7 , further comprising the plurality of sensors including at least one orientation sensor configured to determine an orientation of each applicator head and generate an orientation data set, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the one or more orientation sensors and is further programmed to position each of the plurality of applicator heads based on the orientation data set.

9. The treatment assembly of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further programmed to position each of the plurality of applicator heads in real time.

10. The treatment assembly of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further programmed to maintain each applicator head in a normal orientation relative to a radius of the exterior surface of the airplane based on the orientation data set.

11. The treatment assembly of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of applicator heads comprises a plurality of inkjet printing heads, and selective operating the treatment array comprises applying a decorative layer on the target area of the exterior surface of the airplane.

12. The surface treatment repair assembly of claim 6 , wherein the controller is programmed to control a movement of the first stage linear actuator into a coarsely adjusted treatment position relative to the target area along the contoured surface and selectively control a movement of the second stage linear actuator into a finely adjusted treatment position relative to the contoured surface.

13. The surface treatment repair assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a first stage linear actuator operatively coupled to the treatment array and configured to actuate the treatment array and a second stage linear actuator operatively coupled to each applicator head of the treatment array and configured to actuate each applicator head of the treatment array.

14. The surface treatment repair assembly of claim 13 , wherein the controller is programmed to control a movement of the first stage linear actuator into a coarsely adjusted treatment position relative to the target area along the exterior surface of the airplane and selectively control a movement of the second stage linear actuator into a finely adjusted treatment position relative to the exterior surface of the airplane.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kerr Caitlin E
• Hoehn Justin T
• Vasa Dhananjay B
• Arthur Shane E
• Moriarty Bennett M
• Mellin Matthew H
• Trumbo Ryan M
• Spalding John F
• Eng Raymond C
• Biondich Kyle S

Classifications

• B41J2/01

  Ink jet · CPC title

• B25J9/1697

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• B64F5/40 Primary

  Maintaining or repairing aircraft · CPC title

• B41J3/4073 Primary

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title

• B05B13/0431

  with spray heads moved by robots or articulated arms, e.g. for applying liquid or other fluent material to three-dimensional [3D] surfaces · CPC title