Bonding assembly system including timed bladder system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247429-B2
Application number	US-201916408106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2019
Priority date	May 10, 2018
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

An assembly system includes a fixture configured to support a structure including at least one component to receive a malleable material, and a bladder system coupled to the fixture. The bladder system includes a hollowed frame having sidewalls that support a bladder disposed therein. The hollowed frame has an opening that exposes an outer portion of the bladder and is configured to guide the exposed outer portion externally from the hollowed frame toward a targeted area of the structure. In response to inflating the bladder, the outer portion of the bladder extends through the opening and applies a force against the at least one component so as to form a design feature element from the malleable material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly system comprising:
a fixture configured to support a structure including at least one component to receive a malleable material,
a bladder system coupled to the fixture, the bladder system comprising a hollowed frame having sidewalls that support a bladder disposed therein; the hollowed frame including an opening that exposes an outer portion of the bladder and that is configured to guide the exposed outer portion externally from the hollowed frame toward a targeted area of the structure,
wherein in response to inflating the bladder, the outer portion extends through the opening and applies a force against the at least one component so as to form a design feature element from the malleable material.

2. The assembly system of claim 1 , wherein the fixture comprises a fixture mating mechanism configured to receive a mating structure to be bonded to a target component to assemble the structure.

3. The assembly system of claim 2 , wherein the fixture mating mechanism includes a first threaded surface configured to rotatably couple together with a second threaded surface included with the mating structure.

4. The assembly system of claim 2 , wherein the mating structure is disposed adjacent to the target component to define a bonding interface therebetween.

5. The assembly system of claim 4 , wherein the malleable material is deposited in the bonding interface to form a bonding joint that couples together the mating component with the target component, the malleable material comprising an adhesive material.

6. The assembly system of claim 5 , wherein the opening guides the inflated external portion of the bladder against the mating structure so as to force the mating structure against the target component.

7. The assembly system of claim 6 , wherein a pressure applied by the inflated external portion of the bladder compresses the adhesive and forms a bead fillet having a uniform dimension.

8. The assembly system of claim 6 , wherein the bladder system further comprises an air passage extending through the fixture and a bladder assembly to deliver air to the bladder.

9. The assembly system of claim 8 , wherein the bladder system further comprises a control system configured to control the air to the bladder.

10. The assembly system of claim 9 , wherein the control system comprises:
an air supply in fluid communication with the air passage to deliver the air to the bladder; and
a controller configured to control the inflation and deflation of the bladder.

11. The assembly system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to inflate and deflate the bladder according to at least one of a set time, rate, and pressure.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Hesek Neil F
• Jachtorowicz Mariusz
• Kariger Lee R
• Hachey Kenneth T
• O'Connor Kevin T
• Desalvo Sr Peter R

Classifications

• Y02E10/72

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