Assembly comprising a support tower and at least two support systems for panels of a fuselage section of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260994-B2
Application number	US-202017005898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

An assembly including a support tower and at least two support systems, each bearing a panel of a section of an aircraft fuselage and including four fixing points. The support tower includes a tower extending along an axis X, a seat on which the tower is mounted and which is rotationally mobile about the axis X, and, for each fixing point, a fixing base mounted on a three-dimensional adjustment system mounted on the tower and motorized to displace the fixing base in two horizontal directions and one vertical direction, where each fixing point and the associated fixing base can be locked with one another to ensure the fixing of one with the other, and that can be unlocked to allow them to be separated. Such an assembly makes it possible to keep the various elements of the section vertical during assembly and allows for a space saving on the ground and a saving on transfer utilities.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a support tower; and
at least two support systems, each support system bearing a panel of a section of an aircraft fuselage and comprising four fixing points;
wherein the support tower comprises:
a tower extending along an axis X;
a seat on which the tower is mounted and which is rotationally mobile about the axis X; and
for each fixing point, a fixing base mounted on a three-dimensional adjustment system mounted on the tower and motorized to move the fixing base in two horizontal directions and one vertical direction, in which each fixing point and the associated fixing base can be locked with one another to ensure fixing of one with the other, and can be unlocked to allow them to be separated.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each three-dimensional adjustment system comprises three motorized cross tables of which a first is mounted to slide on the tower, a second is mounted to slide on the first and a third is mounted to slide on the second.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each three-dimensional adjustment system is common for two fixing bases to receive two adjacent fixing points of the same panel.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the three-dimensional adjustment system comprises an adaptation beam which bears a fixing base at each of adaption beam ends, two adjustment carriages disposed one above another relative to a direction of the axis X, and translationally mobile along the tower parallel to the axis X, for each adjustment carriage, an adaptation arm of which one end is mounted to rotate freely about a horizontal axis on the adjustment carriage and of which another end is mounted to rotate freely about a horizontal axis on the adaptation beam, for each fixing base, a vertical adjuster on which the fixing base is fixed and which ensures a vertical adjustment, a first secondary cross table on which the vertical adjuster is mounted, which is motorized and which ensures a translation in a first horizontal direction, a second secondary cross table on which the first secondary cross table is mounted, which is motorized and which ensures a translation in a second horizontal direction at right angles to the first horizontal direction, and a main cross table that is motorized and mounted between the adaptation beam and the second secondary cross table and which ensures a horizontal displacement.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the tower comprises at least two levels, and wherein one level has, at a joint between two adjacent panels, a retractable platform.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the tower comprises at least two levels, wherein each level has a deck positioned facing a joining line between two panels, and wherein the tower has, for each deck, a retractable platform.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 , comprising a fixing head to fix two adjacent panels to one another, and wherein the support tower comprises guiding rails fixed to the tower and along which the fixing head is displaced.

8. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the support tower comprises a rocker, a securing base and a moving mechanism, wherein the seat is mounted to be rotationally mobile about the axis X on the rocker, wherein the rocker is mounted to be rotationally mobile on the securing base about a horizontal rocker axis, and wherein the moving mechanism is configured to displace the rocker about the horizontal rocker axis.

9. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the panel is equipped with profiled elements drilled with holes, wherein fixing of the panel to the support system is ensured by a plurality of fixing systems, wherein each fixing system comprises a shoe fixed to the support system, an actuator fixed to the shoe and comprising a retractable block, a bearing arm mounted to be rotationally mobile on the shoe between a bearing position and a separated position and an actuation system intended to rock the bearing arm, wherein the actuator bears against a face of the profiled element and the block in extended position penetrates into one of the holes, and wherein the bearing arm is rocked into bearing position to bear against another face of the profiled element.

10. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the support system comprises two support subsystems, wherein each support subsystem comprises two main fittings fixed to the panel, a central fitting fixed between the two main fittings and two lateral fittings in which each is fixed to one of the main fittings on a side opposite the central fitting, and wherein each lateral fitting and the central fitting comprise at least one foot bearing against an internal face of the panel and that can be adjusted into position at right angles to the internal face.

11. A production line for fuselage sections of an aircraft comprising:
an assembly according to claim 1 ;
a storage station in which panels used to manufacture sections are stored, in which each panel is fixed to a support system of the assembly;
a preparation station comprising a plurality of stands, each stand being configured to support the support tower;
a handling robot to move between the storage station and the preparation station to position each of the at least two support systems and its panel on the support tower;
an assembly station where the panels mounted on the support tower are fixed to one another to form a section;
a rocking station comprising a structure for rocking the support tower and the section that the support tower bears, from a vertical position to a horizontal position so as to bring an axis of the section into the horizontal position;
a reception station comprising at least one cradle which receives the section when it is rocked by the rocking station; and
a transfer station comprising a transfer path and a pallet truck to travel on the transfer path and which is configured to transport the support tower from a stand to the assembly station, then from the assembly station to the rocking station.

12. A production line for fuselage sections of an aircraft comprising:
an assembly according to claim 1 ;
a storage station where panels used to manufacture sections are stored, where each panel is fixed onto a support system of the assembly;
a transfer zone where the panels can be brought from the storage station on a transport carriage;
a preparation station where each panel is fixed to the tower, and which comprises a rocking system configured to rock the transport carriage from a horizontal position to a vertical position facing the tower to be fixed thereto;
an assembly station where the panels mounted on the support tower are fixed to one another to form a section;
a rocking station comprising structure for rocking the support tower and the section that the support tower bears, from a vertical position to a horizontal position to bring an axis of the section into the horizontal position; and
a reception station comprising at least one cradle which receives the section when the section is rocked by the rocking station.

Assignees

• Airbus Sas
• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Guibert Patrick
• Brindeau Jean-Mickael
• Bouriquet Jacques
• Datas Jean-Marc
• Autret Thomas
• Darbonville Nicolas

Classifications

• B64C1/069

  Joining arrangements therefor · CPC title

• B23P2700/01

  Aircraft parts · CPC title

• B64F5/50 Primary

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title

• B64F5/10 Primary

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title

• B64C2211/00

  Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters · CPC title