Method for assembling an aircraft fuselage section from two superposed upper and lower parts, multipurpose mounting support, gear and fuselage section production unit for implementing said method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267585-B2
Application number	US-201916580932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2019
Priority date	Sep 25, 2018
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A method for assembling a fuselage section which comprises producing a lower part of the section from at least two panels and an upper part of the section from at least two panels, then assembling the lower and upper parts so as to obtain the fuselage section. A lower or upper mounting support, a gear and a production unit are used in the method.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for assembling a fuselage section from several panels, wherein the method comprises:
positioning and joining at least two panels to obtain a lower part of the section, said panels of the lower part of the section being secured to a lower mounting support configured to be displaced along a first rail, wherein the first rail defines a first path;
positioning and joining at least two panels to obtain an upper part of the section, said panels of the upper part of the section being secured to an upper mounting support configured to be displaced along a second rail, wherein the second rail defines a second path;
displacing at least one of the lower or upper mounting supports to switch from one path to the other so that the upper mounting support is positioned above the lower mounting support;
positioning and joining the lower and upper parts of the section to obtain the fuselage section; and
mold-stripping and discharging of the fuselage section produced.

2. The method for assembling a fuselage section as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising, for each lower or upper mounting support, a step of checking the positioning of each panel and a step of correcting the positioning of each panel by virtue of a link, linking each panel and one of the lower and upper mounting supports, configured to allow for an adjustment to the positioning of each panel according to a desired configuration and to immobilize the panels with respect to the lower and upper mounting supports according to the desired configuration.

3. The method for assembling a fuselage section as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each panel is removably linked to a framework equipped with at least three panel interfaces, wherein each lower or upper mounting support comprises at least one frame that is mobile along the first or second path and, for each panel, at least three support interfaces, each linked via a link that is adjustable according to three orthogonal directions to the framework, and wherein the step of positioning each panel on one of the lower and upper mounting supports comprises making each panel interface cooperate with one of the support interfaces in a centered position so that a position of each panel with respect to one of the lower and upper mounting supports is known.

4. The method for assembling a fuselage section as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the upper mounting support is transferred on the first path where the steps of positioning and joining of the lower and upper parts of the section are performed.

5. The method for assembling a fuselage section as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second paths each describe a closed loop and wherein the closed loop, formed by the first or second path where the step of positioning and of joining of the lower and upper parts of the section is performed, is configured to be opened to allow the step of discharging of the fuselage section produced.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas
• Airbus Sas

Inventors

• Datas Jean-Marc
• Brindeau Jean-Mickael
• Aquila André
• Guibert Patrick

Classifications

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title

• B23P13/00

  Making metal objects by operations essentially involving machining but not covered by a single other subclass (making specific objects B23P15/00) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• B23P11/00

  Connecting or disconnecting metal parts or objects by metal-working techniques not otherwise provided for  (connecting sheet metal or metal tubes, rods or profiles B21D39/00; riveting B21J; soldering, unsoldering, welding B23K; hand tools for connecting wire or strip B25B25/00; connecting metal parts by adhesives F16B11/00) · CPC title

• B64C1/069

  Joining arrangements therefor · CPC title