Masking method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018354651-A1
Application number	US-201816003433-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2018
Priority date	Jun 13, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for masking an aeronautical structure with a frisket before painting such aeronautical structure, including the steps of: providing the aeronautical structure comprising at least one hole; providing the frisket; providing at least one jamming element, wherein said jamming element is configured to be inserted into the at least one hole; providing at least one C-shaped jamming element configured to be placed on a lateral of the first section; arranging the frisket partially over the at least one hole; inserting the at least one jamming element into the at least one hole, partially holding the frisket; wrapping the first section of the aeronautical structure with the frisket, said first section being masked to avoid its painting; and placing the at least one C-shaped jamming element laterally embracing the first section with the frisket, the frisket being clamped against said first section.

First claim

The invention is:

1 . A method for masking an aeronautical structure with a frisket before painting the aeronautical structure, wherein the aeronautical structure comprises a first section and a second section separated by a border, the method comprising:
a) providing the aeronautical structure comprising at least one hole in the first and/or the second section; b) providing the frisket having an area corresponding to an area of the first section, wherein the first section is to be masked; c) providing at least one jamming element which is to be inserted into the at least one hole of the first and/or the second section; d) providing at least one C-shaped jamming element which is to be placed on a lateral of the first section; e) arranging the frisket partially over the at least one hole of the first and/or second section; f) inserting the at least one jamming element into the at least one hole of the first and/or second section to partially holding the frisket; g) wrapping the first section of the aeronautical structure with the frisket, wherein the wrapping masks the first section to avoid paint on the first section, and h) placing the at least one C-shaped jamming element laterally embracing the first section with the frisket, wherein the frisket is clamped against said first section by the at least one C-shaped jamming element.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one jamming element provided in step comprises:
an internal surface partially holding the frisket during step f); and an external surface opposite the internal surface; wherein the external surface comprises a slot configured to house a sealing strip, wherein said sealing strip seals a border between the first and second sections.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein step g) comprises covering the at least one jamming element with the frisket.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein between steps g) and h) the method further comprises inserting a pin along with a portion of the frisket into a recess of the external surface of the at least one jamming element, wherein the inserted pin secures the frisket to the

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the steps e) to h) are performed automatically by at least one tool head robot that comprises at least one robotic arm and at least one six-axis head.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one jamming element comprises QR codes or radio frequency identifications configured to be identified by the tool-head robot.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the frisket is a membrane or a fiber reinforced polymer.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one jamming element and the at least one C-shaped jamming element are formed by an additive manufacturing process.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aeronautical structure is a lifting surface and the second section is a torsion box of the lifting surface, and the first section is an elevator of the lifting surface.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hole is an elevator bearing rib hole located adjacent to the border.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein step h) comprises placing two of the at least one C-shaped jamming elements at opposite lateral sides of said first section of the structure.

12 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein step h) comprises:
placing a root C-shaped jamming element of the at least one C-shaped jamming elements to laterally embrace the elevator with the frisket from a root side of the torsion box, and placing a tip C-shaped jamming element of the at least one C-shaped jamming elements to laterally embrace the elevator with the frisket from a tip side of the torsion box.

13 . The method according to claim 9 wherein the border is a gap between a trailing edge of the torsion box and the elevator.

14 . The method for claim 1 further comprising painting the second section of the aeronautical structure while the frisket is wrapped onto the first section.

15 . A jamming element comprising:
an internal surface configured to partially hold a frisket to an outer surface of an aerodynamic structure, an external surface opposite the internal surface and comprising a straight and dimensionally constant slot configured to house a sealing strip and configured to be aligned with an edge of the aerodynamic surface; wherein the internal surface includes an elongated protrusion configured to be seated onto an internal element of an aeronautical structure; and the external surface includes a recess configured to be inserted by a pin, and a handle configured to assist in detaching the jamming element from the aerodynamic surface.

16 . A method to mask a first section of an aerodynamic structure, wherein the first section is separated by a border from a second section of aerodynamic structure, the method includes:
aligning an edge region of a frisket with an side of the first section which faces the border; pushing jamming elements each into a respective hole in the first section at or near the side of the first section such that the edge region of the frisket is between the jamming elements and the side of the first section; applying the frisket to an outer surface of the first section such that the outer surface is covered by the frisket; and clamping side edges of the frisket to opposite ends of the first section by applying to each of the ends of the first section a respective C-shaped jamming element such that the firsket is between the C-shaped jamming element and the outer surface of the frisket.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising painting the second section after the frisket covers the outer surface of the first section.

18 . The method of claim 16 wherein the aeronautical structure is a lifting surface, the second section is a torsion box of the lifting surface, and the first section is an elevator of the lifting surface, and the method further comprises deflecting the elevator downward from the torsion box before pushing the jamming elements into each respective hole.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sl

Inventors

• Garcia Nieto Carlos
• Cabrera Valor Jaime
• Molina Moreno Rosario
• Hernandez Sanmartin Sergio
• Guillén Moreno María Pilar
• Alvarez Alvarez Fernando

Classifications

• B64F5/00 Primary

  Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B05B12/24 Primary

  made at least partly of flexible material, e.g. sheets of paper or fabric · CPC title

• B05B12/26

  for masking cavities · CPC title

• B05B13/005

  mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers · CPC title

• B25J11/00

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title