Method for determining a distance between two components to be joined

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018356201-A1
Application number	US-201816002838-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 7, 2018
Priority date	Jun 8, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for determining a distance between a first component (2) and a second component (4) has the steps of providing at least one first conductive section (8) in or on the first component (2) in a region directed toward the second component (4), providing at least one second conductive section (12) in or on the second component (4) in a region directed toward the first conductive section, feeding a first voltage pulse into a first connection of the first conductive section, capturing a reflection voltage pulse in response to the first voltage pulse at the first connection, determining an impedance profile along the at least one first conductive section by evaluating the reflection voltage pulse, and determining at least one distance between the first component (2) and the second component (4) along the at least one first conductive section by calculating at least one corresponding local distance, associated with the determined impedance profile, between the at least one first conductive section (8) and the at least one second conductive section (12).

First claim

1 . A method for determining a distance between a first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) and a second component ( 4 , 24 ), having the steps of:
providing at least one first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) in or on the first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) in a region directed toward the second component ( 4 , 24 ), providing at least one second conductive section ( 12 , 26 , 50 ) in or on the second component ( 4 , 24 ) in a region directed toward the first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ), feeding a first voltage pulse into a first connection of the first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ), simultaneously and/or directly subsequently capturing a reflection voltage pulse in response to the first voltage pulse at the first connection, determining an impedance profile along the at least one first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) by evaluating the reflection voltage pulse, and determining at least one distance between the first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) and the second component ( 4 , 24 ) along the at least one first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) by calculating at least one corresponding local distance, associated with the determined impedance profile, between the at least one first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) and the at least one second conductive section ( 12 , 26 , 50 ).

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein a distance between the first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) and the second component ( 4 , 24 ), which corresponds to a local adhesive thickness, is calculated from the distance between the first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) and the second conductive section ( 12 , 26 , 50 ).

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 ,
also having the step of examining the determined impedance profile for any adhesive defects between the first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) and the second component ( 4 , 24 ).

4 . The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
wherein the calculation of the distance comprises comparing the determined impedance profile with a desired impedance profile.

5 . The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
wherein the provision of the conductive section ( 8 , 12 , 22 , 26 , 46 , 50 ) comprises arranging an electrode on the relevant component ( 2 , 4 , 18 , 20 , 24 ), wherein the relevant component ( 2 , 4 , 18 , 20 , 24 ) is conductive at least in a region comprising the relevant conductive section ( 8 , 12 , 22 , 26 , 46 , 50 ).

6 . The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
wherein the provision of the conductive section ( 8 , 12 , 22 , 26 , 46 , 50 ) comprises arranging a separate conductor track ( 22 , 26 , 46 , 50 ) on, at or in the relevant component ( 2 , 4 , 18 , 20 , 24 ).

7 . The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
wherein a plurality of first conductive sections ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) and/or second conductive sections ( 12 , 26 , 50 ) are provided and each run parallel to one another.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the separate conductor track ( 22 , 26 , 46 , 50 ) is arranged on a film ( 56 ) made of thermoplastic material as the carrier material.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 8 ,
wherein the plastic is in the form of polyetherimide.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 8 or 9 ,
wherein the film ( 56 ) is arranged at one end of an overlapping region ( 51 ) of the first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) and the second component ( 4 , 24 ).

11 . The method as claimed in claim 7 ,
wherein, in order to carry out a functional test, distances of at least one pair of first conductive sections ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) and/or second conductive sections ( 12 , 26 , 50 ) are determined and are compared with predefined distances.

12 . The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
also having the step of introducing a second voltage pulse into the at least one second conductive section of the second component ( 4 , 24 ), wherein the second voltage pulse is introduced at the same time as the first voltage pulse, and wherein the second voltage pulse has an opposite polarity to the first voltage pulse.

13 . The use of a time domain reflectometry method for determining a distance between a first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) and a second component ( 4 , 24 ) to be adhesively bonded to one another, wherein a first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) on the first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) and a second conductive section ( 12 , 26 , 50 ) on the second component ( 4 , 24 ) are provided for the purpose of introducing a first voltage pulse and capturing a reflection voltage pulse, and wherein an impedance profile characterizing a distance between the first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) and the second component ( 4 , 24 ) is determined by evaluating the reflection voltage pulse.

14 . An electronic unit ( 16 ) for determining a distance between a first component and a second component ( 4 , 24 ), wherein the electronic unit ( 16 ) has a signal generator ( 16 a ), a computing unit ( 16 b ) and at least one first connector ( 16 c ), wherein the electronic unit ( 16 ) is set up to introduce a first voltage pulse into a first connection ( 14 ) of a first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) of a first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) with the aid of the signal generator ( 16 a ), to simultaneously and/or directly subsequently capture a reflection voltage pulse in response to the first voltage pulse at the first connection ( 14 ), to determine an impedance profile along the at least one first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) with the aid of the computing unit ( 16 b ) by evaluating the reflection voltage pulse, and to determine at least one distance between the first component ( 2 , 18 , 20 ) and the second component ( 4 , 24 ) along the at least one first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) by calculating at least one corresponding local distance, associated with the determined impedance profile, between the at least one first conductive section ( 8 , 22 , 46 ) and the at least one second conductive section ( 12 , 26 , 50 ).

15 . The electronic unit ( 16 ) as claimed in claim 14 , also having at least one second connector ( 16 c ), wherein the electronic unit ( 16 ) is set up to introduce a second voltage pulse into a second conductive section ( 12 , 26 , 50 ) of a second component ( 4 , 24 ) via the at least one second connector using the signal generator ( 16 c ), wherein the second voltage pulse has an opposite polarity to the first voltage pulse.

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh
• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Buchmann Christopher
• Friedberger Alois
• Kruse Thomas
• Körwien Thomas

Classifications

• G01B7/06

  for measuring thickness {(measuring during the manufacture of coatings C23C14/54)} · CPC title

• G01B7/14 Primary

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B7/30 takes precedence) · CPC title