Device and method for repairing a damaged zone of an intermediate layer of a multilayer structure by way of deformable corrugated rings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9517536-B2
Application number	US-201414184170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2014
Priority date	Feb 21, 2013
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A device for repairing a damaged zone in a first cavity, with a first diameter, of an intermediate layer interposed between two layers that have a second cavity with a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. The device includes a stop that forms an abutment at the interface between the first cavity and one of the second cavities, a ring having a deformable corrugated shape, an initial inside diameter, an initial outside diameter smaller than the second diameter, and being positioned in the first cavity, a deformation element having an elastically variable outside diameter initially smaller than the initial inside diameter of the ring, and a tool being able to increase the outside diameter of the deformation element so that it deforms the ring in the first cavity in order to reduce the difference between the first and second diameters.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for repairing a damaged and removed zone at the periphery of a first cavity that has a first diameter and is defined in an intermediate layer interposed between at least two layers that have a second cavity with a second diameter smaller than said first diameter, said second cavity being coaxial with said first cavity, said device comprising:
a stop means having a surface defining an abutment for an interface between said first cavity and said second cavity in one of said layers,
at least one ring having a deformable corrugated shape, an initial inside diameter, and an initial outside diameter smaller than said second diameter, and wherein said at least one ring is configured and arranged to be positioned in said first cavity,
a deformation means having a central cavity and an elastically variable outside diameter initially smaller than said initial inside diameter of said ring, and
a tool designed to be introduced into said central cavity and to increase the outside diameter of said deformation means in order to deform said ring in said first cavity by increasing its initial outside diameter so as to reduce the difference between said first and second diameters,
wherein said stop means comprises:
a head wider than said second diameter and intended to be pressed against an outer face of one of said layers,
a body having a circular cylindrical shape, a diameter slightly smaller than said second diameter and a height approximately equal to a thickness of said layer in the region of its second cavity, and
a stop means cavity extending through both said head and said body of said stop means, wherein said stop means cavity is configured and arranged to slidably receive a portion of said tool therein.

2. A method for repairing a damaged and removed zone at the periphery of a first cavity that has a first diameter and is defined in an intermediate layer interposed between at least two layers that have a second cavity with a second diameter smaller than said first diameter, said second cavity being coaxial with said first cavity, comprising the steps:
defining an abutment at an interface between said first cavity and said second cavity in one of said layers,
installing in said first cavity at least one ring that has a deformable corrugated shape, an initial inside diameter, and an initial outside diameter smaller than said second diameter,
introducing into said first cavity, by means of a tool, a deformation means that has an elastically variable outside diameter in which all portions thereof are initially smaller than an inside diameter of said ring, and
increasing the outside diameter of said deformation means by way of said tool in order to deform said ring in said first cavity by increasing its initial outside diameter so as to reduce the difference between said first and second diameters,
wherein:
said at least two layers comprises two outer layers, with one of said outer layers being on each side of said intermediate layer; and
said method further comprises positioning a stop means upon one of said outer layers, thereby positioning an abutment surface of the stop means at an interface between said first cavity of said intermediate layer and said second cavity of one of said outer layers.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein at least two concentric rings having a deformable corrugated shape are positioned together in said first cavity during said installing step.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said installing, introducing and increasing steps are repeated as many times as necessary with new rings in order to completely eliminate the initial difference between said first and second diameters.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said tool is modified during each repetition of said introducing step such that it causes a deformation of said outside diameter of the deformation means less than that of the preceding iteration.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein said introducing step includes introducing said deformation means into said first cavity until said deformation means abuts against the abutment surface of said stop means.

7. A method of repairing a multilayer structure of an aircraft comprising a damaged and removed zone at the periphery of a first cavity that has a first diameter and is defined in an intermediate layer interposed between at least two outer layers that have a second cavity with a second diameter smaller than said first diameter, said second cavity being coaxial with said first cavity, the method comprising steps of:
using a repairing device comprising:
a stop means having a surface for defining an abutment for an interface between said first cavity and said second cavity in one of said layers,
at least one ring having a deformable corrugated shape, an initial inside diameter, an initial outside diameter smaller than said second diameter, and being intended to be positioned in said first cavity,
a deformation means having a central cavity and an elastically variable outside diameter initially smaller than said initial inside diameter of said ring, and
a tool being designed to be introduced into said central cavity and to increase the outside diameter of said deformation means in order to deform said ring in said first cavity by increasing its initial outside diameter so as to reduce the difference between said first and second diameters, and

positioning said stop means upon one of said outer layers, thereby defining the abutment at an interface between said first cavity and said second cavity in one of said layers,
installing in said first cavity at least one ring that has a deformable corrugated shape, an initial inside diameter, and an initial outside diameter smaller than said second diameter,
introducing into said first cavity, by means of said tool, said deformation means, until said deformation means abuts against the abutment surface of said stop means, and
increasing the outside diameter of said deformation means by way of said tool in order to deform said ring in said first cavity by increasing its initial outside diameter so as to reduce the difference between said first and second diameters.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said introducing step includes sliding a portion of the tool through a stop means cavity that is formed within and extends completely through the stop means.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Boulet Nicolas
• Combrouze Richard
• Astruc Julien

Classifications

• B32B43/00

  Operations specially adapted for layered products and not otherwise provided for, e.g. repairing; Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• B29C73/26

  for mechanical pretreatment · CPC title

• Y10T29/49748

  by shaping, e.g., bending, extruding, turning, etc. · CPC title

• Y10T29/53961

  with work-holder for assembly · CPC title

• B29C73/08

  Apparatus therefor, e.g. for inserting · CPC title