Devices and methods for applying surface coverings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9573350-B2
Application number	US-201514593990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2015
Priority date	Jan 9, 2015
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

Applicator devices for applying a surface covering to a part and methods for applying a surface covering to a part are disclosed. Disclosed applicator devices may include an inflatable bladder and a support structure configured to position the inflatable bladder with respect to the part and/or a support surface on which the part is positioned. The inflatable bladder may be used to apply the surface covering to the part, and may be configured to apply a uniform pressure to the surface covering and part, regardless of surface topography. The inflatable bladder may include a cover material at least partially covering the external bladder surface, which may be configured to reduce friction between the inflatable bladder and the surface covering. Such applicator devices may be particularly useful for, for example, applying a decorative laminate to a honeycomb core panel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An applicator device for applying a surface covering to a part, comprising:
an inflatable bladder having an external bladder surface and an internal bladder surface, the internal bladder surface defining a cavity at least partially filled with a fluid, wherein a first surface area of the surface covering is larger than a second surface area of the external bladder surface;
a support structure that positions the inflatable bladder with respect to the part; and
a cover material at least partially covering the external bladder surface, the cover material contacting the surface covering as it is applied to the part, wherein the cover material is configured to reduce friction between the inflatable bladder and the surface covering, and wherein the cover material is flexible enough to conform to the external bladder surface.

2. The applicator device according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a gas.

3. The applicator device according to claim 1 , wherein the cover material comprises one or more of felt and fiberglass.

4. The applicator device according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure is configured to selectively move the inflatable bladder with respect to a support surface and the surface covering, wherein the support surface is configured to support the part while the surface covering is being applied, and wherein the inflatable bladder is configured to move in a plane that is parallel to the support surface.

5. The applicator device according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure selectively moves a support surface with respect to the inflatable bladder, wherein the part is positioned on the support surface.

6. The applicator device according to claim 1 , further comprising a regulator configured to maintain a desired fluid pressure within the cavity of the inflatable bladder while the surface covering is applied to the part.

7. The applicator device according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises one or more linear bearings.

8. The applicator device according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises a bladder-supporting portion that is configured to travel along one or more rails.

9. The applicator device according to claim 8 , further comprising the one or more rails, wherein the one or more rails are positioned on a support surface on which the part is positioned.

10. A system for applying a surface covering to a part, the system comprising:
an applicator device, comprising:
an inflatable bladder having an external bladder surface and an internal bladder surface, the internal bladder surface defining a cavity at least partially filled with a fluid;
a support structure that positions the inflatable bladder with respect to the part; and
a cover material at least partially covering the external bladder surface, the cover material contacting the surface covering as it is applied to the part, wherein the cover material is configured to reduce friction between the inflatable bladder and the surface covering, and wherein the cover material is flexible enough to conform to the external bladder surface;

the part; and
the surface covering.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the part comprises at least one of a metallic panel and a composite panel, and wherein the surface covering comprises a decorative laminate.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the part comprises a galley panel for an aircraft.

13. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a fluid supply coupled to the inflatable bladder and configured to supply fluid to the cavity of the inflatable bladder, thereby at least partially inflating the inflatable bladder.

14. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a robotic device configured to move the applicator device with respect to the part.

15. A method for applying a surface covering to a part, the method comprising:
providing the part, wherein the part has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
positioning a portion of the surface covering between the second surface of the part and an inflatable bladder having an external bladder surface and an internal bladder surface, the internal bladder surface defining a cavity at least partially filled with a fluid, the inflatable bladder further having a cover material at least partially covering the external bladder surface, wherein the cover material is configured to reduce friction between the inflatable bladder and the surface covering, and wherein the cover material is flexible enough to conform to the external bladder surface;
contacting the surface covering with the cover material of the inflatable bladder while the inflatable bladder is inflated to a desired fluid pressure;
positioning a support structure coupled to the inflatable bladder, wherein the positioning the support structure comprises positioning the support structure relative to the part such that the inflatable bladder contacts the surface covering;
pressing the surface covering onto the second surface of the part with the inflatable bladder; and
maintaining the inflatable bladder at a fixed distance from the second surface of the part during the pressing the surface covering onto the second surface of the part.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the pressing the surface covering onto the second surface of the part with the inflatable bladder comprises moving the inflatable bladder with respect to and substantially parallel to the part and the surface covering.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the pressing the surface covering onto the second surface of the part with the inflatable bladder comprises moving the part and the surface covering with respect to the inflatable bladder.

18. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
filling at least a portion of the inflatable bladder with a fluid; and
changing the fluid pressure within the inflatable bladder to a different desired fluid pressure.

19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the surface covering comprises an outer surface, an adhesive surface, and a backing layer covering the adhesive surface, the backing layer being removable from the adhesive surface of the surface covering, the method further comprising:
peeling away a portion of the backing layer to expose a portion of the adhesive surface prior to initiating the pressing the surface covering onto the second surface of the part; and
further peeling the backing layer away from the adhesive surface as the surface covering is applied to the part, wherein the positioning a portion of the surface covering between the second surface of the part and the inflatable bladder comprises positioning the surface covering such that the adhesive surface of the surface covering faces the second surface of the part and the outer surface of the surface covering faces the inflatable bladder.

20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the providing the part comprises providing a galley panel for an aircraft, and wherein the pressing the surface covering onto the second surface of the part comprises pressing an adhesive laminate onto the galley panel.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Halbritter Allen James

Classifications

• B29C63/00

  Lining or sheathing, i.e. applying preformed layers or sheathings of plastics; Apparatus therefor (B29C73/00 takes precedence; by blowing B29C49/00; by thermoforming B29C51/00) · CPC title

• B32B37/10

  characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure · CPC title

• B32B2605/18

  Aircraft · CPC title

• B32B37/12

  characterised by using adhesives · CPC title

• B32B37/003 Primary

  to avoid air inclusion · CPC title