Method, system and apparatus for assembling a composite wing skin with stiffeners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9914549-B2
Application number	US-201514629131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2015
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A jig apparatus and associated systems and methods for forming a composite wing skin is presented, including providing a frame with a working surface. A plurality of indexing blocks are coupled to the working surface of the frame. Each of the plurality of indexing blocks has a first indexing surface oriented perpendicular to the working surface of the frame and a second indexing surface oriented approximately parallel to the working surface of the frame. A plurality of clamping blocks are also each moveably coupled to one of the plurality of indexing blocks. Each of the plurality of clamping blocks has a clamping surface oriented perpendicular to the working surface of the frame and in facing relation to the first indexing surface of an adjacent indexing block thereby defining a plurality of channels.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A jig apparatus for forming a composite wing skin, the jig apparatus comprising:
a frame with a working surface;
a plurality of indexing blocks coupled to the working surface of the frame, wherein each of the plurality of indexing blocks has a first indexing surface on a first lateral side and oriented perpendicular to the working surface of the frame and a second indexing surface on a top side and oriented parallel to the working surface of the frame; and
a plurality of clamping blocks each moveably coupled to a second lateral side of the plurality of indexing blocks, wherein each of the plurality of clamping blocks has a clamping surface oriented perpendicular to the working surface of the frame and in facing relation to the first indexing surface of an adjacent indexing block thereby defining a plurality of channels.

2. The jig apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of actuators each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of each of the plurality of actuators is coupled to one of the plurality of clamping blocks, wherein the second end of each of the plurality of actuators is coupled to one of the plurality of indexing blocks.

3. The jig apparatus of claim 1 , wherein nylon is coupled to the first indexing surface and the second indexing surface of each of the plurality of indexing blocks, and wherein a high density foam is coupled to the clamping surface of each of the plurality of clamping blocks.

4. The jig apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of clamping blocks has an open position and a clamped position, wherein in the clamped position the clamping surface of a respective clamping block is located closer to the first indexing surface of the adjacent indexing block than in the open position.

5. The jig apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of indexing blocks have a spaced apart arrangement relative to each other and extend between a first end of the jig and a second end of the jig.

6. The jig apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the jig is moveable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the working surface of the frame is oriented about 90 degrees to about 135 degrees relative to a surface supporting the jig, and wherein in the second position the working surface of the frame is approximately parallel to and in facing relation with the surface supporting the jig.

7. The jig apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first clamp coupled to a first end of the jig; and
a second clamp coupled to a second end of the jig.

8. The jig apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of clamping blocks has an indexing surface oriented parallel to the working surface of the frame.

9. The jig apparatus of claim 8 , wherein nylon is coupled to the indexing surface of each of the plurality of clamping blocks.

10. An assembly system for forming composite wing skin, the system comprising:
a jig apparatus comprising (i) a frame with a working surface, (ii) a plurality of indexing blocks coupled to the working surface of the frame, wherein each of the plurality of indexing blocks has a first indexing surface on a first lateral side and oriented perpendicular to the working surface of the frame and a second indexing surface on a top side and oriented parallel to the working surface of the frame and (iii) a plurality of clamping blocks each moveably coupled to a second lateral side of the plurality of indexing blocks, wherein each of the plurality of clamping blocks has a clamping surface oriented perpendicular to the working surface of the frame and in facing relation to the first indexing surface of an adjacent indexing block thereby defining a plurality of channels;
a platform moveable between a first end of the jig apparatus and a second end of the jig apparatus;
a bag treatment coupled to at least the first end of the jig apparatus such that the bag treatment lies adjacent to one or more of the second indexing surfaces of the plurality of indexing blocks; and
a cavitation tool having a protrusion configured to be received within each of the plurality of channels.

11. The assembly system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a plurality of stiffeners that each have an extension.

12. The assembly system of claim 11 , wherein the protrusion of the cavitation tool has a profile that is substantially the same as the extension of at least one of the plurality of stiffeners.

13. The assembly system of claim 10 , wherein the bag treatment comprises a layer of nylon bag material, a layer of breather material and a layer of release film, and wherein the layer of release film is arranged in facing relation to the working surface of the frame.

14. The assembly system of claim 10 , wherein the jig apparatus is moveable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the working surface of the frame is oriented about 90 degrees to about 135 degrees relative to a top surface of the platform, and wherein in the second position the working surface of the frame is approximately parallel to and in facing relation with a surface supporting the jig apparatus.

15. A method for forming a composite wing skin, the method comprising:
providing a jig apparatus comprising (i) a frame with a working surface, (ii) a plurality of indexing blocks coupled to the working surface of the frame, wherein each of the plurality of indexing blocks has a first indexing surface on a first lateral side and oriented perpendicular to the working surface of the frame and a second indexing surface on a top side and oriented parallel to the working surface of the frame and (iii) a plurality of clamping blocks each moveably coupled to a second lateral side of the plurality of indexing blocks, wherein each of the plurality of clamping blocks has a clamping surface oriented perpendicular to the working surface of the frame and in facing relation to the first indexing surface of an adjacent indexing block thereby defining a plurality of channels, wherein a first indexing block of the plurality of indexing blocks and a first clamping block of the plurality of clamping blocks are arranged at a first end of the jig apparatus and define a first channel;
clamping a bag treatment to at least the first end of the jig apparatus such that the bag treatment lies adjacent to one or more of the second indexing surfaces of the plurality of indexing blocks;
pressing a protrusion of a cavitation tool against the bag treatment and into the first channel;
removing the protrusion of the cavitation tool from the first channel such that the bag treatment remains in the first channel;
pressing an extension portion of a first stiffener into the first channel; and
moving the first clamping block from an open position to a clamped position thereby locking the first stiffener in place in the first channel.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of indexing blocks have a spaced apart arrangement relative to each other and extend between the first end of the jig apparatus and a second end of the jig apparatus, and
repeating the following steps for each of the remaining channels of the plurality of channels, starting with a second channel adjacent to the first channel and proceeding in order toward the second end of the jig apparatus:
pressing the protrusion of the cavitation tool against the bag treatment and into a respective remaining channel of the plurality of channels;
removing the protrusion of the cavitation tool from the respective remaining channel such that the bag treatment remains in the respective remain

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Pham Doan Dinh
• Iden Mark Charles

Classifications

• B29C66/82661

  by means of vacuum · CPC title

• B25B5/003

  Combinations of clamps · CPC title

• B25B5/06

  Arrangements for positively actuating jaws · CPC title

• Y02P70/585

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64F5/10 Primary

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title