Rigid temporary reinforcement structure

Abstract

A resilient component for attachment to a rigid temporary reinforcement structure and a rigid temporary reinforcement structure for attachment to a resilient component. The temporary reinforcement structure has one or more datum attachment features for releasably attaching the temporary reinforcement structure to a corresponding datum attachment feature of the resilient component, wherein the datum attachment features of the resilient component and the datum features have a common datum, and the temporary reinforcement structure is configured to rigidly support the resilient component during assembly of the resilient component to a structural assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an elastic member for attachment to a rigid temporary reinforcement structure, a rigid temporary reinforcement structure for attachment to an elastic member, and a method for attaching a temporary reinforcement structure to an elastic member. Background Technology

[0002] Aircraft wings are typically assembled as wingbox structures, which include an upper cover and a lower cover sandwiching a structural frame that includes spanwise spars and chordal ribs. The ribs are designed to support the cover as it forms the external aerodynamic wing profile and, in doing so, to transfer loads from the cover to the spars.

[0003] Each rib is designed to bear these specific loads while minimizing its weight. A rib comprises a rib web and rib brackets (also known as rib feet and rib flanges) that connect the rib web to the wing box's spars and cover. The rib web is typically relatively thin, and therefore, the rib is capable of flexing and bending before being assembled into the wing box. Any movement of each rib during assembly makes precise positioning and assembly of the rib within the wing box more challenging. Precise positioning of the rib is particularly important because guide holes or final assembly holes for fasteners to attach the rib to the wing box are only formed after the rib is positioned in its final assembly position. To overcome these difficulties, a rigid temporary reinforcement structure, commonly referred to as a strong backplate, can be used to temporarily reinforce the rib during assembly into the remaining parts of the wing box.

[0004] Various gauges and sensors are manually placed on or adjacent to the ribs to position and fasten each rib to the wing box's spar. Manually set gauges are used to position the ribs relative to the spar's attachment flange, while magnetic full-thickness sensors—often referred to as through-skin sensors (TSS)—are manually placed inside the wing box in guide holes / reference holes to guide drilling into the fastener holes from the outside of the wing box.

[0005] Each rib in the ribs is manually installed using a lifting device that manually operates and positions the ribs; this is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A first aspect of the invention provides an elastic member for attachment to a rigid temporary reinforcement structure, the elastic member having one or more reference attachment features for releasably attaching to the temporary reinforcement structure and one or more reference features for connecting the elastic member to a structural assembly, wherein the reference attachment features and reference features of the elastic member have a common reference, and the temporary reinforcement structure is configured to rigidly support the elastic member during assembly of the elastic member to the structural assembly.

[0007] A second aspect of the invention provides a rigid temporary reinforcement structure for attachment to an elastic member, the temporary reinforcement structure having one or more reference attachment features for releasably attaching the temporary reinforcement structure to a corresponding reference attachment feature of the elastic member, wherein the reference attachment feature and the reference feature of the elastic member have a common reference, and the temporary reinforcement structure is configured to rigidly support the elastic member during assembly of the elastic member to a structural assembly.

[0008] A third aspect of the invention provides a method for attaching a temporary reinforcing structure to an elastic member, the method comprising: providing an elastic member having one or more reference attachment features and one or more reference features, wherein the reference attachment features and reference features of the elastic member have a common reference; providing a rigid temporary reinforcing structure having one or more reference attachment features; aligning one or more reference attachment features of the temporary reinforcing structure with corresponding reference attachment features of the elastic member such that one or more reference features of the elastic member and the reference attachment features of the temporary reinforcing structure share the common reference; and attaching the temporary reinforcing structure to the elastic member such that the temporary reinforcing structure rigidly supports the elastic member.

[0009] The fourth aspect of the invention provides a rigid temporary reinforcement structure of the second aspect that is releasably attached to the elastic member of the first aspect.

[0010] Elastic components are flexible / resilient components relative to rigid reinforced structures, and are able to spring back to their original shape after any deflection or bending.

[0011] A temporary reinforcement structure is a structure typically used to temporarily strengthen a resilient component during assembly into an assembly structure. "Temporary" means that the reinforcement structure is removed once the resilient component is installed. An example of a temporary reinforcement structure is a strong backplate, which supports the structure or assembly during any subsequent processing or assembly. Thus, the resilient component is supported during assembly, while it may otherwise exhibit an undesirable degree of flexibility before being fixed into the assembly structure, which then supports the resilient component once it is fixed in place. The assembly structure is a component capable of bearing structural loads.

[0012] By providing resilient components and temporary reinforcement structures that are precisely positioned and attached together using aligned reference features, the resilient components and temporary reinforcement structures share a common reference through their respective connections located at the reference attachment features. The reinforcement aspect of the temporary reinforcement structure can be supplemented by numerous auxiliary features—such as robot end effectors, photogrammetric targets, and magnetic full-thickness sensors. These features can be permanently or temporarily attached to the temporary reinforcement structure. These features can be easily attached to the temporary reinforcement structure without any modification to the resilient components, except for providing reference attachment features for attachment to the temporary reinforcement structure. Furthermore, due to the shared reference, a reference system for the resilient components can be used. This reference system serves as an overall reference system for the assembled structure.

[0013] These features can help increase manufacturing speed. For example, aircraft wing rib installation is a labor-intensive task that can be significantly simplified to increase the speed of aircraft construction. In particular, these features allow for the automation of installation, such as automated positioning and / or automated drilling. These features also improve assembly accuracy, reduce the risk of operator injury, and decrease the likelihood of parts being damaged during assembly and the subsequent costs associated with any rework.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for assembling an elastic member in a structural assembly, comprising attaching a temporary reinforcing structure to the elastic member; positioning the elastic member in an assembly position by manipulating the rigid temporary reinforcing structure to a desired position; and connecting the elastic member to the structural assembly using a reference feature of the elastic member, while the elastic member is rigidly supported by the temporary reinforcing structure.

[0015] Because of the shared reference system between the elastic component and the temporary reinforcement, there is a known relationship between their positions, which allows the temporary reinforcement to be used to guide the positioning of the elastic component during assembly.

[0016] Optionally, the one or more reference attachment features include a corresponding main reference attachment feature and a corresponding timing reference attachment feature for releasably attaching to the elastic member.

[0017] A primary reference attachment feature is a reference feature that provides at least one fixed position between two objects. A timing reference (also known as a timekeeping reference) is a second reference feature that fixes the relative orientation of two objects.

[0018] Optionally, each of the one or more reference attachment features includes a reference hole for alignment with a corresponding reference hole of the elastic member and for supplying a pin through which to lock the relative position of the temporary reinforcement structure and the elastic member.

[0019] Optionally, the rigid temporary reinforcement structure includes one or more positioning targets arranged to be detected by the positioning device.

[0020] Optionally, the method of assembling the elastic component in the structural assembly further includes: tracking a positioning target on a temporary reinforcing structure to determine the position of the elastic component relative to the structural assembly, and moving the elastic component to the assembly position based on the tracked position.

[0021] Since the temporary reinforcement and the elastic component share a common reference, the positioning target attached to the rigid temporary reinforcement can also be used as a positioning target for the elastic component. If the temporary reinforcement and the elastic component do not share a common reference, then any positioning target used for the elastic component will need to be attached directly to the elastic component rather than the temporary reinforcement.

[0022] Positioning targets offer numerous advantages, particularly when combined with robotic manipulators for automation, such as real-time tracking of flexible component positions across various degrees of freedom, dynamic communication / feedback between the positioning robot and metrology systems, and recording / certifying flexible component positioning data within a Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Positioning targets also reduce the reliance on custom-designed gauges and drills for components, which are themselves time-consuming and difficult to precisely position.

[0023] Optionally, one or more positioning targets are photogrammetric targets, and the positioning device is a photogrammetric device configured to track the photogrammetric targets.

[0024] Optionally, the rigid temporary reinforcement structure includes an attachment portion for supporting the elastic component using the temporary reinforcement structure.

[0025] The attachment allows for temporary reinforcement of the structure, and through it, allows the elastic component to be moved and manipulated from the connection point on the temporary reinforcement.

[0026] Optionally, the attachment portion is a connector for attachment to the manipulator.

[0027] The controller can be a pneumatic controller that allows the user to operate it manually, or an automatic controller.

[0028] Optionally, the connector is a robot end effector.

[0029] This allows for connection to robots, enabling repeatability, for example, with automated rib positioning, thereby reducing the risk of human error and operator risk during assembly.

[0030] Optionally, the rigid temporary reinforcement structure includes a computer and a robotic arm connected to the elastic component via a robotic end effector, wherein the computer is configured to receive information relating to the position of the elastic component from a photogrammetric device, and the robotic arm is configured to move the elastic component based on the information received by the computer in order to position the elastic component in an assembly position for connecting the elastic component to the structural assembly.

[0031] This allows for the automatic movement of elastic components based on the position of photogrammetric targets on a temporary reinforced structure.

[0032] Optionally, one or more of the positioning targets are full-thickness sensors used to indicate the portion of the elastic member to be drilled.

[0033] Optionally, the method of assembling an elastic component in a structural assembly further includes: detecting a full-thickness sensor located on a temporary reinforcing structure from a first side of the elastic component, determining the area to be drilled based on the detected full-thickness sensor, and drilling the elastic component from the first side of the elastic component, wherein the temporary reinforcing structure is adjacent to a second side of the elastic component opposite to the first side.

[0034] By providing full-thickness sensors on the temporary reinforcement structure, the sensors can be positioned earlier during assembly. This eliminates the need for manual sensor placement after the resilient parts have been positioned in their assembly locations. The temporary reinforcement structure can also be used to install more than one resilient part at a time, in which case each sensor can be used to guide the drilling of multiple holes with highly repeatable accuracy, thereby reducing user error. Since the operator no longer needs to manually position the sensors after the initial assembly of the parts, any risk of operator injury during installation is avoided.

[0035] The sensor can be permanently attached to a temporary reinforcement structure or held in a custom sensor holder, ensuring that the full-thickness sensor is securely attached to the temporary reinforcement structure and will not detach. This saves a significant amount of time that would otherwise be spent retrieving the sensor.

[0036] Optionally, the full-thickness sensor is a magnetic full-thickness sensor.

[0037] Optionally, the full-thickness sensor is offset from the area to be drilled. In particular, the sensor is offset from the axis of the hole to be drilled.

[0038] Optionally, the elastic component is an aircraft structural component.

[0039] This invention is particularly applicable to the assembly of aircraft components in situations requiring high precision and / or assembly into enclosed sections with restricted access.

[0040] Optionally, the aircraft structural component is a rib or leading edge structure for the aircraft wing. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 A plan view of the aircraft is shown;

[0043] Figure 2 A perspective view of the starboard wing box is shown;

[0044] Figure 3 A plan view of the aircraft's starboard wing is shown;

[0045] Figure 4 The wing box structure at the rib location, viewed in the spanwise direction, is shown;

[0046] Figure 5 The wing box structure at the rib location is shown when viewed in the chord direction;

[0047] Figure 6 The wing ribs according to the first example are shown;

[0048] Figure 7 A rigid temporary reinforcement structure according to the first example is shown;

[0049] Figure 8 The first example of a wing rib and rigid temporary reinforcement structure connected at the corresponding reference attachment feature is shown;

[0050] Figure 9 The wing ribs are shown, suspended by the robot below the wing box;

[0051] Figure 10 The wing ribs installed in the wing box are shown;

[0052] Figure 11A A sensor device for detecting full thickness is shown;

[0053] Figure 11B The drilling tool is shown being drilled into the lower cover;

[0054] Figure 12A The leading edge structure supported by a rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to the second example is shown;

[0055] Figure 12B The leading edge structure assembled to the wing box is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0056] Figure 1 The illustration depicts a typical fixed-wing aircraft 1 with a left-side wing 2 and a starboard wing 3 supporting wing-mounted engines 9. Wings 2 and 3 extend from the fuselage 4. The fuselage has a nose 5 and a tail 6, wherein a horizontal stabilizing surface 7 and a vertical stabilizing surface 8 are located near the tail 6. Aircraft 1 is a typical jet-powered transonic transport aircraft; however, this invention is applicable to a wide variety of fixed-wing aircraft types, including commercial, military, passenger, cargo, jet, propeller, and general aviation, wherein any number of engines are attached to the wings or fuselage.

[0057] Each wing 2, 3 has a cantilever structure extending from the root to the tip along the spanwise direction, with the root connected to the aircraft fuselage 4. Wings 2, 3 are structurally similar, therefore only reference will be made to them. Figure 2 A detailed description of the starboard wing 3 is provided.

[0058] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the wing box 10 of the starboard wing 3 of aircraft 1. Figure 1 As shown, wing 3 tapers from its inner root to its outer tip, causing the chord length of wing 3 to decrease from the inner end to the outer end. Correspondingly, wing box 10 also tapers. Wing box 10 is a support structure arranged to support most of the load on wing 3. Wing box 10 has an integral spar cover 11, which is integrally formed from an upper cover 12 and a leading-edge spar 14. The spar cover 11 extends substantially along the entire length of wing 3 from the wing root to the wingtip.

[0059] The wing spar cover 11 is an integral structure with a folding axis between the upper cover 12 and the leading edge wing spar 14, allowing the material of the wing spar 14 to extend continuously into the upper cover 12 through the folding area. The folding area extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the wing spar cover 11. The wing spar cover 11 is generally Z-shaped.

[0060] Leading edge spars 14 are longitudinal spars extending in the spanwise direction of wing 3, and have a lower attachment flange attached to the lower cover 13.

[0061] Adjacent to the trailing edge of wing 3, a trailing edge sparb 15 extends between the upper cover 12 and the lower cover 13. The trailing edge sparb 15 is generally C-shaped and has an upper attachment flange and a lower attachment flange respectively attached to the upper cover 12 and the lower cover 13.

[0062] The upper cover 12 and the lower cover 13 have external aerodynamic surfaces. The wing 3 also includes a leading edge structure (not shown) and a trailing edge structure (not shown), which are aerodynamically shaped to integrate with the wing box 10 to form an airfoil.

[0063] Covers 12 and 13 can be reinforced with stringers. Stringers are longitudinally extending reinforcing members attached to the interior of covers 12 and 13. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the wing box 10 of the wing 3 also includes a plurality of chordal ribs 18, 18a, 18b extending between the spars 14 and 15 and between the covers 12 and 13.

[0064] The aircraft 1 includes a central wing box 16 located within the fuselage 4. The central wing box 16 is connected to an inner rib 18a near the root of the wing 3. The wing 3 includes a series of evenly spaced ribs 18 located between the inner rib 18a and the outer rib 18b near the starboard wingtip.

[0065] Figure 4 The diagram shows ribs 18 attached to leading-edge spar 14 and trailing-edge spar 15 via brackets 19, 19a, and to upper and lower skin covers 12 and 13 via brackets 19. The bracket 19a attached to the lower cover 13 is an integral bracket 19a, while all other brackets 19 are separate from the ribs 18 and covers 12, 13, and spars 14, 15. In an alternative example, the brackets attached to any of the covers 12, 13 or spars 14, 15 may be integral brackets 19a or separate brackets 19.

[0066] Rib 18 is designed to support the cover in forming the external aerodynamic wing profile. In particular, rib 18 is designed to support the cover in forming the external aerodynamic wing profile by means of rib 18 to transfer shear stress to the spars 14, 15 and other main load-bearing structures of wing box 10.

[0067] Ribs 18 are typically designed to minimize their weight, and therefore ribs 18 can be flexible, allowing them to flex and bend when not attached to rib brackets 19, 19a and / or supported by the rest of the wing box 10. While ribs 18 are elastic, allowing them to spring back to their original shape after any flexing or bending that occurs during assembly, any movement of ribs 18 during assembly makes alignment of ribs 18 within the wing box 10 more challenging during final assembly.

[0068] To support rib 18 during assembly, a rigid temporary reinforcing structure—also known as a clamp or strong backplate, and hereinafter referred to as a strong backplate—can be used. The strong backplate rigidly supports rib 18, thereby preventing any significant bending or deflection of rib 18 during assembly. The strong backplate is attached to rib 18, thereby rigidly supporting rib 18 so that rib 18 can be moved into position. The use of setting instruments or similar positioning devices aids in the precise positioning of rib 18 to wing box 10; these positioning devices determine the position of rib 18 relative to wing box 10 and guide the positioning of rib 18 relative to wing box 10. Once rib 18 is in position, rib 18 can be temporarily secured in place using clamps and drill pipe, and then secured or otherwise connected to wing box 10 via brackets 19, 19a. Subsequently, when rib 18 is now supported by wing box 10, the strong backplate can be removed from rib 18.

[0069] In the assembled wing 3, ribs 18 are typically attached to each of the leading-edge spars 14, trailing-edge spars 15, upper skin cover 12, and lower skin cover 13. The lower skin cover 13 is typically the last component attached to the wing 3, and in doing so, the wing box structure forms a closed section in which each rib 18 is enclosed internally. Thus, each spars 14, 15 and each skin cover 12, 13 has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the lower wing skin cover 13 has an inner surface 13I and an outer surface 13J, as shown... Figure 5 As shown.

[0070] Assembling the lower wing cover 13 into each rib of the rib 18 can be challenging because access to the interior of the wing box structure, and particularly to the rib bracket 19a and the inner portion 13I of the lower wing skin 13, is restricted. As a result, a person may need to climb through the interior of the wing 3 to drill guide holes in the correct location from the inside of the wing 3, or combine devices located outside the wing box 10 with sensors inside the wing box 10 to indicate the area to be drilled in the rib 18. The drill bit or other tools can then be guided from the outside of the wing 3 using the guide holes or sensors.

[0071] Installing rib 18 into wing box 10 is one of the most time-consuming tasks in aircraft assembly. This is because... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The specific one-piece wing spar cover 11 shown further complicates matters, as it restricts access to the wing box 10 because it is impossible to separate the top cover 12 from the leading edge wing spar 14 and provide access from the top of the wing box 10.

[0072] Figure 6 A first example of a rib according to the invention is shown. This rib is substantially the same as the rib described with respect to the previous figures, and therefore uses similar reference numerals, but with a 100 series number.

[0073] Rib 118 includes an integral lower rib bracket 119a attached to rib 118, such that rib 118 and lower rib bracket 119a are formed as a single piece, and lower rib bracket 119a is used to attach rib 118 to lower cover 13. Rib 118 is attached to upper cover 12 and leading edge spar 14 and trailing edge spar 15 via separate rib brackets (not shown).

[0074] Rib 118 also includes a rat hole 122 adjacent to the lower cover (not shown) and a port hole 121. The rat hole 122 allows a reinforcement (not shown) attached to the lower skin to extend through rib 118, and the port hole 121 provides a passage between the rib compartments for system and fuel flow.

[0075] Rib 118 includes a first reference hole 130a, which is a first reference attachment feature for releasably attaching a reinforcing backplate to rib 118. Rib 118 includes a second reference hole 130b, which is a second reference attachment feature for releasably attaching a reinforcing backplate to rib 118. The first reference attachment feature 130a and the second reference attachment feature 130b can be interchangeably referred to as a main reference feature and a timing / punctuation reference feature, respectively, wherein the main reference feature provides a fixed position between the two objects, and the timing reference (also referred to as a punctuation reference) ensures that the relative orientation of the two objects is also fixed. The first reference attachment feature 130a and the second reference attachment feature 130b share a common reference with the reference features of rib 118, such as the edge of rib 118.

[0076] In an alternative example, a single reference attachment feature can be used as both a primary reference and a timing reference.

[0077] Figure 7 A first example of a strong backplate 150 according to the invention is shown, viewed from the end face of the strong backplate 150.

[0078] The strong backplate 150 is a rigid temporary reinforcement structure configured to attach to and rigidly support the rib 118 when the rib 118 is not assembled into and supported by the wing box 10. In particular, the strong backplate 150 rigidly supports the rib 118 during the assembly of the rib 118 into the wing spar 15, 14.

[0079] The strong backplate 150 includes a frame 151, which provides a load-bearing structure for the strong backplate and provides structural stiffness configured as support ribs 118.

[0080] The backplate 150 includes an attachment portion 160 for external connection to the backplate 150 and for manipulating the position of the backplate 150 (and the position of the rib 118 when connected to the backplate). In this particular example, the attachment portion 160 is a robotic end effector for connection to a robotic arm of a robot, as will be discussed regarding Figure 9 Further description.

[0081] The robust backplate 150 includes multiple positioning targets 170, 170a, and 170b, specifically photogrammetric targets 170 and 170a, which are arranged to be tracked by a photogrammetric camera (about...). Figure 10 describe).

[0082] Photogrammetry involves the recording and post-processing of photographic images to track objects. Photogrammetric targets 170, 170a, and 170b are embedded in a strong backplate 150, thereby allowing real-time tracking of the strong backplate 150 to determine its position and orientation.

[0083] The robust backplate 150 includes three photogrammetric targets 170, 170a, and 170b: a central photogrammetric target 170 and two external photogrammetric targets 170a and 170b. The external photogrammetric targets 170a and 170b also serve as locking pins 175a and 175b, arranged to insert into a first reference hole 130a and a second reference hole 130b in the rib 118. The locking pins 175a and 175b define a reference attachment feature of the robust backplate 150. In an alternative example, the photogrammetric targets 170a and 170b may be separable from the locking pins 175a and 175b.

[0084] A series of integrated magnetic full-thickness sensors 180 are attached to the lower edge of the strong backplate frame 151. The full-thickness sensors 180 are offset from the strong backplate 180 and arranged to be detected by a tracking device (not shown), which detects the magnetic field of the sensors 180, such as when... Figure 9 Further detailed description.

[0085] Figure 8 A strong back plate 150 is shown attached to rib 118, so that rib 118 is rigidly supported.

[0086] To attach the reinforcing backplate 150 to the rib 118, the reference holes 130a and 130b are aligned with the locking pins 175a and 175b of the external photogrammetric target 170a. The locking pins 175a and 175b are inserted into the reference holes 130a and 130b of the rib 118 to lock the reinforcing backplate 150 and the rib 118 together, thus fixing their positions relative to each other.

[0087] By means of corresponding reference attachment features 130a, 130b, 175a, 175b connecting rib 118 and reinforcing back plate 150, rib 118 and reinforcing back plate 150 share a common reference system. In other words, the position of reinforcing back plate 150 relative to rib 118 is known, such that information relating to the position and orientation of reinforcing back plate 150 inherently provides information relating to the position of rib 118.

[0088] In this way, if the position of the strong backplate 150 is known in real time, the strong backplate 150 can be used to precisely position and releasably attach to the rib 118 of the strong backplate 150.

[0089] exist Figure 9 In one example shown, tracking photogrammetric targets 170, 170a, and 170b of the strong backplate 150 helps to assemble the rib 118 into the wing box 10.

[0090] The wing box 10 includes an integral wing beam cover 11 formed by an upper cover 12 and a leading edge wing beam 14, a trailing edge wing beam 15, and a plurality of spanwise stringers 17 extending along the upper cover 12. The lower cover 13 is not attached, thereby providing access to the interior of the wing box 10 for insertion ribs 118.

[0091] Figure 9 Rib 118 is shown attached to a strong backplate 150, wherein a robot end effector 160 of the strong backplate 150 is connected to a robot arm 162 of a robot 164. Thus, rib 118 can be suspended by the robot 164 below the wing box 10.

[0092] Since the reference features of rib 118 (such as the edge of rib 118) and reference attachment features 130a, 130b share a common reference, and the reference attachment features 175a, 175b of the strong backplate 150 share a common reference via being connected to the reference attachment features 130a, 130b of rib 118, the photogrammetric targets 170, 170a on the strong backplate 150 can be tracked by the photogrammetric apparatus to position rib 118 in the desired location, such as regarding Figure 10 Explanation.

[0093] Figure 10 A robot 164 connected to a positioning device 190 is shown. The positioning device 190 is a photogrammetric camera that records images of photogrammetric targets 170, 170a on the strong backplate 150 and photogrammetric target 170w on the leading-edge spar 14 and trailing-edge spar 15. The images are used to track the relative positions of photogrammetric targets 170, 170a, and 170w.

[0094] The image is transmitted to a computer 195 connected to the photogrammetric camera 190. The computer 195 processes the information received from the photogrammetric camera 190 to determine the position of the reinforcing backplate 150 relative to the wing box 10, and thus determine the position of the rib 118 relative to the rib bracket 19 of the wing box 10.

[0095] The photogrammetric camera 190 sends real-time data to the computer 195, enabling the acquisition of precise and up-to-date positions of the ribs 118 and each rib bracket 19. Thus, the positions of the photogrammetric targets 170, 170a, and 170w are tracked in real time, while simultaneously providing the computer 195 with tracking information related to the ribs 118 and brackets 19.

[0096] Computer 195 sends control signals to robot 164 based on processed information. These control signals instruct robot 164 to move rib 118 via robot arm 162 and heavy-duty backplate 150 until rib 118 is positioned in its assembly position adjacent to rib bracket 19. This eliminates the need for conventional setting tools such as clamps and drill pipes.

[0097] like Figure 10 As shown, once the rib 118 is positioned in the assembly position adjacent to the rib bracket 19, the rib 118 can be attached to the rib bracket 19, for example, using fasteners (not shown).

[0098] The lower cover 13 is usually the last component to be assembled from the wing box 10, and in doing so, the wing box structure forms a closed section in which each rib 118 is enclosed inside.

[0099] Attaching the lower cover 13 to each rib 118 can be challenging due to the enclosed section formed when attaching it, as access to the interior of the wing box structure, and particularly to the inner surfaces of the rib brackets 19 and the lower wing skin 13, is restricted. Therefore, the sensor unit can be used in conjunction with one or more sensors 180 fitted to the inside of the wing box 10. The sensors 180 can then each be used to guide drill bits or other tools from the outside of the wing box 10.

[0100] Previously, to install and / or remove the sensors 180 from inside the wing box 10, it might have been necessary for a person to climb inside the wing box 10 to manually position the sensors 180. These sensors 180 are used to indicate the area drilled from the outer surface 13J of the lower cover 13 toward the inner surface 13I of the lower cover 13, such that the hole through the lower cover 13 aligns with a target location on the rib bracket 119—e.g., a fastener hole on the rib bracket 119. The sensors 180 can be placed at the target location or at a known distance from the target location.

[0101] Since sensor 180 does not remain inside wing box 10 after assembly / processing, it is attached to wing box 10 in a removable manner. Sensor 180 may detach before it can be removed.

[0102] Importantly, the sensor 180 does not remain inside the wing box 10 after assembly, and therefore each sensor 180 needs to be considered. If one or more sensors 180 are misplaced inside the wing box 10, it may require considerable effort to locate and remove them.

[0103] To address this issue, sensor 180 can be directly attached to the robust backplate 150. For example, sensor 180 can be placed in a sensor holder 182, which supports sensor 180 and prevents it from detaching during assembly of the wing box 10. Sensor 180 can be permanently attached to the robust backplate 150 and / or the sensor holder 182.

[0104] Sensor 180 is a magnetic full-thickness sensor, which is detected by sensor device 185, which is positioned adjacent to the side of the lower cover 13 opposite to sensor 180 (i.e., adjacent to the outer surface 13J of the lower cover 13), as shown. Figure 11A As shown.

[0105] The sensor device 185 moves adjacent to the outer surface 13J of the lower cover 13 to track the position of the sensor 180. Based on the position of the sensor 180, the drilling area is determined on the lower cover 13. Figure 11B In this example, the sensor is positioned off-center from the drilling area, but in an alternative example, the drilling area can be coaxial with the sensor 180.

[0106] like Figure 11B As shown, the drilling tool 186 is then moved to the drilling position to drill a hole in the lower cover 13, so that fasteners can be inserted into the hole to secure the lower cover 13 to the rib bracket 119a.

[0107] Those skilled in the art will understand that the example of the temporary reinforcing structure 150 (alternatively referred to as a strong backplate) used to support the wing rib 118 of the aircraft is merely one specific example, and alternative examples of temporary reinforcing structures will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, the leading edge structures of wings 2 and 3 typically require temporary reinforcing structures during assembly.

[0108] Figure 12A An example of a leading-edge wing structure 25 supported by a second example of a strong backplate is shown. This strong backplate is substantially the same as that described with respect to the previous figures and therefore uses similar reference numerals, but with a 200 series number.

[0109] The strong backplate 250 includes a robot end effector 260 for connecting the strong backplate 250 to a robot arm (not shown), thereby allowing manipulation and operation of the strong backplate 250 (and the leading edge structure 25 when connected to the strong backplate 250).

[0110] The strong backplate 250 is attached to the leading edge structure 25 at the reference attachment feature 275 of the strong backplate 250, and the reference attachment feature 275 is attached to the corresponding reference attachment feature (not shown) of the leading edge structure 25.

[0111] Similar to the previous example described regarding the rib 118 supported by the reinforcing backplate 150, by connecting the reference attachment feature 275 of the reinforcing backplate 250 and the leading edge structure 25, the leading edge structure 25 and the reinforcing backplate 250 share a common reference system, allowing the reinforcing backplate 150 to be used for precise positioning of the leading edge structure 25 relative to the wing box 10—as... Figure 12B As shown.

[0112] The robust backplate 250 includes a photogrammetric target 270 that can be tracked by a photogrammetric device. The wing box 10 includes a photogrammetric target 270w that can be tracked by the same photogrammetric device. The photogrammetric targets 270 and 270w allow tracking of the relative positions of the leading edge structure 25 and the wing box 10, so that the leading edge structure 25 can be precisely positioned relative to the wing box 10 in the assembly position.

[0113] Technicians will understand that the above example can be adjusted in various ways.

[0114] In an alternative example, a second example of the strong backplate 250 may include [the following information is missing from the original text]. Figures 6 to 1 The sensor used in the first example discussed in section 1 is similar to that used in this study. The sensor can be used to indicate the area to be drilled in the wing box 10 and / or the leading edge structure 25 from the outside to the inside of the wing box 10.

[0115] The reinforcing backplates 150 and 250 are described in relation to their use in assembling the rib 118 or leading edge structure 25 to the wing box 10. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the reinforcing backplates can also be used to support other resilient components that may need to be supported during assembly. This invention is particularly suitable for assembling aircraft components where high precision is required, but the invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to the assembly of any suitable components.

[0116] Sensor 180 is described in relation to its indication of the part to be drilled with a drilling tool; however, the sensor can be used to guide other tools, such as fastening tools or milling tools.

[0117] Photogrammetric targets are described in the context of discrete targets placed at discrete locations on temporary reinforcing structures and assembled components (e.g., wing box 10). Any number of photogrammetric targets may be present. Alternatively, one photogrammetric target may be present on each component, spanning a sufficient portion of each component.

[0118] In an alternative example, the target may not be a photogrammetric target. The target could be a reflector target detected by a laser or microwave sensor device, or other suitable positioning target.

[0119] A powerful backplate is described as having a robotic end effector for attaching to a robotic arm of a robot. In alternative examples, the powerful backplate may additionally or alternatively include connectors for manipulators—such as pneumatic manipulators—and / or handles for manually moving the resilient component. The powerful backplate can be manually positioned using one or more of these features, while the resilient component is positioned using a positioning target—such as a photogrammetric target.

[0120] Sensor 180 is detected by detecting the magnetic field of sensor 180. In alternative examples, the sensor can be detected in other ways. The sensor may include a contrast material configured to be detected by an X-ray backscatter emitter / detector device. In addition to placing the drill location sensor on a strong backplate or instead placing it on a strong backplate, the drill location sensor—such as a full-thickness sensor—can still be manually mounted to a rib (or other resilient structure).

[0121] The wing box 10 is described as having an integral wing cover 11 formed as a single piece by an upper cover 12 and a leading edge wing spar 14; however, it will be apparent that any suitable wing box construction can be used. In alternative examples, any combination of covers 12, 13 and wing spars 14, 15 can be formed as an integral wing cover. The wing spar and cover can be completely separate. The wing box may comprise a U-shaped single-piece component formed by the upper and lower covers and the leading and trailing edge wing spars.

[0122] When the word “or” appears, it should be interpreted as meaning “and / or”, such that the terms involved are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and the terms involved can be used in any appropriate combination.

[0123] Although the invention has been described above with reference to one or more preferred embodiments, it will be understood that various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rigid temporary reinforcement structure for attachment to an elastic component, The temporary reinforcement structure has one or more reference attachment features for releasably attaching the temporary reinforcement structure to the corresponding reference attachment feature of the elastic member. in, The reference attachment features and reference features of the elastic member have a common reference, and the temporary reinforcement structure is configured to rigidly support the elastic member during assembly of the elastic member to the structural assembly, wherein one or more reference attachment features of the temporary reinforcement structure include a corresponding main reference attachment feature and a corresponding timing reference attachment feature for releasably attaching to the elastic member.

2. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the one or more reference attachment features of the temporary reinforcement structure includes a reference hole for alignment with a corresponding reference hole of the elastic member and for inserting a pin through it to lock the relative position of the temporary reinforcement structure and the elastic member.

3. The rigid temporary reinforcement structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising one or more positioning targets arranged to be detected by a positioning device.

4. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 3, wherein, One or more of the positioning targets are photogrammetric targets, and the positioning device is a photogrammetric device configured to track the photogrammetric targets.

5. The rigid temporary reinforcement structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising an attachment portion for supporting the elastic member using the temporary reinforcement structure.

6. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 5, wherein, The attachment portion is a connector for attaching to the manipulator.

7. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 6, wherein, The connector is a robot end effector.

8. The rigid temporary reinforcement structure according to claim 4, wherein the rigid temporary reinforcement structure includes an attachment portion for supporting the elastic member using the temporary reinforcement structure, wherein, The attachment portion is a connector for attachment to a manipulator, and wherein the connector is a robot end effector; furthermore, the rigid temporary reinforcement structure also includes a computer and a robot arm connected to the resilient component via the robot end effector. The computer is configured to receive information from the photogrammetric device relating to the position of the elastic member, and The robotic arm is configured to move the elastic component based on information received from the computer in order to position the elastic component in an assembly position for connecting the elastic component to a structural assembly.

9. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 3, wherein, One or more of the positioning targets are full-thickness sensors used to indicate the portion of the elastic member to be drilled relative to it.

10. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 9, wherein, The full-thickness sensor is a magnetic full-thickness sensor.

11. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 9, wherein, The full thickness sensor is offset from the part to be drilled.

12. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 1, wherein, The elastic component is a structural component of the aircraft.

13. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 12, wherein, The structural components of the aircraft are ribs or leading edge structures used for the aircraft wings.

14. The rigid temporary reinforcement structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the temporary reinforcement structure is releasably attached to an elastic member, the elastic member having: one or more reference attachment features releasably attached to corresponding reference attachment features in the reference attachment features of the temporary reinforcement structure; and one or more reference features for connecting the elastic member to a structural assembly.

15. The rigid temporary reinforcing structure according to claim 14, wherein, The elastic component is a structural component of the aircraft.

16. A method for attaching a temporary reinforcing structure to an elastic member, comprising: A resilient component is provided having one or more reference attachment features and one or more reference features, wherein the reference attachment features and reference features of the resilient component have a common reference; A rigid temporary reinforcement structure is provided having one or more reference attachment features, wherein the one or more reference attachment features of the temporary reinforcement structure include a corresponding main reference attachment feature and a corresponding timing reference attachment feature for releasably attaching to the elastic member. Align one or more reference attachment features of the temporary reinforcing structure with corresponding reference attachment features of the elastic member, such that one or more reference features of the elastic member and the reference attachment features of the temporary reinforcing structure share a common reference; and The temporary reinforcement structure is attached to the elastic member such that the temporary reinforcement structure rigidly supports the elastic member.

17. A method of assembling an elastic component in a structural assembly, comprising attaching a temporary reinforcing structure to the elastic component according to the method of claim 16; The elastic component is positioned in the assembly location by manipulating the rigid temporary reinforcement structure to the desired position; as well as The elastic member is connected to the structural assembly using a reference feature portion of the elastic member, while the elastic member is rigidly supported by the temporary reinforcement structure.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: Tracking the positioning targets on the temporary reinforcement structure to determine the position of the elastic component relative to the structural assembly. The elastic component is moved to the assembly position based on the tracked location.

19. The method according to claim 17 or claim 18, further comprising: A full-thickness sensor located on the temporary reinforcement structure is detected from the first side of the elastic component. The area to be drilled is determined based on the detected full-thickness sensor. The elastic member is drilled from the first side of the elastic member, wherein the temporary reinforcing structure is adjacent to a second side of the elastic member opposite to the first side.

20. A system comprising a rigid temporary reinforcement structure according to claim 1 or claim 2 and an elastic member attached to said rigid temporary reinforcement structure, said elastic member having: One or more reference attachment features; and One or more reference features, in, One or more reference attachment features of the elastic member and one or more reference features have a common reference, wherein one or more reference attachment features of the elastic member are releasably attached to one or more reference attachment features of the rigid temporary reinforcement structure, such that the rigid temporary reinforcement structure rigidly supports the elastic member for assembly of the elastic member to a structural assembly.

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