A device and method for restoring and producing intersection holes in aircraft skin repair areas

Abstract

This invention pertains to aircraft riveting and assembly technology, specifically a device and method for restoring and fabricating intersection holes in aircraft skin repair areas. It employs a conformal structure to shape the aircraft skin repair area. This conformal structure includes a support adjustment component, a skin connection frame positioning component, a system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling component, and a fuselage structure support bracket component. The skin connection frame positioning component and the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling component are sequentially and precisely installed, adjusted, and then connected and fixed based on the support adjustment component. The relative positions between the skin connection frame positioning component and the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling component are fixed and do not require adjustment. The feet of the support adjustment component are adjustable, and the adjustment structure can use a single screw and double nuts. By adjusting the nuts, the height of the skin connection frame positioning component is adjusted, enabling the conformal structure to be positioned and connected to the aircraft structure in a short time. This invention enables precise re-fabrication of holes at the original intersection points on new skin. Compared to the method of reverse drilling from the original aircraft structure intersection holes to the new skin, this method avoids damage to the original aircraft structure intersection holes during the reverse drilling process, improves drilling accuracy, and ensures the quality of the original aircraft structure intersection holes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention pertains to aircraft riveting and assembly technology, and relates to a device and method for restoring and producing intersection holes in the repair area of ​​aircraft skin. Background Technology

[0002] Damage to aircraft skin can lead to cracks, delamination, and wrinkles, impairing its strength and rigidity, severely impacting its service life, and significantly affecting the aircraft's aerodynamic characteristics. Repairing damaged aircraft skin is crucial for ensuring its service life and maintaining its aerodynamic performance.

[0003] Currently, the repair of damaged aircraft skin mainly involves two methods: repairing the original skin and cutting the damaged area, or replacing it with a new skin. Both methods require shape preservation of the airframe structure near the repair area to prevent distortion of the frame and beams during repair. However, in some cases, such as during aircraft service, skin burns due to residual engine fuel combustion occasionally occur. In these situations, the damaged skin may be located at the fuselage-tail section connection frame. When cutting the damaged area or replacing the skin, the tail section must be disconnected. At this point, the connection frame is released from the tail section connecting bolts and rivets connecting to the fuselage skin, resulting in severely insufficient structural rigidity. Therefore, a robust shape-preserving device is necessary to maintain its shape. On the other hand, after replacing the skin, if there are mounting holes for the system components on the skin in the original aircraft state, they need to be remade. The positional coordination requirements are high. Normally, we would consider restoring the aircraft to the original manufacturing frame to maintain the shape and make the intersection holes. However, since the aircraft is loaded with many finished products and equipment in the service stage, and its volume and weight are also very large, it is extremely difficult to restore the prototype frame and make the holes, or even impossible. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide a conformal structure for skin repair and a method for restoring the intersection hole of the repair area, so as to overcome or mitigate the technical defects present in the background above.

[0005] Technical solution: To achieve the above objectives, one aspect of the present invention is a device for restoring and making intersection holes in aircraft skin repair areas. The device uses a conformal structure for the aircraft skin repair area to shape the repair area. The conformal structure for the skin repair area may include a support adjustment component, a skin connection frame positioning component, a system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and hole-making component, and a fuselage structure support bracket component.

[0006] The skin connecting frame positioning component, system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling component are connected and fixed after being precisely installed and adjusted on the basis of the support adjustment component; the connection method can be screws, pins, etc.; the relative position between the skin connecting frame positioning component and the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling component is fixed and does not adjust; the feet of the support adjustment component are adjustable, and the adjustment structure can use a single screw and double nuts to adjust the height of the skin connecting frame positioning component by adjusting the nuts, so as to achieve the conformal structure to be positioned and connected with the aircraft structure in a short time.

[0007] Furthermore, the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling assembly consists of two parts: a positioning component and a drilling component. The connecting holes on the positioning component are made according to the theoretical coordinate positions based on the product model during conformal structure manufacturing and are then adjusted. A certain gap is reserved at the connection between the positioning component and the main body. After the connecting holes of the positioning component are connected to the system or finished product mounting bracket connecting holes near the damaged area of ​​the aircraft skin, epoxy resin is injected into the gap. After curing, a stable structure is formed, which plays a role in conformal and positioning of the aircraft structure. The connecting holes on the drilling component can be initially drilled or not drilled during manufacturing. On-site drilling is carried out according to the original system or finished product mounting hole positions on the damaged skin to form a drilling mold, which is used for the restoration of intersection holes in the skin repair area.

[0008] Furthermore, the skin connecting frame positioning assembly includes: a connecting frame and a conformal connecting plate. The conformal connecting plate is fixed on the connecting frame, and a bushing is connected in the middle of the conformal connecting plate. The bushing is concentrically fixed with the connecting hole on the tail section connecting frame. Finally, bolt pins are inserted to position and press the aircraft skin repair area.

[0009] Furthermore, the fuselage structure support bracket assembly acts at the locations of the aircraft's main load-bearing support frames to support and secure the aircraft.

[0010] Furthermore, the skin connecting frame positioning assembly has a conformal connecting plate, which can be connected to the aircraft frame plane through several stepped bolts, serving both positioning and conformal functions.

[0011] In another aspect, the present invention also proposes a method for restoring and fabricating intersection holes in the repair area. This method, based on the aircraft skin repair area intersection hole restoration and fabrication device designed above, includes the following steps:

[0012] The first step, before repairing the aircraft skin, is to remove the relevant systems or finished products from the mounting brackets.

[0013] The second step is to connect the system and the finished product mounting bracket positioning components to the system or finished product mounting bracket near the damaged skin for conformal and positioning purposes.

[0014] The third step is to test the installation system and the finished product installation support drilling assembly on the conformal structure, and adjust the installation position of the drilling assembly to ensure that there is a certain gap between the drilling assembly and the damaged skin surface.

[0015] The fourth step is to use the damaged skin surface and the system or finished product mounting bracket connection holes on the damaged skin as the filling reference. First, attach the release cloth to the damaged skin, and then determine the number and location of the filling holes on site through the epoxy resin injection plane. Then, use pins and drill bushings to fill the drill bushing holes according to the system or finished product mounting bracket connection holes of the damaged skin.

[0016] Step 5: After the epoxy resin has cured, clean the release cloth and excess epoxy resin between the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning components and the damaged skin. Pull the pin out of the drill bushing to form the final usable drilling component. Remove the system and finished product mounting bracket drilling component from the conformal structure.

[0017] Step 6: After replacing the damaged skin, reinstall the system and finished product mounting bracket drilling assembly on the conformal structure, and use the drilling assembly obtained in step 5 to drill holes on the new skin.

[0018] Furthermore, the gap between the hole-making assembly and the damaged skin profile is in the range of 2-3 mm.

[0019] Furthermore, the release cloth is used to prevent epoxy resin from adhering to the skin and being difficult to clean.

[0020] Beneficial Technical Effects: The conformal maintenance structure designed in this invention for aircraft skin repair allows for operation in situ on the aircraft and is easy to implement. This structure solves the problem that it is difficult or impossible to restore the aircraft to its original manufacturing jig for conformal maintenance and hole drilling. This structure can achieve precise connection and fixation of the skin connecting frame positioning component to the aircraft frame requiring conformal maintenance within a short time by adjusting the support adjustment component, thus providing reliable conformal maintenance. Compared to the conformal maintenance methods of restoring the aircraft to its original manufacturing jig and hoisting the aircraft to a fixed conformal maintenance structure, this improves maintenance efficiency and reduces operating costs.

[0021] This invention also proposes a method for restoring and fabricating intersection holes in the skin repair area, which enables precise re-fabrication of the holes at the original intersection positions on the new skin. Compared to the method of reverse-drilling the intersection holes of the original aircraft structure onto the new skin, this method avoids damage to the original aircraft structure intersection holes during the reverse-drilling process, improves drilling accuracy, and ensures the quality of the original aircraft structure intersection holes. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the restoration and fabrication of the intersection hole in the aircraft skin repair area according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2A schematic diagram of the aircraft skin repair area;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustable support component structure;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the positioning component structure for the skin connection frame;

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and hole-making component structure;

[0027] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the fuselage structure support bracket assembly;

[0028] Among them, the damaged skin 100, the damaged part 101, the tail section connecting frame 200, the aircraft main load-bearing frame 10, the support adjustment assembly 01, the skin connecting frame positioning assembly 02, the system and finished product installation support positioning and drilling assembly 03, the fuselage structure support bracket assembly 04, the adjustable support 01-01, the screw 01-01-01, the nut 01-01-02, the conformal connecting plate 02-01, the connecting bushing 02-01-01, the system and finished product installation support positioning assembly 03-01, the drilling assembly 03-02, the bracket 04-01, the screw jack 04-02, and the pallet 04-03. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the restoration of the intersection hole of the repair area during the repair of skin damage at the aircraft tail section connecting frame according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The top of the aircraft skin 100, located near the engine, is a highly susceptible area to burns. When the composite skin is burned, it delaminates and wrinkles, impairing its strength and stiffness, severely impacting the aircraft's aerodynamic characteristics and significantly reducing its service life. To repair the damaged skin, the damaged area must be removed, replaced with new skin, and reinforced with patches. The removed area contains 4-φ5.2mm mounting bracket connection holes. After replacing with new skin, these holes must be re-drilled, ensuring the original compatibility so that the finished product installed in this location is compatible with the finished products near the damaged skin.

[0032] Before repairing the aircraft skin, remove the relevant systems or finished products from the mounting brackets. Disconnect the tail boom from the fuselage.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown and as a non-limiting embodiment, the aircraft is first lifted using jacks, and then the fuselage structure support bracket assembly 04 is installed at the position of the main load-bearing frame 10 of the aircraft for supporting and fixing the aircraft. Depending on the support position, a transverse support bracket assembly or a longitudinal support bracket assembly can be selected. As a non-limiting embodiment, the fuselage structure support bracket assembly 04 may mainly include a bracket 04-01, a screw lift 04-02, and a support plate 04-03; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the fuselage structure support bracket assembly 04 for skin repair according to the present invention; the bracket 04-01 adopts a triangular support structure with a flat bottom. A screw lift 04-02 is provided at the upper end of the bracket 04-01, and a support plate 04-03 is installed at the upper end of the screw lift 04-02. The height of the support plate 04-03 can be adjusted by adjusting the screw lift 04-02. In practice, multiple people work together to adjust the screw lifts 04-02 of each fuselage structure support bracket assembly 04 simultaneously. By raising or lowering the support plate 04-03, the aircraft is adjusted to a suitable height with the skin connecting frame positioning assembly 02, so that the conformal connecting plate 02-01 can be smoothly connected to the tail section connecting frame 200.

[0034] Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the support adjustment component 01 according to the present invention mainly includes an adjustable support component 01-01, a screw 01-01-01, and a nut 01-01-02. The height position of the support adjustment component 01 is controlled and adjusted by rotating the nut 01-01-02, and the left and right positions of the support adjustment component 01 are controlled and adjusted by external force. Through coordinated adjustment, the bushing 02-01-01 is connected to the conformal connecting plate 02-01 of the skin connecting frame positioning component 02, and then concentrically connected to the connecting hole on the tail connecting frame 200. After that, 8-φ6.2 bolt pins are inserted for positioning and tightening.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling assembly 03 according to the present invention. It mainly includes the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning assembly 03-01 and the system and finished product mounting bracket drilling assembly 03-02. After the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning assembly 03-01 is connected to the system or finished product mounting bracket connection hole near the damaged area of ​​the aircraft skin using 2-φ6.2 spiral pins, aluminum shims are added to adjust the gap between the positioning assembly and the body, and epoxy resin is poured in. After curing, a stable structure is formed, which plays a role in maintaining the shape and positioning of the aircraft structure.

[0036] The installation position of the system and the finished product mounting support hole-making component 03-02 was compared and adjusted so that the gap between the hole-making component 03-02 and the damaged skin surface was 1-2mm, so as to reserve thickness space for the subsequent demolding cloth and ensure that the installation position of the support hole-making component 03-02 was more accurate.

[0037] The connection and fixing holes between the hole-making assembly 03-02 and the conformal structure are prepared, and the connection and fixing are carried out by pins.

[0038] For specific implementation details, please refer to the appendix. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the damaged skin 100 according to the present invention, including the damaged portion 101. Based on the position of the original finished support connection hole on the damaged skin 100, compare it with the position of the connection hole on the hole-making assembly 03-02. If no hole is made on the hole-making assembly 03-02, the approximate position of the hole can be determined by marking. After the test, four φ14 large holes were drilled at the marked positions on the drilling assembly 03-02. Following drilling, drill bushings (inner diameter φ5.2, outer diameter φ10) and φ5.2 pins were simultaneously inserted into the four φ14 large holes and the original finished product support connection holes on the damaged skin 100. After the pins were in place and secured, using the area near the finished product mounting bracket connection hole on the damaged part 101 of the damaged skin 100 and the finished product mounting bracket connection hole as the filling reference, the release cloth was first attached to the damaged part 101 of the skin. Epoxy resin was then injected between the drill bushing (inner diameter φ5.2, outer diameter φ10) and the φ14 large holes, and between the drilling assembly 03-02 and the release cloth. After the epoxy resin cured, the pins were removed.

[0039] Release cloth is used to prevent epoxy resin from adhering to the skin and being difficult to clean. After the epoxy resin has cured, clean the release cloth and excess epoxy resin between the system and the finished product mounting bracket positioning components and the damaged skin, and pull out the 4-φ5.2 pins from the drill bushing.

[0040] Remove the hole-making component 03-02 from the conformal structure.

[0041] Cut 100mm of the damaged skin. Repair and install a new skin.

[0042] Reinstall the hole-making assembly 03-02 on the conformal structure.

[0043] Using hole-making assembly 03-02 Drill holes in the new skin. Connection holes for finished mounting brackets.

[0044] The above specific embodiments or examples are only used to explain the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Parts not described in detail are considered as conventional technical means in the art. Those skilled in the art should understand that, based on the design concept of this application, it is possible to make adaptive modifications to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or to make equivalent substitutions for some or all of the technical features. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for restoring and creating intersection holes in aircraft skin repair areas, characterized in that, The conformal structure of the aircraft skin repair area is used to shape the aircraft skin repair area. The conformal structure of the skin repair area includes a support adjustment component, a skin connection frame positioning component, a system and finished product installation support positioning and drilling component, and a fuselage structure support bracket component. The skin connecting frame positioning assembly, system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling assembly are sequentially and precisely installed, adjusted, and then connected and fixed based on the support adjustment assembly. The relative positions between the skin connecting frame positioning assembly and the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling assembly are fixed and do not need adjustment. The feet of the support adjustment assembly are adjustable; by adjusting the height of the skin connecting frame positioning assembly, the conformal structure can be positioned and connected to the aircraft structure in a short time. The system and finished product mounting bracket positioning and drilling assembly includes two parts: a positioning assembly and a drilling assembly. The connecting holes on the positioning assembly are in the conformal structure... During the manufacturing of the shape structure, it is made according to the theoretical coordinate position based on the product model and then assembled. A certain gap is reserved at the connection between the positioning component and the main body. After the connection hole of the positioning component is connected to the connection hole of the system or finished product mounting bracket near the damaged area of ​​the aircraft skin, epoxy resin is injected into the gap. After curing, a stable structure is formed, which plays a role in maintaining the shape and positioning of the aircraft structure. The connection hole on the hole-making component can be initially made or not made during manufacturing. On-site, it is made by filling according to the position of the original system or finished product mounting hole on the damaged skin to form a hole-making drill, which is used for the restoration of the intersection hole in the skin repair area.

2. The device for restoring and creating intersection holes in the aircraft skin repair area as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The skin connecting frame positioning assembly includes: a connecting frame and a conformal connecting plate. The conformal connecting plate is fixed on the connecting frame, and a bushing is connected in the middle of the conformal connecting plate. The bushing is concentrically fixed with the connecting hole on the tail section connecting frame. Finally, bolt pins are inserted to position and press the aircraft skin repair area.

3. The device for restoring and creating intersection holes in the aircraft skin repair area as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The skin connecting frame positioning assembly has a conformal connecting plate, which is connected to the aircraft frame plane by several stepped bolts, serving the functions of positioning and conformal maintenance.

4. The device for restoring and creating intersection holes in the aircraft skin repair area as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fuselage structure support bracket assembly acts at the locations of the main load-bearing support frames of the aircraft, and is used for the support and fixation of the aircraft.

5. A method for restoring and fabricating intersection holes in the repair area, the method being based on the apparatus for restoring and fabricating intersection holes in the aircraft skin repair area as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The first step, before repairing the aircraft skin, is to remove the relevant systems or finished products from the mounting brackets. The second step is to connect the system and the finished product mounting bracket positioning components to the system or finished product mounting bracket near the damaged skin for conformal and positioning purposes. The third step is to test the installation system and the finished product installation support drilling assembly on the conformal structure, and adjust the installation position of the drilling assembly to ensure that there is a certain gap between the drilling assembly and the damaged skin surface. The fourth step is to use the damaged skin surface and the system or finished product mounting bracket connection holes on the damaged skin as the filling reference. First, attach the release cloth to the damaged skin, and then determine the number and location of the filling holes on site through the epoxy resin injection plane. Then, use pins and drill bushings to fill the drill bushing holes according to the system or finished product mounting bracket connection holes of the damaged skin. Step 5: After the epoxy resin has cured, clean the release cloth and excess epoxy resin between the system and finished product mounting bracket positioning components and the damaged skin. Pull the pin out of the drill bushing to form the final usable drilling component. Remove the system and finished product mounting bracket drilling component from the conformal structure. Step 6: After replacing the damaged skin, reinstall the system and finished product mounting bracket drilling assembly on the conformal structure, and use the drilling assembly obtained in step 5 to drill holes on the new skin.

6. The method for restoring and fabricating intersection holes in a repair area as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The gap between the hole-making component and the damaged skin surface is in the range of 2-3mm.

7. The method for restoring and fabricating intersection holes in a repair area as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The release cloth is used to prevent epoxy resin from adhering to the skin.

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