In-situ repair equipment for composite material

Abstract

The invention relates to in-situ repair equipment for a composite material. The in-situ repair equipment comprises a case, and the case comprises a case body and a cover body movably connected with the case body; the wheels are connected to the bottom of the case; the tape releasing device is arranged in the box body and is used for winding a prepreg tape and tensioning part of the prepreg tape on the laying surface; the mechanical arm is fixedly arranged in the box body; the cutting actuator is arranged in the box body, and the cutting actuator is used for being detachably connected with the mechanical arm so as to cut at least one patch at the tensioned prepreg tape; the patch gripper actuator is arranged in the box body and is used for being detachably connected with the mechanical arm; the in-situ curing actuator is arranged in the box body and used for being detachably connected with the mechanical arm. And the controller is electrically connected with the mechanical arm, and the controller is used for controlling the motion posture of the mechanical arm and controlling the mechanical arm to be connected with or detached from the cutting actuator, the patch gripper actuator and the in-situ curing actuator.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of terminal, and in particular, to an in-situ repairing device for composite material. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, the repairing of composite material for precision instruments is mainly artificial repair, and the cutting of prepreg tape and the bonding and curing of prepreg tape and base material are all completed by artificial, which has low intelligent degree and low repairing efficiency. SUMMARY

[0003] The present disclosure provides an in-situ repairing device for composite material to solve the problems in the prior art.

[0004] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, an in-situ repairing device is provided, which comprises a cabinet, the cabinet comprising a cabinet body and a cover body movably connected with the cabinet body, the cover body moving relative to the cabinet body to open and close the cabinet;

[0005] a wheel connected to the bottom of the cabinet;

[0006] a tape unwinding device arranged in the cabinet body, the tape unwinding device being used for winding prepreg tape and tensioning part of the prepreg tape on a laying surface;

[0007] a mechanical arm fixedly arranged in the cabinet body;

[0008] a cutting executor arranged in the cabinet body, the cutting executor being used for detachable connection with the mechanical arm to cut at least one patch on the tensioned prepreg tape;

[0009] a patch gripper executor arranged in the cabinet body, the patch gripper executor being used for detachable connection with the mechanical arm to place the patch at a to-be-repaired position;

[0010] an in-situ curing executor arranged in the cabinet body, the in-situ curing executor being used for detachable connection with the mechanical arm to cure the patch by moving to the to-be-repaired position through the mechanical arm;

[0011] a controller electrically connected with the mechanical arm, the controller being used for controlling the movement posture of the mechanical arm and controlling the connection or disconnection of the mechanical arm with the cutting executor, the patch gripper executor and the in-situ curing executor.

[0012] Optionally,

[0013] the cutting executor is arranged in a tool storage area in the cabinet body,

[0014] The tape unwinding device is arranged in a prepreg cutting area in the box body.

[0015] The mechanical arm is fixedly arranged in a mechanical arm placing area in the box body.

[0016] The patch gripper executor is arranged in a gripper placing area in the box body.

[0017] The in-situ curing executor is arranged in an in-situ curing area in the box body.

[0018] The tool storage area, the prepreg cutting area, the gripper placing area and the in-situ curing area surround the mechanical arm placing area.

[0019] Optionally, a visual sensor is further included.

[0020] The visual sensor is connected with the controller, and the controller is configured to control a motion posture of the mechanical arm according to visual data acquired by the visual sensor.

[0021] Optionally, the tape unwinding device includes a roller, a first pulley and a second pulley.

[0022] The roller, the first pulley and the second pulley are arranged axially in parallel.

[0023] The roller is configured to wind a prepreg roll, and part of the prepreg is tensioned between the first pulley and the second pulley.

[0024] Optionally, the in-situ repair device further includes a waste storage cabinet.

[0025] The waste storage cabinet is located on a side of the second pulley away from the first pulley, and is arranged next to the second pulley.

[0026] Optionally, the patch gripper executor includes:

[0027] A first connector configured to be detachably connected with a mechanical arm.

[0028] A mounting plate.

[0029] An elastic member connected between the first connector and the mounting plate.

[0030] A plurality of first vacuum suction cups connected to a side of the mounting plate away from the first connector.

[0031] A first vacuum pump connected to the first connector or the mounting plate and in communication with each of the plurality of first vacuum suction cups, so as to control suction and release of the plurality of first vacuum suction cups.

[0032] Optionally, the plurality of first vacuum cups are arranged around a plurality of concentric circles with different radii.

[0033] Optionally, the patch gripper executor further comprises a retractable soft contactor,

[0034] The retractable soft contactor is internally provided with a first heating wire,

[0035] The retractable soft contactor is used to extend to contact the patch and heat the patch after the patch is laid on the position to be repaired.

[0036] Optionally, the in-situ curing executor comprises:

[0037] A second joint;

[0038] A second vacuum cup for adsorbing a composite material substrate and covering a patch laid on the position to be repaired;

[0039] A second vacuum pump connected to the second joint and in communication with the second vacuum cup to control the adsorption and release of the second vacuum cup;

[0040] A second heating wire connected in the second vacuum cup.

[0041] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can include the following beneficial effects:

[0042] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the in-situ repair device in the present disclosure can realize automatic in-situ repair of composite materials outside the field, improve the intelligent degree of repair of composite materials, and the in-situ repair outside the field is conducive to improving the repair efficiency and avoiding secondary damage caused by disassembly.

[0043] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0044] The accompanying drawings incorporated in the specification and forming a part thereof illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 1 is a top view schematic diagram of an in-situ repair device in an open state according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0046] Figure 2 is a state schematic diagram of a patch gripper executor laying a patch according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0047] Figure 3is a state diagram of a patch being cured by an in-situ curing actuator in accordance with an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The example embodiments will be described in detail herein with reference to the attached drawings. The description of the example embodiments is intended to apply to various alternative embodiments as well. It is to be understood that other elements, as not specifically described herein, can be incorporated. The following detailed description is not meant to limit the scope of the example embodiments in any way, but is intended to provide a thorough understanding of the same. It should be noted that for the purpose of clarity, not all of the various embodiments are described in detail.

[0049] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0050] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various information, these terms are not intended to denote a temporal or chronological order. Rather, these terms are used solely to distinguish one from another. For example, a first information can be termed a second information, and, similarly, a second information can be termed a first information, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the word "if' can be construed to mean "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining" depending on the context.

[0051] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an in-situ repair apparatus in accordance with an example embodiment, as Figure 1As shown, the in-situ repair device includes a case 1, a wheel, a tape laying device 2, a mechanical arm 3, a cutting implementer 4, a patch gripper implementer 5 and an in-situ curing implementer 6. Among them, the case 1 includes a box body and a cover body movably connected with the box body, and the opening and closing of the case 1 can be realized by the movement of the cover body relative to the box body. For example, an opening can be formed at the top of the box body, and the cover body can be rotatably connected with the box body. During storage or non-use of the in-situ repair device, the cover body is closed to ensure the safety of the internal devices of the in-situ repair device; during maintenance, the cover body can be turned over to open the case, so as to facilitate the maintenance of the composite material by the internal devices of the in-situ repair device. Even, the cover body can be detached from the box body, thereby providing the most space for the movement of the mechanical arm 3 and avoiding blocking the mechanical arm 3. The wheel is connected to the bottom of the case 1 and contacts the ground, thereby realizing the movable arrangement of the in-situ repair device. In this way, when maintenance is needed, the in-situ repair device can be moved to the position of the composite material to be repaired, realizing off-site in-situ repair, that is, without moving the damaged composite material, secondary damage is avoided.

[0052] The tape laying device 2 is arranged in the box body, and the tape laying device can be used to wind the prepreg tape and tension a part of the prepreg tape on the laying surface, that is, the tensioned part of the prepreg tape can contact the laying surface, providing support for cutting the prepreg tape later. The cutting implementer 4 is arranged in the box body, and the cutting implementer 4 can be detachably connected with the mechanical arm 3. After the cutting implementer 4 is connected with the mechanical arm 3, the position of the cutting implementer 4 can be adjusted by the movement of the mechanical arm 3, realizing cutting and forming one or more patches at the tensioned prepreg tape. Since the prepreg tape needs to be cut, the laying surface can be made of wear-resistant material, and the laying surface is arranged in a replaceable structure. Among them, the detachable connection between the cutting implementer 4 and the mechanical arm 3 can be realized by using a standard quick connector.

[0053] The tape feeding device 2 may include a roller 21, a first roller 22, and a second roller 23, which are axially parallel and spaced apart. For example, the first roller 22 is located between the roller 21 and the second roller 23. The roller 21 can be used to wind and fix the prepreg tape roll, and a portion of the prepreg tape is laid above the first roller 22 and the second roller 23. The first roller 22 and the second roller 23 are used to transport and tension the prepreg tape located between them. To achieve close contact between the tensioned prepreg tape and the laying surface, both the first roller 22 and the second roller 23 can be embedded downwards to a certain depth relative to the laying surface. Of course, in order to ensure that the tensioned prepreg tape still has a certain load-bearing capacity after being cut, and does not loosen or break, resulting in the accumulation of prepreg tape waste on the laying surface, when the robotic arm 3 drives the cutting actuator 4 to perform cutting, the controller can send instructions to the robotic arm 3 to control the movement range of the robotic arm 3, thereby limiting the cutting range.

[0054] In some embodiments, the in-situ repair device further includes a waste storage cabinet 7, which is located on the side of the second roller 23 opposite to the first roller 22, and is disposed adjacent to the second roller 23. Thus, after the robotic arm 3 controls the cutting actuator 4 to complete the cutting at the tensioned prepreg tape, and the cut prepreg tape is removed as a patch, the roller 21, the first roller 22, and the second roller 23 can be controlled to rotate, causing the prepreg tape to... Figure 1 The prepreg tape moves to the right and is re-tensioned between the first roller 22 and the second roller 23. The prepreg tape after the patch is removed moves to the right and can be cut by the cutting actuator 4 controlled by the robotic arm 3. Under the action of gravity, it can fall into the waste storage cabinet 7, which helps to maintain the cleanliness of the in-situ repair equipment.

[0055] In the above embodiments, the patch gripper actuator 5 is disposed within the housing and is detachably connected to the robotic arm 3 to grip the patch and place it at the repair location. This allows for automated patch transfer and placement. For example, Figure 2As shown, the patch gripper actuator 5 includes a first connector 51, a mounting plate 52, an elastic element 53, several first vacuum suction cups 54, and a first vacuum pump. The first connector 51 can be detachably connected to the robotic arm 3; for example, the first connector 51 can be a standard quick-connect or a non-standard quick-connect. The mounting plate 52 is located below the first connector 51. The elastic element 53 connects the first connector 51 and the mounting plate 52. The first vacuum suction cups 54 are connected to the side of the mounting plate 52 opposite to the first connector 51. The first vacuum pump is connected to either the first connector 51 or the mounting plate 52, and is communicated with each of the first vacuum suction cups 54 to control the clamping and releasing of the first vacuum suction cups 54, thereby achieving the gripping and releasing of the patch.

[0056] The elastic element 53 can be one or more, and can be a spring or other flexible element made of deformable material. The buffering effect of the elastic element 53 helps to cushion and protect the patch during gripping and release. The first vacuum pump can be connected to the outside of the first connector 51 or mounting plate 52, or it can be located inside the first connector 51 or mounting plate 52. Furthermore, the plurality of first vacuum suction cups 54 can form multiple concentric rings of different radii, thereby enabling the gripping of patches of different radii and improving the versatility of the in-situ repair equipment.

[0057] Furthermore, the patch gripper actuator 5 also includes a retractable flexible contact 55. The retractable flexible contact 55 has a first heating wire inside. After the patch is placed at the repair location, the retractable flexible contact 55 extends to contact and heat the patch, achieving initial adhesion between the patch and the substrate. After initial adhesion is completed, the first vacuum suction cup 54 releases the patch. For example, during the process of the patch gripper actuator 5 gripping, transferring, and placing the patch, the retractable flexible contact 55 can be in a retracted state, not in contact with the patch; however, after the patch is placed, the retractable flexible contact 55 extends to contact the patch, and the first heating wire inside the retractable flexible contact 55 begins to heat the patch, achieving initial adhesion.

[0058] In some embodiments, the in-situ curing actuator 6 is housed within a housing and is detachably connected to the robotic arm 3 to move the patch to the repair location via the robotic arm 3 for curing. The in-situ curing actuator 6 and the robotic arm 3 can be connected using a standardized quick-connect coupling or a non-standard coupling for detachable connection, depending on the specific design requirements. Figure 3As shown, the in-situ curing actuator 6 includes a second connector 61, a second vacuum suction cup 62, a second vacuum pump, and a second heating wire 63. The second vacuum suction cup 62 can be used to adhere to the substrate and cover the patch placed at the repair location. The second vacuum pump is connected to the second connector 61, for example, it can be located inside or outside the second connector 61. The second vacuum pump communicates with the second vacuum suction cup 62 to control the suction and release of the second vacuum suction cup 62. The second heating wire 63 is connected to the second vacuum suction cup 62, for example, it can be located inside or on the inner side of the second vacuum suction cup 62. Therefore, when the second vacuum suction cup 62 adheres to the substrate, the second heating wire 63 can begin to heat, increasing the internal temperature of the second vacuum suction cup 62, thus achieving in-situ curing of the patch.

[0059] In the above embodiments, the in-situ repair equipment also includes a controller, which can be electrically connected to the robotic arm 3. The controller can control the movement posture of the robotic arm 3 and can control the connection or disconnection of the robotic arm 3 with the cutting actuator 4, the patch gripper actuator 5, and the in-situ curing actuator 6. Based on this, through the function of the controller, the processes of patch cutting, patch gripping, patch transfer, patch placement, and patch curing can be sequentially realized according to the repair sequence, achieving automated in-situ repair of composite materials off-site.

[0060] In the above embodiments, the housing includes a tool storage area, a prepreg tape cutting area, a robotic arm placement area, a gripper placement area, and an in-situ curing area. For example, the cutting actuator 4 is located in the tool storage area, the tape feeding device 2 is located in the prepreg tape cutting area, the robotic arm 3 is fixedly located in the robotic arm placement area, the patch gripper actuator 5 is located in the gripper placement area, and the in-situ curing actuator 6 is located in the in-situ curing area. The tool storage area, the prepreg tape cutting area, the gripper placement area, and the in-situ curing area surround the robotic arm placement area. This arrangement ensures that the tape feeding device 2, the cutting actuator 4, the patch gripper actuator 5, and the in-situ curing actuator 6 are all located near the robotic arm 3, facilitating detachable connections between the robotic arm 3 and each component.

[0061] The cutting actuator 4 may include a cutting tool and a tool holder. Correspondingly, the cutting tool storage area may include multiple parallel grooves and circular slots. The grooves are of different sizes, and each groove can hold a corresponding cutting tool. The circular slots can be used to hold the tool holder. In this way, cutting tools can be adaptively selected to meet different patch shape and size requirements, improving the versatility of the in-situ repair equipment.

[0062] In the above embodiments, the in-situ repair device also includes a vision sensor, which can be connected to the end effector of the robotic arm. The controller is used to control the movement posture of the robotic arm 3 based on the visual data acquired by the vision sensor. The end effector of the robotic arm can also be connected to an infrared proximity sensor. Utilizing the data monitored by these sensors and the computing power of the controller, functions such as posture calibration of the automatic tape-laying device, three-dimensional reconstruction of the damaged area, and monitoring of the repair process can be achieved during the actual repair process.

[0063] To facilitate operation and allow maintenance personnel to monitor equipment status in real time and make targeted adjustments to repair software parameters, a touchscreen display is installed on the patch gripper actuator and the in-situ curing actuator. For example, the display can be embedded in the base of the enclosure and tilted inwards for easy operation by maintenance personnel. The display is directly connected to the equipment's control terminal for operations such as starting, stopping, status monitoring, and program modification.

[0064] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0065] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An in-situ repair device for composite materials, characterized in that, include: A chassis, the chassis including a housing and a cover movably connected to the housing, the cover being movable relative to the housing to open and close the chassis; Wheels, which are connected to the bottom of the chassis; A tape feeding device is provided inside the box and is used to wind the prepreg tape and tension a portion of the prepreg tape on the laying surface. A robotic arm, which is fixedly mounted inside the box; A cutting actuator, disposed within the housing, is detachably connected to the robotic arm to cut at least one patch at the tensioned prepreg tape. A patch gripper actuator is disposed inside the housing and is detachably connected to the robotic arm to grip the patch and place it at the repair position. An in-situ curing actuator is disposed inside the housing and is detachably connected to the robotic arm to move the patch to the repair location via the robotic arm. The controller is electrically connected to the robotic arm and is used to control the movement posture of the robotic arm and to control the connection or disconnection of the robotic arm with the cutting actuator, the patch gripper actuator and the in-situ curing actuator.

2. The in-situ repair device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutting actuator is located in the tool storage area inside the housing. The tape feeding device is located in the prepreg tape cutting area inside the box. The robotic arm is fixedly installed in the robotic arm placement area inside the box. The patch gripper actuator is located in the gripper placement area inside the housing. The in-situ curing actuator is disposed in the in-situ curing area inside the housing; The tool storage area, the prepreg tape cutting area, the gripper placement area, and the in-situ curing area surround the robotic arm placement area.

3. The in-situ repair device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes vision sensors, The vision sensor is connected to the controller, which controls the movement posture of the robotic arm based on the visual data acquired by the vision sensor.

4. The in-situ repair device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tape feeding device includes a roller, a first rotating wheel, and a second rotating wheel. The roller, the first wheel, and the second wheel are arranged axially parallel to each other. The roller is used to wind the prepreg tape roll, and a portion of the prepreg tape is tensioned between the first roller and the second roller.

5. The in-situ repair device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The in-situ remediation equipment also includes a waste storage cabinet. The waste storage cabinet is located on the side of the second rotor that is away from the first rotor, and is arranged close to the second rotor.

6. The in-situ repair device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The patch gripper actuator includes: A first connector is used for detachable connection with a robotic arm; Mounting plate; An elastic element is connected between the first connector and the mounting plate; Multiple first vacuum suction cups are connected to the side of the mounting plate opposite to the first connector. A first vacuum pump is connected to the first connector or the mounting plate and communicates with each of the plurality of first vacuum suction cups to control the suction and release of the plurality of first vacuum suction cups.

7. The in-situ repair device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The plurality of first vacuum suction cups surround and form a plurality of concentric rings with different radii.

8. The in-situ repair device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The patch gripper actuator also includes a retractable flexible contact. The retractable flexible contact has a first heating wire inside. The retractable flexible contact is used to extend to contact the patch and heat the patch after the patch is laid on the repair location.

9. The in-situ repair device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The in-situ curing actuator includes: Second connector; The second vacuum suction cup is used to adsorb the composite material substrate and cover the patch placed on the location to be repaired; A second vacuum pump is connected to the second connector and communicates with the second vacuum suction cup to control the suction and release of the second vacuum suction cup; The second heating wire is connected inside the second vacuum suction cup.

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