Crack patch pasting equipment and method for closed narrow space

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of aircraft crack repair, and provides a crack patch pasting device and method for a closed narrow space, the crack patch pasting device comprises a shell, the front end of the shell is provided with a vacuum suction cup, and the rear end of the shell is used for being connected with a multi-joint light mechanical arm; a driving assembly for driving the vacuum suction cup to stretch out or retract back is arranged in the shell. A vacuum pipeline for enabling the vacuum chuck to perform vacuum adsorption is arranged in the shell, and the vacuum pipeline is connected with a vacuum generator outside the shell; a pressure sensor, a heating device, a distance measuring sensor, a temperature sensor and a visual sensor are arranged at the front end of the shell; the pressure sensor protrudes out of the end face of the front end of the shell, and the protruding height of the pressure sensor is larger than that of the heating device. The equipment is small in overall size and can be controlled through a multi-joint mechanical arm to go deep into closed narrow spaces of parts such as wings, the skin does not need to be detached in the whole process, the maintenance efficiency is greatly improved, and the maintenance cost is reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of aircraft crack repair, and more particularly relates to a crack patching device for closing a narrow space. BACKGROUND

[0002] An aircraft serving in a complex environment (flight speed, high and low temperature cycle, starting friction, electromagnetic environment) is prone to cracks in the skin structure due to fatigue, friction and other reasons, which affects flight safety. The traditional repair method often needs to disassemble the skin in a large area, and the patching and curing are carried out in an open space, which has high maintenance cost, long cycle and may cause secondary damage to the original structure.

[0003] The wing and fuselage of the aircraft are riveted by multiple frames, stiffened ribs and skin, and the ribs at positions such as the wing generally have hollow round holes for stress relief and load reduction. The existing protective paint spraying work for repairing the inner wall paint of the skin mainly disassembles the whole skin, transports it to a specific operation platform and carries out manual patching repair, which results in high maintenance cost, long cycle and difficult to meet the maintenance demand during high traffic

[0004] The composite patching repair technology is a kind of efficient structure strengthening and repairing technology, which can effectively restore the structural strength and integrity by accurately patching the glued patch to the crack area and applying appropriate temperature and pressure to cure. However, for the closed narrow space such as the inside of the wing and the frame of the fuselage, the traditional patching equipment cannot enter and perform accurate patching operation without disassembling the skin. SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the technical problem that the crack in the narrow space cannot be patched and repaired in the prior art, the purpose of the embodiments of the application is to provide a crack patching device for closing a narrow space, which can enter the narrow space by means of a multi-joint light mechanical arm and patch and repair the crack inside; and has the advantages of small size, accurate positioning and reliable patching.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the technical scheme adopted by the application is: a crack patching device for closing a narrow space is provided, comprising: a shell, a vacuum chuck is arranged at the front end of the shell, and the rear end is used for connecting with a multi-joint light mechanical arm; a driving assembly for driving the vacuum chuck to extend or retract is arranged in the shell; a vacuum pipeline for vacuum adsorption of the vacuum chuck is arranged in the shell, and the vacuum pipeline is connected with a vacuum generator outside the shell; a pressure sensor, a heating device, a distance measuring sensor, a temperature sensor and a visual sensor are arranged at the front end of the shell; the pressure sensor is arranged protruding from the front end surface of the shell and has a protruding height higher than that of the heating device.

[0007] In one embodiment, the vacuum chuck is arc distance setting three.

[0008] In one embodiment, each of the vacuum chuck is connected with a vacuum pipeline, three vacuum pipeline through the connector after the collection and the vacuum generator connection.

[0009] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the shell is provided with a limiting rib extending along the length direction, the drive assembly includes a mounting seat, a gear, a rack and a steering wheel, the vacuum chuck is mounted on the mounting seat, the mounting seat is provided with a limiting slot slidingly assembled with the limiting rib, one end of the rack is fixed on the mounting seat, the steering wheel is fixed in the shell through a support, the gear is fixedly installed on the output shaft of the steering wheel, and the gear is engaged with the rack.

[0010] In one embodiment, the heating device includes a motor, a crank rocker mechanism and an electric heating sheet, the motor drives the crank rocker mechanism to rotate, and the electric heating sheet is arranged on the crank rocker mechanism.

[0011] In one embodiment, the crank rocker mechanism includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod and a third connecting rod, one end of the first connecting rod is rotatably arranged on the front end of the shell, the other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected with one end of the second connecting rod, the other end of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected with one end of the third connecting rod, and the third connecting rod is movably arranged on the output shaft of the motor.

[0012] In one embodiment, the shell is a cylindrical shell, the length of the shell is 140mm-160mm, and the diameter of the shell is 40mm-50mm.

[0013] In one embodiment, the shell includes a front end cover, a middle shell and a rear shell which are sequentially inserted and assembled and are fixed by fasteners at the insertion positions.

[0014] In one embodiment, the front end cover is provided with a first mounting slot, a second mounting slot, a third mounting slot and a fourth mounting slot for respectively mounting the distance measuring sensor, the visual sensor, the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor, the distance measuring sensor is a laser distance measuring sensor, the pressure sensor is a thin film pressure sensor, the temperature sensor is an infrared temperature measuring sensor, and the visual sensor is a miniature camera.

[0015] Another purpose of the present application is to provide a crack patching method for closing a narrow space, based on the crack patching equipment as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0016] S1, the multi-joint light mechanical arm is used to stretch the crack patching device into the narrow space, the crack position is determined by using the visual sensor and the distance measuring sensor, and the crack position data is transmitted to the industrial computer of the multi-joint light mechanical arm; after the crack position is determined, the crack patching device is withdrawn from the narrow space;

[0017] S2, under the driving of the driving assembly, the vacuum chuck protrudes from the end face of the shell, and the vacuum chuck is used to adsorb the glued patch;

[0018] S3, the multi-joint light mechanical arm is used to stretch the crack patching device after adsorbing the patch into the narrow space again, and the patch is moved to the crack position according to the collected crack position data, and the patch covers the crack and is attached;

[0019] S4, the shell continues to move to the position close to the patch under the action of the multi-joint light mechanical arm, and stops moving after the pressure sensor detects the predetermined pressure value;

[0020] S5, the heating device starts to work, the patch is heated to make the glue heat-cured, and the temperature sensor is used to monitor the heating temperature; after heating for a predetermined time, the vacuum chuck cancels the adsorption force on the patch, and is retracted into the shell under the action of the driving assembly;

[0021] S6, after the heating device completes the heat curing of the patch, the visual sensor is used to detect the crack repairing effect of the patch, and the repairing process is completed after confirming that the patch is qualified.

[0022] The crack patching device and method for closing a narrow space provided by the application have the beneficial effects that the device has small overall size, can be controlled by a multi-joint mechanical arm, and can be deeply inserted into a closed narrow space of a wing or other part; the crack position is identified and accurately positioned by using a visual sensor and a distance measuring sensor, the patch is reliably adsorbed by using a vacuum chuck, and the patch is pressed and heat-cured by using a heating device, the whole process does not need to disassemble the skin, greatly improves the maintenance efficiency, and reduces the maintenance cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0024] Figure 1 The three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the crack patching device for closing a narrow space provided by the embodiments of the application is shown in the figure.

[0025] Figure 2The internal structure schematic diagram of the crack patching equipment for closing narrow space provided by the embodiment of the application is omitted from the shell;

[0026] Figure 3 The structure schematic diagram of the front end cover of the crack patching equipment for closing narrow space provided by the embodiment of the application is shown in the figure;

[0027] Figure 4 The structure schematic diagram of the middle shell of the crack patching equipment for closing narrow space provided by the embodiment of the application is shown in the figure;

[0028] Figure 5 The structure schematic diagram of the rear shell of the crack patching equipment for closing narrow space provided by the embodiment of the application is shown in the figure;

[0029] Figure 6 The structure schematic diagram of the heating device in the crack patching equipment for closing narrow space provided by the embodiment of the application is shown in the figure.

[0030] In the figure, various reference signs are as follows:

[0031] 1, shell; 11, front end cover; 12, middle shell; 13, rear shell; 14, limiting rib; 2, vacuum chuck; 3, driving assembly; 31, mounting seat; 32, gear; 33, rack; 34, steering wheel; 35, limiting notch; 36, support; 4, vacuum pipeline; 41, connecting head; 5, pressure sensor; 6, heating device; 61, motor; 62, crank rocker mechanism; 621, first connecting rod; 622, second connecting rod; 623, third connecting rod; 63, electric heating sheet; 7, distance measuring sensor; 8, temperature sensor; 9, visual sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application more clearly understood, the present application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0034] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] like Figures 1-5 As shown, an embodiment of this application provides a device for applying crack patches in enclosed confined spaces. The device includes a housing 1, with a vacuum suction cup 2 at the front end and a rear end for connecting to a multi-joint lightweight robotic arm. Existing devices exist for multi-joint lightweight robotic arms, and multi-joint tilting robotic arms can also extend into confined spaces.

[0037] The housing 1 contains a drive assembly 3 that extends or retracts the vacuum suction cup 2. The housing 1 also contains a vacuum pipeline 4 for vacuum adsorption by the vacuum suction cup 2, which connects to a vacuum generator outside the housing 1. This vacuum generator is existing technology and serves as a device for vacuum adsorption or de-vacuum adsorption of the vacuum suction cup 2. The front end of the housing 1 is equipped with a pressure sensor 5, a heating device 6, a distance sensor 7, a temperature sensor 8, and a vision sensor 9. The pressure sensor 5 protrudes from the front end face of the housing 1, with a protrusion height higher than the heating device 6. This design ensures that even after the pressure sensor 5 contacts the crack, a gap remains between the heating device 6 and the crack. The distance sensor 7 and vision sensor 9 are used for precise crack location, and the temperature sensor 8 monitors the thermosetting temperature of the patch by the heating device 6. The housing 1 also contains a control board, or the control board can be integrated into the industrial computer of the multi-joint tilting robotic arm. The control board is electrically connected to the pressure sensor 5, heating device 6, distance sensor 7, temperature sensor 8, vision sensor 9, and drive assembly 3.

[0038] In this embodiment, three vacuum suction cups 2 are arranged at equal arc intervals with the axis of the housing 1 as the center. In this way, the three vacuum suction cups 2 can stably adsorb the patch. The heating device 6 is arranged in the area enclosed by the three vacuum suction cups 2.

[0039] In the embodiment, the vacuum chuck 2 is a vacuum chuck 2 with spring in the prior art, each vacuum chuck 2 is connected with a vacuum pipeline 4, three vacuum pipelines 4 are collected through the connecting head 41 and then connected with the vacuum generator through a pipeline, so that the three vacuum chucks 2 can simultaneously adsorb the patch, and can simultaneously cancel the vacuum and separate the patch, and the difficulty of pipeline layout outside the shell 1 is reduced.

[0040] In the embodiment, the inner wall of the shell 1 is provided with a limiting rib 14 extending along the length direction thereof, the limiting ribs 14 are symmetrically arranged, the driving assembly 3 comprises a mounting seat 31, a gear 32, a rack 33 and a steering engine 34. The mounting seat 31 is a plate structure, the vacuum chuck 2 is mounted on the mounting seat 31, the mounting seat 31 is provided with a limiting slot 35 which is slidingly assembled with the limiting rib 14, so that the mounting seat 31 can only reciprocate along the length direction of the shell 1 in the shell 1, one end of the rack 33 is fixed on the mounting seat 31, the steering engine 34 is fixed in the shell 1 through a support 36, the gear 32 is fixedly installed on the output shaft of the steering engine 34, and the gear 32 is engaged with the rack 33. The steering engine 34 drives the gear 32 to rotate when working, the gear 32 drives the rack 33 to move when rotating, thereby driving the mounting seat 31 to slide, and the mounting seat 31 drives the three vacuum chucks 2 thereon to move, so that the vacuum chucks 2 are extended out of the shell 1 or retracted in the shell 1.

[0041] In the embodiment, the heating device 6 comprises a motor 61, a crank rocker mechanism 62 and an electric heating sheet 63, the motor 61 drives the crank rocker mechanism 62 to rotate, and the electric heating sheet 63 is arranged on the crank rocker mechanism 62, so that the electric heating sheet 63 actively heats the patch. Specifically, the crank rocker mechanism 62 comprises a first connecting rod 621, a second connecting rod 622 and a third connecting rod 623, one end of the first connecting rod 621 is rotationally arranged on the front end of the shell 1, the other end of the first connecting rod 621 is rotationally connected with one end of the second connecting rod 622, the other end of the second connecting rod 622 is connected with one end of the third connecting rod 623, and the third connecting rod 623 is rotationally arranged on the output shaft of the motor 61. The electric heating sheet 63 is arranged at the rotation point of the second connecting rod 622 and the third connecting rod 623. The third connecting rod 623 is relatively short in length, and the second connecting rod 622 is the longest in length.

[0042] In the embodiment, since the diameter of the hollow round hole on the wing rib plate is 51mm, the shell 1 is a cylindrical shell 1, the length of the shell 1 is 140mm-160mm, and the diameter of the shell 1 is 40mm-50mm. Preferably, the total length of the shell 1 is 140mm, and the diameter is 50mm, so that the shell 1 can be inserted into the wing rib plate, and the area of the vacuum chuck 2 is increased as much as possible to ensure the stability of the adsorption of the patch.

[0043] In the embodiment, in order to facilitate the installation of the components in the shell 1, the shell 1 comprises a front end cover 11, a middle shell 12 and a rear shell 13 which are sequentially inserted and assembled and fastened by fasteners at the insertion positions; the fasteners are screws; the front end cover 11 is inserted with one end of the middle shell 12 and fixed by four screws arranged at equal arc distances, and the other end of the middle shell 12 is inserted with one end of the rear shell 13 and fixed by four screws arranged at equal arc distances. The limiting ribs 14 are arranged in the middle shell 12, and the rear shell 13 is provided with a partition plate on which the bracket 36 is arranged. The partition plate is provided with a plurality of through holes for the layout of wires and pipelines and the like. The shell 1 is made of 3D printed PETG resin.

[0044] In the embodiment, the front end cover 11 is provided with a first mounting groove, a second mounting groove, a third mounting groove and a fourth mounting groove for respectively mounting the distance measuring sensor 7, the visual sensor 9, the temperature sensor 8 and the pressure sensor 5, and the front end cover 11 is further provided with three through holes for the vacuum suction cup 2 to pass through.

[0045] Specifically, the distance measuring sensor 7 is a laser distance measuring sensor, such as a domestic TOF050 infrared distance measuring sensor, and the specific size is 9.6x5mm; the visual sensor 9 is a miniature camera, such as a domestic OV2640 camera, and the specific size is 8x8mm; the pressure sensor 5 is a thin film pressure sensor, such as an RP-S5-ST pressure sensor, and the specific size is 4x5mm; and the temperature sensor 8 is an infrared temperature sensor, such as a GY-906-BAA temperature sensor, and the specific size is Φ9. At least one single-chip microcomputer is arranged on the control board, which is a domestic stm32F103c8t6 single-chip microcomputer, used for programming control, used for assisting in patching position positioning, crack position confirmation, touch notification, distance control and temperature monitoring.

[0046] In the embodiment, the adhesive on the patch can be cured at room temperature or heated and cured. Since the adhesive is a heat-curable adhesive, heating can greatly increase the curing rate, thereby improving the overall repair efficiency.

[0047] When repairing the crack area, the relative distance of the front end cover 11 relative to the crack surface is obtained by the distance measuring sensor 7, the visual sensor 9 transmits the picture of the position of the patching device relative to the crack position in real time, and the end pose of the multi-joint light mechanical arm is adjusted to make the adsorbed patch located at the crack position.

[0048] The embodiment also provides a patching method for closing a narrow space, based on the patching device for cracks as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0049] S1, the multi-joint light mechanical arm is used to stretch the crack patching device into the narrow space, the crack position is determined by using the visual sensor 9 and the ranging sensor 7, and the crack position data is transmitted to the industrial computer of the multi-joint light mechanical arm; after determining the crack position, the crack patching device is withdrawn from the narrow space;

[0050] S2, under the drive of the driving assembly 3, the vacuum chuck 2 protrudes from the end face of the shell 1, and the vacuum chuck 2 is used to adsorb the glued patch;

[0051] S3, the multi-joint light mechanical arm is used to stretch the crack patching device after adsorbing the patch into the narrow space again, and the patch is moved to the crack position according to the collected crack position data, and the patch covers the crack and is attached;

[0052] S4, the shell 1 continues to move to the position close to the patch under the action of the multi-joint light mechanical arm, and the shell 1 stops moving after the pressure sensor 5 detects the predetermined pressure value;

[0053] S5, the heating device 6 starts to work, the patch is heated to make the glue heat-cured, and the temperature sensor 8 is used to monitor the heating temperature; after heating for a predetermined time, the vacuum chuck 2 cancels the adsorption force of the patch, and is retracted into the shell 1 under the action of the driving assembly 3;

[0054] S6, after the heating device 6 completes the heat curing of the patch, the visual sensor is used to detect the crack repairing effect of the patch, and the repairing process is completed after confirming that it is qualified.

[0055] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application, and does not limit the present application, any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A device for applying crack patches in enclosed, confined spaces, characterized in that, include: The housing (1) has a vacuum suction cup (2) at its front end and a rear end for connection to a multi-joint lightweight robotic arm. The housing (1) is equipped with a drive assembly (3) for extending or retracting the vacuum suction cup (2). The housing (1) is equipped with a vacuum pipeline (4) for vacuum adsorption of the vacuum suction cup (2) and the vacuum pipeline (4) is connected to a vacuum generator outside the housing (1). The front end of the housing (1) is equipped with a pressure sensor (5), a heating device (6), a distance sensor (7), a temperature sensor (8), and a vision sensor (9). The pressure sensor (5) protrudes from the front end face of the housing (1) and its protrusion height is higher than that of the heating device (6).

2. The device for patching cracks in a confined space as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum suction cup (2) is set in three equal arc distances.

3. The device for patching cracks in enclosed confined spaces as described in claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the vacuum suction cups (2) is connected to a vacuum tube (4), and the three vacuum tubes (4) are connected to the vacuum generator by means of a connector (41).

4. The device for patching cracks in a confined space as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The inner wall of the housing (1) is provided with a limiting rib (14) extending along its length. The drive assembly (3) includes a mounting base (31), a gear (32), a rack (33), and a servo motor (34). The vacuum suction cup (2) is mounted on the mounting base (31). The mounting base (31) is provided with a limiting slot (35) that slides with the limiting rib (14). One end of the rack (33) is fixed on the mounting base (31). The servo motor (34) is fixed inside the housing (1) by a bracket (36). The gear (32) is fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the servo motor (34). The gear (32) meshes with the rack (33).

5. The crack patch applicator for enclosed confined spaces as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The heating device (6) includes a motor (61), a crank-rocker mechanism (62), and an electric heating element (63). The motor (61) drives the crank-rocker mechanism (62) to rotate, and the electric heating element (63) is disposed on the crank-rocker mechanism (62).

6. The device for patching cracks in a confined space as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The crank rocker mechanism (62) includes a first connecting rod (621), a second connecting rod (622), and a third connecting rod (623). One end of the first connecting rod (621) is rotatably mounted on the front end of the housing (1). The other end of the first connecting rod (621) is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod (622). The other end of the second connecting rod (622) is connected to one end of the third connecting rod (623). The movement and rotation of the third connecting rod (623) are mounted on the output shaft of the motor (61).

7. The device for patching cracks in a confined space as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that: The shell (1) is a cylindrical shell with a length of 140mm-160mm and a diameter of 40mm-50mm.

8. The device for patching cracks in a confined space as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The housing (1) includes a front cover (11), a middle shell (12), and a rear shell (13) that are sequentially inserted and assembled and fixed with fasteners at the insertion points.

9. The device for patching cracks in a confined space as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The front cover (11) is provided with a first mounting slot, a second mounting slot, a third mounting slot and a fourth mounting slot for mounting the ranging sensor (7), the vision sensor (9), the temperature sensor (8) and the pressure sensor (5) respectively. The ranging sensor (7) is a laser ranging sensor, the pressure sensor (5) is a thin film pressure sensor, the temperature sensor (8) is an infrared temperature sensor and the vision sensor (9) is a miniature camera.

10. A method for applying crack patches in a confined space, based on the crack patch application equipment as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Using a multi-joint lightweight robotic arm, the crack patch applicator is inserted into a narrow space. The location of the crack is determined using a vision sensor (9) and a distance sensor (7), and the crack location data is transmitted to the industrial control computer of the multi-joint lightweight robotic arm. After determining the location of the crack, the crack patch applicator is removed from the narrow space. S2. Driven by the drive component (3), the vacuum suction cup (2) protrudes from the end face of the front end of the housing (1) and uses the vacuum suction cup (2) to adsorb the adhesive patch. S3. Using a multi-joint lightweight robotic arm, the crack patching device after adsorption and patching is extended back into the narrow space, and the patch is moved to the crack location according to the collected crack location data, and the patch is applied to cover the crack. S4. The housing (1) continues to move closer to the patch under the action of the multi-joint lightweight robotic arm until the pressure sensor (5) detects the predetermined pressure value, and then the housing (1) stops moving. S5. The heating device (6) starts working, heats the patch to heat the adhesive and the temperature is monitored by the temperature sensor (8). After the heating time is set, the vacuum suction cup (2) cancels the adsorption force on the patch and retracts into the housing (1) under the action of the drive component (3). S6. After the heating device (6) completes the heat curing of the patch, the visual sensor (9) is used to detect the patch's patching effect on the crack. After confirming that it is qualified, the patching process is completed.

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