Seal application method

Abstract

To provide a seal application method capable of accurately performing seal repair.SOLUTION: A seal application method for applying a seal material into a narrow part as a hollow part communicating with outside formed in the inside of a construction object includes the steps of: arranging the construction object so that a construction surface in the narrow part is faced downward; inserting a brush coat device having a brush part to which the seal material is attached on its upper side into the narrow part; rubbing the brush part to the construction surface while pressing it against the upper side and applying the seal material to the construction surface, and forming a brush coat; turning the construction object up-side-down after forming the brush coat, and facing the construction surface upward; and inserting an edge seal device into the narrow part after turning the construction object, applying the seal material onto the brush coat from above by the edge seal device, and forming an edge seal thicker than the brush coat.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sealant application method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an aircraft wing structure. The wing is composed of an outer plate and a stringer. The outer plate and the stringer are overlapped with each other. The stringer has a connection part that connects to the outer plate and a protrusion that is spaced apart from the outer plate. A hollow part is formed between the protrusion and the outer plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-104443 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In some cases, defects may occur in the hollow space between the skin and the stringer. In such cases, the location where the defect occurs is very narrow, making it difficult to perform accurate seal repair.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a sealant application method that can perform sealant repair with high accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the sealant application method disclosed herein is a sealant application method for applying a sealant into a narrow portion as a hollow portion formed inside a workpiece and communicating with the outside, and includes the steps of: positioning the workpiece so that the application surface within the narrow portion faces downward; inserting a brush coating device having a brush portion with sealant attached at an upper portion into the narrow portion, and applying the sealant to the application surface by pressing the brush portion upward and rubbing it against the application surface to form a brush coat; after forming the brush coat, turning the workpiece upside down so that the application surface faces upward; and after turning the workpiece over, inserting an edge seal device into the narrow portion, and applying sealant onto the brush coat from above using the edge seal device to form an edge seal that is thicker than the brush coat. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the sealant application method of the present disclosure, sealant repair can be performed with high accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a construction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a schematic configuration of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a cleaning process for a treatment surface. [Diagram 3] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a schematic configuration of a sanding device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a sanding process for a processing surface. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a brush coating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a process for forming a brush coat on a treatment surface. [Diagram 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a schematic configuration of an edge seal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a process for forming an edge seal on a brush-coated surface. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a schematic configuration of an inspection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a seal inspection process. [Figure 7]4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a sealant application method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the initial placement of a construction object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process of inverting a construction work according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a sealant application method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0010] The sealant application method of the present embodiment is used, for example, to repair an aircraft wing. Hereinafter, the wing to be repaired is referred to as an object to be repaired 2. As shown in FIG.

[0011] The skin 3 forms the outer shell of the aircraft wing. The skin 3 is formed, for example, in a flat plate shape. The stringer 4 is attached to the skin 3. The stringer 4 has a connection portion 4a that connects to the skin 3 and a protrusion portion 4b that separates the stringer 4 from the skin 3. The connection portion 4a is located on the side closer to the skin 3 than the protrusion portion 4b. The protrusion portion 4b is located on the side farther away from the skin 3 than the connection portion 4a.

[0012] A hollow portion (hereinafter, referred to as a narrow portion 4c) is formed between the protrusion 4b and the outer plate 3. The narrow portion 4c is formed so as to extend in one direction. The stringer 4 is, for example, a hat-shaped hat stringer. The outer plate 3 and the stringer 4 are made of a composite material such as glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) or carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP).

[0013] Here, the object 2 is disposed so as to extend in the horizontal direction, that is, the narrow portion 4c extends in one direction along the horizontal surface. In the following, the extension direction of the narrow portion 4c is referred to as the front-rear direction Ds, with the front side marked "Dsf" and the rear side marked "Dsb." In addition, one horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction Ds is referred to as the left-right direction Dw, with the left side marked "Dwl" and the right side marked "Dwr." The direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction Ds and the left-right direction Dw is referred to as the up-down direction Dv, with the upper side marked "Dvu" and the lower side marked "Dvd."

[0014] When a defect occurs in the narrow portion 4c, the defect is repaired by applying a sealant. The surface of the narrow portion 4c to be repaired by applying the sealant is referred to as the treatment surface 5. Hereinafter, the sealant application method of this embodiment will be described using as an example a case in which a defect occurs on the surface of the outer plate 3 of the narrow portion 4c, and the surface of the outer plate 3 where the defect occurred is the treatment surface 5 to be repaired by sealing.

[0015] The sealant application method may use, for example, a cleaning device 10 shown in FIG. 2, a sanding device 20 shown in FIG. 3, a brush coating device 30 shown in FIG. 4, an edge sealing device 40 shown in FIG. 5, and an inspection device 50 shown in FIG. 6.

[0016] (Cleaning Equipment) 2, the cleaning device 10 is used in a state where it is inserted into the narrow portion 4c. The cleaning device 10 includes a casing 60, a pressing part 70, and a cleaning part 11.

[0017] (Casing) The casing 60 extends in the front-rear direction Ds. The casing 60 is formed in a box shape having an opening 61 that opens upward.

[0018] A pipe 65 is attached to both ends of the casing 60 in the front-rear direction Ds. The pipe 65 extends from the casing 60 in the front-rear direction Ds. For example, an operator can move the pipe 65 in the front-rear direction Ds to move the cleaning device 10 in the front-rear direction Ds. The pipe 65 may be provided not only at both ends of the casing 60 in the front-rear direction Ds, but also at either the front end or the rear end of the casing 60. Also, instead of the pipe 65, a wire extending in the front-rear direction Ds may be provided. Also, the method of moving the cleaning device 10 is not limited to manual. For example, the pipe 65 may be gripped by a robot to automatically move the cleaning device 10 in the front-rear direction Ds.

[0019] (Pressing part) A plurality of pressing parts 70 (two in the illustrated example) are housed in the casing 60. The number of pressing parts 70 can be changed as appropriate. Only one pressing part 70 may be provided in the casing 60, or three or more pressing parts 70 may be provided. Each pressing part 70 generates a pressing force toward the construction surface 5 that faces upward. Examples of the pressing part 70 include an air cylinder and an oil cylinder. The pressing part 70 may also be a rubber bag, an air bag, a rubber balloon, or the like that expands and contracts depending on the amount of air inside.

[0020] (Cleaning section) The cleaning unit 11 is provided at the upper part of the cleaning device 10, and protrudes slightly upward from an opening 61 of the casing 60. The cleaning unit 11 includes a base 12 and a rag 13. The base portion 12 is placed on a plurality of pressing portions 70. The base portion 12 extends in the front-rear direction Ds. The rag 13 is wrapped around the center in the front-rear direction Ds of the base 12. The rag 13 covers the upper surface of the base 12.

[0021] By moving the cleaning device 10 back and forth in the forward and backward directions Ds while pressing the rag 13 with the solvent adhered thereto against the treatment surface 5, the treatment surface 5 can be cleaned while applying a uniform pressing force to the treatment surface 5.

[0022] (Sanding equipment) 3, the sanding device 20 is used in a state where it is inserted into the narrow portion 4c, similar to the cleaning device 10. The sanding device 20 includes a casing 60, a pressing unit 70, and a sanding unit 21. The sanding device 20 is a device in which the sanding unit 21 is provided at the upper part instead of the cleaning unit 11 of the cleaning device 10.

[0023] (Sanding Department) The sanding section 21 comprises a base section 22, an adhesive section 23, and a scotch section 24. The base portion 22 is placed on a plurality of pressing portions 70. The base portion 22 extends in the front-rear direction Ds. An adhesive portion 23 is provided on the upper surface of the base 22. A scotch tape 24 is placed on the adhesive portion 23. The adhesive portion 23 bonds the scotch tape 24 and the base 22 together. The scotch 24 protrudes slightly upward from the opening 61 of the casing 60. The scotch 24 is formed in a sponge-like shape.

[0024] With the scotch 24 pressed against the surface 5 to be worked on, the sanding device 20 is moved back and forth in the forward and backward direction Ds, whereby the surface 5 to be worked on can be polished and made smooth while applying a uniform pressing force to the surface 5 to be worked on.

[0025] (Brush coat device) 4, the brush coating device 30 is used in a state where it is inserted into the narrow section 4c, similar to the cleaning device 10. The brush coating device 30 includes a casing 60, a pressing section 70, and a brush section 31. The brush coating device 30 is a device in which the brush section 31 is provided at the upper part instead of the cleaning section 11 of the cleaning device 10.

[0026] (Brush part) The brush portion 31 has a base portion 32 and a brush 33 . The base portion 32 is placed on a plurality of pressing portions 70. The base portion 32 extends in the front-rear direction Ds.

[0027] (Brush) A plurality of brushes 33 are attached to the base 32. Each brush 33 protrudes slightly upward from the opening 61 of the casing 60. The plurality of brushes 33 are arranged at equal intervals in the front-rear direction Ds. Each brush 33 extends toward the treatment surface 5 and applies the sealant to the treatment surface 5.

[0028] By moving the brush coating device 30 back and forth in the forward and backward directions Ds while pressing the brush 33 with the sealant attached against the processing surface 5 where the defect to be repaired has occurred, the sealant can be applied to the processing surface 5 while applying a uniform pressing force to the processing surface 5. This allows the sealant to be applied to a uniform thickness on the processing surface 5. The sealant applied to the processing surface 5 in this manner hardens, forming a brush coat 6a of uniform thickness on the processing surface 5.

[0029] (Edge seal device) As shown in FIG. 5, the edge sealing device 40, like the cleaning device 10, is used in a state where it is inserted into the narrow portion 4c. The edge sealing device 40 includes a forming nozzle 41 and a supply unit 42 .

[0030] (Molding nozzle) The molding nozzle 41 has a nozzle body 43 and a supply hole 44 . The nozzle body 43 is placed on the application surface 5 (on the brush coat 6a in the illustrated example). The nozzle body 43 is formed with a cavity 45 that opens downward. A sealing material is supplied to the cavity 45 from a supply unit 42, which will be described later. The cavity 45 is also formed with an opening 46 that opens rearward.

[0031] The nozzle body 43 is provided with a pipe 65, similar to the cleaning device 10. This pipe 65 extends forward from the nozzle body 43. For example, an operator can move the pipe 65 in the front-rear direction Ds to move the molding nozzle 41 in the front-rear direction Ds. A wire extending in the front-rear direction Ds may be provided instead of the pipe 65. The method of moving the molding nozzle 41 is not limited to manual. For example, the pipe 65 may be held by a robot to automatically move the cleaning device 10 in the front-rear direction Ds. The nozzle body 43 may be provided with wheels that roll on the application surface 5 (or on the brush coat 6a), and the molding nozzle 41 may be moved in the front-rear direction Ds by the rolling of the wheels.

[0032] The supply hole 44 is formed in the upper part of the nozzle body 43. The supply hole 44 extends in the vertical direction Dv and communicates with a cavity 45 on the lower side Dvd. The supply hole 44 guides the sealing material guided from the supply unit 42 into the cavity 45.

[0033] The supply unit 42 supplies the sealing material that forms the edge seal 6b to the forming nozzle 41. The supply unit 42 may be inserted into the narrow portion 4c together with the forming nozzle 41, or may be disposed outside the narrow portion 4c.

[0034] The forming nozzle 41 is placed so that the cavity 45 covers from above the position on the application surface 5 where the edge seal 6b is to be formed (the position overlapping the defect to be repaired in the vertical direction Dv). In this state, a sealing material is supplied from a supply unit 42, and the sealing material hardens to form the edge seal 6b. In the following description, the brush coat 6a formed on the application surface 5 and the edge seal 6b may be collectively referred to as the seal 6.

[0035] (Inspection equipment) 6, the inspection device 50 is used in a state where it is inserted into the narrow portion 4c, similar to the cleaning device 10. The inspection device 50 includes a casing 75, an extension mechanism 51, and an inspection unit 52.

[0036] (Casing) The casing 75 extends in the front-rear direction Ds. The casing 75 is formed in a box shape having an opening 76 that opens upward. In addition, the casing 75 has an extraction hole 77 machined in the front.

[0037] A pipe 65 is provided at the rear end of the casing 75, similarly to the cleaning device 10. The pipe 65 extends from the casing 75 in the front-rear direction Ds. For example, an operator can move the pipe 65 in the front-rear direction Ds to move the cleaning device 10 in the front-rear direction Ds. The pipe 65 may be provided not only at both ends of the casing 75 in the front-rear direction Ds, but also at both ends of the casing 75 in the front-rear direction Ds. Also, instead of the pipe 65, a wire extending in the front-rear direction Ds may be provided. Also, the method of moving the cleaning device 10 is not limited to manual. For example, the pipe 65 may be gripped by a robot to automatically move the cleaning device 10 in the front-rear direction Ds.

[0038] (Expansion mechanism) The telescopic mechanism 51 is housed in a casing 75. The telescopic mechanism 51 telescopically extends and retracts in the front-rear direction to move a base portion 53 of an inspection unit 52 (described later) in the front-rear direction Ds.

[0039] (Inspection Department) The inspection unit 52 is arranged in front of and in line with the extension mechanism 51. The inspection unit 52 has a base portion 53, an arm 54, and a contact portion 55. The base 53 is provided so as to be pulled out from the inside of the casing 75 to the outside through the pull-out hole 77. The base 53 extends forward from the telescopic mechanism 51. The arm 54 is provided at the front end of the base 53. The arm 54 extends downward toward the construction surface 5. The contact portion 55 is provided at the lower end of the arm 54. The contact portion 55 contacts the seal 6 on the application surface 5 from behind. The contact portion 55 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber. The contact portion 55 protrudes downward. The lower end of the contact portion 55 is formed into a spherical shape. The inspection device 50 inspects the adhesion of the seal 6 by pressing the contact portion 55 against the seal 6 from the rear side Dsb to the front side Dsf.

[0040] (Seal application procedure) Using the various devices described above, a sealant is applied to and repaired a defect that has occurred in narrow portion 4c, which is a hollow portion formed inside object 2 and communicating with the outside. The procedure of the sealant application method according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flow chart of FIG.

[0041] First, as shown in FIG. 8, the object 2 is placed in the narrow portion 4c so that the surface 5 to be worked faces downward (step S1). In step S1, the object 2 is placed so that it extends horizontally so that the outer plate 3 is located above the stringer 4. After step S1, a cleaning process is performed as a preliminary cleaning before sanding, which will be described later (step S2). In step S2, the cleaning device 10 is inserted into the narrow portion 4c while sliding it along the underside of the casing 60, and the surface 5 to be worked is cleaned. At this time, a solvent is applied to the rag 13. While the rag 13 to which the solvent is applied is pressed upward by the pressing part 70, the cleaning device 10 is moved back and forth in the front-rear direction Ds to rub the rag 13 against the surface 5 to be worked. In this manner, the surface 5 to be worked is cleaned.

[0042] After step S2, sanding is performed (step S3). In step S3, the sanding device 20 is inserted into the narrow portion 4c while sliding it along the underside of the casing 60, and the processing surface 5 is sanded. While the scotch 24 is pressed upward by the pressing portion 70, the sanding device 20 is moved back and forth in the front-rear direction Ds to rub the sanding device 20 against the processing surface 5. In this way, the processing surface 5 is sanded. This process activates the processing surface 5.

[0043] After step S3, in order to remove powder and the like generated by sanding, a cleaning process is performed again as a final cleaning before forming the brush coat 6a (step S4). In step S4, the cleaning device 10 is inserted into the narrow portion 4c to clean the application surface 5, as in step S2.

[0044] Thereafter, the brush coating device 30 is inserted into the narrow portion 4c while sliding it over the underside of the casing 60, and the sealant is applied to the application surface 5, forming a brush coat 6a (step S5). At this time, the sealant is attached to the brush 33. The brush 33 with the sealant attached is pressed upward against the application surface 5 where the defect has occurred by the pressing part 70, while the brush coating device 30 is moved back and forth in the front-back direction Ds to rub the brush 33 against the application surface 5. In this way, the sealant is applied to the application surface 5 with a uniform thickness. The sealant hardens, and the brush coat 6a is formed on the application surface 5.

[0045] After step S5, the cleaning process is performed again (step S6). In step S6, similar to steps S2 and S4, the cleaning device 10 is inserted into the narrow portion 4c to clean the surface of the application surface 5. In step S6, in the portion of the surface of the application surface 5 where the brush coat 6a is formed, the cleaning part 11 is pressed and rubbed against the application surface 5 from above the brush coat 6a, thereby cleaning the surface of the application surface 5 and the surface of the brush coat 6a.

[0046] After step S6, as shown in Fig. 9, the object 2 is turned upside down so that the construction surface 5 faces upward (step S7). In step S7, the object 2 is arranged to extend horizontally so that the outer plate 3 is located below the stringer 4.

[0047] After that, the edge seal device 40 is inserted into the narrow portion 4c, and the sealant is applied from above onto the brush coat 6a, forming an edge seal 6b that is thicker than the brush coat 6a (step S8). In step S8, the molding nozzle 41 is placed on the brush coat 6a, and the sealant is supplied into the cavity 45. At this time, it is necessary to place the molding nozzle 41 so that the cavity 45 covers the defect from above. When the molding nozzle 41 is left stationary in this state, the sealant hardens on the brush coat 6a following the shape of the cavity 45. The sealant supplied at this time has viscosity, and the sealant is smoothed on the surface of the brush coat 6a under the influence of its weight in the process of hardening. By gradually moving the molding nozzle 41 forward, the sealant is applied so as to extend in the front-rear direction Ds. The sealant applied onto the brush coat 6a hardens to form the edge seal 6b.

[0048] After step S8, the object 2 is turned upside down to orient the construction surface 5 downward (step S9). In step S9, the object 2 is disposed so as to extend horizontally and so that the outer plate 3 is positioned above the stringer 4.

[0049] After step S9, the cleaning process is performed again (step S10). In step S10, similar to steps S2, S4, and S6, the cleaning device 10 is inserted into the narrow portion 4c to clean the surface of the application surface 5. In step S10, in the portion of the surface of the application surface 5 where the seal 6 consisting of the brush coat 6a and the edge seal 6b is formed, the cleaning unit 11 is pressed and rubbed against the application surface 5 from above the seal 6, thereby cleaning the surface of the application surface 5 and the surface of the seal 6.

[0050] After step S10, the object 2 is turned upside down so that the construction surface 5 faces upward (step S11). In step S11, the object 2 is arranged to extend horizontally so that the outer plate 3 is located below the stringer 4.

[0051] After step S11, the seal 6 is inspected (step S12). In step S10, the inspection device 50 is inserted into the narrow portion 4c, and the contact portion 55 is pressed against the seal 6 formed in the narrow portion 4c in a rubbing manner from a direction intersecting the vertical direction Dv to inspect the adhesion of the seal. In the illustrated example, the extension mechanism 51 extends to push the base portion 53 forward, and presses the contact portion 55 against the brush coat 6a. At this time, the contact portion 55 is pressed against the brush coat 6a in the vicinity of the boundary with the application surface 5 so as to be rubbed. If the brush coat 6a does not peel off, it can be determined that the adhesion of the brush coat 6a is sufficiently ensured.

[0052] In step S10, the contact portion 55 may be pressed against the edge seal 6b. At this time, the contact portion 55 is pressed so as to be rubbed against the edge seal 6b near the boundary with the brush coat 6a. If the edge seal 6b does not peel off, it can be determined that the adhesion of the edge seal 6b is sufficiently ensured.

[0053] In step S12, the inspection device 50 may be provided with a camera so that the appearance and dimensions of the seal 6 can be inspected with the naked eye.

[0054] Through the above steps, application of the sealant to the narrow portion 4c is completed. In this manner, even if the narrow portion 4c is long in the front-back direction Ds and it is difficult to apply the sealant manually, the sealant can be applied to the defect remotely. Note that the cleaning steps (steps S2, S4, S6, S10) do not all have to be performed, and may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, if the cleaning step of step S10 is omitted, steps S9 and S11 of turning the workpiece 2 upside down are omitted.

[0055] (Action and effect) The sealant application method of the present embodiment can achieve the following effects.

[0056] The sealant application method of this embodiment is a sealant application method in which a sealant is applied to a narrow portion 4c as a hollow portion formed inside the object 2 and communicating with the outside. This sealant application method includes step S1 of placing the object 2 so that the application surface 5 in the narrow portion 4c faces downward, step S5 of inserting a brush coater 30 having a brush portion 31 with a sealant attached thereto at its upper portion into the narrow portion 4c, and applying the sealant to the application surface 5 while pressing the brush portion 31 upward and rubbing it against the application surface 5 to form a brush coat 6a, step S7 of turning the object 2 upside down after forming the brush coat 6a so that the application surface 5 faces upward, and step S8 of turning the object 2 upside down, inserting an edge sealer 40 into the narrow portion 4c after turning it over, and applying the sealant from above onto the brush coat 6a with the edge sealer 40 to form an edge seal 6b that is thicker than the brush coat 6a.

[0057] As a result, when forming the brush coat 6a, the brush part 31 of the brush coat device 30 can be pressed from below against the downward application surface 5 to apply the sealant for the brush coat 6a. Therefore, the pressing force of the brush coat device 30 against the application surface 5 can be adjusted without considering the gravity of the brush coat device 30, so the brush coat 6a can be formed uniformly on the application surface 5. In addition, it is possible to prevent the sealant from dripping and adhering to areas other than the application portion on the application surface 5 that requires seal repair. Furthermore, when forming the edge seal 6b, the sealant for the edge seal 6b can be applied to the surface of the upward brush coat 6a. The edge seal 6b is thicker than the brush coat 6a, so it takes time to harden. Therefore, the sealant is leveled by gravity before the sealant for the edge seal 6b hardens, and the edge seal 6b can be formed in close contact with the surface of the brush coat 6a. Therefore, the brush coat 6a and edge seal 6b can be easily formed in close contact with defects occurring on the application surface 5, so that seal repair can be performed with high accuracy.

[0058] The sealant application method of this embodiment includes step S3, after the object 2 is positioned with the treatment surface 5 facing downward, and before the brush coat 6a is formed, of inserting a sanding device 20 into the narrow portion 4c and sanding the treatment surface 5 by pressing the sanding device 20 upward and rubbing it against the treatment surface 5.

[0059] For example, when the workpiece 2 is placed so that the work surface 5 faces upward, the sanding device 20 needs to be inserted downward, and therefore gravity may cause the sanding device to come into contact with a portion of the work surface 5 that does not need to be sanded. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the sanding device can be pressed against the work surface 5 from below, so that it is possible to prevent the sanding device from coming into contact with a portion of the work surface 5 that does not need to be sanded due to gravity. Therefore, it is possible to press the sanding device against only the portion of the work surface 5 that needs to be sanded, thereby sanding it. In addition, it is possible to prevent the powder that has been ground before returning to the opening of the narrow portion 4c after sanding from falling onto the surface of the stringer 4 located below the work surface 5 and contaminating it.

[0060] In this way, the brush coat 6a can be formed after the application surface 5 has been activated by sanding the application surface 5, and therefore the adhesion of the brush coat 6a to the application surface 5 can be improved.

[0061] The sealant application method of this embodiment may include steps S2, S4, S6, and S10, in which, after the object 2 is positioned with the treatment surface 5 facing downward, and before and / or after the sanding step S3, a cleaning device 10 having a cleaning section 11 with a solvent attached on its upper part is inserted into the narrow section 4c, and the cleaning section 11 is pressed upward and rubbed against the treatment surface 5 to clean the treatment surface 5.

[0062] For example, when the object 2 is placed so that the surface 5 faces upward, the cleaning device 10 needs to be inserted so that the cleaning unit 11 faces downward, and so gravity may cause the cleaning unit 11 to come into contact with areas on the surface 5 that do not need to be cleaned. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the cleaning unit 11 can be pressed against the surface 5 from below, so that it is possible to prevent the cleaning unit 11 from coming into contact with areas on the surface 5 that do not need to be cleaned due to the influence of gravity. Therefore, it is possible to press the cleaning unit 11 against only the areas on the surface 5 that need to be cleaned, and clean them.

[0063] This allows sanding to be performed after cleaning the application surface 5, improving the accuracy of sanding. In addition, since the application surface 5 can be cleaned after sanding, the next step (such as step S5 for forming the brush coat 6a) can be performed with high accuracy.

[0064] In addition, the sealant application method of this embodiment includes steps S2, S4, S6, and S10, after the object 2 is positioned with the treatment surface 5 facing downward, and before and / or after step S5 of forming the brush coat 6a, of inserting a cleaning device 10 having a cleaning section 11 with a solvent attached at its upper part into the narrow section 4c, and pressing the cleaning section 11 upward and rubbing it against the treatment surface 5 to clean the treatment surface 5.

[0065] This allows the brush coat 6a to be formed after cleaning the application surface 5, thereby improving the adhesion of the brush coat 6a to the application surface 5. In addition, since the application surface 5 can be cleaned after the brush coat 6a is formed, the next step (such as step S8 for forming the edge seal 6b) can be performed with high accuracy.

[0066] The sealant application method of this embodiment includes a step S12, which is performed after the edge seal 6b is formed, in which an inspection device 50 having a contact portion 55 protruding downward is inserted into the narrow portion 4c and the contact portion 55 is pressed against the seal 6 consisting of the brush coat 6a and edge seal 6b formed within the narrow portion 4c in a rubbing manner from a direction intersecting the vertical direction Dv to inspect the adhesion of the seal 6.

[0067] This makes it possible to inspect the adhesion of the seal 6. This leads to improved accuracy in seal repair.

[0068] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like that do not depart from the gist of the present disclosure are also included. In the above embodiment, the blade composed of the outer plate 3 and the stringer 4 is taken as an example of the object 2, but the object 2 is not limited thereto. The object 2 may be, for example, a pipe. When the object 2 is a pipe, the internal flow path becomes the narrow portion 4c, and a part of the flow path surface becomes the object 5.

[0069] <Additional Notes> The sealant application method described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0070] (1) A sealant application method according to a first aspect is a sealant application method for applying a sealant to a narrow portion 4c as a hollow portion formed inside an object 2 and communicating with the outside, the method including a step S1 of arranging the object 2 so that a surface 5 to be applied inside the narrow portion 4c faces downward, a step S2 of inserting a brush coat device 30 having a brush portion 31 to which a sealant is attached at an upper portion into the narrow portion 4c, and pressing the brush portion 31 upward while rubbing it against the surface 5 to be applied to apply the sealant to the surface 5 to be applied. The method includes step S5 of applying a sealing material to the brush coat 6a to form a brush coat 6a, step S7 of turning the workpiece 2 upside down after forming the brush coat 6a so that the work surface 5 faces upward, and step S8 of inserting an edge seal device 40 into the narrow portion 4c after turning the workpiece 2 upside down, and using the edge seal device 40 to apply a sealing material onto the brush coat 6a from above to form an edge seal 6b that is thicker than the brush coat 6a.

[0071] As a result, when forming the brush coat 6a, the brush part 31 of the brush coat device 30 can be pressed from below against the downward application surface 5 to apply the sealant for the brush coat 6a. Therefore, the pressing force of the brush coat device 30 against the application surface 5 can be adjusted without considering the gravity of the brush coat device 30, so the brush coat 6a can be formed uniformly on the application surface 5. Furthermore, when forming the edge seal 6b, the sealant for the edge seal 6b can be applied to the surface of the upward brush coat 6a. The edge seal 6b is thicker than the brush coat 6a, so it takes time to harden. Therefore, the sealant for the edge seal 6b is leveled by gravity before it hardens, and the edge seal 6b can be formed in close contact with the surface of the brush coat 6a.

[0072] (2) A second aspect of the sealant application method is the sealant application method of (1), which may include a step S3, after the object 2 is positioned with the application surface 5 facing downward, and before the brush coat 6a is formed, of inserting a sanding device 20 into the narrow portion 4c and sanding the application surface 5 by rubbing the sanding device 20 against the application surface 5 while pressing it upward.

[0073] According to this embodiment, since the sanding device can be pressed against the processing surface 5 from below, it is possible to prevent the sanding device from coming into contact with the portions of the processing surface 5 that do not need to be sanded due to the influence of gravity. Therefore, it is possible to sand only the portions of the processing surface 5 that need to be sanded by pressing the sanding device against them.

[0074] (3) A third aspect of the sealant application method is the sealant application method of (2), which may include steps S2, S4, S6, and S10 of inserting a cleaning device 10 having a cleaning section 11 with a solvent attached thereto at an upper portion into the narrow portion 4c after placing the object 2 with the application surface 5 facing downward and before and / or after the sanding step S3, and pressing the cleaning section 11 upward while rubbing it against the application surface 5 to clean the application surface 5.

[0075] According to this embodiment, the cleaning part 11 can be pressed against the application surface 5 from below, so that it is possible to prevent the cleaning part 11 from coming into contact with the areas on the application surface 5 that do not need to be cleaned due to the influence of gravity. Therefore, it is possible to press the cleaning part 11 against only the areas on the application surface 5 that need to be cleaned, thereby cleaning them.

[0076] (4) A fourth aspect of the sealant application method is any one of the sealant application methods (1) to (3), and may include steps S2, S4, S6, and S10 of inserting a cleaning device 10 having a cleaning section 11 with a solvent attached thereto at an upper portion into the narrow portion 4c after placing the object 2 with the application surface 5 facing downward and before and / or after step S5 of forming the brush coat 6a, and pressing the cleaning section 11 upward while rubbing it against the application surface 5 to clean the application surface 5.

[0077] (5) A fifth aspect of the sealant application method is any one of the sealant application methods (1) to (4), and may include a step S12, after the edge seal 6b is formed, of inserting an inspection device 50 having a contact portion 55 protruding downward into the narrow portion 4c, and pressing the contact portion 55 against the seal 6 consisting of the brush coat 6a and the edge seal 6b formed within the narrow portion 4c in a rubbing manner from a direction intersecting the vertical direction Dv to inspect the adhesion of the seal 6.

[0078] This makes it possible to inspect the adhesion of the seal 6. This leads to improved accuracy in seal repair. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...Repair system 2...Work 3...Outer plate 4...Stringer 4a...Connection 4b...Protrusion 4c...Narrow section 5...Work surface 6...Seal 6a...Brush coat 6b...Edge seal 10...Cleaning device 11...Cleaning section 12...Base 13...Waste 20...Sanding device 21...Sanding section 22...Base 23...Adhesive section 24...Scotch 30...Brush coat device 31...Brush section 32...Base 33...Brush 40...Edge seal device 41...Molding nozzle 42...Supply section 43...Nozzle body 44...Supply hole 45...Cavity 46...Opening 50...Inspection device 51...Telescopic mechanism 52...Inspection section 53...Base 54...Arm 55...Contact section 60...Casing 61...Opening 65...Pipe 70...Pressing section 75…Casing 76…Opening 77…Exit hole Ds…Front-rear direction Dsf…Front side Dsb…Rear side Dw…Right-left direction Dwl…Left side Dwr…Right side Dv…Up-down direction Dvu…Upper side Dvd…Lower side

Claims

1. A method for applying a sealant to a narrow space, which is a hollow space formed inside an object and communicates with the outside, comprising: A step of placing the object so that a construction surface in the narrow portion faces downward; a step of inserting a brush coating device having a brush part with a sealant attached at an upper part into the narrow part, and applying the sealant to the application surface by rubbing the brush part against the application surface while pressing the brush part upward to form a brush coat; After forming the brush coat, the workpiece is turned upside down so that the work surface faces upward; After the workpiece is inverted, an edge seal device is inserted into the narrow portion, and a sealant is applied from above onto the brush coat by the edge seal device to form an edge seal that is thicker than the brush coat; A sealant application method comprising:

2. 2. The sealant application method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: inserting a sanding device into the narrow portion after placing the object with the application surface facing downward and before forming the brush coat, and sanding the application surface by pressing the sanding device upward and rubbing it against the application surface.

3. 3. The sealant application method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of: after placing the object to be applied with the surface to be applied facing downward, and before and / or after the sanding step, inserting a cleaning device having a cleaning part with a solvent attached at an upper part into the narrow portion, and pressing the cleaning part upward while rubbing it against the surface to be applied to clean the surface to be applied.

4. 4. The sealant application method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: after the object is positioned with the application surface facing downward, and before and / or after the step of forming the brush coat, inserting a cleaning device having a cleaning part with a solvent attached at its upper part into the narrow portion, and pressing the cleaning part upward while rubbing it against the application surface to clean the application surface.

5. 4. The seal application method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: after forming the edge seal, inserting an inspection device having a contact portion protruding downward into the narrow portion, and pressing the contact portion against a seal consisting of the brush coat and the edge seal formed in the narrow portion in a direction intersecting the vertical direction to inspect the adhesion of the seal.

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