High-viscosity sealing material application system

Abstract

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying high-viscosity sealing material using an automated system. [Solution] In a method and apparatus for applying a sealing material (102), a nozzle system (120) is positioned relative to a structure (104) using a robotic device (128). The sealing material is applied to the structure in a predetermined number of flows (131) using the nozzle system and the robotic device to form a sealing material deposit (138) having a desired shape (140), and the sealing material has a viscosity (112) greater than a predetermined threshold (114).

Claims

1. A robot mounting element configured for attachment to robotic equipment, A source mounting element configured for attachment to a source that holds a sealing material having a viscosity greater than a predetermined threshold, An apparatus comprising a nozzle system configured to apply the sealing material to a structure in a predetermined number of flows to form a deposit of sealing material having a desired shape.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle system is configured to be held at least 0.5 inches away from the structure while applying a sealing material to the structure.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nozzle system is configured to be held at least 1.0 inch away from the structure while applying a sealing material to the structure.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the robotic device is configured to move the nozzle system relative to a structure, so that the sealing material is applied with a desired level of uniformity and precision.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the desired shape of the seal material deposit is a bead having substantially uniform thickness and width along its longitudinal direction.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a temperature control element associated with a nozzle system and configured to control the temperature of a sealing material flowing through the nozzle system and to change the viscosity of the sealing material.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nozzle system is configured to apply a sealing material onto a structure in either a single-flow mode or a multiple-flow mode using a predetermined coating pattern.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the nozzle system is configured to apply a sealing material to a predetermined number of target portions of a structure in a predetermined number of flows, and when the sealant deposit hardens, it forms a sealing portion having a desired shape on the predetermined number of target portions.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a robot equipment mounting element, a supply source mounting element, and a nozzle system constitute a seal material application system, and the seal material application system is an end effector for robot equipment.

10. Using robotic equipment to position the nozzle system relative to the structure, A method for applying a sealing material, comprising using the nozzle system and robotic equipment to apply the sealing material to the structure in a predetermined number of flows to form a deposit of sealing material having a desired shape, The sealing material has a viscosity greater than a predetermined threshold, in a method.

11. Using a nozzle system and robotic equipment, sealing material can be applied to structures. The method according to claim 10, comprising moving the nozzle system along the structure and simultaneously using the robotic equipment to discharge sealing material from the nozzle system so that the sealing material is applied with a desired level of uniformity and precision.

12. Using robotic equipment to position the nozzle system relative to the structure, Using the aforementioned robotic device, the nozzle system is positioned relative to the structure, and the nozzle system is held at a distance of at least approximately 0.5 inches from the structure. The nozzle system is moved along the aforementioned structure, and at the same time, the sealing material is discharged from the nozzle system using the robotic equipment. The method according to claim 10 or claim 11, comprising maintaining a predetermined distance of at least about 0.5 inches between the structure and the end of the nozzle system, and simultaneously moving the nozzle system along the structure using the robotic equipment.

13. Applying sealing material to a structure is The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, comprising controlling a plurality of parameters for a nozzle system while applying a sealing material onto the structure.

14. During the application of sealing material to a structure, multiple parameters for the nozzle system can be controlled. The method according to claim 13, comprising controlling at least one of the flow velocity of the sealing material to be discharged, the temperature of the sealing material, the translational speed of the nozzle system, or the rotational speed of the nozzle system.

15. Applying a sealing material to a structure, The viscosity of the sealing material is changed, and the flow rate of the sealing material is changed via the nozzle system. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, comprising applying a sealing material onto the structure in a predetermined coating pattern using the nozzle system, in either a single flow mode or a multi-flow mode.

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