Sealant Containment Assembly for Aircraft Fastener Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of sealing fasteners in aircraft components is labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring highly skilled laborers and subjective evaluation for safety standards, especially in confined spaces where fluid protection and electrical discharge prevention are critical.
Innovation Solution
A sealant containment assembly that forms a sealing chamber around fastener patterns, using pre-cured sealant members with injection and exhaust ports to efficiently fill and cure sealant, reducing manual labor and ensuring proper seal integrity without specialized labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual seal caps and fillets are manually secured to fasteners, then seal integrity can be achieved, but the process becomes labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sealing operations into a single integrated process. Instead of manually applying individual seal caps and fillets to each fastener, the system uses a sealant containment assembly that distributes sealant automatically across multiple fasteners in one operation, merging sequential manual tasks into a unified automated process
Solution Approach 2:
The sealant containment assembly is designed to automatically distribute sealant to fasteners without requiring manual intervention for each application point. The system self-regulates the sealant flow through containment walls and distribution channels, eliminating the need for highly-skilled laborers to manually fill and inspect each seal cap
2Reliability
If multiple sealing interfaces are used to contain fuel and protect against electrical discharge, then safety standards are met, but the available space is limited and the process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sealant containment assembly performs multiple sealing functions simultaneously. A single application of sealant through the containment assembly provides both fuel containment and electrical discharge protection across all fasteners in the pattern, eliminating the need for separate sealing interfaces for each safety requirement
Solution Approach 2:
The containment assembly is divided into modular containment walls that can be configured to match different fastener patterns. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to various spatial constraints while maintaining consistent sealing performance across different aircraft components and configurations
3Manufacturing precision
If highly-skilled laborers manually seal each fastener, then proper seal integrity can be ensured, but the process requires specialized labor and increases manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates the need for skilled manual sealing by using an automated sealant distribution mechanism. The containment assembly with its integrated channels and containment walls automatically ensures proper sealant placement and distribution, replacing highly-skilled labor with a self-regulating mechanical system
Solution Approach 2:
The sealant containment assembly incorporates features that provide visual feedback on sealant distribution and containment. The design allows for easy inspection of sealant flow patterns and containment effectiveness, enabling quality verification without requiring specialized expertise in seal application techniques
4Adaptability or versatility
If manual sealing processes are used with subjective evaluation, then flexibility is maintained, but inspection time increases and consistency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The containment assembly design incorporates visible indicators of proper sealant distribution and containment. The structured geometry of the containment walls and distribution channels creates predictable, observable patterns that allow for rapid objective inspection, replacing subjective evaluation with clear visual verification criteria
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the sealing process from a variable manual operation to a controlled parameter-driven process. By standardizing sealant viscosity, flow rate, and containment geometry, the system creates consistent, measurable parameters that enable rapid inspection and reduce evaluation time while maintaining quality consistency
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly reduces the time and labor required for sealing, ensures consistent seal integrity, and facilitates efficient inspection, increasing quality and safety while minimizing manufacturing rework.
Implementation Method 1
allow fluid sealant to flow into the sealing chamber and cure to seal fasteners
Data Source
AI summary
A sealant containment assembly is configured to bound at least a portion of a fastener pattern between at least two components, such as components used to form at least a portion of an aircraft. The sealant containment assembly includes at least one sealant containment member that is configured to sealingly engage peripheral portions of components. The sealant containment member(s) is configured to form a sealing chamber around at least a portion of the fastener pattern. Fluid sealant is configured to flow into the sealing chamber and cure to seal fasteners within the fastener pattern that connect the components together.