Sliding Repair Plug for Structural Component Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Structural components often suffer damage during manufacture or service, leading to integrity issues and difficulties in repair, especially in airframe components, where improper repair can result in failure and weight inefficiencies, and conventional repair methods like adding doublers are not always feasible due to thickness concerns and require significant equipment.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising sliding members with flanges and sleeves that fill defective holes, attach to the structural component with adhesives, and optionally include cover plies to maintain thickness, allowing for the creation of new fastener holes or attachment points without significant equipment or environment, addressing various types of damage including elongated, overlapping, and edge defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional repair methods like adding doublers are used, then structural integrity can be restored, but the component thickness increases and significant equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The repair device is divided into multiple segments or layers that can be stacked to fill the defective hole. Each segment contributes to the overall repair structure, allowing the repair to be built up in a controlled manner without requiring excessive thickness in any single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The repair device employs a nested structure where multiple repair elements are placed concentrically or in layers within the defective hole. This nesting approach maximizes the use of available space while maintaining the original component thickness profile, as each nested element utilizes the space created by the previous one.
2Reliability
If conventional repair methods are used, then structural integrity can be restored, but significant equipment and special environments are required
Solution Approach 1:
The repair device is designed to be self-contained and self-installing. The sliding members automatically position themselves when actuated, and the adhesive bonding occurs without requiring external fixation equipment. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex tooling and special environmental controls during the repair process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces complex mechanical repair systems with a simpler adhesive-based bonding system. Instead of requiring mechanical fasteners, clamps, or specialized tooling to secure the repair, the system uses chemical adhesion to bond the sliding members to the component, dramatically reducing equipment requirements.
3Reliability
If defective holes are filled with repair material, then structural integrity is restored, but the original thickness and configuration are altered
Solution Approach 1:
The repair device is designed with local quality variations where different portions of the repair structure have different properties optimized for their specific functions. The sliding members have varying thicknesses and material properties tailored to their positions, allowing the repair to restore structural integrity while closely matching the original component thickness profile in critical areas.
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
The solution enables effective repair of structural components by restoring mechanical properties, ensuring structural integrity, and maintaining weight efficiency, allowing for field repairs without the need for extensive equipment or special environments, thus preventing component failure and optimizing aircraft payload.
Implementation Method 1
The sliding members are attachable to the structural component with adhesives
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method to repair a structural component. The device includes a plug that bonds to the structural component. The plug includes a flange and a solid shank extending from the flange, the solid shank being disposable in an opening of the structural component. The device further includes disc that bonds to the structural component such that, when bonded, the disc covers the solid shank of the plug. The method includes bonding the plug to the structural component such that the solid shank of the plug is disposed in the opening of the structural component. The method further includes bonding the disc to the structural component.