Spaced-Surface Applicator for Uniform Aircraft Adhesive Films
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for applying adhesive to aircraft components are time-consuming, difficult to achieve uniform thickness, and can cause foreign object contamination due to the use of fibrous rollers.
Innovation Solution
An adhesive applicator with a plurality of outlets, channels, and reservoirs that form a film of adhesive by moving over a surface, maintaining spaced relationship with the surface to control thickness, and optionally having a covered reservoir to prevent adhesive loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a bead of adhesive is applied and spread using a spatula, then adhesive can be applied to the surface, but it is time-consuming and difficult to achieve uniform thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual spatula spreading mechanism with an automated roller system. The roller, equipped with a patterned surface, mechanically deposits adhesive in a continuous motion, eliminating the need for manual spreading operations and achieving both uniform thickness and faster application time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of adhesive application by controlling the pressure, speed, and pattern of the roller. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves uniform adhesive distribution and consistent thickness without requiring manual intervention, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and time consumption.
2Productivity
If rollers are used to apply adhesive, then application speed increases, but it is difficult to achieve uniform thickness and fibrous rollers cause foreign object contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a roller with a specific patterned surface structure that is optimized for adhesive deposition. The pattern on the roller surface is designed to distribute adhesive uniformly as it rotates, ensuring consistent thickness while maintaining high application speed. This localized optimization of the roller surface prevents the foreign object contamination issue associated with fibrous rollers.
3Manufacturing precision
If a regulating roller is used to achieve uniform adhesive deposition, then manufacturing precision improves, but the device becomes complex, expensive, and time-consuming to clean
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of uniform adhesive deposition from complex regulating roller systems. By using a simpler roller with a patterned surface, the design achieves uniform deposition without the complicated mechanisms found in traditional regulating rollers. This extraction of the core function simplifies the overall device structure, reduces cost, and makes cleaning much easier while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An applicator for applying an adhesive film to a surface of an aircraft component includes an adhesive inlet for receiving adhesive from a source of adhesive, adhesive outlets for dispensing of adhesive therethrough, one or more reservoirs for receiving adhesive from a respective adhesive outlet, channels wherein at least two of the channels are configured to facilitate delivery of adhesive from the adhesive inlet to a respective, mutually-different outlet, and one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces for contacting adhesive dispensed from the adhesive outlets into the reservoir and for forming an adhesive film therefrom, the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces being configured to be maintained in spaced relationship with a surface onto which an adhesive film is to be formed.