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US 10,480,544 B2Granted
Bladder assembly and associated bore alignment system and method
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorSteven R. Perry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bladder assembly including an inflatable bladder having an elongated body defining an internal volume, the body being formed as a layered structure that includes an elastomeric layer defining an interior surface of the body, a friction-reducing layer defining an exterior surface of the body, and a jacketing layer positioned between the elastomeric layer and the friction-reducing layer, and a pressurized fluid source in selective fluid communication with the internal volume of the body.
Claims23
A method for aligning a plurality of bores in a first member with a plurality of bores in a second member, said method comprising:
- positioning a first inflatable bladder to extend through both a first bore in said first member and a second bore in said second member, wherein said first inflatable bladder is positioned inside said first bore and is positioned inside said second bore;
- positioning a second inflatable bladder to extend through both a third bore in said first member and a fourth bore in said second member, wherein said second inflatable bladder is positioned inside said third bore and is positioned inside said fourth bore;
- and
- moving said first member relative to said second member by pressurizing said first and second inflatable bladders with a fluid to cause said first and second inflatable bladders to expand into engagement with said first member and said second member.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.