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US 11,305,390 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for single-sided clamp-up
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsHarinder S. Oberoi, Kevin Marion Barrick, Charles Yuanxin Hu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for providing a clamp-up are provided. The methods and apparatuses include reaching through a first hole in a first part to grip a wall that defines a second hole in a second part to thereby pull the second part against the first part.
Claims29
A method for providing a clamp-up, the method comprising:
- suctioning, from a first side of a clamp-up of a first part and a second part, air through a fastener hole formed by a first hole in the first part and a second hole in the second part to pull the second part towards the first part and thereby provide the clamp-up of the first part and the second part.
A method for maintaining a clamp-up, the method comprising:
- applying, by a first end effector at a first side of a panel joint, a first force via contact with the first side of a panel joint;
- applying, by a second end effector at a second side of the panel joint, a second force that is equal and opposite to the first force via contact with the second side of the panel joint to establish the clamp-up;
- and
- maintaining, by the first end effector at the first side of the panel joint, the clamp-up after the second end effector is removed from contact with the second side using a partial vacuum drawn through a fastener hole that passes through the panel joint.
1 more element
A method for providing a single-sided clamp-up:
- applying, by a single function end effector positioned at a first side of a panel joint, a first force to a first panel of the panel joint;
- and
- applying, by the single function end effector, a second force that is equal and opposite to the first force to a second panel of the panel joint to thereby provide the single-sided clamp-up of the first panel and the second panel, wherein the second force comprises a suction force.
A method of providing a clamp-up, the method comprising:
- reaching through a first hole in a first part to grip a wall that defines a second hole in a second part using suctioning of air through the first hole and the second hole to thereby pull the second part against the first part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.