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US 2009/0288529 A1Published application
Detecting and Reworking Inconsistencies Proximate Aircraft Splice Joints
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJoseph F. Floyd, John R. Linn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Detecting inconsistencies proximate a panel splice joint involves trimming a portion of a first panel overlapping a second panel to expose a previously overlapped region of the second panel. The previously overlapped region of the second panel may be inspected to detect any inconsistencies present thereon after trimming the portion.
Claims37
A method of detecting inconsistencies proximate a panel splice joint, the method comprising steps of:
- trimming a portion of a first panel overlapping a second panel to expose a previously overlapped region of the second panel;
- and
- inspecting the previously overlapped region to detect any inconsistencies after trimming the portion.
A method of detecting inconsistencies, the method comprising steps of:
- trimming a portion of a first skin panel overlapping a second panel to expose a previously overlapped region of the second panel;
- inspecting the previously overlapped region to detect any inconsistencies after trimming the portion, the step of inspecting comprising a visual inspection;
- inspecting the previously overlapped region to detect a number of inconsistencies;
- and
- reworking the detected inconsistencies.
2 more elements
A method of detecting inconsistencies, the method comprising steps of:
- trimming a portion of the first skin panel overlapping the second panel to expose a previously overlapped region of the second panel while leaving the second panel unchanged, wherein trimming is performed without undesirably changing the overlap joint and without removing a remaining portion of the first skin panel, and wherein at least some of the remaining portion remains after trimming;
- and
- inspecting, after the step of trimming, the previously overlapped region to detect inconsistencies.
A method of detecting inconsistencies, the method comprising steps of:
- trimming a portion of the first skin panel overlapping the second panel to expose a previously overlapped region of the second panel while leaving the second panel unchanged, wherein trimming is performed without undesirably changing the overlap joint and without removing a remaining portion of the first skin panel, and wherein at least some of the remaining portion remains after trimming,
- wherein the step of trimming comprises cutting with a rotary trimming tool;
- inspecting, after the step of trimming, the previously overlapped region to detect inconsistencies, wherein the step of inspecting comprises visually inspecting for inconsistencies, the inconsistencies being selected from at least one of a number of blendable inconsistencies, corrosion, and a number of unblendable inconsistencies;
- inspecting the previously overlapped region to detect inconsistencies, the step of inspecting comprising performing a high frequency eddy current inspection;
- responsive to at least one of the step of inspecting and the step of inspecting, detecting a number of inconsistencies;
- and
- reworking the detected inconsistencies, wherein responsive to the inconsistencies being a number of blendable inconsistencies, the step of reworking comprises blending out the number of blendable inconsistencies that are detected.
4 more elements
A method of managing inconsistencies, the method comprising steps of:
- trimming a portion of the first skin panel overlapping the second panel including at least a portion of the overlapping edge to expose a previously overlapped region of the second panel, wherein trimming is performed without undesirably changing the overlap joint and without removing a remaining portion of the first skin panel, and wherein at least some of the remaining portion remains after trimming, while leaving the second panel unchanged;
- inspecting the previously overlapped region to detect a number of inconsistencies selected from the group consisting of a number of blendable inconsistencies, a number of unblendable inconsistencies, and corrosion;
- and
- inspecting the previously overlapped region to detect a number of inconsistencies.
1 more element
A method of managing inconsistencies, the method comprising steps of:
- trimming a portion of the first skin panel overlapping the second panel including at least a portion of the overlapping edge to expose a previously overlapped region of the second panel, wherein trimming is performed without undesirably changing the overlap joint and without removing a remaining portion of the first skin panel, and wherein at least some of the remaining portion remains after trimming, while leaving the second panel unchanged, wherein the trimming comprises cutting with a rotary trimming tool, the trimmed portion of the first skin panel being proximate to a detected inconsistency;
- inspecting the previously overlapped region to detect a number of inconsistencies selected from the group consisting of a number of blendable inconsistencies, a number of unblendable inconsistencies, and corrosion;
- inspecting the previously overlapped region to detect a number of inconsistencies, the inspecting comprising performing a high frequency eddy current inspection that detect unblendable inconsistencies;
- responsive to the inspecting and the inspecting, detecting a number of inconsistencies;
- and
- reworking a number of the detected inconsistencies, the reworking comprising:
- blending out detected inconsistencies;
- removing a section of the previously overlapped region including a detected number of inconsistencies;
- and
- replacing the removed section with a replacement
- panel, wherein the replacement panel is a replacement doubler.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.