Portable sealant dispense system
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsJames A. Kelley, Michael B. Weaver, David Schultz, Jason O'Rustus LeFever
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for dispensing a sealant over aircraft fasteners secured to a surface in the aircraft. The system includes a nozzle tip having a shroud configured for placement over the fasteners. Sealant is metered to the shroud via an orifice within the nozzle tip. The shroud is sized to leave a space between it and the fastener to control the amount of sealant applied to the fastener upper surface and along the interface between the fastener and aircraft surface. Pressurized fluid urges the sealant through the orifice.
Claims11
A method of applying a flowable substance to a fastener coupled to a fastened member, the method comprising:
- a. providing a sealant dispenser with an attached nozzle tip that is in fluid communication with a supply of sealant, the nozzle tip having an opening adapted to define the space over an interface between a fastener and a fastened member when placed on the fastened member above the fastener and placing the nozzle tip over the fastener, enclosing the space over the interface between the fastener and the fastened member so that at least a portion of a fastener head of the fastener extends outside of the space;
- and
- b. dispensing sealant to the nozzle tip from the supply of sealant, covering the interface between the fastener and the fastened member by filling the space with a flowable substance, the at least portion of a fastener head remaining devoid of the flowable substance.
A method of sealing an interface between an aircraft fastener and a fastened member, the method comprising:
- a. providing a sealant dispenser comprising an amount of sealant, an attached nozzle with a canopy that defines an enclosure having an open end, an inner surface, a face circumscribing the open end, and a cavity defined between the inner surface and open end;
- b. placing the enclosure open end over the fastener so that the face contacts a surface of the fastened member and a fastener head of the fastener projects into the cavity to define a space over the interface, the step of placing including positioning inner surface portions of the enclosure in contact with portions of the fastener head, blocking flow of sealant to substantial portions thereof when sealant is dispensed;
- c. forming a seal between the face and surface of the fastened member;
- d. flowing some of the amount of sealant from the dispenser to the nozzle;
- e. metering the amount of sealant flowing to the nozzle to fill the space with sealant thereby sealing the interface;
- and
- f. using a controller to meter an amount of pressurized fluid to thereby control the amount of sealant flowing into the enclosure having a volume substantially the same as the volume of the space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.