Aircraft coating application system and method
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorDennis R. Mathis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coating application system may include a pair of towers movable along a respective pair of floor tracks. A crossbeam may extend between the pair of towers. The cross beam may have opposing beam ends. A universal joint may couple each beam end to a tower to allow the crossbeam to rotate about a vertical axis and about a horizontal axis. A robotic device may be mounted to the crossbeam. The robotic device may include an end effector for performing one or more operations on an aircraft exterior surface.
Claims21
A coating application system, comprising:
- a gantry, including:
- a pair of towers movable along a respective pair of floor tracks;
- a crossbeam extending between the pair of towers and having opposing beam ends;
- a universal joint coupling each beam end to one tower of the pair of towers and allowing the crossbeam to rotate about a vertical axis of the universal joint and about a horizontal axis of the universal joint;
- a robotic device haring a robot base mounted to the crossbeam via robot base guide rails configured to allow the robot base to travel beyond an outboard side of at least one tower of the pair of towers along a direction toward a pair of towers of an adjacent gantry;
- and
- the robotic device including an end effector for performing one or more operations on an aircraft exterior surface.
A coating application system for coating an exterior surface of an aircraft, comprising:
- at least one gantry, including:
- a first and second tower movable along a respective first and second floor track, the first and second floor track each including a straight track section oriented parallel to one another;
- a crossbeam extending between the first and second tower;
- at least one robotic device having an end effector configured to perform an operation on an aircraft exterior surface;
- a turntable located at an outboard end of the straight track section of the first floor track and configured to rotate the first tower about a first tower axis;
- and
- a curved track section extending from an outboard end of the straight track section of the second floor track and allowing the second tower to move along an arc of the curved track section having a center of curvature located at the first tower axis such that the crossbeam may pivot about the first tower axis.
A coating application method for an aircraft, comprising:
- positioning a gantry relative to an aircraft, the gantry having a crossbeam extending between a pair of towers engaged to respective floor track;
- moving the pair of towers in a synchronous manner along the floor tracks in a direction non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft;
- moving a robotic device along robot base guide rails mounted to the crossbeam, the robot base guide rails configured to allow a robot base of the robotic device to travel beyond an outboard side of at least one tower of the pair of towers along a direction toward a pair of towers of an adjacent gantry;
- and
- performing, using an end effector of the robotic device, an operation on an aircraft exterior surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.