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US 9,925,628 B2Granted
Method for installing fasteners with electromagnetic effect protection
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorJulie M. Drexler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for installing a fastener by positioning a cap around the fastener, spraying a cooling agent from a sprayer of a cooling system. The fastener may have a top portion including a dielectric material. The cooling system may be configured to cool the top portion of the fastener to stiffen the top portion. A tool may be configured to install the fastener in a structure after cooling, while retaining the cooling agent within the cap.
Claims13
A method for installing a fastener, the method comprising:
- positioning a cap around the fastener;
- spraying a cooling agent from a sprayer of a cooling system to stiffen a top portion of the fastener by cooling the top portion of the fastener to a temperature such that the top portion of the fastener has a desired level of stiffness;
- and
- installing the fastener in a structure while retaining the cooling agent within the cap.
1 more element
A method for installing a fastener, the method comprising:
- positioning the fastener within a cap for cooling system associated with a robotic device and configured to cool the fastener prior to installing the fastener using the robotic device, in which the fastener is selected from one of a bolt, a screw, a hexdrive, an interference fit fastener, a rivet, a lockbolt, and a tapered sleeved bolt;
- cooling a top portion of the fastener by spraying a cooling agent from a sprayer associated with the robotic device, in which the top portion of the fastener includes a dielectric material selected from at least one of a polymer, a thermoplastic material, a thermoset material, an adhesive, or rubber and configured to provide electromagnetic effect protection, and in which the fastener is cooled to a temperature such that the top portion of the fastener has a desired level of stiffness;
- and
- while retaining the cooling agent within the cap, installing the fastener in a structure using a rivet gun associated with the robotic device after cooling such that deformation in the top portion of the fastener is reduced when installed in the structure in an aircraft.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.