Holding device for generating a retaining pressure on an airplane component

• US 20050236756A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Otten, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 7,735,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 269/266
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/061 with fluid drive B25B5/087, B25B5/122 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53961 with work-holder for assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53983 Work-supported apparatus

Abstract

A holding device produces a retaining pressure on a contoured airplane component (40) for holding the component in place when work is performed on the component. For this purpose the holding device (10) comprises a support (11) and at least one holding element (16) connected to the support (11) and projecting from the support (11) for contacting the contoured airplane component (40) in a holding zone. A spacing between a contact area of the holding element (16) and the support (11) is adjustable in accordance with the contour of the airplane component (40) in the holding zone. The adjustment of the position of the holding element relative to the support (11) moves the holding element (16) more or less against the surface contour so that the holding force is applied exactly where needed on the holding zone. A plurality of holding elements can be advanced toward the surface contour to variable extents so that all contact areas together conform to the surface contour.

Claims

1. A holding device for generating a retaining pressure on an airplane component 40 having a predetermined contour to be worked, said holding device (10) comprising a support (11), at least one holding element (16) movably connected to and projectable from said support (11) said at least one holding element (16) comprising a free end forming a contact area (16′

) for contacting said airplane component (40) in a holding zone of said predetermined contour, a drive operatively connected to said at least one holding element (16) for adjusting a position of said at least one holding element (16) relative to said support (11) so that a spacing of said contact area (16′

) from said support (11) is variable for conforming said spacing to said predetermined contour.

2. The holding device of claim 1, wherein said drive (15) is directly connected to said at least one holding element (16) for variably adjusting the position of said at least one holding element.

3. The holding device of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism (19) for releasably locking said at least one holding element (16) in an adjusted position.

4. The holding device of claim 3, further comprising control means (20) for selectively operating said locking mechanism.

5. The holding device of claim 1, further comprising an automatic control (22) operatively connected to said drive (15) for controlling said adjusting and thereby said spacing of said contact area (16′

) from said support.

6. The holding device of claim 5, wherein said automatic control (22) comprises a memory (22′

) for storing control information based on said predetermined contour for controlling said spacing in response to said predetermined contour.

7. The holding device of claim 1, further comprising a force source (24) positioned for applying a biasing force to said at least one holding element (16).

8. The holding device of claim 1, further comprising a force or pressure sensor (PS) for ascertaining any force or pressure effective between said contact area (16′

) and said predetermined surface contour to provide a respective control signal for automatically switching off said drive and for returning said at least one holding element (16) into a starting position

9. The holding device of claim 1, further comprising a return spring (RS) positioned for returning said at least one holding element into a starting position.

10. The holding device of claim 1, wherein said drive is any one drive selected from a hydraulic drive, a pneumatic drive, an electric drive, a piezo-electric drive and an electromagnetic drive.