SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PREVENT CRACKING OF EXTERIOR PAINT ALONG STRUCTURAL JOINTS OF PAINTED AEROSPACE COMPONENTS

• US 20180162513A1
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Embraer S.A.
• Original Assignee: Embraer S.A.
• Inventors: WEBER, Fbio Angheben, VASQUEZ DE MESQUITA, Cleber, GOUVEA, Felipe Henrique, ALEXANDRE DE BARROS MENDES, Paulo
• Granted Patent: US 10,449,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/069 Joining arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/00 Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/02 between relatively-stationary surfaces F16J15/46, F16J15/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/197 with noncoplanar reinforcement

Abstract

Anti-paint cracking systems are provided as part of a painted aerospace component (e.g., a fuselage, an engine nacelle, a wing, an empennage, a fairing and the like) having a pair of adjacent structural panels defining therebetween a joint space having a lengthwise extent and a finished paint topcoat covering an exterior surface of the adjacent structural panels and the joint space therebetween. The anti-paint cracking system will thus be associated with the joint space along the lengthwise extent thereof and positioned below the finished paint topcoat. The anti-paint cracking system will include a joint sealant positioned in the joint space and an adhesive tape or a fibrous tape formed of a fiber composite material applied over the joint space and the joint sealant positioned therein.

Claims

1. A painted aerospace component comprising:

a pair of adjacent structural panels defining therebetween a joint space having a lengthwise extent;

a finished paint topcoat covering an exterior surface of the adjacent structural panels and the joint space therebetween; and

an anti-paint cracking system associated with the joint space along the lengthwise extent thereof and positioned below the finished paint topcoat, wherein the anti-paint cracking system comprises;

(i) a joint sealant positioned in the joint space, and

(ii) an adhesive tape or a fibrous tape formed of a fiber composite material applied over the joint space and the joint sealant positioned therein.

2. The painted aerospace component as in claim 1, wherein the anti-paint cracking system comprises a fibrous tape formed of a fiber composite material which comprises synthetic fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix.

3. The painted aerospace component as in claim 2, wherein the synthetic fibers are selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, boron fibers, aramid fibers and mixtures thereof.

4. The painted aerospace component as in claim 3, wherein the polymeric matrix comprises an epoxy resin.

5. The painted aerospace component as in claim 2, wherein the synthetic fibers in the fibrous tape are oriented at an angle of about 45°

relative to the lengthwise extent of the joint space between the adjacent panels.

6. The painted aerospace component as in claim 2, further comprising a primer undercoat layer applied to the adjacent panels under the fibrous tape so as to cover the joint sealant.

7. The painted aerospace component as in claim 2, further comprising a secondary primer overcoat applied onto at least the fibrous tape below the finished paint topcoat.

8. The painted aerospace component as in claim 1, wherein the component is an aircraft component selected from the group consisting of a fuselage, an engine nacelle, a wing, an empennage and a fairing.

9. The painted aerospace component as in claim 1, further comprising a splice plate connected to interior surface regions of the adjacent panels along the lengthwise extent of the joint space therebetween.

10. An aircraft which comprises the painted aerospace component as in claim 1.

11. An aircraft which comprises an exterior surface painted component comprising:

a pair of adjacent structural panels defining therebetween a joint space having a lengthwise extent;

a splice plate connected to interior surface regions of the adjacent panels along the lengthwise extent of the joint space therebetween;

a finished paint topcoat covering an exterior surface of the adjacent structural panels and the joint space therebetween;

a primer undercoat layer applied to the adjacent panels so as to cover the joint space along the lengthwise extent thereof; and

an anti-paint cracking system associated with the joint space along the lengthwise extent thereof and positioned below the finished paint topcoat, wherein the anti-paint cracking system comprises;

(i) a joint sealant positioned in the joint space,

(ii) an adhesive tape or a fibrous tape formed of a fiber composite material applied over the joint space and the joint sealant positioned therein; and

(iii) a secondary primer overcoat applied onto at least the fibrous tape below the finished paint topcoat.

12. The painted aerospace component as in claim 11, wherein the anti-paint cracking system comprises a fibrous tape formed of a fiber composite material which comprises synthetic fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix.

13. The painted aerospace component as in claim 12, wherein the synthetic fibers are selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, boron fibers, aramid fibers and mixtures thereof.

14. The painted aerospace component as in claim 13, wherein the polymeric adhesive matrix comprises an epoxy resin.

15. The painted aerospace component as in claim 12, wherein the synthetic fibers in the fibrous tape are oriented at an angle of about 45°

relative to the lengthwise extent of the joint space between the adjacent panels.

16. A method to prevent crack formation along a lengthwise extent of a joint space between painted adjacent structural panels of an aerospace component, wherein the method comprises:

(a) applying an adhesive tape or a fibrous tape comprised of synthetic fibers embedded in a curable polymeric matrix over the joint space between the adjacent structural panels;

(b) allowing the polymeric matrix to cure; and

thereafter

(c) applying a paint topcoat layer over the fibrous tape and the exterior surfaces of the adjacent structural panels.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein step (a) is practiced by orienting the synthetic fibers in the fibrous tape at an angle of about 45°

relative to the lengthwise extent of the joint space.

18. The method as in claim 16, wherein step (a) comprises inserting a joint sealant within the joint space.

19. The method as in claim 16, wherein step (a) comprises applying a primer undercoat layer to the adjacent panels over the joint space, and thereafter applying the fibrous tape onto the primer undercoat layer over the joint space.

20. The method according to claim 19, which further comprises between steps (b) and (c) the step of applying a secondary primer overcoat onto at least the fibrous tape.

21. The method as in claim 16, wherein the fiber composite material comprises synthetic fibers embedded in a polymeric adhesive matrix.

22. The method as in claim 21, wherein the synthetic fibers are selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, boron fibers, aramid fibers and mixtures thereof.

23. The method component as in claim 22, wherein the polymeric adhesive matrix comprises an epoxy resin.

24. The method as in claim 16, wherein step (a) includes orienting the synthetic fibers in the fibrous tape at an angle of about 45°

relative to the lengthwise extent of the joint space between the adjacent panels.