Smart repair patch and associated method
First Claim
1. A system for identifying defects in a repair patch applied to a structure comprising:
- a sheet of material configured to be attached to the structure;
a mechanism operable to generate stress waves within and along the sheet of material;
a plurality of non-destructive sensors carried by the sheet of material, each sensor capable of detecting the stress waves, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is positioned proximate to an outer periphery of the sheet of material such that the plurality of sensors are not located on an inner portion of the sheet of material, and wherein the impact mechanism is operable to generate stress waves on the inner portion of the sheet of material; and
a data acquisition system capable of communicating with the sensors such that the data acquisition system is capable of generating information indicative of a defect in the sheet of material based on the data detected by the sensors.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for identifying defects in a repair patch applied to a structure are provided. The system includes a sheet of material configured to be attached to the structure, and a mechanism operable to generate stress waves within and along the sheet of material. The system also includes a plurality of non-destructive sensors carried by the sheet of material. Each sensor is capable of detecting the stress waves. The system further includes a data acquisition system capable of communicating with the sensors such that the data acquisition system is also capable of generating information indicative of at least a portion of the sheet of material based on the data detected by the sensors.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for identifying defects in a repair patch applied to a structure comprising:
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a sheet of material configured to be attached to the structure; a mechanism operable to generate stress waves within and along the sheet of material; a plurality of non-destructive sensors carried by the sheet of material, each sensor capable of detecting the stress waves, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is positioned proximate to an outer periphery of the sheet of material such that the plurality of sensors are not located on an inner portion of the sheet of material, and wherein the impact mechanism is operable to generate stress waves on the inner portion of the sheet of material; and a data acquisition system capable of communicating with the sensors such that the data acquisition system is capable of generating information indicative of a defect in the sheet of material based on the data detected by the sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A patch for repairing a structure comprising:
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a flexible sheet of material capable of being temporarily attached to the structure, the material from which the flexible sheet is comprised being configured to repair a defect in the structure; and a plurality of non-destructive sensors carried by the sheet of material, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is positioned proximate to an outer periphery of the sheet of material such that the plurality of sensors are not located on an inner portion of the sheet of material, and wherein each of the sensors is capable of detecting stress waves that are generated on the inner portion of the sheet of material and that travel within and along the sheet of material. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for identifying defects in a repair patch applied to a structure comprising:
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attaching a sheet of material carrying a plurality of non-destructive inspection sensors to the structure, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is positioned proximate to an outer periphery of the sheet of material such that the plurality of sensors are not located on an inner portion of the sheet of material; generating stress waves on the inner portion of the sheet of material such that the stress waves travel within and along a surface of the sheet of material to the outer periphery of the sheet of material; detecting the stress waves with the sensors; and deriving information from the stress waves that is indicative of a defect in the sheet of material. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A patch for repairing a structure comprising:
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a flexible sheet of material capable of being attached to the structure, wherein the sheet of material comprises a pre-cured composite material configured to repair a defect in the structure; and a plurality of non-destructive sensors carried by the sheet of material, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is positioned proximate to an outer periphery of the sheet of material such that the plurality of sensors are not located on an inner portion of the sheet of material, and wherein each of the sensors is capable of detecting stress waves that are generated on the inner portion of the sheet of material and that travel within and along the sheet of material.
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Specification