Monitoring device for repair patches, repair kit, and method for monitoring a repair patch

• US 9,038,458 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Becker, Thomas, Prechtel, Ulrich, Klaue, Jirka, Kluge, Martin, Sabater, Jordi, Schalk, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, Eric S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Megna Fuentes, Anthony W
• Application Number:
  US13/811,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20130192381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 738/02, 734/99, 737/99
• US Class Current: 73/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/10 using patches sealing on the surface of the article B29C73/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/40 Maintaining or repairing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/00 Testing of vehicles testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0041 by determining deflection or stress
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A monitoring device for a repair patch that can be placed on or in a wall of an aircraft to repair a defect has a sensor device for detecting properties of the repair patch placed in the wall, an energy supply device for supplying energy at least to the sensor device, and a communication device so as to read out the sensor data. A repair kit that can be placed in or on a wall of an aircraft to repair defects comprises a repair patch for repairing a defect in or on a wall of an aircraft and also comprises a monitoring device. A method for monitoring a repair patch in or on a wall of an aircraft by means of a monitoring device comprises the steps of detecting a measurement phase on the basis of the amount of energy provided by the energy supply device, measuring load parameters in and/or on the repair patch during the measurement phase, and reading out the load parameters.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for a repair patch configured for placement on or in a wall of an aircraft to repair a defect, the monitoring device comprising:

a sensor that is disposed in contact with or adjacent to the repair patch, the sensor being configured to detect properties of the repair patch that is placed on or in the wall and provide sensor data;

an energy supply device configured to supply energy at least to the sensor device;

a communication device configured to read out the sensor data; and

a data processing device configured to monitor the energy output of the energy supply device to identify a predetermined flight phase of the aircraft based on the energy output and to perform a measurement operation during which the data processing device records the sensor data during the predetermined flight phase.

2. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy supply device includes a thermoelectric generator.

3. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the thermoelectric generator includes a heat storage device.

4. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a data storage device configured to store the sensor data.

5. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device is configured for wireless communication.

6. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processing device is configured to process the sensor data.

7. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the data processing device is configured to process the sensor data by compressing the sensor data for storage in a data storage device.

8. The monitoring device as claimed claim 1, wherein the sensor device is configured to ascertain a mechanical stress as one of the properties.

9. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device is supplied via an external energy source.

10. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall is an outer wall of the aircraft and the sensor device is configured to detect the properties of the repair patch placed on or in the outer wall.

11. A repair kit comprising the repair patch and the monitoring device as claimed in claim 1.

12. A method for monitoring a repair patch in or on a wall of an aircraft by using a monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising:

detecting a measurement phase on the basis of the amount of energy provided by the energy supply device;

measuring load parameters at least one of in and on the repair patch during the measurement phase; and

reading out the load parameters.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the measurement phase is present during a flight phase during which the aircraft reaches a cruising altitude.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising storing the measured load parameters initially in a data storage device for reading out during a reading out operation at a later time.

15. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a data storage device configured to store the sensor data.

16. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the communication device is configured for wireless communication.

17. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the data processing device is configured to process the sensor data.

18. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensor device is configured to ascertain a mechanical stress as one of the properties.

19. The monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processing device is configured to refrain from recording the sensor data during a flight phase of the aircraft other than the predetermined flight phase.