US 11,718,417 B2
Device for gripping a panel of a fuselage section of an aircraft
Jean-Marc Datas, Toulouse (FR); Jacques Bouriquet, Toulouse (FR); Jean-Mickael Brindeau, Blagnac (FR); André Aquila, Cornebarrieu (FR); Patrick Guibert, Blagnac (FR); Nicolas Darbonville, Blagnac (FR); and Thomas Autret, Blagnac (FR)
Assigned to Airbus (S.A.S.), Blagnac (FR); and Airbus Operations (S.A.S.), Toulouse (FR)
Filed by Airbus (S.A.S.), Blagnac (FR); and Airbus Operations (S.A.S.), Toulouse (FR)
Filed on Aug. 26, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/3,515.
Claims priority of application No. 1909578 (FR), filed on Aug. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0061489 A1, Mar. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. B64F 5/10 (2017.01); B25J 9/02 (2006.01); B25J 9/10 (2006.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01); B25J 15/06 (2006.01)
CPC B64F 5/10 (2017.01) [B25J 9/02 (2013.01); B25J 9/10 (2013.01); B25J 15/0052 (2013.01); B25J 15/0616 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A panel of a section of a fuselage of an aircraft, the panel comprising:
reference holes;
a gripping device; and
a skin;
wherein the panel has an arcuate shape about a longitudinal axis (X);
wherein the gripping device comprises:
couplers configured to allow a handling tool to manipulate the panel; and
at least two gripping subsystems arranged at a distance from one another, parallel to the longitudinal axis (X), each gripping subsystem of the at least two gripping subsystems comprising:
a central element fastened to the panel by fasteners at the reference holes of the panel; and
two lateral elements that are fixed on opposite sides of the central element from each other, wherein each lateral element of the two lateral elements comprises pressurizers configured, when against the skin, to apply a tension to the skin in an opening direction of the arcuate shape.