Patent ID: 11891174
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G  Y | IPC B

Claim 9:
10. A method for sealing or coating a surface of a structure, the method comprising:
(a) coupling a spray-on repair module to an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the spray-on repair module comprises a hood coupled to a frame of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a pressurized storage canister mounted to the hood and containing sealing or coating material in a liquid state, a valve in fluid communication with the pressurized storage canister, and a spray nozzle mounted to the hood and in fluid communication with the valve and configured and located to distribute the sealant or coating material over an area on the surface of the structure which is covered by the hood;
(b) flying the unmanned aerial vehicle to a location where an inner sealing lip of the hood is in contact with the surface of the structure;
(c) partially evacuating an inter-lip volume of space bounded by the inner sealing lip and an outer sealing lip of the hood and the surface of the structure to seal the hood to the surface of the structure subsequent to step (b); and
(d) subsequent to step (c), opening the valve to provide sealing or coating material which the spray nozzle sprays on at least a portion of the area which is covered by the hood when the inner sealing lip is in contact with the surface of the structure,
wherein the inner and outer sealing lips have respective bottom edges and the volume of space between the inner and outer sealing lips may be partially evacuated to provide suction when the bottom edges are in sealing contact with the surface of the structure.