Patent ID: 8356649

Claim:
A method of repairing an area on a surface of a composite-material part of an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of: a) applying a fibre patch preimpregnated with curable resin on the area to be repaired; b) applying a heating blanket and an airtight membrane on the patch and applying a closed-loop sealing element onto the surface surrounding the area to be repaired; c) heating the patch by the heating blanket and applying a vacuum between the membrane and the surface to cause compaction of the patch against the surface while pressurizing an inflatable chamber acting against the membrane to press the patch against the area to be repaired; wherein the step of pressurizing the inflatable chamber is accomplished by pressurizing a concave body of rubber-like flexible material hermetically joined to the membrane, the concave body incorporating an inner inextensible reinforcement; wherein the vacuum application step includes suction of air through a valve passing through the membrane in a position external to the inflatable chamber, so as to create a vacuum in a space defined between the membrane, the surface and the sealing element; and wherein the depressurized space is defined by the closed-loop sealing element and extends over a surface with an area at least three times larger than an area of the inflatable chamber.