Patent ID: 6852183

Claim:
Sealing method, used inside a hollow structure defining a confined volume or cavity, taking place by joining together at least two structural parts, which belong to the hollow structure and between them define a line portion leaking to the outside of the said hollow structure, with a bonding material of the adhesive and thermosetting mastic type, the said method comprising the following steps: (a) a moveable IR source of infrared radiation, in a wavelength spectrum of between 2 and 10 μm with an emission surface suitable for irradiating the leak line portion, is used; (b) said bonding material, chosen according to its thermosetting characteristics, namely thermosetting time in relation to respectively different thermosetting temperatures, is used in order to obtain, after thermosetting, a predetermined hardness and/or the absence of tack; (c) the said structural parts are connected with a bead of the bonding material along the leak line portion; (d) the IR source is placed inside the hollow structure in a position to illuminate the bead of bonding material; (e) the IR radiation is emitted in the illumination position of the said IR source; and (f) a working temperature (T 1 ) at the said bead, whose bonding material thermally cures, and the power emitted by the IR source is regulated according to the working temperature (T 1 ) and a set temperature (Tc), characterized in that, on the one hand, the working temperature (T 1 ) approximately at a centre of an IR illumination beam of the IR radiation is detected (according to f) and, on the other hand, an effective temperature (T 2 ) in a control region away from the centre of the said illumination beam and at the said bead is detected in order to control an emission time (D) of the IR radiation as a function of the effective temperature (T 2 ) detected, in relation to the thermosetting characteristics of the bonding material (M).