Atmospheric balloon system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845141-B2
Application number	US-201615061777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Dec 7, 2012
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A balloon system includes a balloon having a balloon membrane extending between an upper apex and a lower apex opening. The lower apex opening extends through the balloon membrane at a balloon lip. A ballonet is within the balloon. The ballonet is coupled with the balloon membrane at the lower apex opening. The ballonet includes a lower ballonet panel having a lower perimeter edge and a ballonet orifice extending through the lower ballonet panel at a ballonet lip and an upper ballonet panel having an upper perimeter edge. The upper and lower ballonet panels are coupled along the respective upper and lower perimeter edges. A lower apex fitting couples the ballonet with the balloon at the balloon lip of the lower apex opening.

First claim

The claimed invention is:

1. An atmospheric balloon system comprising:
an atmospheric balloon having an upper balloon panel coupled with a lower balloon panel:
the upper balloon panel includes an upper apex and an upper panel edge, and
the lower balloon panel includes a lower panel edge, a balloon lip and a lower apex opening at the balloon lip, wherein the upper panel edge is coupled along the lower panel edge;

a ballonet within the atmospheric balloon, the ballonet is coupled with the lower balloon panel at the lower apex opening, the ballonet includes:
a lower ballonet panel having a lower perimeter edge and a ballonet orifice extending through the lower ballonet panel at a ballonet lip, the ballonet lip including a flat ring extending around the ballonet orifice,
an upper ballonet panel having an upper perimeter edge, and
wherein the upper perimeter edge is coupled along the lower perimeter edge; and

a lower apex fitting coupling the ballonet lip with the balloon at the balloon lip of the lower apex opening, the lower apex fitting includes first and second clamping rings, and the flat ring of the ballonet lip is coupled in surface to surface contact with the first and second clamping rings.

2. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the ballonet lip is coupled along the lower apex fitting with continuous surface to surface contact between the ballonet lip and the lower apex fitting.

3. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower ballonet panels are coupled along the respective upper and lower perimeter edges at an equator of the ballonet.

4. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the lower apex fitting includes at least one ballast fluid port.

5. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 4 comprising a blower in communication a ballonet cavity of the balloon through the at least one ballast fluid port.

6. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the upper ballonet panel includes different materials from the lower ballonet panel.

7. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 comprising a payload coupled with the balloon.

8. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower panel edges of the upper and lower balloon panels are coupled at an equator of the balloon.

9. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower balloon panels and a ballonet exterior form a lift gas chamber, and a ballonet interior forms a ballast chamber.

10. A balloon having a balloon membrane extending between an upper apex and a lower apex opening, the lower apex opening extending through the balloon membrane at a balloon lip;
a ballonet within the balloon, the ballonet is coupled with the balloon membrane at the lower apex opening, the ballonet includes:
a lower ballonet panel having a lower perimeter edge and a ballonet orifice extending through the lower ballonet panel at a ballonet lip, the ballonet lip includes a flat ring extending around the ballonet orifice,
an upper ballonet panel having an upper perimeter edge,
wherein the upper and lower ballonet panels are coupled along the respective upper and lower perimeter edges; and

a lower apex fitting coupling the ballonet lip with the balloon at the balloon lip of the lower apex opening, the lower apex fitting includes first and second clamping rings, and the flat ring of the ballonet lip is coupled in surface to surface contact with the first and second clamping rings.

11. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 10 , wherein the ballonet lip is coupled along the lower apex fitting with continuous surface to surface contact between the ballonet lip and the lower apex fitting.

12. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 10 , wherein the upper and lower ballonet panels are coupled along the respective upper and lower perimeter edges at an equator of the ballonet.

13. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 10 , wherein the upper and lower ballonet panels are coupled with an adhesive along the respective upper and lower perimeter edges.

14. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 10 , wherein the upper and lower ballonet panels are coupled with a heat seal along the respective upper and lower perimeter edges.

15. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 10 , wherein the lower apex fitting includes at least one ballast fluid port.

16. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 15 comprising a blower in communication a ballonet cavity of the balloon through the at least one ballast fluid port.

17. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 10 , wherein the upper ballonet panel includes different materials from the lower ballonet panel.

18. The atmospheric balloon system of claim 10 comprising a payload coupled with the balloon.

19. A method for assembling an atmospheric balloon system comprising:
positioning an upper ballonet panel over a lower ballonet panel;
joining the upper and lower ballonet panels along respective upper and lower perimeter edges;
clamping a ballonet lip of the lower ballonet panel in a lower apex fitting, clamping including engaging a flat ring of the ballonet lip in continuous surface to surface contact around the lower apex fitting with first and second clamping rings of the lower apex fitting; and
installing the ballonet within a balloon, installing the ballonet includes:
feeding the ballonet through a lower apex opening of the balloon, and
coupling the lower apex fitting with a balloon lip of the balloon at the lower apex opening.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein positioning the upper hallow panel over the lower ballonet panel includes positioning the upper ballonet panel over the lower ballonet panel, wherein the upper and lower ballonet panels are unitary.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein positioning the upper ballonet panel over the lower ballonet panel includes positioning the upper ballonet panel over the lower ballonet panel, wherein the upper and lower ballonet panels include different materials.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein joining the upper and lower ballonet panels includes one or more of adhering or heat sealing the upper and lower perimeter edges.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein clamping the ballonet lip includes spreading the ballonet lip continuously across the lower apex fitting.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein clamping the ballonet lip includes smoothing pleats and wrinkles in the ballonet at the ballonet lip.

25. The method of claim 19 comprising coupling a blower with the balloon, the blower in communication with a ballonet cavity of the ballonet through at least one ballast fluid port.

26. The method of claim 19 comprising coupling a payload with the balloon.

Assignees

• Raven Ind Inc

Inventors

• Sehnert Kurt L
• Rainwater Edward Lee
• Smith Michael S
• Scott Randy E
• Marsh Justin Lee
• West Mark L

Classifications

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title

• B64D45/02

  Lightning protectors; Static dischargers · CPC title

• B64B1/70

  Ballasting arrangements · CPC title

• B64B1/64

  Gas valve operating mechanisms · CPC title

• B64B1/62

  Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas · CPC title