Automated balloon assembly machine

• US 10,086,561 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerostar International LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fourie, Daniel Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Koch, George
• Application Number:
  US15/080,027
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/226 characterised by the cross-section of said heated wire, resistive ribbon, resistive band or resistive strip, e.g. being triangular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7441 for making welds and cuts of other than simple rectilinear form
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/749 Removing scrap deburring welded articles B29C37/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7802 Positioning the parts to be joined, e.g. aligning, indexing or centring
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7847 using vacuum to hold at least one of the parts to be joined vacuum work holders in general B25B11/005
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0044 using a separating sheet, e.g. fixed on the joining tool
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/133 Fin-type joints, the parts to be joined being flexible the parts to be joined being rigid B29C66/1312
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/2442 in the form of a single arc of circle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/3452 Making complete joints by combining partial joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8122 characterised by the composition of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81417 being V-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81427 comprising a single ridge, e.g. for making a weakening line; comprising a single tooth
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/836 Moving relative to and tangentially to the parts to be joined, e.g. transversely to the displacement of the parts to be joined, e.g. using a X-Y table B29C66/65 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/86533 by rails
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9672 : involving special data inputs, e.g. involving barcodes, RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/022 : Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3076 : Aircrafts blades, propellers B29L2031/08
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/58 : Arrangements or construction of gas-bags; Filling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 : Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor

Abstract

An assembly for manufacturing a balloon envelope includes a table component and a sealing component. The table component may include a first platform, a second platform, a third platform, and a lateral opening between the first and second platforms. The first and second platforms can receive a first sheet of material that forms a first gore of the balloon envelope and a second sheet of material that forms a second gore of the balloon envelope. At least a portion of the first platform may move relative to the third platform so as to allow for the tendon and the portion of the second sheet attached to the tendon to move toward the third platform. The sealing component may be configured to bond the first sheet to the second sheet in order to join the first and the second gores of the balloon envelope.

Claims

1. An assembly for manufacturing a balloon envelope, the assembly comprising:

a table component having a first platform, a second platform, a third platform, and a lateral opening extending between the first platform and the second platform, the third platform being exposed through the lateral opening, the first platform and the second platform arranged to receive a first sheet portion of material that will form a first gore of the balloon envelope and a second sheet portion of material that will form a second gore of the balloon envelope, the first platform further adapted to receive a tendon secured to a portion of the second sheet portion, at least a portion of the first platform overlying the third platform configured to move relative to the third platform so as to allow for both the tendon and the portion of the second sheet portion attached to the tendon to move toward the third platform; and

a sealing component, the sealing component being configured to move along the second platform and to apply a heat seal to bond the first sheet portion to the second sheet portion in order to join the first and the second gores of the balloon envelope.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the second platform is positioned between a top surface of the first platform and a top surface of the second platform.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the top surface of the second platform extends along a horizontal plane that is parallel to the top surface of the first platform.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the first platform is a movable platform having a free end that overlies the third platform, and the first platform is configured to increase a size of the lateral opening between the first and second platforms.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the movable platform moves in a direction toward the third platform.

6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the first platform includes a main body and a recess within the main body, and wherein the movable platform is configured to be positioned within the recess of the main body.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second platform is movable relative to the first platform, and the second platform is configured to allow for bonded portions of the first sheet portion and the second sheet portion to move toward the third platform.

8. A system for automated folding of a gore of a balloon envelope, the system comprising:

a balloon having a balloon envelope; and

an assembly for use during manufacture of the balloon envelope, the assembly comprising;

a table component having a first platform, a second platform, a third platform, and a lateral opening extending between the first platform and the second platform, the third platform being exposed through the lateral opening, the first platform and the second platform arranged to receive a first sheet portion of material that will form a first gore of the balloon envelope and a second sheet portion of material that will form a second gore of the balloon envelope, the first platform further adapted to receive a tendon secured to the second sheet portion, at least a portion of the first platform overlying the third platform and configured to move relative to the second platform so as to increase a size of the lateral opening between the first platform and the second platform and to allow for the tendon and a portion of the second sheet portion attached to the tendon to move toward the third platform; and

a sealing component, the sealing component being configured to move along the second platform and to apply a heat seal to bond the first sheet portion to the second sheet portion in order to join the first and the second gores of the balloon envelope.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a top surface of the first platform and a top surface of the second platform extend along a same plane.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a top surface of the second platform extends along a plane that is positioned between a top surface of the first platform and a top surface of the third platform.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first platform further comprises a movable extension having a free end that overlies the third platform.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the movable extension is configured to move in a direction toward the third platform.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second platform is configured to move relative to the first platform so as to increase a size of the lateral opening and to allow heat sealed portions of the first sheet portion and the second sheet portion to move towards the third platform.