Balloon-launching apparatus

• US 10,495,784 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IHI Aerospace Engineering Co., Ltd. (IHI Corporation), Meisei Electric Co., Ltd. (IHI Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Meisei Electric Co., Ltd. (IHI Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Kensaku, Oike, Yasomi, Morisaki, Hirotake, Naide, Tomohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US15/507,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20170329047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/40 Balloons B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/62 Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/04 for launching aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/50 Launching from storage containers, e.g. from submarine missile tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/10 with means for moving the UAV to a supply or launch location, e.g. robotic arms or carousels
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/08 Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00

Abstract

A balloon-launching apparatus includes a plurality of housing sections each formed in a box shape having an opening that opens in an upper part thereof and configured to house a balloon. The housing section launches the balloon from the opening, and the plurality of housing sections is arranged in a matrix shape.

Claims

1. A balloon-launching apparatus comprising:

a plurality of housing sections each formed in a box shape having an opening that opens in an upper part thereof and configured to house a balloon and launch the balloon from the opening, the plurality of housing sections being arranged in a matrix shape;

a container configured to house the plurality of housing sections and include a balloon-launching port provided above the plurality of housing sections,

wherein all the openings are positioned within the balloon-launching port in a plan view and the balloon-launching port launches the balloon that each of the plurality of housing sections launches toward an outside; and

a net suspended from an inner side of the balloon-launching port toward an outer side of a group of the openings arranged in the matrix shape.

2. The balloon-launching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the canisters are each capable of being disposed independently, and the canisters are respectively configured to be driven to open and close the openings.

3. The balloon-launching apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

the container having a balloon-launching chamber and a preparation chamber divided by a partition, the container including a communicating opening provided below the partition that allows the balloon-launching chamber and the preparation chamber to be in communication with each other, and the balloon-launching port provided on a top surface of the balloon-launching chamber that launches the balloon toward an outside;

a rail extending over the balloon-launching chamber and the preparation chamber through the communicating opening;

a pallet on which the frame is placed; and

a moving mechanism that moves the pallet along the rail.

4. A balloon-launching apparatus comprising:

a plurality of canisters each formed in a box shape having an opening that opens in an upper part thereof and configured to house a balloon and launch the balloon from the opening, the canisters being arranged in a matrix shape, and configured to be driven to open and close the openings and being disposed independently;

a container having a balloon-launching chamber and a preparation chamber divided by a partition, the container including a communicating opening provided below the partition that allows the balloon-launching chamber and the preparation chamber to be in communication with each other, and a balloon-launching port provided on a top surface of the balloon-launching chamber that launches the balloon toward an outside;

a rail extending over the balloon-launching chamber and the preparation chamber through the communicating opening;

a holding member comprising a pallet and a frame placed on the pallet, the frame having fitting opening portions in which the canisters are fitted respectively and integrally holding the canisters; and

a moving mechanism that moves the pallet along the rail.

5. The balloon-launching apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein all the openings are positioned within the balloon-launching port in a plan view and the balloon-launching port launches the balloon, that each of the canisters launches, to an outside of the balloon-launching apparatus.

6. The balloon-launching apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a net suspended from an inner side of the balloon-launching port toward an outer side of a group of the openings arranged in the matrix shape.