TENDON SLEEVE FOR HIGH-ALTITUDE BALLOON AND SYSTEM FOR MAKING THE SAME

• US 20190322346A1
• Filed: 06/28/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerostar International LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Raven Industries Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Bohannon, Derek Lee, Palmer, Mary Jane, Zimmerman, Michael William
• Granted Patent: US 11,673,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7433 the tool being a wire
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7439 for continuously and longitudinally welding and severing webs B29C65/7435 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7894 of continuously moving sheets or webs
• 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 66/137 Beaded-edge joints or bead seals for sealing or securing package folds or closures B65B51/24
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4326 for making hollow articles or hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/433 Casing-in, i.e. enclosing an element between two sheets by an outlined seam for bookbinding B42C11/06; for packaging B65B; by laminating B32B37/00; enclosing tubular articles between substantially flat elements B29C66/53261
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53 Joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53261 Enclosing tubular articles between substantially flat elements
• 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 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83423 cooperating bands or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/086 EVOH, i.e. ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/40 Balloons B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/58 Arrangements or construction of gas-bags; Filling arrangements

Abstract

A system for forming a tendon sleeve on an atmospheric balloon is described herein, the system comprising a coupling assembly including a seam coupling mechanism that forms a seam joint between a first gore panel and a second gore panel, the seam joint is spaced from respective first and second lateral edges of the first and second gore panels to form first and second edge flanges, and an edge coupling mechanism that forms an edge joint between the first and second edge flanges and closes a tendon sleeve, the edge joint spaced from the seam joint, the tendon sleeve includes a tendon sleeve passage between the seam joint and the edge joint and between the first and second edge flanges. The system also includes a tendon positioning mechanism that positions a tendon within the tendon sleeve passage. A tendon sleeve formed by this system is also described herein.

Claims

1. A method for forming a tendon sleeve on an atmospheric balloon, the method comprising:

coupling a first gore panel having a first lateral edge to a second gore panel having a second lateral edge at a seam joint spaced from the first and second lateral edges to form respective first and second edge flanges from the first and second gore panels;

coupling the first and second edge flanges together at an edge joint spaced from the seam joint to form the tendon sleeve with a tendon sleeve passage between the seam joint and between the edge joint and the first and second edge flanges; and

positioning a tendon within the tendon sleeve passage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the first and second gore panels, coupling the first and second edge flanges, and positioning the tendon are substantially simultaneous.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the seam joint includes a seam joint, and coupling the first and second gore panels seam joint includes sealing the first panel to the second panel to form the seal seam.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the first and second edge flanges together at the edge joint includes coupling the first and second edge flanges near the first and second lateral edges.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising cutting the tendon to a specified length before positioning the tendon in the tendon sleeve passage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the first and second gore panels is performed with a seam coupling mechanism.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the first and second edge flanges is performed with an edge coupling mechanism.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising cutting excess portions of the first and second edge flanges, wherein the edge coupling mechanism cuts excess portions of the first and second edge flanges while coupling the first and second edge flanges together at the edge joint.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the tendon in the tendon sleeve passage is performed with a tendon positioning guide, wherein the tendon positioning guide guides the tendon into position between the first and second edge flanges and between the seam joint and the edge joint to secure the tendon within the tendon sleeve.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein coupling the first and second gore panels is performed with a seam coupling mechanism and coupling the first and second edge flanges is performed with an edge coupling mechanism;

and

wherein the tendon positioning guide is positioned relative to the seam coupling mechanism and the edge coupling mechanism so that at least a portion of the tendon positioning guide is within the tendon sleeve passage when the seam joint and the edge joint are formed.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the first gore panel and the second gore panel adjacent to a location of the seam joint while coupling the first gore panel to the second gore panel.

12. A system for securing a tendon on an atmospheric balloon, the system comprising:

a coupling assembly comprising;

a seam coupling mechanism that forms a seam joint between a first gore panel and a second gore panel, the seam joint is spaced from respective first and second lateral edges of the first gore panel and the second gore panel to form first and second edge flanges; and

an edge coupling mechanism that forms an edge joint between the first and second edge flanges and closes a tendon sleeve, the edge joint spaced from the seam joint, the tendon sleeve including a tendon sleeve passage between the seam joint and the edge joint and between the first and second edge flanges; and

a tendon positioning mechanism that positions the tendon within the tendon sleeve passage.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the seam coupling mechanism comprises a seam sealing mechanism that forms a seam seal between the first gore panel and the second gore panel.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the edge coupling mechanism comprises an edge sealing mechanism to form an edge seal between the first and second edge flanges.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the tendon positioning mechanism comprises a tendon positioning guide, wherein the tendon positioning guide guides the tendon into position between the first and second edge flanges and between the seam joint and the edge joint to secure the tendon within the tendon sleeve.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the seam coupling mechanism is adjacent to the edge coupling mechanism and at least a portion of the tendon positioning guide is between the seam coupling mechanism and the edge coupling mechanism.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the edge coupling mechanism cuts excess portions of the first and second edge flanges while coupling the first and second edge flanges together at the edge joint.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the coupling assembly comprises a gore panel divider that separates a portion of the first gore panel and a corresponding portion of the second gore panel adjacent to the seam coupling mechanism.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the gore panel divider separates the first gore panel and the second gore panel adjacent to the edge coupling mechanism.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the tendon positioning mechanism extends from the gore panel divider between the seam coupling mechanism and the edge coupling mechanism.