Actuated umbrella valves to deflate bladder in balloon envelope

• US 9,174,720 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerostar International
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ratner, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUTCHENS, CHRISTOPHER D.
• Application Number:
  US13/903,440
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/60 Gas-bags surrounded by separate containers of inert gas
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/62 Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/64 Gas valve operating mechanisms

Abstract

A balloon envelope with a plate secured thereto having an outlet port that provides a passageway from an inside of a balloon envelope to the atmosphere, a bracket extending from the plate, a first linear actuator having a first end attached to the bracket, where a passive valve having a periphery is positioned over the outlet port, where the second end of the linear actuator is attached to the passive valve which is movable from a first, closed position where a seal is provided by the engagement of the periphery of the passive valve and a periphery of the outlet port to a second, open position where the periphery of the passive valve is disengaged from the periphery of the outlet port by movement of the second end of the linear actuator to open the passageway between the inside of the balloon envelope and the atmosphere.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a balloon envelope;

a plate secured to the balloon envelope, the plate having an outlet port;

wherein the outlet port provides a passageway from an inside of the balloon envelope to the atmosphere;

a first bracket extending from the bottom of the plate;

a first linear actuator having a first end and a second end, the first end of the linear actuator attached to the first bracket;

wherein a valve having a periphery is positioned over the outlet port;

wherein the second end of the linear actuator is attached to the valve;

wherein the valve is movable from a first, closed position where a seal is provided by the engagement of the periphery of the valve and a periphery of the outlet port to a second, open position where the periphery of the valve is disengaged from the periphery of the outlet port and moved within an interior of the balloon envelope by movement of the second end of the linear actuator to open the passageway between the inside of the balloon envelope and the atmosphere to allow gas or air to be vented from the balloon envelope.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the valve is attached directly to the second end of the linear actuator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the valve is attached to a cross member that is attached to the second end of the linear actuator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bladder is positioned within the balloon envelope, and the passageway allows air to move from the inside of the bladder to the atmosphere.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the outlet port includes a lip at the base of the outlet port and the ends or periphery of the cross member are engaged with the lip when the valve is in the first, closed position, and wherein the ends or periphery of the cross member are disengaged with the lip when the valve is in the second, open position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a second outlet port that provides a passageway from the inside of the balloon envelope to the atmosphere;

a second bracket extending from the bottom of the plate;

a second linear actuator having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second linear actuator attached to the second bracket;

wherein a second valve having a periphery is positioned over the second outlet port;

wherein the second end of the second linear actuator is attached to the second valve;

wherein the second valve is movable from a first, closed position where a seal is provided by the engagement of the periphery of the second valve and a periphery of the second outlet port to a second, open position where the periphery of the second valve is disengaged from the periphery of the second outlet port and moved within the interior of the balloon envelope by movement of the second end of the second linear actuator to open the passageway between the inside of the balloon envelope and the atmosphere to allow gas or air to be vented from the balloon envelope.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the valve is an umbrella valve.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first series of brackets are positioned on a bottom side of the plate and a second series of brackets are positioned on an exterior of a fill housing, and a line is threaded through the apertures in the first series of brackets and apertures in the second series of brackets and tightened to secure the fill housing to the plate.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the outlet ports have a diameter of 25 millimeters.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the periphery of the valve is round.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the periphery of the outlet port is recessed beneath a surface of the plate and polished to provide a seal formed by the engagement of the periphery of the valve with the periphery of the outlet port.

12. A balloon comprising:

a balloon envelope;

a bladder positioned within the balloon envelope;

a plate secured to the balloon envelope, the plate having an outlet port;

wherein the outlet port provides a passageway from an inside of the balloon envelope to the atmosphere;

a first bracket extending from the bottom of the plate;

a first linear actuator having a first end and a second end, the first end of the linear actuator attached to the first bracket;

a valve having a periphery is positioned over the outlet port;

the second end of the linear actuator is attached to the valve;

a control system that is configured, upon receiving a signal to decrease the amount of air within the bladder within the balloon envelope, to cause the first linear actuator to move to cause the valve to move from a first, closed position where a seal is provided by the engagement of the periphery of the valve and a periphery of the outlet port to a second, open position where the periphery of the valve is disengaged from the periphery of the outlet port and moved within an interior of the balloon envelope by movement of the second end of the linear actuator to open the passageway between the inside of the bladder within the balloon envelope and the atmosphere to allow air to be vented from the bladder within the balloon envelope.

13. The balloon of claim 12, further including:

a second outlet port that provides a passageway from the inside of the bladder within the balloon envelope to the atmosphere;

a second bracket extending from the bottom of the plate;

a second linear actuator having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second linear actuator attached to the second bracket;

wherein a second valve having a periphery is positioned over the second outlet port;

wherein the second end of the second linear actuator is attached to the second valve;

wherein the second valve is movable from a first, closed position where a seal is provided by the engagement of the periphery of the second valve and a periphery of the second outlet port to a second, open position where the periphery of the second valve is disengaged from the periphery of the second outlet port and moved within the interior of the balloon envelope by movement of the second end of the second linear actuator to open the passageway between the bladder within the balloon envelope and the atmosphere to allow air to be vented from the bladder within the balloon envelope to the atmosphere.

14. The balloon of claim 12, wherein the valve is an umbrella valve.

15. The balloon of claim 12, wherein the valve is attached to a cross member that is attached to the second end of the linear actuator.

16. The balloon of claim 15, wherein the outlet port includes a lip at the base of the outlet port and the ends or periphery of the cross member are engaged with the lip when the valve is in the first, closed position, and wherein the ends or periphery of the cross member are disengaged with the lip when the valve is in the second, closed position.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

operating a control system for a balloon comprised of a balloon envelope, a bladder positioned within the balloon envelope, a plate having an outlet port that provides a passageway from an inside of the bladder within the balloon envelope to the atmosphere, a first bracket extending from the bottom of the plate, a first linear actuator having a first end and a second end, the first end of the linear actuator attached to the first bracket, wherein a valve having a periphery is positioned over the outlet port, wherein the second end of the linear actuator is attached to the valve, wherein the valve is movable from a first, closed position where a seal is provided by the engagement of the periphery of the valve and a periphery of the outlet port to a second, open position where the periphery of the valve is disengaged from the periphery of the outlet port and moved within an interior of the balloon envelope by movement of the second end of the linear actuator to open the passageway between the inside of the bladder within the balloon envelope and the atmosphere to allow air to be vented from the bladder within the balloon envelope to the atmosphere;

receiving a signal to decrease the amount of air within the bladder within the balloon envelope; and

causing the linear actuator to move the valve from the first, closed position where the seal is provided by the engagement of the periphery of the valve and a periphery of the outlet port to the second, open position where the periphery of the valve is disengaged from the periphery of the port and moved within the interior of the balloon envelope by movement of the second end of the linear actuator to open the passageway between the inside of the bladder within the balloon envelope and the atmosphere to allow air to be vented from the bladder within the balloon envelope to the atmosphere.

18. The method of claim 17, further including causing the linear actuator to move the valve from the second, open position back to the first, closed position.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

operating a control system for a balloon comprised of a balloon envelope, a bladder positioned within the balloon envelope, a plate having an outlet port that provides a passageway from an inside of the bladder within the balloon envelope to the atmosphere, a first bracket extending from the bottom of the plate, a first linear actuator having a first end and a second end, the first end of the linear actuator attached to the first bracket, wherein a valve having a periphery is positioned over the outlet port, wherein the second end of the linear actuator is attached to the valve, wherein the valve is movable from a first, closed position where a seal is provided by the engagement of the periphery of the valve and a periphery of the outlet port to a second, open position where the periphery of the valve is disengaged from the periphery of the port and moved within an interior of the balloon envelope by movement of the second end of the linear actuator to open the passageway between the inside of the bladder within the balloon envelope and the atmosphere to allow air to be vented from the bladder within the balloon envelope to the atmosphere;

receiving a signal to decrease the amount of air within the bladder within the balloon envelope; and

causing the linear actuator to move the valve from the first, closed position where the seal is provided by the engagement of the periphery of the valve and a periphery of the outlet port to the second, open position where the periphery of the valve is disengaged from the periphery of the port and moved within the interior of the balloon envelope by movement of the second end of the linear actuator to open the passageway between the inside of the bladder within the balloon envelope and the atmosphere to allow air to be vented from the bladder within the balloon envelope to the atmosphere.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further including causing the linear actuator to move the valve from the second, open position back to the first, closed position.