High altitude balloon with a payload separation assembly

• US 9,849,961 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2015
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Matthews, Taylor Evan, Fry, Anthony Paul, Lavigne, Jessica Marie, Athar, Rafy Uddin
• Primary Examiner(s): Woldemaryam, Assres H
• Application Number:
  US14/862,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20170081011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/40 Balloons B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/46 associated with apparatus to cause bursting
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/62 Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography

Abstract

A high altitude balloon including a payload, a balloon film with lifting gas disposed within the balloon film, a sealing ring operably coupled to the balloon film, a retention element configured to retain the payload in contact with the sealing ring, and a release element configured to cause the retention element to release the payload.

Claims

1. A high altitude balloon comprising:

a payload comprising an electronic device;

a balloon film with lifting gas disposed within the balloon film;

a sealing ring operably coupled to the balloon film;

a retention element configured to retain the payload in contact with the sealing ring; and

a release element configured to cause the retention element to release the payload;

wherein the sealing ring comprises a payload aperture and at least a portion of the electronic device extends through the payload aperture into the balloon film.

2. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the retention element comprises a cable.

3. The high altitude balloon of claim 2, wherein the release element comprises a cable cutter, wherein actuation of the cable cutter causes the cable to be cut, thereby releasing the payload from the high altitude balloon.

4. The high altitude balloon of claim 3, wherein the cable cutter is a pyrotechnic cable cutter.

5. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the release element comprises at least two release elements.

6. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the payload aperture is substantially circular.

7. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the portion of the payload extending through the payload aperture decreases in diameter along an extension into the balloon film, the diameter of the portion of the payload extending through the payload aperture is smallest at a furthest point of from the payload aperture and largest at a closest point to the payload aperture.

8. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the portion of the payload extending into through the payload aperture comprises:

a heating element configured to transfer heat to the lifting gas.

9. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the contact between the payload and the sealing ring seals the payload aperture thereby inhibiting escape of the lifting gas from the balloon film.

10. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, further comprising:

a tear out patch operably coupled to the balloon film and configured to create a hole in the balloon film when removed; and

a destruct tether operably coupled to the payload at a first end of the destruct tether and to the tear out patch at a second end of the destruct tether.

11. The high altitude balloon of claim 10, wherein the release of the payload causes the destruct tether to tear out the tear out patch.

12. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the release element is triggered by the payload.

13. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the payload comprises:

an antenna configured to receive a flight termination signal; and

wherein the payload is configured to trigger the release element in response to the antenna receiving the flight termination signal.

14. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the payload comprises:

an altimeter configured to measure an altitude of the high altitude balloon; and

wherein the payload is configured to trigger the release element in response to measuring a predetermined altitude.

15. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the payload comprises:

a position sensor configured to determine a geographic position of the high altitude balloon; and

wherein the payload is configured to trigger the release element in response to determining a predetermined geographic position.

16. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the payload comprises:

a timer configured to measure elapsed time from an initiation event; and

wherein the payload is configured to trigger the release element in response to measuring a predetermined elapsed time.

17. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, further comprising:

a gasket disposed between the payload and the sealing ring configured to inhibit escape of the lifting gas from the balloon film while the payload is in contact with the sealing ring.

18. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the payload comprises a camera.

19. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the payload comprises a radio transceiver or a positioning system.

20. The high altitude balloon of claim 1, wherein the portion of the electronic device that extends through the payload aperture into the balloon film includes an electric heating coil.