Apparatus to lift and fill a balloon

• US 9,849,962 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2017
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Loon, LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ratner, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/480,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20170217558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/62 Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to filling and lifting high altitude balloons. For instance, one example system for lifting and filling a balloon having a balloon envelope includes an apparatus for use with the balloon envelope. The apparatus includes a load line, a fill tube having a hollow portion nested within the load line and a termination member attached to the fill tube and load line. The load line is configured to lift the balloon envelope during inflation. The fill tube extends through the load line and is configured to allow lift gas to pass through the hollow portion. The termination member is configured to mate with an opening in the balloon envelope so that lift gas can pass through the hollow portion of the fill tube and into the opening in the balloon envelope.

Claims

1. A method of filling a balloon envelope with lift gas, the method comprising:

connecting a filling apparatus to an apex of the balloon envelope, the filling apparatus including a load line and a fill tube nested within the load line, and wherein connecting the filling apparatus includes attaching the fill tube to a fill port of the balloon envelope, and the fill port leading to an opening in the balloon envelope;

filling the balloon envelope with lift gas by sending lift gas through fill tube and into the fill port and the balloon envelope in order to fill the balloon from the apex; and

while filling the balloon envelope with lift gas, using the load line to lift the balloon envelope.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the filling apparatus includes connecting a termination member of the apparatus to the fill port by activating one or more actuators coupled to the termination member in order to temporarily hold the termination member and the fill port together.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more actuators includes an arm portion, and the method further comprises using the arm portion to pull the termination member onto the opening in the balloon envelope in order to firmly secure the termination member and the opening together.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising removing the termination member from the balloon envelope so that the balloon can be deployed.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the termination member is positioned at one end of the load line, and another end of the load line is attached to a lift gas fill source, and filling the balloon envelope with lift gas includes using the lift gas fill source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising regulating a flow of the lift gas through the opening using a plugging device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plugging device includes a gasket, and the method further comprises moving the gasket from a first position that allow lift gas to enter the opening in the balloon envelope to a second position that prevents the lift gas from escaping through the opening in the balloon envelope.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the plugging device includes an epoxy, and the method further comprises injecting the epoxy through a hollow portion of the fill tube towards the opening.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising hardening the epoxy in order to close the opening in the balloon envelope.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the plugging device includes a plug, and the method further comprises using the plug to close the opening in the balloon envelope.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the balloon envelope is initially arranged within a container, and using the load line to lift the balloon envelope includes pulling a portion of the balloon envelope out of the container.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the container is a shipping container for the balloon envelope.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein using the load line to lift the balloon envelope further includes lifting the balloon envelope higher out of the container as the balloon envelope is inflated until the balloon envelope is lifted to a sufficient height from the container to accommodate a fully inflated balloon envelope.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, after lifting the balloon envelope to the sufficient height, releasing the filling apparatus from the balloon envelope and deploying the balloon envelope.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising cutting an opening in material of the balloon envelope.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein connecting the filling apparatus includes connecting a termination member of the apparatus to the fill port by activating one or more actuators coupled to the termination member in order to temporarily hold the termination member and the fill port together, and wherein the one or more actuators includes two or more magnets, and the method further comprises using the magnets to align the fill tube with the opening.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the filling apparatus includes connecting a termination member of the apparatus to the fill port by activating one or more actuators coupled to the termination member in order to temporarily hold the termination member and the fill port together, and wherein the one or more actuators includes a pair of arm portions, and the method further comprises pivoting portions of the pair of arm portions in order to contact the fill tube and pull the termination member and the fill tube towards one another.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing a plugging device through a hollow portion of the fill tube and moving the plugging device towards the opening.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

using the plugging device to prevent lift gas from escaping from the balloon envelope through the opening; and

after using the plugging device, removing the termination member from the balloon envelope so that the balloon can be deployed.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the balloon envelope further includes a top plate arranged at the apex of the balloon.