Flex connection system
AssigneeLoon LLC
InventorsKyle Brookes, John Cromie, Raymond Louis Gradwohl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure provide a flex connection for high altitude balloon applications. During operation flex connection allows a payload of a high-altitude balloon to remain level when an envelope of the balloon is tilted, in order to change the direction of the balloon. As an example, a system may include a balloon envelope, a payload, a cable between the balloon envelope and the payload, and a flex connection on the cable. The flex connection enables the payload to remain level relative to the ground when the balloon is in flight and the balloon envelope is tilted relative to the payload. The flex connection includes a top portion, a plurality of discs, and a bottom portion.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a cable;
- and
- a flex connection on the cable which enables a first object to remain level relative to the ground when a second object is tilted relative to the first object, the flex connection including:
- a top portion;
- a plurality of discs;
- and
- a bottom portion,
- wherein the top portion, the plurality of discs and the bottom portion include a plurality of openings through which the cable is threaded, and
- wherein the flex connection is configured such that when the flex connection is flexed an amount of the cable between the top portion ad the bottom portion does not change.
A flex connection system comprising:
- a flex connection configured to enable a first object to remain level relative to the ground when a second object is tilted relative to the first object, the flex connection including:
- a top portion;
- a plurality of discs;
- a bottom portion;
- and
- a cable,
- wherein the flex connection is configured such that when the flex connection is flexed an amount of the cable between the top portion and the bottom portion does not change, and
- wherein the top portion, the plurality of discs and the bottom portion include a plurality of openings.
A method of configuring a flex connection on a cable, the method comprising:
- threading a bottom portion onto the cable such that the cable passes through a tubular portion of the bottom portion;
- threading a first disc onto the cable such that the cable passes through a central opening in the first disc from a bottom surface of the first disc towards a top surface of the first disc;
- threading a second disc onto the cable such that fingers of the second disc are lined up with slots of the first disc and domes of the first and second discs are lined up with on another;
- threading additional discs onto the cable until a last, top disc is threaded onto the cable;
- and
- threading a top portion onto the cable such that the cable passes through a tubular portion of the top portion,
- wherein the top portion is inserted into a mechanical link to provide at least two axial degrees of freedom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.