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US 12,036,724 B2Granted
Seals for aerial vehicles
AssigneeAerostar International, LLC
InventorsKevin Roach, Chaokun Gong, Chase Haegele
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure relate to envelopes for aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle may include an envelope including a plurality of gores. The aerial vehicle may also include a seal arranged between a pair of the plurality of gores, the seal including six layers of envelope material heat-sealed together.
Claims16
An aerial vehicle comprising:
- an envelope including a plurality of gores having a seal arranged between a pair of adjacent gores extending along the common edges of the adjacent gores, said seal having a arrangement of layers of envelope material comprising:
- a first layer of envelope material defined by a first strip of envelope material;
- adjacent to the first layer of the envelope material is a second layer of the envelope material which is a second strip of envelope material stacked on top of the first strip;
- a first gore of envelope material, the first gore having a first gore edge portion extending along the length of the first gore adjacent and stacked on top of said second strip defining a third layer;
- a second gore of envelope material, the second gore having a second gore edge portion, the second gore edge portion aligned with and stacked on top of the first gore edge portion defining a fourth layer;
- a folded portion of envelope material having a c-shaped arrangement and stacked on top of said second gore edge portion, wherein said folder portion defines a fifth layer adjacent to said second gore edge portion and a sixth layer folded overtop of said fifth layer;
- a tendon carried between said fifth and sixth layers of said folded portion;
- and
- wherein the seal includes all six layers of envelope material sealed together and retains the tendon within the folded portion.
6 more elements
An aerial vehicle comprising:
- an envelope including a plurality of gores having a seal arranged between a pair of adjacent gores extending along the common edges of the adjacent gores, said seal comprising:
- a first gore comprising an envelope material, the first gore having a first gore edge portion;
- a second gore comprising the envelope material, the second gore having a second gore edge portion, the second gore edge portion aligned with and stacked on top of the first gore edge portion;
- a folded portion of envelope material having a c-shape arrangement defining a first folded layer and a second folded layer, the first and second folded layers overlapping each other and stacked on top of the second gore edge portion;
- and
- a seal area extending through the first and second gore edge portions and the first and second folded layers.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.