Extruded and Co-extruded High-Altitude Balloons and Methods and Apparatus for Manufacture
OwnerAustyn Daniel Critesinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Co-extruded and extruded high-altitude balloons and apparatus and methods for manufacture. A high-altitude balloon has a plurality of layers of coextruded balloon panel extrudate, a first one of the layers extrusion-bonded to a second one of the layers along a first edge, the second one of the layers extrusion-bonded to a third one of the layers along a strip spaced apart from the first edge, extrusion-bonding of successive layers alternating between the first edge and the strip, the first one of the layers and the last one of the layers extrusion-bonded together along a second edge.
Claims42
A high-altitude balloon manufacturing apparatus comprising:
- two or more extrudate dispensers, a first one of the extrudate dispensers having an input to receive a first extrudate material and a second one of the extrudate dispensers having an input to receive a second extrudate material;
- an extrusion die having one or more channels in fluid communication with the extrudate dispensers, the extrusion die having an extrudate outlet in fluid communication with the channels;
- a support disposed to receive coextruded layers of extrudate from the extrudate outlet;
- and
- a cooler in thermal communication with the extrudate outlet.
A method of fabricating a high-altitude balloon comprising:
- coextruding at least two adjacent continuous layers of extrudate;
- extrusion-bonding the layers of extrudate to one another along an edge of the sheets of extrudate to form a seam;
- and
- cooling the extrudate.
A method of fabricating a high-altitude balloon comprising:
- coextruding at least two adjacent continuous layers of extrudate, at least two of the layers being joined together without any seam along their entire lengths;
- and
- cooling the extrudate.
A high-altitude balloon comprising:
- a plurality of layers of coextruded balloon panel extrudate, a first one of the layers extrusion-bonded to a second one of the layers along a first edge, the second one of the layers extrusion-bonded to a third one of the layers along a strip spaced apart from the first edge, extrusion-bonding of successive layers alternating between the first edge and the strip, the first one of the layers and the last one of the layers extrusion-bonded together along a second edge;
- and
- a plurality of layers of extruded delaminator, each layer of the extruded delaminator disposed between successive pairs of layers of coextruded balloon panel extrudate.
A high altitude balloon comprising a plurality of layers of extrudate coextruded to form a seamless sheet of extrudate in a shape defining a balloon envelope.
A high-altitude balloon manufacturing apparatus comprising:
- an extrudate dispenser;
- a T-die extruder disposed to receive extrudate from the extrudate dispenser;
- a chill roller and a pressure roller disposed to receive extrudate from the T-die extruder;
- and
- a support having a generally-planar supporting surface disposed to receive the extrudate from between the chill roller and the pressure roller.
A method of fabricating a high-altitude balloon comprising:
- (A) extruding a continuous sheet of material over itself to form a loop having an initial layer and a first overlying layer, both layers having first and second edges;
- (B) extrusion-bonding the initial layer to the first overlying layer along the first edges of the layers to form a seam;
- (C) continuing to extrude the continuous sheet of material over itself to form a next overlying layer having first and second edges;
- (D) extrusion-bonding the two top overlying layers along a strip spaced apart from the first edges of the first and next overlying layers to form a seam;
- (E) continuing to extrude the continuous sheet of material over itself to form a next overlying layer having first and second edges;
- (F) extrusion-bonding the two top overlying layers along the first edges of the layers to form a seam;
- (G) if more layers are desired, return to step (C);
- (H) extrusion-bonding the top overlying layer to the initial layer along the second edges of the layers to form a stacking-layer seam;
- and
- (I) separating the envelope by cutting across a width of the loop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.