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US 9,016,634 B1Granted
Payload cut-down mechanism
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsDaniel Ratner, Keegan Gartner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A payload cut-down mechanism having a pathway member having a first end and a second end attached to a balloon envelope, a line extending within the pathway member having first and second ends extending from the pathway member, where the first end of the line is releasably secured to a first actuated release mechanism attached to a payload, and a second end of the line releasably secured to a second actuated release mechanism attached to the payload, and wherein at least one of the first and second actuated release mechanisms are operable, upon receiving a signal, to release the first or second end of the line from one of the actuated release mechanisms and cause the payload to separate from the payload.
Claims30
An apparatus comprising:
- a pathway member having a tubular structure extending between a first end and a second end, the pathway member attached to a balloon envelope;
- a line having a first end and a second end, the line extending within the pathway member from the first end of the pathway member to the second end of the pathway member;
- the first end of the line extending from the first end of the pathway member and the second end of the line extending from the second end of the pathway member;
- the first end of the line releasably secured to a first actuated release mechanism;
- the second end of the line releasably secured to a second actuated release mechanism;
- wherein the first actuated release mechanism is attached to a payload;
- wherein the second actuated release mechanism is attached to the payload;
- and
- wherein at least one of the first and second actuated release mechanisms are operable, upon receiving a signal, to release the first or second end of the line from one of the actuated release mechanisms and cause the payload to separate from the balloon envelope.
6 more elements
A balloon, comprising:
- a balloon envelope;
- a payload positioned beneath the balloon envelope;
- a pathway member having a tubular structure extending between a first end and a second end, the pathway member attached to the balloon envelope;
- a line having a first end and a second end, the line extending within the pathway member from the first end of the pathway member to the second end of the pathway member;
- the first end of the line extending from the first end of the pathway member and the second end of the line extending from the second end of the pathway member;
- the first end of the line releasably secured to a first actuated release mechanism;
- the second end of the line releasably secured to a second actuated release mechanism;
- wherein the first actuated release mechanism is attached to a payload;
- wherein the second actuated release mechanism is attached to the payload;
- and
- a control system configured such that, upon receiving a signal, at least one of the first and second actuated release mechanisms is operable to release the first or second end of the line from one of the actuated release mechanisms and cause the payload to separate from the balloon envelope.
8 more elements
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- operating a control system in a balloon comprised of a balloon envelope, a payload positioned beneath the balloon envelope, and a payload cut-down mechanism comprising a pathway member having a tubular structure extending between a first end and a second end, the pathway member attached to the balloon envelope, a line having a first end and a second end, the line extending within the pathway member from the first end of the pathway member to the second end of the pathway member with the first end of the line extending from the first end of the pathway member and the second end of the line extending from the second end of the pathway member, the first end of the line releasably secured to a first actuated release mechanism and the second of the line releasably secured to a second actuated release mechanism, where the first and second actuated release mechanisms are attached to the payload;
- receiving a signal to separate the payload from the balloon envelope;
- causing at least one of the first and second actuated release mechanisms to release the first or second end of the line from one of the actuated release mechanisms;
- and thereby
- causing the payload to separate from the balloon envelope.
2 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
- operating a control system in a balloon comprised of a balloon envelope, a payload positioned beneath the balloon envelope, and a payload cut-down mechanism comprising a pathway member having a tubular structure extending between a first end and a second end, the pathway member attached to the balloon envelope, a line having a first end and a second end, the line extending within the pathway member from the first end of the pathway member to the second end of the pathway member with the first end of the line extending from the first end of the pathway member and the second end of the line extending from the second end of the pathway member, the first end of the line releasably secured to a first actuated release mechanism and the second end of the line releasably secured to a second actuated release mechanism, where the first and second actuated release mechanisms are attached to the payload;
- receiving a signal to separate the payload from the balloon envelope;
- causing at least one of the first and second actuated release mechanisms to release the first or second end of the line from one of the actuated release mechanisms;
- and thereby
- causing the payload to separate from the balloon envelope.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.