TENDON SLEEVE FOR HIGH-ALTITUDE BALLOON AND SYSTEM FOR MAKING THE SAME

摘要

A system for forming a tendon sleeve on an atmospheric balloon is described herein, the system comprising a coupling assembly including a seam coupling mechanism that forms a seam joint between a first gore panel and a second gore panel, the seam joint is spaced from respective first and second lateral edges of the first and second gore panels to form first and second edge flanges, and an edge coupling mechanism that forms an edge joint between the first and second edge flanges and closes a tendon sleeve, the edge joint spaced from the seam joint, the tendon sleeve includes a tendon sleeve passage between the seam joint and the edge joint and between the first and second edge flanges. The system also includes a tendon positioning mechanism that positions a tendon within the tendon sleeve passage. A tendon sleeve formed by this system is also described herein.

主权项

1. An atmospheric balloon system comprising:
a balloon comprising a balloon membrane having a plurality of gore panels; a plurality of tendons extending from near an upper apex of the balloon to near a lower apex of the balloon; and a plurality of tendon sleeves each located at an intersection between adjacent gore panels, each of the plurality of tendon sleeves including:
first and second edge flanges of respective adjacent gore panels, a seam joint coupling the first and second edge flanges, and an edge joint coupling the first and second edge flanges, the edge joint spaced from the seam joint to form a tendon sleeve passage between the seam joint and the edge joint and between the first and second edge flanges, wherein one of the plurality of tendons is received within the tendon sleeve passage.