U.S. patent application number 16/544371 was filed with the patent office on 2020-06-18 for heat sealing system.
The applicant listed for this patent is Loon LLC. Invention is credited to Andre Azari, Joe Benedetto, Daniel Shane Fitzgibbons, Raymond Louis Gradwohl, Chase R. Haegele, Wei Li, Sampson Moore.
Application Number | 20200189205 16/544371 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 71073685 |
Filed Date | 2020-06-18 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200189205 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Haegele; Chase R. ; et
al. |
June 18, 2020 |
HEAT SEALING SYSTEM
Abstract
The technology relates to a heat sealing system. For instance,
the heat sealing system may include a sealer assembly including a
pair of heat sealing bars configured to generate heat seals. The
heat sealing system may also include a positioning assembly
including a platform and a motor. The sealer assembly may be
mounted to the positioning assembly, and the motor may be
configured to move the sealer assembly towards and away from an
edge of the table.
Inventors: |
Haegele; Chase R.; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Fitzgibbons; Daniel Shane; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Gradwohl; Raymond Louis; (Saratoga,
CA) ; Azari; Andre; (San Jose, CA) ; Moore;
Sampson; (San Jose, CA) ; Li; Wei; (San Jose,
CA) ; Benedetto; Joe; (Canton, GA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Loon LLC |
Mountain View |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
71073685 |
Appl. No.: |
16/544371 |
Filed: |
August 19, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62780673 |
Dec 17, 2018 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 66/95 20130101;
B29C 65/7894 20130101; B29C 65/18 20130101; B64B 1/58 20130101;
B29L 2022/022 20130101; B64F 5/10 20170101 |
International
Class: |
B29C 65/18 20060101
B29C065/18; B29C 65/78 20060101 B29C065/78; B29C 65/00 20060101
B29C065/00; B64B 1/58 20060101 B64B001/58; B64F 5/10 20060101
B64F005/10 |
Claims
1. A heat sealing system comprising: a sealer assembly including a
pair of heat sealing bars configured to generate heat seals; and a
positioning assembly including a platform and a motor, wherein the
sealer assembly is mounted to the positioning assembly, and the
motor is configured to move the sealer assembly towards and away
from an edge of a table.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the platform is a rotatable
platform, and the motor is configured to rotate the platform by way
of a shaft and a pair of pulleys.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the positioning assembly includes
a stage and the platform is configured to move along the stage by
way of a carriage including the motor and a shaft engaged with a
spiral groove of the stage.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein rotation of the shaft in a first
direction moves the platform towards the edge of the table, and
rotation of the shaft in a second direction opposite of the first
direction moves the platform away from the edge of the table.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cart on which the
positioning assembly is mounted, the cart being configured to move
along the edge of the table.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the cart includes a plurality of
wheels that allow the cart to move relative to the table and a side
roller which allows the cart to maintain a relative distance from
the edge of the table while the cart is moved along the edge of the
table.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cart and a cart
drive assembly attached to the cart, the cart drive assembly
including one or more motors configured to move the cart along the
edge of the table.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the cart drive assembly includes
one or more wheels driven by a respective one of the one or more
motors, the one or more wheels being configured to sit in a groove
of a track of the table in order to move the cart along the edge of
the table.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cart includes a side roller
configured to maintain a relative position of the one or more
wheels in the track in order to reduce wear on the one or more
wheels.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein one of the one or more wheels
includes a rotary encoder configured to provide rotation
information for the one of the one or more wheels.
11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a control assembly
including one or more computing devices configured to receive the
rotation information and determine whether a wheel of the one or
more wheels is slipping.
12. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more motors are
configured to control speed of the cart relative to the edge of the
table as the cart is moved along the edge of the table.
13. The system of claim 7, further comprising a control assembly
having one or more computing devices configured to control the
sealer assembly and speed of the cart.
14. The system of claim 7, further comprising a control assembly
having one or more computing devices configured to control position
of the platform relative to the cart and the table.
15. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inlet assembly
having first and second pairs of rollers, each roller of the first
and second pairs of rollers being configured to rotate and provide
tension to envelope material entering the sealer assembly, and the
first pair of rollers being configured to change an angle of
material entering the sealer assembly relative to the table.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the inlet assembly includes a
motor configured to move the first pair of rollers towards and away
from the sealer assembly in order to change the angle of the
envelope material entering the sealer assembly.
17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vision system
including one or more sensors positioned in order to capture images
of material on the table upstream from the sealer assembly.
18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a control assembly
including one or more computing devices configured to use the
images to detect problems with envelope material prior to the
envelope material being heat sealed.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein the vision system includes one
or more sensors positioned in order to capture images of heat seals
on the table downstream from the sealer assembly.
20. The system of claim 1, further comprising a marking system
configured to use ink to mark material with identifying
information.
21. The system of claim 1, further comprising a track and a
guiderail, and a motor configured to move the positioning assembly
along a length of the table.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of the filing
date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/780,673 filed on Dec.
17, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Computing devices such as personal computers, laptop
computers, tablet computers, cellular phones, and countless types
of Internet-capable devices are increasingly prevalent in numerous
aspects of modern life. As such, the demand for data connectivity
via the Internet, cellular data networks, and other such networks,
is growing. However, there are many areas of the world where data
connectivity is still unavailable, or if available, is unreliable
and/or costly. Accordingly, additional network infrastructure is
desirable.
[0003] Some systems may provide network access via a balloon
network operating in the stratosphere. Because of the various
forces experienced by these balloons during deployment and
operation, there is a balancing of needs between flexibility and
stability of materials. As such, the balloons include a number of
components, such as a flexible envelope made of material that may
be configured in sections or lobes to create a "pumpkin" or lobed
balloon, and a plurality of tendons to support the lobes.
[0004] Typically, these components of the balloon envelope are
assembled before the balloon can take flight. When this assembly
technique is performed manually, the efforts can become extremely
time-consuming and lack consistency.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0005] Aspects of the present disclosure are advantageous for high
altitude balloon systems. For instance, one aspect of the
disclosure provide a heat sealing system including a sealer
assembly including a pair of heat sealing bars configured to
generate heat seals and a positioning assembly including a platform
and a motor, wherein the sealer assembly is mounted to the
positioning assembly, and the motor is configured to move the
sealer assembly towards and away from an edge of a table.
[0006] In one example, the platform is a rotatable platform, and
the motor is configured to rotate the platform by way of a shaft
and a pair of pulleys. In another example, the positioning assembly
includes a stage and the platform is configured to move along the
stage by way of a carriage including the motor and a shaft engaged
with a spiral groove of the stage. In this example, rotation of the
shaft in a first direction moves the platform towards the edge of
the table, and rotation of the shaft in a second direction opposite
of the first direction moves the platform away from the edge of the
table. In another example, the system also includes a cart on which
the positioning assembly is mounted, the cart being configured to
move along the edge of the table. In this example, the cart
includes a plurality of wheels that allow the cart to move relative
to the table and a side roller which allows the cart to maintain a
relative distance from the edge of the table while the cart is
moved along the edge of the table. In another example, the system
also includes a cart and a cart drive assembly attached to the
cart, the cart drive assembly including one or more motors
configured to move the cart along the edge of the table. In this
example, the cart drive assembly includes one or more wheels driven
by a respective one of the one or more motors, the one or more
wheels being configured to sit in a groove of a track of the table
in order to move the cart along the edge of the table. In this
example, the cart includes a side roller configured to maintain a
relative position of the one or more wheels in the track in order
to reduce wear on the one or more wheels. In addition or
alternatively, one of the one or more wheels includes a rotary
encoder configured to provide rotation information for the one of
the one or more wheels. In this example, the system also includes a
control assembly including one or more computing devices configured
to receive the rotation information and determine whether a wheel
of the one or more wheels is slipping. In addition or
alternatively, the one or more motors are configured to control
speed of the cart relative to the edge of the table as the cart is
moved along the edge of the table. In addition or alternatively,
the system also includes a control assembly having one or more
computing devices configured to control the sealer assembly and
speed of the cart. In addition or alternatively, the system also
includes, a control assembly having one or more computing devices
configured to control position of the platform relative to the cart
and the table. Another aspect of the disclosure provides an inlet
assembly having first and second pairs of rollers, each roller of
the first and second pairs of rollers being configured to rotate
and provide tension to envelope material entering the sealer
assembly, and the first pair of rollers being configured to change
an angle of material entering the sealer assembly relative to the
table. In this example, the inlet assembly includes a motor
configured to move the first pair of rollers towards and away from
the sealer assembly in order to change the angle of the envelope
material entering the sealer assembly. In another example, the
system also includes a vision system including one or more sensors
positioned in order to capture images of material on the table
upstream from the sealer assembly. In this example, the system also
includes a control assembly including one or more computing devices
configured to use the images to detect problems with envelope
material prior to the envelope material being heat sealed. In
addition or alternatively, the vision system includes one or more
sensors positioned in order to capture images of heat seals on the
table downstream from the sealer assembly. In another example, the
system also includes a marking system configured to use ink to mark
material with identifying information. In another example, the
system also includes a track and a guiderail, and a motor
configured to move the positioning assembly along a length of the
table.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a functional diagram of a system in accordance
with aspects of the present disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 2 is an example of a balloon in accordance with aspects
of the present disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 3 is an example of a balloon in flight in accordance
with aspects of the disclosure.
[0010] FIGS. 4A-4E are example views of aspects of a heat sealing
system in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 5 is an example exploded view of aspects of a heat
sealing system in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0012] FIGS. 6A-6B are example views of an inlet assembly in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0013] FIGS. 7A-7B are example views of an outlet assembly in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0014] FIGS. 8A-8E are example views of a sealer assembly in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0015] FIGS. 9A-9B are example views of a positioning assembly in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0016] FIGS. 10A-10C are example views of a cart drive assembly in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0017] FIGS. 11 and 12 are example views of a track and other
features in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0018] FIGS. 13A-C are example views of aspects of a heat sealing
system in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 15 is an example block diagram of a control assembly in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 16 is an example view of a table and a sealer assembly
and cart in two different positions (i.e. at two different points
in time) in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 17 is an example block diagram of a marking system,
control assembly and vision system in accordance with aspects of
the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Overview
[0022] The present disclosure generally relates to devices for heat
sealing balloon gores or lobes during balloon manufacturing. For
instance, high-altitude balloons may include balloon envelopes
formed from a plurality, of wedge-shaped gores. These gores are
heat-sealed together in a generally manual and time-consuming
process. Typically, during manufacture, gores are formed according
to a curvature of a table on which the heat sealing is performed.
However, in some instances, it may be useful to have balloon
envelopes of different shapes and sizes, or rather to have gores of
different sizes and shapes. Thus, for larger balloons, such as
those having gore sections that are tens of meters long, different
shapes and sizes for gores would require different table shapes. To
avoid the need for different table shapes and configurations, a
specialized heat sealing system, which can also provide additional
quality control measures, may be used.
[0023] An example heat sealing system may include a sealer system,
a positioning assembly, a control assembly, a vision system, a
marking system, and a table. The sealing system includes an inlet
assembly, a sealer assembly, and an outlet assembly. The inlet
assembly may include two pairs of nip rollers and may control
speed, angle, and tension of material going into the sealer
assembly. The outlet assembly may also include a pair of nip roller
and a rotary cutting blade to provide tension and remove excess
material, respectively.
[0024] The sealer assembly includes an upper portion and a lower
portion. The upper portion and lower portions can be opened and
closed relative to one another. The upper portion includes a first
pair of belt-driven rollers with an attached motor as well as heat
sealing and cooling bars. The lower portion includes a second pair
of belt-driven rollers with an attached motor. The first pair of
rollers provide pressure from the top down against the second pair
of rollers which provide pressure from the bottom up as well as
heat sealing and cooling bars. Together the corresponding pairs of
rollers pull balloon envelope material through the sealer assembly.
Each of the heat sealing bars and cooling bars can therefore be
pressed together such that corresponding bars make contact with one
another with a desired force.
[0025] The control assembly may include one or more computing
devices having one or more processors and memory storing data and
instructions. The control assembly may be configured to control
various aspects of the heat sealing system, such as the speed and
movement of the various motors. This, in turn, may allow the
control assembly to control how the heat sealing system heat seals
pieces of material. As the sealing assembly moves along the table,
the control assembly may control the position of the linear stage
to move the platform towards and away from the table.
[0026] The heat sealing system may also include a vision system
which may provide for data collection ahead of the intake assembly
and to record the heat seals behind the cart as the cart moves
along the table. The heat sealing system may also include a marking
system configured to mark the heat sealed material with
information.
[0027] The features described herein may allow for a more
consistent process for manufacturing balloon envelope gores. In
addition, because the sealer assembly is able to be moved relative
to the table, the shape of balloon envelope gores is no longer
limited to the shape of the table or the inconsistencies of manual
heat sealing processes. This can improve film tension during
sealing and quality of the final balloon envelope. In addition, the
use of a vision system to monitor tension and seal quality may
provide data which can be used to improve seal quality and identify
potential causes of balloon envelope failures related to
manufacturing conditions.
Example System
[0028] FIG. 1 depicts an example system 100 in which an aircraft as
described above may be used. This example should not be considered
as limiting the scope of the disclosure or usefulness of the
features of the present disclosure. For example, the techniques
described herein can be employed on various types of aircraft and
systems. In this example, system 100 may be considered a "balloon
network" though in addition to balloons the network may include
other types of aircraft including other airships, etc. As such, the
system 100 includes a plurality of devices, such as balloons
102A-F, ground base stations 106 and 112 and links 104, 108, 110
and 114 that are used to facilitate intra-balloon communications as
well as communications between the base stations and the balloons.
One example of a balloon is discussed in greater detail below with
reference to FIG. 2.
Example Balloon
[0029] FIG. 2 is an example balloon 200, which may represent any of
the balloons of the system 100. As shown, the balloon 200 includes
an envelope 210, a payload 220 and a plurality of tendons 230, 240
and 250 attached to the envelope 210. The balloon envelope 210 may
take various forms. In one instance, the balloon envelope 210 may
be constructed from materials such as polyethylene that do not hold
much load while the balloon 200 is floating in the air during
flight. Additionally, or alternatively, some or all of envelope 210
may be constructed from a highly flexible latex material or rubber
material such as chloroprene. Other materials or combinations
thereof may also be employed. Further, the shape and size of the
envelope 210 may vary depending upon the particular implementation.
Additionally, the envelope 210 may be filled with various gases or
mixtures thereof, such as helium, hydrogen or any other
lighter-than-air gas. The envelope 210 is thus arranged to have an
associated upward buoyancy force during deployment of the payload
220.
[0030] The payload 220 of balloon 200 may be affixed to the
envelope by a connection 260 such as a cable or other rigid
structure. The payload 220 may include a computer system (not
shown), having one or more processors and on-board data storage
(similar to processors 1320 and memory 1330 described below). The
payload 220 may also include various other types of equipment and
systems (not shown) to provide a number of different functions. For
example, the payload 220 may include various communication systems
such as optical and/or RF, a navigation system, a positioning
assembly, a lighting system, an altitude control assembly
(configured to change an altitude of the balloon), a plurality of
solar panels 270 for generating power, a power supply (such as one
or more batteries) to store and supply power to various components
of balloon 200.
[0031] In view of the goal of making the balloon envelope 210 as
lightweight as possible, it may be comprised of a plurality of
envelope lobes or gores that have a thin film, made of a material
such as polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, which is
lightweight, yet has suitable strength properties for use as a
balloon envelope (hereafter, envelope material). In this example,
balloon envelope 210 is comprised of envelope gores 210A-210D.
[0032] Pressurized lift gas within the balloon envelope 210 may
cause a force or load to be applied to the balloon 200. In that
regard, the tendons 230, 240, 250 provide strength to the balloon
200 to carry the load created by the pressurized gas within the
balloon envelope 210. In some examples, a cage of tendons (not
shown) may be created using multiple tendons that are attached
vertically and horizontally. Each tendon may be formed as a fiber
load tape that is adhered to a respective envelope gore.
Alternately, a tubular sleeve may be adhered to the respective
envelopes with the tendon positioned within the tubular sleeve.
[0033] Top ends of the tendons 230, 240 and 250 may be coupled
together using an apparatus, such as top cap 201 positioned at the
apex of balloon envelope 210. A corresponding apparatus, e.g.,
bottom cap 214, may be disposed at a base or bottom of the balloon
envelope 210. The top cap 201 at the apex may be the same size and
shape as and bottom cap 214 at the bottom. Both caps include
corresponding components for attaching the tendons 230, 240 and 250
to the balloon envelope 210.
[0034] FIG. 3 is an example of balloon 200 in flight. In this
example, the shapes and sizes of the balloon envelope 210,
connection 260, ballast 310, and payload 220 are exaggerated for
clarity and ease of understanding. During flight, these balloons
may use changes in altitude to achieve navigational direction
changes. For example, the altitude control assembly of the payload
220 may cause air to be pumped into the ballast 310 within the
balloon envelope 210 which increases the mass of the balloon and
causes the balloon to descend. Similarly, the altitude control
assembly may cause air to be released from the ballast 310 (and
expelled from the balloon) in order to reduce the mass of the
balloon and cause the balloon to ascend.
Example Heat Sealing System
[0035] FIGS. 4A-4D provide side views of aspects of an example heat
sealing system 400, FIG. 4E is a top-down view, and FIG. 5 is an
exploded view. The heat sealing system may include a sealer system,
a positioning assembly, a cart, a cart drive assembly, a control
assembly, a vision system, and a marking system described in more
detail below. The heat sealing system 400 may also include a table
1600, depicted in FIG. 14.
[0036] The sealing system includes an inlet assembly 600 (shown in
FIGS. 6A-6B, an outlet assembly 700 (shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B), and
a sealer assembly 800 (shown in FIGS. 8A-8E). Turning to FIG. 6,
the inlet assembly includes two pairs of nip rollers 610, 620. The
pairs of nip rollers may be configured to pull balloon envelope
material into the sealer assembly 700. Each of the pairs of nip
rollers may be driven by a motor 630. Motor 630 may be a small
electric motor or any motor configured to control the rotation of
the nip rollers 620. A second motor, motor 632 may be configured to
change the position of one of the pairs of nip rollers 620. For
instance, motor 632 may be configured to change the angle of the
nip rollers relative to the inlet assembly, allowing these nip
rollers to move towards and away from the sealer assembly. The
motor 632 may be a lead screw motor.
[0037] These pairs of nip rollers 610, 620 may allow the sealing
system to control the tension, and to some extent the speed, of the
envelope material as the envelope material moves through the sealer
assembly 800. The pairs of nip roller may also allow the heat
sealing system to control the angle at which material enters the
sealer assembly relative to the table 1600 on which the envelope
material is placed. While a single pair of nip rollers may be
sufficient to control speed and angle, having a second pair of nip
rollers at the inlet assembly 600, may allow for more consistent
tensioning and reduces folding and bunching of material entering
the heat sealer assembly which can be problematic, especially when
the envelope material is only a few millimeters thick.
[0038] Turning to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the outlet assembly 700 also
includes a pair of nip rollers 710 configured to pull sealed
envelope material away from the sealer assembly 700. This pair of
nip rollers may also provide consistent tension in the envelope
material and can be actuated by a pneumatic actuator 720 which may
be activated, for instance, via an air compressor 550 (shown in
FIG. 5). Returning to FIGS. 7A and 7B, adjacent to the pair of nip
rollers is a rotary cutting blade 730 driven by a motor 732. In
this regard, the rotary cutting blade is configured to cut excess
material (if needed) and first and second rollers 740, 750 driven
by motors 760, 770, respectively, are configured to pull excess
envelope material into a waste receptacle 780 (shown in FIG. 5).
Motor 732, 760, 770 may be small electric motors or any motors
configured to control the rotation of the rotary cutting blade and
rollers 740, 750, respectively.
[0039] Turning to FIGS. 8A-8E, the sealer assembly 800 includes an
upper portion 810 and a lower portion 850. The upper portion and
lower portions can be opened and closed relative to one another,
for instance, via a linear actuator 802. The linear actuator may
include, for example, an air cylinder to facilitate the opening and
allow the closing of the upper and lower portions. As such, the
sealer system is able to be positioned at any point on the envelope
material when the upper portion 810 and lower portion 850 are
opened, and once closed, heat sealing can begin. This, in turn,
allow the sealing system to be stopped at any point along a seal
and moved, forward or backward, in the event of problems with
positioning, folding, bunching, and/or tension in the envelope
material.
[0040] The upper portion 810 includes a first set of rollers
820-824 with an attached motor 826 (shown in FIGS. 8D and 8E). The
lower portion includes a second set of rollers 860-864 with an
attached motor 866 (shown in FIGS. 8D and 8E). The motors 826, 866
may be small electric motors or any motors configured to control
the rotation of the first and second sets of rollers for instance,
using a belt-drive. Together these corresponding pairs of rollers
may be configured to pull envelope material through the sealer
assembly 800.
[0041] The upper portion also includes a first heat sealing plate
or bar 830 and a first cooling plate or bar 832, and the lower
portion includes a second heat sealing plate or bar 870 and a
second cooling plate or bar 872. The first and second heat sealing
bars are aligned with one another when the sealer assembly is in
the closed position (shown in FIGS. 8A-8E). The first heat sealing
bar is attached to a first linear actuator 840, for example an air
cylinder, which can drive, for instance using a pneumatic actuator
or a screw drive, the heat sealing bar towards and away from the
second heat sealing bar when the sealer assembly is in the closed
position. The second heat sealing bar is attached to a second
linear actuator 880, for example an air cylinder, which can drive,
for instance using a pneumatic actuator or a screw drive, the heat
sealing bar towards and away from the first heat sealing bar when
the sealer assembly is in the closed position.
[0042] The first and second cooling bars are also aligned with one
another when the sealer assembly is in the closed position (shown
in the figures). In addition, the first cooling bar 832 is attached
to a third linear actuator 842, for example an air cylinder, which
can drive, for instance using a pneumatic actuator or a screw
drive, the heat sealing bar towards and away from the first heat
sealing bar when the sealer assembly is in the closed position.
Each of the first and second heat sealing bars and cooling bars may
also include various sensors, including for instance, a thermometer
(not shown) to measure the temperature and make adjustments as
needed.
[0043] Each of the first and second heat sealing bars 830, 870 and
the first and second cooling bars 832, 872 can therefore be pressed
together such that corresponding bars make contact with one another
with a desired force. During operation, the first and second heat
sealing bars 830, 870 may remain fixed relative to one another, and
the envelope material may be pulled (for instance, via the various
rollers) into the sealing assembling 800. As the envelope material
is moved between the first and second heat sealing bars 830, 870,
the first and second heat sealing bars may then create a heat seal
in the envelope material.
[0044] When closing the upper and lower portions, the second heat
sealing bar plate 870 may be moved towards the first heat sealing
bar plate 830 and vice versa via linear actuators 802, 840, 880.
When opening the upper and lower portions, the first and second
heat sealing bars may then be moved away from one another, the
second heat sealing bar plate 870 may be moved towards the first
heat sealing bar plate 830 and vice versa via linear actuators 802,
840, 880. In this regard, if the heat sealer needs to be stopped
and/or the material adjusted, the upper and lower portions can be
easily opened.
[0045] Rather than being fixed during sealing (i.e. when the upper
and lower portions are closed), the first cooling bar may simply be
"loose" or free floating such that very little pressure is applied
against the second cooling bar. As such, the envelope material can
simply be "slide" between the first and second cooling bars. The
cooling bars may also be liquid cooled and thereby provide instant
cooling as heated balloon envelope material is positioned between
the cooling bars. This configuration with cooling bars adjacent to
the heating bars also allows one portion of material to be heat
sealed while an adjacent portion of material having a heat seal is
cooled.
[0046] Turning to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the sealer assembly may be
mounted to a positioning assembly 900. The positioning assembly
includes a rotatable platform 910 mounted on a linear stage 920
including a pair of rails 922, 924. The platform may be rotatable
relative to the cart via a motor 930 having a shaft (not shown)
which rotates a belt 932 via a first pulley (not shown). The belt
may move around a second pulley (not shown) of the platform 910
causing the pulley of the platform and the platform to rotate. In
addition, the platform may be configured to move along the rails
922, 924 of the linear stage in two directions, for instance,
forward and reverse along the rails as indicated by arrow 940. The
movement of the platform is driven by carriage 950 including a
motor 952 having a shaft 954 engaged with a spiral groove 956 of
the linear stage. Rotation of the shaft in a clockwise direction
moves the platform along the rails in the first direction, and
rotation of the shaft in a counterclockwise direction moves the
platform along the rails in the second direction opposite of the
first direction.
[0047] Returning to FIG. 5, the positioning assembly is mounted to
a cart 500. As such the cart is configured to support the sealer
assembly and the positioning assembly as well as the cart drive
assembly and various other systems of the heat sealer assembly,
including for instance, the air compressor (for activating the
various pneumatic features described herein) and chiller components
552 (for cooling the first and second cooling bars 832, 872). The
cart may thus be comprised of aluminum and/or other metals. In
addition, the cart includes a plurality of wheels 510 that allow
the cart to move relative to a table. The cart also includes one or
more side rollers 520 (also shown in FIG. 12), which allows the
cart to maintain a relative distance from an edge of the table 1600
and glide along the table. The side rollers 520 may also provide
support for the cart relative to the table by keeping the cart and
the wheels of the cart drive assembly (discussed below) more level
and thereby preventing damage and excess wear on the wheels of the
cart drive assembly.
[0048] Turning to FIGS. 10A-10C, the cart drive assembly 1000 is
arranged on one side of the cart 500. The cart drive assembly
includes a pair of wheels 1010, 1020. As shown in FIG. 11, the pair
of wheels may be configured to ride within a groove 1410 of a track
1420 mounted below a table top 1430 of the table 1600. Returning to
FIGS. 10A-10C, the rotation of each wheel 1010, 1020 is controlled
by a respective motor 1030, 1040. The motors 1030, 1040 may be
small electric motors or any motor configured to control the speed
of the cart 500 relative to the table, for instance using gear
drives housed in housings 1032, 1042, respectively. Having multiple
wheels and multiple motors may provide for better speed control and
reduces slippage of the Wheels as compared to a single wheel and
single motor configuration. In addition, one or both wheels may
include a rotary encoder 1050 to provide a position of the cart
relative to an end of the table. In addition, the motors 1030 and
1040 may each include a rotary encoder. By using two (i.e. at least
one on a wheel and at least one on a motor or one on each of the
wheels 1010, 1020) or more rotary encoders, the control assembly
may more readily detect if one of the wheels is slipping.
[0049] FIG. 13A-13C provide various views of aspects of an example
heat sealing system 1300. As with the heat sealing system 400, the
heat sealing system 1300 may include a sealer system, inlet
assembly, outlet assembly and sealer assembly represented by box
1310. These features may be configured the same as or similarly to
an inlet assembly 600, an outlet assembly 700, and a sealer
assembly 800. The heat sealing system 1300 may also include a
control assembly, a vision system and a marking system discussed
further below. The heat sealing system 1300 may also include a
table 1600, depicted in FIG. 16.
[0050] The box 1310 may be mounted to a positioning assembly 1312
similar to positioning assembly 900. The positioning assembly
includes a rotatable platform 1320 attached to a motor housing 1330
including a motor (not shown). The motor housing is arranged on a
linear stage 1340 including a pair of rails 1342, 1344 which are
further mounted on a base platform 1350. The platform 1320 may be
rotatable relative to the motor housing 1330, linear stage 1340 and
base platform 1350 via the motor. In addition, the motor housing
1330 may be configured to move along the rails 1342, 1344 of linear
stage 1340 in two directions, for instance, forward and reverse
along the rails of the linear stage as indicated by arrow 1360
(shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B). The movement of the motor housing may
be achieved similarly to the movement of the platform 910 as
described above in this regard features corresponding to the
carriage 950, motor 952, shaft 954 and spiral groove 956 may be
enclosed within the motor housing 1330. Rotation of the shaft in a
clockwise direction moves the motor housing 1330 along the rails in
the first direction, and rotation of the shaft in a
counterclockwise direction moves the motor housing along the rails
in the second direction opposite of the first direction. The base
platform 1350 may be arranged to support the drive assembly and
various other systems of the heat sealer assembly, including for
instance, an electrical housing 1352. This electrical housing may
include, for instance, an air compressor, chiller components, a
control assembly, etc. Alternatively, these components may be
mounted to the platform in a similar arrangement as with the cart
500.
[0051] Rather than being arranged on a cart as with the heat
sealing system 400, the heat sealing system 1300 may ride on a
floor-mounted track 1370 (for instance, a bearing rail) and
guiderail 1372. The heat sealing system 1300 may connect with the
track 1370 and guide rails 1372, 1374 via a bearing system or other
connection. The heat sealing system 1300 may be configured to move
along the track and guide rails in order to move relative to a
table 1600. For instance, a second motor housing 1380 is also
mounted to the base platform 1350. The second motor may be a rack
and pinion, belt or cable drive, linear motor, friction drive or
other configuration that can move a drive member, here depicted as
a cog 1382, along teeth of the track 1370. Alternatively, the
second motor may be located elsewhere and used to drive a portion
of the track in order to move the heat sealing system 1300 relative
to the table.
[0052] The heat sealing systems may also include other features.
For instance, the heat sealing system 1300 may include a plurality
of spools 1390 for laying down additional strips of material when
heat sealing. For instance, these spools may be used to lay down
strips of 2 inches or more or less of additional envelope material
to increase the strength of heat seals. In addition or
alternatively, these spools may be used to lay down a sleeve of
additional envelope material within which the tendons of the
balloon may be placed. Although depicted as disconnected from the
motor housing 1310 for simplicity, the spools may actually be
attached to the motor housing via brackets or other hardware.
Although not depicted, the same or similar spools may also be
incorporated into the heat sealing system 1300.
[0053] As another example, the heat sealing systems may include
features such as a chair for an operator, additional equipment for
handling the envelope material, a spool for dispensing sheets of
envelope material (as opposed to the narrow strips provided by the
spools), etc. For instance, as shown in FIGS. 13B and C, roller,
bar, or guide 1610 may be attached to the platform 1350 via a
support structure 1620 in order to control film in front of or in
between heat sealing system 1300 and the table 1600.
[0054] Turning to FIG. 15, the control assembly 1500 of the heat
sealing system 400 or 1300 may include one or more computing
devices 1510 having one or more processors 1520 and memory 1530
storing data 1532 and instructions 1534. The control assembly may
also include a display 1552 and one or more user input devices 1550
(such as buttons or a touch sensitive display), speakers 1554, and
one or more wireless network connections 1556.
[0055] The memory 1530 stores information accessible by the one or
more processors 1520, including instructions 1534 and data 152 that
may be executed or otherwise used by the processors 1520. The
memory 1530 may be of any type capable of storing information
accessible by the processors, including a computing device-readable
medium, or other medium that stores data that may be read with the
aid of an electronic device, such as a hard-drive, memory card,
ROM, RAM, DVD or other optical disks, as well as other
write-capable and read-only memories. Systems and methods may
include different combinations of the foregoing, whereby different
portions of the instructions and data are stored on different types
of media.
[0056] The instructions 1534 may be any set of instructions to be
executed directly (such as machine code) or indirectly (such as
scripts) by the processor. For example, the instructions may be
stored as computing device code on the computing device-readable
medium. In that regard, the terms "instructions" and "programs" may
be used interchangeably herein. The instructions may be stored in
object code format for direct processing by the processor, or in
any other computing device language including scripts or
collections of independent source code modules that are interpreted
on demand or compiled in advance. Functions, methods and routines
of the instructions are explained in more detail below.
[0057] The data 1532 may be retrieved, stored or modified by
processors 1520 in accordance with the instructions 1534. For
instance, although the claimed subject matter is not limited by any
particular data structure, the data may be stored in computing
device registers, in a relational database as a table having a
plurality of different fields and records, XML documents or flat
files. The data may also be formatted in any computing
device-readable format.
[0058] The processors 1520 may be any one or more conventional
processors, such as commercially available CPUs. Alternatively, the
one or more processors may be a dedicated device such as an ASIC or
other hardware-based processor. Although FIG. 15 functionally
illustrates the processor, memory, and other elements of computing
devices 1510 as being within the same block, it will be understood
by those of ordinary skill in the art that the processor, computing
device, or memory may actually include multiple processors,
computing devices, or memories that may or may not be stored within
the same physical housing. For example, memory 1530 may be a hard
drive and/or other storage media located in housing different from
that of computing device 1510. Accordingly, references to a
processor or computing device will be understood to include
references to a collection of processors or computing devices or
memories that may or may not operate in parallel.
[0059] Computing device 1510 may include all of the components
normally used in connection with a computing device such as the
processor and memory described above as well as one or more user
input devices 1550 (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, touch screen and/or
microphone) and various electronic displays (e.g., a monitor having
a screen or any other electrical device that is operable to display
information). In this example, the 15 control assembly 1500
includes one or more internal displays 1552 as well as one or more
speakers 1554 to provide information or audio visual experiences.
In this regard, display 1552 may be used to provide information
human operators.
[0060] Computing device 1510 may also include one or more wireless
network connections 1556 to facilitate communication with other
computing devices, such as the encoders, thermometers, cameras, and
various other sensors and features of the assemblies, systems, etc.
discussed herein. The wireless network connections may include
short range communication protocols such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth
low energy (LE), cellular connections, as well as various
configurations and protocols including the Internet, World Wide
Web, intranets, virtual private networks, wide area networks, local
networks, private networks using communication protocols
proprietary to one or more companies, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and HTTP, and
various combinations of the foregoing.
[0061] The control assembly may 1500, for instance by way of the
computing devices 1510, be configured to control various aspects of
the heat sealing system, such as the speed and movement of the
various motors. This, in turn, may allow the control assembly to
control how the heat sealing system heat seals pieces of material.
For instance, the control assembly may, control how fast the cart
500 moves relative to the table 1600, the positions of the second
heat sealing bars 830, 870, the first cooling bar 832, the speed
(and in some cases the angle of) of various of the nip rollers and
rollers, the orientation and/or position of the platform 910
relative to the linear stage 920 based on feedback from the
aforementioned rotary encoders and thermometers.
[0062] Turning to FIG. 16, as the heat sealing assembly 400 or 1300
moves along the table 1600, the control assembly 1500 may control
the position of the linear stage 920 to move the platform 910
towards and away from the table 1600. This, in turn, may also cause
the sealer assembly to move towards and away from the table. In
addition, the rotation of the platform may cause the sealer
assembly to move even further away from the table. In this example,
as the cart moves from the first end of the table 1660 to the
second end of the table 1670, the sealer assembly may actually
follow the path of dashed line 1650 which may correspond to a
desired curve for a balloon envelope gore. The distance d
represents the amount of lateral movement with respect to the table
possible. For example, the configuration depicted in the figures
may allow for a value of d of up to 200 mm with respect to the
table while the cart remains at the same relative lateral position
with respect to the table as the cart is moved along the length of
the table. In this regard, the curve shape of the envelope material
resulting from the heat sealing (and in some instances, subsequent
cutting) may follow up to 200 mm of travel away from the table. By
adjusting the distance and speed at which the sealer assembly is
moved away from and towards the table, the control assembly 1500
may change the shape of the heat sealed material, and accordingly,
the shape of the resulting gore. In other words, the shape of the
heat sealed material is independent of the shape of the table, but
can be precisely controlled.
[0063] Turning to FIG. 17 heat sealing system 400 or 1300 may
include a vision system 1300 in communication, for instance via
wired or wireless connections 136, with the control assembly 1500.
The vision system 1300 may provide for data collection by the
control assembly 1500. For instance, a first upstream sensor 1710,
may be positioned in order to monitor material tension and position
ahead of the intake assembly. For example, the upstream sensor may
be a camera arranged on the heat sealing system to capture images
of material 1 meter, or more or less, in front of the cart. This
may allow the control assembly 1500 to monitor conditions proximate
to the cart. Other cameras may be mounted above the table at
different locations, for instance, on an overhead mounting system
which can be used to monitor conditions at different points along
the length of the table. The camera can be a typical video or still
camera. In addition or alternatively, ultrasonic or LIDAR devices,
that can be used to detect differences in the height or thickness
of the envelope material, may also be used. Data from the sensors
may be processed by the control assembly in order to identify
inconsistencies in tension, folds, creases, etc. For instance,
contrast as well as different lighting and filtering techniques may
be used to detect changes in the smoothness or flatness of the file
and/or position.
[0064] The vision system 1700 may also include a second downstream
sensor 1720. For instance, the downstream sensor may be positioned
in order to record the heat seals behind the cart as the cart moves
along the table. As such, the downstream sensor may include a
camera, such as a typical video or still camera as well as a
polarized. In addition or alternatively, the sensor may be an
infrared camera. The light source may be located on the sealer
assembly and may be positioned to shine through the seal and
recorded by a camera on the opposite side. Each image captured by
the camera may be associated with the position on the table for
instance, using an encoder to determine the position. These images
and associated position information may be sent to and received by
the control assembly 1500. This may allow for comparisons between
different pieces of materials (e.g. different gores). In addition
or alternatively, the second downstream sensor may include a
thermal camera. The thermal camera may capture images that allow
the control assembly to measure changes in the heat gradient along
the heat seal.
[0065] The heat sealing system 400 or 1300 may also include a
marking system 1730 in communication, for instance via wired or
wireless connections 1556, with the control assembly 1500. The
marking system may be configured to mark the heat sealed material
with information. For instance, the marking system may include a
pen, marker, ink jet printer, or any other contact or non-contact
device capable of marking information onto the heat sealed material
while maintaining an even, consistent pressure during marking. The
ink used to make the markings may be selected in order to be
compatible with polyethylene film and not negatively impact the
film during flights in the stratosphere for at least some period of
time, such as 1 year or more or less. The markings may include text
or other markings which can be used as a reference during
manufacturing and/or in the event of a failure of a balloon during
a flight. As such, the markings may be used as a reference to
retrieve data from the control assembly about the circumstances of
the manufacturing related to a point of failure on a balloon. In
this regard, each marking may be configured as a code which can be
used to identify when and under what circumstances the envelope
material was heat sealed at the location of the marking.
[0066] The marking system 1530 may be configured to make the
markings upstream of the sealer assembly and/or downstream of the
sealer assembly. Downstream and upstream may have different
benefits. For instance, downstream may allow the ink free to dry
without potentially contacting something. Upstream may potentially
better for film tension so there is a nice flat surface to print
onto. As one example, the markings may be made at particular
reference points on the table and/or at locations on the envelope
material where secondary operations (such as applying tack points
for launching purposes, folding locations, device attachment
locations, etc.) are required.
[0067] The features described herein may allow for a more
consistent process for manufacturing balloon envelope gores. In
addition, because the sealer assembly is able to be moved relative
to the table, the shape of balloon envelope gores is no longer
limited to the shape of the table or the inconsistencies of manual
heat sealing processes. This can improve film tension during
sealing and quality of the final balloon envelope. In addition, the
use of a vision system to monitor tension and seal quality may
provide data which can be used to improve seal quality and identify
potential causes of balloon envelope failures related to
manufacturing conditions.
[0068] Most of the foregoing alternative examples are not mutually
exclusive, but may be implemented in various combinations to
achieve unique advantages. As these and other variations and
combinations of the features discussed above can be utilized
without departing from the subject matter defined by the claims,
the foregoing description of the embodiments should be taken by way
of illustration rather than by way of limitation of the subject
matter defined by the claims. As an example, the preceding
operations do not have to be performed in the precise order
described above. Rather, various steps can be handled in a
different order or simultaneously. Steps can also be omitted unless
otherwise stated. In addition, the provision of the examples
described herein, as well as clauses phrased as "such as,"
"including" and the like, should not be interpreted as limiting the
subject matter of the claims to the specific examples; rather, the
examples are intended to illustrate only one of many possible
embodiments. Further, the same reference numbers in different
drawings can identify the same or similar elements.
* * * * *