Aspects of the disclosure provide a fill port apparatus for filling high altitude balloons, such as those used in communications networks, with lighter than air lift gasses. For instance, the fill port apparatus includes a tubular body portion having a passageway extending between a first end and a second end of the tubular body portion. The fill port apparatus also includes an attachment structure arranged at the first end of the tubular body portion. This structure is configured to attach to a top plate of a balloon envelope. The fill port apparatus also includes a plurality of energy directing structures arranged on an interior surface of the tubular body portion. These energy directing structures extend into the passageway from the interior surface and are each configured to contact at least one other of the plurality of energy directing structures when the tubular body portion is welded to itself.
Filling apparatus for high-altitude balloons
2018-05-08
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64B LIGHTER-THAN-AIR AIRCRAFT , Luftfahrzeuge leichter als Luft / B29C Formen oder Verbinden von Kunststoffen , SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS / B29K Index-Schema für Formmassen oder Materialien für Verstärkungen, Füllstoffe oder vorgeformte Teile, z.B. Einlagen in Verbindung mit den Unterklassen B29B, B29C oder B29D , INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS / B29L INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES , Index-Schema für besondere Gegenstände in Verbindung mit Unterklasse B29C |