The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 30, 2017
Filed:
Jun. 16, 2015
X Development Llc, Mountain View, CA (US);
Daniel Ratner, San Francisco, CA (US);
X Development LLC, Mountain View, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus is provided that includes a solenoid chamber having a plunger configured to create an opening in a first balloon envelope of a balloon system when the solenoid chamber is actuated. The opening enables gas to evacuate from the first balloon envelope. A mixer valve having a nozzle is coupled to the solenoid chamber. The mixer valve is configured to create a gas mixture formed from the gas evacuating from the opening and atmospheric gas. A heating device is attached to the nozzle. The heating device is configured to heat the gas mixture created by the mixer valve. A second balloon envelope is attached to the nozzle. The second balloon envelope is arranged to expand in proportion to a quantity of the heated gas mixture passing through the nozzle. This expansion of the second balloon envelope creates an amount of lift for controlling descent of the balloon system.