IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,459,080
Granted Patent B2
US 11,459,080 · App. 17/015,247 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Transformable stratospheric airship

Inventors: Meng Zhou (Anhui, CN); Baihe Tan (Anhui, CN); Zhongxin Xu (Anhui, CN); Jinbiao Ju (Anhui, CN); Qi Li (Anhui, CN); Junxing Yuan (Anhui, CN)
Assignee: The 38th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation
B64B1/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,459,080
App. No.
17/015,247
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A transformable stratospheric airship includes an upper shell, a lower shell, a foldable hull, and a plurality of cable control mechanisms provided on the upper shell and the lower shell. The foldable hull includes a sealed body, a plurality of guide holes arranged outside the sealed body and a cable which passes through the guide holes according to a predetermined order. The cable is configured to keep a shape of the sealed body and connected to the cable control mechanisms to fix the sealed body to the upper shell and the lower shell. The foldable hull is foldable and extendable along a vertical direction of the transformable stratospheric airship by controlling a length of the cable via the cable control mechanisms.

Claims (14)

1. A transformable stratospheric airship, comprising:

an upper shell;

a lower shell;

a foldable hull; and

a plurality of cable control mechanisms provided on the upper shell;

wherein the foldable hull comprises a sealed body, a plurality of guide holes arranged outside the sealed body, and a cable which passes through the guide holes according to a predetermined order; the cable is configured to keep the shape of the sealed body, and is connected to the cable control mechanisms to fix the sealed body to the upper shell and the lower shell; and the foldable hull is foldable and extendable along a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the transformable stratospheric airship by controlling a length of the cable via the cable control mechanisms;

the upper shell comprises an envelope and a rigid support framework configured to support the envelope;

the rigid support framework comprises an annular truss, a plurality of transverse keels and a plurality of longitudinal keels;

the transformable stratospheric airship further comprises a tail fin, a propeller, a valve and a battery which are mounted on a top of the upper shell; and

the cable control mechanisms are provided on the annular truss of the rigid support framework, and the cable control mechanisms are connected with each other through the cable.

2. The transformable stratospheric airship of claim 1 , wherein a fabric is arranged outside the sealed body, and the guide holes are arranged on the fabric.

3. The transformable stratospheric airship of claim 1 , wherein the annular truss, the transverse keels and the longitudinal keels are made of carbon fiber frame structures.

4. The transformable stratospheric airship of claim 1 , wherein the envelope is a flexible layer or a rigid sheet.

5. The transformable stratospheric airship of claim 1 , wherein the battery is a solar battery.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 9, 2020
From: ZHOU, MENG; TAN, BAIHE; XU, ZHONGXIN; JU, JINBIAO; LI, QI; YUAN, JUNXING
To: THE 38TH RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF CHINA ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053720/0973 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 201810196120.1 · Mar 9, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2019077575 · Mar 9, 2019
Related Publication 20210155335A1 · May 27, 2021