| US 7,503,277 B2 | ||
| Aerostat inflator | ||
| James H. Boschma, Jr., Huntsville, Ala. (US); William Douglas McDaniel, Huntsville, Ala. (US); Michael McNabb, Huntsville, Ala. (US); Michael Ryder, Brownsboro, Ala. (US); Callum R. Sullivan, New Market, Ala. (US); Glenn Martin Tierney, Huntsville, Ala. (US); and Peter K. Van Staagen, Madison, Ala. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Information Systems Laboratories, Inc., San Diego, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Oct. 05, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/539,038. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0083848 A1, Apr. 10, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. B64B 1/40 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 116—210 [244/31] | 11 Claims |
| 1. A device for deploying an aerostat which comprises:
a cylindrical shaped container having an open end and a closed end, and defining an axis;
a tapered disc mounted on the container for movements along the axis thereof, the disc having a taper of increasing diameter
in an axial direction from the closed end toward the open end of the container; and
a means for moving the tapered disc between a first axial position wherein the tapered disc is held stationary while a portion
of the aerostat is loaded into the container, a second axial position wherein the tapered disc holds the loaded portion of
the aerostat in the container, and a release position wherein the disc directs deployment of the aerostat from the container.
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