Existing approaches to airship and aerostat construction rely on structural joints to transform flat materials into three-dimensional, gas-tight volumes. The overall strength of gas-filled hulls constructed using existing approaches is therefore limited by the strength of the individual structural joints. While great advancements have been made in the strength and weight of reinforced fabrics and laminates, bonded structural joints still rely on relatively weak adhesives and resins. This, in turn, results in joints that are large, heavy, and difficult to construct. Structural joints have been a weak point of high performance hulls, with no light-weight solution currently in use. Thus, there is a need for an improved method of constructing airships, aerostats, and other lighter-than-air craft that does not suffer from these deficiencies.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds