Patent ID: 9371123
Filing Date: 2016-06-21
CPC Classification: B29C,B29K,B29L,B64B

Claim Text:
1. An assembly for manufacturing a balloon envelope, the assembly comprising: a table component having first and second levels, a curved heat sealing surface and an indicator disposed on the first level, the first level being arranged to receive a first sheet portion of material, the indicator being arranged along a lengthwise axis of the table component to indicate a position for attaching a tendon to the first sheet portion, and the second level being arranged to receive assembled gore portions of the balloon envelope comprising at least the first sheet portion, the tendon and a second sheet portion of material, at least a portion of the indicator being arranged closer to the second level than the curved heat sealing surface; and a sealing component, the sealing component being configured to move along the table component and to apply a heat seal to bond the first sheet portion to the second sheet portion of the material disposed at the curved heat sealing surface in order to form at least part of a gore portion of the balloon envelope, such that the tendon is arranged proximate to a centerline of the gore portion that runs along a longitudinal length of the gore portion between two seams.