JP3292334B2 - hot air balloon - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[Industrial applications] In recent years, hot air balloon flights have become popular as sports, and free flights and competitions are being enjoyed in various places. The present invention relates to a hot-air balloon skin, and more particularly, has excellent heat and flame resistance that does not burn or melt due to the heat of a burner during or before or after a flight, and takes off. When it comes into contact with obstacles on the ground during landing or landing,
It relates to the envelope of a hot air balloon having extremely high resistance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hot air balloons, like gas balloons and airships,
Unlike those that obtain buoyancy by enclosing a lighter gas than air, such as hydrogen or helium, propane gas is burned with a burner to warm the air and fly with that buoyancy. FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of a hot air balloon. It consists of three parts: a "bulk" inflated with warm air, a "burner" that heats the air inside the bulge, and a "gondola" with a crew.

[0003] Conventionally, the sheath is mainly made of nylon fabric, and some balloons are made of polyester fabric. Generally, the same fabric is used as the cotton spinnaker (triangular sail extending to the bow), and the basis weight is 50-70.
g / m ² check taffeta (5
A plain woven fabric in which thick denier yarns are woven in a lattice pattern at intervals of about 7 mm is used. In addition, although the confidentiality of the gas balloon is not required, the material is coated with a urethane or acrylic resin in order to prevent the heated air from leaking from the fabric.

[0004] In addition, from the opening below the envelope body to 1-3
Heat-resistant meta-aramid fibers represented by Nomex or Conex are used in the portion up to m. A wind shield called a skirt or scoop is provided below the opening. This material also uses the same meta-aramid fiber as a heat-resistant fiber. This is to prevent burning or melting due to the incline of the balloon at the time of expansion of the envelope before takeoff or landing, or the burning or burning of the burner due to the wind hitting the envelope by the wind.

[0005] A load tape is stretched on the outside of the envelope in a vertical and horizontal direction. This load tape is connected by a single line from the crown ring at the center of the zenith to the lower opening, and serves to support the load of the burner and gondola. The lower end of the load tape, the burner and the gondola are connected by a stainless wire. Another role of the load tape is to prevent the resulting tear from spreading. As a material of the load tape, a narrow woven tape of nylon is mainly used.

[0006]

Conventionally, the burner flame hits near the opening of the skin and the wind evasion member such as the skirt or scoop during the inflation operation of the hot air balloon made of nylon or polyester fabric during flight preparation for flight. May burn, burn, or melt. In addition, the radiant heat may also burn or melt the vicinity of the bulb opening and the wind shield member. In some cases, the load tape near the opening was melted by burner flame or radiant heat. Damage to the skin or the wind shield may interfere with flight and interrupt the flight. In addition, repair is required, and sufficient strength may not be obtained even after repair. If the load tape is damaged, it becomes a fatal defect and may not be repaired.

During normal flight, the temperature at the top of the bulb is 100 ° C.
As described below, if the burner continues to be fired so as to increase when the loaded weight is exceeded, it may reach 120 ° C. or more. When exposed to a high temperature for a long time or repeatedly, the strength of the fabric is greatly reduced, and the life (durability) of the balloon is reduced. In addition, meta-aramid fibers are superior in heat resistance and flame retardancy as compared with nylon and polyester fabrics, but their properties are not always satisfactory. In addition, meta-aramid fibers, like nylon and polyester fibers, do not have sufficient tensile strength, and when taking off, contacting obstacles on the ground during landing, or contacting other balloons during flight There was a problem of avoiding them.

[0008]

In particular, if the scalp is torn during contact with another balloon during the flight, there is a possibility that human life may be impaired by falling, which is a serious problem. The present inventors have assiduously studied to solve such a problem, and have reached the present invention. That is, a hot air balloon characterized in that polybenzazole fibers are used for at least a part of the envelope or the wind shield. The melting point of nylon fibers conventionally used for the shell of hot air balloons is 250 ° C., and the melting point of polyester fibers is 260 ° C. The decomposition temperature of the meta-aramid used in the vicinity of the lower opening of the cork body or in the wind shield is 400 ° C. The limiting oxygen index (LOI value), which is an index of flame retardancy, is 21 for polyester fibers and 30 for meta-aramid fibers. On the other hand, the polybenzazole fiber used in the present invention has an LOI value of 45 or more. In particular, polybenzobisoxazole fiber has a high LO of 56
The decomposition temperature, which has an I value and is an index of heat resistance, is 650.
° C or higher, and is extremely excellent in heat resistance and flame retardancy as compared with conventional fiber materials, and is preferable as a fiber constituting the present invention. By using the polybenzazole fiber having such excellent properties for at least a part of the envelope, the envelope of the hot air balloon which is not burned or melted by the flame or radiant heat of the burner, which is the object of the present invention, can be obtained. Further, polybenzazole fiber has an extremely high tensile strength as compared with conventionally used nylon, polyester and meta-aramid fibers. Usually used for industrial materials,
Nylon and polyester fibers have a tensile strength of 7-1.
0 g / d, the value of the tensile strength of the meta-aramid fiber is 4 to 6
g / d. On the other hand, the polybenzazole fiber used in the present invention is 20 g / d or more, preferably 30 g / d.
When the cloth having the above tensile strength value and using this polybenzazole fiber is used, the tear strength is remarkably improved even with a small amount of use.

The intended hot air balloon can be obtained by using the polybenzazole fiber having excellent heat resistance and strength for at least a part of the hot air balloon envelope. Although the polybenzazole fiber may be used for the whole cork body, the effect can be obtained even if it is used for a part of the cork body. The part used partly includes the case where it is used in the next part. That is, when used around the opening from 1 to 3 m above the lower opening of the skin body, when it is used as a wind shield attached below the skin opening, when it is used for the road tape of the skin If you want to use the wind shield attached below the opening of the skin, or use it for the road tape of the skin. When used on the zenith of the bulb, when used on the lip line, and the like.

The polybenzazole fiber may be mixed with other organic natural fibers and / or synthetic fibers. As a mixing means, any of a blending method, a blending method and a blending method may be employed. The mixing ratio is desirably such that the content of the polybenzazole fiber is 3% by weight or more. By including the polybenzazole fiber, the conventional fiber alone can maintain sufficient strength even when the strength is significantly reduced due to thermal deterioration or light deterioration.

A woven fabric having a basis weight of 50 to 500 g / m ^{2 made} of 30 to 200 d of polybenzazole fiber is used from 1 to 3 m above the lower opening of the cork body. When the conventional meta-aramid fiber fabric is used by using the polybenzazole fiber fabric of the present invention, it is burned by the burner flame or radiant heat by cross wind at takeoff, and takes off without damage even in a situation such as a hole. be able to. A woven fabric having a basis weight of 50 to 500 g / m ^{2 made} of polybenzazole fiber of 30 to 200 d is also used for the wind shield member below the opening of the envelope. Also in this case, the conventional fiber material is prevented from being damaged by the burner flame. 30 for load tape
Width 1-5c consisting of ~ 500d polybenzazole fiber
m, a tape of a narrow fabric having a thickness of 0.5 to 5 mm is used. By using polybenzazole fibers, it is possible to obtain a load tape free from melting or a decrease in strength due to burner flame or radiant heat. A woven fabric having a basis weight of 50 to 100 g / m ² composed of 20 to 100 d of polybenzazole fiber is used at the zenith.

The envelope of the hot air balloon made of the woven fabric containing the polybenzazole fiber of the present invention is excellent in flame retardancy and strength, and melts or burns even when the burner flame is momentarily hit by crosswind at takeoff. There is no. When the conventional nylon fiber fabric is used when it comes into contact with an obstacle on the ground, tearing occurs, but the envelope of the fabric containing the polybenzazole fiber of the present invention is not damaged at all.

[0013]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Example 1 A plain fabric (60 d × 60 d / 150 × 150, basis weight 60 g / m ² ) was prepared using polybenzazole fibers having a tensile strength of 38 g / d. The woven fabric was coated with an acrylic resin to prepare a whole hot air balloon skin having an internal volume of 1800 m ³ . L which is an index of the flame retardancy of this woven fabric
The OI value was 56. The load tape has a narrow width 3c made of 150d polybenzobisoxazole fiber.
An m-width tape was prepared and used. The hot-air balloon produced by this example exhibited the same flight performance as that of the conventional product, and had no damage such as melting or burning due to the burner flame or radiant heat during take-off and landing. Also, it did not tear when it came into contact with obstacles on the ground during landing.

Example 2 A shell body having an inner volume of 1800 m ³ was prepared by using a plain weave of nylon fibers as in the case of the conventional product, and a portion 2 m above the opening where a meta-aramid fiber was used conventionally. And a plain fabric of polybenzobisoxazole fiber (150d × 150d / 110 × 80, basis weight 12)
0 g / m ² ). The hot air balloon according to the present embodiment did not suffer any damage such as melting or burning due to burner flame or radiant heat during takeoff and landing.

Comparative Example 1 A hot air balloon was prepared in the same configuration as in Example 2 except that a meta-aramid fiber having an LOI value of 30 was used instead of the polybenzobisoxazole fiber. The hot air balloon according to this comparative example was scorched due to contact with the flame of the burner during takeoff and landing, causing damage such that a large hole was formed.
Therefore, the function as a windshield member could not be sufficiently exhibited.

Comparative Example 2 A hot air balloon was prepared in the same manner as in Example 2 except that a polybenzimidazole fiber having an LOI value of 41 was used instead of the polybenzobisoxazole fiber. The hot air balloon according to the present comparative example slightly burned but did not lead to serious damage such as puncturing due to contact with the burner flame during takeoff and landing. However, the area of contact with the burner had a significantly reduced tear strength of the fabric and was easily torn when it came into contact with an obstacle on the ground during landing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hot air balloon according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Load tape, 2: Skin, 3: Heat resistant cloth, 4: Skirt (scoop), 5: Burner, 6: Gondola, 7: Rip line, 8: Inside the balloon, 9: Parachute trip (exhaust valve)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) D03D 1/00-27/18 B64B 1/40

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A hot air balloon comprising a polybenzazole fiber having an LOI value (critical oxygen index value) of 45 or more for at least a part of a skin and / or a wind shield member.