Closure member for balloons

• US 3,978,555 A
• Filed: 01/06/1975
• Issued: 09/07/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marvin L. Weisenthal
• Original Assignee: Marvin L. Weisenthal
• Inventors: Weisenthal, Marvin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Donald A.
• Application Number:
  US05/538,809
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 24/255 SL, 24/255 R, 24/255 BC, 24/30.5 R, 24/248 SL, 24/248 HC, 24/248 PC, 24/248 HE, 24/73 LF, 132/48 R, 132/46 R, 251/10, 46/87, 46/90, 128/325, 128/346
• US Class Current: 24/543
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/14 with snap-action
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1041 Holding or sealing means, e.g. handling rods, clamps or plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44752 Integral locking-means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44915 Corrugated or toothed face

Abstract

A closure member for sealingly closing the neck of an inflated balloon includes a pair of legs interconnected by a hinge. One of the legs is substantially linear while the other leg has an arcuate section. Complementary sealing channels and grooves are provided on the interior surfaces of the legs. A lock sealingly closes the legs together.

Claims

1. In a closure member for sealingly closing an inflated balloon about the neck thereof of the type comprising first and second legs which receive the neck of the balloon transversely therebetween, the legs being interconnected by hinge means, the improvement which comprises:

a. a first substantially linear leg,

b. a second arcuate leg,

c. sealing means disposed on the opposed interior surfaces of the first and second legs, the sealing means sealingly closing the neck of the inflated balloon,

d. locking means for compressively locking the two legs together, the locking means comprising;

a leg extending from the linear leg and having a sloped shoulder at the free end thereof, the arcuate leg having a cut-out portion, the inner edge of which slides down the sloped shoulder until it engages the undersurface thereof, the locking means and cut-out portion being positioned to one side of a longitudinal line through the center of the closure member so as to provide a pull tab on the arcuate leg, the pull tab flaring away from the free end of the linear leg to facilitate release of the closure member from its locked condition, and

wherein locking of the legs causes the sealing means to compressingly seal the balloon across the neck thereof to prevent the passage of fluid therefrom.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the sealing means comprises:

a. a plurality of projections extending along the length of the first leg;

b. a plurality of channels disposed between the plurality of projections on the first leg;

c. a plurality of projections extending along the length of the second leg;

d. a plurality of channels disposed between and exteriorly of the projections on the second leg, and wherein the projections of the first leg fit into the channels of the second leg and the projections of the second leg fit into the channels of the first leg.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the two legs are independently freely rotatable about the hinge means.