Inflatable balloon distress marker having small article containing compartment therein

• US 4,586,456 A
• Filed: 06/01/1984
• Issued: 05/06/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ross M. Forward
• Original Assignee: Ross M. Forward
• Inventors: Forward, Ross M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frankfort, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): WORTH, WILLIE M
• Application Number:
  US06/616,179
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 40/215, 116/209, 116/210, 116/DIG. 8, 116/DIG. 9, 244/31, 244/33, 244/98, 403/296, 403/299, 441/6, 441/11, 441/13, 441/16, 441/30, 446/220, 446/222, 446/223, 446/225, 446/226, 446/485, 206/522, 206/573, 206/803, 273/58 C, 273/58 G, 273/65 D, 73/170 R
• US Class Current: 116/210
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/20 characterised by signalling means, e.g. lights arrangement or adaptation of signalling or lighting devices for ships or other waterborne vessels B63B45/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/40 Balloons B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/023 Chinese lanterns; Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 116/08 Inflatable indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 116/09 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/803 Emergency, e.g. flare, first aid, survival pack

Abstract

A balloon distress marker wherein the balloon has, in a wall thereof, a small compartment interiorly of the balloon and accessible through an aperture in the wall of the balloon for retaining an article therein. The compartment is substantially smaller than the volumne of the balloon and is useable for interconnecting balloons in series or inserting a flashlight therein to illuminate the balloon. A coupling for interconnecting balloons is preferably a small balloon in itself which can be inflated when in the compartment. A two-part balloon wherein the two parts are interconnected by a narrow neck portion rendering the marker useable as a life preserver. A rescue kit consisting of a casing having a removable top that can be illuminated by flashlights in the cap. Located within the container is a cylinder containing lighter-than-air gas for inflating the balloon. A reel is rotatably mounted on the neck of the cartridge and freely rotatable for winding in and paying out a tether line connected to a deflated balloon in the container. An additional collapsible floatation chamber is mountable on the exterior of the casing adapting the kit for use at sea.

Claims

1. A rescue marker comprising an inflatable balloon made of thin, tough, air impervious material and having an open ended tapered neck, a ball loose within the balloon and cooperating with said tapered neck providing a valved air inlet to said balloon for use in inflating said balloon, a casing projecting into said balloon from a wall thereof and providing a compartment interiorly of the balloon, said casing being integrally formed as a component part of the balloon and having, at the juncture of the wall of the balloon and the casing, a narrow rib that circumscribes an aperture in the wall of the balloon and which aperture provides an access opening to said compartment permitting insertion of an article thereinto, said rib facilitating retaining said article in the compartment and permitting removal of said article from said compartment, said rib also forming a seal with such article, said compartment and said valved air inlet being separate from one another and located at respective positions spaced apart from one another on the wall of the balloon opposite to one another on said balloon, said compartment being extremely small in volume relative to the internal volume of the balloon, and having a cross-section interiorly of the balloon larger than the size of the aperture providing access thereto.

2. A rescue marker as defined in claim 1 including a coupling having an expandable portion inserted into the compartment of said balloon, said coupling being detachably connected to a neck of a second similar balloon, thereby directly connecting said balloons in series.

3. A resuce marker as defined in claim 2 wherein said coupling expandable portion comprises a small inflatable balloon.

4. A rescue marker as defined in claim 1 wherein the balloon is generally in a shape of a `dumb-bell` consisting of first and second portions merged together at a narrow neck between said portions and wherein one of said portions has said compartment therein and the other has said valved air inlet tapered neck.

5. A rescue kit comprising a container having a removable cap, a cylinder having a neck and containing a lighter-than-air gas under pressure located in said container, a reel rotatably mounted on the neck of said cylinder and in co-axial relation therewith, a tether line wound on said reel for attaching to a balloon and a deflated inflatable balloon located in said container and removable therefrom, said balloon being made of thin, tough, air impervious material, a valved air inlet to said balloon for use in inflating said balloon by said lighter-than-air gas, a casing projecting into said balloon from a wall thereof and providing a compartment interiorly of the balloon, said casing having an extremely small volume relative to the internal volume of the balloon said compartment being accessible through an aperture in the wall of the balloon, said aperture being smaller in cross-section than a cross-section of the compartment in the balloon, a narrow rib circumscribing said aperture, said aperture providing an access opening to said compartment permitting insertion of an article thereinto, said rib facilitating retaining said article in the compartment and permitting removal of said article from said compartment, said compartment and said valved air inlet being separate from one another and located at respective positions spaced apart from one another on the wall of the balloon and opposite one another.

6. A rescue kit as defined in claim 5 wherein said removable cap is made of a translucent material and wherein a light source is mounted in said cap for illuminating the cap.

7. A rescue kit as defined in claim 6 wherein said light source is a flashlight removably mounted in said cap.

8. A rescue kit as defined in claim 5 including an expandable and collapsible additional buoyancy body attached to and surrounding a portion of said container.

9. A rescue kit as defined in claim 5 including at least one flashlight mounted detachably in said removable cap.

10. A rescue kit as defined in claim 9 including means on said container for use in actuating a switch on the flashlight.

11. A rescue marker comprising a balloon made of thin, tough, air impervious material and having an open ended tapered neck, a ball loose within said balloon and cooperating with said tapered neck providing a valved air inlet in said balloon for use in inflating the balloon, a compartment projecting interiorly of the balloon from the wall thereof and being provided by a casing integrally formed as a component part of the balloon, said compartment being accessible through an aperture in a wall of the balloon and located opposite the valved air inlet, said compartment being extremely small relative to the internal volume of the balloon, and a connector for detachably interconnecting said balloon with another balloon, said connector having a first portion insertable into said compartment and inflatable to fill said compartment and removable from said compartment upon deflation of said first portion, and a second portion attached to said first portion and detachably connectable to said another balloon.

12. A rescue marker as defined in claim 11, wherein said first portion of the connector comprises a small inflatable balloon.

13. A rescue marker as defined in claim 12, wherein there is a rib at the juncture of the wall of the balloon and the casing to facilitate retaining the first portion of the connector in said compartment.

14. A rescue kit comprising a container having a removable cap;

a cylinder having a neck and containing a lighter-than-air gas under pressure located in said container;

an inflatable balloon disposed within said container and removable therefrom, said inflatable balloon being made of thin, tough, air impervious material that forms the outer wall of said balloon and having a casing integrally formed therewith and projecting into the balloon providing a compartment interiorly of the balloon, said compartment being extremely small in volume relative to the volume of the balloon, an aperture in the wall of the balloon providing access to the compartment permitting removable insertion of an article thereinto;

a coupling having a small inflatable balloon portion insertable into said compartment of said larger inflatable balloon and means attached to said small balloon and connectable to another larger inflatable balloon so as to detachably interconnect the larger balloons in series;

a reel rotatably mounted on the neck portion of said cylinder and disposed co-axially therewith and a tether line wound on said reel and connected to one of said larger balloons.