Accessory device for an inflatable gas balloon

• US 4,794,498 A
• Filed: 03/02/1988
• Issued: 12/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Neumeier
• Original Assignee: Robert Neumeier
• Inventors: Neumeier, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelli, Raymond A.
• Application Number:
  US07/161,998
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 362/186, 362/362, 362/812, 362/806, 362/363, 362/252
• US Class Current: 362/186
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1008 Anchoring means or weights
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1041 Holding or sealing means, e.g. handling rods, clamps or plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1058 associated with light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1091 with object inserted within; Means or methods for insertion of objects
• 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: B64B 1/40 Balloons B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/023 Chinese lanterns; Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/24 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/00 Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/002 Distress signalling devices, e.g. rescue balloons vehicle optical signalling for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2025/005 Message recorded in a memory device
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/10 illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 25/00 Audible advertising sound recording or reproducing per se G11B; public address systems H04R27/00

Abstract

Acessory device for an inflatable gas ballon (1) having, for inflation of the balloon (1) an elastically expansible tube-shaped balloon neck (1a), with a sealing head (2) for the balloon neck (1a ) and an electric lamp (14) for internal illumination of the balloon (1). According to the invention, the sealing head (2) is constructed as a cup-shaped housing (7) having an open end and an end closed by a bottom (7'"'"'), the open end being adapted to be inserted in sealing-tight fashion into and elastically expanding the balloon neck (1a). Disposed in the open end of the housing (7) is a light reflector (15) which surrounds the electric bulb (14) which is electrically connected to an electro-mechanical coupling in the form of a screw-type bulb cap (8) which is provided for simultaneous establishment of an electrical connection of the lamp (14) to an external power source and for mechanical supporting of the sealing head (2).

Claims

1. An accessory device for an inflatable gas balloon having an elastically-expansible balloon neck integrally formed with an inflatable balloon body, the accessory device comprising:

a cup-shaped housing having an open end defining a rim, a closed bottom end and a shell extending from the rim of said open end down to the closed bottom end and defining a substantially cylindrical outer surface, the housing being adapted for insertion open end first into said balloon neck after the balloon neck is elastically expanded, such that the entire length of the expanded balloon neck is elastically tensioned in gas tight fashion against said cylindrical outer surface for retaining said balloon without substantial extension of said housing into said balloon body, said housing being made of injection molded plastic material;

an electric lamp bulb of a cross-sectional size substantially smaller than the inside cross-section of the open end of the housing;

a reflector inserted into said shell at the open end of the housing, fixed to said shell, and extending within the housing in spaced relation to said closed bottom end to define a chamber in the housing between the reflector and the closed bottom end, said reflector having a concave reflector surface adjacent the open end of the housing and centrally mounting said lamp bulb such that the lamp bulb is radially spaced substantially away from the rim of the shell at the open end of the housing and such that said concave reflector surface radially surrounds the bulb, said reflector occupying substantially completely the inside cross-section of the open end of the housing between said bulb and said shell, said reflector and said lamp bulb being further configured such that the lamp bulb does not extend substantially beyond the open end of the housing, said lamp bulb being connected to electrical conductor wires extending inside the housing from said bulb towards said closed bottom end and being passed through said closed bottom end in a gas tight manner;

a closable gas feed duct formed adjacent the closed bottom end of the housing and opening into said chamber, and

an opening means for passing gas from said chamber through said reflector for inflation of the balloon body retained by the housing.

2. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein said lamp bulb is mounted with a screw-type bulb cap screwed into a screw-type lamp socket centrally mounted at the reflector and extending in said chamber in axially spaced relation to the closed bottom end of the housing.

3. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein said closed bottom end of the housing comprises a frusto-conical bottom wall being centrally extended by a short tube into which said conductor wires are sealingly passed.

4. The accessory device of claim 3 wherein a projecting external electromechanical coupling electrically connected to said conductor wires is mounted to said short tube.

5. The accessory device of claim 4, wherein said electromechanical coupling is constructed as a plug-in coupling.

6. The accessory device of claim 5, wherein said electromechanical coupling is constructed as a screw-type bulb cap.

7. The accessory device of claim 2, wherein the reflector is made of an injection molded brilliant super white plastic material.

8. The accessory device of claim 7, wherein said plastic material is a thermoplastic polyester material based on polybutylene terephtalate.

9. The accessory device of claim 2, wherein said reflector is cup-shaped and is snappingly engaged into said open end of the housing.

10. An accessory device for an inflatable gas balloon having an elastically expansible balloon neck integrally formed with an inflatable balloon body, comprising:

a cup-shaped housing having an open end defining a rim, a closed bottom end and a shell extending from the rim of said open end down to the closed bottom end and defining a substantially cylindrical outer surface, the housing being adapted for insertion with its open end first into said balloon neck after having the balloon neck elastically expanded, such that the entire length of the expanded balloon neck is elastically tensioned in gas tight fashion against said cylindrical outer surface for retaining said balloon without substantial extension into said balloon body, said housing being made of injection-molded molded plastic material;

an electric lamp bulb of a cross-sectional size substantially smaller than the inside cross-section of the housing, said lamp bulb being mounted with a first screw-type bulb cap;

a reflector inserted into said shell at said open end of the housing and fixed to said shell to extend within the housing in spaced relation to said closed bottom end to define a chamber in the housing between the reflector and the closed bottom end, said reflector having a concave reflector surface adjacent the open end of the housing and surrounding a screw-type lamp socket receiving said first screw-type bulb cap, such that the lamp bulb is radially spaced substantially away from the rim of the shell at the open end of the housing and said concave reflector surface radially surrounds said bulb, said reflector occupying substatially completely the inside cross-section of the open end of the housing between said lamp socket and said shell, said lamp socket being connected to electrical conductors extending from said lamp socket towards said closed bottom end and being passed through said closed bottom end in a gas tight manner;

a second screw-type bulb cap externally mounted at the closed bottom end of the housing and electrically connected to said electrical conductors;

a transparent cap extending the shell of the housing at the open end thereof and being fitted on the open end of the housing to externally surround said lamp bulb, a closable gas feed duct formed at the shell near the bottom end of the housing, said gas feed duct oepning into said gas space;

a first opening means passing said reflector from said chamber ot the open end of the housing, and

a second opening means passing said transparent cap from the open end of the housing to the outside of the transparent cap,

whereby gas can be passed through the gas feed duct, the gas space and the first and second opening means for inflation of the balloon body retained by said housing.

11. The accessory device of claim 10, wherein the reflector is made of an injection molded brilliant white thermoplastic polyester material based on polybutylene terephthalate.

12. The accessory device of claim 11, wherein said second opening means is formed by a plurality of openings in said transparent cap evenly distributed around the periphery of the cap.