Balloon display device and method

• US 5,282,768 A
• Filed: 12/20/1991
• Issued: 02/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alp T. Akman
• Original Assignee: Alp T. Akman
• Inventors: Akman, Alp T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US07/810,907
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 446/220-226
• US Class Current: 446/220
• 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 2027/1075 Special shapes or constructions for aircraft type balloons A63H2027/1066
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40

Abstract

An inflated elastic balloon has a tube passing completely therethrough. The tube is used to connect a plurality of balloons in a display pattern and to introduces a string of lights into the balloon interiors for display purposes. A disk having a bore is depressed into a deflated balloon wall and the wall covering the bore has a small hole or orifice in it. The tube passes through the disk bore and the wall orifice. A collar secures the balloon wall to the disk such that the wall material surrounding the wall orifice remains elastic and forms a sliding seal against the tube upon passage therethrough. In an alternate embodiment, the disk bore includes constriction rings that form a sliding seal against the tube and the balloon wall is secured and sealed against the disk. The method of passing a tube in sealed relationship through a wall of an inflatable balloon comprises the steps of inserting the disk into a deflated balloon through the balloon neck, depressing the disk first side into the deflated balloon elastic wall, securing the wall to the disk such that the balloon wall portion covering the disk bore essentially will not be expanded upon balloon inflation, making an orifice in the balloon wall portion covering the disk bore, and inserting the tube through the balloon wall orifice and disk bore.

Claims

1. A balloon display device comprising:

an inflated elastic balloon including;

a wall of elastically expansible material formed into a closed shape so as to define an expansion chamber; and

a rod assembly including;

a rod passing in sealed relationship through said inflated balloon;

said rod including;

a first end outside of said balloon wall;

a second end outside of said balloon wall; and

a mid-section passing through said expansion chamber;

said wall of elastically expansible material elastically sealing on said rod assembly; and

rod wall passage means for passage of said rod in a sealed relationship through a balloon wall orifice including;

a disk depressed into said balloon wall including;

a first side;

a second side; and

a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of said rod;

said bore having;

a first end exiting said disk first side; and

a second end exiting said disk second side; and

wherein;

said balloon al includes a disk covering portion covering said disk first side including an orifice therethrough over said disk bore;

said rod passing through said disk bore and through said balloon wall orifice; and

securing means for securing said balloon wall to said disk such that said balloon wall disk bore covering portion essentially is not expanded upon balloon inflation such that said wall material surrounding said wall orifice remains elastic and seals against said rod upon passage therethrough.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:

said securing means includes;

a locking collar around said balloon adjacent said disk second side.

3. A balloon display device comprising:

an inflated elastic balloon including;

a wall of elastically expansible material formed into a closed shape so as to define an expansion chamber; and

a rod assembly including;

a rod passing in sealed relationship through said inflated balloon;

said rod including;

a first end outside of said balloon wall;

a second end outside of said balloon wall; and

a mid-section passing through said expansion chamber;

said wall of elastically expansible material elastically sealing on said rod assembly; and

rod wall passage means for passage of said rod in a sealed relationship through a balloon wall orifice that is not a necked-down gas insertion orifice including;

a disk depressed into said balloon wall including;

a first side;

a second side; and

a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of said rod;

said bore adapted to form an air-tight seal with said rod;

said bore having;

a first end exiting said disk first side; and

a second end exiting said disk second side; and

wherein;

said balloon wall includes a disk covering portion covering said disk first side including an orifice therethrough over said disk bore;

said rod passing through said disk bore and through said balloon wall orifice; and

securing means for securing said balloon wall to said disk such that said balloon wall disk covering portion seals against said disk.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein:

said securing means includes;

a locking collar around said balloon adjacent said disk second side.

5. A balloon display device comprising:

an inflated elastic balloon including;

a wall of elastically expansible material formed into a closed shape so as to define an expansion chamber; and

a gas insertion neck portion including a neck; and

a rod assembly including;

a rod passing in sealed relationship through said inflated balloon;

said rod including;

a first end outside of said balloon wall;

a second end outside of said balloon wall; and

a mid-section passing through said expansion chamber;

said wall of elastically expansible material elastically sealing on said rod assembly;

a plug inside said balloon neck adapted to form a seal between said plug and said balloon neck and having a bore therethrough for access to the interior of said balloon;

said plug bore adapted to form an air-tight seal with said rod near said rod first end;

rod wall passage means for passage of said rod in a sealed relationship through a balloon wall orifice including;

a disk depressed into said balloon wall including;

a first side;

a second side; and

a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of said rod;

said bore having;

a first end exiting said disk first side; and

a second end exiting said disk second side; and

wherein;

said balloon wall includes a disk covering portion covering said disk first side including an orifice therethrough over said disk bore;

said rod passing through said disk bore and through said balloon wall orifice; and

securing means for securing said balloon wall to said disk such that said balloon wall disk covering portion essentially was not expanded upon balloon inflation such that said wall material surrounding said wall orifice remains elastic and seals against said rod upon passage therethrough.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein:

said securing means includes;

a locking collar around said balloon adjacent said disk second side.

7. A balloon display device comprising:

an inflated elastic balloon including;

a wall of elastically expansible material formed into a closed shape so as to define an expansion chamber; and

a gas insertion neck portion including a neck; and

a rod assembly including;

a rod passing in sealed relationship through said inflated balloon;

said rod including;

a first end outside of said balloon wall;

a second end outside of said balloon wall; and

a mid-section passing through said expansion chamber;

said wall of elastically expansible material elastically sealing on said rod assembly;

a plug inside said balloon neck adapted to form a seal between said plug and said balloon neck and having a bore therethrough for access to the interior of said balloon;

said plug bore adapted to form an air-tight seal with said rod near said rod first end;

rod wall passage means for passage of said rod in a sealed relationship through a balloon wall orifice including;

a disk depressed into said balloon wall including;

a first side;

a second side; and

a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of said rod;

said bore adapted to form an air-tight seal with said rod;

said bore having;

a first end exiting said disk first side; and

a second end exiting said disk second side; and

wherein;

said balloon wall includes a disk covering portion covering said disk first side including an orifice therethrough over said disk bore;

said rod passing through said disk bore and through said balloon wall orifice; and

securing means for securing said balloon wall to said disk such that said balloon wall disk covering portion seals against said disk.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein:

said securing means includes;

a locking collar around said balloon adjacent said disk second side.

9. A balloon display device comprising:

an inflated elastic balloon including;

a wall of elastically expansible material formed into a closed shape so as to define an expansion chamber; and

a sealed gas insertion opening in said wall; and

a rod assembly including;

a rod passing in sealed relationship through said wall of said inflated balloon apart from said gas insertion opening;

said rod including;

a first end outside of said balloon wall;

a second end within said expansion chamber; and

wherein;

said rod assembly further includes;

rod wall passage means for passage of said rod in a sealed relationship through a balloon wall orifice including;

a disk depressed into said balloon wall including;

a first side;

a second side; and

a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of said rod;

said bore having;

a first end exiting said disk first side; and

a second end exiting said disk second side; and

said balloon wall includes a disk covering portion covering said disk first side including an orifice therethrough over said disk bore;

said rod passing through said disk bore and through said balloon wall orifice; and

securing means for securing said balloon wall to said disk such that said balloon wall disk bore covering portion essentially was not expanded upon balloon inflation such that said wall material surrounding said wall orifice remains elastic and seals against said rod upon passage therethrough.

10. A balloon display device comprising:

an inflated elastic balloon including;

a wall of elastically expansible material formed into a closed shape so as to define an expansion chamber; and

a sealed gas insertion opening in said wall; and

a rod assembly including;

a rod passing in sealed relationship through said wall of said inflated balloon apart from said gas insertion opening;

said rod including;

a first end outside of said balloon wall;

a second end within said expansion chamber; and

wherein;

said rod assembly further includes;

rod wall passage means for passage of said rod in a sealed relationship through a balloon wall orifice including;

a disk depressed into said balloon wall including;

a first side;

a second side; and

a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of said rod;

said bore adapted to form an air-tight seal with said rod;

said bore having;

a first end exiting said disk first side; and

a second end exiting said disk second side; and

said balloon wall includes a disk covering portion covering said disk first side including an orifice therethrough over said disk bore;

said rod passing through said disk bore and through said balloon wall orifice; and

securing means for securing said balloon wall to said disk such that said balloon wall disk covering portion seals against said disk.

11. A method of passing a rod in sealed relationship through a wall of an inflatable balloon comprising the step of:

obtaining a deflated balloon having an elastic wall formed into a closed shape surrounding an expansion chamber;

obtaining a rod;

obtaining a disk having a first side, a second side, and a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of the rod;

the bore having a first end exiting the disk first side, and a second end exiting the disk second side;

depressing the disk, disk first side first, into the deflated balloon elastic wall such that a balloon wall portion covers the disk bore first end;

securing the deflated balloon wall to the depressed disk such that the balloon wall portion covering the disk bore first end essentially will not be expanded upon balloon inflation;

making an orifice in the balloon wall portion covering the disk bore first end;

the orifice being of size such that the balloon wall surrounding said orifice will seal against the rod upon passage of the rod therethrough; and

inserting the rod through the balloon wall orifice.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the obtained balloon includes an elastic filler neck; and

further including the step of;

inserting the disk through the balloon elastic filer neck into the expansion chamber before depressing the disk into the balloon wall.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the step of securing the deflated balloon wall to the depressed disk includes;

applying a locking collar around the balloon adjacent the disk second side.

14. A method of passing a rod in sealed relationship through a wall of an inflatable balloon comprising the step of:

obtaining a deflated balloon having an elastic wall formed into a closed shape surrounding an expansion chamber;

obtaining a rod;

obtaining a disk having a first side, a second side, and a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of the rod;

the bore adapted to form an air-tight seal with the rod;

the bore having a first end exiting the disk first side, and a second end exiting the disk second side;

depressing the disk, disk first side first, into the deflated balloon elastic wall such that a balloon wall portion covers the disk bore first end;

securing the deflated balloon wall to the depressed disk such that the balloon wall seals against the disk;

making an orifice in the balloon wall portion covering the disk bore first end for passage of the rod therethrough; and

inserting the rod through the balloon wall orifice and the disk bore.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the obtained balloon includes an elastic filler neck; and

further including the step of;

inserting the disk through the balloon elastic filer neck into the expansion chamber before depressing the disk into the balloon wall.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the step of securing the deflated balloon wall to the depressed disk includes;

applying a locking collar around the balloon adjacent the disk second side.

17. A method of passing a rod in sealed relationship through an inflatable balloon having an elastic filler neck includes the step of:

obtaining a deflated balloon having an elastic wall formed into a closed shape surrounding an interior expansion chamber and having an elastic filler neck;

obtaining a rod;

obtaining a disk having a first side, a second side, and a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of the rod;

the bore having a first end exiting the disk first side, and a second end exiting the disk second side;

depressing the disk, disk first side first, into the deflated balloon elastic wall such that a balloon wall portion covers the disk bore first end;

securing the deflated balloon wall to the depressed disk such that the balloon wall portion covering the disk bore first end essentially will not be expanded upon balloon inflation;

making an orifice in the balloon wall portion covering the disk bore;

the orifice being of size such that the balloon wall surrounding said orifice will seal against the rod upon passage of the rod therethrough;

inserting a plug into the elastic filler neck of the deflated balloon;

the plug adapted to form an air-tight seal between the plug and the balloon neck and having a bore therethrough for access to the balloon interior expansion chamber;

the plug bore adapted to form an air-tight seal with a rod;

inserting the rod through the balloon orifice, the disk bore and the plug bore.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the step of securing the deflated balloon wall to the depressed disk includes;

applying a locking collar around the balloon adjacent the disk second side.

19. A method of passing a rod in sealed relationship through an inflatable balloon having an elastic filler neck includes the step of:

obtaining a deflated balloon having an elastic wall formed into a closed shape surrounding an interior expansion chamber and having an elastic filler neck;

obtaining a rod;

obtaining a disk having a first side, a second side, and a bore therebetween for passage therethrough of the rod;

the bore adapted to form an air-tight seal with the rod;

the bore having a first end exiting the disk first side, and a second end exiting the disk second side;

depressing the disk, disk first side first, into the deflated balloon elastic wall such that a balloon wall portion covers the disk bore first end;

securing the deflated balloon wall to the depressed disk such that the balloon wall seals against the disk;

making an orifice in the balloon wall portion covering the disk bore first end for passage of the rod therethrough;

inserting a plug into the elastic filler neck of the deflated balloon;

the plug adapted to form an air-tight seal between the plug and the balloon neck and having a bore therethrough for access to the balloon interior expansion chamber;

the plug bore adapted to form an air-tight seal with a rod;

inserting the rod through the balloon orifice, the disk bore and the plug bore.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein:

the step of securing the deflated balloon wall to the depressed disk includes;

applying a locking collar around the balloon adjacent the disk second side.