Illuminated non-latex balloon

• US 5,795,211 A
• Filed: 08/02/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Satellite Balloon Manufacturer of Hong Kong Limited
• Original Assignee: Satellite Balloon Manufacturer of Hong Kong Limited
• Inventors: Ping, Chen, Carignan, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US08/691,980
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 362/253, 362/269, 446/220, 446/221, 446/222, 446/223, 446/224, 446/225, 446/226, 446/485
• US Class Current: 446/220
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1025 Fabrication methods or special materials therefor
• 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 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/023 Chinese lanterns; Balloons

Abstract

An inflated non-latex, portable balloon has an internal lamp or transducer connected to an external battery. The balloon is made from an open-necked balloon body formed from panels of balloon material having inner polyethylene layers heat sealed together along peripheries. A pair of flat, metal conductor leads are hermetically sealed in polyethylene to extend in parallel to provide a discrete integral elongate, strip form lead member which is located extending through the open neck with one end supportingly connecting the lamp within the body. The balloon body is inflated and the neck hermetically sealed with the lead member by heat/pressure or ultrasonics thereby fusing together polyethylene surfaces of the lead member and the balloon panels to provide a hermetic seal; and, a battery is connected to ends of the leads outside the balloon.

Claims

1. A method for producing an inflated non-latex, portable balloon with an internal lamp having an external electric power source comprising the steps of:

forming a balloon body with an open neck by providing first and second panels of balloon material having respective inner polyethylene layers and sealing the layers together along respective peripheries by one of heat/pressure and ultrasonic vibration;

enveloping a pair of flat metal conductor leads in polyethylene to provide a discrete integral elongate, strip to form a lead member with the leads in hermetically sealed relation, extending spaced apart between opposite longitudinal ends thereof;

electrically connecting an electric lamp to the leads at one end of the lead member so that the electric lamp is supported thereby;

inflating the balloon body with air;

sealing the neck closed, substantially airtight, with the lead member extending therethrough with the electric lamp inside the balloon and opposite ends of the leads outside the balloon by application of one of heat/pressure and ultrasonic vibration to the neck thereby fusing together polyethylene surfaces of the lead member and the balloon panels to provide a hermetic seal; and

, electrically connecting a power source to the leads outside the balloon.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the lead member is semi-rigid thereby to support the lamp inside the balloon body.

3. A method according to claim 1 including the step of attaching the lamp to a panel prior to the step of forming the balloon body.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the polyethylene is extruded aorund the conductor leads thereby enveloping the conductor leads.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the lead member tapers toward respective opposite longitudinal edges forming a substantially biconvex cross-section for sealing engagement by resilient sealing dies.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the lead member has a generally trapezoidal transverse cross-section formed by a first, flat major face and a second, opposite major face which inclines toward respective opposite longitudinal edges for sealing engagement by flat, rigid and resilient sealing dies, respectively.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the conductor leads are enveloped in polyethylene by providing a pair of strips of polyethylene and hermetically sealing the polyethylene strips therearound by application of one of heat sealing and ultrasonic welding.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the conductor leads are enveloped in polyethylene by in-molding.

9. A method according to claim 1 including the step of electrically connecting an external power source to the exposed leads by one of crimping and soldering.

10. A method for producing a non-latex, portable balloon comprising the steps of:

forming a balloon body with an open neck by providing first and second panels of balloon material having respective inner polyethylene layers and sealing the layers together along respective peripheries;

enveloping a pair of metal conductor leads in polyethylene to provide an elongate, strip form lead member with the leads extending spaced apart between opposite longitudinal ends thereof, the lead member having a generally trapezoidal transverse cross-section formed by a first, flat major face and a second, opposite major face which inclines toward respective opposite longitudinal edges for sealing engagement by flat, rigid and resilient sealing dies, respectively;

electrically connecting an electrical transducer to the leads at one end of the lead member so that the transducer is supported thereby;

inflating the balloon body with air;

sealing the neck closed, substantially airtight, with the lead member extending therethrough with the transducer inside the balloon and opposite ends of the leads outside the balloon by application of one of heat/pressure and ultrasonic vibration to the neck thereby fusing together polyethylene surfaces of the lead member and the balloon panels; and

,

electrically connecting a power source to the leads outside the balloon.

11. A method for producing a non-latex, portable balloon for inflation with helium comprising the steps of:

providing upper and lower sheets of balloon material having respective inner polyethylene layers in face to face relation;

enveloping a pair of flat metal conductor leads in polyethylene to provide an unitary elongate strip form lead member with the leads extending in gas-tight relation spaced apart from each other between opposite longitudinal ends thereof;

electrically connecting at least one electrical transducer to the leads at one, inner end of the lead member;

providing a tubular inflation valve of polyethylene with a heat resistant lining;

forming a severance in the lower sheet at a location extending transversely across a precursor of a balloon neck;

anchoring said at least one transducer and the lead member and the inflation valve to predetermined locations on the inner layer of the lower sheet corresponding to an interior of a front face of a balloon body for said at least one transducer and an interior neck portion of the balloon for the lead member and the inflation valve with inner ends of the lead member and valve in a location corresponding to the balloon body and outer ends of the valve and lead member extending a small distance beyond the severance;

forming a sealed balloon body with a neck by providing first and second panels of balloon material having respective inner polyethylene layers and heat sealing the layers together along respective peripheries so that the severance provides an access opening in the neck;

sealing the neck closed, substantially gastight by application of heat and pressure to the neck thereby fusing together polyethylene surfaces of the lead member, valve and the balloon panels;

drawing free ends of the lead member and valve through the slot out from the neck to expose the leads for connection to an external power source and to expose the outer end of the valve for connection to a helium inflation source.

12. A method according to claim 11 including the step of fusing the lead member and valve to the neck at predetermined locations for anchoring thereof during the step of forming the balloon body.

13. A method according to claim 11 including the step of electrically connecting an external power source receptacle to the exposed leads by one of crimping and soldering.

14. A method according to claim 11 wherein the said at least one transducer is at least one light emitting diode.

15. A balloon according to claim 11 wherein the transducers are sound generators.

16. A method for producing a non-latex, portable balloon for inflation with helium comprising the steps of:

providing upper and lower sheets of balloon material having respective inner polyethylene layers in face to face relation;

enveloping a pair of flat, metal conductor leads in polyethylene to provide an unitary elongate strip form lead member with the leads extending in gas-tight relation spaced apart from each other between opposite longitudinal ends thereof;

electrically connecting at least one electrical transducer to the leads at one, inner end of the lead member;

providing a tubular inflation valve of polyethylene with a heat resistant lining;

attaching the lead member to an outside surface of the valve to form a unit by fusing the polyethylene of the lead member and valve together by one of heat sealing and ultrasonic welding;

electrically connecting at least one transducer to the leads at one, inner end of the lead member;

forming a severance in the lower sheet at a location extending transversely across a precursor of a balloon neck;

anchoring said at least one transducer and the unit to predetermined locations on the inner layer of the lower sheet corresponding to an interior of a front face of a balloon body for said at least one transducer and an interior neck portion of the balloon for the unit with inner ends of the lead member and valve in a location corresponding to the balloon body and outer ends of the valve and lead member extending a small distance beyond the severance;

forming a sealed balloon body with a neck by providing first and second panels of balloon material having respective inner polyethylene layers and heat sealing the layers together along respective peripheries so that the severance provides an access opening in the neck;

sealing the neck closed, substantially gastight by application of heat and pressure to the neck thereby fusing together engaging polyethylene surfaces of the lead member, valve and the balloon panels;

drawing free ends of the lead member and valve through the slot out from the neck to expose the leads for connection to an external power source and to expose the outer end of the valve for connection to a helium inflation source.

17. A method according to claim 16 including the step of fusing the unit to the neck at predetermined locations for anchoring thereof during the step of forming the balloon body.

18. A balloon according to claim 17 wherein the leads are connected to an external power source by one of soldering and crimping.

19. A balloon according to claim 17 wherein the power source is enclosed by a housing attached to a carrying stick.

20. A method according to claim 16 wherein the said at least one transducer is at least one light emitting diode.

21. A balloon according to claim 16 wherein the transducers are sound generators.