Balloon displays

• US 6,332,823 B1
• Filed: 04/24/1998
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Graham M. Rouse Jr
• Original Assignee: Graham M. Rouse Jr
• Inventors: Rouse, Graham M Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Application Number:
  US09/066,119
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 446/220-226, 156/145, 156/61, 206/522, 402/12, 402/14, 428/11-13, 428/24-26
• US Class Current: 446/220
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1025 Fabrication methods or special materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1075 Special shapes or constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40

Abstract

A structural and/or decorative display is made by connecting inflatable balloon chambers into a network. The network of inflatable chambers may be generated as a balloon system comprised of at least two essentially identical balloonlets each of which has at least two openings and is in fluid communication with at least one other identical balloonlet. The set of inflatable chambers may be framed into a network by a matrix of apertures expanded from a sheet of material with a pattern of overlapping cuts. The network of inflatable chambers may be comprised of a balloon system of balloonlets framed by an overlapping cut expandable matrix.

Claims

1. A balloon display system, comprising:

a series of interconnected inflatable balloonlets with each balloonlet, includes at least one apex, each of said balloonlets being interconnected at an apex;

a flexible sheet including elongated slits extending through said sheet, said slits arranged in a plurality of rows with the slits of a given row being offset relative to the slits of each adjacent row;

wherein said sheet may be expanded to form a support matrix.

2. The balloon display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said support matrix is expanded to define a geometrical pattern selected from the group consisting of:

a square pattern, a diamond pattern, a cubic pattern, a soccer ball pattern, a circular pattern, a hexagonal pattern, a six pointed star pattern, a heart pattern and an octagonal pattern.

3. The balloon display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said flexible sheet comprises at least two sheets sealed together and configured such that said matrix is inflatable.

4. The balloon display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said flexible sheet is formed from a plastic film.

5. The balloon display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said flexible sheet is formed from a metallic material.

6. The balloon display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said slits are linear.

7. The balloon display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said slits are “

hook-shaped”

or “

fork-shaped”

.

8. The balloon display system as defined in claim 1, wherein fluid communication between at least two said balloonlets is terminated after said balloonlets are inflated.

9. The balloon display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said series of interconnected inflatable balloonlets is a series of interconnected inflatable chambers without fluid communication between said inflatable chambers.

10. The balloon display system as defined in claim 9, wherein each said inflatable chamber includes at least one apex, and each said inflatable chamber is interconnected to another said inflatable chamber at an apex.