Illuminating balloon with improved self-inflatable envelope

• US 7,252,414 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airstar SA
• Original Assignee: Airstar SA
• Inventors: Chabert, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke; Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Gunyoung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/075,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20050207168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 362/363, 362/352, 362/96, 362/294, 362/377, 446/220, 446/219
• US Class Current: 362/363
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1033 Inflation devices or methods for inflating balloons
• 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: F21S 6/004 with a lamp housing in direct contact with the floor or ground
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/005 with a lamp housing maintained at a distance from the floor or ground via a support, e.g. standing lamp for ambient lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/08 with a standard F21S6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/10 coming into action when lighting device is overloaded, e.g. thermal switch
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/023 Chinese lanterns; Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/026 being inflatable

Abstract

An illuminating balloon with an inflatable envelope contains an illumination system having at least one electric light bulb, and inflating means equipped with an integrated fan designed to suck air in from the outside and to inject it into the envelope while keeping the latter in the inflated state. The assembly formed by the bulb and fan is covered by a bowl made of transparent or translucent plastic material, forming an explosion-proof isolating shield and a deflector of the discharge air for inflation of the envelope via passage apertures provided in the bowl.

Claims

1. Illuminating balloon comprising:

an inflatable envelope defining an internal space and a base with an opening;

an illumination system having at least one electric lightbulb;

inflating means having an integrated fan for sucking air from outside of the envelopes, and injecting said air into the envelope;

an assembly formed by said fan and the illumination system;

a support means including a plate for supporting the assembly;

a bowl having a first end and a second end, the second end having a diameter larger than a diameter of the first end, and made of unitary transparent or translucent material for covering said assembly, the assembly being disposed within the internal space, the bowl having a top portion attached to the envelope by a removable fixing means so as to form unitary explosion-proof isolating shield and a deflector of the air coming from the fan;

passage apertures located on the first end of said bowl to allow said air to flow to the internal space for inflation of said envelope; and

said envelope being disposed around the bowl, and attached to the plate wherein the plate is disposed closer to the second end than the first end.

2. Illuminating balloon according to claim 1, wherein the passage apertures are arranged in the top part of the bowl to perform inflation of the envelope via the top part.

3. Illuminating balloon according to claim 1, wherein the bowl includes at the base an open end bounded by an annular rim coming into engagement with a bearing surface of the support means.

4. Illuminating balloon according to claim 3, wherein the circular opening of the envelope bears on said annular rim of the bowl due to the action of an internal pressure, the edge of the bowl comprising a frustum-shaped profile operating in conjunction with the circular opening of the envelope to enhance the air-tightness when inflation is performed.

5. Illuminating balloon according to claim 3, wherein the envelope is securely fixed onto the annular edge of the bowl by fixing means.

6. Illuminating balloon according to claim 1, wherein the plastic material of the bowl is polycarbonate-based.

7. Illuminating balloon according to claim 1, wherein the bowl has a revolution shape extending above the top part of the balloon.

8. Illuminating balloon according to claim 1, wherein a safety thermostat is housed in the envelope to automatically interrupt the power supply of the bulb in case of stoppage of the fan.