Air manifold attached to a plurality of balloons for inflating and deflating a balloon cluster used in decorative showroom and party displays

• US 8,789,565 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Balloon Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Balloon Innovations, LLC
• Inventors: Wicken, Chris J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NIESZ, JASON KAROL
• Application Number:
  US13/135,170
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 446/220, 446/221, 446/222, 141/99, 141/114, 141/234, 141/236, 141/237, 141/313
• US Class Current: 141/237
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1033 Inflation devices or methods for inflating balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1041 Holding or sealing means, e.g. handling rods, clamps or plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1083 Valves or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40

Abstract

An air manifold adapted for attaching to an air fill opening in a side of plastic, polymer balloons and receiving compressed air therein. The air manifold includes a hollow manifold body with a plurality of outwardly extending manifold air ports attached to and spaced around an outer circumference of the manifold body. The air ports are adapted for releasable or permanent attachment to the air fill openings in the side of the balloons. The manifold body also includes an air tube. The air tube has one end attached to and in fluid communication with the manifold body. An opposite end of the air tube is adapted for receiving the compressed air therethrough and into the manifold body. When the compressed air is received through the air tube and into the manifold body, the balloons attached to the manifold air ports are inflated for forming a balloon cluster around the manifold body thus providing an attractive and decorative display.

Claims

1. A non-resilient plastic balloon air manifold comprising:

a non-resilient plastic hollow manifold body having a substantially sphere-like geometric configuration;

a plurality of opposing non-resilient plastic manifold air ports attached to an outer circumference of said manifold body wherein said air ports extend outwardly from a central axis point inside said manifold body and are further adapted for attachment to non-resilient plastic air fill opening integrally positioned in at least one plastic polymer balloon; and

whereby said non-resilient plastic air fill openings are adapted to attach to at least one of said non-resilient plastic manifold air ports through a sheer attachment;

at least one air tube in fluid communication with said manifold body and further adapted to receive air through and into said manifold body; and

whereby when said air is received through said air tube and into the manifold body, said plastic polymer balloon attached to said manifold air port is inflated.

2. The non-resilient plastic air manifold as described in claim 1 wherein said air tube includes at least one air tube cap.

3. The non-resilient plastic air manifold as described in claim 1 wherein said non-resilient plastic air ports comprise a plurality of non-resilient plastic air ports substantially equally spaced around said circumference of said manifold body.

4. The non-resilient plastic air manifold as described in claim 3 wherein said plurality of non-resilient plastic air ports is in a range of 2 to 12 air ports or more.

9. The combination air manifold and balloon cluster for receiving air as described in claim 1 wherein said non-resilient plastic air fill opening of at least one balloon comprises an air fill opening integrally positioned in the side of a balloon.

5. A combination air manifold and balloon cluster for receiving air comprising:

a non-resilient plastic hollow manifold body;

a plurality of outwardly extending non-resilient plastic manifold air ports attached to an outer circumference of the manifold body wherein said air ports extend outwardly from a central point inside said manifold body;

a plurality of plastic polymer balloons having at least one integral non-resilient plastic air fill openings in the side of said balloon wherein said non-resilient plastic air fill opening is adapted to attach to at least one of said integral non-resilient plastic manifold air ports; and

an air tube having one end attached to at least one additional non-resilient plastic air fill opening integrally positioned in a side on a selected plastic polymer balloon, the selected balloon being in fluid communication with the manifold body, and an opposite end adapted to receive air there through and into said manifold body; and

whereby when said air is received through said additional integrally positioned non-resilient plastic air fill opening in the side of at least one selected balloon, the manifold body receives air therein for inflating the balloons and forming a balloon cluster around the manifold body for a decorative display.

6. The combination air manifold and balloon cluster for receiving air as described in claim 5 wherein said plastic polymer balloon includes an integral air cap.

7. The combination air manifold and balloon cluster for receiving air as described in claim 5 wherein said non-resilient plastic air ports are substantially equally spaced around said circumference of said manifold body.

8. The combination air manifold and balloon cluster for receiving air as described in claim 5 wherein the plurality of non-resilient plastic air ports is in a range of 2 to 12 air ports or more.

10. The combination air manifold and balloon cluster for receiving air as described in claim 5 wherein said non-resilient plastic air fill opening is adapted to attach to at least one of said non-resilient plastic manifold air ports through a sheer attachment.