Stretchable and formable lighter than air balloons made from a biaxially oriented polyester film

• US 9,186,593 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anagram International Incorporated, Toray Plastics (America), Inc. (Toray Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Anagram International Incorporated, Toray Plastics (America), Inc. (Toray Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chicarella, Gianfranco, Paolilli, Tracy A., Fitch, John J., Sarnstrom, Todd Richard, Borchardt, Dean, Ansolabehere, Paul Andrew, Sargeant, Steven, Bower, Douglas J., Yokota, Nao, Boutin, Larissa M., Ervolino, Robert T., Hood, Delaware
• Primary Examiner(s): AUGHENBAUGH, WALTER
• Application Number:
  US13/729,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20130344264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34.1, 428/34.4, 428/34.7, 428 352- 354, 428 357- 359, 428/36.6, 428/36.7, 428/36.91, 428/480, 446/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1025 Fabrication methods or special materials therefor
• 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: B32B 15/09 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/518 bi-axially
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/54 Yield strength; Tensile strength
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/702 Amorphous
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7242 Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/005 comprising one layer of ceramic material, e.g. porcelain, ceramic tile layered products with at least two ceramic layers composed mainly of ceramic B32B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/045 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated C23C14/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/20 on organic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1321 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1359 Three or more layers [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1379 Contains vapor or gas barrier, polymer derived from vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride, or polymer containing a vinyl alcohol unit

Abstract

Described are stretchable and formable lighter than air balloons including a high barrier lamination. The stretchable and formable balloons stretch when overinflated instead of failing. The balloons are formed from a lamination including a polyester film with a total thickness of 4 μm to 12 μm including a biaxially oriented polyester core layer and at least one amorphous copolyester skin layer. The polyester film has an Elongation % in the transverse direction (TD) or machine direction (MD) of greater than 125%.

Claims

1. A balloon formed from a lamination, the lamination comprising;

a polyester film with a total thickness of 4 μ

m to 12 μ

m comprising a biaxially oriented polyester core layer and at least one amorphous copolyester skin layer,

wherein the polyester film has an Elongation % in the transverse direction (TD) or machine direction (MD) of greater than 125%.

2. The balloon of claim 1, wherein the polyester film has a tensile strength of 30-40 KPsi in the TD or MD direction.

3. The balloon of claim 1, wherein the polyester film has a Young'"'"'s Modulus of 420-480 KPsi in the TD or MD direction.

4. The balloon of claim 1, wherein the polyester film has an Elongation % in the transverse direction (TD) and machine direction (MD) of greater than 125%.

5. The balloon of claim 1, wherein the lamination further comprises:

a sealant layer adjacent to the amorphous copolyester skin layer; and

a gas barrier layer on an opposite side of the polyester film from the sealant layer,

wherein an oxygen transmission rate of the balloon is less than 0.1 cc/100 sqin/day, a dry bonding strength of the gas barrier layer to the surface of the polyester film is more than 300 g/in, a sealing strength of the balloon is more than 3.5 kg/in, and a floating time of the balloon is more than 20 days.

6. The balloon of claim 5, wherein the gas barrier layer is a metal or ceramic layer.

7. The balloon of claim 5, wherein the sealant layer comprises a low density polyethylene.

8. The balloon of claim 5, wherein the lamination further comprises an anchor layer between the sealant layer and the amorphous copolyester skin layer.

9. The balloon of claim 5, wherein the lamination further comprises a primer layer between the biaxially oriented core layer and the gas barrier layer.

10. The balloon of claim 1, wherein the core layer is co-extruded with the amorphous copolyester skin layer.

11. The balloon of claim 1, wherein the amorphous copolyester skin layer has a melting point of less than 210°

C.

12. The balloon of claim 1 wherein, the amorphous copolyester skin layer contains no added particles.

13. The balloon of claim 5, wherein the dry bonding strength of the gas barrier layer is more than 600 g/in.

14. A deformable balloon formed from a lamination, the lamination comprising;

a polyester film with a total thickness of 4 μ

m to 12 μ

m comprising a biaxially oriented polyester core layer and at least one amorphous copolyester skin layer,

wherein the polyester film has an Elongation % in the transverse direction (TD) or machine direction (MD) of greater than 125%, has a tensile strength of 30-40 KPsi in the TD or MD direction, and has a Young'"'"'s Modulus of 420-480 KPsi in the TD or MD direction.

15. The deformable balloon of claim 14, wherein the lamination further comprises:

a sealant layer adjacent to the amorphous copolyester skin layer; and

a gas barrier layer on an opposite side of the polyester film from the sealant layer,

wherein an oxygen transmission rate of the balloon is less than 0.1 cc/100 sqin/day, a dry bonding strength of the gas barrier layer to the surface of the polyester film is more than 300 g/in, a sealing strength of the balloon is more than 3.5 kg/in, and a floating time of the balloon is more than 20 days.

16. The deformable balloon of claim 15, wherein the gas barrier layer is a metal or ceramic layer.