PARTY BALLOON WITH ILLUMINATION DEVICE

• US 20100309654A1
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seatriever International Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Mellowgraphic Limited
• Inventors: Jeffrey, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,297,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/190
• 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

A party balloon (10) comprises an expansible membrane with an inlet port (15) to allow entry of gas upon inflation and an illumination device comprising a light emitting diode (LED) (50) powered by at least one battery (54) is mounted inside the balloon (10). In this respect, the illumination device (50) has a projection (58) whereby it is attached to the expansible membrane, inside the balloon, by a clip or O-ring (59) fitted onto the projection (58) from outside the balloon. A strip of insulating material (53) is initially located between the battery or batteries (54) and the LED (50) and is capable of being withdrawn, e g prior to or upon inflation of the balloon (10), to light up the LED and the balloon.

Claims

1. A party balloon comprising an expansible membrane with an inlet port to allow entry of gas upon inflation and an illumination device mounted to the expansible membrane, characterised in that the illumination device has a projection in the form of a flattened button whereby it is attached to the expansible membrane, inside the balloon, by a clip or O-ring fitted over the projection from outside the balloon.

2. A party balloon according to claim 1 wherein the illumination device is mounted to the expansible membrane at a location remote from the inlet port.

3. A party balloon according to claim 1 wherein the illumination device comprises a light emitting diode (LED) powered by at least one battery and insulating material is initially located between the battery or batteries and the LED, said material being capable of being withdrawn from extending between the battery or batteries and the LED to light up the LED and the balloon.

4. A party balloon according to claim 3 wherein the insulating material is a strip of insulating material which is connected to the expansible membrane or to the inlet port.

5. A party balloon according to claim 3 wherein the insulating material is a strip of insulating material which extends through the inlet port to an outer end region of enlarged width.

6. A party balloon according to claim 5 wherein the strip of insulating material has a second region of enlarged width at a spacing from the enlarged outer end region, the width of said second region being chosen so that it tends to remain inside the inlet port of the balloon, with the rim of the balloon membrane lodged between the respective enlarged width regions, unless a significant force is used to pull the strip outwardly of the balloon.

9. A party balloon according to claim 2 wherein the illumination device comprises a light emitting diode (LED) powered by at least one battery and insulating material is initially located between the battery or batteries and the LED, said material being capable of being withdrawn from extending between the battery or batteries and the LED to light up the LED and the balloon.

7. A party balloon comprising an expansible membrane with an inlet port to allow entry of gas upon inflation and an illumination device mounted to the expansible membrane, the illumination device having a projection whereby it is attached to the expansible membrane, inside the balloon, by a clip or O-ring fitted over the projection from outside the balloon, characterised in that the illumination device comprises a light emitting diode (LED) powered by at least one battery and a strip of insulating material is provided which is initially located between the battery or batteries and the LED, said strip being capable of being withdrawn from extending between the battery or batteries and the LED to light up the LED and the balloon, and in that said strip of insulating material also extends through the inlet port to an outer end region of enlarged width, and has a second region of enlarged width at a spacing from the enlarged outer end region, the width of said second region being chosen so that it tends to remain inside the inlet port of the balloon, with the rim of the balloon membrane lodged between the respective enlarged width regions, unless a significant force is used to pull the strip outwardly of the balloon.

8. A party balloon according to claim 7 wherein the projection is in the form of a generally part spherical bead or a flattened button.