Unitary Inflation Devices for Helium Balloons and Their Like

The invention relates to an inflation device for balloons and other inflatable objects. It relates, more particularly, to inflating devices of unitary construction.

Toy ballons and similar extensible articles of rubber and plastic sheeting are commonly inflated by means of compressed gases -- chiefly bottled helium -- or by means of blowing air from the lungs into the interior volume defined by the continuous sheath of the article.

Once inflated, such articles tend to maintain their shape and function until the internal pressure is relieved, in time, through leakage. The main source of such leakage, and hence the greatest handicap to the longevity of the artifact lies in the closure at the inflation nozzle. Quite often the opening through which the inflating gas had been admitted is simply tied off, either by making a knot in the material of the balloon itself, or by passing a string aroung the nozzle and pulling it tight in a knot. The latter method has the advantage that quite often, especially in the case of toy balloons, there is a requirement for a string by which the balloon may be held captive.

It is more common, expecially when the inflation of the balloons, or other such artifacts, is undertaken as part of commercial activity that the process of filling the balloon and sealing the nozzle is undertaken via a one-way valve entrapped in the nozzle portion of the balloon. The primary requirements for such valves consist of lightness, a tight seal -- both at the periphery of the valve and within the valve components themselves -- and ease of insertion and operation.

Inflating valves of the prior art have been modeled on the non-return valves commonly encountered in the hydraulic arts and comprised a body and a separate valve element, either a movable plug or a resilient valve plate, which was movable with respect to a seat in the body.

Because of their two-part construction such valves of the prior art are both relatively heavy, difficult to manufacture, and expensive. Additional problems inherent in the two-piece construction involve a greatly increased probability of leakage, especially with respect to helium, the most commonly employed inflatant for toy balloons and other such artifacts which are intended to be lighter than the atmosphere, because of the tendency of helium to pass through the smallest passages and crevices. In fact, helium is the most commonly employed of fluids in the hydraulic arts for the detection of leaks and is widely used to test components which are meant to be hermetically sealed from their surroundings.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the invention to provide a unitary inflation device in which the flexible sheath of article to be inflated co-operates with a valve body to form the inflation passage and to seal the internal volume after inflation.

It is further object of the invention to provide such a unitary inflation device which is light in weight and simple in construction.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide such an inflation device which is adapted to be inflated by either bottled gases or by mouth.

It is also an object of the invention to teach constructional features in such inflation devices which particularly adapt them for use with automatic and semi-automatic inflation systems, as well as means for attaching strings when employed in toy balloons and the like.

It is an additional object of the invention to teach the construction of unitary inflation devices for inflatable articles which are economical to produce and easy to use.

The foregoing objects of the invention -- and other objects and advantages which will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof -- are attained in a bobbin-like structure with two or more parallel disks interconnected by a central shank, with the shank extending past one of the disks to form an inflating nozzle.

Balloons and their like are generally provided with an integral neck portion, substantially tubular in shape and formed of the elastomeric material of the inflatable artifact. The inflation device of the invention is adapted to be slipped into, and to be gripped by, this tubular neck with the parallel disks athwart the passage formed in that neck-like nozzle and with the extended shank of the inflation device protruding out of the open end of the neck.

An air passage interconnects the end of the shank with the space intermediate between two of the parallel disks. This passage runs as an internal bore through the shank and terminates in at least one orifice passing through the shank substantially parallel to the planes of the disks.

Air blown into the open end of the shank -- the opposing end being plugged or sealed -- is forced into the space between two disks, the outer periphery of which is sealingly encompassed by the stretched neck of the balloon.

The pressure exerted onto the cylindrical portion of the neck causes the latter to distend into a convex configuration and to unseal the inner disk and to permit the flow of compressed gas from the space between the transverse seal disks into the main volume of the balloon.

To keep the sheath off the disk, a pressure differential must exist between the gas source and the balloon volume. As soon as the driving pressure approaches the inflation pressure of the article, the inherent resilience of the skin over the valve perimeter causes the latter to contract and to re-establish a sealed relationship between the inside of the inflated artifact and the external atmosphere.

To serve the purposes of toy balloons made buoyant by helium, the unitary inflation device of the invention must be light and is therefore constructed, in its preferred forms, of lightweight plastic materials, low density polyethylene being a suitable material. The innermost disk of the valve device is generally made somewhat smaller in diameter than the outward disk, or disks, and may be provided with a sharpened edge to establish a tight seal.

The inflation device may be readily adapted to inflating multiple balloons, nested one within the other, by the provision of additional sealing disks -- two disks commonly sufficing for a single balloon -- and stretching the innermost balloon's nozzle over the first two disks, and the nozzles of the next balloon in the nest over the next disk, and proceeding in the same manner until all the balloons in the assembly have been drawn over the valve body.

While the inflation device of the invention is described as unitary -- and is preferentially made as a one-piece item -- it may be assembled out of several parts; such parts forming, upon assembly, a rigid whole with no moving or variable portions.

The shank of the inflation device may be formed into a mouthpiece, to facilitate oral inflation, or may be adapted to the various nozzles integral to commercial inflating systems commonly used in the art of preparing balloons and their like for sale or use.

The preferred embodiment of the unitary inflation device of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a transverse section through the neck portion of an inflated balloon, exposing a unitary valve of the invention with the inflating nozzle of a compressed-gas inflating system inserted into the nozzle of the valve;

FIG. 2 is a section through another embodiment of the inflation device of the invention, showing the flow paths therethrough;

FIG. 3 is a partial transverse section through yet another embodiment of the unitary inflation device with the shank thereof formed into a nozzle particularly adapted to oral inflation;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned, exploded view of an inflating nozzle constructed from two component parts; and

FIG. 5 is a partially sectioned view of a dual toy balloon with a valve-forming insert particularly adapted to simultaneously inflate both of said balloons and to control the pressure differential therebetween.

The partially sectioned view of FIG. 1 shows a transverse elevation of a toy balloon 10 with a unitary inflation device 20 inserted into a tubular nozzle 12 integral with the balloon.

The major elements of the inflation device 20 include a cylindrical stem 22 and a pair of sealing disks, an inner disk 24 at the far end of the stem 22 and an outer disk 26 spaced from the disk 24. An orifice 29 meets a blind bore running inside the stem 22 and emerges in portion 28 of the stem intermediate between the two sealing disks.

The unitary inflation device 20 is manufactured as a separate item, suitably being molded from low-density polyethylene or a similar plastic composition, from the balloon and inserted into the neck 12 in such a manner that the sealing disks 24 and 26 lie at right angles to the axis of the neck and inward of the reinforcing seam 14 at the opening thereof, with the seam 14 overlapping the outer surface of the seal disk 26.

The aforementioned blind bore inside the stem 22 is so sized that it will readily receive a nozzle 32 of an inflating machine 30. The inflating machine -- known in the art and forming no part of the instant invention -- also includes a container 36 of compressed gas, suitably helium, an on-off valve 34 and pressure regulating means not specifically illustrated.

FIG. 1 shows the nozzle 32 penetrating the stem 22, as required for the inflation of the balloon 10 with the aid of the inflating machine 30. The admission of compressed gas into the blind bore of the stem 22 would permit the gas to enter the annular space between seal disks 24 and 26, through orifice 29, and distend that portion of the balloon neck 12 which is stretched thereover, Such distention of the tubular neck segments tends to relieve the seal formed at the peripheries of the two seal disks. Because of the greater tenacity of the seal at the outer disk, reinforced as it is by the overlapping neck seam 14, the material of the balloon lifts first from the inner disk 24 and admits the pressurizing gas to the interior of the balloon.

In the inflation device 20 the two seal disks are of the same overall diameter but the peripheral edges are developed in slightly differing forms. The edge of the disk 26 is substantially of a semi-circular, smooth contour, while that of the inner disk 24 is sharpened into a circumferential edge 25, with the chamfer forming that edge towards the space enclosed by the two disks.

The transversely sectioned view of FIG. 2 shows a inflation device 40 similar to the inflation device 20 but differing in some constructional details from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The inflation device 40 is provided with a stem 22 and seal disks 44 and 46; the stem 22 is pierced by a channel 43 whose entrance 23 is somewhat smaller in diameter than the main run of the channel and gradually enlarges inward from the entrance. This configuration of the blind channel 43 is particularly adapted to form a firm seal around some of the commercially used inflating nozzles. The outer disk 46 separates the stem 42 from its continuation 48 intermediate between the seal disks. A number of radial orifices 49 in the stem portion 48 interconnect the annulus formed by the disks with the channel 43. The inner disk 44 terminates the valve assembly and its material seals the channel 43 from the interior of the balloon 10, which is draped over the inflation device 40 in the same manner as described with reference to the inflation device 20.

The disk 44 is somewaht smaller in diameter than the outer disk 46, to assist in the preferential lifting of the balloon material upon the admission of pressurized gas into channel 43. Arrows `A` in FIG. 2 show the path followed by the inflating medium through orifices 49 and past the outer edge of disk 44.

FIG. 3 shows an inflation device 60 with close-coupled sealing disks 64 and 66 expanding from a shank 62 which is formed into a mouthpiece 61 at the end farthest from the sealing disks.

An internal bore 63 extends from the mouthpiece 61 toward the inner disk 64 and communicates with the narrow annulus between the two disks through coaxial orifices 69 passing through a diameter of the stem 62. The inner disk 64 is slightly smaller in diameter than the outer disk 66 and its perimeter is chamfered into a sharp edge 65, in contrast to the smooth contour of the latter.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of an inflation device assembly 80 with a separate shank 82 assembled into a bore 87 in the main valve body by means of an interference fit. The valve body is formed of a central boss 88 flanked at either side by seal disks 84 and 86. The inner seal disk 84 is chamfered into a sharp edge 85 with the larger diameter of the chamfer toward the outer disk 86. The boss 88 it partially severed by a sawkerf 89 intercepting the central bore 87.

The shank 82 is penetrated by a blind bore 83 and a lateral groove, or sawkerf, 79 which, upon assembly of the two components of the valve insert 80, becomes coplanar with the kerf 89 and forms an interconnecting passage by way of which compressed gas may pass through the bore 83 into the annular space defined by the disks 84 and 86.

The illustrations of FIGS. 1 through 4 showed four embodiments of the basic form of the unitary inflation device of the invention. While differing in constructional details all four of the inflation devices shown exhibit the same basic structure including paired, parallel seal disks of circular outline, a stem, or shank, protruding to the outside of the balloon neck and providing gas passages interconnecting the outside atmosphere, or the source of inflation pressure, with the space between the seal disks, and, in inflation devices 40, 60 and 80, means for attaching anchor strings to the device bodies.

The provision of such attachements for strings is a common requirement in toy balloons, which represent the largest class of inflatable artifacts of the type for which the inflation device of the invention is most suited.

The attachment of strings may take several forms. In valve 40 an integral tongue 51 extends from the end of stem 42 and is gripped by a staple 53 in such amanner that one end of the staple forms an eye suitable to have a string 55 threaded therethrough and fastened by means of a knot.

In the inflation device 60 the string is attached to the base of the stem 62 by a blob of glue 71, and the shank of the stem is utilized as a bobbin to wind the string for storage. The wound string body 74 is securely retained, until extended for use, by means of a rubber band, or sleeve, 77 which leaves the free end of the string readily accessible by the user.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, a string 95 is simply passed through a diametral orifice 81 through the stem 82, and retained by means of an enlarging knot 96.

The several forms of the inflation device exhibit certain characteristics of some importance in their commercial distribution. The major advantage connected with the manner of construction is the ease with which the device may be adapted to balloons and other inflatable bodies of a given size, neck diameter and skin flexibility. The adjustment is made by varying the diameter of the seal disks, their relative sizes and the shape of the sealing lip of the inner of the two seal disks.

Another feature of import in some applications lies in the ability of the unitary device to prevent overinflation of balloons. Some balloon materials may be readily stretched to a point where their service life becomes appreciably shortened; suitably configuring the sealing edge of the inner disk will permit the excess gas pressure to leak back out of the balloon upon the removal of the inflating nozzle, re-establishing the seal when the designed pressure differential between the gasbag and the atmosphere is reached.

A further feature of the device lies in turnability of the acoustics of the source chamber between the disks and the edge of the inner seal disk, defining a flow passage bounded by an elastic membrane externally. Attractive and melodious whistling sounds may be produced upon the inflation of balloons which may be of considerable advantage in attaracting customers to the point of inflation and sale.

The greatest advantage, of course, of the unitary design lies in the light weight of the device body, which permits the use of inflation devices with relatively small balloons and inflating toys without impairing their buoyancy -- when filled with helium -- in atmospheric air.

A further advantage of the inflation device lies in its ability to provide for better sealing, where exceptional leak tightness is required by providing additional seal disks, inboard of the inner disk of the previously described two-disk configuration of the valve. While these additional sealing surfaces provide additional resistance to inflation, and may in some cases require specially constructed balloons with extended necks to accomodate the greater bulk of the multi-disk inflation device, they also provide commensurately better sealing.

Another use of multiple disk devices is illudtrated in FIG. 5 where inflation device 100 is shown inserted into coaxial balloons 15 and 17. Such multiple balloons have attained considerable popularity in recent times and generally consist of a relatively fragile inner balloon shaped and colored to resemble a cartoon character or other pictorial object. The outer balloon is a transparent bubble completely encompassing the figure of the inner one and protecting it from damage.

Such double balloons present considerable difficulties in inflation with valves of the prior art. Not only that there are two balloons to inflate, preferably simultaneously, but a pressure differential must be established between them, so that a slightly higher internal pressure can keep the inner balloon fully inflated inside the larger one.

The inflation device 100 incorporates a shank 103 upon which three, substantially equispaced, disks 104, 106 and 108 are molded. The three disks define two intervening annular volumes, a volume 105 between sealing disks 104 and 106, and another volume 107 between disks 106 and 108. These volumes communicate via orifices piercing the shank 103 with two adjacent channels running inside the shank. One channel feeds inflating gas into the volume 105, while the other supplies the volume 107.

A special charging system 130 incorporates a source 136 of compressed inflating medium and two separate pressure control systems, represented schematically by valves 132 and 134, which ensure that the medium admitted into volume 105 is always at a slightly higher pressure level than that admitted to the volume 107.

The sheath of the inner balloon 17 is passed over the seal disks 104 and 106, in a manner analogous to the assembly of the balloon 10 to the valve 20, for example. Gas from the pressurized volume 105 enters the interior of balloon 17 by passing over the edge of the seal disk 104.

The sheath of the outer ballon 15 is stretched over all three sealing disks and draped over the outboard flank of the outermost disk 108. The balloon 15 is pressurized from the volume 107 by gas passing between the sheath of balloon 17 -- stretched upon the edge of disk 106 -- and the distended neck portion of the outer balloon.

The innermost seal disk 104 is slightly smaller than the intermediate disk 106 in diameter, to facilitate the preferential lifting of the seal during inflation; the outermost disk 108 is yet larger in diameter than the disk 106, partly for the same reason and partly to compensate for the double thickness of balloon material over the edge of the intermediate seal plate.

While the invention has been described above with particular emphasis on forms and embodiments suited to the inflation and sealing of toy balloons and their cognates in the field of inflatable toys it is to be understood that other forms and uses shall also be deemed to be encompassed by the inflation device of the invention which is delimited only by the appended claims.

In particular, the described embodiments have been generally suited to machining and/or molding from lightweight plastic compositions, have been provided with a plurality -- generally two -- of sealing disks of circular form, and incorporated means for securing anchor strings. Other forms of the invention may be suited to the inflation and sealing of air mattresses, inflatable furniture and other self-supporting structures and may be provided with inflation devices manufactured from high-density plastics and from metals and be provided with sealing disks whose outline is particularly adapted to fit the shapes of the inflating nozzles thereof, oval or rectangular, for example.