Amusement devices: toys – Inflatable – Having check valve
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-13
2001-06-12
Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Inflatable
Having check valve
C446S220000, C446S226000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244923
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a balloon, and more particularly relates to a balloon having a string for holding the balloon and which is integrally attached to it. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the balloon.
2. Prior Art
Balloons, whose body is composed of two sheets made of synthetic resin and melt-bonded together at the peripheral portion, are generally well known, in addition to balloons made of rubber. In such balloons, both the outside and inside surfaces of the balloon body are metalized by Aluminum so that the Helium gas in the balloons is not apt to leak, and thus people can enjoy the inflated condition of the balloons for a long time.
In such balloons where both surfaces are metalized by Aluminum they have a high electric conductivity and thus radio waves are easily reflected by the surfaces of the balloons. Therefore, if the balloon flies in the sky and is caught by an electric wire, problems may occur such that the electric wire is shorted by the balloon, or if the balloon floats near an airport, the radar would be influenced by the balloon and then a flight of airplanes could be hindered. Such a balloon floating in the sky really gives trouble to electric power supply companies or radar systems at airports. Therefore, it is required for balloon manufacturers to consider a counter-plan so as not to allow the balloons to fly off freely. There is a duty therefore imposed to provide a string and a weight to such balloons.
However, the string, hitherto, provided for the balloons does so only by an adhering tape as shown in
FIG. 1
, where one end of the string
21
is fixed to the surface of the balloon
20
by means of an adhering tape
22
, after the balloon body
20
has been assembled. Therefore, the work for fixing the string
21
to the surface of the balloon body
20
after the balloon body
20
has been assembled causes trouble and takes much time to do. Further, since the string
21
is attached to one of the side surfaces of the balloon body
20
, it is difficult to keep the posture of the balloon upright while the balloon is inflated and floated. Such an inclined posture is not good for balloons because the balloons have characters printed on the surface thereof or the shape of the balloon body per se has been shaped.
The present invention has for its purpose to provide balloons that have a string for tightly holding the balloon but also be able to easily keep its posture upright and a method for manufacturing balloons by which the string can be easily and strongly attached to the balloons keeping their posture upright.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above-mentioned task, the present invention has its purpose to provide a balloon which comprises a balloon body composed of a plurality of sheets, a thin film-like nonreturn valve provided between two out of said plurality of sheets for providing an opening to introducing a gas into the balloon body, and a string for holding said balloon; wherein said string is attached to said balloon body being held between two out of said plurality of sheets or said string is attached to said thin film-like nonreturn valve.
Preferably, the string has a weight at the free end thereof. Further, it is preferred that the sheets constituting of the balloon body, the thin-film nonreturn valve and the string are made of synthetic resin. It may be possible to arrange such that the string is attached to the balloon body being separated from the nonreturn valve.
The present invention also has a purpose to provide a method for manufacturing balloons composed of a plurality of sheets which comprises steps of: superimposing two of said plurality of sheets for use in forming a balloon body; providing a thin film-like nonreturn valve between said sheets; superimposing a string with said sheets and/or said nonreturn valve; and conducting a melt-bonding process to integrally melt-bond up said sheets, said nonreturn valve and said string together.
Preferably the balloon body is cut off from the sheets by said melt-bonding process so as to form an outer shape of said balloon body.
Furthermore, it is preferred that the materials for the sheets, for the valve and for the string have a feature to be melted at almost the same temperature.
The present invention has another purpose to provide a method for manufacturing balloons which comprises steps of: preparing a balloon body composed of a plurality of sheets which are melt-bonded together but leaving an opening; inserting thin film-like nonreturn valve into said opening; attaching a string for holding the balloon to the balloon body or the nonreturn valve; and conducting a melt-bonding process to integrally melt-bond up said balloon body and thin film-like nonreturn valve.
It may be possible to arrange such that the string is melt-bonded between two of said plurality of sheets constituting of the balloon body so as to be separated from the nonreturn valve when the balloon body is prepared.
It may also be possible to arrange such that the string has been attached to the nonreturn valve preliminarily or the string is melt-bonded between the nonreturn valve and the balloon body when the heat melt-bonding procedure is conducted.
Furthermore, it is preferred to have a feature that the materials for the sheets, for the valve and for the string are melted at almost the same temperature.
It may be possible to modify the method such that said string is inserted into the inside of the thin film-like nonreturn valve after melt-bonding said thin film-like nonreturn valve to the inside of said opening of the balloon body and then said string is melt-bonded to said thin film-like nonreturn valve.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1245444 (1917-11-01), Creque
patent: 5188558 (1993-02-01), Barton et al.
patent: 5295892 (1994-03-01), Felton
patent: 5547413 (1996-08-01), Murray
patent: 5595521 (1997-01-01), Becker
patent: 5769683 (1998-06-01), Park
patent: 5830780 (1998-11-01), Dennison et al.
patent: 5860441 (1999-01-01), Garcia
patent: 5893790 (1999-04-01), Montgomery
Pennie & Edmonds LLP
Ricci John A.
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