Supports – Supporting base
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-05
2003-02-25
Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Supporting base
C248S176100, C446S220000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06523798
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a decorative holder for securing a buoyant balloon in position on a tabletop or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various devices for holding a buoyant party balloon in a desired position on a tabletop have been proposed, but such products are often not very attractive for use at a festive occasion such as a birthday party, or are relatively expensive to manufacture. The products disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,011,447; 5,016,848; 5,024,011; 5,035,391; 5,074,510; 5,662,510 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,419, for example, are manufactured by molding synthetic plastics or comparable techniques and the resulting products can not usually be made festive in appearance without additional expense or bother for the consumer.
Balloon holders formed of weighted mass of compacted sand, or cement and sand mixtures, have been proposed that are wrapped in a festive paper, and such balloon holders have met a need for inexpensive but festively decorated party props to secure buoyant balloons. In such products, however, the string to secure the balloon is often tied around the decorative paper or otherwise held to the holder in a manner that does not hold the balloon in a secure and long-lasting manner.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a festive balloon holder that can be manufactured inexpensively and yet can hold a balloon securely in place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a holder to secure a buoyant balloon having a string for securing the balloon has a core with sufficient weight to hold the balloon in place. An attachment for securing the string of the balloon is held directly to the core and a decorative layer of material is held around the core. In this way, the attachment is held to the strongest part of the balloon holder and yet does not interfere with the decorative layer to provide a festive holder.
In preferred form, the attachment is formed of a transparent material and may be simply taped to the core; and the decorative layer is wrapped around the core and held by a simple twist tie.
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(Birthday Balloons—G005) Gifts for all Occassions (http:/www.iflora.co.za/gifts.asp), 2000.*
The Red Balloon Company—Balloon Centerpiece Weights-(http:/www.redballoon.com/decorating/cp_weights.htm, 1999.*
The F.U.N. Place; Craftboard Archieves, Giftbags and Wrap; posted by Zaida on Mar. 25, 1999 at 10:55:59.
Baxter Gwendolyn
Braun Leslie A.
Dunne Gerard F.
Unique Industries, Inc.
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