GB2300128A

GB2300128A - Inflatable decorative balloons

Info

Publication number: GB2300128A
Application number: GB9508494A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Sutton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-04-26
Filing date: 1995-04-26
Publication date: 1996-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2015-04-26
Also published as: GB9508494D0; GB2300128B

Abstract

In a set of inflatable decorative balloons, each balloon (10) is provided with connecting elements (12, 15, Figure 9) so that each balloon in the set may be connected to one or more other balloons to form an assembly. The connecting elements may be integral with, or attached to the material of the balloon. Some or all of the balloons are printed with numerals, letters and/or words which combine to form a coordinated display when the balloons are connected together in the appropriate manner. A manufacturer and retailer of the balloons can then, from a comparatively limited stock of individual balloons, supply a very large number of alternative assemblies made up of different combinations of the component balloons.

Description

"Improvements in or relating to Balloons" The invention relates to balloons, and particularly to balloons which are used to display a message and/or decorative design.

As is well known, a balloon for decorative use comprises an inflatable and sealable bag of thin flexible non-porous material. Traditionally such balloons have been made ofthin rubber or other elastic material, but it is now also common for balloons to be formed from Mylar or thin plastics material which is substantially inelastic so that the balloon can be inflated to a substantially fixed and predetermined size.

It is common practice for balloons of this kind to be supplied by retailers ready filled with helium, so that the balloon floats in the air, the balloon bearing a message which is appropriate to the purpose for which the balloon is to be used. For example, where a balloon is to be used in conjunction with birthday celebrations, it might bear the legend "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" together with a number corresponding to the age of the recipient. At present, however, such arrangement suffers from two significant disadvantages. Firstly, the manufacturer must make, and the retailer must stock, a different design of balloon for every circumstance which might wish to be celebrated by a decorative balloon. Thus, balloons may be required for any age from 1 to 120 and different balloons are required according to whether the number refers to, say, a birthday, wedding anniversary or other anniversary.Also, the message or other decorative devices on the balloon have to be fairly standardised. In practice, it is not economically feasible for manufacturers to make and retailers to stock balloons to cover every single possible anniversary or other occasion which a customer might wish to celebrate with a balloon. There are therefore manufactured and sold only balloons for a comparatively limited of number of occasions such as "key" birthdays or wedding anniversaries.

Also, there is a practical limit to the size to which a balloon can be manufactured for ordinary domestic sale due partly, for example, to the necessity of filling the balloon with helium at the point of sale. Generally speaking, if the dimensions of the balloon are doubled, the quantity of helium required to fill it increases eight-fold. Also, if a single balloon is increased in height or width to increase the area available for display of a message, the thickness of the balloon also increases correspondingly, resulting in a balloon of substantial bulk which may be unmanageable.

The present invention provides an arrangement whereby both these disadvantages may be overcome.

According to the invention there is provided a set of balloons, each balloon comprising an inflatable and sealable bag ofthin flexible non-porous material, and having connection means whereby each balloon may be connected to one or more other balloons to form a balloon assembly, at least some of the balloons in the set carrying display elements whereby the balloon assembly may provide a display comprising a combination of said display elements.

Thus, the individual balloons may each comprise one component of a larger message which is then displayed by connecting a number of balloons together to form a larger assembly. The manufacturer and retailer of the balloons can then, from a limited stock of individual balloons, supply a very large number of alternative assemblies made up of different combinations of the component balloons.

Accordingly, the display elements may be literal, numerical, pictorial and/or decorative. Preferably each display element is directly applied to the flexible material of the balloon bag, for example by being printed on the material. However, the invention does not exclude arrangements whereby the display element is a separate component which is attached to the balloon bag.

At least certain of the display elements may comprise a single numerical digit, whereby two or more balloons may be connected together to provide a display in the form of a two-digit, or multi-digit, number. Similarly, certain of the display elements may comprise a single letter, whereby two or more balloons may be connected together to provide a display in the form of one or more words. Alternatively and preferably, however, certain of the display elements may comprise whole words, whereby two or more balloons may be connected together to provide a display in the form of a written message.

For example, an assembly may refer to any number between, say, 1 and 120 while the manufacturer and retailer only need to stock ten different types of balloons bearing the ten single digits respectively. Similarly, they may stock a limited number of balloons bearing words which may assembled together with each other, and with numbers, to provide a display appropriate for any of a vast number of different circumstances.

Preferably, at least certain of the balloons have connection means whereby each balloon may be connected to at least four other balloons The connection means may comprise an element projecting from each balloon and adapted for connection to an element projecting from another balloon. For example, each projecting element may comprise a tab, preferably integral with the material of the balloon bag, which is formed with a hole, a linking element being provided to pass through the holes in the tabs to connect them together. The linking element may be a separate elongate element which may be passed through both holes, its free ends then being tied or otherwise secured together.

Alternatively, the connection means may comprise a projecting element on one balloon which is connectable to an element on another balloon. The connecting elements may take any convenient form. For example, they may comprise a tag on one element which is engageable in a slit or aperture in the other element. In another arrangement the elements may comprise inter-engaging portions of hook-and-loop fabric.

In one particular arrangement the balloons may include first and second types, the first type being provided with a display element in the form of a numerical digit and having connecting means for connecting the balloon to a balloon of the second type, each balloon of the second type being elongate and having a display element in the form of one or more words extending longitudinally of the balloon.

Preferably each balloon of the second type has along the upper and/or lower edge thereof connection means for connecting the balloons to two or more balloons of the first type arranged in a line. Thus, the balloons bearing the digits may then be connected together side-by-side, and balloons bearing the words may be connected horizontally above and/or below the balloons bearing the digits.

The following is a more detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of one type of balloon for use in a set of balloons according to the invention, Figure 2 shows a series of other balloons of the same general type, Figure 3 shows a series of balloons of a second type for use in the present invention, Figures 4-8 show, by way of example, several alternative forms of balloon assembly which can be formed from the components shown in Figures 1-3, and Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view, on an enlarged scale, showing the means of connection between adjacent balloons.

Referring to Figure 1, the balloon of the first type 10 comprises a generally oval bag 11 of thin flexible non-porous material, such as Mylar or other plastics material. In conventional manner the balloon may be formed from two oval sheets of material heatsealed together around their periphery to form the enclosed bag. The bag is formed with a nozzle or aperture through which the balloon may be filled with helium or other gas under pressure, the nozzle or aperture being subsequently sealed once the balloon has been filled. The general construction of balloons of this type, and their method of filling and sealing, is well known and will not therefore be described in detail.

Spaced apart around the periphery of the bag 11 are curved tags 12 each tag being formed with an aperture 13. A tag is provided at the top and bottom of the balloon and at each lateral side thereof. Each tag may comprise a separately formed element which is connected to the edge of the plastics bag, for example by heat-sealing.

Alternatively, the aperture may be formed in a part of the material of the bag itself. In this case the aperture might lie within the periphery of the bag instead of in a projecting tag as shown in Figure 1. A single numerical digit, in this case a "1" is printed on one face of the balloon. A simple form of digit is shown for the purposes of illustration, but it will be appreciated that the digit and the surrounding parts of the balloon may be of any required design or colour to give a required decorative effect.

Figure 2 shows the other nine balloons of the first type required in order to enable any number to be assembled.

Figure 3 shows diagrammatically balloons of a second type according to the invention. In this case each balloon 14 is much more elongate in shape than the balloon 10 of the first type but is generally smaller in size. Each balloon of the second type is provided with eight connection tags 12 similar to the connection tags 12 in the first type of balloon. In this case, however, there is provided a tag 12 at each end of the balloon and three tags spaced apart along the top and bottom edges. Otherwise the general construction of the balloon is the same as the construction of the balloon of the first type.

Each balloon of the second type 14 is printed with one or more words which may, for example, pertain to a particular type of occasion of celebration. As shown in Figure 3 typical legends might be the words "HAPPY BIRTHDAY", "ANNIVERSARY", "GOLDEN", "SILVER", "TODAY", "OVER THE HILL" and "CONGRATULATIONS" It will be appreciated that these are merely given as examples ofthe sort of legend which may be applied and, as in the case of the first type of balloon, the legend may be of any form of script and the overall design of the balloon may be in any combination of colours and decorative features.

Figures 4-8 show examples of how the limited number of different balloons of the kind shown in Figures 1-3 may be assembled together to create a large balloon assembly bearing a message tailored to the particular occasion. It will be appreciated that the number of possible combinations is very large indeed and will allow a balloon assembly to be supplied for almost any occasion while at the same time only a limited stock of kinds of balloon needs to be carried.

Figure 9 shows in greater detail and on an enlarged scale one method by which the apertured tags 12 on the balloons may be connected together. In the arrangement shown an elongate flexible tie 15 is passed through the apertures 13 in adjacent tags 12 so as to connect them together. The free ends of the tie may be simply knotted together or if they are of an appropriate material, such as a thermoplastics, they may be heat sealed together. Alternatively the ends ofthe tie may be bonded together by an adhesive or by a mechanical crimping or clamping device.

The arrangement shown in Figure 9 is only one example of connection means for connecting the balloons together and, as previously mentioned, many alternative types of connector may be employed, for example instead of having a separate tie 15, the connectors may be so shaped that a tag on element may be directly engageable in a slit or aperture in the other element. Another suitable form of connector might comprise interengaging portions of hook-and-loop fabric. Alternatively the tags themselves may be directly bonded together by heat-sealing, gluing, crimping or by use of a suitable clip.

Alternatively the connectors may comprise eyelets set into the balloon material or the balloons may be connected together by separate clips of suitable form, or by double sided adhesive tape or other adhesive connectors.

Instead of the digits being printed or otherwise applied to the balloons, the balloons of the first type may themselves be contoured in the shape of a particular digit.

Claims

1. A set of balloons, each balloon comprising an inflatable and sealable bag of thin flexible non-porous material, and having connection means whereby each balloon may be connected to one or more other balloons to form a balloon assembly, at least some of the balloons in the set carrying display elements whereby the balloon assembly may provide a display comprising a combination of said display elements.

2. A set of balloons according to Claim 1, wherein the individual balloons each comprise one component of a larger message which may be displayed by connecting a number of balloons together to form a larger assembly.

3. A set of balloons according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the display elements are literal, numerical, pictorial and/or decorative.

4. A set of balloons according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein each display element is printed on, or otherwise directly applied to, the flexible material of the balloon bag.

5. A set of balloons according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein each display element is a separate component which is attached to the balloon bag.

6. A set of balloons according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least certain of the display elements comprise a single numerical digit, whereby two or more balloons may be connected together to provide a display in the form of a two-digit, or multi-digit, number.

7. A set of balloons according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least certain of the display elements comprise a single letter, whereby two or more balloons may be connected together to provide a display in the form of one or more words.

8. A set of balloons according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least certain of the display elements comprise whole words, whereby two or more balloons may be connected together to provide a display in the form of a written message.

9. A set of balloons according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least certain ofthe balloons have connection means whereby each balloon may be connected to at least four other balloons.

10. A set of balloons according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the connection means comprise an element projecting from each balloon and adapted for connection to an element projecting from another balloon.

11. A set of balloons according to Claim 10, wherein each projecting element comprises a tab, integral with, or attached to, the material of the balloon bag, which is formed with a hole, a linking element being provided to pass through the holes in the tabs to connect them together.

12. A set of balloons according to Claim 11, wherein the linking element is a separate elongate element which may be passed through both holes, its free ends then being tied or otherwise secured together.

13. A set of balloons according to any of the preceding Claims 1 to 9, wherein the connection means comprise a projecting element on one balloon which is connectable to an element on another balloon.

14. A set of balloons according to Claim 13, wherein each projecting element comprises a tag on one element which is engageable in a slit or aperture in the other element.

15. A set of balloons according to any of the preceding Claims 1 to 9, wherein the connecting means comprise inter-engaging portions of hook-and-loop fabric.

16. A set of balloons according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the balloons include first and second types, the first type being provided with a display element in the form of a numerical digit and having connecting means for connecting the balloon to a balloon of the second type, each balloon of the second type being elongate and having a display element in the form of one or more words extending longitudinally of the balloon.

17. A set of balloons according to Claim 16, wherein each balloon of the second type has along the upper and/or lower edge thereof connection means for connecting the balloons to two or more balloons of the first type arranged in a line.

18. A set of balloons substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.