GB2115058A

GB2115058A - Device for sealing balloons

Info

Publication number: GB2115058A
Application number: GB08228061A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jean Eugene Delasson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-02-17
Filing date: 1982-10-01
Publication date: 1983-09-01
Also published as: FR2521433B1; DE3212119C2; IT1152897B; CH647681A5; DE3212119A1; FR2521433A1; IT8223676A0; GB2115058B

Abstract

Neck 11 of balloon 8 is sealed by pulling on ring 3 whilst holding locking means 6. This pulls loop 4 and neck 11 through orifice 7 with the loop passing completely through and so folding the neck into a gas-tight conformation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for automatically closing and gripping balloons..

The invention concerns apparatus for closing and gripping balloons especially novelty balloons intended to be released or serving as supports for publicity material and being capable of being filled either with air or with gas.

Apparatus for closing ballons intended to be fixed onto balloon necks so as to obtain a seal to maintain the balloon in the inflated state are already known. However, these closing means according to the prior art are often complicated in use and do not permit a rapid and effective closing of the neck of the balloon. The complexity of their design also necessitates quite often operations which are difficult or a disadvantageous waste of time when the balloons are to be distributed to a great number of people, for example, during the course of a publicity operation, during the course of which the balloons are to be inflated and sealed very rapidly.

Closing means the cost of manufacture of which is much too high also exist.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these disadvantages and it is proposed to provide an automatic means for closing and gripping balloons, of a simple design, having a very small manufacturing cost and extremely practical operation which permits automatic rapid and effective sealing.

The present invention also has the object of providing apparatus for automatically closing and gripping which allows rapid closing and sealing of the neck of a balloon to be achieved at the same time, comprising gripping means for the user who can then manipulate the inflated ballon with great ease.

Finally, an object of the present invention is to create apparatus for automatically closing and gripping balloons, which can be used with balloons inflated either with air or with gas.

Thus, the invention concerns an apparatus for automatically closing and gripping balloons, characterised in that it comprises securing means constituted by a hooking and gripping ring extended at a point of its periphery by a securing eye which allows the neck of the balloon to be engaged, this securing means co-operating with a closing means having a central orifice in which the securing eye slides as a result of pulling on the hooking and gripping ring to close the neck of the balloon.

The particular design of the apparatus, which comprises securing means which co-operate with a locking means, facilitates handling by the user, who can obtain rapid and effective automatic sealing of the inflated balloon.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the hooking and gripping ring is an open ring.

This affords the user the ability to hook very rapidly a large number of balloons onto a wire fixed for example to hold the balloons once they have been inflated. This also allows engagement and fixing on to the ring of a gripping rod formed, for example, of a rigid material. It is possible to fix, for example, a competition card for a balloon launch.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the opening in the ring comprises a break situated at a point diametrically opposite to the point of attachment of the securing eye on the periphery of the ring.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the securing eye comprises two preformed strands which are sufficiently spaced from one another to allow rapid positioning of the neck of the balloon, the two strands forming a generally almond shape.

The fact that the strands of the eye are preformed permits rapid positioning of the neck of the balloon, in other words, engagement of the neck in the interior of the securing eye.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the strands of the securing eye are fixed on the periphery of the hooking and gripping ring by a connecting plate.

According to another characteristic of the invention the apparatus is formed of a semi-rigid synthetic material.

Finally, according to another characteristic of the invention, the apparatus is formed by moulding.

The present invention will be better understood with the assistance of an embodiment of the apparatus for automatically closing and gripping according to the invention which is shown schematically by way of non-limiting example in the single figure attached which is a perspective view from above the automatic closing and gripping apparatus.

According to this figure, the apparatus 1 comprises securing means 2. The securing means 2 comprises a hooking and gripping ring 3. This ring is extended on its periphery by a securing eye 4 attached to the ring 3 at a point P by means of a connecting plate 5.

The securing means 2 co-operates with a locking means 6 provided with an orifice 7 in its central area. The orifice 7 allows the engagement and displacement, by movement, of the securing eye 4 through the locking means 6.

The locking ring is a ring which is open at a point P1 diametrically opposite to the point P, which constitutes the point of attachment of the securing eye 4 by means of the plate 5 on the ring 3.

It is possible to provide an opening on the ring 3 situated anywhere on its periphery, for example in the neighbourhood of the connecting plate 5.

The opening of the ring at the point P 1 is 'comprised by a break. This break permits the user rapidly to engage the ring 3 on a wire to hook and to hold the balloon 8 in place once it has been inflated. It is also possible, by means of the break at the point P1, to position means for gripping the balloon which will, for example, comprise a rod of rigid material. Furthermore, the securing means 2 and more particularly the ring 3 act as means of gripping the balloon when in the inflated state, whether it be by air or by gas.

The securing eye 4 consists of two strands 9, 10, which are pre-formed and which are spaced from one another sufficiently to allow passage of the neck 11 of the balloon into the interior of the securing eye 4. The two strands 9 and 10 are generally almond shaped. These strands 9 and 10, of the securing eye 4, which are pre-formed, prevent the locking means 6 from becoming disengaged after the latter has been positioned by passing the securing eye 4 through the orifice 7.

The securing means 2 and also the locking means 6 are moulded from a semi-rigid synthetic material. It is however possible to envisage other embodiments of these two means.

The operation of the apparatus 1 is carried out in the following manner. The user engages the neck 11 in the securing eye 4 of which the strands 9 and 10 are spaced to permit easy positioning of the neck 11 in the inside of the securing eye 4. The neck 11 is connected to inflating means. Then the user holds the means 6 and performs a rapid pulling movement on the ring 3 so as to seal the neck 11, and to render the balloon air-tight. This sealing is obtained by the fact that the securing eye 4 acts as a noose by cooperating with the means 6 when the ring 3 is pulled. The user pulls on the ring 3 until the securing eye 4 has completely passed through the orifice 7, which causes the folding back of the neck 11 of the balloon 8 and maximum securing thereof in the interior of the orifice 7. Thus, the apparatus 1 permits simultaneous automatic closing of the balloon and it also consists of gripping means.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the automatic closing and gripping of balloons, characterised in that it comprises securing means (2) comprising a hooking and gripping ring (3) extended at a point (P) on its periphery by a securing eye (4) which permits the engagement of the neck (1 1 ) of the balloon (8) in the interior of the eye (4), this securing means (2) co-operating with locking means (6) provided with a central orifice (7) in which the securing eye (4) slides by pulling on the hooking and gripping ring (3) to close the neck (11) of the balloon (8).

2. Automatic closing and gripping means according to claim 1, characterised in that the hooking and gripping ring (3) is an open ring.

3. Automatic closing and gripping means according to the preceding claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the opening in the ring (3) comprises a break located at a point (P1) diametrically opposite the point of attachment (P) of the securing eye (4) on the periphery of the ring (3).

4. Automatic closing and gripping apparatus according to the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the opening in the ring (3) comprises a break located in the neighbourhood of the attachment plate (5).

5. Automatic closing and gripping apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the securing eye (4) comprises two pre-formed strands (9, 10), sufficiently spaced from one another to permit rapid positioning of the neck (11) of the balloon (8), the two strands (9) and (1) forming a generally almond shape.

6. Automatic closing and gripping apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the strands (9, 10) of the securing eye (4) are fixed on the periphery of the hooking and gripping ring (3) by an attachment plate (5).

7. Automatic closing and gripping apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it is formed of a semi-rigid synthetic material.

8. Automatic closing and gripping apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, characterised in that it is formed by moulding.