EP1630472A2 - Inflatable balloon for lighting purposes - Google Patents

Inflatable balloon for lighting purposes Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1630472A2
EP1630472A2 EP05405347A EP05405347A EP1630472A2 EP 1630472 A2 EP1630472 A2 EP 1630472A2 EP 05405347 A EP05405347 A EP 05405347A EP 05405347 A EP05405347 A EP 05405347A EP 1630472 A2 EP1630472 A2 EP 1630472A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
balloon
inflatable balloon
fabric
air
inflatable
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP05405347A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1630472A3 (en
EP1630472B1 (en
Inventor
Andrea Bonsembiante
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Intercomm Srl
Original Assignee
Intercomm Srl
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Intercomm Srl filed Critical Intercomm Srl
Publication of EP1630472A2 publication Critical patent/EP1630472A2/en
Publication of EP1630472A3 publication Critical patent/EP1630472A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1630472B1 publication Critical patent/EP1630472B1/en
Not-in-force legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21LIGHTING
    • F21VFUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V3/00Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses
    • F21V3/02Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses characterised by the shape
    • F21V3/023Chinese lanterns; Balloons
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21LIGHTING
    • F21VFUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V21/00Supporting, suspending, or attaching arrangements for lighting devices; Hand grips
    • F21V21/06Bases for movable standing lamps; Fixing standards to the bases
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21LIGHTING
    • F21WINDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
    • F21W2131/00Use or application of lighting devices or systems not provided for in codes F21W2102/00-F21W2121/00
    • F21W2131/10Outdoor lighting

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an air inflatable balloon for lighting purposes according to the preamble of claim 1.
  • This balloon can be made with a diameter up to 5.5m and behaves like a tethered balloon which is attached to the ground by means of a Systems of cables must be anchored so that he can not migrate.
  • the helium-filled tethered balloon for lighting first proposed more than a century ago requires the use of an inert gas that is lighter than air, usually helium, which requirement severely limits its usefulness.
  • the material used must therefore be absolutely impermeable - which requires that particularly costly fabrics must be considered - and must have no gas-permeable connection areas. All this makes the realization of helium-filled balloons extremely difficult and costly.
  • the other category of inflatable balloons for lighting is that of air inflatable balloons.
  • Such balloons are much easier to manufacture and easier to handle than those previously described in the prior art because air is always present in an unrestricted amount.
  • such balloons do not raise themselves from the ground, but are mounted on a suitable support rod, through which the electrical supply cable for the lighting and possibly also a pneumatic line to inflate the balloon at the beginning and possibly to maintain the optimum inflation pressure in the Balloon serves.
  • the design advantage of air-inflated balloons over helium-filled balloons is primarily that they can be made with ordinary woven fabrics (polyester or nylon) that are inexpensive and less buoyant when the air impermeability is achieved by surface treatment, polyurethane coating, for example, to improve cost-effective fabrics suitable for use in inflatable balloons.
  • Typical of this type of balloon is that manufactured and sold under the name Sunglobe by the company Intercomm srl in 31030 Arcade (Tv) becomes.
  • This balloon is fabricated and consists of a plurality of spines forming meridian lines along which the spines are joined together to form a substantially spherical body.
  • the purpose of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art relating to inflatable lighting balloons consisting of individual interconnected fabric battens which together form a hollow body of substantially spherical shape.
  • thermoplastic material of the intermediate layer may be a coating of the fabric which forms the spades of the balloon, or is present in a strip which is introduced into the overlapping and / or connecting zone during welding.
  • reflow of a layer of thermoplastic material allows for an absolutely airtight connection along the welds and between two adjacent fabric coils, thereby achieving the purpose of the present invention.
  • Fig. 1, 1 indicates the substantially spherical shape of the body forming the actual inflatable balloon (often referred to in commercial brochures as a luminous globe or the like).
  • the balloon 1 is filled with compressed air and, in contrast to the known helium-filled balloons, must therefore be supported by means of a supporting rod 2 which is supported on the ground, for example by means of a tripod 3 (or by any other attachment device).
  • the rod 2 is preferably formed as a telescopic rod.
  • a lighting fixture is housed (not shown in the figure) which illuminates the balloon 1 from the inside, which in turn can emit a diffused light in all directions - or only down if the balloon in the upper part with a equipped with a suitable reflective cap.
  • the device is, of course, provided with all the electrical and mechanical means required to supply air under a slight overpressure (which is a few millibars) and to supply the lighting fixture with electrical energy. All this corresponds to the known state of the art and is in brochures and instructions for use of the above-mentioned company Intercomm for the balloon Sunglobe detailed. Therefore, a more detailed description of the constructive details of the apparatus, for which reference is made to the cited documents, which contain a very detailed description of the inflatable balloon according to the invention, is unnecessary here. However, what is apparent from Fig.
  • the balloon 1 consists of individual coils 5, 5 ', 5 “, 5"', 5 iv , etc., which along one another along a meridian line 6, 6 ', 6 ", 6"', etc., are connected. From Fig. 1 it is further apparent that at the lower pole 4 of the balloon 1, a connection disc 7 is present, in which all the spades 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc., converge. By means of this disc 7, the balloon 1 is attached substantially airtight to the support rod 2, which serves to support and power.
  • the present invention relates only to the interconnection of the fabric panels 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc., taking into account all the other characteristics of the inflatable luminous balloon apparatus known in the field and in the literature ,
  • Said compound is carried out according to the invention by the adjacent spokes 5, 5 ', 5 “, 5"', etc., along a meridian line 6, 6 ', 6 ", 6"', etc., are welded together by means of high frequency ,
  • This type of welding which is known per se as the apparatus required for it, allows secure and rapid melting of at least one intermediate layer of thermoplastic material - as shown in detail in Figures 2 to 5 - along a connecting and / or overlapping zone of two adjacent spools 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc.
  • the fabric 8 which forms the spars 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc., a fabric of polyester or Polyamide (nylon) is.
  • polyester or Polyamide nylon
  • thermoplastic intermediate layer 9 is a layer which lines the fabric 8 of the balloon 1 on its entire inside (FIG. 2) and consists of a polyurethane film.
  • the polyurethane film 9 has the advantage that it allows a cost-effective treatment of the fabric 8, the RF welding much easier and very resistant at low temperatures, such as occur when the balloon is used in the winter for night lighting a ski slope ,
  • the polyurethane is very resistant to mechanical friction because it has a high elasticity, which prevents cracking.
  • it is to be regarded as an ideal material for a coating layer on the inner side of the tissue of the balloon, which is capable of making the balloon airtight and the high-frequency welding of the spades 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc. , to allow.
  • a strip 11 is made of polyester coated on at least one side with a polyurethane film 9.
  • the polyurethane film 9 melts and "sticks" airtight to the corresponding fabric 8, 8 'of the spout 5, 5' of the balloon 1.
  • a polyester strip 12 is applied on the outside B of the connecting and / or overlapping zone 10 of two adjacent strips 5, 5 ' its outwardly facing B side facing B is provided with a polyurethane layer 9.
  • the layer 9, which lines the balloon on its inner side A also has the property of strong light reflection. This property can be concentrated in particular in the upper part of the dome of the balloon 1, so that the light is reflected particularly downward.
  • the connecting and / or overlapping zone 10 of two adjacent chips 5, 5 ' is between 1 and 3 cm wide, and preferably 2 cm wide. These dimensions ideally allow the production of inflatable balloons, which are absolutely airtight, and have a diameter of 80 cm to 3 m so that they cover most of the practical requirements for "provisional” lighting (events, construction sites, Places of road accidents).
  • a further preferred embodiment of the present invention then provides that the air in the balloon 1 is kept under constant pressure by means of a compressor (not shown), which - depending on the requirements - continuously or intermittently air through the support rod 2 and the connection 7 in the interior of the balloon 1 feeds.
  • a compressor not shown
  • the better the balloon 1 is airtight the smaller the need to restore the overpressure in the balloon 1.
  • no tissue remains 100% airtight over any length of time, and since no joints, and no matter how good, between the tissue or between tissue and for example the connection disc 7 can ensure absolute tightness, it makes sense to use a pump or to provide a compressor so that the pressure prevailing inside the balloon 1 pressure can be maintained.
  • this pump is reduced thanks to the present invention to an advantageous minimum, with all the advantages this entails.
  • the air pressure prevailing in the interior of the balloon 1 is maintained between 8 and 15 millibars: this is a very small value, which, however, has proved to be more than sufficient ensuring the perfect functioning of the balloon 1 according to the invention.
  • FIG. 6 only in the sense of additional information, an overall view of a high-frequency welding machine is shown.
  • a lower punch 13 can be seen of convex curved shape, which corresponds to the shape of the meridian line of the spout 5 of the balloon 1 to be produced, and an upper punch 14, which has the same arc shape as the punch 13, but is concave:
  • the edges to be welded of the two spades 5 and 5 ' is inserted, and above or below these at most the strips 11 and / or 12 are inserted, as in connection with the in the figures to 5 shown embodiments has been described.
  • the welding is then carried out under pressure, the two punches 13 and 14 are pressed against each other with high pressure, and using high-frequency electric current whose strength is adapted to the task. All of these details correspond to the state of the art and are familiar to the person skilled in the art, so that a more detailed description is not necessary here.
  • the advantage of the present invention is mainly that air-inflatable balloons can be inexpensively manufactured for lighting purposes because they are made of low-cost fabrics such as polyurethane-impregnated polyester or polyamide (nylon) and which ensure high air-tightness That the effort to keep the balloon always in perfectly inflated form, minimized.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)

Abstract

An air-inflatable balloon with a light-source at its center, consists of number of sections (5) which form meridians and are joined together to form a spherical-shaped body. The sections (5) of fabric are joined to one another along a meridian line (6) of the balloon (1) by high-frequency (HF) welding, which secures melting of at least one thermoplastic inter-layer along a connection- and/or overlap-zone of two adjacent sections (5) so that an air-tight join is secured along the weld-seams (6).

Description

Die vorliegende Erfindung betrifft einen mit Luft aufblasbaren Ballon für Beleuchtungszwecke gemäss dem Oberbegriff des Anspruchs 1.The present invention relates to an air inflatable balloon for lighting purposes according to the preamble of claim 1.

Die Realisierung und Verwendung solcher Ballone, die sich für die Beleuchtung grosser Raumflächen bei Veranstaltungen im Freien eignen, wie beispielsweise auf Plätzen oder Skipisten, ist in den letzten Jahren dank den Vorteilen, welche diese Beleuchtungsart bietet, recht häufig geworden. Unter diesen ist die leichte Einrichtung der Anlage zu erwähnen (wobei es sich höchstens darum handelt, eine Stange am Boden zu befestigen, wenn- wie im Fall Helium-gefüllter Ballone - nicht ein elektrisches Kabel für die Beleuchtung genügt), und das vollständige Fehlen jeglicher Blendungseffekte, da das von der Ballonoberfläche ausgehende Licht diffus ist und deshalb keinen Blendeffekt verursachen kann. Es handelt sich daher um eine ideale Technologie, provisorische Beleuchtungen für grosse Raumflächen einzurichten, ohne dass aufwändige feste Installationen erforderlich sind.The realization and use of such balloons, which are suitable for lighting large areas of space at outdoor events, such as on squares or ski slopes, has become quite common in recent years, thanks to the advantages offered by this type of lighting. Among these, mention should be made of the lightness of the installation (which is at most a matter of fixing a pole to the floor when, as in the case of helium-filled balloons, no electric cable is sufficient for lighting), and the complete absence of any Glare effects, as the light emanating from the balloon surface is diffuse and therefore can not cause a glare effect. It is therefore an ideal technology to set up temporary lighting for large spaces without the need for expensive fixed installations.

Aus der Praxis sind verschiedene Arten von aufblasbaren Ballonen bekannt, die im Inneren eine Lichtquelle enthalten, und die sich im wesentlichen in zwei Kategorien unterteilen lassen, nämlich einerseits in Ballone, die mit einem Gas gefüllt sind, das leichter als Luft ist, und die vom Boden abheben und bloss wie ein Fesselballon am Boden verankert werden müssen, und in luftgefüllte Ballone anderseits.In practice, various types of inflatable balloons are known, which contain a light source inside, and which can be subdivided essentially into two categories, namely on the one hand in balloons filled with a gas that is lighter than air, and on the other Take off ground and just need to be anchored to the ground like a tethered balloon, and in air-filled balloons on the other hand.

Zur ersteren Kategorie gehört beispielsweise der Ballon HeliMax Powermoon, der aus einem Material mit der Benennung Levapren der deutschen Firma Bayer durch eine ebenfalls deutsche Firma Noelle Industrielle Umwelttechnik GmbH in Rheinberg gefertigt wird und im Internet beschrieben ist unter http:/www.powermoon.de/ger.php?p=german. The former category includes, for example, the balloon HeliMax Powermoon, which is manufactured from a material with the name Levapren of the German company Bayer by a likewise German company Noelle Industrielle Umwelttechnik GmbH in Rheinberg and is described in the Internet under http://www.powermoon.de/ ger.php? p = German.

Dieser Ballon wird kann mit einem Durchmesser bis 5.5m hergestellt werden und verhält sich wie ganz wie ein Fesselballon, der am Boden mittels eines Systems von Kabeln verankert werden muss, so dass er nicht abwandern kann. Der Helium-gefüllte Fesselballon für Beleuchtungszwecke, der erstmals vor mehr als einem Jahrhundert vorgeschlagen wurde, erfordert die Verwendung eines inerten Gases, das leichter als Luft ist, normalerweise Helium, wobei dieses Erfordernis die Verwendbarkeit stark einschränkt. Zudem bedingt die Verwendung eines von Luft verschiedenen Gases, dass der Ballon für Gase absolut undurchlässig ist, damit kein Aufblas-Gas in die Umgebungsluft entweicht. Das verwendete Material muss deshalb absolut undurchlässig sein - was erfordert, dass besonders kostspielige Gewebe in Betracht gezogen werden müssen - und darf keine gasdurchlässigen Verbindungsbereiche auf-weisen. Dies alles macht die Realisierung Helium-gefüllter Ballone überaus schwierig und kostspielig.This balloon can be made with a diameter up to 5.5m and behaves like a tethered balloon which is attached to the ground by means of a Systems of cables must be anchored so that he can not migrate. The helium-filled tethered balloon for lighting first proposed more than a century ago requires the use of an inert gas that is lighter than air, usually helium, which requirement severely limits its usefulness. In addition, the use of a different gas from the air that the balloon is absolutely impermeable to gases, so that no inflation gas escapes into the ambient air. The material used must therefore be absolutely impermeable - which requires that particularly costly fabrics must be considered - and must have no gas-permeable connection areas. All this makes the realization of helium-filled balloons extremely difficult and costly.

Die andere Kategorie aufblasbarer Ballone für Beleuchtungszwecke ist jene der mit Luft aufblasbaren Ballone. Solche Ballone sind im Vergleich mit den vorher entsprechend dem Stand der Technik beschriebenen viel leichter herzustellen und einfacher in der Handhabung, da Luft immer in unbeschränkter Menge vorhanden ist. Natürlich heben solche Ballone nicht von selbst vom Boden ab, sondern werden auf einer geeigneten Stützstange befestigt, durch welche auch das elektrische Versorgungskabel für die Beleuchtung und allenfalls auch eine pneumatische Leitung, die zum Aufblasen des Ballons zu Beginn und allenfalls zum Aufrechterhalten des optimalen Fülldruckes im Ballon dient. Der Konstruktions-Vorteil der mit Luft aufzublasenden Ballone gegenüber den Helium-gefüllten ist vor allem darin zu sehen, dass sie mit gewöhnlichen Geweben (aus Polyester oder Nylon) hergestellt werden können, die kostengünstig und wenig umtriebig sind, wenn die Luftundurchlässigkeit mittels einer Oberflächenbehandlung, beispielsweise mit Polyurethanbeschichtung, verbessert werden soll, damit kostengünstige Gewebe entstehen, die zur Verwendung in aufblasbaren Ballonen geeignet sind.The other category of inflatable balloons for lighting is that of air inflatable balloons. Such balloons are much easier to manufacture and easier to handle than those previously described in the prior art because air is always present in an unrestricted amount. Of course, such balloons do not raise themselves from the ground, but are mounted on a suitable support rod, through which the electrical supply cable for the lighting and possibly also a pneumatic line to inflate the balloon at the beginning and possibly to maintain the optimum inflation pressure in the Balloon serves. The design advantage of air-inflated balloons over helium-filled balloons is primarily that they can be made with ordinary woven fabrics (polyester or nylon) that are inexpensive and less buoyant when the air impermeability is achieved by surface treatment, polyurethane coating, for example, to improve cost-effective fabrics suitable for use in inflatable balloons.

Typisch für diese Art von Ballonen ist jener, der unter dem Namen Sunglobe von der Firma Intercomm srl in 31030 Arcade (Tv) hergestellt und vertrieben wird. Dieser Ballon ist aus Gewebe gefertigt und besteht aus einer Vielzahl von Spickeln, welche Meridianlinien bilden, längs welchen die Spickel in solcher Weise miteinander verbunden werden, dass ein im wesentlichen kugelförmiger Körper entsteht.Typical of this type of balloon is that manufactured and sold under the name Sunglobe by the company Intercomm srl in 31030 Arcade (Tv) becomes. This balloon is fabricated and consists of a plurality of spines forming meridian lines along which the spines are joined together to form a substantially spherical body.

Das Problem bei diesem Ballon besteht darin, absolut luftdichte Verbindungsnähte zwischen den Spickein zu erhalten. Gemäss dem Stand der Technik werden die Spickel mit einfachster Technik mit einfacher oder mehrfacher Naht mit einem Faden untereinander vernäht. Diese Lösung erlaubt jedoch nicht, genügend dichte Verbindungszonen zu erreichen, so dass die so hergestellten Ballone dazu neigen, mit der Zeit zusammenzufallen, wodurch der Konstrukteur gezwungen ist, eine Pumpe vorzusehen, mittels welcher durch Einpumpen frischer Luft der Innendruck im Ballon konstant gehalten wird.The problem with this balloon is to get absolutely airtight seams between the beads. According to the prior art, the spools are sewn together with the simplest technique with single or multiple seams with a thread. However, this solution does not allow to achieve sufficiently dense connection zones, so that the balloons thus produced tend to collapse over time, forcing the designer to provide a pump by means of which the internal pressure in the balloon is kept constant by pumping in fresh air.

Zahlreich sind in der heutigen Patentliteratur die Dokumente, die aufblasbare Ballone für Beleuchtungszwecke betreffen. Hier sei, lediglich im Sinn eines Beispiels, das französische Patent FR 717535 aus dem Jahr 1931 zitiert, das einen aufblasbaren Ballon zeigt, bei dem schon versucht wurde, das Problem des luftdichten Verschlusses der Durchführungsmanschette des Elektrokabels zu lösen. Weitere Beispiele aufblasbarer Ballone, von denen allerdings keines den Aufbau aus Spickein zeigt, welcher die vorliegende Erfindung charakterisiert, sind in den Patentschriften US 4'463'513, US 3'610'916, USA 4'704'934 oder DE 3015962 enthalten.Numerous in today's patent literature are the documents concerning inflatable balloons for lighting purposes. Here, by way of example only, French patent FR 717535 from 1931 is cited which shows an inflatable balloon in which an attempt has already been made to solve the problem of airtight closure of the grommet of the electric cable. Other examples of inflatable balloons, none of which, however, show the structure of the spine which characterizes the present invention, are contained in the patents US 4,463,513, US 3,610,916, USA 4,704,934 or DE 3015962.

Aus dem Studium der bekannten Patentliteratur betreffend die mit Luft - oder mit einem inerten Gas, das leichter ist als Luft - aufblasbaren Ballone, die mit einer innen angebrachten Lichtquelle versehen sind, sowie die Herstellung solcher Ballone ergibt sich keine Lehre bezüglich des Zusammenfügens der Spickel, welche die den kugelförmigen Ballon bilden, ausser jener des Vernähens derselben längs den Rändern. Dieses System ist jedoch nicht geeignet, die erforderliche Dichtigkeit des im wesentlichen kugelförmigen Körpers, der den Ballon bildet, so dass man gezwungen ist, besondere Vorkehrungen zu treffen, um den Druck im Ballon konstant zu halten.From the study of the known patent literature concerning the air or with an inert gas, which is lighter than air - inflatable balloons, which are provided with an internally mounted light source, as well as the production of such balloons, there is no teaching relating to the assembly of the spades, which form the spherical balloon, except that of sewing it along the edges. However, this system is not suitable, the required tightness of the substantially spherical body, the forming the balloon so that one is forced to take special precautions to keep the pressure in the balloon constant.

Der Zweck der vorliegenden Erfindung ist das Überwinden der Nachteile des oben erwähnten bekannten Standes der Technik, die sich auf die aufblasbaren beleuchtenden Ballone beziehen, die aus einzelnen unter einander verbundenen Gewebespickeln bestehen, die zusammen einen Hohlkörper von im wesentlichen kugelförmiger Gestalt bilden.The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art relating to inflatable lighting balloons consisting of individual interconnected fabric battens which together form a hollow body of substantially spherical shape.

Dieser Zweck wird mittels der vorliegenden Erfindung dank den Eigenschaften gemäss dem kennzeichnenden Teil des Anspruchs 1 erreicht.This purpose is achieved by means of the present invention thanks to the properties according to the characterizing part of claim 1.

Das Zusammenfügen der Spickel, welche den kugelförmigen Körper - im praktischen Gebrauch auch Globus oder Kugel genannt - bilden, mit Hilfe einer Vorrichtung zum Verschweissen mittels Hochfrequenz (HF) erlaubt es, das Schmelzen mindestens einer Schicht aus thermoplastischem Material zu bewirken, die in einer Überlappungszone zweier benachbarter Spickel eingebracht ist, wobei das thermoplastische Material der Zwischenschicht eine Beschichtung des Gewebes sein kann, das die Spickel des Ballons bildet, oder in einem Streifen vorhanden ist, der beim Verschweissen in die Überlappungs- und/oder Verbindungszone eingebracht wird. Auf jeden Fall erlaubt ein solches Aufschmelzen einer Schicht thermoplastischen Materials eine absolut luftdichte Verbindung längs den Schweissnähten und zwischen zwei nebeneinander liegenden Gewebespickeln, wodurch der Zweck der vorliegenden Erfindung erreicht wird.The assembly of the spools, which form the spherical body - in practice also called globe or ball - by means of a device for welding by high frequency (HF) makes it possible to effect the melting of at least one layer of thermoplastic material in an overlapping zone two adjacent spools is inserted, wherein the thermoplastic material of the intermediate layer may be a coating of the fabric which forms the spades of the balloon, or is present in a strip which is introduced into the overlapping and / or connecting zone during welding. In any event, such reflow of a layer of thermoplastic material allows for an absolutely airtight connection along the welds and between two adjacent fabric coils, thereby achieving the purpose of the present invention.

Weitere Ausführungsformen der vorliegenden Erfindung sind im folgenden unter Bezugnahme auf die angefügten Abbildungen beschrieben und sind Gegenstand der abhängigen Ansprüche.Further embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings and are the subject of the dependent claims.

Die vorliegende Erfindung wird im folgenden näher beschrieben unter Bezugnahme auf die Abbildungen; diese zeigen in der:

Fig. 1
Eine Gesamtansicht des erfindungsgemässen aufblasbaren Ballons mit seinen hauptsächlichen Komponenten,
Figuren 2 bis 5
Varianten der Hochfrequenz-Verschweissungsart für zwei benachbarte Spickel, wobei in den Figuren 2 und 3 eine Naht mit Überlappung der Spickel dargestellt ist, und in den Figuren 4 und 5 mit aneinandergelegten Spickeln und Verschweissung mittels eines Deckbandes,
Fig. 6
Eine Gesamtansicht einer Maschine zum Hochfrequenz-Verschweissen (HF) mit einem Stempel und einem Gegenstück, die der Bogenform des Spickels angepasst sind.
The present invention will be further described below with reference to the drawings; these show in the:
Fig. 1
An overall view of the inflatable balloon according to the invention with its main components,
FIGS. 2 to 5
Variants of the Hochfrequenzverschweissungsart for two adjacent spools, wherein in Figures 2 and 3, a seam with overlap of the spool is shown, and in Figures 4 and 5 with adjacent spiers and welding by means of a shroud,
Fig. 6
An overall view of a high frequency welding (HF) machine with a punch and counterpart adapted to the arc shape of the spit.

In der Fig. 1 bezeichnet 1 die im wesentlichen kugelförmige Gestalt des Körpers, der den eigentlichen aufblasbaren Ballon bildet (in kommerziellen Prospekten oft auch als Leuchtglobus oder ähnlich bezeichnet). Der Ballon 1 ist gemäss dem Gegenstand der Erfindung, mit komprimierter Luft gefüllt, und muss daher - im Gegensatz zu den bekannten und handelsüblichen mit Helium gefüllten Ballonen - mittels einer Stützstange 2 unterstützt werden, die sich auf dem Boden abstützt, beispielsweise mit Hilfe eines Dreibeins 3 (oder mittels irgendeiner anderen Befestigungsvorrichtung). Die Stange 2 ist vorzugsweise als Teleskopstange ausgebildet. Im Innern des Ballons 1 ist ein Beleuchtungskörper untergebracht (in der Figur nicht gezeigt) der den Ballon 1 von innen her beleuchtet, der seinerseits ein diffuses Licht in allen Richtungen ausstrahlen kann - oder auch nur nach unten, falls der Ballon im oberen Teil mit einer geeigneten reflektierenden Kappe ausgestattet ist.In Fig. 1, 1 indicates the substantially spherical shape of the body forming the actual inflatable balloon (often referred to in commercial brochures as a luminous globe or the like). According to the subject invention, the balloon 1 is filled with compressed air and, in contrast to the known helium-filled balloons, must therefore be supported by means of a supporting rod 2 which is supported on the ground, for example by means of a tripod 3 (or by any other attachment device). The rod 2 is preferably formed as a telescopic rod. In the interior of the balloon 1, a lighting fixture is housed (not shown in the figure) which illuminates the balloon 1 from the inside, which in turn can emit a diffused light in all directions - or only down if the balloon in the upper part with a equipped with a suitable reflective cap.

Die Vorrichtung ist selbstverständlich mit allen elektrischen und mechanischen Einrichtungen ausgestattet, die zum Einspeisen von Luft unter leichtem Überdruck (wobei es sich um wenige Millibar handelt) erforderlich sind, sowie zur Versorgung des Beleuchtungskörpers mit elektrischer Energie. Dies alles entspricht dem bekannten Stand der Technik und ist in Prospekten und Gebrauchsanleitungen der oben genannten Firma Intercomm für den Ballon Sunglobe detailliert dargestellt. Daher erübrigt sich hier eine detailliertere Beschreibung der konstruktiven Einzelheiten der Vorrichtung, für die auf die genannten Dokumente verwiesen sei, die eine überaus detaillierte Beschreibung des erfindungsgemässen aufblasbaren Ballons enthalten. Was jedoch aus der Fig. 1 als für die vorliegenden Erfindung wichtig hervorgeht, ist dass der Ballon 1 aus einzelnen Spickeln 5, 5', 5", 5"', 5iv, usw., besteht, die untereinander längs eine Meridianlinie 6, 6', 6", 6"', usw., verbunden sind. Aus der Fig. 1 ist ferner ersichtlich, dass am unteren Pol 4 des Ballons 1 eine Verbindungsscheibe 7 vorhanden ist, bei welcher alle die Spickel 5, 5', 5", 5"', usw., zusammenlaufen. Mittels dieser Scheibe 7 wird der Ballon 1 im wesentlichen luftdicht an der Stützstange 2 befestigt, die zur Unterstützung und Speisung dient.The device is, of course, provided with all the electrical and mechanical means required to supply air under a slight overpressure (which is a few millibars) and to supply the lighting fixture with electrical energy. All this corresponds to the known state of the art and is in brochures and instructions for use of the above-mentioned company Intercomm for the balloon Sunglobe detailed. Therefore, a more detailed description of the constructive details of the apparatus, for which reference is made to the cited documents, which contain a very detailed description of the inflatable balloon according to the invention, is unnecessary here. However, what is apparent from Fig. 1 as important for the present invention is that the balloon 1 consists of individual coils 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', 5 iv , etc., which along one another along a meridian line 6, 6 ', 6 ", 6"', etc., are connected. From Fig. 1 it is further apparent that at the lower pole 4 of the balloon 1, a connection disc 7 is present, in which all the spades 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc., converge. By means of this disc 7, the balloon 1 is attached substantially airtight to the support rod 2, which serves to support and power.

Die vorliegende Erfindung betrifft also nur die gegenseitige Verbindung der Gewebespickel 5, 5', 5", 5"', usw., wobei alle andern Eigenschaften der Vorrichtung mit dem aufblasbaren leuchtenden Ballon berücksichtigt sind, die aus der Praxis sowie aus der Literatur bekannt sind.Thus, the present invention relates only to the interconnection of the fabric panels 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc., taking into account all the other characteristics of the inflatable luminous balloon apparatus known in the field and in the literature ,

Die genannte Verbindung wird gemäss der Erfindung ausgeführt indem die benachbarten Spickel 5, 5', 5", 5"', usw., längs einer Meridianlinie 6, 6', 6", 6"', usw., mittels Hochfrequenz miteinander verschweisst werden. Diese Verschweissungsart, die wie die dafür notwendigen Apparaturen an sich bekannt sind, erlaubt sicheres und schnelles Schmelzen mindestens einer Zwischenschicht aus thermoplastischem Material - wie dies im Detail in den Figuren 2 bis 5 gezeigt ist - längs einer Verbindungs- und/oder Überlappungszone zweier benachbarter Spickel 5, 5', 5", 5"', usw. Dank dieser Verbindungsart mit Hochfrequenz-Verschweissung - für die erfindungsgemäss eine Zwischenschicht aus thermoplastischem Material vorhanden sein muss - gelingt es, eine absolut luftdichte Verbindung zwischen zwei benachbarten Spickeln zu erhalten, was dem ganzen aufblasbaren Ballon die verlangte Eigenschaft absoluter Luftdichtigkeit verleiht.Said compound is carried out according to the invention by the adjacent spokes 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc., along a meridian line 6, 6 ', 6 ", 6"', etc., are welded together by means of high frequency , This type of welding, which is known per se as the apparatus required for it, allows secure and rapid melting of at least one intermediate layer of thermoplastic material - as shown in detail in Figures 2 to 5 - along a connecting and / or overlapping zone of two adjacent spools 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc. Thanks to this type of connection with high-frequency welding - for which according to the invention an intermediate layer of thermoplastic material must be present - it is possible to obtain an absolutely airtight connection between two adjacent spicks, which whole inflatable balloon gives the required property of absolute airtightness.

Für die Realisierung der vorliegenden Erfindung müssen im wesentlichen zwei Voraussetzungen erfüllt sein, nämlich:

  • 1) Eine Zwischenschicht aus thermoplastischem Material muss längs einer Verbindungs- und/oder Überlappungszone zweier Spickel vorhanden sein, wobei Zwischenschicht zu verstehen ist als eine Schicht, die auf beiden Spickeln aufzuliegen kommt. Dies lässt sich auf verschiedene Arten erreichen, wie dies im Folgenden unter Bezugnahme auf einige in den Figuren 2 bis 5 dargestellten Beispiele erklärt wird.
  • 2) Die Verwendung von Hochfrequenz-Verschweissung wird mittels einer sogenannten "Hochfrequenz-Schweisspresse" bewerkstelligt, die von einem Hochfrequenzgenerator gespeist wird. Dabei handelt es sich um eine bekannte und in vielen Anwendungsbereichen verwendete Technologie, die jedoch in der Anwendung für die Herstellung leuchtender aufblasbarer Ballone, neu ist. Hinsichtlich der Konstruktion und Funktion einer solchen "Hochfrequenz-Schweisspresse" HF sei auf die umfangreiche Literatur verwiesen, die aus dem Internet und den einschlägigen Prospekten der verschiedenen Firmen, die solche Maschinen herstellen (siehe beispielsweise die Website http://www.heatwaves.nl/inhoud/dui/principe.html). Deshalb braucht die Erklärung dieser Technologie hier nicht verlängert zu werden, und kann auf den in der Fig. 6 dargestellten spezifischen Anwendungsfall beschränkt bleiben, der hier von besonderem Interesse ist.
For the realization of the present invention essentially two conditions must be met, namely:
  • 1) An intermediate layer of thermoplastic material must be present along a joining and / or overlapping zone of two chips, which intermediate layer is to be understood as a layer that comes to rest on both spiers. This can be achieved in various ways, as will be explained below with reference to some examples shown in FIGS. 2 to 5.
  • 2) The use of high frequency welding is accomplished by means of a so-called "high frequency welding press" powered by a high frequency generator. This is a well-known and widely used technology, but is new in the application of luminous inflatable balloons. With regard to the design and function of such a "high-frequency welding press" RF, reference should be made to the extensive literature available from the Internet and the relevant brochures of the various companies producing such machines (see, for example, the website http://www.heatwaves.nl /inhoud/dui/principe.html). Therefore, the explanation of this technology need not be extended here, and may be limited to the specific application illustrated in FIG. 6, which is of particular interest here.

In den Figuren 2 bis 5 sind einige bevorzugte Ausführungsformen der vorliegenden Erfindung dargestellt, in welchen die gleichen Elemente (oder Komponenten) mit den jeweils gleichen Bezugszeichen bezeichnet sind.Several preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in Figures 2 to 5, in which the same elements (or components) are designated by the same reference numerals.

Gemäss einer ersten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung, die in allen Figuren bis 5 dargestellt wird, ist vorgesehen, dass das Gewebe 8, welches die Spickel 5, 5', 5", 5"', usw., bildet, ein Gewebe aus Polyester oder Polyamid (Nylon) ist. Solche Gewebe werden heute in unzähligen Anwendungen auf allen Gebieten eingesetzt und sind sehr kostengünstig. Gerade deren geringer Preis stellt im Rahmen der vorliegenden Erfindung den interessantesten Aspekt dar im Vergleich mit jenem nach dem bekannten Stand der Technik, wonach Gewebe aus Spezialfasern zu verwenden sind, die sehr viel mehr kosten (beispielsweise das Levaprene ® der Firma Bayer Leverkusen (DE), das zusätzlich mit synthetischem Gummi Conti Vitroflex ® behandelt ist, der leicht und durchscheinend ist, von der Conti Tech Elastomer Beschichtungen GmbH in Northeim (DE) - nachzusehen auf der Website http://www.bayer.it/web/Bayer-IT.nsf/Web Tutti/54150 CE 46CB 0859 FC125DB000303717)-.According to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in all figures to 5, it is provided that the fabric 8, which forms the spars 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc., a fabric of polyester or Polyamide (nylon) is. Such fabrics are used today in countless applications in all fields and are very cost-effective. Especially their lower In the context of the present invention, price represents the most interesting aspect in comparison with that according to the known state of the art, according to which fabrics made of special fibers are used which cost much more (for example the Levaprene® from Bayer Leverkusen (DE), which in addition treated with Conti Vitroflex ® synthetic rubber, which is light and translucent, by the Conti Tech Elastomer Coatings GmbH in Northeim (DE) - see the website http://www.bayer.it/web/Bayer-IT.nsf/ Web Tutti / 54150 CE 46CB 0859 FC125DB000303717) -.

Gemäss einer weiteren Ausführungsvariante der vorliegenden Erfindung wird vorgezogen, dass die thermoplastische Zwischenschicht 9 eine Schicht ist, welche das Gewebe 8 des Ballons 1 auf seiner ganzen Innenseite (Fig. 2) auskleidet und aus einem Polyurethan-Film besteht.According to a further embodiment variant of the present invention, it is preferred that the thermoplastic intermediate layer 9 is a layer which lines the fabric 8 of the balloon 1 on its entire inside (FIG. 2) and consists of a polyurethane film.

Diese Lösung ist in der Fig. 2 gezeigt, in welcher die Innenseite des Ballons die unten dargestellte ist (mit A angedeutet, wie in den weiteren Figuren 3 bis 5). Der Polyurethan-Film 9 hat den Vorteil, dass er eine kostengünstige Behandlung des Gewebes 8 erlaubt, die HF-Verschweissung sehr erleichtert und sehr widerstandfähig ist bei tiefen Temperaturen, wie sie beispielsweise auftreten, wenn der Ballon im Winter zur nächtlichen Beleuchtung einer Skipiste verwendet wird. Zudem ist das Polyurethan sehr widerstandsfähig gegen mechanische Reibung, da es eine hohe Elastizität aufweist, die eine Rissbildung verhindert. Insgesamt ist es als ideales Material für eine Beschichtungsschicht auf der inneren Seite des Gewebes des Ballons zu betrachten, das geeignet ist, den Ballon luftdicht zu machen und die Hochfrequenz-Verschweissung der Spickel 5, 5', 5", 5"', usw., zu erlauben.This solution is shown in Fig. 2, in which the inside of the balloon is that shown below (indicated by A, as in the other figures 3 to 5). The polyurethane film 9 has the advantage that it allows a cost-effective treatment of the fabric 8, the RF welding much easier and very resistant at low temperatures, such as occur when the balloon is used in the winter for night lighting a ski slope , In addition, the polyurethane is very resistant to mechanical friction because it has a high elasticity, which prevents cracking. Overall, it is to be regarded as an ideal material for a coating layer on the inner side of the tissue of the balloon, which is capable of making the balloon airtight and the high-frequency welding of the spades 5, 5 ', 5 ", 5"', etc. , to allow.

Gemäss einer andern bevorzugten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfin-dung, die in den Figuren 3 und 4 dargestellt ist, wird vorgesehen, dass längs der Verbindungs- und/oder Überlappungszone 10 zweier benachbarter Spickel 5, 5' zwischen den zwei Gewebeschichten 8 zur Verschweissung ein Streifen 11 aus Polyestereingebracht wird, der auf mindestens einer Seite mit einem Polyurethan-Film 9 beschichtet ist. Während der HF-Verschweissung schmilzt der Polyurethan-Film 9 und "verklebt" sich luftdicht mit dem entsprechenden Gewebe 8, 8' des Spickels 5, 5' des Ballons 1.According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in Figures 3 and 4, it is provided that along the connecting and / or overlapping zone 10 of two adjacent strips 5, 5 'between the two fabric layers 8 for welding a strip 11 is made of polyester coated on at least one side with a polyurethane film 9. During the HF welding, the polyurethane film 9 melts and "sticks" airtight to the corresponding fabric 8, 8 'of the spout 5, 5' of the balloon 1.

Gemäss einer weiteren bevorzugten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung, die in der Fig. 4 dargestellt ist, wird vorgesehen, dass auch auf der Aussenseite B der Verbindungs- und/der Überlappungszone 10 zweier benachbarter Spickel 5, 5' ein Polyesterstreifen 12 aufgebracht wird, der auf seiner vom Ball nach aussen weisenden Seite B mit einer Polyurethanschicht 9 versehen ist. Der Vorteil dieser Lösung besteht- offensichtlich - darin, dass das Vorhandensein eines "inneren" Polyesterstreifens 11 und eines "äusseren" Polyesterstreifens 12, die je mit Zwischenschichten des thermoplastischen Materials 9 versehen sind, erlaubt, durch die Hochfrequenz-Verschweissung eine "doppelte" Verschweissung zu erreichen, welche höhere, wenn nicht verdoppelte mechanische Widerstandsfähigkeit und Luftdichtigkeit sicherstellt.According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in FIG. 4, it is provided that a polyester strip 12 is applied on the outside B of the connecting and / or overlapping zone 10 of two adjacent strips 5, 5 ' its outwardly facing B side facing B is provided with a polyurethane layer 9. Obviously, the advantage of this solution is that the presence of an "inner" polyester strip 11 and an "outer" polyester strip 12, each provided with interlayers of thermoplastic material 9, allows a "double" weld by the high frequency welding which ensures higher, if not double mechanical resistance and airtightness.

Gemäss einer weiteren Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung ist sodann vorgesehen, dass die Schicht 9, die den Ballon auf seiner Innenseite A auskleidet, auch die Eigenschaft starker Lichtreflexion aufweist. Diese Eigenschaft kann insbesondere im oberen Teil der Kalotte des Ballons 1 konzentriert sein, so dass das Licht besonders nach unten reflektiert wird.According to a further embodiment of the present invention, it is then provided that the layer 9, which lines the balloon on its inner side A, also has the property of strong light reflection. This property can be concentrated in particular in the upper part of the dome of the balloon 1, so that the light is reflected particularly downward.

Gemäss einer weiteren bevorzugten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung ist vorgesehen, dass die Verbindungs- und/oder Überlappungszone 10 zweier benachbarter Spickel 5, 5' zwischen 1 und 3 cm breit ist, und vorzugs-weise 2 cm breit ist. Diese Abmessungen erlauben in idealer Weise die Herstellung aufblasbarer Ballone, die absolut luftdicht sind, und einen Durchmesser von 80 cm bis 3 m aufweisen, so dass sie den grössten Teil der in Praxis auftretenden Anforderungen an die "provisorische" Beleuchtung abdecken (Veranstaltungen, Baustellen, Orte von Strassenunfällen).According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the connecting and / or overlapping zone 10 of two adjacent chips 5, 5 'is between 1 and 3 cm wide, and preferably 2 cm wide. These dimensions ideally allow the production of inflatable balloons, which are absolutely airtight, and have a diameter of 80 cm to 3 m so that they cover most of the practical requirements for "provisional" lighting (events, construction sites, Places of road accidents).

Eine weitere bevorzugte Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung sieht sodann vor, dass die Luft im Ballon 1 unter konstantem Druck gehalten wird, mittels eines Kompressors (nicht gezeigt), der - je nach den Erfordernissen - ununterbrochen oder zeitweise Luft durch die Stützstange 2 und die Verbin-dungsscheibe 7 ins Innere des Ballons 1 einspeist. Es liegt auf der Hand, dass je besser der Ballon 1 luftdicht ist, desto kleiner die Notwendigkeit wird, den Überdruck im Ballon 1 wiederherzustellen. Da jedoch kein Gewebe über beliebig lange Zeit 100% luftdicht bleibt, und da keine Verbindungsstellen, und seien sie noch so gut, zwischen den Gewebespickeln oder zwischen Gewebe und beispielsweise der Verbindungsscheibe 7 absolute Dichtigkeit sicherstellen können, ist es sinnvoll, die Verwendung eine Pumpe oder eines Kompressors vorzusehen, damit der im Innern des Ballons 1 herrschende Druck aufrecht erhalten werden kann. Selbstverständlich wird die Benutzung dieser Pumpe dank der vorliegenden Erfindung auf ein vorteilhaftes Minimum reduziert, mit allen Vorteilen, welche dies mit sich bringt.A further preferred embodiment of the present invention then provides that the air in the balloon 1 is kept under constant pressure by means of a compressor (not shown), which - depending on the requirements - continuously or intermittently air through the support rod 2 and the connection 7 in the interior of the balloon 1 feeds. It is obvious that the better the balloon 1 is airtight, the smaller the need to restore the overpressure in the balloon 1. However, since no tissue remains 100% airtight over any length of time, and since no joints, and no matter how good, between the tissue or between tissue and for example the connection disc 7 can ensure absolute tightness, it makes sense to use a pump or to provide a compressor so that the pressure prevailing inside the balloon 1 pressure can be maintained. Of course, the use of this pump is reduced thanks to the present invention to an advantageous minimum, with all the advantages this entails.

Gemäss einer anderen Ausführungsvariante der vorliegenden Erfindung ist schliesslich vorgesehen, dass der im Innern des Ballons 1 herrschende Luftdruck zwischen 8 und 15 Millibar aufrecht erhalten wird: es handelt sich dabei um einen äusserst kleinen Wert, der sich jedoch als mehr als genügend erwiesen hat, um perfektes Funktionieren des erfindungsgemässen Ballons 1 sicherzusteffen.According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is finally provided that the air pressure prevailing in the interior of the balloon 1 is maintained between 8 and 15 millibars: this is a very small value, which, however, has proved to be more than sufficient ensuring the perfect functioning of the balloon 1 according to the invention.

In der Fig. 6 schliesslich ist, lediglich im Sinn zusätzlicher Information, eine Gesamtansicht einer Hochfrequenz-Schweissmaschine dargestellt. Dabei ist ein unterer Stempel 13 von konvex gebogener Form zu erkennen, welche der Form der Meridianlinie des Spickels 5 des herzustellenden Ballons 1 entspricht, und ein oberer Stempel 14, der die gleiche Bogenform wie der Stempel 13, aufweist, jedoch konkav ausgebildet ist: Zwischen die beiden Stempel 13 und 14 werden die zu verschweissenden Ränder der beiden Spickel 5 und 5' eingelegt, und über oder unter diesen werden allenfalls die Streifen 11 und/oder 12 eingelegt, wie dies im Zusammenhang mit den in den Figuren 3 bis 5 gezeigten Ausführungsformen beschrieben wurde. Die Verschweissung erfolgt sodann unter Druck, wobei die beiden Stempel 13 und 14 mit hohem Druck gegeneinander gedrückt werden, und unter Einsatz von hochfrequentem elektrischem Strom, dessen Stärke der Aufgabe angepasst wird. Alle diese Angaben entsprechen dabei dem Stand der Technik und sind dem Fachmann auf dem Gebiet wohlvertraut, so dass sich hier eine detailliertere Beschreibung erübrigt.Finally, in FIG. 6, only in the sense of additional information, an overall view of a high-frequency welding machine is shown. In this case, a lower punch 13 can be seen of convex curved shape, which corresponds to the shape of the meridian line of the spout 5 of the balloon 1 to be produced, and an upper punch 14, which has the same arc shape as the punch 13, but is concave: Between the two punches 13 and 14 are the edges to be welded of the two spades 5 and 5 'is inserted, and above or below these at most the strips 11 and / or 12 are inserted, as in connection with the in the figures to 5 shown embodiments has been described. The welding is then carried out under pressure, the two punches 13 and 14 are pressed against each other with high pressure, and using high-frequency electric current whose strength is adapted to the task. All of these details correspond to the state of the art and are familiar to the person skilled in the art, so that a more detailed description is not necessary here.

Der Vorteil der vorliegenden Erfindung besteht hauptsächlich darin, dass mit Luft aufblasbare Ballone für Beleuchtungszwecke kostengünstig hergestellt werden können, da sie aus Geweben hergestellt sind, die wenig kosten, wie mit Polyurethan imprägniertem Polyester oder Polyamid (Nylon), und welche hohe Luftdichtigkeit sicherstellen, so dass der Aufwand, um den Ballon stets in perfekt aufgeblasener Form zu halten, auf ein Minimum sinkt.The advantage of the present invention is mainly that air-inflatable balloons can be inexpensively manufactured for lighting purposes because they are made of low-cost fabrics such as polyurethane-impregnated polyester or polyamide (nylon) and which ensure high air-tightness That the effort to keep the balloon always in perfectly inflated form, minimized.

Liste der in den Figuren verwendeten BezugsziffernList of reference numerals used in the figures

  • 1 Ballon1 balloon
  • 2 Stützstange2 support bar
  • 3 Dreibein3 tripods
  • 4 Unterer Pol4 lower pole
  • 5 Spickel5 spades
  • 6 Meridianlinie6 meridian line
  • 7 Verbindungsscheibe7 connecting disc
  • 8 Gewebe8 tissue
  • 9 Schicht aus thermoplastischem Material9 layer of thermoplastic material
  • 10 Überlappungszone10 overlap zone
  • 11 Streifen zur Verschweissung11 strips for welding
  • 12 Streifen12 strips
  • 13 Unterer Stempel13 lower stamp
  • 14 Oberer Stempel14 upper stamp

Claims (9)

Mit Druckluft aufblasbarer Ballon, der in seinem Zentrum eine Beleuchtungsquelle in Form einer elektrischen Lampe aufweist, und der aus einer Vielzahl von Spickeln (5, 5', 5", usw.) besteht, die Meridiane bilden und untereinander so verbunden sind, dass sie einen im wesentlichen kugelförmigen Körper bilden, wobei die Spickel (5, 5', 5", usw.) aus einem besonders luftundurchlässigen Gewebe gefertigt sind und am unteren Pol (4) der Kugel (1) eine Verbindungsscheibe (7) vorhanden ist, bei der alle Spickel (5, 5', 5", usw.) zusammenlaufen und welche den Ballon (1) im wesentlichen luftdicht mit einer Stützstange (2) verbindet,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die Gewebespickel (5, 5', 5", usw.) untereinander längs einer Meridienlinie (6, 6', 6", usw.) des Ballons (1) mittels Hochfrequenz-Verschweissung (HF) verbunden werden, welche das Schmelzen mindestens einer thermoplastischen Zwischenschicht längs einer Verbindungs- und/oder Überlappungszone zweier benachbarter Spickel (5, 5', 5", usw.) in solcher Weise sicherstellt,dass dadurch eine luftdichte Verbindung längs den Schweissnähten (6, 6', 6", usw.) sichergestellt wird.
A pneumatic inflatable balloon having in its center an illumination source in the form of an electric lamp and consisting of a plurality of spikes (5, 5 ', 5 ", etc.) which form meridians and are interconnected to one another form a substantially spherical body, wherein the spike (5, 5 ', 5 ", etc.) are made of a particularly air-impermeable fabric and at the lower pole (4) of the ball (1) a connecting disc (7) is present at all the spools (5, 5 ', 5 ", etc.) converge and which connects the balloon (1) substantially airtight with a support rod (2),
characterized in that
the fabric pelts (5, 5 ', 5 ", etc.) are connected to each other along a meridian line (6, 6', 6", etc.) of the balloon (1) by means of high-frequency welding (HF), which comprises melting at least one of them thermoplastic interlayer along a joining and / or overlapping zone of two adjacent lobes (5, 5 ', 5 ", etc.) in such a way as to provide an air-tight connection along the welds (6, 6', 6", etc.) is ensured.
Aufblasbarer Ballon gemäss dem Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
das Gewebe (8), welches die Spickel (5, 5', 5", usw.) bildet, ein Gewebe aus Polyester oder aus Polyamid (Nylon) ist.
Inflatable balloon according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the fabric (8) forming the tufts (5, 5 ', 5 ", etc.) is a polyester or polyamide (nylon) fabric.
Aufblasbarer Ballon gemäss den Ansprüchen 1 oder 2,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die thermoplastische Zwischenschicht (9) eine Schicht bildet, welche das Gewebe (8) des Ballons (1) auf seiner Innenseite auskleidet und aus einem Polyurethanfilm besteht.
Inflatable balloon according to claims 1 or 2,
characterized in that
the thermoplastic intermediate layer (9) forms a layer which lines the fabric (8) of the balloon (1) on its inside and consists of a polyurethane film.
Aufblasbarer Ballon gemäss einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
längs der Verbindungs- und/oder Überlappungszone (10) zweier benachbarter Spickel (5, 5', 5", usw.) zwischen den beiden Gewebeschichten (8, 8') ein Verschweissungs-Streifen (11) aus Polyester eingelegt wird, der auf mindestens einer seiner Seiten mit einem Polyurethanfilm (9) beschichtet ist.
Inflatable balloon according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
along the connecting and / or overlapping zone (10) of two adjacent lugs (5, 5 ', 5 ", etc.) between the two fabric layers (8, 8') a welding strip (11) is inserted from polyester, the on at least one of its sides is coated with a polyurethane film (9).
Aufblasbarer Ballon gemäss einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
auch auf der Aussenseite (B) der Verbindungs- und/oder Überlappungszone (10) zweier benachbarter Spickel (5, 5', 5", usw.) ein Streifen (12) aus Polyester eingebracht wird, der auf seiner vom Ballon (1) nach aussen gerichteten Seite (B) mit einer Schicht Polyurethan (9) versehen ist.
Inflatable balloon according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
also on the outer side (B) of the connecting and / or overlapping zone (10) of two adjacent spools (5, 5 ', 5 ", etc.) a strip (12) made of polyester is introduced, which on its from the balloon (1) outwardly facing side (B) is provided with a layer of polyurethane (9).
Aufblasbarer Ballon gemäss dem Anspruch 3,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die Schicht (9), welche den Ballon (1) auf seiner Innenseite (A) auskleidet, auch die Eigenschaft hoher Lichtreflexion aufweist.
Inflatable balloon according to claim 3,
characterized in that
the layer (9) which lines the balloon (1) on its inner side (A) also has the property of high light reflection.
Aufblasbarer Ballon gemäss einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die Breite der Verbindungs- und/oder Überlappungszone (10) zweier benachbarter Spickel (5, 5') zwischen 1 und 3 cm liegt und vorzugsweise 2 cm beträgt.
Inflatable balloon according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the width of the connecting and / or overlapping zone (10) of two adjacent spools (5, 5 ') is between 1 and 3 cm and is preferably 2 cm.
Aufblasbarer Ballon gemäss einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die Luft im Inneren des Ballons (1) unter konstantem Druck gehalten wird mit Hilfe eines Kompressors, der durch die Stützstange (2) und die Verbindungsscheibe(7) - je nach Bedürfnissen - ununterbrochen oder zeitweise Luft in den Ballon (1) einspeist.
Inflatable balloon according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the air inside the balloon (1) is kept under constant pressure by means of a compressor which feeds air into the balloon (1) continuously or intermittently through the support rod (2) and the connecting disc (7) as needed.
Aufblasbarer Ballon gemäss dem Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
der Luftdruck im Innern des Ballons (1) auf einem Wert von 8 bis 15 Millibar konstant gehalten wird.
Inflatable balloon according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the air pressure inside the balloon (1) is kept constant at a value of 8 to 15 millibars.
EP05405347A 2004-06-09 2005-05-17 Inflatable balloon for lighting purposes Not-in-force EP1630472B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH9792004 2004-06-09

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1630472A2 true EP1630472A2 (en) 2006-03-01
EP1630472A3 EP1630472A3 (en) 2006-10-04
EP1630472B1 EP1630472B1 (en) 2009-01-07

Family

ID=35478930

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP05405347A Not-in-force EP1630472B1 (en) 2004-06-09 2005-05-17 Inflatable balloon for lighting purposes

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1630472B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE420319T1 (en)
DE (1) DE502005006415D1 (en)
ES (1) ES2321010T3 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2008030138A2 (en) * 2006-08-21 2008-03-13 Alexander Grigorievich Bulatov Lighting plant 'light balloon '
CN110056844A (en) * 2019-05-17 2019-07-26 赣州市上杰科技有限公司 Inflate lamp decoration

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11287103B2 (en) 2019-04-22 2022-03-29 Ism Lighting, Llc. Low wattage balloon work light

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR717535A (en) 1930-05-27 1932-01-09 Floating body in the form of a balloon, comic object, etc., with interior lighting device
US3610916A (en) 1970-05-05 1971-10-05 Frank P Meehan Illuminable ball with a time delay device
DE3015962A1 (en) 1980-04-25 1981-11-05 Anton 7500 Karlsruhe Szollmann Inflatable balloon holder and illuminator - has rod-shaped lamp without optics, plug for balloon inflation and non-return valve coupled to tube from plug
US4463513A (en) 1982-09-02 1984-08-07 Wallace Cornelius J Shaping balloons and inflatable spheres
US4704934A (en) 1987-01-20 1987-11-10 Mohammad Nosrati Musical balloon

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2767941A (en) * 1953-11-04 1956-10-23 Gen Mills Inc Seam for gored balloons
GB1178815A (en) * 1968-04-16 1970-01-21 Sandor Pal Vaci Improvements in or relating to Articles Assembled from Inflatable Parts
DE60237686D1 (en) * 2001-05-21 2010-10-28 Light Boy Co Ltd LIGHT PROJECTOR
FR2844029B1 (en) * 2002-08-30 2004-11-26 Airstar BALL FOR A LIGHT SIGN INCLUDING AN INFLATABLE SELF-PRESSED INTERNAL ENVELOPE

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR717535A (en) 1930-05-27 1932-01-09 Floating body in the form of a balloon, comic object, etc., with interior lighting device
US3610916A (en) 1970-05-05 1971-10-05 Frank P Meehan Illuminable ball with a time delay device
DE3015962A1 (en) 1980-04-25 1981-11-05 Anton 7500 Karlsruhe Szollmann Inflatable balloon holder and illuminator - has rod-shaped lamp without optics, plug for balloon inflation and non-return valve coupled to tube from plug
US4463513A (en) 1982-09-02 1984-08-07 Wallace Cornelius J Shaping balloons and inflatable spheres
US4704934A (en) 1987-01-20 1987-11-10 Mohammad Nosrati Musical balloon

Non-Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
"http://www.bayer.it/web/Bayer-IT.nsf/Web"
"http://www.heatwaves.nl/inhoud/dui/principe.html."
"http:/www.powermoon.de/ger.php?p=german."

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2008030138A2 (en) * 2006-08-21 2008-03-13 Alexander Grigorievich Bulatov Lighting plant 'light balloon '
WO2008030138A3 (en) * 2006-08-21 2008-04-24 Alexander Grigorievich Bulatov Lighting plant 'light balloon '
CN110056844A (en) * 2019-05-17 2019-07-26 赣州市上杰科技有限公司 Inflate lamp decoration

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES2321010T3 (en) 2009-06-01
EP1630472A3 (en) 2006-10-04
ATE420319T1 (en) 2009-01-15
DE502005006415D1 (en) 2009-02-26
EP1630472B1 (en) 2009-01-07

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP2921615B1 (en) Pneumatic tent, in particular a canopy of stars
DE112005002658T5 (en) Light tower, support for the light tower, operation of the light tower and device for controlling the light tower and to implement the method of operation
DE2522453A1 (en) INFLATABLE STRUCTURE
DE2108262A1 (en) Inflatable casing and method of erecting the same
EP1630472B1 (en) Inflatable balloon for lighting purposes
EP2229554B1 (en) Inflatable illumination device
EP2558771B1 (en) Luminaire with a length-variable supporting strut for a light-emitting means
EP1352381B1 (en) Enveloping body
DE2925298A1 (en) COMPOSED INFLATABLE INTERNAL SUPPORT FOR AIR TIRES ON A VEHICLE WHEEL RIM
WO2015197042A2 (en) Device, method for advertising, method for retrofitting a device, construction set and arrangement
EP1665204A1 (en) Advertising medium
DE822661C (en) Endless treadmill for the wheels on vehicles
DE2225784A1 (en) Inflatable structure
EP4271934A1 (en) Inflatable lighting body
DE202021105984U1 (en) Portable gas-filled LED lighting device
DE19609168C2 (en) Assembled decorative body, in particular decorative star, consisting of a carrier body and attached to it formed as pyramid-shaped tips parts and method for its production
DE2153253A1 (en) Inflatable tent/shed structure - of multiple parallel flexible tubes joined by welded seams
DE19931867C2 (en) Movable canopy
EP1434189A1 (en) Advertising pillar
DE1784970A1 (en) Transportable tent-like structure
DE732253C (en) Jewelry lighting support
DE19634351A1 (en) Cover for swimming pools and process for their manufacture
DE4421080A1 (en) Large tent with composite tent tarpaulin
DE102007036843A1 (en) Inflatable molded article has tubular covering which is formed as closed hose and which is constructed from flexible outer covering with large elasticity module, where air-tight sealed inner covering is taken up in outer covering
DE10261746A1 (en) Sunshade, camouflage or advertizing screen provided by foil with central chamber filled with lighter-than-air gas and tethering cords secured to ground

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA HR LV MK YU

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA HR LV MK YU

AKX Designation fees paid
17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20070614

RBV Designated contracting states (corrected)

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: 8566

GRAP Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1

GRAF Information related to payment of grant fee modified

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSCIGR3

GRAS Grant fee paid

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: FG4D

Free format text: NOT ENGLISH

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: EP

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: IE

Ref legal event code: FG4D

Free format text: LANGUAGE OF EP DOCUMENT: GERMAN

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 502005006415

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 20090226

Kind code of ref document: P

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

Ref country code: SI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: ES

Ref legal event code: FG2A

Ref document number: 2321010

Country of ref document: ES

Kind code of ref document: T3

NLV1 Nl: lapsed or annulled due to failure to fulfill the requirements of art. 29p and 29m of the patents act
PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

Ref country code: LT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: IE

Ref legal event code: FD4D

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: PL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

Ref country code: IS

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090507

Ref country code: SE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090407

Ref country code: PT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090608

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

Ref country code: EE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

Ref country code: CZ

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

Ref country code: IE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

BERE Be: lapsed

Owner name: INTERCOMM S.R.L.

Effective date: 20090531

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: RO

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

Ref country code: SK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

26N No opposition filed

Effective date: 20091008

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: MC

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20090531

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: PL

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: CH

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20090531

Ref country code: BG

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090407

Ref country code: LI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20090531

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: BE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20090531

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: AT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20090517

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090408

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: LU

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20090517

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: HU

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090708

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: TR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: CY

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20090107

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20140425

Year of fee payment: 10

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: ES

Payment date: 20140529

Year of fee payment: 10

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 20140521

Year of fee payment: 10

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20150521

Year of fee payment: 11

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20150517

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: ST

Effective date: 20160129

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20150517

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20150601

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: ES

Ref legal event code: FD2A

Effective date: 20160627

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: ES

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20150518

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Payment date: 20160427

Year of fee payment: 12

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R119

Ref document number: 502005006415

Country of ref document: DE

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20161201

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20170517