US3088242A

US3088242A - Self-seal balloon

Info

Publication number: US3088242A
Application number: US754777A
Authority: US
Inventors: John F Rockovits
Original assignee: GEZA TOMOSY
Current assignee: GEZA TOMOSY
Priority date: 1958-08-13
Filing date: 1958-08-13
Publication date: 1963-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 1980-05-07

Description

May 7, 1963 J. F. ROCKOVITS 3,088,242

SELF-SEAL BALLOON Filed Aug. 13, 1958 INVENTOR John F. Rockovifs United States Patent ()fifice 3,33,242 Patented May 7, 1963 3,088,242 SELF-SEAL BALLOON John F. Rockovits, Allentown, Pa, assignor of twenty-five percent to John J. McGlew, and thirty-seven and onehalf percent to Geza Tomosy Filed Aug. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 754,777 7 Claims. (Cl. 45-90) This invention relates to balloons and more particularly to a sealing device for the stems thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a completely self-sealing balloon that may be conveniently inflated and then automatically sealed against the loss of air from the interior thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-seal balloon of the above type in which the inside of the neck of the balloon is coated with an adhesive that serves to restrict the passageway through the neck to prevent the loss of air therefrom.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a selfseal balloon bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, of a balloon having self-sealing means illustrating the theoretical basis of the present invention;

FIGURE 1a is a view similar to FIGURE 1, showing the parts in an adjusted position;

FIGURE 1b is a view similar to FIGURE 1, showing the neck of the balloon in a completely sealed position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of a practical construction of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, illustrating a modified form of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, illustrating still another form of the present invention; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURES 1, 1a, 1b, and 5, a self-sealing balloon that illustrates the theoretical aspects of the present invention is shown to include a hollow main bulbous portion 12 and a neck portion 14 through which air is ordinarily supplied for inflating the balloon. The inside surface of this neck portion 14 is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive 16 which serves to integrally bond the opposite sides of the neck portion together in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1b to block the passageway through the neck portion 14. However, in order to maintain the neck passageway open until the balloon has been inflated, a retractable sleeve 18 open at the outer end and having an opening 21) at the inner end is inserted into the neck 14 to serve as a spacer between the adjacent adhesive surfaces. A self-supporting tubular stem 22 having a longitudinal bore 24 is slidably supported within this sleeve 18 so as to provide a mouth piece for inflating the balloon prior to the withdrawal of the sleeve 18. After the balloon has been inflated, this stem 22 is withdrawn, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE la, following which the sleeve 18 is to be also withdrawn so that the opposite sides of the adhesive coated neck portion 14 may be pressed together as shown in FIGURE 11; to block the flow of air outwardly through the neck 14. In this embodiment, which is merely for purposes of illustration, there would be some difficulty in withdrawing the sleeve 18 from the adhesive coated surfaces 16 within the neck 14.

Therefore, reference is now made to FIGURE 2 of the drawing which illustrates a practical embodiment of the present invention in which the assembly 30 includes the hollow bulbous main body portion 32, the neck portion 34-, and a layer of adhesive 36 applied to the interior surface of the neck 34. In this arrangement, the inner extremity of a flexible sleeve 38 is connected, such as by glue 4%), to the inner extremity of a tubular stem member 42. As a result, withdrawal of the stem member 42 is operative to peel the sleeve member 38 from the adhesive surface 36 as the inner extremity thereof is withdrawn outwardly through the outer end thereof.

In FIGURE 3 of the drawing, the assembly 50 similarly includes a main bulbous portion 52, neck 54, and layer 56 of adhesive material. In this embodiment, however, the sleeve member 58 is integral with the stem 60, the outer end of the stem 60 being partially withdrawn through the interior of the sleeve portion 58. This combined sleeve and stem element can be molded as a single tubular member.

In FIGURE 4 of the drawing, still another embodiment is illustrated in which the assembly includes a main bulbous portion 72, a neck portion 74, and a tubular stem 76. In this arrangement, however, the sleeve portion is formed from a closely wound convoluted coil of flexible string that is applied to the inside surface of the adhesive layer 78. In this arrangement, the inner extremity of the coil of string is secured, such as by glue, to the inner extremity of the stem 76. All of the coils 82 are spaced closely together to prevent adjacent adhesive surfaces from sticking to each other, and the outer extremity 84 of the length of string may be secured to the outside of the neck 74. It will thus be recognized that by pulling outwardly upon the stem 76, the coil will unwind thus enabling the adhesive surfaces to be joined together in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1b to seal the neck of the balloon against the loss of air.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A self-sealing balloon comprising an inflatable portion and a neck portion having its interior surface coated with a material adherent to the material of said balloon, and a sleeve member in said neck portion for inflating the balloon, said sleeve member being releasably held by said neck portion and maintaining the interior wall of said neck portion in an extended position whereby said sleeve member may be removed from said extension after inflation of said inflatable portion to permit said neck portion opposite interior surfaces to become adhered in sealing engagement by said adherent material.

2. A self-sealing balloon comprising an inflatable bag portion, and a tubular extension having at least a portion of its interior surface coated with a material adherent to the material of said balloon, and a sleeve member in said tubular extension for inflating the balloon, said sleeve member being releasably held by said extension and maintaining the interior wall of said extension in an extended position, whereby said sleeve may be removed from said extension after inflation of the bag portion to permit said tubular extension to collapse and cause opposite surfaces thereof to become adhered in sealing engagement by said adherent material.

3. A self-sealing balloon according to claim 2 wherein said adherent material is a pressuresensitive adhesive.

4. A self-sealing balloon according to claim 2 wherein said sleeve member includes an inner semi-rigid stem portion and an outer portion of a material which is easily releasable from said adherent material.

5. A self-sealing balloon according to claim 4 wherein said-outer portion of said sleeve member is connectedto saidinner stem portion whereby said stem portion may be pulled out of said balloon tubular extension and thereafter said outer portion of said sleeve member may be peeled away from said adherent material by continuing topull out said inner stern portion of said sleeve memher.

6. A self-sealing balloon according to claim 2. wherein said sleeve member includes an inner stem portion and an outer portion including a coil oftmaterial connected to the inner end of said stem portion and wound around said stem portion from the inner end to theouter end thereof, said coil of material being in contact With said adherent material whereby said sleeve member is removed by removing said stem portion to elfect unwinding and removal of said coil of material and release thereof from said adherent material.

7. The new combination of a deflated toy balloon having a membraneous-like{thin-walled body portion capable of great expansion and a tubular neck portion disposed outside of said body portion, said neckportion having on its inner walls a pressure-sensitive adhesive adapted to adhere together in intimate engagement opposite areas of said inner walls of the neck portion for the purposes of sealing the latter to maintain the balloon in an inflated condition. I 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

7. THE NEW COMBINATION OF A DEFLATED TOY BALLOON HAVING A MEMBRANEOUS-LIKE THIN-WALLED BODY PORTION CAPABLE OF GREAT EXPANSION AND A TUBULAR NECK PORTION DISPOSED OUTSIDE OF SAID BODY PORTION, SAID NECK PORTION HAVING ON ITS INNER WALLS A PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ADAPTED TO ADHERE TOGETHER IN INTIMATE ENGAGEMENT OPPOSITE AREAS OF SAID INNER WALLS OF THE NECK PORTION FOR THE PURPOSES OF SEALING THE LATTER TO MAINTAIN THE BALLOON IN AN INFLATED CONDITION.