Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
  • A63H27/00—Toy aircraft; Other flying toys
  • A63H27/10—Balloons
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T24/00—Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
  • Y10T24/44—Clasp, clip, support-clamp, or required component thereof
  • Y10T24/44641—Clasp, clip, support-clamp, or required component thereof having gripping member formed from, biased by, or mounted on resilient member
  • Y10T24/44769—Opposed engaging faces on gripping member formed from single piece of resilient material
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T24/00—Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
  • Y10T24/45—Separable-fastener or required component thereof [e.g., projection and cavity to complete interlock]
  • Y10T24/45225—Separable-fastener or required component thereof [e.g., projection and cavity to complete interlock] including member having distinct formations and mating member selectively interlocking therewith
  • Y10T24/4588—Means for mounting projection or cavity portion

Definitions

• the invention relates to the handling of articles kept in a bundle and offered for sale, like balloons.
• Balloon vendors usually, particularly for outdoor sales, fasten the balloons with thin strings to relatively long and robust main cords, whereby when a balloon is sold, the string must be cut and a new string tied to the balloon left to the customer.
• the operation is relatively awkward, and at least when the salesperson is less experienced, time-consuming considering the situation.
• the bundle thins out unevenly, and partly resembles a stalk. Filling out the bundle is possible, but laborious, and it is rarely done. Even in moderately windy conditions, the "tail" parts of the balloons, to which the strings are attached, become embarrassingly intertwined and make the detachment of balloons difficult. As the bundle is restored, the balloons must usually be detached from the base cord and the bundle assembled from the start, which is a time-consuming operation.
• a method according to claim 1 has now been invented for the fastening of balloons to a base, as well as a device according to claim 3 for applying the method.
• the invention is based on using a connecting piece for fastening a balloon offered for sale to a base, for example a main cord, which connecting piece can be easily broken or disconnected from the base, whereby the means used for handling the balloon may be completely separated from the base.
• a connecting piece for fastening, according to the invention is thus a part which does not act as a handling means after being detached from the base, although the handling means can be attached thereto.
• the handling means is a part differing from the connecting device.
• Figure 1 shows a bundle of balloons fastened to a base
• Figure 2 shows the detachment of a sold balloon from the base
• Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention
• Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the invention, in which embodiment the device need not be broken;
• Figures 5a - 5c show an embodiment of the invention, particularly intended for aluminium balloons;
• Figure 6 shows an arrangement for fastening a balloon to a device according to the invention
• Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the device as part of a balloon
• Figure 8 shows an embodiment in which several balloons are fastened to a single device according to the invention.
• Figures 9a - 9e show embodiments of the part of the device according to the invention, which is to be connected to the balloon.
• a balloon is defined as an article filled with gas, preferably helium, offered for sale to the public, which article may be manufactured from rubber or a corresponding elastomer, or from for example aluminium-plastic laminate, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.
• the base for fastening may be a cord, rod, ring or the like, having a strength suiting the purpose.
• a string, thread, stick or the like is implied, one end of which is attached to a balloon and which is used to secure an isolated balloon. Normally, what is referred to is the conventional piece of string used to tether a helium-filled balloon.
• Figure 1 shows a preferable embodiment of the present invention.
• a plurality of balloons 2 is fastened to the fastening base 1, here a main cord.
• the fastening is by means of piece 3 which comprises a portion 4 to be fastened to the main cord, in which portion preferably an opening 5 is provided to receive the main cord therethrough.
• the balloon is fastened to portion 6.
• the balloon may be fastened by tying, wedge action, tape, glue or other suitable means depending on the design and material of the balloon.
• appropriate openings, slits and other means required for fastening can be provided in portion 6, as those skilled in the art are aware.
• Piece 3 may also be an integral part of the balloon, for example laminated to the membrane structure in any suitable location, also as an inner, intermediate or outer part of the filling opening, whereby the piece may facilitate filling of the balloon.
• the device can consist of the same material as the balloon. Portions 4 and 6 are joined by break zone 7. This is dimensioned in order not to fail prematurely, for example because of wind. However, preferably parts 4 and 6 may be separated by hand without tools, for example by twisting.
• Piece 3 is preferably made from suitable plastic, for example PNC, and so light that the buoyancy of a con- ventional helium balloon is sufficient to keep the balloon in the air, including possible accessories.
• Figure 2 shows, how a balloon is detached from the bundle by breaking zone 7.
• the handling means 8 used by the buyer to take any part in the fastening of the balloon to its fastening base, but it is taken into use after the balloon is detached from its fastening base.
• the fastening means is a string wound around piece 3 or wrapped to its side, for example protected by tape 9.
• the string is easily pulled out immediately as zone 7 is broken, but there is no danger of the string getting entangled into the balloon bundle.
• the tape remains fastened to portion 4, whereby the string automatically winds open in the detaching operation.
• cross-cuts may be provided according to Figure 3, whereby a star-formed pattern is generated, causing friction against the main cord if it is not desirable that the balloons slide freely along the cord.
• a resilient slit can be formed between the opening and the outer edge according to Figure 4, whereby there is no need to slip the main cord through the opening and the balloons may be positioned at will along the length of the cord. Thereby there is no absolute need to break piece 3, but it may be detached from the main cord as a unit.
• the ends of the balloon handling means 8 are connected to piece 3 and portion 6 respectively, and the latter can also be disconnected from the fastening base 1, for example using an arrangement according to Figure 4.
• Portion 4 can also be shaped as a spiral or a hook, but can also be straight, wedge-like or have another form suiting the fastening base.
• Figures 5a, 5b and 5c represent an embodiment of portion 6, Figures 5a and 5b from one side and Figure 5 c from the opposite side.
• Balloons made from aluminium and plastic sheet laminate may comprise a projection 11, which often is a hose-like filling section con- taining a valve arrangement and normally used for fastening the balloon string.
• the projection is preferably fastened to a device according to the invention by folding it, slipping the loop so formed through opening 12 in part 6 ( Figure 5b), whereupon a member acting as a locking pin is slipped through the loop.
• part 6 comprises an extension 13 having a narrow, preferably hook-like part 14.
• Figure 6 shows another manner of fastening a projection of the balloon to a device according to the invention.
• the balloon projection 11 is slipped through opening 12, and from the opposite side a suitably formed wedging member 16 is pushed into the opening, for example a stud, bar or other member appropriate for wedging, suitably designed from an inex- pensive material. Balloon projection 11 is thereby jammed.
• the part pushed into the opening may also be an integral part of the device according to the invention, for example according to the embodiment of Figure 5.
• FIGS 9a-9e show embodiments of balloon attachment portion 6, which are particularly advantageous for fastening a balloon projection 11 to a device according to the invention.
• Opening 22 in balloon attachment portion 6 is preferably tapered in order to jam projection 11, whereby the balloon can be attached without tying or further accessories.
• the friction may be sufficient to fasten the balloon to the device even without the opening having any particular shape.
• the opening is shaped as shown in Figure 9d.
• projection 11 can be wrapped around portion 6 and slipped through the loop so formed.
• An elongated opening with an additional taper 23 makes it possible to easily slip a relatively large projection through the opening. It is of course possible to make a knot using projection 11, whereby a wide, oval opening as in Figure 9e can be used.
• a cut 24 or the like between opening 22 and the outer edge portion can be provided in portion 6.
• Figure 7 shows a device according to the invention as an integral part of the balloon.
• an additional opening 17 is provided in the device for fastening handling means 18.
• the handling means being a string
• a pin 19 may be provided at its end for quick slipping through opening 17 to attach it without tying.
• Figure 8 shows an embodiment, in which several balloon attachment portions 20 have been combined on one base attachment portion 21.
• Portion 21 is provided with an opening or equivalent as described above for portion 4, for fastening to a base member.
• a plurality of balloons may thus be fastened through a common fastening device to a main cord or other base member.
• the embodiment shown does not limit the number of balloons to be fastened using a common device.

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• Toys (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=27241781

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (8)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2001
  • 2001-04-05 FI FI20010718A patent/FI110355B/fi not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-04-27 WO PCT/FI2001/000409 patent/WO2001083066A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-04-27 AU AU2001258444A patent/AU2001258444A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-04-27 US US10/258,819 patent/US20030148701A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-04-27 EP EP01931741A patent/EP1280590A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (6)

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