Internal balloon illumination apparatus for and method
AssigneeLight Up Balloon Stick, Co., Inc.
InventorMichael Petell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for illuminating a balloon from within includes an illumination assembly mounted on a power supply unit. The assembly includes a hollow cylindrical body having a light source (e.g., LED) disposed at one end and electrical inputs protruding from another end. The body of the power supply unit is provided at one end thereof with a shoulder flange and cylindrical spacer to facilitate sealing of the balloon against the assembly. The power supply unit receives power from a power source (e.g., battery), and supplies power to circuitry for controlling the light source. Preferably, the assembly, made of light-weight plastic materials, together with the power source, weighs less than the lift of a helium-filled balloon in which it may be installed.
Claims20
An apparatus for illuminating an inflatable structure from within, comprising:
- a housing having formed therein a region for accepting a power supply and a region for accepting a control circuit;
- a control circuit disposed in said region for accepting a control circuit, said control circuit including circuitry for providing a time-modulated voltage to a light source electrically connected thereto;
- a cylindrical spacer having an external diameter, secured at a first axial end thereof to said housing, configured to receive a portion of an inflatable structure and provide a surface against which that portion of the inflatable structure may be secured;
- a shoulder flange having a region whose diameter is greater than the external diameter of said cylindrical spacer, secured to said cylindrical housing at a second axial end opposite said first axial end, configured to permit the placement of a portion of an inflatable structure thereover, but to resist removal of that portion of the inflatable structure;
- an elongated cylindrical body secured at a first axial end thereof to said shoulder flange and extending axially away from said housing;
- a polychromatic light source secured at a second axial end of said elongated cylindrical body opposite said first axial end;
- and
- electrical interconnections connecting said polychromatic light source and said control circuit.
An illuminable balloon assembly of the type for receiving a balloon having a central region and an inflation region, comprising:
- a housing having formed therein a region for accepting a power supply and a region for accepting a control circuit;
- a control circuit disposed in said region for accepting a control circuit, said control circuit including circuitry for providing a time-modulated voltage to a light source electrically connected thereto;
- a cylindrical spacer having an external diameter, secured at a first axial end thereof to said housing, receiving a portion of the inflation region thereover and providing a surface against which that portion of the inflation region is secured;
- a shoulder flange having a region whose diameter is greater than the external diameter of said cylindrical spacer, secured to said cylindrical housing at a second axial end opposite said first axial end, over which a portion of the inflation region extends, which resists removal of that portion of the inflation region;
- an elongated cylindrical body secured at a first axial end thereof to said shoulder flange and extending axially away from said housing, through said inflation region, and into said central region;
- a polychromatic light source secured at a second axial end of said elongated cylindrical body opposite said first axial end and disposed within said central region such that it is at or near the circumferential center of the balloon;
- and
- electrical interconnections connecting said polychromatic light source and said control circuit.
A method of providing an illuminated inflated balloon by introducing therein selected parts of an illumination assembly which includes a housing, a cylindrical spacer attached thereto, a shoulder flange attached to the cylindrical spacer, an elongated cylindrical body attached to the shoulder flange, and a light source attached to the elongated cylindrical body, comprising the steps of:
- inflating a balloon with an inflation gas;
- providing around an inflation region of said balloon a cinching device such that the cinching device partially but not completely closes off the inflation region;
- pinching the inflation region such that inflation gas does not escape from said balloon;
- partially releasing the pinching of the inflation region and inserting through said inflation region the light source and elongated cylindrical body of the illumination assembly such that the light source is disposed in the interior of said balloon;
- positioning a portion of the inflation region of the balloon and the cinching device over the shoulder flange and cylindrical spacer of the illumination assembly;
- and
- tightening the cinching device such that the portion of the balloon inflation region overlaying the cylindrical spacer of the illumination assembly is made to be in airtight physical contact with the cylindrical spacer, thereby securing the balloon to the illumination assembly and creating a seal which prevents leakage of the inflation gas at the cylindrical spacer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.