# US 7,611,395 B2 · Illuminating balloon inflatable with air > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,611,395 B2 - Document ID: US7611395B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/289,482 - Filed: 2005-11-30 - Published: 2007-05-31 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2005-11-30 - Assignees: Intercomm S.R.L. - Inventors: Andrea Bonsembiante - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7611395B2 ## CPC - A63H 27/10: Balloons (connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; {other than toy aspects B64B1/40}) - A63H 2027/1008: {Anchoring means or weights} - A63H 2027/1025: {Fabrication methods or special materials therefor} - F21S 6/005: {with a lamp housing maintained at a distance from the floor or ground via a support, e.g. standing lamp for ambient lighting} - F21V 3/026: {being inflatable} - A63H: TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract The present invention concerns a balloon inflatable with air and containing a light source (lamp) inside. The balloon (1) consists of a plurality of segments (5, 5′, 5″, etc.) made from polyester or polyamide (nylon), which along a meridian line (6, 6′, 6″, etc.) are mutually connected. This connection according to the invention is effected by high frequency (HF) welding, which other than sewing technologies ensures that owing to the melting of at least one intermediate layer of thermoplastic material absolute air-tightness of the connecting zone of the neighboring segments, and thus of the whole balloon (1), can be obtained. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inflatable balloon inflatable with compressed air, comprising: an illumination light source at a center of the inflatable balloon; an essentially spherical body comprising a plurality of segments forming meridians and which segments are mutually interconnected, wherein the segments are composed of a particularly air-impermeable fabric; a connecting rod; a connecting disc at a lower pole of the essentially spherical body to which all of the plurality of segments merge and which connects the inflatable balloon in substantially airtight manner with the connecting rod; seams comprising at least one of a connecting zone and an overlapping zone of two adjacent segments; and at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer structured and arranged to form an airtight connection at the seams between the two adjacent segments, wherein the seams mutually interconnect the segments along a meridian line of the inflatable balloon. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inflatable balloon of claim 1, wherein the seams are structured and arranged for welding using a high frequency (HF) welding process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The inflatable balloon of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer is structured and arranged to form the airtight connection through a high frequency (HF) welding process. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inflatable balloon of claim 1, wherein the particularly air-impermeable fabric is a polyester or polyamide (nylon) fabric. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inflatable balloon of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer: is arranged lining the particularly air-impermeable fabric of the inflatable balloon on its inside; and comprises a polyurethane film. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The inflatable balloon of claim 5, wherein the at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer provides a high light reflection property. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The inflatable balloon of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer: comprises a polyester welding strip coated at least on one of its sides with a polyurethane film; and is arranged between fabric layers of the two adjacent segments along at least one of the connecting zone and the overlapping zone. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The inflatable balloon of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer: comprises a polyester welding strip coated with a polyurethane film at least on an outer side oriented outwards away from the inflatable balloon; and is arranged on an outside of fabric layers of the two adjacent segments along at least one of the connecting zone and the overlapping zone. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The inflatable balloon of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the connecting zone and the overlapping zone of the two adjacent segments comprises a width of between approximately 1 cm and 3 cm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The inflatable balloon of claim 9, wherein the width is 2 cm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The inflatable balloon of claim 1, further comprising a compressor structured and arranged to feed air into the inflatable balloon via the connecting rod and the connecting disc, wherein air inside the inflatable balloon is maintained under constant pressure with the compressor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The inflatable balloon of claim 11, wherein the compressor is structured and arranged to feed air into the inflatable balloon one of continually and intermittently. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The inflatable balloon of claim 11, wherein the constant pressure ranges between 8 and 15 millibar. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The inflatable balloon of claim 1, wherein the illumination light source comprises an electric lamp. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method of making the inflatable balloon of claim 1, comprising: positioning the at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer within the at least one of the connecting zone and the overlapping zone of the two adjacent segments; and high frequency (HF) welding the at least one of the connecting zone and the overlapping zone to melt the at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer, whereby a solidification of the at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer forms the airtight connection. ### Claim 16 An inflatable balloon inflatable with compressed air, comprising: an illumination light source at a center of the inflatable balloon; an essentially spherical body comprising a plurality of segments forming meridians and which segments are mutually interconnected, wherein the segments are composed of a particularly air-impermeable fabric; a connecting rod; a connecting disc at a lower pole of the essentially spherical body to which all of the plurality of segments merge and which connects the inflatable balloon in substantially airtight manner with the connecting rod; at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer along at least one of a connecting zone and an overlapping zone of two adjacent segments; and welded seams comprising the at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer within the at least one of the connecting zone and the overlapping zone of the two adjacent segments providing an airtight connection along the welded seams to mutually interconnect the segments along a meridian line of the inflatable balloon.