# US 8,540,073 B2 · Balloons > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,540,073 B2 - Document ID: US8540073B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/811,312 - Filed: 2008-12-23 - Published: 2010-11-11 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-01-07 - Assignees: Magic International Ltd. - Applicants: Philip Edward Lang - Inventors: Philip Edward Lang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540073B2 ## CPC - A63H 27/10: Balloons (connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; {other than toy aspects B64B1/40}) - A63H 2027/1025: {Fabrication methods or special materials therefor} - A63H 2027/1075: {Special shapes or constructions} - B41J 3/407: for marking on special material - B41J 11/0045: {Guides for printing material (curl smoothing B41J11/0005; platens B41J11/02, B41J11/06; guiding webs B41J15/046)} - A63H: TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract Arrangements are described for enabling a folded foil balloon to be supplied to a printer for enabling an image to be applied to a surface of the balloon. The balloon is first folded around a paper substrate, and a paper cover sheet is attached to the folded-over edge portions and tail portion of the balloon, so as to form a packaged balloon. The packaged balloon is formed with a tapered leading edge to facilitate insertion into a standard ink-jet printer. The packaged balloon may be in the form of a greetings card, with the fold of the card either along the left edge or the top edge of the card. The packaged balloon may be supplied with one or more light sources and/or power sources, either on the inside or outside of the balloon. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A packaged balloon on which an image is to be applied, the packaged balloon comprising: (a) a substrate; (b) a balloon which is folded around the substrate so as to present a first face on which the image is to be applied, and a second face containing at least one edge of the balloon; and (c) a planar member attached to the second face of the folded balloon so as to cover the at least one edge of the balloon, wherein the planar member extends beyond the area occupied by the folded balloon so as to define a leading edge to facilitate the insertion of the packaged balloon into a printer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the balloon comprises foil and at least a part of the first face of the folded balloon has been treated to permit an image to be applied thereto by ink-jet printing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the planar member comprises a material selected from: paper, card, polyester and plastic. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the balloon is releasably attached to the substrate by an adhesive. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from: paper, card, polyester and plastic. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the planar member is attached to the folded balloon by means of at least one line of adhesive across the width of the leading edge of the packaged balloon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the planar member is formed integrally with, or joined to, a further planar member extending across an edge of the first surface of the folded balloon, thereby to provide a single leading edge to facilitate insertion of the packaged balloon into an image-applying apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 7, wherein both the planar member and the further planar member extend beyond the area occupied by the folded balloon so as to define a leading edge to facilitate the insertion of the packaged balloon into a printer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cover which extends over at least part of the planar member and which is folded over one of the edges of the planar member and is attached to an edge of the first surface of the folded balloon, so as to define a leading edge to facilitate the insertion of the packaged balloon into a printer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a protective cover which extends over the first surface of the folded balloon and which can be removed from the folded balloon prior to an image being applied thereto. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unfolded balloon is substantially circular. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1 and having a size substantially equal to A4. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1 and having a size substantially equal to, or substantially larger than, A3. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a part of the balloon comprises translucent foil. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A packaged balloon as claimed claim 1, and provided within a vacuum-sealed container. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 7, wherein the planar member is attached to the folded balloon by means of at least one line of adhesive across the width of the leading edge of the packaged balloon. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A packaged balloon as claimed in claim 16, wherein the single line of adhesive is between the further planar member and the folded balloon.