The present invention generally relates to balloon inflation apparatus, herein balloon inflators. More particularly, the present invention relates to balloon inflators for simultaneously filling two balloons. In particular embodiments, this invention relates to balloon inflators for simultaneously filling two balloons to substantially identical sizes.
Though there exist balloon inflators for simultaneously filling two balloons, they suffer from a number of disadvantages. Particularly, they cannot run continuously for very long because the motors employed overheat. Additionally, they employ solenoid valves that hold back the inflation gas until a particular pressure is reached, at which time the solenoid valve opens to allow the inflation gas to fill the balloon. Waiting for the pressure to increase to open the solenoid valve takes time, and is not desirable. Examples of such systems include Precision Air™ (Conwin Carbonic Co, USA) and B322 Fresh Air Balloon Inflator (Dongguan Boro Plastic Products Co., Ltd., China).
The prior art employs universal or series wound through flow motors that tend to overheat when employing those balloon inflators to fill large numbers of balloons. Once overheated, the balloon inflator must be allowed to rest before being again employed to fill balloons. Because balloon inflators for simultaneously filling two balloons are often employed for event planning, where hundreds, sometimes thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands of balloons are filled to decorate the event, the delays caused by overheating are costly. Filling such a large number of balloons requires a significant amount of man hours, and any time that a balloon inflator must remain off to cool down increases the amount of time it takes to fill the desired number of balloons. Thus, to efficiently fill the balloons, one must employ either accept the time delay in allowing balloon inflators to cool down (thus costing more in time and labor) or must employ more balloon inflators (at a higher capital expense), cycling to a cooler inflator when another inflator becomes too hot.
Additionally, the heat of the inflator can compromise the accurate sizing of the balloon. If the heat from operating the inflator affects the inflation gas, the balloon sizing might change. For example, if the inflation gas is heated by the heat generated by the balloon inflator, the balloon will be larger, as first, but will shrink after the inflation gas cools. The balloon inflators based on through flow motors are also loud and shrill, being uncomfortable, if not harmful to the ear.
Prior art inflators for filling two balloons to substantially the same size often suffer from a need to be recalibrated if the sizing of the two balloons is not accurate (i.e., one balloon is filled to a noticeably different volume. The calibration of these inflators is known to often fail after extended use. The calibration is not easy to adjust by a layman operator, and they often must be sent back to a manufacturer or other entity for recalibration. The present invention does not need recalibration.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a balloon inflator for simultaneously filling two balloons to substantially identical sizes, wherein the balloon inflator does not overheat. There is further a need for such a balloon inflator that also operates at a decreased noise level.
In a first embodiment, the present invention provides a balloon inflator for simultaneously filling two balloons to substantially identical sizes comprising: an air pump including: a first air chamber having a volume defined in part by a position of a first movable member; a first balloon inflation nozzle; a first inflation passage from said first air chamber to said first balloon inflation nozzle; a second air chamber having a volume defined in part by a second movable member; a second balloon inflation nozzle; a second inflation passage from said second air chamber to said second balloon inflation nozzle, said second air chamber and said second inflation passage being separate and distinct from said first air chamber and said first inflation passage; a piston that, upon actuation of the balloon inflator, reciprocates between movement in a first direction and movement in a second direction, wherein (a) movement in said first direction moves said first movable member to reduce the volume of said first air chamber and advance inflation gas to said first balloon inflation nozzle while also moving said second movable member to increase the volume of said second air chamber and draw gas into said second air chamber, and (b) movement in a second direction moves said second movable member to reduce the volume of said second air chamber and advance inflation gas to said second balloon inflation nozzle while also moving said first movable member to increase the volume of said first air chamber and draw gas into said first air chamber, wherein the volume of inflation gas advanced to said first balloon inflation nozzle upon movement in said first direction is substantially identical to the volume of inflation gas advanced to said second balloon inflation nozzle upon movement in said second direction, thus permitting a virtually identical inflation of a first balloon at said first balloon inflation nozzle and a second balloon at said second balloon inflation nozzle upon repeated reciprocation of said piston.
In a second embodiment, this invention provides a balloon inflator as in any of the forgoing embodiments, further comprising a control system for setting a duration of time for reciprocation of said piston upon an actuation of the balloon inflator, the duration of time thus defining the volume of inflation gas advanced through both said first balloon inflation nozzle and said second balloon inflation nozzle upon actuation of the balloon inflator.
In a third embodiment, this invention provides a balloon inflator as in any of the forgoing embodiments, further including an actuator mechanism to actuate the balloon inflator.
In a fourth embodiment, this invention provides a balloon inflator as in any of the forgoing embodiments, wherein said actuator mechanism provides two modes of operation including (a) a time-based mode wherein the duration of time for reciprocation of said piston upon actuation is based upon a time setting in said control system, and (b) a continuous mode wherein the duration of time for reciprocation of said piston is based upon the duration of time the user of the balloon inflator actuates said actuator mechanism.
In a fifth embodiment, this invention provides a balloon inflator as in any of the forgoing embodiments, wherein the actuator mechanism is a foot switch having a cord, and the balloon inflator includes a first socket for said cord and a second socket for said cord, wherein plugging said cord into said first socket sets the balloon inflator to said time-based mode, and plugging said cord into said second socket sets the balloon inflator to said continuous mode.
In a sixth embodiment, this invention provides a balloon inflator as in any of the forgoing embodiments, further comprising a first inlet passage to said first air chamber and a second inlet passage to said second air chamber.
In a seventh embodiment, this invention provides a balloon inflator as in any of the forgoing embodiments, wherein said first inlet passage and said second inlet passage are separate and distinct.
In an eighth embodiment, this invention provides a balloon inflator as in any of the forgoing embodiments, wherein said first inlet passage and said second inlet passage share a common inlet.
In a ninth embodiment, this invention provides a balloon inflator as in any of the forgoing embodiments, wherein said reciprocating piston includes ferromagnetic material and reciprocation of said reciprocating piston is achieved by application of an alternating magnetic field.
Referring now to
A first balloon inflation nozzle 24 receives air from a first inflation passage 26 (
More particularly, movement of the piston 22 in a first direction (here rightwardly from the position of
As already noted, the first and second inflation passages 26, 30 are separate passages. In some embodiments, inlet passages communicating with the first and second air chambers 14, 18 are also separate and distinct. For example, as seen in
In some embodiments, in order to ensure proper air flow, one-way valves are employed to regulate communication between the air chambers and their respective inlet passages and inflation passages. The one-way valves are seen in
The balloon inflator 10 includes a power source, which can be any suitable power source, such as a battery or mains power supply, but is shown here intended to communicate with a mains power supply through a common power cord as represented by the empty socket at 50, in the illustrative embodiment of
In some embodiments, the balloon inflator 10 includes a control system, as represented at numeral 54, the control system 54 including appropriate hardware, software, circuitry etc, for controlling actuation of the balloon inflator 10. In some embodiments, the control system 54 is used to set a duration of time for reciprocation of the piston 22 upon an actuation of the balloon inflator. The duration of time will define the volume of inflation gas advanced through both the first balloon inflation nozzle 24 and the second balloon inflation nozzle 28 upon actuation of the balloon inflator 10. A keypad 56 (
Though any button or switch or other mechanisms can be used to actuate the reciprocation of the piston 22 and thus initiate the filling of two balloons, the embodiment shown beneficially employs a foot switch 58. The foot switch 58 is pressed by the user's foot to initiate filling of the balloons. In some embodiments, a duration of time for reciprocation of the piston 22 is set into the control system 54, and the foot switch 58 is pressed to initiate the reciprocation, which then proceeds for the set duration, and there is no need to hold the foot switch 58 down. In other embodiments, no duration of time is set (or no means for setting a duration of time is even provided), and the reciprocation of the piston 22 is initiated and maintain simply by the user holding the foot switch 58 down. The user thus controls the duration by the length of time the foot switch 58 is held in an “on” state.
More broadly, in some embodiments, the actuator mechanism provides two modes of operation including (a) a time-based mode wherein the duration of time for reciprocation of said piston upon actuation is based upon a time setting in said control system, and (b) a continuous mode wherein the duration of time for reciprocation of said piston is based upon the duration of time the user of the balloon inflator actuates said actuator mechanism.
In some embodiments, such as that shown in
In some embodiments, the control system 60 includes a simple rocker switch 66 (
In some embodiments, the movable members 16, 20 are diaphragms operatively connected (e.g., as shown) to the distal ends of piston 22. However, other movable members and reciprocating pump mechanisms will be found to function similarly. For example, the distal ends of the piston could reciprocate in respective air chambers 14, 18 to decrease and increase the volumes thereof and thus move inflation gas.
In some embodiments, the piston 22 includes ferromagnetic material as at 70, 72, and the piston is positioned between electromagnets 74, 76 so as to reciprocate upon application of an alternating magnetic field as represented at 78. This type of pump, a duplex diaphragm pump, has been found to be capable of continuous use, without overheating, and while achieving pressures of from 45 inches of water and above. Additionally, this invention is devoid of means for calibration of inflation nozzles or other elements of the inflator.
The present pump allows for simultaneous inflation of two balloons to substantially the same size, wherein the sizing is not perceptible to the eye. Indeed, theoretically the two balloons could at most be off in size by the difference of one full stroke of the piston 22, and the term “substantially” is thus not at all unclear but rather reflects a reality well understood in the context of this disclosure. Indeed, the balloons could in fact be of identical size, and this will also qualify as “substantially” the same size in the context of this disclosure and the claims. The balloon inflator of this invention can run continuously, without overheating. It is relatively more quite than those inflators generally disclosed and specifically mentioned in the Background section. The present invention will provide party planners and the like with a new and much improved balloon sizing technology.
In light of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the present invention significantly advances the art by providing a balloon inflator that is structurally and functionally improved in a number of ways. While particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby inasmuch as variations on the invention herein will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. The scope of the invention shall be appreciated from the claims that follow.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2017/015569 | 1/30/2017 | WO | 00 |