Patent Application
20240299856
The invention herein resides in the art of balloon devices and accessories. More particularly, the invention relates to a balloon weight adapted to be tethered to an inflated balloon in restraint thereof. In part, the invention relates to a balloon weight capable of selectively releasing a desired length of ribbon and having an attachment mechanism that does not unduly weight the balloon down. In some embodiments, the invention relates to a balloon weight and ribbon assembly in which the balloon weight comprises a spool receiving the ribbon and having an adhesive member connected thereto which is adapted for connection to the balloon, the ribbon being interconnected between the adhesive member and the weight spool and selectively retained in a slot formed in the balloon weight.
It has previously been known to employ a weight at the end of a ribbon tethered to a balloon, to restrain the balloon from free flight. Most often, there is a necessity for the retail clerk to cut a length of ribbon, attach one end of it to the weight, and to knot or otherwise attach the opposite end to the balloon. The operation is extremely time consuming, and occasionally ineffective. To hasten the operation by the retail clerk, some balloon weights have been provided with a pre-attached length of ribbon, such that the retail clerk need only attach the opposite end to the balloon. In some designs, the weights or portions thereof are generally spool-shaped to have ribbon wound within a channel. In some embodiments, the weights have a rotating spool on which a ribbon is wound and from which it can be dispensed. A desired length of ribbon can be unwound from the spool and effectively secured to a balloon to create a balloon and weight assembly suitable for retaining the balloon from free flight.
It is known to attach the ribbon of such balloon weights to a balloon using an adhesive member, with the ribbon being secured to the adhesive member and the adhesive member being adhered to the balloon. But it is often tedious and time consuming to remove the adhesive member, as for example working the edge of a sticker to remove it from the surface to which it is adhered. To create a better balloon weight assembly, the present invention addresses this difficulty in removing the adhesive member.
NATHAN REDO BASED ON CLAIMS
With reference now to the drawings, it can be seen that a balloon weight made in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the numeral 10. The balloon weight 10 includes a body portion 12 which, in some embodiments only, is configured as a spool. It will be appreciated the improvements of this invention can be practiced on a multitude of balloon weight styles. Attached to the body portion 12 is an adhesive member 14. In some embodiments, adhesive member 14 is a sticker or tape. Adhesive member 14 may be a single or double-sided adhesive sticker or tape. In embodiments employing a double-sided adhesive member a release liner may be included on the surface of the adhesive member that is not releasable adhered to the balloon weight (as will be better appreciated herein below).
The adhesive member 14 includes an adhesive such that the adhesive member 14 can be removably affixed to the body portion 12 and reaffixed to a balloon. The adhesive member may be transparent or translucent so as not to affect the coloring of the balloon when it is attached. The adhesive member may also be opaque.
As seen in
The balloon weight assembly 10 further includes a ribbon 20 having first end 22 and second end 24. The first end 22 is attached to the body portion 12 broadly in any suitable way, and the adhesive member 14 is attached to the second end 24. Thus, the adhesive member 14, when accessed at the depression 16 and removed from the body portion 12 can be adhered to a balloon to thus tether the balloon to the weight 10, with the sticker on the balloon and the ribbon leading from the sticker to the weight.
In some embodiments, the balloon weight assembly 10 further includes a cavity 26 providing a recessed cavity surface 28, the depression 16 being provided in this recessed cavity surface 28. In some embodiments, the edge 18 of the adhesive member 14 lies in close proximity to a wall 30 that defines the cavity 26, such that, without the depression 16 (i.e., in the case of an adhesive member that is stuck to the surface 28 without any overhang at edge 18), it would be very difficult and unenjoyable to pry/scratch at the edge 18 with one's finger, in light of the presence of and interference by the wall 30. The depression 16, permitting the overhanging of edge 18, makes this much easier as there is an unadhered edge to access with no need to peel/scratch it off a surface.
In some embodiments, the edge 18 is within 0.5 inches of the wall, in some embodiments, within 0.25 inches, and, in some embodiments, from 0.03 to 0.09 inches. The ribbon may be secured to the weight and to the adhesive member in various ways. In some embodiments, the ribbon is secured to the adhesive member by being adhered thereto, with a particular embodiment having the ribbon between the adhesive member and the surface to which it is adhered. In some embodiments the ribbon is stapled or otherwise secured to the adhesive member.
In some embodiments, the body portion 12 includes a top disk 32. Spaced below and parallel with the top disk 32 is a bottom ring 34. A cylindrical wall 30 is interposed between the top disk 32 and bottom ring 34. The area between the top disk 32, bottom ring 34, and cylindrical wall 30 defines an annular cavity 38 (or channel) adapted to receive a wound length of ribbon. It will be appreciated that, in this particular embodiment, the elements 30, 32, 34 generally define a spool for that purpose.
In some embodiments, a slot 40 is provided in the cylindrical wall 36. The slot 40 passes through the wall 36 and into a cylindrical cavity 26. The slot 40 provides a way for receiving and retaining the first end 22 of the ribbon 20. In some embodiments, the first end 22 is secured by being inserted through the slot 40 and tied in a knot (second end 22 shown in a knot at
In some embodiments the balloon weight assembly 10 includes a ribbon restraining assembly 42 serving to restrain a desired length of ribbon. Though other structures will suffice, in this embodiment, the ribbon restraining assembly 42 may be characterized by at least one ribbon-receiving slit 44 into which the ribbon 20 can be pulled to thereby create sufficient friction to hold the ribbon 20 in the slit 44. The ribbon restraining assembly 42 may be located at any point on body 12 or multiple ribbon restraining assemblies may be used. In some embodiments, a ribbon restraining assembly 42 may be placed outside of body portion 12, on an external member.
In some embodiments, the balloon weight assembly includes a hook 46 carried on or integrally formed with body portion 12 to facilitate display of the balloon weight assembly 10. In some embodiments, the hook 46 may carry restraining assembly 42.
In some embodiments, the ribbon 20 is passed through the slot 40 and knotted within the cavity 26, thus securing it to the weight 12 as the knot cannot be easily forced through the slot 40. In embodiments with a spool-shaped body, the body portion 12 may then be appropriately mounted to a suitable automatic winding machine, in which a predetermined length, such as 6 feet of ribbon may be wound around the spool. The opposite end of the length of ribbon 20 is then attached to an adhesive member 14 and secured to the body portion 12 over a depression 16 therein. In some embodiments, the adhesive member is secured to the cavity surface 28 to extend over the depression 16.
The ribbon may be attached to either side of the adhesive member. In some embodiments the ribbon is attached to the non-adhesive side of the adhesive member. In other embodiments, the ribbon is attached to the adhesive of the adhesive member, as shown by example in
Another concept in accordance with this invention is shown in
The balloon weight assemblies in accordance with this invention may advantageously be stocked by a retail outlet for attachment with a balloon upon request. When a balloon is requested by a customer, the balloon can be inflated and sealed at the neck or tail thereof as by a self-sealing valve or knot or the like. The adhesive member can then be removed from the body portion of a balloon weight assembly, exposing the adhesive of the adhesive member to then secured/adhere the adhesive member to the body or neck. This is shown in
In light of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the present invention significantly advances the art by providing a balloon weight assembly 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.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63451461 | Mar 2023 | US |
