Counterweighted Free-Floating Helium Balloon

Abstract

The present invention relates to a kit that provides one or more counterweights, one or more counterweight containers, and a fastener adapted to attach the counterweight and counterweight container to the balloon. The counterweight container could be a plastic pipette, small rubber duck, plastic bottle, or something else. The fastener could be an adhesive, hook, or something else. A balloon could also be included in the kit. The counterweight container can be filled with any weight, such as water, and then attached to the helium balloon to balance the rise of the balloon. The weight can be adjusted by the addition or removal of water from the pipette. This counterweight allows for the balloon to be balanced at the desired height, free-floating, and desirable for many different applications.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Helium balloons have been used greatly in decorations for many years, to celebrate many different events from birthdays to weddings and even holidays. These balloons can be selected in varying size, shapes, colors, and styles at many variety and department stores. They come with an attached string to hold the balloons down and prevent them from flying away.

However, these standard helium balloons have many disadvantages, including, but not limited to:

• • The helium balloon tends to fly away.
  • The helium balloon must be attached to something to anchor the balloon such as a paperweight or ribbon tethered to a heavy object.
  • Since the balloon must be tied down, the anchor leads to immobility of the balloon and limits its range of movement.
  • Once the helium balloon is anchored, it will rise to the ceiling as much as possible and stay at that same height.
  • The string of the balloon can ruin the elegant look of the decorations and can look messy when tied down.

Our invention is the concept to balance the rise of the helium balloon to make it free-floating using a counterweight. This can be achieved through many different means, such as paper, weight, or liquids. With our invention, the balloon can be free floating at any height. The counterweight is easily controllable to a high degree of precision. This allows the balloon's rise to be limited.

The advantages of our invention include:

• • A free-floating balloon can slowly move through a room adding an element of movement to otherwise stationary decorations.
  • Our invention removes the need for a string to hold the balloon down. This mitigates any possible hazards from balloon strings to young children or animals.
  • A free floating balloon is amusing to play with and allows for interaction.

Some applications of our invention include, but are not limited to:

• • Decorative free-floating balloons for events
  • Room decorations. Example: free-floating blimps and hot air balloons for nursery
  • Education tools. Example: free-floating planets to teach students about the solar system
  • Sensory toys for the handicapped, special needs, elderly and children
  • Toy for young children and toddlers
  • Indoor balloon volleyball for children
  • Dog toy

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Our invention is the concept to balance the rise of the helium balloon to make it free-floating using a counterweight. This invention removes the need for a string to hold down a helium balloon. It also allows one to balance the balloon just the right amount to make it free-floating.

The counterweight can be created using many different weights, for example, paper, metal, and liquids can all act as a weight. The counterweight can also be in the form of a decorative toy or rubber toy, such as a small rubber duck or plastic parachuter. Both of these alternative counterweights can be attached to the balloon using hooks, adhesives, or by any other means. Our invention encompasses all methods of producing a counterweight for a helium balloon in order to balance it and make it free-floating. One such mechanism is to use a small plastic pipette or bottle filled with water to offset the rise of the balloon.

The pipette/bottle is meant to be filled with water to add weight to the balloon. Water can be added and removed as needed to balance the balloon at a certain height. The spout of the pipette/bottle is very small in order to allow small increments of water out at a time. This allows for a drop level of precision to create just the right amount of counterweight to stall the rise of the balloon. This will allow the balloon to hover at the desired height without sinking to the ground or rising to the ceiling. The pipette/bottle can be emptied and refilled as many times as wished. An adhesive and/or velcro is then used to stick the bottle to the neck of the balloon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

1. FIG. 1 depicts a decorative balloon with one method of holding a counterweight—a plastic bottle. The plastic bottle can be inserted into the balloon or attached with an adhesive or a hook.

2. FIG. 2 depicts a balloon with one method of holding a counterweight—an electronic device that holds water and precisely measures the rise of the balloon and the weight of counterweight needed to balance out the balloon.

3. FIG. 3 depicts a decorative balloon with one method of containing a counterweight—a plastic pipette with a round shape to hold the water or other form of liquid counterweight.

4. FIG. 4 depicts a balloon with one method of containing a counterweight—a plastic pipette with an elongated oval shape to hold the water or other form of liquid counterweight.

5. FIG. 5 depicts a decorative balloon with one method of retaining a counterweight—a plastic pipette with a heart shape to hold the water or other form of liquid counterweight.

6. FIG. 6 depicts a balloon with one method of retaining a counterweight—a plastic pipette with a star shape to hold the water or other form of liquid counterweight.

7. FIG. 7 depicts a decorative balloon with one method of encompassing a counterweight—a plastic pipette with a elongated oval shape to hold the water or other form of liquid counterweight.

8. FIG. 8 depicts a decorative balloon with one method of encompassing a counterweight—a small bottle to hold the water or other form of counterweight.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention to counterweight a helium balloon can be achieved through many different physical mechanisms. One method consists of a small plastic bottle or pipette with an adhesive meant to attach the bottle to the balloon. Water must be expelled in small increments to find the correct balance for the balloon allowing it to float in place.

The small plastic bottle is attached to the balloon spout facing upwards. The cap can be detached in order to fill the bottle with water. To add water into the bottle, the bottle must be squeezed, placed into a bowl of water, and released. Once the desired balance has been reached, the cap can be reapplied tightly to prevent any leakage of water.

The plastic pipette approximately weighs less than 4 grams. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the pipette can be attached to the balloon with the spout facing up. This will ensure that if accidentally squeezed, only air will escape the pipette.

A pipette or small tipped bottle allows water to be removed incrementally as it only releases one drop of water at a time if squeezed delicately.

The adhesive is in the form of double sided tape, velcro, or another form of adhesive. To stick the bottle or pipette onto the balloon, one would peel one side of the tape and stick it to the dry side of the bottle. Then, one would peel the other side and stick it to the neck portion of the helium balloon. The bottle or pipette can be refilled and emptied multiple times until the balloon has deflated.

Now the balloon can float freely without restriction at an optimal balance point. If necessary, the counterweight can be adjusted as needed with the addition or removal of water from the bottle or pipette.

Claims

1. A balloon counterweight apparatus compromising: a. a counterweight;b. a counterweight container designed to precisely adjust the effect of said counterweight;c. and a counterweight fastener designed to attach the said counterweight container to said balloon.

2. A balloon counterweight apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said counterweight compromises a liquid or material used to create weight to offset the rise of a balloon.

3. A balloon counterweight apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said counterweight container compromises a plastic pipette, bottle, or rubber toy used to hold the said counterweight at a precise level of control to remove excess weight or recursively add additional weight.

4. A balloon counterweight apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said counterweight fastener compromises an adhesive, hook, or hook and loop fastener to connect the counterweight and/or container to the balloon.

5. A method of making a free-floating balanced counterweighted balloon compromising: a. forming an accurate counterweight to the rise of the balloon;b. attaching the counterweight and/or container to the balloon;c. recursively resetting the weight of the counterweight to re-balance the rise of the balloon.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the forming an accurate counterweight and recursively resetting the counterweight compromises adjusting the weight of the counterweight substance by adding more of the counterweight substance or removing some of the counterweight substance to precisely balance the rise of the balloon.