Decorative balloon holder for holding party favors or decorative material

Abstract

A decorative balloon holder for use at a party comprises a container formed generally in the shape of a geometric pyramid of a light-transmitting material of color and having a central opening. A removable closure is provided for the central opening to enable the container to be filled with festive material such as marbles or candy and the like that are not only capable of serving as ballast to hold one or more buoyant party balloons upon a tabletop, but also enable the balloon holder can serve as a party favor.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a decorative balloon holder that may be manufactured inexpensively and secure one or more buoyant balloons in position on a tabletop, and also serve as a party favor holding candy, small toys or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various devices for holding a buoyant party balloon in a desired position on a tabletop have been proposed, but such products are often not very attractive for use at a festive occasion such as a birthday party, or are relatively expensive to manufacture and ship. The products disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,011,447; 5,016,848; 5,024,011; 5,035,391; 5,074,510; 5,662,510 or 5,755,419, for example, are manufactured by molding synthetic plastics or comparable techniques and have appreciable mass to hold one or more party balloons in place on a tabletop. Often such products can not usually be made festive in appearance without additional expense or bother for the consumer, and due to the mass required to hold the balloons in place may be relatively expensive to ship.

A pyramidal balloon holder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,848, and it is suggested the retail seller may fill the hollow pyramidal balloon holder with sand prior to retail sale. Thus the balloon holder may be shipped in wholesale quantities without its ballast weight, but the retailer needs to acquire sand and fill the devices prior to re-sale. Balloon holders formed of a transparent material with a hollow interior have been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,154 for receiving ballast which may include hard candy, sand, marbles or the like; but this balloon holder is relatively expensive to manufacture and rather complicated to use by, for example, small children who may desire to release the tethered balloons and obtain the candy or marbles contained in the balloon holder.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a decorative balloon holder that may be able to secure one or more buoyant party balloons and not only can receive festive material such as hard candy or small toys to serve as the ballast prior to use at a party, but may be made inexpensively and operated simply so that it may also be used as a party favor for children to take from the party the candy or small toys as a party favor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a decorative balloon holder for use at a party comprises a container preferably formed of a light-transmitting material of color. The container has an opening, and a removable closure adapted to be removed from the opening to enable the container to be filled with festive material such as hard candy or small toys to serve as ballast to hold one or more buoyant balloons upon a tabletop when the closure is secured to close the container.

The side walls of the container are preferred to be arranged generally to form a geometric pyramid arising from a base, and the top of the container has an integral loop for securing the tie strings of one or more balloons. The closure may be formed of the same material as the container and held securely to a central portion of base by a twist closure; or alternatively, the closure may be formed by the top being press fitted to the container.

In this way, a relatively inexpensive balloon holder may be made to use as ballast festive party material such as candy, marbles or the like that can be accessed easily by children to obtain the material or easily from the tethered balloons to be taken from the party.

These and other objects, and advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the description given below which is made in conjunction with the following drawing figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a balloon holder according to the present invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a balloon holder;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the balloon holder according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation thereof;

FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively are top and bottom elevations thereof;

FIG. 7 shows the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 6 being filled; and

FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment being filled.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a party balloon 10 has a string 12 tied to a loop 14 of a decorative balloon holder 16 of the first illustrated embodiment of the present invention. The balloon holder 16 is resting on a tabletop 18. As illustrated, the balloon holder 16 is formed of a transparent synthetic plastics material and is preferably of a colored material. Within the balloon holder are illustrated marbles 20, but it is understood the balloon holder of the present invention could similarly be used to contain candy or small toys typically given as party favors at children's birthday parties.

FIG. 2 illustrates the construction of the first embodiment of a balloon holder of the present invention, and sidewalls 22 form with base 24 the general shape of a geometric pyramid with top 26 having the integral loop 14. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the base 24 has a central opening 26 constructed to receive a removable closure 28. Closure 28 is formed with a bulbous portion 30 to extend partially within the interior of the balloon holder, and tabs 32 adapted to fit within slots 34 formed in the rim of the opening 26 so that upon turning, the tabs 32 will engage flange portion 36.

To enable the closure to be removable easily by even small children, the bulbous portion 30 of the closure 28 has a central depression forming a bar portion 38 extending across the concavity formed by the bulbous portion 30 to provide a portion easily gripped to twist the closure for removal.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention wherein the base 24a does not have an opening, but the top portion has opening 40 that may be closed by top 42 being press-fitted into opening 40.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be understood from the detailed description made above; and it is understood that the present invention is not limited by any details set forth above, but by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A decorative balloon holder for use at a party, comprising a container formed of a light-transmitting material and having a central opening, and a removable closure adapted to be removed from said opening to enable said container to be filled with festive material capable of serving as ballast to hold one or more buoyant balloons upon a tabletop when said closure is secured to close said container.

2. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 1, said material having a color.

3. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 2, said container being formed of side walls angling upwardly from a base to a top of lesser diameter than said base.

4. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 3, said closure being fitted centrally within said base.

5. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 4, said closure being formed of the same material as said container and held securely to said base by a twist closure.

6. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 3, said side walls being arranged in generally in the shape of a geometric pyramid.

7. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 6, said top of said container having an integral loop for securing the tie strings of one or more balloons.

8. A holder for a balloon as set forth in claim 7, said closure being formed of the same material as said container and held securely to said base by a twist closure.

9. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 1, said container being formed of side walls angling upwardly from a base to a top of lesser diameter than said base.

10. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 9, said closure being fitted centrally within said base.

11. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 10, said closure being formed of the same material as said container and held securely to said base by a twist closure.

12. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 10, said side walls being arranged in generally in the shape of a geometric pyramid.

13. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 12, said top of said container having an integral loop for securing the tie strings of one or more balloons.

14. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 9, said top of said container having an integral loop for securing the tie strings of one or more balloons.

15. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 14, said closure being formed by said top being press fitted to said container.

16. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 15, said side walls being arranged in generally in the shape of a geometric pyramid.

17. A decorative balloon holder for use at a party, comprising a container formed generally in the shape of a geometric pyramid of a light-transmitting material of color and having an opening, and a removable closure adapted to be removed from said opening to enable said container to be filled with festive material capable of serving as ballast to hold one or more buoyant balloons upon a table top when said closure is secured to close said container.

18. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 17, said closure being formed of the same material as said container and held securely to the base of said container by a twist closure.

19. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 18, said top of said container having an integral loop for securing the tie strings of one or more balloons.

20. A balloon holder as set forth in claim 18, said closure being fitted centrally within said base.