EP0011619A1

EP0011619A1 - Inflatable reflective balloon

Info

Publication number: EP0011619A1
Application number: EP79900199A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Robert A. Schuster
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-01-31
Filing date: 1979-07-30
Publication date: 1980-06-11
Also published as: WO1979000569A1; JPS55500054A; GB2035938A

Abstract

Le ballon gonflable a usage publicitaire (10) presente l'aspect reflechissant d'un miroir, il est constitue de deux feuilles thermoplastiques non-elastiques (11, 12) scellees a chaud, une premiere fois le long de leur peripherie (13), 14) pour leur conferer la forme d'un ballon et une seconde fois a une distance comprise entre 1/32 et 1/2 pouce de la premiere soudure. Le ballon publicitaire presente au moins un appendice (16) au moyen duquel il peut etre gonfle.The inflatable balloon for advertising use (10) has the reflective appearance of a mirror, it is made of two non-elastic thermoplastic sheets (11, 12) heat sealed, a first time along their periphery (13), 14) to give them the shape of a balloon and a second time at a distance between 1/32 and 1/2 inch from the first weld. The advertising balloon has at least one appendage (16) by means of which it can be inflated.

Description

INFLATABLE REFLECTIVE BALLOON

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Serial No. 873,769, filed on January 31, 1978.

This invention relates to inflatable articles and, more particularly, to highly reflective balloon-advertisers including a variety of configurations such as spherical, oval, diamond-shaped, heart-shaped and the like.

Balloon-advertisers have been known for some time. For example, see U.S. Patent No. 136,930, issued March 18, 1873. Similarly, elastomeric inflatable articles, including balloons of various configurations are well known. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 2,713,746 to Haugh, U.S. Patent No. 2,027,225 to Gill, U.S. Patent No. 3,230,663, to Shabram and U.S. Patent No. 3,154,050 to Hansom. However, the inflatable articles that have been used as balloon-advertisers have been beset with a number of disadvantages.

In general, such balloon-advertisers have required rather sophisticated structural features to offer a sufficient decorative affect to be useful as an advertising medium. In addition, special means generally are required to maintain the balloons in an inflated state.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved balloon-advertiser which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art advertisers.

It is another object to provide a highly decorative and eye-catching advertiser which is both easy and economical to manufacture. It is still another object to prepare a balloon-advertiser from a flexible, yet non-elastic material which is highly reflective in nature. Another object is to prepare a balloon-advertiser which is flat when not inflated thereby simplifying the packaging and shipping thereof.

Yet another object is to prepare a balloon-advertiser from a strong,non-elastomeric, heat sealable plastic film to which has been applied a reflective metal coating.

Still another object is to provide an inflatable reflective advertiser that can be prepared by heat sealing the peripheral edges of a plastic film which has been folded or otherwise disposed in face-to-face relationship.

These and other objects and advantages will become evident from a study of the following disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an inflatable balloon-advertiser in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the flat configuration thereof when not inflated;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the balloon-advertiser of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a modified form of the advertiser of Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of still another modified form of the invention.

This invention is concerned with a balloon-advertiser of the type which can be printed with advertising indicia, or used without such indicia, for promotions, grand openings, sales or trade shows, conventions or the like. The balloon-advertiser of the invention is light in weight and is provided with a reflective, mirror finish to provide a brillant, eye-catching appearance, not unlike a many-faceted floating mirror. In one aspect, the balloon-advertiser is fabricated from two thin, flexible, strong yet substantially non-elastic thermoplastic sheets of film, such as polyethylene terephthalate (Mylar), polyethylene, nylon, ionic copolymers derived from an alpha-olefin and an alpha-beta ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid (sold under the tradename of Surlyn by DuPont) or the like. In a preferred embodiment the sheets of film are comprised of a blend of such materials to maximize the strength and other essential characteristics thereof. For example, a sheet may comprise a blend of nylon and an ionic copolymer, such as Surlyn, or a blend of nylon, polyethylene and an ionic copolymer such as Surlyn. In a particularly suitable embodiment, the plastic sheets would comprise from about 20-30% by weight of unoriented nylon, from about 0-30% by weight polyethylene, and from about 40-80% by weight of an ionic copolymer such as Surlyn.

The advertiser is fabricated by bonding the two sheets along their peripheral edges, preferably by a conventional heat-sealing technique. In a particularly preferred embodiment the two sheets are provided with a plurality of seals to ensure that substantially no leakage will occur during use of the advertiser. For example, the two sheets may be provided with a first seal about 1/64 to 3/8 inches wide, preferably about 1/32 inches wide, around the peripheral edges, of the advertiser and a second seal about 1/64 to 3/8 inches wide, preferably about 1/16 inches wide, spaced inwardly therefrom at a distance of from about 1/32 to about 1/2 inches, and preferably at a distance of about 1/4 inches. In this manner, it is rather convenient to seal the film in the desired configuration. Each of the plastic sheets preferably is thicker than one-quarter mil, with the ultimate thickness being determined by the strength and permeability characteristics of the plastic sheet, as well as the desired flexibility of the advertiser and the method limitations imposed by the heat-sealing. Generally speaking, the thickness of the sheets is between about one-quarter and three mils.

The plastic sheets are coated with a mirror-like reflective surface, usually silver in color. However, other colored surfaces such as gold, brass, copper, red, blue, and the like may be prepared, depending upon the selected coating material. The coating material usually is a metal, such as aluminum, copper, brass, etc. which is applied to the plastic sheet by a conventional vacuum deposition technique. Other conventional coating techniques, such as spray coating, pyrolytic decompositions and the like, also may be used. The thickness of the reflective surface coating is not critical so long as the thickness is sufficient to provide the desired reflective and decorative effects. Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figures

1 and 2, there is shown a balloon-advertiser 10 comprised of two flat, generally circular sheets 11, 12 of a heat-sealed thermoplastic composition comprised of a 25/75 blend of nylon and Surlyn. The sheets 11 and 12 are coated with a layer of aluminum or tother reflective material to provide a mirror-like finish and are heat-sealed around their peripheral edges at 13 and 14, the seal at 13 being approximately 1/32 inch thick and at 14 being approximately 1/16 inch thick. Each of the sheets is provided with a tab-like extension 16, 16' which tapers at an angle of about 5° to about 45°, preferably from about 15° to about 40° from its narrow end 17 nearest the main body of the balloon to its wide end 18, and which is adapted to receive air, helium or other usable light gas for inflating the balloon. The length of the tab-like extensions 16, 16' may vary depending upon the desired configuration of a given advertiser. However, it is preferred that the length of the extensions 16, 16' be selected such, that the distance between the outermost end 18 of the extension 16' and the body of the advertiser adjacent the narrow end 17 of the extension is from about 1 to about 2 1/2 inches, with a distance of about 1 1/2 inches being most preferred.

In one embodiment, an opening 19 is provided in the tablike extension by providing an offset of about 1/8 to about 3/8 inches, preferably about 1/4 inches, between the lowermost edges of the extension 16 of sheet 11 and the extension 16' of sheet 12, or by otherwise not completely heat sealing the extensions 16, 16' together. The opening 19 thus provides a fluid communicating passage into the balloon 10 for inflation thereof. Inflation may thus be accomplished by inserting a tapered hollow tube or needle into the opening 19 and injecting or blowing helium or other light gas into the balloon. The tapered tab is then sealed such as be taping the opening 19, by twisting and tying a knot in the tab or by any other conventional method. Regardless of the means selected for sealing the opening 19, however, it has been found that such sealing is facilitated by the tapered configuration of the tab. The tapered configuration also facilitates inflating the balloon.

The operation of the balloon-advertisers are extremely simple, and because of the various configurations in which the advertisers can be embodied, their use is widespread. For example, when prepared in the form of a heart (Figure 3), the advertisers can be used in conjunction with a Valentine's Day display. Similarly, when prepared in the form of a football (Figure 4), the advertisers may be used during the half-time activitites of a football game.

Since the advertisers have a mirror-like reflective surface, they are eye-catching and may be used without any advertising indicia. However, their use can be magnified manyfold simply by printing them with an appropriate slogan, name or the like. When the advertisers are filled with a gas which is lighter than air, they may be sent aloft, usually under the control of a string or anchor line 21.

Various modifications may be made in the practice of this invention without deviating from its basic scope as defined in the following claims.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1. An inflatable plastic article, which comprises: two thin, flexible and substantially non-elastic plastic sheets heat-sealed together first along their peripheral edges in shape of the article and then again at a distance of from about 1/32 to about 1/2 inches from said first heat seal; at least one portio of said heat-sealed peripheral edge having a tab-like extension; said tab-like extension tapering at an angle of from about 5° to about 450 from the end thereof nearest the article to the end most remote therefrom end having an opening therein through which the article is inflated; and said plastic sheets having a reflective coating thereon to provide the article with a mirror-like appearance.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein said plastic sheets consist essentially of a blend selected from the group consisting of a) nylon and an ionic copolymer of an alpha olefin and alpha-beta ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and, b) nylon, polyethylene and an ionic copolymer of an alpha olefin and an alpha-beta ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein said plastic sheet comprises a blend of from about 20-30% by weight of nylon, 0-30% by weight of polyethylene, and 40-80% by weight of an ionic copolymer of an alpha olefin and an alpha-beta ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid.

4. The article of claim 3 wherein the two plastic sheets have tab-like extensions which are offset from each other by about 1/8 to about 3/8 inches such that the offset defines the opening in the extension in the heat sealed article.