Inflatable Garland

Abstract

A balloon garland has multiple interconnected balloon chambers in which the balloon chambers are asymmetric with each other in the inflated state and are substantially flattened when the balloon chambers are in a deflated state. In the inflated state, the interconnected balloon chambers have tangential connections that are located in different planes with axes that form skew lines that do not intersect and are not parallel. The axes of these planes are substantially parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to the planar configuration of the balloon chambers when they are in the deflated state. There is a single port in one of the balloon chambers, and a valve is connected to and in fluid communication with the port. A flow of gas is allowed through the port in the valve's open configuration, the valve prevents a flow of the gas through the port in its closed configuration.

Claims

1. An inflatable structure for receiving a gas, comprising: a plurality of balloon chambers comprised of a flexible gas-impervious material, wherein a first balloon chamber is fixedly attached to a second balloon chamber, wherein the balloon chambers have a deflated state and an inflated state, wherein each balloon chamber comprises an exterior surface and an interior surface, and wherein the interior surface surrounds an internal space when the balloon chambers are in the inflated state and is substantially flattened without the internal space when the balloon chambers are in the deflated state; a first tangential connection between the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber, wherein the first tangential connection is comprised of a heat weld connection between the flexible gas-impervious material for the balloon chambers and an internal fluid passageway situated within a circumference of the heat weld connection, and wherein a section of the flexible gas-impervious material for each of the balloon chambers extends between the circumference of the heat weld connection and the internal fluid passageway in the first tangential connection; a port in at least one of the balloon chambers, wherein the port comprises an external fluid passageway between the interior surface and the exterior surface; and a valve connected to and in fluid communication with the port, wherein the valve allows a flow of the gas through the port in an open configuration and prevents a flow of the gas through the port in a closed configuration.

2. The inflatable structure of claim 1, wherein each of the balloon chambers is comprised of a plurality of elongated panels and at least one end panel, wherein the elongated panels extend between opposite sides of each of the balloon chambers and are sealed together at a plurality of longitudinal seams between adjacent elongated panels, wherein the elongated panels comprise end sections with terminal ends, wherein the terminal ends for each of the balloon chambers surround an open space at the opposite sides of each of the balloon chambers, wherein the end panel is heat welded to the end sections for at least one of the opposite sides of the first balloon chamber and at least one of the opposite sides of the second ballon chamber, and wherein the end panel seals the open space.

3. The inflatable structure of claim 2, wherein the internal fluid passageway is in at least one of the end panel and one of the elongated panels in at least one of the balloon chambers.

4. The inflatable structure of claim 2, wherein the end sections of the elongated panels and the longitudinal seams for at least one of the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber are sealed in the heat weld connection and extend through the heat weld connection to the terminal ends, and wherein the heat weld connection forms a fixed orientation for the first tangential connection.

5. The inflatable structure of claim 2, further comprising a planar connecting ring in the heat weld connection between the flexible gas-impervious material for the first tangential connection, wherein the internal fluid passageway is comprised of a first aperture in the flexible gas-impervious material for the first balloon chamber, a second aperture in the flexible gas-impervious material for the second balloon chamber, and a center space in the planar connecting ring, and wherein the first aperture, the second aperture and the center space are aligned with each other.

6. The inflatable structure of claim 1, wherein the internal fluid passageway allows an unencumbered airflow between the internal space of the first ballon chamber and the second balloon chamber without any tube or other extension between the balloon chambers.

7. The inflatable structure of claim 1, further comprising a third balloon chamber and a second tangential connection, wherein the second tangential connection fixedly attaches the second balloon chamber to the third balloon chamber with another heat weld connection and another internal fluid passageway within the circumference of the heat weld connection.

8. The inflatable structure of claim 7, wherein each of the balloon chambers is comprised of a plurality of elongated panels, wherein at least two of the balloon chambers is each further comprised of an end panel, wherein the elongated panels extend between opposite sides of each of the balloon chambers and are sealed together at a plurality of longitudinal seams between adjacent elongated panels, wherein the elongated panels comprise end sections with terminal ends, wherein the terminal ends for each of the balloon chambers surround an open space at the opposite sides of each of the balloon chambers, wherein the end panel is heat welded to the end sections for two of the ballon chambers, and wherein the end panel seals the open space.

9. The inflatable structure of claim 8, wherein the internal fluid passageway in the second tangential connection is formed by the open space in the second balloon chamber aligned with the open space in the third balloon chamber.

10. The inflatable structure of claim 8, wherein the internal fluid passageway in the second tangential connection is formed by a hole in one of the elongated panels in the second balloon chamber and the open space in the third balloon chamber without the end panel, and wherein the hole and the open space are aligned with each other within the circumference of the heat weld connection.

11. An inflatable structure for receiving a gas, comprising: a plurality of balloon chambers, wherein a first balloon chamber is fixedly attached to a second balloon chamber and each of the balloon chambers is comprised of a plurality of elongated panels formed from a flexible gas-impervious material, wherein the elongated panels extend between a first side and a second side of each of the balloon chambers and are sealed together at a plurality of longitudinal seams between adjacent elongated panels, wherein the elongated panels extend to end sections with terminal ends at the first side and the second side, and wherein the terminal ends of the elongated panels surround a first open space at the first side and a second open space at the second side; a first end panel attached to the end sections of the elongated panels at the first side of the first balloon chamber, wherein the first end panel seals the terminal ends of the elongated panels around the first open space of the first balloon chamber; a first tangential connection between the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber, wherein the first tangential connection fixedly attaches the first balloon chamber to the second balloon chamber, wherein the first tangential connection comprises a direct connection between the flexible gas-impervious material for the balloon chambers and an internal fluid passageway within a circumference of the first tangential connection, and wherein the direct connection between the flexible gas-impervious material for the first tangential connection is in a fixed orientation without any tube or other extension between the balloon chambers; a port in at least one of the balloon chambers, wherein the port comprises an external fluid passageway between an interior surface and an exterior surface; and a valve connected to and in fluid communication with the port, wherein the valve allows a flow of the gas through the port in an open configuration and prevents a flow of the gas through the port in a closed configuration.

12. The inflatable structure of claim 11, wherein the direct connection between the flexible gas-impervious material for the first tangential connection is a heat weld connection in the flexible gas-impervious material for the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber, wherein the first end panel is heat welded to the end sections of the elongated panels, and wherein the plurality of the seams extend through the circumference of the first tangential connection.

13. The inflatable structure of claim 12, further comprising a planar connecting ring heat welded between the flexible gas-impervious material in the first tangential connection for the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber, wherein the internal fluid passageway is comprised of a center space in the planar connecting ring aligned with a first aperture and a second aperture in the flexible gas-impervious material for the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber, respectively, and wherein the direct connection is comprised of a heat weld connection between the flexible gas-impervious material for the balloon chambers and the planar connecting ring.

14. The inflatable structure of claim 12, further comprising a third balloon chamber, a second tangential connection, and a second end panel, wherein the third balloon chamber is comprised of a plurality of elongated panels formed from the flexible gas-impervious material, wherein the second tangential connection fixedly attaches the second balloon chamber to the third balloon chamber in another fixed orientation, and wherein the second end panel is attached to the elongated panels of either the second balloon chamber or the third balloon chamber.

15. The inflatable structure of claim 14, wherein the second tangential connection fixedly attaches the second balloon chamber to the third balloon chamber with another heat weld connection and another internal fluid passageway within the circumference of the heat weld connection.

16. An inflatable structure for receiving a gas, comprising: a plurality of balloon chambers comprised of a flexible gas-impervious material, wherein a first balloon chamber is fixedly attached to a second balloon chamber, wherein the balloon chambers have a deflated state and an inflated state, wherein each balloon chamber comprises an exterior surface and an interior surface, and wherein the interior surface surrounds an internal space when the balloon chambers are in the inflated state and is substantially flattened without the internal space when the balloon chambers are in the deflated state; a first tangential connection between the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber, wherein the first tangential connection attaches the first balloon chamber to the second balloon chamber, and wherein the first tangential connection comprises a fixed orientation between the flexible gas-impervious material for the balloon chambers and an internal fluid passageway within a circumference of the first tangential connection, a first planar connecting ring fastening together the exterior surface of the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber at the first tangential connection, wherein the internal fluid passageway is comprised of a first aperture in the flexible gas-impervious material for the first balloon chamber, a second aperture in the flexible gas-impervious material for the second balloon chamber, and a center space in the first planar connecting ring, and wherein the first aperture, the second aperture and the center space are aligned with each other; a port in at least one of the balloon chambers, wherein the port comprises an external fluid passageway between the interior surface and the exterior surface; and a valve connected to and in fluid communication with the port, wherein the valve allows a flow of the gas through the port in an open configuration and prevents a flow of the gas through the port in a closed configuration.

17. The inflatable structure of claim 16, wherein the first tangential connection is further comprised of a heat weld connection between the flexible gas-impervious material for the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber with the first planar connecting ring sandwiched in the heat weld connection between the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber.

18. The inflatable structure of claim 16, wherein each of the balloon chambers is further comprised of a plurality of elongated panels, wherein the first balloon chamber is further comprised of a first end panel, wherein the elongated panels extend between opposite sides of each of the balloon chambers and are sealed together at a plurality of longitudinal seams between adjacent elongated panels, wherein the elongated panels comprise end sections with terminal ends, wherein the terminal ends for each of the balloon chambers surround an open space at the opposite sides of each of the balloon chambers, wherein the first end panel is heat welded to the end sections at one of the opposite sides of the first balloon chamber, and wherein the end panel seals the open space at one of the opposite sides of the first balloon chamber.

19. The inflatable structure of claim 18, further comprising a third balloon chamber, a second tangential connection, a second planar connecting ring, and a second end panel, wherein the third balloon chamber is comprised of a plurality of elongated panels formed from the flexible gas-impervious material, wherein the second tangential connection fixedly attaches the second balloon chamber to the third balloon chamber with the second planar connecting ring fastening together the exterior surface of the first balloon chamber and the second balloon chamber at the second tangential connection, and wherein the second end panel is attached to the elongated panels of either the second balloon chamber or the third balloon chamber.

20. The inflatable structure of claim 16, wherein the internal fluid passageway allows an unencumbered airflow through the internal space of the first ballon chamber and the second balloon chamber without any tube or other extension between the balloon chambers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0012] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a first embodiment of an inflatable garland in an inflated state and a deflated state, respectively, according to the invention described herein.

[0013] FIG. 1C shows an exploded view of the first embodiment of the inflatable garland.

[0014] FIGS. 2A and 2B show a second embodiment of an inflatable garland in an inflated state and a deflated state, respectively.

[0015] FIGS. 3A-3F show a third embodiment of an inflatable garland according to the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0017] The inflatable balloon garland 10 of the present invention is formed by multiple balloon chambers 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e made from a flexible gas-impervious material 24 and which have an inflated state as shown in FIGS. 1A, 2A, and 3A-3Fand a deflated state as shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B. In the inflated state, the balloon chambers are forced into an asymmetric arrangement by the pressure of a gas within the chambers according to the configuration and locations of heat welded tangential connections 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d that attach the chambers to each other. In the deflated state, the balloon chambers are substantially flattened into a planar configuration. Each one of the balloon chambers are preferably formed by several elongated panels 36 of the flexible gas-impervious material that are heat welded and sealed together with longitudinal seams 44 at the respective boundaries between adjacent elongated panels. In particular, there are several panels that increase in width from their end sections to their middle section, and the end sections are heat welded and sealed with a circular panel 38 on at least the side of the balloon chambers that are opposite side from the tangential connection, i.e., distal from the tangential connection.

[0018] The balloon garland is formed by pairs of balloon chambers 12a/12b, 12b/12c that are attached to a shared balloon chamber 12b. Each balloon chamber comprises an exterior surface 24a and an interior surface 24b. The interior surface surrounds an internal space 26 when the balloon chambers are in the inflated state and is substantially flattened into the planar configuration when the balloon chambers are in the deflated state. The balloon chambers are fixedly attached to each other by tangential connections 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d between each of the pairs of balloon chambers. At the tangential connections, the panels of the corresponding balloon chambers have apertures 28 that align with each other and allow for airflow between the chambers. As explained in more detail below, when the balloon chambers are in their inflated state, the tangential connection between one pair of balloon chambers is located in a first plane while the tangential connection between another pair of balloon chambers is located in another plane.

[0019] It will be appreciated that the exterior surface of the pairs of balloon chambers can directly attach to each other in a fixed orientation at the respective tangential connections without any tube or other extension between the balloon chambers. Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in each pair of balloon chambers, the end of the balloon chamber opposite from the circular panel in one balloon chamber, i.e., where the end sections of the elongated panels are located, is heat welded to the side panel of the other balloon chamber in the pair. The end sections have terminal ends 54 that surround an open space 50 in the balloon chamber, and a hole 52 is cut into the elongated panel of the other balloon chamber to form the apertures that are aligned between the balloon chambers. In the inflated state of the balloon chambers, the axis 30a that extends through one tangential connection is perpendicular to the first plane while another axis 30b that extends through the other tangential connection is perpendicular to the second plane which produces the asymmetry between the balloon chambers that form the balloon garland's structure. The first axis and the second axis form skew lines that do not intersect and are not parallel when the balloon chambers are in their inflated state. Even when the balloon chambers are spherical and are tangentially connected to the shared balloon chamber, the pull of gravity on the inflated balloon chambers in their asymmetric arrangement results in the skew lines for the axes.

[0020] Optionally, as shown in FIG. 1C, a connecting ring 20 can be sandwiched between the exterior surface of the pairs of balloon chambers to provide additional structural support to the balloon chambers' panels at each tangential connection. The connecting ring and the balloon chambers' panels are preferably connected with heat welding. The center space 40 of the connecting ring surrounds the apertures in the corresponding pair of balloon chambers which provides an internal fluid passageway 34 allowing an unencumbered airflow between the respective internal spaces in each of the balloon chambers. As shown in one of the balloon chambers 12c in FIG. 1C, when the open spaces 50 between the end sections of the elongated panels are aligned between a pair of balloon chambers 12b/12c, the circular panel 38 that seals one of the elongated panels can be provided with a center space or cut with a hole as described above with respect to the elongated panel to serve as the connecting ring 20.

[0021] A port 16 in one of the balloon chambers has an external fluid passageway 32 between the interior surface and the exterior surface, and there is a valve 18 connected to and in fluid communication with the port. The valve allows a flow of the gas through the port in an open configuration and prevents a flow of the gas through the port in a closed configuration. The valve can be any type of air valve which has a housing 46a with an opening and a plug 46b that is securely seated within or over the opening in the closed configuration, such as shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A, and is spaced away from the opening in the open configuration, such as shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B. The housing is preferably flexible and can be pushed into the interior of the balloon chamber resulting in the plug being substantially flush with the exterior surface as shown in FIG. 1A. As shown in the detail views of FIGS. 1A and 1B, the housing can extend outward from the balloon chamber's exterior surface when inflating and deflating the balloon garland. The port is preferably located in the circular panel rather than in one of the elongated panels. The opening in the housing may also include a one-way check valve (not shown) which prevents air from escaping out from the balloon chambers through the valve unless the check valve is opened, such as with an open tube that is placed in the check valve to keep it open or when the housing is flexible and is squeezed slightly to deform the housing's circular shape and open the check valve. Preferably the plug is connected to the housing through a tether 48, and the tether forms a loop 56 when the plug is seated in the closed configuration.

[0022] Each balloon chamber preferably has a squat configuration when inflated with lateral dimensions of each balloon chamber being within the same order of magnitude as a longest longitudinal dimension of each respective balloon chamber. The balloon chambers preferably not elongated or spindly (i.e., long and thin having a tubular shape with a length that is more than an order of magnitude greater than the radius of the tube's circular cross-section), although the present invention could be applied to such elongated and spindly balloon chambers as well as all different shapes of balloon chambers. Generally, squat balloon chambers have lateral dimensions that are each within the same order of magnitude as the longest longitudinal dimension. Although the balloon chambers in the preferred embodiment are spherical in shape, with lateral dimensions that are equal to the longitudinal dimension, it will be appreciated that the balloon chambers can be formed in other shapes, such as ellipsoids, squares, rectangles, tetrahedrons, block triangles, and other polyhedron shapes. The shared balloon chamber preferably has a larger size in its lateral and longitudinal dimensions than at least one of the balloon chambers connected to it.

[0023] It will also be appreciated that the different balloon chambers can have different sizes. As particularly shown in the drawings, there can be a balloon chamber with a large diameter and a pair of balloon chambers that are each interconnected to the large balloon chamber and which have a smaller diameter. The large balloon chamber would have a tangential connection respectively connected to each of the small balloon chambers. The tangential connections between the small balloon chambers and the large balloon chamber would be circumferentially offset from one another so they are not aligned with each other.

[0024] The gas travels into the internal space for one of the balloon chambers from outside the exterior surface through the valve and the port and into the internal space of each of the balloon chambers through each aperture in the balloon chambers and the center space in the connecting ring to produce the inflated state. Due to the location and configuration of the connection rings as described in more detail below, the gas forces the balloon chambers into an asymmetric arrangement as the balloon garland is inflated. The gas travels back through each aperture and the center space and out of the internal space for each of the balloon chambers and through the valve and the port in the first the balloon chamber to produce to the deflated state.

[0025] As evident from the drawings, there can be several pairs of balloon chambers according to the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, additional balloon chambers 12d, 12e can be connected to the shared balloon chamber 12b. As shown in FIGS. 3A-3F, balloon chambers that are connected to the shared balloon chamber can also be an additional common balloon chamber 12a, 12d that connect even more balloon chambers 12a, 12a, 12d, 12d. Each additional pair of balloon chambers with the shared balloon chambers have the tangential connection described above, and the additional axes 30c, 30d that extend perpendicular to the plane through the corresponding tangential connection form more skew lines that aren't parallel to and don't intersect the other axes 30a, 30b when the internal space is in the inflated state.

[0026] It will be appreciated that for garlands which have large clusters of balloon chambers, such as more than a half dozen, there could be multiple valves for different groups of balloon chambers that form the larger clusters. For example, the garland shown in FIGS. 3A-3F is formed by a cluster of nine (9) balloon chambers that are all connected to each other, but a first set of four (4) balloon chambers 12a, 12a, 12a, 12b are in fluid communication with a first valve in one of the balloon chambers in this first set while a second set of five (5) balloon chambers 12c, 12d, 12d, 12d, 12f are in fluid communication with a second valve in one of the balloon chambers in this second set. The segmenting of larger clusters into multiple groups of smaller clusters which each have their own valve makes it easier to inflate and deflate the garlands. It will be appreciated that the segmenting of the clusters could be equal in number or could be divided based on the space of the clusters so each of the smaller clusters has a similar space. It will also be appreciated that larger garlands could be formed by more than two (2) smaller clusters.

[0027] As indicated above, the balloon chambers have a substantially planar configuration in the deflated state and a predefined asymmetric arrangement in the inflated state. In particular, each axis is offset a distance (D.sub.1, D.sub.2, D.sub.3) from the next adjacent axis. In the deflated state, the axes are substantially parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to the planar configuration of the balloon chambers. This is entirely different from the axes in the prior art in which the axis of the interconnected balloon structures are parallel to the planar configuration of the balloon chambers in the deflated state. In the present invention, the gas within the internal space forces the balloon chambers into the predefined asymmetric arrangement in the inflated state without any external manipulation of the balloon chambers. In comparison, the prior art balloon chambers must be externally manipulated in order to force them into an asymmetric arrangement relative to each other.

[0028] As explained above, the connecting ring provides additional strength to the tangential connections between the pair of balloon chambers, and its center space is aligned with the apertures in the balloon chambers' corresponding panels. It will be appreciated that there could be a pair of connecting rings at each tangential connection with one connecting ring's center space aligned with the aperture in one of the balloon chambers in the pair and the other connecting ring's center space aligned with the aperture in the other of the balloon chambers in the pair. To allow the airflow between the pair of balloon chambers, the connecting rings would be aligned with each other. It will also be appreciated that one side of the aperture can include a set of flexible flaps that allow unrestricted airflow in a first direction through the aperture, such as when the balloon chambers are being inflated, and restrict airflow in a second direction through the aperture, such as when the balloon chambers are being deflated.

[0029] A fastener 22 is preferably connected to the exterior surface of at least one of the balloon chambers. The fastener protrudes a length from the exterior surface and preferably includes an eyelet 42. Preferably, the fastener is attached to one of the elongated panels so that it is circumferentially offset on the balloon chamber from the circular panel on one of the balloon chambers. It will also be appreciated that the loop formed by the valve's tether in the closed configuration can also be used as a fastener. The larger clusters of balloon chambers preferably include additional fasteners attached to the balloon chambers that are toward the middle and the ends of the clusters. The fasteners are helpful when installing the balloon garland but are not necessary for the installation or for the proper functioning of the balloon garland.

[0030] The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to persons who are skilled in the art. As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. For example, the present invention could be applied to balloon chambers with organic shapes, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,663 which is incorporated by reference. Of course, in addition to the animal shapes shown and described in the '663 Patent, any shape or combination of shapes could be used for the garland of the present invention, such as hearts, crescent moons, humanoids in various poses, etc. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.