U.S. patent application number 11/840965 was filed with the patent office on 2009-02-19 for valved long floating toy balloon.
Invention is credited to Donald K. Burchett, Keith W. Burchett.
Application Number | 20090047864 11/840965 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40363337 |
Filed Date | 2009-02-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090047864 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Burchett; Donald K. ; et
al. |
February 19, 2009 |
VALVED LONG FLOATING TOY BALLOON
Abstract
Toy balloons that have an internal surface coated with a barrier
coating include a one-way valve. The one-way valve incorporates an
inlet stem that is surrounded by an expandable elastomeric collar.
The coating solution is an aqueous solution having a low
concentration of polyvinyl alcohol and a carbohydrate. A minimal
amount of coating composition is used. This allows preassembly and
precoating of toy balloons with one-way valves that can be stored
for up to one year without drying out.
Inventors: |
Burchett; Donald K.;
(Louisville, KY) ; Burchett; Keith W.;
(Louisville, KY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, HERRON & EVANS, LLP
2700 CAREW TOWER, 441 VINE STREET
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
US
|
Family ID: |
40363337 |
Appl. No.: |
11/840965 |
Filed: |
August 18, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/224 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 2027/1025 20130101;
A63H 2027/1083 20130101; A63H 27/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/224 |
International
Class: |
A63H 27/10 20060101
A63H027/10 |
Claims
1. A plurality of uninflated balloon assemblies, each balloon
assembly comprising an uninflated toy balloon having an internal
portion and a neck, a coating composition in said internal portion;
a one-way valve fixed in said neck, said one-way valve having a
flexible sealing member positively urged into a sealing position
when said balloon is not inflated; said coating composition
comprising an aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol and a
carbohydrate wherein polyvinyl alcohol is from 3 to 20 percent by
weight of said coating composition and wherein said carbohydrate is
present in a ratio to the polyvinyl alcohol of 1:1 to 3:1; and
wherein said balloons have 0.0006 to 0.0021 ml/cm.sup.2 of coating
solution based on said balloons inflated capacity.
2. The plurality of balloon assemblies claimed in claim 1 wherein
said balloon assemblies are contained in a bag formed from a
polymeric film, said polymeric film having a vapor permeation of
about 0.025 gm H.sub.2O/day/100 in.sup.2, or less.
3. The balloon assemblies claimed in claim 2 wherein said polymeric
film is a polyethylene film having a thickness of at least 2
mils.
4. The plurality of balloon assemblies claimed in claim 1 wherein
said balloons are 11-inch balloons and contain 2 to 10 ml of
coating composition.
5. The plurality of balloon assembly claimed in claim 1 wherein
said balloons are 9-inch balloons and contain 1-4 ml of said
coating composition.
6. An uninflated toy balloon having a maximum inflated dimension of
9-11 inches containing a coating solution comprising water, PVOH
and a water soluble carbohydrate, said composition comprising 3-20%
PVOH and 1 to 35% carbohydrate; a one-way valve attached to a neck
of said balloon; said balloon having a coating amount of 0.0006 to
0.0021 ml/cm.sup.2 of maximum inflated surface area.
7. The balloon claimed in claim 6 having a maximum inflated
diameter of 500% of an uninflated diameter.
8. The balloon claimed in claim 6 wherein said one-way valve
includes an inlet tube sealed at one end and having a hole through
a side wall of said tube and an expandable collar surrounding said
side wall and sealing said tube.
9. The balloon claimed in claim 6 wherein said composition
comprises about 11% PVOH.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] It is known to increase the floating lifetime of elastomeric
toy balloons by applying a barrier coating to the surface of the
balloons prior to inflation with helium. Burchett U.S. Pat. No.
4,634,395 and Sinclair U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,429 disclose applying a
liquid barrier coating agent to the inside of toy balloons before
inflation with helium. This coating dries after inflation to form a
barrier coating on the surface of the balloon, which increases the
floating lifetime of the balloon by retarding the diffusion of
helium out through the wall of the balloon.
[0002] The coating agents disclosed by Burchett and Sinclair are
generally high viscosity aqueous solutions containing polyvinyl
alcohol. The methods disclosed involve inserting the liquid into
the balloon and rubbing the outside of the balloon to spread the
coating over the inside surface prior to inflation. Once the
balloon is inflated, the coating dries as water in the coating
solution diffuses out through the wall of the balloon. The coating
is applied before inflation of the balloon since the coating must
be wet at the time the balloon is inflated in order to be able to
spread out over the entire inner surface of the balloon. If the
coating is dried before the balloon is inflated, it cannot spread
out and the dried coating tears away from the balloon surface as
the balloon is inflated. In such case, an incomplete barrier
coating is left on the surface and the balloon will not have an
extended floating life.
[0003] One problem with the coating methods of Burchett and
Sinclair is that some degree of training on injecting the coating
solution into the balloon is required. A very accurate amount of
liquid coating solution must be injected. Too little solution will
not give the desired increase in floating life and too much
solution will make the balloon too heavy to float at all.
Furthermore, different amounts of coating liquid are required for
different sizes of balloons. Unfortunately, in mass marketing
applications such as grocery store chains, or restaurants, or party
stores there is a high turnover of employees at the level who would
inflate and distribute balloons to the public. It is therefore
difficult to keep personnel in these positions who have been
properly trained in the use of the coatings of Burchett and
Sinclair. The end result is that because of the time and training
required to properly use these coatings, they are simply not used
much of the time.
[0004] It has long been known to insert one-way valves into the
necks of uninflated elastomeric toy balloons. These one-way check
valves allow an inflation gas such as helium to pass into the
balloon through the valve, but do not allow the helium to escape
back through the valve once the balloon is inflated. Many of these
valves have ribbons or strings already attached to them so that the
end user simply has to inflate the balloon and does not have to
either tie a knot in the neck of the balloon or attach a string or
ribbon to the balloon. This string or ribbon serves the purpose of
a tether, which is either held in the hand or tied to a weight to
keep the inflated, lighter-than-air balloon from floating away.
[0005] These one-way valves are often used with elastomeric
balloons, which have some form of advertising printed on the
surface of the balloon. These advertising balloons with valves are
frequently given away free to the public in order to promote the
subject of the advertising such as stores, restaurants, etc. The
valves are typically inserted into the balloons by the company that
does the printing on the balloon. The printed balloons containing
valves with ribbons are placed in a bag and shipped to the venue
where the balloons are to be inflated with helium and distributed.
The employee who distributes the balloons simply has to inflate
them and hand them out. The presence of the valve with the ribbon
greatly speeds up this process since the neck of the balloon does
not have to be tied and a ribbon does not have to be attached.
[0006] In other cases, the above-mentioned valves are inserted into
balloons that have no printing on the surface. The valves are
inserted by the balloon manufacturer, and the uninflated balloons
with valves are shipped to the customer who then inflates them and
gives them away. Again, the presence of the valve with ribbon
attached greatly speeds up the process since the neck of the
balloon does not have to be tied and a ribbon is already attached.
These balloons are often given away free to the public as a
promotion. In these cases also, the one way valve with ribbon
attached greatly speeds up the process.
[0007] Most valves incorporate a flap valve in order to provide for
filling the balloon with gas and preventing the gas from leaking.
The pressure of the inflating gas on the flap closes the valve. One
such flap valve, for example, is disclosed in Nelson U.S. Pat. No.
6,814,644. Another type of one-way valve for toy balloons is
disclosed in Cole U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,674. This incorporates a
hollow tubular shank that is closed at one end. The closed end has
an opening along the side wall and is, in turn, surrounded by an
expandable elastomeric collar. Injection gas forced through the
shank causes the collar to expand allowing the gas to be admitted
into the balloon.
[0008] These elastomeric toy balloons with one-way valves are
typically 9 inches (23 cm) to 11 inches (27.9 cm) in diameter when
inflated, although sometimes balloons up to 16 inches (40.6 cm) or
even 24 inches (61 cm) in diameter can be used. Since the smaller
9-inch balloons require much less helium than larger size balloons,
and are therefore much less expensive, they are the preferred size.
However, a disadvantage of these smaller balloons is that, due to
the added weight of the valve, they have a relatively short
floating lifetime. Typically, a 9-inch (23 cm) balloon with a
one-way valve has a floating lifetime of only 4.5 to 8.5 hours.
Their value as an advertising tool would be enhanced if they could
be made to float significantly longer.
[0009] The coatings of Burchett and Sinclair have heretofore not
been used in combination with the above balloon valves for a number
of reasons. One reason is that the valve adds significant weight to
the balloon and the coating solution also adds weight. Therefore,
the coatings as taught by Burchett and Sinclair result in 9-inch
balloons that do not float at all when combined with a one-way
valve. In the case of 11-inch balloons with one-way valves, the
coating as taught by Burchett does not float at all and the coating
taught by Sinclair results in a much reduced floating life compared
to the same coating when no valve is used.
[0010] The Burchett coating is manufactured by the Hi-Float
Company, Louisville, Ky. and sold under the product name
"HI-FLOAT". The Sinclair coating is manufactured by the same
company and sold under the name "SUPER HI-FLOAT". The instructional
literature for both of these products specifically teaches that
they should not be used in 9-inch balloons due to the added weight,
even without the additional weight of a one-way valve.
[0011] The coating solutions of Burchett and Sinclair are not
injected into balloons which contain one-way valves at the time of
inflation because the thick, viscous nature of the coating
solutions prevent them from being injected through the valve once
the valve is in place on the neck of the balloon. This is because
the balloon valves are designed for the passage of inflating gasses
such as helium or air. The user would have to first remove the
valve from the balloon, inject the coating solution through the
neck of the balloon, and then replace the valve. Or, the user could
inject the solution into the neck of the balloon that did not have
a valve, and then insert a valve. In either case the whole purpose
of the one-way valve with ribbon would be defeated since that
purpose is to speed up and simplify the process of inflating and
distributing balloons.
[0012] The coatings of Burchett and Sinclair have not been injected
into balloons with the valves well in advance of the time of
inflation for a number of other reasons. The coating can dry out in
the uninflated balloon over time and will therefore not produce a
barrier coating once the balloon is inflated as explained earlier.
Another problem is that with many of the balloon valves, such as
Nelson U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,644 B1, the coating solution was found
to foul the seal of the one-way valve in such a way that a large
percentage of the valves failed to seal and leaked helium out of
the balloon soon after inflation. These balloons therefore have
very short floating times.
[0013] In addition, under typical storage conditions, valves such
as those disclosed in Nelson '644 were found to leak coating
solution out of the uninflated balloon through the valve in many
cases. This is because in order for the one-way valve to close, the
balloon must be inflated. It is the pressure inside the inflated
balloon that forces the one-way valve closed. When the balloon is
not inflated, the valve does not close, permitting leakage of the
coating solution out of the balloon. Even a single such leaking
balloon can ruin a whole bag of balloons by causing them to stick
together. For these reasons, barrier coatings have not heretofore
been used in conjunction with latex balloons containing one-way
valves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention is premised on the realization that a
toy balloon precoated with a liquid coating to improve its buoyant
lifetime and including a pre-installed one-way valve will be
buoyant when inflated if the selected coating composition utilizes
a low percentage of polyvinyl alcohol with a higher percentage of a
water soluble carbohydrate and wherein a low amount of the coating
is applied. The precoated balloon utilizes a one-way valve that
incorporates a sealing member that is urged into a sealing position
without any applied pressure.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the coating composition includes
from about 3% to about 10% polyvinyl alcohol and a ratio of
carbohydrate to polyvinyl alcohol of about 3:1. Less than 4 ml of
the solution is applied to a 9-inch balloon, and less than 7 ml of
the solution is applied to an 11-inch balloon.
[0016] These precoated balloons are stored in packages having a low
vapor permeation rate.
[0017] The selected one-way valve will not permit leakage and,
further, the coating solution will not dry out during a prolonged
period of storage. This permits the balloons of the present
invention to be inflated quickly and easily by virtually
anyone.
[0018] The objects and advantages of the present invention will be
further appreciated in light of the following detailed description
and drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0019] FIG. 1 is a front elevational view partially broken away of
a balloon incorporating a one-way valve according to the present
invention; and
[0020] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view partially broken away of
a package containing a plurality of precoated balloons with one-way
valves.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The term "elastomeric toy balloon" is meant herein to
include those inflatable elastomeric toy balloons having at least
one of more or all of the following parameters.
[0022] The first parameter concerns the inflated diameters of such
balloons. Elastomeric toy balloons as now manufactured are smaller
in circumference and diameter in the uninflated state than in the
inflated state. Upon inflation with a gas, and preferably a lighter
than air gas such as helium, the elastomeric toy balloons are
initially filled with the gas and then materially stretched or
expanded as they are inflated to their inflated diameters. Thus the
term "inflated diameter" refers herein to the diameters of
elastomeric toy balloons in the range of from about 10 cm up to
about 80 cm, when the elastomeric toy balloon material is stretched
via inflation with a gas. Generally such balloons stretched to
buoyant capacity are about 500% greater in diameter than in an
unstretched or relaxed state.
[0023] The second parameter that may be used to define elastomeric
toy balloons herein is directed to the weight of the elastomeric
toy balloons. More particularly, elastomeric toy balloons as
defined herein preferably have uninflated weights in the range of
from about 0.5 gms up to about 30 gms.
[0024] The third parameter, which may be used to define elastomeric
toy balloons of this invention, is concerned with the wail
thickness of such elastomeric toy balloons. Generally, the wall
thickness of such elastomeric toy balloons preferably ranges from
about 0.2 mm to about 0.5 mm when the balloons are in an uninflated
and unstretched conditions.
[0025] The fourth parameter relative to the definition of the term
"elastomeric toy balloon" is the surface-to-volume ratio of such
elastomeric toy balloons. In general, the surface-to-volume ratio
is determinative of the buoyancy of a balloon. The terms "surface"
and "volume" as used therein refer to the surface area and volume
of the elastomeric toy balloons, respectively, when in the inflated
condition. As balloons increase in size, the surface-to-volume
ratio decreases. With the large balloons, materials used for the
balloons may be heavier since there is a larger volume of gas
available per unit of surface area to support the heavier
materials. On the other hand, as balloons decrease in size, the
surface-to-volume ratio increases. This requires lighter materials
to be used to make the smaller balloons to ensure adequate
buoyancy. In other words, there is a much smaller volume of gas
available per unit of surface area with the smaller balloons. Thus,
weight is a much more critical factor from a buoyancy standpoint as
the balloon size is reduced and the surface-to-volume ratio
increases.
[0026] In the smaller inflatable elastomeric toy balloons widely
available throughout the industry, the surface-to-volume ratio is
large and the weight of the elastomeric toy balloon materials must
therefore be carefully monitored if the elastomeric toy balloons
are to float at all. The present invention therefore is generally
concerned with the smaller elastomeric toy balloons having
surface-to-volume ratios in the range of from about 0.075
cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3 to about 0.6 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3.
[0027] Finally, the last parameter useful to define the elastomeric
toy balloons is the material from which the elastomeric toy
balloons of this invention are produced. Generally speaking, the
elastomeric toy balloons are formed from rubber, such as natural
rubber, and more particularly from natural rubber latex.
[0028] The solution used to coat these balloons will include water,
polyvinyl alcohol and a water-soluble carbohydrate. The term
"polyvinyl alcohol" as used throughout the specification refers to
water-soluble polyhydroxy compounds, which can be generally
characterized, for instance, by the presence of
(--CH.sub.2--CHOH--) units in the polymer chain. The term
"polyvinyl alcohol" is also intended herein to include suitable
derivatives of the water-soluble polyhydroxy compounds mentioned
above, particularly those in which some of the hydroxyl groups are
acetylated. These polymers are ordinarily prepared by the
replacement of the acetate groups of polyvinyl acetate with
hydroxyl groups as by, for example, hydrolysis or alcoholysis. The
percent of acetate groups replaced by hydroxyl groups is the degree
of hydrolysis of the polyvinyl alcohol thus formed and indicates
the percent of hydroxyl groups present in the polyvinyl alcohol out
of the total possible hydroxyl groups. This invention relates to
polyvinyl alcohols with a degree of hydrolysis above about 85
percent.
[0029] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) as discussed herein includes those
polyvinyl alcohols, chemically modified, altered or otherwise, that
can be used in accordance with the teachings of the present
invention. For example, water resistance of the dried PVOH film can
be enhanced by the addition of organic materials that are aldehydes
or aldehyde donors to the aqueous liquids.
[0030] In another example, the polyvinyl alcohols may be partially
etherified by reaction with alkaline oxides. It should be realized
that the presence of small amounts of hydroxyethoxylation can
reduce gelling of stored aqueous liquids containing a polyvinyl
alcohol and thereby increase the shelf life of solutions. Also, the
viscosity of the polyvinyl alcohol coating liquids may be reduced
by the addition of a viscosity reducing agent, such as hydrogen
peroxide, in desired effective amounts.
[0031] In yet another example, the hydroxyl groups on the polyvinyl
alcohol backbone in general may be partially reacted to form, for
example, ethers, esters, acetals, and/or ketals using techniques
well known in the art. It is intended that those suitable
derivatives of these and the above polyvinyl alcohol derivatives so
obtained and the like are within the scope of the present
invention.
[0032] The solution used to coat balloons will also include a
water-soluble carbohydrate, or saccharide. These saccharides
include mono- and disaccharides including dextrose, glucose
including the monohydrate, sucrose, arabinose, lactose, mannose,
maltose, fructose, galactose, amylose, allose, altrose, talose,
gulose, idose, erythrose, threose, lyxose, xylose, arabinose,
rhamnose, and cellobiose. Low molecular weight water-soluble
polysaccharides such as glycogen are also included within the scope
of this invention.
[0033] It should be clear that other ingredients can be added to
the treating solution without substantially altering the manner in
which it functions to obtain the desired result. For example, small
amounts of mold preventing additives can be used to increase the
shelf life of the solution. These include chemicals such as
"Mycoban".TM. (Pfiger, Inc.) or "Dowicide".TM. (Dow Chemical Co.)
added at levels up to 0.5 percent by weight. Also the formation of
undesirable gel in the treating solution can be inhibited through
the addition of up to 0.3 percent by weight "Triton" X-100.TM.
(Rohm & Haas Co.). The viscosity of the treating solution can
be lowered somewhat by the addition of up to 3 percent by weight of
hydrogen peroxide.
[0034] The coating solution is prepared by sprinkling polyvinyl
alcohol solids into the vortex formed by rapidly stirring cold
water. Rapid stirring is continued for 10 minutes in order to
thoroughly wet and disperse the solids. Heat is then supplied by
means of an immersed hot water coil to warm the slurry to about 90
degrees Centigrade in order to dissolve the polyvinyl alcohol.
During this heating step the agitation is slowed to prevent shear
degradation of the polymer. This heating step is continued for
about 4 hours until the polyvinyl alcohol is completely
dissolved.
[0035] Following the heating step the solution is cooled to about
60 degrees Centigrade and the water-soluble carbohydrate is added
and thoroughly blended into the solution. The carbohydrate is added
after the solution has been cooled to prevent scorching and
discoloring of the solution.
[0036] The level of polyvinyl alcohol in the solution can range
from as little as about 3 percent by weight to as high as about 20
percent by weight of the total solution. Concentrations less than
about 3 percent by weight do not give the desired increase in
buoyant lifetime without multiple coatings. Higher concentrations
of polyvinyl alcohol are too dense to provide buoyancy. Generally
about 11% PVOH by weight is preferred.
[0037] The weight average molecular weight of the polyvinyl alcohol
can range from about 13,000 to about 186,000. The preferred
embodiment is a polyvinyl alcohol having a weight average molecular
weight of 124,000 to 186,000 and used at a concentration of about 8
to 14 percent by weight. Although the preferred embodiment employs
a polyvinyl alcohol that is about 87.0 to 89.0 percent hydrolyzed,
other polyvinyl alcohols having a degree of hydrolysis up to over
99 percent can be used. A preferred material is Vinol 540 sold by
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
[0038] The carbohydrate used in the solution can range from 1
percent to over 35 percent by weight. Below about one percent by
weight, the carbohydrate provides very slight benefit in float
life. At low relative humidity, increasing the level of
carbohydrate continued to provide increasing buoyant lifetime up to
the maxim ratio examined which was four times the level of
polyvinyl alcohol (i.e., the dried film contained about 80 percent
carbohydrate). At very high relative humidities, it was found that
high carbohydrate levels were not appreciably better than lower
loadings. The preferred embodiment uses a coating solution
containing dextrose monohydrate at a level of 3 to 30%, preferably
about 2 times the percentage of the PVOH, with about 24% by weight
preferred.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention provides for a
prefilled assembly 10 (shown in an inflated state) that
incorporates a balloon 12 coated with the polyvinyl alcohol coating
solution 13 of the present invention, wherein a one-way valve 14 is
positioned in the neck 16 of balloon 12. The one-way valve must
have a sealing member that is positively urged into a sealing
position even when not attached to the balloon or when the balloon
is not inflated. In other words, the closing of the valve must be
accomplished by some means other than gas pressure. A suitable
one-way valve 14 is of the type disclosed in Cole U.S. Pat. No.
4,911,674, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by
reference. This includes an inlet tube 18 connected to an outlet
tube 20, and a disk 22 where the two join. The outlet tube 20 is
sealed at its one end 24 and includes a hole or opening 26 in its
side wall 28, which permits gas to pass through the inlet tube 18
into the balloon 12. Surrounding the side wall 28 of outlet tube 20
is an elastomeric collar 30 or sealing member, which compresses
against the side wall 28 of the outlet tube 20, sealing the hole
26. When pressurized gas is introduced through the inlet tube 18,
it causes the collar 30 to expand, allowing air through the hole 26
into the balloon 12. The elasticity of the collar 30 prevents gas
from flowing in the opposite direction out of the balloon.
[0040] Another suitable valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,167,204 and 3,994,324, the disclosures of which are hereby
incorporated by reference. The sealing member incorporated in the
valve disclosed in these patents is an elastomeric sealing disk
held in a closed or sealing position by a cage portion. When gas is
injected, the seal member is forced to flex, opening the valve.
[0041] The coating solution is applied to the inside of the balloon
prior to inserting the one-way valve 14 into the neck 16 of the
balloon 10. The amount of coating solution applied will vary
depending upon the size of the balloon. Generally, the coating will
be applied at a rate of 0.0006 to 0.0021 ml/cm.sup.2 of inflated
surface area, with 0.0015 ml/cm.sup.2 preferred. For a 9-inch
balloon, there should be from about 1 to about 4 ml of solution,
with about 3 ml preferred. For an 11-inch balloon, the amount will
be from about 2 ml to about 10 ml, with about 4 ml preferred. The
amount will vary proportionately with the inflated size of the
balloon. A larger balloon obviously will have a larger surface
area, but a lower volume to mass ratio, requiring additional
coating and having sufficient buoyancy to support the coated the
balloon when inflated.
[0042] The coated balloons are then inserted into a package 34, as
shown in FIG. 1. Multiple balloons 12 are generally prepackaged
together for shipping purposes. The package 34 should be formed
from a film having a vapor permeation of about 0.025 gm
H.sub.2O/day/100 in.sup.2, or less. Preferably, is it formed from a
polyethylene film at least 2 mils thick. This will insure that the
coating solution will not evaporate rapidly, providing a shelf life
of several months and up to a year.
[0043] The invention will be further appreciated in light of the
following examples.
EXAMPLE 1
[0044] Toy latex balloons having an inflated diameter of 9 inches
(23 cm) were injected with the coatings and amounts taught by
Burchett '395 (Sample B) and by Sinclair '429 (Sample C) and were
sealed using a one-way valve like the one disclosed in Cole '674.
The balloons were then rubbed to distribute the coating over the
inside surface and inflated with helium. Four balloons were
prepared in each sample. The balloons were tethered to a bench top
using the ribbon attached to the valve and the time was measured
until the balloon was no longer buoyant. Sample D was prepared
using the same formulation of Sample C, but at the much-reduced
coating level. The present invention, Sample E, contains balloons
that were treated using a reduced coating level well below the
level taught by Sinclair, and a formula having 10.8% PVOH and 23.7%
dextrose. Also, for comparison, balloons containing no coating
solution at all were tested as controls (Sample A).
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Float Life of 9-inch Helium Filled Balloons
with One-way Valves (Average of 4 balloons each sample) ML COATING
FLOAT SAMPLE TREATMENT SOLUTION LIFE A Valve only 0 6.5 hours B
Valve plus Burchett 6.0 0 hours Coating Solution C Valve plus
preferred Sinclair 4.8 0 hours Coating Solution D Valve plus
preferred Sinclair 2.5 1.8 days Coating Solution E Valve plus
Present Invention 2.5 3.7 days Coating Solution
[0045] The results in Table 1 showed that the prior art preferred
embodiments of the coating formulas of Burchett (Sample B) and of
Sinclair (Sample C), when used at levels suggested in these patents
in combination with one-way valves, resulted in balloons that did
not float at all when inflated with helium. When the level of
coating taught by Sinclair was reduced to the level of the present
invention (Sample D), the balloons floated an average of 1.8 days.
The method of the present invention (Sample E), which used a
Sinclair formulation outside the range of this preferred
embodiment, and at much lower coating amounts than Sinclair taught,
gave an average floating life of 3.7 days. By comparison, balloons
containing a one-way valve but with no added coating, floated an
average of only 6.5 hours. Thus, the treatment of the present
invention gave a float life that was over thirteen times longer
than the valved balloon without treatment.
EXAMPLE 2
[0046] Example 1 was repeated using toy latex balloons having an
inflated diameter of 11 inches (28 cm). The coating levels were
adjusted so that the larger balloons had the same coating weight
per unit of surface area as in Example 1, 0.0015 ml/cm.sup.2. The
floating lives were measured and are reported in Table 2.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Float Life of 11-inch Helium Filled Balloons
with One-way Valves (Average of 4 balloons each sample) ML COATING
FLOAT SAMPLE TREATMENT SOLUTION LIFE A Valve only 0 18 hours B
Valve plus Burchett 9.0 0 hours Coating Solution C Valve plus
preferred Sinclair 7.0 4.5 days Coating Solution D Valve plus
preferred Sinclair 3.6 3.8 days Coating Solution E Valve plus
Present Invention 3.6 8.5 days Coating Solution
[0047] The results show the prior art coating of Burchett (Sample
B) resulted in a balloon that did not float at all when a one-way
valve was attached. The preferred prior art coating of Sinclair
(Sample C), at the preferred level disclosed in this patent, gave
an average float life of 4.5 days. The method of the present
invention (Sample E), which uses a formulation disclosed in the
Sinclair patent but outside of the preferred range, and at a much
lower coating level than suggested in the Sinclair patent, gave a
floating life average of 8.5 days. For comparison, balloons with
the preferred coating taught by Sinclair, but used at the reduced
level of the current invention (Sample D), floated an average of
3.8 days. Thus, in this case, the present invention gave a float
life that was double that of a balloon coated with the preferred
coating disclosed in the Sinclair patent, and was eleven times
longer than the control balloons without a coating (Sample A),
which floated an average of 18 hours.
EXAMPLE 3
[0048] 3.6 ml of coating solution were injected into two sets of
20, 11-inch balloons each. One-way flap valves were inserted into
one set of 20 balloons and they were placed into a 6-inch by 6-inch
plastic bag. Once valves, as shown in FIG. 1, were inserted into
the second set of 20 balloons, they were placed in the same kind of
bag. Next, an 8-pound weight was placed on each bag for one week to
simulate storage and shipment conditions. After one week, the bags
were opened and the balloons were inflated.
[0049] 20% of the balloons containing the flap valves had leaked
coating solution. When inflated, these balloons would not stay
inflated because of rapid leakage of helium out through the valve.
The valves would not seat properly.
[0050] On the other hand, none of the balloons containing the
valves, as shown in FIG. 1, had leaked coating solution out of the
balloons. On inflation, all of these valves worked perfectly to
hold the helium in the balloons.
[0051] The present invention allows for packaging of multiple
balloons prefilled with a coating solution, and storage of these
for up to a year as shown in FIG. 2. Due to the particular valve
selected, leakage is not a problem. This allows for prepackaging of
balloons with a proper dosage of coating solution with a one-way
valve with a ribbon. Very little training of employees is required
to inflate and distribute the balloons. The present invention
provides a balloon that will float ten times longer than a similar
valved balloon without a barrier coating, which is particularly
beneficial for balloons printed with advertising. Further, the
packaging prevents the coating from evaporating, extending the
shelf life of the product.
[0052] This has been a description of the present invention along
with the preferred method of practicing the present invention.
However, the invention itself should only be defined by the
appended claims.
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