Patent ID: 6244209
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: G09F,Y10S

Abstract:
A signal balloon assembly, comprising:a case having a generally rectangular box shaped configuration, a top being openable, a bottom, a front, and a back;said top and bottom of said case lying in substantially parallel planes with one another;said front and back of said case lying in substantially parallel planes with one another;said case comprising a rigid inner case and a flexible outer case substantially covering said inner case of said case;said case having a removable flexible cover flap substantially covering said top and said front of said case;a hook and loop fastener detachably attaching said cover flap to said case adjacent said top of said case;said case having a belt loop coupled to said back of said case, said belt loop being adapted for extending a user's belt therethrough to secure said case to the user's belt;said case having a dividing panel therein located between said open top and bottom of said case, said dividing panel dividing said case into top and bottom compartments;wherein said dividing panel is equidistantly positioned between said top and bottom of said case such that said top and bottom compartments are substantially equal in area;said dividing panel having a hole therethrough for providing a passage between said to and bottom compartments;a spool being rotatably mounted in said bottom compartment of said case to permit free rotation about an axis extending between said front and back of said case;said axis of rotation of said spool being extended substantially perpendicular to said planes of said front and back of said case;an elongate flexible element having a pair of opposite ends, a first end of said pair of ends of said flexible element being wound around said spool such that rotation of said spool in a first direction further winds said flexible element around said spool and rotation of said spool in a second direction opposite said first direction unwinds said flexible element from around said spool;a second end of said pair of ends of said flexible element being extended through said hole of said dividing panel into said top compartment;a generally cylindrical container being disposed in said top compartment of said case;said container having a volume of compress helium therein;said container having a pair of opposite ends, said container having a generally frusta-conical portion adjacent a first end of said pair of ends of said container;said frusta-conical portion of said container tapering towards said first end of said container for helping to reduce said profile of said container at said first end of said container;said container having an attachment tab outwardly extending from a second end of said pair of ends of said container, said attachment tab having an attachment hole therethrough;said second end of said flexible element being extended through said attachment hole to couple said second end of said flexible element to said second end of said container;wherein a fastener is wrapped around said second end of said flexible element and an adjacent portion of said flexible element is for securing said flexible element to said attachment tab;an inflatable balloon being disposed in said top compartment of said case, said balloon having a mouth coupled to said first end of said container to fluidly connect said balloon to said interior of said container such that said compressed helium in said container may pass into said balloon to inflate said balloon;a check valve being interposed between said mouth of said balloon and said first end of said container, said check valve having a removable release pin, said release pin having a pull ring coupled thereto;said check valve closing fluid communication between said container and said balloon when said release pin is in said check valve, wherein removing of said release pin permits passage through said check valve of gas from said container into said balloon, wherein said check valve prohibits passage of gas from said balloon back into said container;wherein said balloon has a highly visible exterior surface;wherein said balloon has an outer diameter of about 21/2 feet when fully inflated with said helium gas in said container;wherein said flexible element has a length of about 100 feet for permitting floating of said balloon high enough above the user to be seen from a distance;wherein said container has a length between said ends of said container of about 4 inches and a diameter of about 2 inches; andwherein said case has a length between said open top and bottom of said case of between about 6 inches and about 8 inches and a width of about 4 inches.