Abstract:
A singing balloon includes a balloon body, a balloon retaining body, an oscillator unit, an audio and power unit. When the balloon body is placed within an accommodating space defined by the balloon retaining body and the balloon body is allowed to be completely adhered to the oscillator unit, the music stored in the audio and power unit will be played. The balloon retaining body is formed with an abutting portion to ensure that the surface of the balloon body is completely adhered to the oscillator portion for playing music stably.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Taiwanese application numbers 99106012, filed Mar. 2, 2010, and 99208824, filed May 12, 2010, the contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entities. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a singing balloon. Specifically, the invention relates to a singing balloon that plays music by oscillation. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0003]    Giving away balloons are very useful to liven up a festival atmosphere or promote products in many playgrounds or product marketing activities. To create joyful ambiance or succeed a best campaign of publicity for products, many balloon makers design a variety of cute and interesting balloon appearances, or bend and twist balloons to particular shapes; afterwards, new products go marketing one after another to make a diverse assortment of balloons. 
         [0004]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , it is better for a kid&#39;s grip and prevents people from being bothered by floating balloons, many balloon makers fix the balloon body  1  in a prior balloon retaining bracket  2 , wherein the balloon retaining bracket  2  is formed at the bottom thereof with a supporting holder  20  grafted on a supportive rod  21  for gripping the balloon body  1 . The prior balloon retaining bracket  2  has a recess for holding a balloon&#39;s filing mouth  22  to blow up the balloon body  1 , and then knot the balloon&#39;s filing mouth. Finally, getting the part nearest to the balloon&#39;s filling mouth wedged in the recess holder of balloon&#39;s filling mouth performs the job to fix the balloon body. 
         [0005]    Due to the designing limitation of visual effect, it can only make changes to shapes, colors or patterns of the prior balloon body and its retaining bracket; therefore, it quite restricts the creativity or reduces the entertainment to make weak human sensory stimulation. Usually, gas leaking makes the balloon body gradually slack until completely shrunk, and it will be discarded together with the retaining bracket and the supportive rod, which actually are still working well, to result in waste and environmental pollution. 
         [0006]    Hence, if the balloon body can generate sound and stable contact between the balloon body and the oscillator unit is assured to allow performing steady sound effects matching up different venues and requirements, the balloon body would become of more practical and functional. Additionally, different types of sound sources can be selected to change the content of music; thus, the balloon body will have the originality and turn into a portable speaker as well. Furthermore, in spite of the balloon body shrinking due to aging of rubber, merely replacing the balloon body but using the same retaining bracket can reduce unnecessary waste for the environment-friendly demand. The balloon body is more eye-catching whenever people pass by, makes people feel like holding it in hand for a long time, increases sensory stimulation, or enhances the entertainment that can undoubtedly create a greater demand for consumption market. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An object of the invention is to provide a singing balloon, in which an oscillator unit is attached to a surface of the balloon body to allow that the surface of the balloon body resonates to generate sounds by oscillating the oscillator unit. 
         [0008]    An object of the invention is to produce a singing balloon which will go with various venues and activities, matching up with different sound effects. 
         [0009]    An object of the invention is to provide a singing balloon having changeable content of music and acting as a sound producing device. 
         [0010]    An object of the invention is to provide a singing balloon, manually power-generated, just like a music box. 
         [0011]    Another object of the invention is to provide a balloon retaining device for ensuring the balloon body to sing steadily. 
         [0012]    Another object of the invention is to provide a singing balloon that sings steadily. 
         [0013]    According to the invention, the singing balloon disclosed herein comprises: a hollow balloon body defined by a thin membrane and a balloon retaining device. The balloon retaining device comprises: a balloon retaining body for holding the balloon body; an oscillator unit comprising an oscillator attached to the balloon body; and an audio and power unit electrically connected to the oscillator unit and adapted for providing powder to and driving the oscillator unit. 
         [0014]    The balloon retaining device as disclosed herein is useful for holding a hollow balloon body of a singing balloon defined by a thin membrane. The balloon retaining device comprising: a balloon retaining body for holding the balloon body; an oscillator unit comprising an oscillator attached to the balloon body; and an audio and power unit electrically connected to the oscillator unit and adapted for providing powder to and driving the oscillator unit. 
         [0015]    According to the singing balloon disclosed herein, a user may start blowing up the balloon body through the balloon&#39;s filling mouth, swelling the balloon and fixing it in the retaining body, and attach the oscillator of the oscillator unit to a surface of the balloon body. Driven by the audio and power unit, the oscillator unit will produce and transmit oscillation to the adhered surface of the balloon body, which turns into a diaphragm that can play music and let the balloon body oscillate to make sound. After the singing balloons have been set up in the venue, they can play music stored in memory device, and further transfer and update music through wired or wireless appliances; even so, they can be speakers for live broadcasting. With regard to necessary power supply for oscillation and sound generation, a micro-generator can be selected besides common small batteries that kids would like to grip such balloons and have them powered by pulling the micro-generator, performing like a special-shaped and floating music box. Consequently, the balloon body can generate sound and play various music or sound effects to match up different venues, which can not only be accessible to multiple activities and demands, but also provide enrich variety and higher flexibility for a fun and novelty of the balloon body. Moreover, the balloon retaining device disclosed herein abuts the balloon body against the oscillator portion using an abutting portion, and makes both balloon body and oscillator portion closely adhered to each other. By the suppressing strength of the abutting portion, waves of oscillation can be constantly transmitted without interference so as not to result in loose contact owing to the balloon body is blown away; meanwhile, the balloon body will maintain the invariable operation of amplification. All objects described above will be achieved. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The above and other objects, features and effects of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a conventional balloon retaining device; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  shows a diagram of a first embodiment of the invention, illustrating an arch of multiple singing balloons; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  shows an internal schematic diagram of the oscillator unit shown in  FIG. 1  for creating sound effects by oscillation; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a diagram of a second embodiment of the invention, illustrating a balloon body made of metal membrane, and a balloon retaining body integrated with an oscillator unit, and the oscillator unit being connected to a computer via a USB connector; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  shows an internal schematic diagram of the oscillator unit shown in  FIG. 4 , illustrating that a piezoelectric element is mounted inside the oscillator unit and powered by built-in batteries; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  shows a diagram of a third embodiment of a helium-filled balloon in which a manually powered micro-generator is installed; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  shows an internal schematic diagram of the micro-generator shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  shows a diagram of a balloon retaining device According to the fourth embodiment of the invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  shows a diagram of the balloon body compressed by the oscillator portion and the abutting portion; 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  shows a diagram of a fifth embodiment of the balloon retaining device having a holding structure provided with an abutting portion; 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  shows a perspective schematic diagram of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 10  linking up a balloon body; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 12  shows a diagram of a sixth embodiment of the invention illustrating that the balloon retaining device is modified in shape for better visual effect. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    Regarding previous description of the invention and other techniques, features and performance, it will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings of preferred embodiments for clear presentation. 
         [0030]    Please refer to  FIGS. 2 and 3  both that show a balloon arch  9  comprising the singing balloons disclosed in the case. After filling up rubber balloon bodies  1 , a user may separately tie up the filling mouths of them through a balloon retaining body  30 ; next, fix the balloon bodies  1  on the frame of the balloon arch  9  one after another. Now, one of the balloon bodies  1 , such as one near a base  92 , is chosen, and an oscillator unit  31  installed inside a housing and an audio and power unit  32  are attached to a surface of such a balloon body  1 . For easier understanding of this example, the balloon retaining body  30 , oscillator unit  31  and audio and power unit  32  are combined as a balloon retaining device  3 . Among them, the audio and power unit  32  may by way of example comprise an audio terminal  325  and an external power plug  326 . The audio terminal  325  is plugged to a MP3 player  8  near the balloon arch&#39;s base  92  to have sound source driving signals transmitted, and the power plug  326  is plugged to a power socket  6 . 
         [0031]    The oscillator unit  31  in this example comprises an oscillator coil  311  and a permanently magnetic oscillator  312  installed in the housing  310 . Since the oscillator  312  is adhered to the surface of the balloon body  1 , the oscillator unit  31  will be powered by the power socket  6  via the power plug  326 , and receive sound signals from the audio and power unit  32  via the audio terminal  325 ; afterward, the sound signals will magnetize the oscillator coil  311  to bring about attraction/repelling interactions in the permanently magnetic oscillator  312  for oscillation, consequently the surface of the balloon body  1  attached with the oscillator unit  31  is oscillated in response to such sound signals, and generates sound. 
         [0032]    Hence, the balloon arch  9  can be set up at the entrance as the start of red carpet in anniversary or wedding, and play suitable music or sound effects directly from the stored content of the MP3 player  8 . If a user worries about the volume of the balloon body  1  wouldn&#39;t be enough, he/she can output sound signals from the same MP3 player  8  to multiple oscillator units  31  that can be separately adhered to different balloon bodies  1 , simultaneously driving many balloons to perform synchronous sounding; that is, many balloons of the whole balloon arch  9  will play same music and attain to necessary volume and effect. 
         [0033]    Certainly, those who have ordinary skills in this field of technology can easily understand that the above balloon body may not necessarily be made of flexible rubber only, which also can be metal membrane, and that the oscillator unit and the audio and power unit can have a variety of forms. As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , a second embodiment of the invention illustrates a metal-membrane balloon body  1 ′ as an example. For convenient assembly, an oscillator unit  31 ′ according to this embodiment has been integrated to a balloon retaining body  30 ′ so that the balloon body  1 ′ can be linked to the balloon retaining body  30 ′ after being filled with gas and the oscillator can be adhered to the balloon body  1 ′ at the same time. The oscillator according this embodiment is a piezoelectric element  313 ′ that can produce oscillation with changes in the crystal lattice size of the element  313 ′ due to voltage changes of the applied signals. Due to its extremely small size, the piezoelectric element  313 ′ makes the oscillator unit  31 ′ getting thinner, and one side of this element  313 ′ fixed on the housing  310 ′ of the oscillator unit  31 ′; and the other side adhered to and oscillate the balloon body  1 ′. 
         [0034]    The audio and power unit  32 ′ according to this embodiment comprises a flat rechargeable battery  320 ′, a memory device  322 ′, a microprocessor  323 ′, an universal serial bus (USB) connector  324 ′ and a wireless signal receiver  327 ′. Users can access preset music data from a computer  7 ′ through a USB connector  324 ′, and then store them to the memory device  322 ′. While playing music, the microprocessor  323 ′ commands to get data, outputs sound signals to the oscillator unit  31 ′, driving the piezoelectric element  313 ′ to oscillate, and then the balloon body  1 ′ oscillates and generates sound, so that users can play their recorded favorite music to make the balloon body  1 ′ a speaker playing music. 
         [0035]    Additionally, a wireless signal receiver  327 ′ receives specific signals as triggering signals to activate and drive the micro processor  323 ′ to operate. Hence, take the zoo as an example that balloons can be given away while visitors are boarding tour vehicle. Wireless transmitters are installed in attractions of zoo, and all balloons in the vehicle will together receive triggering wireless signals arriving at a specific spot, broadcasting preset guiding data. Visitors might even be allowed to bring such balloons into the Haunted Mansion, where balloons can make special sound effect upon visitor&#39;s arrival at a specific spot, and visitors seemingly experience real participation and presence. Of course, the above USB connector  324 ′ can be replaced with wireless transmission devices, such as a bluetooth device or an infrared transmission device. 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , a third embodiment of the invention presents a floating balloon body after being filled with helium, its audio and power unit powered by a micro-generator  321 ″, and the external housing of the balloon body and of oscillator unit  31 ″, and the balloon retaining body  30 ″ altogether integrated into one piece. The micro-generator  321 ″ of this example comprises a stator coil  3210 ″ stationed in a relative position to the balloon body  30 ″, a permanent-magnet rotor  3211 ″ for rotating around a pivotal axis in a relative position to the stator coil  3210 ″, a pull rope  3212 ″ for driving the permanent-magnet rotor  3211 ″ to rotate around the pivotal axis by moving from a retracted position to a protracted position, and an elastic element  3213 ″ for rolling up and restoring the pull rope  3212 ″. 
         [0037]    Particularly to make a simple structure for the balloon, the pull rope  3212 ″ itself is a tether for the balloon. People gripping a balloon want to listen to music by holding the balloon retaining body  30 ″ in one hand, and the other hand pulling down the tether to drive the permanent-magnet rotor  3211 ″ to rotate. And then, the stator coil  3210 ″ produces electric energy to drive the oscillator unit  31 ″ to play music in compliance with oscillation signals. Following, the tether will be driven by an elastic element  3213 ″ to gradually return to the start and, during the process, the permanent-magnet rotor  3211 ″ will be driven again to rotate relative to the stator coil  3210 ″ and generate power. Therefore, the balloon&#39;s memory device can save hundreds of songs that kids gripping such balloons are able to pull the tether again and again, just like a traditional music box constantly singing different songs. Singing balloons will not only create happier atmosphere, but also accomplish greater and more powerful advertising effect than conventional ones. 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , it is a fourth embodiment of the invention that the balloon retaining body  30 ′″ is formed with an accommodating space  301 ′″ for part of a balloon body. A recess at the edge of the balloon retaining body  30 ′″ lets users willingly fix or remove the balloon body  1  on their own. A holder  304 ′″ of a singing balloon&#39;s filing mouth is to fix the balloon&#39;s filling mouth for tying the balloon tight. In this example, the audio source of the audio and power unit  32 ′″ is an integrated system-on-a-chip (SOC), including an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a power module, a switching module, and a voice output module. The integrated circuits (IC) of this type feature on cheap price, low power consumption and compact size that users can place it inside the balloon retaining body  30 ′″ to fit the applications of read-only recording and less memory demand, such as playing campaign slogans, music in fast food restaurants, product promotion announcement, movie advertisement or toys&#39; sound effects. The powering function of the audio and power unit  32 ′″ may by way of example be derived from a mercury battery which provides the audio source and the oscillator unit  31 ′″ with necessary power. 
         [0039]    Please also refer to  FIG. 9  using the above structure to have a filled and swollen balloon body  1  fixed in the joint accommodating space  301 ′″ between an oscillator portion  300 ′″ and an abutting portion  302 ′″. Since the distance between the oscillator portion  300 ′″ and the abutting portion  302 ′″ is a little shorter than the balloon body ldiameter, compression happens. In that situation, an elastically restoring portion  305 ′″ of the balloon retaining body provides an acting force due to change in elastic potential energy, applying toward the balloon on the contact between the elastically restoring portion  305 ′″ and the balloon. Besides, due to the relationship between the acting force and the counter-acting force, the balloon will impose a biasing force on the contact area of the oscillator portion  300 ′″ and the abutting portion  302 ′″ to make the surface of the balloon closely adhered to the oscillator portion  300 ′″. 
         [0040]    Next, the oscillator unit  31 ′″, disposed on the side of the balloon retaining body  30 ′″ where the oscillator portion  300 ′″ and the abutting portion  302 ′″ are mounted, activates upon receiving power from the audio and power unit  32 ′″, and receives audio signals to provide the corresponding oscillation. By the performance of the oscillator portion  300 ′″ and the abutting portion  302 ′″ as described above, the oscillator unit  31 ′″ is forced to transmit such oscillation to the surface of the balloon body  1 . The membrane surface of the balloon body  1  will be driven to generate synchronous oscillation and vibrate the air to play music. Furthermore, the balloon body  1  is adhered closely to the oscillator unit  31 ′″ after being pressed by the abutting portion  302 ′″ that the above singing balloon can play music, and provide excellent and steady sound as well. 
         [0041]      FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11  show a fifth embodiment of the invention, in which the balloon retaining device  3 ″″ is configured in the form of a clip equipped with a metal spring  3050 ″″. As described above, this holder is composed of two plates, one plate of oscillator portion  300 ″″ with a built-in oscillator unit  31 ″″, and the other plate of abutting portion  302 ″″. Both plates are joined through the inner surfaces to form grooves  306 ″″ to fix a flange  23  extending from a conventional balloon retaining bracket  2 . These two plates are linked by spring  3050 ″″, below which the oscillator portion  300 ″″ and abutting portion  302 ″″ form a press portion  308 ″″, respectively, as illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . 
         [0042]    According to this embodiment, the balloon retaining device  3 ″″ is formed with a through hole  307 ″″ for receiving a supportive rod  21  of the conventional balloon retaining bracket  2 . Therefore, when parents buy kids a conventional balloon body  1 , they can have a supportive rod  21  piercing into the through hole  307 ″″ from top to bottom, and press the press portions  308 ″″ extending downward from the oscillator portion  300 ″″ and the abutting portion  302 ″″, so as to make the oscillator portion  300 ″″ and abutting portion  302 ″″ to move away from each other. After the balloon retaining body enters the space defined by the oscillator portion  300 ″″ and abutting portion  302 ″″, the user can use the circling grooves  306 ″″ holding the flange  23  extending from the conventional balloon retaining bracket  2 . Thence, the holder&#39;s elastic restoring force imparted by the spring  3050 ″″ can greatly hold tight the flange  23  of the conventional balloon retaining bracket  2 , and allow the flange  23  to be firmly inserted into the grooves  306 ″″. 
         [0043]    Additionally, the funnel shape of the balloon retaining device  3 ″″ and the conventional balloon retaining bracket  2  can prevent the balloon from floating away, further making a better linking. Besides, the oscillator unit  31 ″″ is located above the grooves  306 ″″, firmly touching and adhering to the balloon body  1  by a holding force, so that the balloon body  1  can oscillate and play music or voice. Generally, the invention is suitable for the conventional balloon retaining bracket  2 , easy installation and disassembly for playing music or voice if necessary. 
         [0044]    As shown in  FIG. 12 , a sixth embodiment of the invention tries to present more visual effects in the appearance of the balloon retaining device, so long as the oscillator portion  300 ′″″ and the abutting portion  302 ′″″ remain to force the balloon body  1  to be closely adhered to the oscillator unit  31 ′″″ and the balloon retaining device remains adapted for the audio and power unit  32 ′″″. The balloon retaining device according to this embodiment, as well as the outlines of the holder  303 ′″″ for receiving a supportive rod and the holder  304 ′″″ for receiving a balloon&#39;s filing mouth, may be designed to have different shapes according to balloon makers&#39; demand and, and further achieve the purposes of publicity, promotion and entertainment. 
         [0045]    While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments above, it should be recognized that the preferred embodiments are given for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and that various modifications and changes, which will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.