Abstract:
A lighting/sounding device activated by inflation of a balloon includes a lighting lamp/sounder, a battery, and a housing at least covering the lighting lamp/sounder. The housing includes an inlet end, an outlet end, and an air channel connecting the inlet end and the outlet end to form a through passage for air flow within the housing. The lighting lamp/sounder is provided within the air channel and has a sealing device for sealing off the air channel. When the balloon is not inflated, the lighting lamp/sounder cannot be activated; after the balloon is inflated, a pressure difference generated between inside and outside the balloon pushes the lighting lamp/sounder towards the outer end of the air channel and seals the air channel; and, when the air channel is sealed up, an electric circuit of the lighting lamp/sounder is closed and the lighting lamp/sounder is activated to operate.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a U.S. National Stage under 35 U.S.C 371 of the International Application PCT/CN2012/070042, filed Jan. 4, 2012, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a-d) to CN 201110337121.1, filed Oct. 31, 2011. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to an accessory of a balloon, particularly to a lighting/sounding device for a balloon that operates when the balloon is inflated. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     Balloons are decorations frequently used in daily life, and people most usually decorate the environment with inflated balloons. 
     However, the usage is too monotonous to meet diversified needs. So balloons with various special effects have been created, such as luminous balloons, lighting balloon and sounding balloons. Chinese patent application CN200610122541.7, for one, discloses a luminous balloon, which has a lighting effect and is characterized in that an LED lamp is taken as a light source and a light circuit device which supplies power to a silicon photocell is arranged in a plastic shell with an air hole. The luminous balloon has a simple frame, and is convenient to use and suitable not only for being held in hand after being sleeve jointed with a plastic pipe but also for being tied and dragged by a rope to float in the air or ornament the night scene. U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,267 discloses an illuminated toy balloon having an illuminating device and a cylindrical plug with an integrally-formed radially extending integral flange insertable within the balloon neck, wherein the illuminating device is provided within the balloon neck. 
     Since balloons are usually made of latex, aluminum film or plastic, how to install a lighting/sounding device becomes an important issue for a lighting/sounding balloon. As for the patent U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,267, a lighting device is installed at the neck of the balloon intake nozzle, which would affect inflation and use of the balloon and hence is not convenient enough. Then people think of a way to install a lighting/sounding device inside a balloon by fixing the device onto the balloon wall, such as the structure disclosed by the patent application GB20070004575 wherein a lighting device is fixed onto the inner wall of a balloon, but such a structure has a problem on how to control the lighting/sounding device inside the balloon. 
     Therefore, a seal sticker described in the patent application WO20110210 has become a key mechanism to control a lighting/sounding device inside a balloon. The disclosed seal sticker is used to disconnect the electric circuit of the lighting device, and the circuit is connected once the seal sticker is withdrawn, thereby controlling a lighting/sounding device to start. However, the seal sticker is not easy to process and install as the seal sticker needs to be inserted into the circuit of the lighting/sounding device, which increases difficulty and cost of processing, and withdrawal and then disposal of the seal sticker are especially a waste of resources and environmentally unfriendly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     On the basis of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a lighting/sounding device activated by inflation of a balloon, which facilitates control of the lighting/sounding device without affecting normal use and inflation of the balloon. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a lighting/sounding device activated by inflation of a balloon, which is easy to control, has a simple and practical structure, turns on and off the lighting/sounding device by taking full advantage of the principle of pressure, and conserves resources producing no environmentally unfriendly wastes. 
     To achieve the above objects, the present invention is carried out through the following technical solutions. 
     A lighting/sounding device activated by inflation of a balloon comprises a lighting lamp/sounder, a battery, and a housing at least covering the lighting lamp/sounder, wherein the housing comprises: 
     an inlet end to let air or other gases into the housing, 
     an outlet end to discharge the air or the other gases from the housing, and 
     an air channel to connect the inlet end and the outlet end so that a through passage for air flow is formed within the housing; 
     wherein the lighting lamp/sounder is provided in the air channel and has a sealing device for sealing off the air channel. 
     Before inflation of the balloon, a circuit of the lighting lamp/sounder is disconnected and the lighting lamp/sounder cannot be activated to operate; after the balloon is inflated, a gas pressure is generated within and forms a pressure difference between inside and outside the air channel, which pushes the lighting lamp/sounder towards the outer end of the air channel and seals the air channel; and, when the air channel is sealed up, the electric circuit of the lighting lamp/sounder is connected and the lighting lamp/sounder is activated to operate. 
     The sealing device is any one selected from the group consisting of an O-ring, a seal ring, and a seal coil (like a rubber ring), or a fitted mechanism formed between the lighting lamp/sounder and the housing. Such mechanisms as a tightly fitted or nested mechanism between the outside surface of the lighting lamp/sounder and the housing or a buckled mechanism between the lighting lamp/sounder and the housing are all able to seal off the air channel and thus can be referred to as a form of a sealing device. 
     The lighting lamp/sounder has a supporting and fixing holder that covers the lighting lamp/sounder at least from one cross section so that the lighting lamp/sounder has an outer wall at the cross section. 
     The outer wall is sleeved with a sealing device in a ring-shaped structure, and is located within the air channel. 
     In correspondence with the sealing device, at least a part of the air channel is cylindrical so as to seal off the air channel with the sealing device and connect the circuit of the lighting lamp/sounder. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the lighting lamp/sounder is provided at the outside with a seal coil or seal ring projecting from an exterior margin of the lighting lamp/sounder for close contact with the air channel to seal the air channel up. 
     The seal coil or seal ring projecting from the exterior margin of the lighting lamp/sounder has a same sealing function as the sealing device provided on an external surface. 
     The housing has a cross section in a shape of T, I, or trapezoid, so that the air channel forms a reduced neck portion around which a platform is provided; and a seal gasket is provided at one end of the lighting lamp/sounder, which projects from the end of the lighting lamp/sounder with a flat contact surface and has a diameter larger than a diameter of the reduced neck portion so that the contact surface is able to form a sealing contact with the platform, thereby sealing off the air channel. 
     The inner wall of the housing has a bell-like structure, the lighting lamp/sounder sleeved with the seal coil or seal ring is located inside the bell, and a clearance between the lighting lamp/sounder and the housing constitutes the air channel. 
     The lighting/sounding device is provided inside a balloon and is fixed onto an inner wall of the balloon by an external cover with an exhaust port connecting the outlet end of the lighting/sounding device to form the air channel. 
     Further, a piercing device is provided where the lighting/sounding device contacts the inner wall of the balloon inside the external cover, which has a pointed tip to pierce the inner wall of the balloon when the external cover is fixed onto the lighting/sounding device. 
     The inlet end has a top ring with a hollow middle part and a projecting top protrusion fixed onto the top ring via two side walls. The lighting lamp/sounder is held by the top ring to move so as to expose the air channel for discharging air. 
     The lighting lamp/sounder is elastically provided within the air channel and is supported by an elastic mechanism fixed inside the air channel and electrically conductive to close a control circuit of the lighting lamp/sounder. The elastic mechanism usually applies a metal spring or a metal spring plate. 
     The housing of the lighting/sounding device has an extending portion at the inlet end, which extends outwards for people to blow air into the balloon. 
     The lighting/sounding device is able to be installed at, tied to, or fixed onto a balloon nozzle; the lighting device is also able to be installed at any position other than the balloon nozzle and be fixed onto the balloon wall, either way is able to implement the present invention. The balloon and the lighting/sounding device is able to be bound together with an O-ring, a rope or a rubber ring; or the balloon is able to be pressed onto the lighting/sounding device by hydraulic pressure; or the balloon is able to be fixed onto the lighting/sounding device by adhesives. 
     A structure implementing the present invention uses an inner pressure of the balloon to start the lighting lamp/sounder, which makes the control of the lighting lamp/sounder easier and more liable. 
     Besides, the present invention allows provision of the lighting lamp/sounder either inside the balloon or at the balloon nozzle, which makes the lighting lamp/sounder easier to use; and since no additional control mechanism is needed, the present invention does not produce pollutive waste and is more environmental friendly and energy conservative. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded diagram of the first embodiment of the presented invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram of the first embodiment during inflation. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of the inflated first embodiment with an illuminated lighting lamp. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of the second embodiment of the presented invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram of the second embodiment during inflation. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram of the inflated second embodiment with an illuminated lighting lamp. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram of the third embodiment of the presented invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram of the third embodiment during inflation. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram of the inflated third embodiment with an illuminated lighting lamp. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     To explain the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention in a clearer way, here is a detailed description with reference to the drawings and the embodiment. It is to be understood that any embodiment described herein is intended to be illustrative, without any limitation to the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  shows the first embodiment of the present invention, which is a lighting device and mainly comprises, as shown, an LED lamp  1 , a holder  3 , button batteries  4  and a housing  5 . 
     In the embodiment, two contact pieces extend from a back end of the LED lamp  1 , wherein a first contact piece  11  is directly connected between the LED lamp  1  and the button batteries  4 ; and a second contact piece  12  bends outwards, extends along an outer wall of the holder  3  to a back of the button batteries  4 , and then bends inwards to form a bent portion  13  that is directed at the back of the button batteries  4  and is able to be connected to the button batteries  4  via a spring coil  72  so as to close an electric circuit and illuminate the LED lamp  1 . 
     The button batteries  4  normally number  1  to  4  (the drawings show two batteries in a way not limiting the number thereof in other implementations), which are provided along with the LED lamp  1  inside the holder  3  and are fixedly supported by the holder  3 . The holder  3  is sleeved with the hollow housing  5  with an inlet  51  at one end and an outlet  52  at the other end, and a clearance between the housing  5  and the holder  3  constitutes an air channel  6 . An inwardly inclined wall  53  is provided at an inner side of the inlet  51  while a ring-shaped seal coil  2  is fixed onto an outer wall of the holder  3 , and the seal coil  2  projects from the outer wall of the holder and is able to be clamped onto the inclined wall  53  more and more tightly to seal the air channel  6 . 
     To fix the lighting device onto a balloon wall, the housing  5  is fitted to an external cover  8  to get fixed. To be specific, the housing  5  has a projecting external thread  54  in an outer wall of a trailing end while the external cover  8  has an internal thread  82  in an inner wall, the external thread  54  engages with the internal thread  82  to fix the housing  5  with the external cover  8 , and furthermore, the balloon wall passes between the housing  5  and the external cover  8  so that the two are fixed thereto. (The internal thread  82  and the external thread  54  may have the same function in a way of indentation.) 
     In respect that the air channel  6  needs an exhaust passage, the balloon wall has to be pierced after the external cover  8  fixes the balloon wall and the housing  5  together, so an exhaust port  81  is provided at a center of the external cover  8  and a piercing cover  7  is further provided between the external cover  8  and the housing  5 , which is a ring-shaped cover (the piercing cover is not necessarily ring-shaped as long as the piercing cover is able to pierce the balloon wall) and has a projecting spike  71  directed at the exhaust port  81  at the center. When the external cover  8  fixes the balloon wall and the housing  5  together, a middle part of the external cover  8  will be concaved if the external cover  8  is pressed hard, and the spike  71  will protrude into the exhaust port  81  to pierce the balloon wall so as to form the exhaust passage. 
     The piercing cover  7  is further sleeved with a spring coil  72  made of metal to contact the bent portion  13  of the contact piece  12  and the button batteries  4 . 
     In other implementations without a piercing cover  7 , the spring coil  72  is directly fixed to the housing  5  instead, and the balloon wall is pierced from outside to form an air channel. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the lighting device is installed inside the balloon  9  and fixed onto the balloon wall. During inflation of the balloon  9  through a balloon nozzle  91 , a pressure inside the balloon  9  is very low at beginning and a pressure difference between inside and outside the balloon is negligible, but when the inner pressure reaches a certain level, the pressure difference is large enough to discharge air through the air channel  6  in a direction of a arrow; then, the exhaust air pushes the holder  3  provided within the air channel  6  to slide outwards along the air channel  6  bringing the seal coil  2  on the holder  3  into contact with the inclined wall  53 ; and the air channel  6  will be sealed up to stop discharging air from the balloon  9  when the seal coil  2  comes into sealing contact with the inclined wall  53 . 
     As the spring coil  72  is settled in the housing  5 , the metal spring coil  72  gets held by the button batteries  4  when the holder  3  is sliding outwards, and the spring coil  72  gets compressed and comes into contact with both the button batteries  4  and the bent portion  13  formed by the contact piece  12  extending backwards, thereby connecting the circuit and illuminating the LED lamp  1 . 
     When the balloon  9  is deflated, the pressure difference between inside and outside the balloon  9  disappears and the spring coil  72  gets restored freely and releases the button batteries  4  and the holder  3 , and once the spring coil  72  is no longer in contact with the button batteries and the bent portion  13  formed by the contact piece  12  extending backwards, the circuit is disconnected and the LED lamp  1  is turned off. 
     In this way, the lighting device will be turned on under an effect of the internal pressure in the balloon and turned off once the internal pressure disappears. Such a structure achieves good results and is easy to use and control for requiring no other control mechanism. 
       FIGS. 4-6  show the second embodiment of the present invention, which, as shown in  FIG. 4 , is a lighting device and mainly comprises an LED lamp  110 , a holder  130 , button batteries  140  and a housing  150 . 
     Likewise, two contact pieces extend from a back end of the LED lamp  110 , wherein a first contact piece  111  is directly connected between the LED lamp  110  and the button batteries  140 , and a second contact piece  112  bends outwards and extends along the outer wall of the holder  130  to the back of the button batteries  140 . 
     The button batteries  140  normally number  1  to  4  (the drawings show two batteries in a way not limiting the number thereof in other implementations), which are provided along with the LED lamp  110  inside the holder  130  and are fixedly supported by the holder  130 . The holder  130  is sleeved with the hollow housing  150  with an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, and a clearance between the housing  150  and the holder  130  constitutes an air channel  160 . An inwardly inclined wall  151  is provided at an inner side of the outlet while a ring-shaped seal coil  120  is fixed onto an outer wall of the holder  130 , and the seal coil  120  projects from the outer wall of the holder  130  and is able to be clamped onto the inclined wall  151  more and more tightly to seal the air channel  160 . 
     In this embodiment, the lighting device is usually provided at the balloon nozzle, so the housing  150  has two projections  152  and  154  at a middle part to form therebetween a ring-shaped groove  153  where an O-ring  191  for fixing the balloon and the lighting device is provided. Fixing the lighting device at the nozzle  192  of the balloon  190  makes it possible to put the lighting device of the present invention in the balloon nozzle, and thereby normal use of the balloon is not affected as the balloon is still able to be tied to a pipe or other accessories after inflation. 
     A metal spring coil  170  (or a metal spring plate, instead) within the air channel  160  functions as an elastic mechanism for connecting the contact piece  112  and the button batteries  140  to close the circuit. The metal spring coil  170  has a top ring  180  at the outer end, which is fixed on the inner wall of the housing  150  for positioning the metal spring coil  170 . The ring-shaped top ring  180  has a top protrusion  181  projecting from the center, which is fixed to the top ring  180  via a side wall  182 . 
     The top ring  180  is used to position the metal spring coil  170 , and the top protrusion  181  is mainly used to hold the metal spring coil  170 . Another function of the top protrusion  181  lies in that by pressing the top protrusion  181 , the button batteries  140  and the holder  130  are held and pushed into the balloon so as to deflate the balloon. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , air enters the balloon  190  in a direction of an arrow when the balloon  190  is inflated. At a beginning of inflation, the pressure inside the balloon  190  is very low and the pressure difference between inside and outside the balloon is negligible, but when the inner pressure reaches a certain level, the pressure difference is large enough to discharge air from the balloon through the air channel  160  so as to maintain pressure balance. 
     During discharge of the air, the exhaust air pushes the holder  130  provided within the air channel  160  to slide outwards along the air channel  160  bringing the seal coil  120  on the holder  130  into contact with the inclined wall  151 , and the air channel  160  will be sealed up to stop discharging air from the balloon  190  when the seal coil  120  comes into sealing contact with the inclined wall  151 . 
     At this time, the holder  130  is sliding outwards under the pressure and is displaced to such a position that the metal spring coil  170  gets held by the button batteries  140 , gets compressed and comes into contact with both the button batteries  140  and the contact piece  112 , thereby connecting the circuit and illuminating the LED lamp  110 . 
     The inflated balloon  190  is able to be deflated by pressing the top protrusion  181  inwards; when the pressure difference between inside and outside the balloon  190  is reduced to zero, the spring coil  170  gets restored freely and releases the button batteries  140  and the holder  130 ; and once the spring coil  170  is no longer in contact with the button batteries  140  and the contact piece  112 , the circuit is disconnected and the LED lamp  110  is turned off. 
     In this embodiment, the lighting device is placed inside the balloon nozzle  192  and is fixed by the O-ring  191 , whereas the outer end of the balloon nozzle  192  still has a structure of a flexible balloon wall. The balloon is able to be inflated in conventional ways, like by blowing with mouth, or using tools. After the balloon gets inflated, the nozzle  192  is able to be tied with a string or wound into a knot itself to achieve air tightness, and then the balloon is able to be hung up, stuck to a wall with an adhesive, or attached to a rod for use and entertainment. 
       FIGS. 7˜9  show the third embodiment of the present invention, which, as shown in  FIG. 7 , is a lighting device and mainly comprises an LED lamp  210 , a holder  230 , button batteries  240  and a housing  250 . 
     Likewise, two contact pieces extend from a back end of the LED lamp  210 , wherein a first contact piece  211  is directly connected between the LED lamp  210  and the button batteries  240 , and a second contact piece  212  bends outwards and extends along the outer wall of the holder  230  to the back of the button batteries  240 . 
     The button batteries  240  normally number  1  to  4  (the drawings show two batteries in a way not limiting the number thereof in other implementations), which are provided along with the LED lamp  210  inside the holder  230  and are fixedly supported by the holder  230 . The holder  230  is sleeved with the hollow housing  250  with an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, and a clearance between the housing  250  and the holder  230  constitutes an air channel  260 . An inwardly inclined wall  251  is provided at an inner side of the outlet while a ring-shaped seal coil  220  is fixed onto an outer wall of the holder  230 , and the seal coil  220  projects from the outer wall of the holder  230  and is able to be clamped onto the inclined wall  251  more and more tightly to seal the air channel  260 . 
     This embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  in that the lighting device is usually provided at the balloon nozzle, so the housing  250  firstly has an extending portion  252  with two projections  254  at the back end and an outer end convenient for handhold. The extending portion  252  further has a projecting ring  253  to attach a string so that the balloon is able to be dragged or tied on other articles. 
     A metal spring coil  270  is provided within the air channel  260  for connecting the contact piece  212  and the button batteries  240  to close a circuit. The metal spring coil  270  has a top ring  280  at an outer end, which is fixed on an inner wall of the housing  250 . The ring-shaped top ring  280  has a top protrusion  281  projecting from a center, which is fixed to the top ring  280  via a side wall  282 . 
     The top protrusion  281  is mainly used to hold the metal spring coil  270 , but another function thereof lies in that by pressing the top protrusion  281 , the button batteries  240  and the holder  230  are held and pushed into the balloon so as to deflate the balloon. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , when the balloon  290  is integrated with the lighting device of the present invention, the two are able to be tightly fixed together by sleeving the projections  254  with the balloon nozzle  291  and providing a seal ring  292  between the two projections  254 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , air enters the balloon  290  in a direction of an arrow when the balloon  290  is inflated. At a beginning of inflation, the pressure inside the balloon  290  is very low and the pressure difference between inside and outside the balloon is negligible, but when the inner pressure reaches a certain level, the pressure difference is large enough to discharge air from the balloon through the air channel  260  so as to maintain pressure balance. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , during discharge of the air, the exhaust air pushes the holder  230  provided within the air channel  260  to slide outwards along the air channel  260  bringing the seal coil  220  on the holder  230  into contact with the inclined wall  251 , and the air channel  260  will be sealed up to stop discharging air from the balloon  290  when the seal coil  220  comes into sealing contact with the inclined wall  251 . 
     At this time, the holder  230  is sliding outwards under the pressure and is displaced to such a position that the metal spring coil  270  gets held by the button batteries  240 , gets compressed and comes into contact with both the button batteries  240  and the contact piece  212 , thereby connecting the circuit and illuminating the LED lamp  210 . 
     The inflated balloon  290  is able to be deflated by pressing the top protrusion  281  inwards; when the pressure difference between inside and outside the balloon  290  is reduced to zero, the spring coil  270  gets restored freely and releases the button batteries  240  and the holder  230 ; and once the spring coil  270  is no longer in contact with the button batteries  240  and the contact piece  212 , the circuit is disconnected and the LED lamp  210  is turned off. 
     The foregoing is only a description of the present invention in combination with preferred embodiments, and the modes for implementation of the present invention are not limited thereby in any way. Any simple derivation or replacement that may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention is covered under the protection scope claimed therein.