Abstract:
Several systems for bursting amusement balloons are disclosed. The systems include a hinged lever carrying a puncturing element for bursting the balloon.

Description:
This Application is a Continuation-In-Part of Application Ser. No. 09/108,757 filed on Jul. 1, 1998 now abandoned which was a Continuation-In-Part of Application Ser. No. 08/685/308, filed on Jul. 23, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,489, which in turn was a Continuation-In-Part of Application Ser. No. 08/515,276, filed on Aug. 15, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,451; which patents are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This Application relates to the field of bursting amusement balloons by non-explosive systems, and more particularly, by mechanical systems. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The above-identified U.S. Patents disclose the discovery that electrical detonation of amusement balloons does not require an explosive or flammable charge, and that inflated balloons may be caused to explode themselves if a very small gage filament wire is electrically heated in proximity to the balloon. However, this system requires the relatively labor-intensive and relatively costly step of connecting the very small gage filament wires to the lead wires, such as by soldering or crimping, or otherwise making these connections, as well as the cost of batteries or other electrical power. Such electrical systems are excellent for professional use at relatively large events. However, an ultra simple and low cost system is needed for non-professional use such as in the home and other relatively small festive events. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention eliminates the cost of connecting such small gage filament wires, as well as the entire cost and complexity of electrical systems. In brief, the present invention provides an extremely low cost mechanical puncturing system which can easily be used by non-professionals. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view in cross-section showing one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along view line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; and 
     FIGS. 3,  4  and  5  are side elevational views illustrating additional embodiments of the invention for bursting a plurality of balloons. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1, numeral  10  indicates a mechanical balloon bursting system. System  10  includes a housing  12 , which may be rectangular, oval or square, but is preferably circular in cross-section as shown in FIG.  2 . Housing  12  includes means  14  for attaching the housing to a ceiling structure or archway or other elevated structure  16 . Means  14  may comprise double-sided adhesive tape, or other means such as screws, bolts, etc. to mount housing  10  at an elevated position. 
     Housing  12  may be composed of plastic, cardboard or other low-cost material and it contains a mechanical puncturing system  20 . This puncturing system includes a pivoted lever  22  which is pivoted at point  24  to a fixed portion  26 . Portion  26  may be glued to the bottom  27  of the housing, or may be connected by double-sided adhesive tape  28 , or by other connection means. 
     Many forms of pivotal connections between portions  22  and  26  of the hinge will be apparent to those skilled in the art. However, it has been discovered that lever  22  and fixed portion  26  may be formed of one, single and integral piece such as by plastic molding. In this preferred embodiment, lever  22  and fixed portion  26  are connected to each other by a thinner, flexible hinge portion  30 . In this embodiment, the integral piece is molded in a configuration such that lever  22  is in the elevated position shown in FIG. 1 so long as no force is applied to it. 
     Housing  12  preferably includes a trigger line guide  36  through which a trigger line  38  extends outwardly of the housing. Lever  22  carries a puncturing pin  40  such that, when trigger line  38  is pulled to the left as viewed in FIG. 1, the trigger line pulls lever  22  downwardly causing pin  40  to pass through aperture  42  in the bottom of housing  12 . 
     As further shown in FIG. 2, aperture  42  is surrounded by an annular adhesive layer  46 , or two strips of adhesive may be positioned on opposite sides of the aperture. In either event, a balloon may be readily secured to the detonator by simply pushing the balloon against the bottom surface of adhesive layer  46  such that the balloon adheres to layer  46 . Thus, when trigger line  38  is pulled, lever  22  forces pin  40  through hole  42  which causes the balloon to burst. 
     From the foregoing description of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be apparent that any non-professional person may mount the housing to the ceiling or other elevated place, and stick one balloon to the detonator. Then such person may pull the trigger line whenever the balloon is to be burst. However, the present invention also enables more than one balloon to be exploded as illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a tube  50  is secured to an elevated place by double-stick tape  52 , or by other mechanical means as previously recited. Tube  50  contains a plurality of apertures such as  54  and  56 , and a plurality of hinged levers such as  58  and  60 . Each of the levers carries a puncturing pin  62  which passes through the corresponding aperture when the levers are moved downwardly. 
     In the FIG. 3-4 embodiment, the means for moving levers downwardly comprise a cam  66  which is pulled to the left as viewed in FIG. 3 by a trigger line  68 . As further illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, cam  66  may comprise a body  70  of square or rectangular cross-section having a cam surface  72  which engages the upper surfaces of the levers as the cam is pulled over the levers by line  68 . Thus, as the cam is pulled by line  68 , each of a plurality of levers is depressed and the associated balloons are burst in sequence. 
     The means for maintaining the levers in the elevated positions may comprise the molded plastic hinge as previously described. Alternatively, they may comprise a V-shaped, or wedge-shaped, plastic hinge  74  which is molded in the shape shown in FIG. 3 as associated with lever  58 . Thus, lever  58  remains in the retracted, elevated and safe position as illustrated unless and until the lever is forced downwardly by the cam, and immediately thereafter, the lever springs back to its safe and retracted position. 
     An alternative means for biasing the lever upwardly into the retracted position is shown in FIG. 3 with respect to lever  60  which is secured by a hinge so as to pivot about the lower end, and such hinge may be as simple as a piece of flexible adhesive tape  74 . In order to bias the lever upwardly, a spring or piece of resilient material  76  may be positioned between the bottom of tube  50  and the underneath side of lever  60 . Therefore, in either of the embodiments shown in FIG. 3, the levers are hinged and biased into the retracted and safe position as shown in the drawings, and they return to this safe position immediately after bursting the balloon. 
     It will also be understood that the cross-section of the cam and tube may be circular. In this event, it is preferred that the tube include an elongated guide, such as a fin or other projection, which is received in a groove in the cam for the purpose of preventing any possibility of the cam rotating about the axis of longitudinal movement. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, tube  50 ′ contains the same levers  58 ,  60  and apertures  54 ,  56  as previously described. However, instead of a cam pulled by a trigger line, the FIG. 5 embodiment utilizes a cam in the form of a ball  66 ′. Ball  66 ′ rolls down tube  50 ′ which is slightly inclined as illustrated. Ball  66 ′ may be a marble or metallic ball so long as it has sufficient weight to depress the levers and thereby burst the plurality of balloons as the ball rolls to the left as viewed in FIG.  5 . 
     In order to control the ball and cause it to roll down the tube only when desired, gate means  80  and actuator means  82  are provided. In the totally non-electrical embodiment, gate means  80  may be a rod, or other projection which is biased upwardly by a spring or other resilient means into the blocking position as illustrated. In this embodiment, actuator means  82  may be a simple trigger line which, when pulled downwardly, retracts the gate and allows the ball to roll along tube  50 ′ and sequentially depress the levers into their balloon bursting positions. Alternatively, actuator means  82  may be an electrical solenoid which retracts gate  80  when it is desired to burst the balloons; such solenoid being connected to a power source and a switch not illustrated. 
     From the foregoing description of several preferred embodiments, many variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art of exploding amusement balloons. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to be purely illustrative of the principles of the invention, and that the true invention is not intended to be limited other than as set forth in the following claims construed under the Doctrine of Equivalents.