Abstract:
A device and method for filling balloons with a fluid comprising a pressurizable container and a filling head. The device pressurizes a container filled with a fluid and releases the fluid through a barbed nozzle that engages a balloon. To use the device, a user engages a balloon on a barbed nozzle attached to the filling head and pumps a pumping mechanism. When the container is adequately pressurized, a user actuates a trigger mechanism that releases fluid in the pressurized container into a balloon engaged on a nozzle to fill the balloon with the fluid

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation in Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/877,502, filed Sep. 8, 2010 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/249,335, filed Oct. 7, 2009, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties all commonly owned. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    The present invention is directed toward a system and method for filling balloons with a liquid. More specifically, the invention relates to a portable balloon filling station that allows users to easily fill balloons with liquid contained within the system. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Filling balloons with liquid, typically water, for recreational purposes is a popular pastime activity, yet filling balloons with liquid is often cumbersome, messy, and sometimes painful. 
         [0004]    A fixed water source such as a kitchen faucet or garden hose often has a relatively large opening that stretches the mouth of a water balloon beyond the breaking point. These sources also often suffer from sharp edges and threads that also promote balloon breakage. 
         [0005]    Many devices exist that help to fill balloons with liquid by adapting a fixed water source into a balloon filling station. These sources suffer from additional limitations, such as not being portable and not providing water in a pressure range conducive to filling balloons. A high residential water pressure also leads to broken balloons, resulting in unwanted mess, wasted water, and the potential for injury when balloons break in a filler&#39;s hands. 
         [0006]    These sources are also stationary, therefore necessitating multiple trips to the water source. This is often impracticable due to large distances between recreation sites and the fixed water source, resulting in long times spent away from the recreational site, a disincentive to engage in balloon-filling activities, and severely limiting the locations of recreational sites. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, there is a need for a balloon filling device that is portable, safe, efficacious, and easy to use. Specifically, there is a need for a portable balloon filling system with a self-contained fluid reservoir that is capable of being pressurized, capable of repeatedly filling a balloon with fluid, yet does not promote balloon breakage. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a balloon filling device, comprising a container capable of being pressurized by a fluid, wherein the container includes an opening, a filling head of a sufficient size and dimension to be secured to the opening of the container, a pump assembly attached proximate the filling head which extends into the opening of the container, a pump handle in communication with the pump assembly, a nozzle, having a first end and a second end, and having an internal conduit traversing from the first end to the second end that is in communication with the filling head, wherein the nozzle is sufficient to engage and maintain a balloon to be filled with the fluid, and a trigger mechanism in communication with the nozzle that controls the release of pressurized fluid from the container into the nozzle. The fill head is secured to the container with a screw thread. 
         [0009]    The gasket is placed between the fill head and the container to prevent fluid leaks wherein the gasket material is selected from the group consisting of paper, rubber, silicone, compressed fiber, grease, metal, plastic, cork, felt, neoprene, nitrile rubber, polytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof. 
         [0010]    The nozzle includes at least one barb of a sufficient size and dimension to prevent a balloon from disengaging the barb while the balloon is being filled with fluid. 
         [0011]    In addition, the device includes a pickup tube having one end that communicates with the nozzle and a second end that contacts liquid in the container. A screen is secured to the second end of the pickup tube to reduce clogging the pickup tube, trigger mechanism, and nozzle with foreign objects. 
         [0012]    The pump assembly comprises a substantially rigid, substantially cylindrical tube having an inside surface, an outside surface, a substantially open first end, a second end, and a middle portion between the first and second ends, a pump shaft passing through the first end of the tube comprising a rigid rod having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion between the first and second ends, for reciprocating substantially within the confines of the tube, a piston secured to the first end of the pump shaft comprising a flexible ring that engages the inside surface of the tube forming a seal and defining an inner tube cavity, a pump handle secured to the second end of the pump shaft for gripping the pump shaft for manually reciprocating the pump shaft to expel air from the inner tube cavity, and a one way check valve communicating with the second end of the tube that allows air to be forced out of the inner tube cavity when the pump shaft plunges towards the second end of the tube, yet prevents air from returning into the tube cavity through the second end. 
         [0013]    The balloon pump may, alternatively, comprise an electro-mechanical pump to pressurize the container. 
         [0014]    In an alternate embodiment, a balloon filling device comprises a container capable of being pressurized by a fluid, wherein the container includes a first opening and a second opening, a filling head of a sufficient size and dimension to be secured to the first opening of the container, a pump assembly of a sufficient size and dimension to be secured to the second opening of the container, a pump handle in communication with the pump assembly, a nozzle, having a first end and a second end and having an internal conduit traversing from the first end to the second end that is in communication with the filler assembly, wherein the nozzle is sufficient to engage and maintain a balloon to be filled with the fluid, and a trigger mechanism in communication with the nozzle that controls the release of pressurized fluid into the nozzle. 
         [0015]    The nozzle includes at least one barb of a sufficient size and dimension to prevent a balloon from disengaging the barb while the balloon is being filled with fluid. 
         [0016]    The device further comprises a pickup tube having one end that communicates with the nozzle and a second end that contacts liquid in the container. A screen is secured to the second end of the pickup tube to reduce clogging the pickup tube, trigger mechanism, and nozzle with foreign objects. 
         [0017]    The pump assembly comprises a substantially rigid, substantially cylindrical tube having an inside surface, an outside surface, a substantially open first end, a second end, and a middle portion between the first and second ends, a pump shaft passing through the first end of the tube comprising a rigid rod having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion between the first and second ends, for reciprocating substantially within the confines of the tube, a piston secured to the first end of the pump shaft comprising a flexible ring that engages the inside surface of the tube forming a seal and defining an inner tube cavity, a pump handle secured to the second end of the pump shaft for gripping the pump shaft for manually reciprocating the pump shaft to expel air from the inner tube cavity, and a one way check valve communicating with the second end of the tube that allows air to be forced out of the inner tube cavity when the pump shaft plunges towards the second end of the tube, yet prevents air from returning into the tube cavity through the second end. The fill head is secured to the container with a screw thread. 
         [0018]    The balloon pump may, alternatively, comprise a electro-mechanical pump to pressurize the container. 
         [0019]    The invention comprises a method of filling a balloon with fluid, the method comprising the steps of placing a fluid into a container, the container capable being pressurized by air, wherein the container includes an opening, securing a filling head onto the container, pumping a pump assembly wherein the pump assembly is attached proximate the filling head, which extends into the opening of the container to pressurize the container, engaging a balloon onto a nozzle in communication with the fluid, actuating a trigger mechanism to relieve the pressure of the container thereby forcibly evacuating the container of fluid through the nozzle, and filling the balloon with liquid. The balloon may be filled with a mixture of air and water. The nozzle includes at least one barb of a sufficient size and dimension to prevent a balloon from disengaging the barb while the balloon is being filled with fluid. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating various embodiments of the present invention, in which: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the device; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a side view of one embodiment of the device; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a side view of one embodiment of the device; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a side view of one embodiment of the nozzle of the device; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a side cutaway view of one embodiment of the device; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a partially exploded perspective view of the filling head of one embodiment of the device; 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the filling head of one embodiment of the device; 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  is a side view of one embodiment of the device; 
           [0029]      FIG. 9  is a side view of one embodiment of the device; 
           [0030]      FIG. 10  is a side view illustrating one embodiment of the use of the device; 
           [0031]      FIG. 11  is a side view illustrating one embodiment of the use of the device; and 
           [0032]      FIG. 12  is a side view illustrating one embodiment of the use of the device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0033]    The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Alternate embodiments of an element are notated with lowercase letters. 
       Overview of the Device 
       [0034]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment of the invention, the two central components of the balloon pump  10 , are a container  12  capable of being pressurized, and a filling head  14 . The filling head  14  is capable of being sealedly secured to the container  12  so that the container, once pressurized, is able to maintain a pressurized state. 
         [0035]    The container  12 , is a vessel capable of attachment to the filling head  14 . The preferred embodiment of attachment comprises a set of complimentary screw threads  16 ,  18  with a first set of threads  16  molded into the filling head  12 , and the complimentary second set of threads  18  molded into the container  14 . Additionally, a compliant o-ring or gasket  20  is situated between the container  12  and the filling head  14  to promote a fluid-tight seal at the filling head-container junction  22 . The container  12  is made of a material chosen from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, post-consumer resin, K-resin, epoxy resin, phenolic formaldehyde resin, stainless steel, aluminum, and any other material known in the art. The filling head  14  is made from a material chosen from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, post-consumer resin, K-resin, epoxy resin, phenolic formaldehyde resin, stainless steel, aluminum, and any other material known in the art. The preferred materials for the container  12  are polymeric alloys suitable for blow molding, and the preferred material for the filling head  14  are polymeric alloys suitable for injection-molding. The gasket  20  material is selected from the group consisting of paper, rubber, silicone, compressed fiber, grease, metal, plastic, cork, felt, neoprene, nitrile rubber, polytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof. 
         [0036]    In one embodiment, a handle  24  is in communication with the filling head  14 . The handle  24  may outwardly project from the filling head to promote the easy handling and gripping of the balloon pump  10 . The handle comprises a series of undulatory recesses  25  that compliment gripping. However, with the handle  24  removed, as in  FIG. 3 , the balloon pump  10  is still easily gripped and handled, but through the gripping and handling of a handle-less filling head  14   a  instead of a handle  24 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 4  illustrates a hollow nozzle  26 , having a tip  27  and a proximal end, is in communication with the filling head  14 . In one embodiment, a hollow extension tube  28  is a boss, having a distal end and a proximal end, which projects from the filling head  14  and is in communication with the nozzle  26 . The extension tube  28  may be molded into the filling head  14 . Alternatively, the extension tube  28  may be fastened to the filling head  14  with pressure, threads, rivets, a twist-lock connector, or any other fastening means known in the art. In another embodiment, a hollow nozzle adapter  30 , having a proximal end and a distal end, communicates with the extension tube  28  which in turn communicates with the nozzle  26 . In this embodiment, the extension tube  28  comprises a first set of threads  32  on the distal end of the extension tube  28  that are complimentary with a second set of threads  34  situated on the proximal end of the nozzle adaptor  30 . 
         [0038]    The nozzle  26  serves two primary functions: first, to engage a balloon  36  to the balloon pump  10 , and to provide a route for fluid to enter the balloon  36 . The nozzle  26  comprises at least one barb of a sufficient size and dimension to prevent the balloon from disengaging the nozzle. In a preferred embodiment, the tip  27  of the nozzle is situated distally to the first barb, and the first barb  38  is situated distally to a second barb  40 . The tip  27  is a sufficient size and shape to allow a balloon  36  to easily slide on the nozzle  26  without tearing. The tip  27  outwardly tapers, towards the proximal end of the nozzle  26 , until reaching the first barb  38  which is the point where the taper diameter is greatest. The first barb  38  comprises a radiused apical ring  39  that inwardly tapers, towards the proximal end of the nozzle  26 , the size and shape of which securely engages a balloon  36  yet does not comprise sharp edges that would otherwise promote the tearing of an engaged balloon  36 . The second barb  40  comprises a radiused apical ring  41  that inwardly tapers, towards the proximal end of the nozzle  26 , the size and shape of which securely engages a balloon  36  yet does not comprise sharp edges that would otherwise promote the tearing of an engaged balloon  36 . The radius of the second barb  40  is larger than the first barb  38  so that a majority of commercially available water balloons will securely engage the nozzle  26  using at least one of the first barb  38  and second barb  40 . Proximal to the second barb  40 , the nozzle  26  comprises a radiused ringed ridge  42  that forms a channel  44  ( FIG. 5 ) where the nozzle  26  abuts the nozzle adaptor  30 . The channel  44  aids in securely engaging a balloon  36  to the nozzle  26 . The nozzle  26  comprises an internal conduit  46  traversing from the tip  27  to the proximal end of the nozzle  26 . Fluid passes through the nozzle  26 , entering the conduit  46  at the proximal end of the nozzle  26 , and exiting the tip  27  to enter the balloon  36 . The nozzle  26  also comprises at least one raised ridge  43  that aids in securing the nozzle  26  to the nozzle adaptor  30  by engaging at least one complimentary channel  45  in the nozzle adaptor  30 . 
         [0039]    In one embodiment exemplified by  FIG. 5 , the hollow extension tube  28  houses a valve  48  that controls the release of fluid from the container  12  into the balloon  36 . The valve  48  is a shaft having a seating end  50  and an engaging end  52  connected by a center section of the shaft. Proximate the seating end is a flange  54  upon which a spring  56  makes pressured contact. The spring  56 , which is laterally bound within the hollow extension tube  28 , has a first end and second end. The first end of the spring  56  seats against the filling head  14 , and the second end of the spring  56  seating against the flange  54 . A valve seat  58  engages the seating end  50  of the valve  48 . The valve seat  58  is a cylindrical disc that comprises a hole that communicates between the conduit  46  of the nozzle  26  and the interior cavity of the hollow extension tube  28 . The valve seat  58  engages a distal lip  60  of the extension tube  28  thereby capturing the valve seat  58 , valve  48 , and spring  56  within the extension tube  28 . The size and dimension of the spring  56  is such that the valve  48  is under spring tension, forcibly pressing against the hole in the valve seat  58 , when the valve seat  58 , valve  48 , and spring  56  are installed within the extension tube  28 . A trigger  62  communicates with the filling head  14  that also communicates with the engaging end  52  of the valve  48 . When the trigger  62  is actuated, the spring tension is overcome, and the seating end  50  of the valve  48  unseats from the valve seat  58 . If pressurized fluid is present in the hollow cavity of the extension tube  28 , it exits the balloon pump  10  by flowing from the container  12  into the hollow extension tube  28 , through the hole in the valve seat  58 , through the nozzle  26 , entering the conduit  46  at the proximal end of the nozzle  26 , and exiting the tip  27  to enter a balloon  36  engaged to the nozzle  26 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  illustrate an embodiment of the filling head  14  that comprises a pumping mechanism that is manually pumped to pressurize the container  12 . The pump assembly comprises a substantially rigid, substantially cylindrical pump tube  64  having an inside surface, an outside surface, a substantially open proximal end, a distal end, and a middle portion between the proximal and distal ends. The pump tube  64  attaches to the filling head  14 . In one embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the pump tube  64  comprises a first set of threads  70  on the proximal end of the pump tube  64  that are complimentary with a second set of threads  72  situated on the filling head  14 . The pump tube  64  is made from a material chosen from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, post-consumer resin, K-resin, epoxy resin, phenolic formaldehyde resin, stainless steel, aluminum, and any other material known in the art. The preferred materials for the tube  64  are polymeric alloys suitable for injection-molding. 
         [0041]    A pump shaft  66 , comprising a rigid rod having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion between the first and second ends, that passes through a pump channel  68  in the filling head  14  and into the pump tube  64  through the proximal end of the pump tube  64 . The pump shaft  66  is made from metal or a hard polymer. A pump handle  74  attaches to the first end  76  of the pump shaft  66 . A piston assembly  78  is secured to the second end  80  of the pump shaft  66 . The piston assembly  78  comprises a flexible ring  82  that engages the inside surface of the tube forming a movable seal and defining an inner tube cavity  84 . The pump handle  74  aids in gripping the pump shaft  66  for the purpose of manually reciprocating the pump shaft  66  to expel air from the inner tube cavity  84  into the container  12 . Alternate embodiments of the pump handle  74   a,    74   b  are illustrated in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  respectively. 
         [0042]    A one way check valve  86  communicates with the distal end of the pump tube  64  that allows air to be forced out of the inner tube cavity  84  when the pump shaft  66  plunges towards the distal end of the tube, yet prevents air from returning into the tube cavity through the distal end of the pump tube  64 . The check valve  84  comprises a compliant flap that abuts a sealing lip  88  proximate the distal end of the pump tube  64 . The sealing lip  88  engages the edge of the check valve  86  when the pressure inside the container  12  is greater than or equal to the pressure in the inner tube cavity  84  therefore preventing fluid back flow into the inner tube cavity  84 . 
         [0043]    When the pump shaft  66  is manually reciprocated, air in the inner tube cavity  84  is expelled during a pumping down-stroke (when the pump handle  74  is travelling towards the filling head  14 ) causing air in the inner tube cavity  84  to break the seal between the sealing lip  88  and the edge of the check valve  86  and to travel into the container  12 , causing an increase in the container pressure. When the pump shaft  66  is manually reciprocated during a pumping up-stroke (when the pump handle  74  is travelling away from the filling head  14 ), the sealing lip  88  and the edge of the check valve  86  sealedly engages to prevent fluid from the container  12  from entering the inner tube cavity  84 , so air travels from without the balloon pump  10 , through the pump channel  68 , into the proximal end of the pump tube  64 , and into the inner tube cavity  84 . 
         [0044]    A pickup tube  90 , having a proximal and distal end, is attached to the filling head  14  at the proximal end of the pickup tube  90 . The interior of the pickup tube  90  communicates with a duct  92  in the filling head that communicates with the hollow interior cavity of the extension tube  28 . The distal end of the pickup tube  90  is attached to a screen  94  that prevents debris from entering the pickup tube  90 . The pickup tube  90  is made from a material chosen from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, post-consumer resin, K-resin, epoxy resin, phenolic formaldehyde resin, stainless steel, aluminum, and any other material known in the art. The screen  94  is made from a material chosen from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, post-consumer resin, K-resin, epoxy resin, phenolic formaldehyde resin, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and any other material known in the art. Pressurized fluid in the container  12  is forced past the screen  94 , into the pickup tube  90 , and travels through the duct  92  and into the hollow interior cavity of the extension tube  28 . 
         [0045]    In one embodiment, the manual pump assembly is replaced by an electromechanical pump. In this embodiment, a switch communicating with the electromechanical pump actuates the electromechanical pump to pressurize the container  12 . 
       Overview of the Method 
       [0046]      FIG. 10  exemplifies a method of filling a balloon  36  with fluid. The method comprising the steps of placing a fluid into a container  12  through an opening in the container, and securing a filling head  14  to the container. A user then pumps a pump assembly  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , wherein the pump assembly is attached proximate the filling head  14 , extending into the opening of the container to pressurize the container  12 . 
         [0047]    In order to fill a balloon with fluid, a user engages a balloon  36  onto a nozzle  26 .  FIG. 12  illustrates a user actuating a trigger mechanism  62  to relieve the pressure of the container, thereby forcibly evacuating the container  12  of fluid and filling the balloon  36  with liquid. In particular, pressure is increased in the container  12  as a result of repeated pumping of air into the container  12 . Pressurized fluid in the container  12  is forced past the screen  94 , into the pickup tube  90 , and travels through the duct  92  and into the hollow interior cavity of the extension tube  28 . Pressurized fluid present in the hollow cavity of the extension tube  28  exits the balloon pump  10  by flowing from the container  12  into the hollow extension tube  28 , through the hole in the valve seat  58 , through the nozzle  26 , entering the conduit  46  at the proximal end of the nozzle  26 , and exiting the tip  27  of the nozzle  26  to enter a balloon  36  engaging the nozzle  26 . In a preferred embodiment, the fluid entering the balloon  36  is at least one of air and water. 
         [0048]    Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.