Patent Publication Number: US-2011070804-A1

Title: Blow-out

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0089262, filed Sep. 21, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a blow-out, and more particularly, to a blow-out in which, when the blower tube of the blow-out is blown, the rolled portion of a moving part is unrolled and thus the end part of the moving part is unrolled at a different angle from the moving part. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In general, when celebration gatherings such as birthday parties are held, a variety of trifling articles are used. One of the most common such articles is a blow-out. The blow-out includes a blower tube into which air can be blown and a moving part connected to one side of the blower tube, subjected to elasticity of an elastic body, and resiliently rolled. 
     When the blower tube of the blow-out is blown from a user&#39;s mouth, air passes through the moving part and, thus, the moving part rolled together with the elastic body is inflated in the form of a tube and unrolled in a straight shape. When the user&#39;s mouth is detached from the blower tube, the air therein is outwardly exhausted and, thus, the moving part is rolled back to the original state by means of elasticity of the elastic body. 
     The moving part is fabricated using paper or synthetic resin of a thin material. A passage through which air can travel is formed in the moving part. The end part of the moving part is open so that the air can be exhausted outwardly through the end part. Furthermore, the elastic body formed of elastic wire having a minute thickness is provided along the moving part. When the blower tube is blown, the elastic body is unrolled in a straight shape, air passes through the moving part, and, thus, the moving part is inflated in the form of a tube and, then, unrolled in the length direction. When the user&#39;s mouth is detached from the blower tube, the air within the moving part is exhausted outwardly, and, thus, the moving part is thinned and rolled to the original state by means of restoring elasticity of the elastic body. 
     If the above blow-out is used at various events, such as birthday parties, it can enhance the amusement of the people gathered. 
     However, the above conventional blow-out is monotonous, in that the moving part is unrolled only in a straight shape lengthwise when air is blown into it, and is then rolled back when blowing is stopped. The conventional blow-out moves back and forth in one straight direction. Accordingly, the conventional blow-out inevitably provides amusement for only a short period of time when it is used because the moving part of the blow-out does not offer much variation in its movement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made to address the above problems existing in the prior art. An objective of the present invention is to provide a blow-out that can display more variation in the movement of its moving part. For this objective, a blow-out was conceived whose moving part is unrolled conventionally while the end section of the moving part is unrolled at a different angle from the moving part when the blower tube of the blow-out is blown. 
     The blow-out of the present invention includes (i) a blower tube into which air is blown from a user&#39;s mouth, (ii) a moving part disposed on one end of the blower tube, which has an elastic body and is resiliently rolled or unrolled by the force of the air supplied from the blower tube, and (iii) an extended moving part formed at the end of the moving part that is unrolled at a different angle from the moving part when air is injected into the blower tube. 
     The extended moving part is configured to be unrolled upwardly from the moving part. The extended moving part is also configured to be unrolled when air is injected from the blower tube, and to be rolled back, together with the moving part, by means of the restoring force of the moving part when the supply of air from the blower tube is stopped. 
     The extended moving part may be made of the same material as the moving part or other flexible materials so that it can be easily unrolled by means of the force of the air or rolled by restoring force of the moving part. The extended moving part can be made in a shape similar to the moving part or in the form of popular characters. Its outer surface can be decorated with pictures, such as popular characters. 
     In accordance with the blow-out of the present invention, when the blower tube of the blow-out is blown, the moving part is unrolled from its initial rolled position and the end part of the moving part is unrolled at a different angle from the moving part. Accordingly, people gathered can be provided with more amusement and surprises, and can feel more joyful. As a result, celebration can be more enhanced at such gatherings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of blow-out according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the blow-out is in an initial rolled state; 
         FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein the blowout is in an extended unrolled state; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the extended unrolled blow-out shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the extended moving part of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein the extended moving part has a character form; 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 1 , illustrating a stage in which the extended moving part and the moving part are beginning to be rolled together to the original state after the blow-out is used; 
         FIG. 6  is a top perspective view of a blow-out according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7   a  is an exploded perspective view of a blow-out according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7   b  is a top perspective view of the extended moving part of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 7   a , wherein the extended moving part has a character form; 
         FIG. 7   c  is a partial view of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 7   a , wherein the extended moving part is attached to the moving part; 
         FIG. 8   a  is a top perspective view of a blow-out according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8   b  is a side elevational view of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 8   a ; and 
         FIG. 8   c  is a side elevational view of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 8   a , illustrating a stage in which the extended moving part and the moving part are beginning to be rolled together to the original state after the blow-out is used. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIGS. 1-5  illustrate a first embodiment of the blow-out of the present invention.  FIG. 1  is a top perspective view showing an initial state, in which a blow-out is at rest, that is, not being used, in order to describe the blow-out according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein the blowout is in an extended unrolled state.  FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the extended unrolled blow-out shown in  FIG. 2 . Reference number  2  denotes a blower tube, 
     The blower tube  2  can be fabricated using plastic, thick paper, or a metal material in the form of a tube so that air can flow through the inside of the blower tube  2 . A moving part  4  rolled in the shape of a roll of paper, which is to be unrolled when used, is connected to one end of the blower tube  2 , the other end being for use in the user&#39;s mouth. 
     The moving part  4  can be fabricated using coated paper, synthetic resin films or the like so that air does not leak out through the surface of the moving part  4 . The moving part  4  has a passage formed therein so that air can travel therethrough. Furthermore, the surface of the moving part  4  may be printed or otherwise decorated in order to increase an aesthetic effect or amusement. 
     Both ends of the moving part  4  are open so that air can travel therethrough. One end of the moving part  4  is attached to the outer surface of the blower tube  2  using an adhesive, etc., so that air can flow from the blower tube  2  to the moving part  4 . The other end of the moving part  4  is formed in such a way as for air to continuously flow to the following section, which is the extended moving part  10 . 
     An elastic body  6  of a thin thickness such as a thin elastic metal wire is fixed on a central longitudinal axis of one side of the moving part  4 . The elastic body  6  can be made of such wire having predetermined elasticity. One end of the moving part  4  is attached to the blower tube  2  in such a way that the moving part  4  is rolled like a roll of paper by means of the coiling force or inward elasticity of the elastic body  6 . 
     In a blow-out for celebration events having the above construction, air passes through the moving part  4  via the blower tube  2  when the blower tube  2  is blown, and, thus, the moving part  4 , rolled together with the elastic body  6  in its initial state, is, then, inflated in the form of a tube and unrolled in a length direction due to the force of air injected. At the same time, the elastic body  6  is unrolled and straightens out together with the moving part  4 . The air passing through the moving part  4  is discharged from an opening portion  8  which is the end part of the moving part  4 . 
     Such an unrolled state is maintained as long as the air is sufficiently supplied to the moving part  4 . If the user&#39;s mouth is detached from the blower tube  2  and the supply of air to the moving part  4  is stopped, the air within the moving part  4  is discharged outwardly via the blower tube  2  and the opening portion  8 , and at the same time, the moving part  4  is rolled back to the form of a roll of paper by means of the contractile force of the elastic body  6 . 
     The blow-out of the present invention has a structure similar to the prior art in the above respects. However, in the case of the present invention, an extended moving part  10  is further provided at the end part of the moving part  4 . The extended moving part  10 , when the blower tube  2  is blown, is configured to be unrolled at a different angle from the moving part  4  while the moving part  4  is unrolled. 
     To this end, an extension portion  4   a  is formed at the end part of the moving part  4 , and the extended moving part  10  is connected to the moving part  4  with the extension portion  4   a  functioning as a connector. 
     Furthermore, an extension elastic body  6   a  is extended from the elastic body  6  along the extension portion  4   a.  The extension elastic body  6   a  is bent at a specific angle. When air is injected into the blower tube  2  and the moving part  4  is thereby unrolled, the extension portion  4   a  is unrolled in a different direction from the moving part  4  with an angle. The upward angle of the extended moving part  10  can be adjusted by controlling the angle in which the extension elastic body  6   a  is bent with respect to the elastic body  6 . 
     The extension elastic body  6   a  can be bent at a predetermined angle. An angle in which the extended moving part  10  is unrolled can be varied according to the predetermined angle. 
     The lower end part of the extended moving part  10  may be connected to the extension portion  4   a  using an adhesive, etc. Here, the connection between the lower end part of the extended moving part  10  and the extension portion  4   a  must be airtight so that air does not leak from within through the connecting area. 
     Air exhaust holes  12  are formed at corner portions of the top end part  13  of the extended moving part  10  with the rest of top end part  13  of the extended moving part  10  being in a sealed state. The air flow through the air exhaust holes  12  affect the unrolling and rolling of the extended moving part  10 . Therefore, the size and the number of the exhaust holes may vary in order to achieve the optimum level of unrolling and rolling of the extended moving part  10 . More particularly, for example, the air exhaust holes  12  function to allow air within the extended moving part  10  to exit quickly when the user&#39;s mouth is detached from the blower tube  2  and rolling of the elastic body  6  and, thus, the moving part  4 , begins. Since the rolling of the moving part  4  of the present invention begins from the end part of the elastic body  6 , it is desirable that the extended moving part  10  becomes deflated quickly, that is, flat, and that it fold on top of the moving part  4  quickly so that they can be rolled back together as one piece to the initial state ( FIG. 1 ). If the air exhaust holes  12  for allowing air to exit therefrom are not provided at the end part of the extended moving part  10 , the air is trapped within the extended moving part  10 , that is, it will stay inflated, when rolling begins and, thus, the extended moving part  10  and the moving part  4  may not be easily rolled back folded together as one piece. As a result, the moving part  4  may not be quickly rolled back to the initial state ( FIG. 1 ). This is not desirable for the user for he or she may want the blow-out to be quickly ready in a rolled state ( FIG. 1 ) so that he or she can blow it again. 
     A picture such as a popular character, for example, may be printed on the print surface  14  of the extended moving part  10  to increase the aesthetic value of the blow-out or amusement. 
     The extended moving part  10  can be made of the same material as the moving part  4  or can be made of a flexible material which can be easily inflated and unrolled by the force of air and can be easily rolled by the elasticity of the elastic body  6 . Examples of such materials include coated paper, nonwoven textiles or polyester films to name a few. 
     The above blow-out according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be used at various events such as birthday parties. When the blow-out is not being used, the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10  are rolled in the form of a roll of paper by means of the inward elasticity of the elastic body  6  ( FIG. 1 ). In this state, when air is blown into the blower tube  2  from the user&#39;s mouth, the air passes through the moving part  4  via the blower tube  2  and the moving part  4  is inflated in the form of a tube and unrolled forward lengthwise in a straight shape. At the same time, the elastic body  6  is resiliently unrolled as it is embedded in the moving part  4  and travels with it. The air passing through the moving part  4  travels through the opening portion  8  which is the end part of the moving part  4  or the end of the extension portion  4   a  to be more precise. 
     As the air passes further past the end part of the moving part  4 , the extension portion  4   a  is inflated and unrolled. At the same time, the extension elastic body  6   a , embedded in the extension portion  4   a,  is unrolled. The extension elastic body  6   a  is bent at such a predetermined angle with respect to the elastic body  6 , it is unrolled by the force of the air, but will stand at an angle with respect to the elastic body  6 . As a result, the extension portion  4   a  will stand at an angle with respect to the moving part  4 . The air travels further through opening portion  8  into the extended moving part  10 , inflating it and unrolling it. Since the extended moving part  10  does not include an elastic body, the extended moving part  10  will stay in the same direction as the extension elastic body  6   a  or the extension portion  4   a  when it is inflated. Thus, it stands at an angle with respect to the moving part  4  by the force of the air injected. This is the intended result of the blow-out of the present invention. 
     The preferred predetermined angle between the extension elastic body  6   a  and the elastic body  6  of a regular size blow-out in its initial rolled state ( FIG. 1 ) is approximately 30 degrees. If the extension elastic body  6   a  is bent at approximately 30 degrees with respect to the elastic body  6  in the initial rolled state ( FIG. 1 ), it will roughly stand upright with respect to the elastic body  6  (i.e., at an angle of approximately 90°) when blower tube  2  is blown with moderate force of air. This is because the force of the air tends to unroll the extension elastic body  6   a  much more beyond its predetermined angle. 
     The air passing through the extended moving part  10  is discharged outwardly through the air exhaust holes  12 . When the air continues to be supplied to the extended moving part  10 , the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10  remain upright as described above. 
     As described above, since the blow-out is used in social gatherings such as birthday parties, people gathered can be provided with great amusement and can feel joyful. 
     When the user&#39;s mouth is detached from the blower tube  2 , the air within the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10  exit through the blower tube  2  and the air exhaust holes  12 . Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the extended moving part  10  becomes deflated, that is, flat, and folds on the end part of the moving part  4 . It is, then, rolled folded together with the moving part  4  in the form of a roll of paper by means of the restoring elasticity of the elastic body  6  back to the original state ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , an extended moving part  10   a  may be formed to have a character form in itself. Air exhaust holes  12   a  are formed at the end part of the arms of the extended moving part  10  . In this case, when the blower tube  2  is blown, the extended moving part  10   a,  stands upright at the end of the extension portion  4   a  in a character form, thereby providing greater amusement to people around. Extended moving part  10  in  FIGS. 2 and 3  and extended moving part  10   a  in  FIG. 4  differ in appearance and work much the same way with respect to the rest of the blow-out of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a second embodiment of the blow-out of the present invention. In the second embodiment of the present invention, only portions different from those of the first embodiment are described, and the portions that are the same as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numbers as the corresponding portions of the first embodiment. 
     As shown, in the second embodiment of the present invention, a moving part  4  and an extended moving part  10   b  are formed as a single unit. Here, the moving part  4  can be fabricated to be, for example, 200 mm in length and the extended moving part  10   b  can be fabricated to be, for example, 100 mm in length and an extension elastic body  6   b  can be fabricated to be, for example, 10 mm in length. When the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10   b  are fabricated as one piece, an elastic body  6  is inserted up to a point 210 mm from the beginning of the moving part  4 , and the rest of the extended moving part  10   b  does not have an elastic body. In other words, 10 mm of the elastic body  6  will continue into the bottom of the extended moving part  10   b  as the extension elastic body  6   b.    
     The air exhaust holes  12   b  for allowing some air to exit therefrom are formed at both corners of the end part of the extended moving part  10   b  and the rest is sealed. Furthermore, the extended elastic body  6   b , having a length of 10 mm, is then bent at a predetermined angle, as in the first embodiment. 
     When air is injected into the blower tube  2  and, thus, the moving part  4  is unrolled, the extension elastic body  6   b  being bent at a predetermined angle as in the first embodiment will unroll only up to an angle and the extended moving part  10   b  will stand upright with respect to the moving part  4  (i.e., at an angle of approximately 90°). 
       FIGS. 7   a - 7   c  show a third embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 7   a  is an exploded perspective view of a blow-out according to a third embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 7   b  is a top perspective view of the extended moving part of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 7   a , wherein the extended moving part has a character form.  FIG. 7   c  is a partial view of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 7   a , wherein the extended moving part is attached to the moving part. In the third embodiment of the present invention, only portions different from those of the first embodiment are described, and the portions that are the same as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numbers as the corresponding portions of the first embodiment. 
     As shown, in the third embodiment of the present invention, an extended moving part  10   c  is attached to the top surface area of the end part of the moving part  4  so that it can stand upright on the top surface of the moving part  4  (i.e., at an angle of approximately 90°). 
     The end of the moving part  4  is formed in a sealed state. One or more air holes  16  are formed on the top surface of the moving part  4 . The air holes  16  are located slightly away from the end of the moving part  4 , for example, 5 mm, and they are spaced apart from each other at a certain distance. 
     The bottom end part  19  of the extended moving part  10   c  is open so that air can pass therethrough. The air holes  16  are situated within the bottom end part  19  of the extended moving part  10   c  so that all the air injected into the moving part  4  continues therethrough. The number of air holes  16  can be one or more, and their size is large enough for air to easily pass through them. Air exhaust holes  12   c  for allowing air to exit therethrough are formed at both corners of the top end part  13  of the extended moving part  10   c  so that the air can exit from the air exhaust holes  12   c  with the end portion of the moving part  4  being in a sealed state. 
     Furthermore, an attaching part  18  is formed in the form of a flange on the outer circumference of the bottom end part  19  of the extended moving part  10   c  so that the extended moving part  10   c  can be attached to the top surface of the moving part  4 . The attaching part  18  is attached to the top surface of the moving part  4  tightly, using glue, for example, so that the air travels from the moving part  4  to the extended moving part  10   c  without any leak through the attaching part  18 . 
     In the same manner as the first embodiment, an extended moving part  10   c  in itself may be fabricated to have a character form, as shown in  FIG. 7   b . An attaching part  20  may be configured in the form of a flange around the outer circumference of the bottom end part of the extended moving part  10   c  so that it can be attached to the top surface of the moving part  4 . 
     In the blow-out according to the third embodiment of the present invention, when the blower tube  2  is blown and air is thereby injected into the moving part  4 , the moving part  4  is inflated and unrolled and the air within the moving part  4  is discharged through the air holes  16  on the top surface of the moving part  4  in a direction of approximately 90°. The air passes through the extended moving part  10   c  and thus the extended moving part  10   c  stands approximately at a right angle with respect to the moving part  4 . The air passing through the extended moving part  10   c  exits from the air exhaust holes  12   c.  The moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10   c  remain unrolled at a right angle as long as the air is introduced into the extended moving part  10   c  sufficiently. 
     Furthermore, when the user&#39;s mouth is detached from the blower tube  2  and the supply of air supplied to the moving part  4  is stopped, the air within the moving part  4  and the air within the extended moving part  10   c  are discharged outwardly through the blower tube  2  and the air exhaust holes  12   c  respectively. At the same time, the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10   c  are rolled in the form of a roll of paper by the contractile force of the elastic body  6 . 
       FIGS. 8   a - 8   c  show a fourth embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 8   a  is a top perspective view of a blow-out according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 8   b  is a side elevational view of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 8   a .  FIG. 8   c  is a side elevational view of the blow-out shown in  FIG. 8   a , illustrating a stage in which the extended moving part and the moving part are beginning to be rolled together to the original state after the blow-out is used. In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, only portions different from those of the first embodiment are described, and the portions that are the same as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numbers as the corresponding portions of the first embodiment. 
     As shown, in the blow-out according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, an extended moving part  10   d  can be individually fabricated as in the first embodiment, or can be integrated with a moving part  4  as in the second embodiment. Here, an elastic body  6  is provided in the moving part  4  up to a point slightly short of the end part of the moving part  4 . 
     In the blow-out according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, when the moving part  4  is unrolled in a straight shape, a tether tape  22  is fixed to the top surface between the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10   d  so that the extended moving part  10   d  does not unroll in the same direction as the moving part  4 , but stands upright in a different direction therefrom (i.e. at an angle of approximately 90°). 
     When air is introduced into the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10   d , the tether tape  22  functions to hold back the extended moving part  10   d  so that the extended moving part  10   d  does not unroll in the same direction as the moving part  4 , maintains a predetermined angle, and stands upright with respect to the moving part  4 . 
     The tether tape  22  is configured in the form of a tape which has a width similar to or slightly narrower than the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10   d.  The tether tape  22  can be made of a flexible and sufficiently strong material such as thin textiles or polyester film, so that it can be easily rolled and unrolled. 
     The tether tape  22  can be fixed to the moving part  4  and to the extended moving part  10   d  using an adhesive or glue, etc. An angle at which the extended moving part  10   d  stands with respect to the moving part  4  can be varied with the location at which each end of the tether tape  22  is fixed and with the length of the tether tape  22 . 
     In order to achieve the right angle between the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10   d,  the points at which each end of the tether tape  22  is fixed are points, for example, approximately 20 mm away from a point where the moving part  4  and the extended moving part  10   d  meet if the length of the tether tape  22  is approximately 28 mm. However, as mentioned earlier, the location of the attached points may vary with the length of the tether tape  22  or the upward angle of the extended moving part  10   d  desired. 
     In the blow-out according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, when the blower tube  2  is blown in the initial rolled state, the rolled moving part  4  is unrolled in a straight shape as shown in  FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b  and the extended moving part  10   d,  then, continues to unroll. 
     At this time, the extended moving part  10   d  stops unrolling in a straight shape and extends upward because the tether tape  22  is holding back the extended moving part  10   d  and preventing it from unrolling past the upright angle. Thus, the extended moving part  10   d  will stand upright with respect to the moving part  4 . Air passing through the extended moving part  10   d  exits through air exhaust holes  12   d.  As long as air has been introduced into the extended moving part  10   d  through the moving part  4 , the extended moving part  10   d  maintains the upright position with respect to the moving part  4  as described above. 
     Furthermore, when the user&#39;s mouth is detached from the blower tube  2  and the supply of air to the moving part  4  is stopped, the air within the moving part  4  and the air within the extended moving part  10   d  are outwardly discharged through the blower tube  2  and the air exhaust holes  12   d.  At the same time, the tether tape  22  collapses between the extended moving part  10   d  and the moving part  4  as extended moving part  10   d  folds on the moving part  4 , and they are rolled all together folded due to the contractile force of the elastic body  6  ( FIG. 8   c ). 
     It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications, including those described above, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.