DESCRIPTION

Title: Device for mounting balloons.

The present invention relates to a device for mounting balloons.

Generally, balloons are used as decorations for events, such, as celebrations, parties and the like. Sometimes in groups or even more complicated arrangements. Decoration of a room with balloons can therefore be time-consuming as well as removal of the balloons after an event.

Balloons are often secured to a surface using adhesive tape, string, wire, cotton or nylon thread and drawing pins, but actually grouping balloons and fixing the groups in place can be awkward because of their size and shape with only their sealed ends beyond any sealing knot or other additional sealing means available to receive the tape, string or drawing pins.

Moreover, balloons are generally mounted high on the walls or in the corner of the room usually requiring the use of step ladders or chairs for access, so that mounting balloons to decorate a room can be a hazardous operation.

It is an object of the invention to provide a balloon mounting/suspending means that aims to alleviate the abovementioned problems, in particular reducing the time and effort required by the user having to mount groups or clusters of balloons.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for attaching a balloon to a surface using a sealed end of the balloon, the device comprising at least one balloon sealed end receiving means and means for attaching the device to the surface.

Preferably devices of the invention are made principally or wholly from sheet material or formed from a settable material in a mould.

The sheet material may be selected from fibrous material, such as a high density fibrous material, for example cardboard, or from metal or from elastomeric or plastic material.

Usually balloons are sealed by tying a knot in the open end of the balloon. Preferably the at least one receiving means is adapted to receive and retain a sealing knot of the balloon therein.

Preferably there are at least two receiving means.

Preferably each receiving means comprises a slot or aperture. Preferably each slot extends inwardly from the periphery of the device. Preferably the slot has an enlarged closed end.

Preferably the device comprises a body having at least two limbs, wherein each limb is provided with a receiving means. The receiving means may be in a disc at the end of limb.

Preferably the device of the present invention includes a resiliently deformable component between the receiving means and the attachment means. Preferably the resiliently deformable component is adapted to allow the receiving means to move relative to the attachment means. Preferably the resiliently deformable component is a stretchable resiliently deformable component. Li one preferred embodiment the body and the at least two limbs form a unitary component.

In another preferred embodiment, the stretchable resiliently deformable component may be a separate component. The stretchable resilient deformable component may be an elastic member, such as a spring.

In one preferred form the stretchable resiliently deformable component comprises a web having has a series of offset slits in opposite edges thereof allowing it to be extended.

Preferably the means for attaching the device to a surface includes an aperture adapted to receive fastening means, such as a drawing pin. Alternatively, the attachment means may be provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is protected by a removable layer. The attachment means may additionally or alternatively comprise a ring to which string or adhesive or the like can be fastened or attached thereto.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a first balloon mounting device; Figure 2 is a plan view of a second balloon mounting device,

Figure 3 shows fixing of a balloon to the device of Figure 1 ; and

Figures 4 and 5 show alternate means of fixing a balloon to the device of Figure

1.

Referring to Figure 1, a device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The device 10 comprises an elongate body 12 having at one

end a ring 16 serving as an attachment means for string or the like in order to tie or fasten the device to a surface or other object. The ring 16 includes a hole 28 for a drawing pin or the like. At its other end the body 12 has three limbs 14 each in a disc. Each terminating disc has a slot 18 that extends inwardly from the periphery. Each slot 18 is curved and ends in a wider portion 20. Alternatively, each slot 18 may be straight or zig-zagged or the like.

The body 12, the limbs 14 and the attachment is of a unitary construction, and is made from a sheet material. The sheet material may be a fibrous material, such as cardboard, or of metal but is preferably of a suitable material.

As shown in Figure 1, the length of body 12 is resiliently extendable. The stretchable and resilient body 21 has a series of offset slits 22, from opposite sides, whereby the body can be extended and will retract due to its resilient nature.

Referring to Figure 3, the slot 18 allows a neck 54 of a balloon 50 to slide into the disc 15, and the aperture 20 allows a knot 52 of the balloon to rest on the other side of the disc 15. Each disc 15 has a high modulus of elasticity for maintaining its shape once the sealed end of the balloon is passed therethrough. Alternatively, the aperture 20 allows a neck 56 of the balloon 50 to rest therein, wherein the disc 15 is positioned between a collar 55 and the knot 52 of the balloon 50.

Referring to Figure 2, a device 40 according to a second embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Figure 2 shows mounting means 42 attached to balloon retaining body 44 by a spring member 30. Unlike the first embodiment shown in

Figure 1, the spring 30 is a separate component. The body 44 has a circular central section 46 with limbs 48 extending radially therefrom.

At the end of each limb is a disc 50, each disc 50 has a straight slot 52 extending inwardly from the periphery thereof, and each slot 52 ends in a wider portion 54.

The body 44 is made from sheet material, such as a fibrous material, for example, cardboard , metal or more preferably from plastic material.

The mounting means 44, is a ring serving as an attachment means for string or the like in order to tie or fasten the device to a surface or an object. The ring 44 also has a hole 56 for a drawing pin or the like.

The device of Figure 2 is used in the same way as the device of Figure 1.

Devices of the invention can be made by pressing or stamping of a sheet material with the use of a die or the like. Alternatively, the devices of the invention

may be made from moulding of a settable material or the like such as metal, a polymer or elastomeric material. The components may be coloured or decorated in any desirable way.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the balloon can be secured to the device 10 by pushing the neck 56 of the balloon through an aperture 72 provided in the disk 70. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the aperture 72 is a star-shaped aperture. Alternatively, other shaped configurations may be used. The aperture 72 acts as means for securing the balloon 50 in place. In this embodiment, the apertures 72 have rounded edges to prevent the balloon 50 from being burst. In this embodiment, the disk 70 is elastically deformable.