Balloon keeper bracelet

Abstract

A balloon keeper bracelet includes a bracelet and a means for securing a balloon tether. Either the bracelet, the means for securing the tether, or both are made to be releasable or frangible so as to separate from the child or other person upon the application of forces that ordinarily would be sufficient to injure or cause pain or significant discomfort to the child or other person.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/620,134 filed on Oct.19, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to solve two problems associated with toy helium balloons. The first problem is the tendency of the buoyant balloons to float out of reach when they are not properly secured. Typically, such balloons are secured by a tether, such as a string or ribbon, that is then held in a child's hand. Children will often lose grasp of the tether and thus lose their helium balloon. The loss of the balloon can cause a child to become very upset.

The parent or caretaker in such a situation has various options. They can try to replace the balloon, but this is not always practicable. They can also try to avoid the loss of the balloon in the first place by holding onto the balloon themselves, but this has various drawbacks. First, the parent or caretaker's hand is now unavailable for performing other tasks. Second, part of the joy for a child in having a balloon is the ability to hold it, so having a parent or caretaker insist upon holding it for them is often unacceptable and upsets them in much the same manner as losing the balloon. And finally, if the parent or caretaker is inattentive and loses the balloon, the child is upset and further blames the parent or caretaker.

Another way a parent or caretaker can attempt to avoid loss of the balloon is to tie it to the child's wrist. This is not an effective solution as the tether can cause irritation to the child's hand and the balloon is not easily removed when the child or parent wants to remove it. Tying the balloon to a child's wrist can also be dangerous and cause a liability concern to businesses as the balloon can become entangled in various dangerous items such as ceiling fans or amusement park rides. Most materials used as tethers have sufficient tensile strength to injure a child's wrist or pull a child off their feet prior to breaking. In certain circumstances, an entangled tether could even wrap dangerously around a child's arm or neck. Therefore, a second problem addressed by the present invention is the danger and inconvenience caused by tying balloon tethers.

Prior art balloon tether devices are mostly concerned with providing a weight on the end of the tether sufficient to anchor the helium balloon. U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,419 discloses a weighted base with a slot for securing helium balloons via a knot in the tether. U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,427 discloses a molded plastic weight with a clip or latch for engaging a balloon tether. U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,831 discloses a tethering system for novelty balloons that uses hook and loop fasteners to secure the balloon. It is also known in the art to use plastic snap bracelets of sufficient weight as balloon weights, such as those available at http://www.bulkballoons.com.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a bracelet with a means or device for securing a balloon tether. Either the bracelet or the means for securing the tether are made to be releasable or frangible (i.e., break away) so as to separate from the child upon the application of forces that ordinarily would be sufficient to injure the child.

It is a further aspect of the invention to provide a bracelet with a means for securing a balloon tether that is frangible so as to separate from a teen or adult upon the application of forces that ordinarily would be sufficient to injure the teen or adult.

It is another aspect of the invention to provide a balloon keeper bracelet with a decoration that a child, teen, or adult will enjoy wearing.

It is a further aspect of the invention to provide a balloon keeper bracelet with branding or marketing information.

And it is yet another aspect of the invention to provide a balloon keeper bracelet with identification information such as barcodes, radio frequency ID tags (RFID), GPS locator chips, etc.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention incorporating a frangible button;

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate various possible cross-sections of the frangible button of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a frangible bracelet embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D illustrate various possible cross-sections of the frangible bracelet of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates another frangible bracelet embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-section of the frangible bracelet of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a flexible bracelet embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates another flexible bracelet embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, and 9E illustrate various examples of added functional elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present balloon keeper bracelet invention can take many various forms. One embodiment of the present invention includes a bracelet portion 10 and a “button” portion 12, as shown in FIG. 1. As used herein, the term “button” refers to objects attached to the bracelet that are used for securing the tether. These “buttons” can be any shape, but will usually be similar to ordinary clothing buttons, and in a basic form, this type of button is used as a device or means to secure a loop in the tether. Additional means or devices can also be included on the button for securing the tether.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, button 12 is attached to a bracelet 10 by means 16. A slit 14 can be provided in button 12 to allow a tether to be wrapped around the button several times and then slipped into and gripped by the slit to prevent unwinding.

In all embodiments, either the bracelet 10 or the means for securing the tether, which for this case is the button 12, are made to be releasable or frangible so as to separate from the child, teen, or adult upon the application of forces that ordinarily would be sufficient to injure or cause pain or discomfort to the child, teen, or adult. The bracelet 10 in FIG. 1 can be made releasable by forming the bracelet 10 out of a sufficiently light elastic band. It can also be made frangible by forming the bracelet 10 fully or partially out of a sufficiently weak material, such as paper.

The button 12 can be made releasable by attaching to a sufficiently weak portion of bracelet 10 such that the button attachment means 16 pulls through the bracelet 10 and releases. It can also be made releasable by calibrating the grip strength of the slit 14 or other similar gripping means. The button 12 can be made frangible by having the button attachment means 16 being sufficiently weak to break. FIGS. 2A-2C show various possible cross-sections of the button/bracelet interface. In FIG. 2A, the button attachment means 16 is formed similar to a rivet. In FIG. 2B, the button attachment means 16 is thread that is used to sew the button 12 to the bracelet 10. In FIG. 2C, the button attachment means 16 adhesively secures the button 12 to the bracelet 10.

When the attachment means 16 or button 12 is frangible, the bracelet 10 can be made out of any suitable material, including but not limited to fabrics, plastics, and metals (solid and links).

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention in which the bracelet 30 has a frangible section 36. In this case, the button 32 and slit 34 can be designed as frangible or non-frangible, but can add backup safety when frangible. Although numerous methods exist for making a bracelet 30 frangible, four exemplary designs are illustrated in the edge views of the bracelet in FIGS. 4A-4D. In FIG. 4A, the bracelet 30 is made frangible at 36 by provision of a thinner section that will succumb to tensile and/or shear forces at a lower level. This design can be accomplished using various techniques, including but not limited to use of fewer layers of laminated material, use of scored material, use of break-away links, and use of molded-in channels. Since the bracelet 30 is meant to stay attached to the tether upon release, it is preferable that the bracelet have a weight sufficient to keep the balloon from floating away.

The bracelet 30 in FIG. 4B is made frangible at 36 by provision of an overlapping attachment that will succumb to tensile and/or shear forces at a lower level. This design can be accomplished using various techniques, including but not limited to use of adhesives and use of hook and loop attachments. Similarly, the bracelet 30 in FIG. 4C is made frangible at 36 by provision of a butt joint that will succumb to tensile and/or shear forces at a lower level. This design can be accomplished using various techniques, including but not limited to use of adhesives and use of hook and loop attachments.

The bracelet 30 in FIG. 4D is made frangible at 36 by provision of a shear pin that will succumb to tensile and/or shear forces at a lower level. This design can be accomplished using various techniques, including but not limited to use of staples and use of snap-type attachments.

A third embodiment of a balloon keeper bracelet in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the bracelet 50 includes a means to secure a tether. Although a loop 52 is illustrated as this means, the means could be any other suitable device, including but not limited to adhesive strips, clamps, and clips. The loop 52 is attached to a wire 56, which, as shown in cross-section FIG. 6, is attached to the inside edge of the bracelet and is designed to cut through the bracelet 50 when sufficient force is applied to the loop 52. The wire 56 can be designed to keep the loop 52 attached to one end of the bracelet 50 so that the weight of the bracelet can assist in keeping the balloon from escaping.

FIGS. 7A and 7B disclose another embodiment of the present invention in which a “snap band” is employed as the bracelet. Snap band 70 is a long, thin band of spring steel encapsulated in PVC (e.g., 23 mm×220 mm). When slapped against a wrist, the band curls around the child's wrist. In one form, the tether attachment means 72 can be releasable or frangible. In another form, the band can be made releasable by using a sufficiently weak spring and by placing the tether attachment means at the center of the band such that any forces on the tether will act to unravel the spring and release the band from the child's wrist.

Another spring-release embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 8. In this form, the bracelet 80 is formed from a flexible material and has an opening opposite the tether attachment means 84. As above, any forces on the tether will act to pull the open end of the flexible bracelet against the child's wrist and release the bracelet by opening.

In addition to the functions of securing the balloon tether and releasing from a child under dangerous conditions, the balloon keeper bracelet of the present invention can also provide other functions. With respect to safety, the bracelet or button of the present invention can be made of reflective material or include LEDs for added safety at night.

As illustrated in FIG. 9A, the bracelet can also include barcodes so as to be used as an admission ticket or tracking device in an amusement venue. The bracelet and/or button can include marketing 92 or branding messages 96 for promotional purposes as illustrated in FIG. 9B. The bracelet and/or button can also include other electronic tracking or information devices 94, including but not limited to RFID tags and GPS location chips. Such information devices 94 can be used for various purposes, including but not limited to, child safety, event admission, location admission, and marketing data.

The bracelets and buttons can also be decorative as shown in FIG. 9C, which includes personalization 95 and a decorative design 97 on the button. All of these additional functions allow the balloon keeper bracelet to maintain utility even when not being used for keeping a balloon. Indeed, the bracelet can be decorated with cartoon characters, trademarked pictures, a watch face and other such designs.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the bracelet is secured with a hook and loop closure and a thin piece of sufficiently rigid plastic sheet is used for the button material. The button is sewn to the bracelet with thread and includes a notch/slit to secure the tether after wrapping multiple times around the button. The button can include various designs, such as to look like a school bus. Either or both the hook and loop closure and the button thread can be calibrated to release or break upon the application of a force sufficient to injure the intended wearer.

In usability testing of the invention, the inventors have found that certain design elements contribute greatly towards usability of the invention. Since the bracelet is pulled on by tension in the tether, comfort is important. As such, hard or sharp edges should be avoided. Additionally, since the invention is used on children, the bracelet should be able to be quickly and easily installed. Likewise, it should be quick and easy to both attach and detach a balloon from the button or bracelet. As such, systems that involve tying and untying (such as used with a loop, as in FIGS. 5-6) are less desirable in most instances than simpler systems, such as the wrap-and-slide method used with the buttons having slits.

The ability of the present invention to release or break-away in the event of the tether becoming entangled is an important aspect of the present invention. Although the U.S. and Europe have toy safety standards that deal with strings-cords-lanyards (see ASTM F963A and EN71), none have been developed for wrist or neck worn toys. However, based upon related standards in these specifications, it is believed that an acceptable, although by no means definitive, limit for release or break-away for a child should occur with a static weight of 5 lbs. and a 12″ dynamic drop-test of approximately 2 lbs. These limits can typically be doubled or tripled for a teen or adult user, although this is not meant as a limitation.

If both the bracelet and the button are designed to release, the weighted bracelet can be designed to release at a lower force since the weight of the bracelet will prevent loss of the balloon. If the bracelet does not or cannot release as it should, the button will then release to keep the child safe, although the balloon will typically be lost. If the button element is designed to secure the tether without cooperation of the bracelet, then the button can be weighted to prevent loss of the balloon.

Although disclosed with reference to particular embodiments, the present invention is not meant to be limited thereto. For example, various bracelet attachments can be used with the present invention, including but not limited to buckles and clasps as conventionally used with watches and other bracelets.

A system and method for providing a balloon keeper bracelet have been described. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed and that the examples and embodiments described herein are in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art of the present invention will recognize that other embodiments using the concepts described herein are also possible. Further, any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular unless explicitly stated.

Claims

1. A balloon keeper bracelet, comprising

a bracelet for engaging a child's wrist; and

a balloon tether retention means attached to the bracelet; wherein at least one of the bracelet and tether retention means is releasable or frangible in response to a force applied to the tether sufficient to injure the child.

2. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 1, wherein both of the bracelet and tether retention means is releasable or frangible in response to a force applied to the tether sufficient to injure the child or cause pain or significant discomfort to the child.

3. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 1, wherein the bracelet is flexibly releasable.

4. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 3, wherein the bracelet is selected from the group consisting of elastic bands, snap bands, and flexible U-bands.

5. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 1, wherein the bracelet is frangible.

6. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 1, wherein the bracelet is selected from the group consisting of paper bands, laminated bands, scored bands, narrowed bands, bands with embedded wires, bands with shear pins, adhesively-joined bands, and bands with overlapping or butted hook and loop fasteners.

7. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 1, wherein the tether retention means is selected from the group consisting of buttons, buttons with slits, adhesive strips, loops, and clamps.

8. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 1, wherein the tether retention means is frangible and includes a frangible element selected from the group consisting of rivets, thread, adhesive, and hook and loop fasteners.

9. A balloon keeper bracelet, comprising

a bracelet for engaging a person's wrist; and

a balloon tether retention means attached to the bracelet; wherein at least one of the bracelet and tether retention means is releasable or frangible in response to a force applied by the tether sufficient to injure the person.

10. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 9, wherein both of the bracelet and tether retention means is releasable or frangible in response to a force applied to the tether sufficient to injure a teen or adult person or cause pain or significant discomfort to the teen or adult person.

11. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 9, wherein the bracelet is flexibly releasable.

12. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 11, wherein the bracelet is selected from the group consisting of elastic bands, snap bands, and flexible U-bands.

13. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 9, wherein the bracelet is frangible.

14. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 9, wherein the bracelet is selected from the group consisting of paper bands, laminated bands, scored bands, narrowed bands, bands with embedded wires, bands with shear pins, adhesively-joined bands, and bands with overlapping or butted hook and loop fasteners.

15. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 9, wherein the tether retention means is selected from the group consisting of buttons, buttons with slits, adhesive strips, loops, and clamps.

16. The balloon keeper bracelet of claim 9, wherein the tether retention means is frangible and includes a frangible element selected from the group consisting of rivets, thread, adhesive, and hook and loop fasteners.

17. A method for retaining a balloon, comprising

providing a bracelet for engaging a wearer's wrist; and

providing a balloon tether retention device on the bracelet;

attaching a balloon tether to the tether retention device; and

releasing or breaking at least one of the bracelet and tether retention device in response to a force applied by the balloon tether sufficient to injure the wearer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising calibrating the releasing or breaking of the bracelet to a wearer selected from the group consisting of children, teens, and adults.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising calibrating the releasing or breaking of the retention device to a wearer selected from the group consisting of children, teens, and adults.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing sufficient weight to the bracelet and retention device to overcome buoyancy of a helium-filled balloon.