Self-sealing a balloon
View Patent ↗Filling a balloon with a volume of material, the balloon having an adhesive staging segment formed about a peripheral surface of the moldable adhesive cross sectioned profile of the moldable adhesive ring. Retaining the volume of material within an expansion cavity of the balloon by applying a tensile force in a longitudinal direction between ends of the tubular balloon neck segment to expose the moldable adhesive ring from the adhesive staging segment and compressing the exposed moldable adhesive ring to form a seal. The material can be a gas, air, Helium, etc. A tether can be inserted into the balloon neck prior to filling and sealing, where the sealing step secures the tether to the balloon.
1 . A self-sealing balloon comprising:
a tubular balloon neck segment extending in fluid communication between a neck opening and a gas retaining expansion cavity;
a moldable adhesive ring carried by a surface of the tubular balloon neck segment, said moldable adhesive ring having a moldable adhesive lateral cross sectioned profile formed into a ring shape and a longitudinal cross sectioned profile having a non-planar, changeable shape and thickness, the moldable adhesive ring circumscribing a circumference of a portion of a length of the tubular balloon neck segment, wherein the moldable adhesive ring is fabricated of a moldable material having adhesive properties; and
an adhesive staging segment formed about a peripheral surface of the moldable adhesive cross sectioned profile of the moldable adhesive ring, the adhesive staging segment temporarily substantially encapsulating the peripheral surface of the moldable adhesive cross sectioned profile,
wherein the adhesive staging segment is shaped from the tubular balloon neck segment.
2 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a rolled edge formed at the neck opening.
3 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal cross sectioned profile has one of a rounded cross sectional shape, a round cross sectional shape, an oblong cross sectional shape, an oval cross sectional shape, or a tri-oval cross sectional shape.
4 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 1 , wherein the adhesive staging segment temporarily completely encapsulates the peripheral surface of the moldable adhesive cross sectioned profile.
5 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 1 , wherein the adhesive staging segment includes a first segment defining a first substantial portion of the adhesive staging segment formed on a side of the moldable adhesive ring closer to the neck opening and a second segment defining a second substantial portion of the adhesive staging segment formed on a side of the moldable adhesive ring closer to the gas retaining expansion cavity, wherein the first segment and the second segment abut one another in an interior of the tubular balloon neck segment.
6 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 1 , wherein the adhesive staging segment is formed within a rolled edge formed at the neck opening.
7 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 1 , wherein the adhesive staging segment is formed comprising an inner segment extending between a first loop and a second loop, wherein the first loop is formed on a neck opening end of the inner segment and the second loop is formed on a gas retaining expansion cavity end of the inner segment; and
an outer segment extending between the second loop and the neck opening,
wherein the moldable adhesive ring is located between facing surfaces of the inner segment and the outer segment.
8 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 7 , wherein the neck opening is located on a side of the first loop opposite the gas retaining expansion cavity.
9 . A self-sealing balloon comprising:
a tubular balloon neck segment extending in fluid communication between a neck opening and a gas retaining expansion cavity;
a moldable adhesive ring carried by an interior surface of the tubular balloon neck segment, said moldable adhesive ring having a moldable adhesive lateral cross sectioned profile formed into a ring shape and a longitudinal cross sectioned profile having a non-planar shape, the moldable adhesive ring circumscribing an interior circumference of a portion of a length of the interior of the tubular balloon neck segment, wherein the moldable adhesive ring is fabricated of a moldable material having adhesive properties; and
an adhesive staging segment formed about a peripheral surface of the moldable adhesive cross sectioned profile of the moldable adhesive ring, the adhesive staging segment temporarily substantially encapsulating the peripheral surface of the moldable adhesive cross sectioned profile,
wherein the adhesive staging segment is shaped from the tubular balloon neck segment.
10 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a rolled edge formed at the neck opening.
11 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 9 , wherein the longitudinal cross sectioned profile has one of a rounded cross sectional shape, a round cross sectional shape, an oblong cross sectional shape, an oval cross sectional shape, or a tri-oval cross sectional shape.
12 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 9 , wherein the adhesive staging segment temporarily completely encapsulates the peripheral surface of the moldable adhesive cross sectioned profile.
13 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 9 , wherein the adhesive staging segment includes a first segment defining a first substantial portion of the adhesive staging segment formed on a side of the moldable adhesive ring closer to the neck opening and a second segment defining a second substantial portion of the adhesive staging segment formed on a side of the moldable adhesive ring closer to the gas retaining expansion cavity, wherein the first segment and the second segment abut one another in an interior of the tubular balloon neck segment.
14 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 9 , wherein the adhesive staging segment is formed within a rolled edge formed at the neck opening.
15 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 9 , wherein the adhesive staging segment is formed comprising an inner segment extending between a first loop and a second loop, wherein the first loop is formed on a neck opening end of the inner segment and the second loop is formed on a gas retaining expansion cavity end of the inner segment; and
an outer segment extending between the second loop and the neck opening,
wherein the moldable adhesive ring is located between facing surfaces of the inner segment and the outer segment.
16 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 15 , wherein the neck opening is located on a side of the first loop opposite the gas retaining expansion cavity.
17 . A self-sealing balloon comprising:
a tubular balloon neck segment extending in fluid communication between a neck opening and a gas retaining expansion cavity;
a moldable adhesive ring carried by an interior surface of the tubular balloon neck segment;
a powder coating covering at least a portion of the moldable adhesive ring,
wherein the longitudinal cross sectioned profile of the moldable adhesive ring has a non-planar shape,
wherein the moldable adhesive ring circumscribes an interior circumference of a portion of a length of the interior of the tubular balloon neck segment.
18 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 17 , further comprising:
an adhesive staging segment formed about at least a portion of a peripheral surface of the moldable adhesive cross sectioned profile of the moldable adhesive ring,
wherein the adhesive staging segment is shaped from the tubular balloon neck segment.
19 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 18 , wherein the adhesive staging segment temporarily substantially encapsulates the peripheral surface of the moldable adhesive ring.
20 . The self-sealing balloon as recited in claim 17 , wherein the powder coating covering at least a portion of the moldable adhesive ring deters self-sealing of the balloon until desired, wherein when desired, compression between two portions of the moldable adhesive ring causes an interior of the two portions of the material forming the molded adhesive ring to bond with one another, creating a gas impervious seal within the tubular balloon neck segment.