Balloon with Plastic Container Base

The present invention relates to balloons and inflatable objects and gift packaging. More specifically, the present invention relates to balloons for use with an air source having a storage base and reversible packaging for gift wrap.

Balloons are used by many people for festive events and parties such as for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, baby showers, retirements, and holidays. Helium balloons can be filled at a store but then must be transported to the home or event site in a car and can be cumbersome. Other standard balloons can be filled by blowing air at the home, but this can also be difficult and tiresome.

A balloon has been designed to fit over an air vent to be inflated by air flowing out of the air vent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,675 to Stoddard discloses an inflatable vent toy for an exhaust vent air outlet including an inflatable balloon made of a flexible material patterned and shaped to suit the preference of a user having a base defining an air inlet with surrounding attachment structure to secure the base over the exhaust vent air outlet such that the air inlet is in communication with the vent air outlet to enable in-coming air from the vent to enter the base air inlet and fill the balloon in a first mode, and to escape and collapse in a second mode when the in-coming air from the vent stops. The base structure is generally removably attached to the vent with magnets, ties, hooks, or straps. The inflatable vent toy can be in shapes such as a ghost or goblin, or contain pictures of athletes or movie characters. However, using a base of corrugated cardboard has the drawbacks of product liability with hot air vents, and cheap looking quality.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,588,996 and 10,751,439 to Applicant disclose vent balloons for use over air vents and/or fans including an inflatable body operatively attached to a base on a proximal side. The base can be cardboard or plastic and is a substantially flat or planar body.

It would be useful to provide gifts or promotional items with a balloon. There remains a need for a balloon that includes gifts or promotional items easily contained with the balloon. There further remains a need for easy to use gift packaging when purchasing items.

The present invention provides for a balloon including an inflatable body operatively attached to a base on a proximal side, the base including a cavity for filling with items, wherein the inflatable body is inflated by a mechanism of an air vent or a fan operatively attached to the base.

The present invention also provides for a method of using the balloon, by placing the balloon at a display location, flowing air through the inflatable body, inflating the inflatable body, and providing access to items within the cavity.

The present invention provides for a reversible packaging including a packaging body having a first design on a first side and a second design on a second side, wherein the first side includes a first sealing mechanism for securing the packaging body around a product showing the first design, and wherein the second side includes a second sealing mechanism for securing the packaging body around the product showing the second design.

The present invention also provides for a method of using reversible packaging, by a user purchasing a product contained within reversible packaging showing a first design, the user removing the reversible packaging and reversing the reversible packaging to show a second design, and the user securing the reversible packaging around the product showing the second design.

The present invention provides for a balloon, shown atin the FIGURES and most generally in, that is inflatable by either cold or hot air flowing through an air vent when placed over the air vent or by a fanoperatively attached thereto. The balloonincludes an inflatable bodyoperatively attached to a baseon a proximal sideof the base, wherein the baseincludes a cavityfor filling with items. The balloonessentially integrates an inflatable bodywith a basecontaining items.

The inflatable bodyis preferably a polyethylene bag having an open endand a closed end. The inflatable bodycan also be made of MYLAR® (DuPont, biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate), or foil. The open endis operatively attached to the basewith an air tight seal, such as with adhesive glue or any other suitable mechanism. In one embodiment, the inflatable bodyis a lay-flat polyethylene bag, shown in. Alternatively, the inflatable bodyis a gusseted polyethylene bag. The inflatable bodycan include at least one vent that can essentially be a slit in the inflatable bodyat any suitable location in order to let air gradually release from and flow through the balloonwhile still allowing the inflatable bodyto stand upright. Various sizes of the ballooncan have different numbers of vents. For example, a 20″ tall inflatable bodycan have three vents or four vents, each ¼″ diameter in size, in a row near the closed endof the inflatable body. A 26″ tall inflatable bodycan have three vents or four vents, each ½″ diameter in size. A 30″ tall inflatable bodycan have three vents or four vents, in any suitable diameter size.

The inflatable bodyfurther includes a designimprinted on a front sideor on both the front sideand a back side. The designcan be the same on the front sideand back side, or different on each side. The designcan be a holiday greeting (), congratulations (), a birthday message (), a personal message, cartoon or other licensed characters, general celebratory designs, sports teams logos (), corporate designs, fundraiser designs, or promotional advertisements. The inflatable bodycan also be any desired color (including metallic) and the designcan be any desired color. The inflatable bodycan have at least a portion that can be colored in with a coloring device (such as markers (including washable markers and permanent markers), pens, paint, etc.), such as shown in. Coatings can be added to the inflatable bodyto allow color to adhere to the material of the inflatable bodywhen washable markers are used. The inflatable bodycan further be a rectangular shape or a die cut shape.

The inflatable bodyis operatively attached to the baseentirely at the open endto the proximal sideof the baseby an adhesive glue or any other suitable mechanism. The proximal endcan be integral with the baseor be a removable and resealable lid. The lidallows for access to the baseto access itemsas well as to refill the basewith items. The lidcan alternatively cover a distal side. Any other seal can be included to seal itemswithin the cavity. A tamper proof seal covering the proximal sideor distal sidecan also be included to keep food itemsfresh which can be opened when access to the food itemsis desired. Resealable lidprovides a seal with the basethat is strong enough to hold when air is flowing into the balloon.

The baseis shown in detail inand includes cavitythat allows the baseto be filled with items. The basecan be any suitable size to receive and hold items, and can come in multiple sizes such as small, medium, and large. The basecan include an openingon the distal sideto receive air from a fanor a standard air vent or any other air source. The proximal side/removable lidcan include a corresponding opening(shown in) so that the air can flow into the inflatable body. The openingcan include a raised lipthat extends to the proximal side. This prevents itemsfrom falling through the cavity(such as in). Alternatively, if the itemsare contained within a bag or multiple bags, they can be placed such that they allow air to flow through the cavitywithout the need for a raised lip. Airflow through openingis not restricted or is only minimally restricted when itemsare in the cavity. Airflow also does not allow itemsto blow into the inflatable body.

Alternatively, the basedoes not require the openingto receive airflow from the air source of a fanor air vent, but can instead include a plurality of air intake slotsaround the base. Six air intake slotsare shown in. With this design, the basecan be completely filled with itemswithout the need to keep itemsaway from an openingfor air. Other aspects of the design can be the same.

The baseis made of a hard plastic such as thermoformed or injection molded plastic. The plastic can be food grade or non-food grade. Examples of plastics that can be used include, but are not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), polyactic acid (PLA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (APET), or electro static dissipation plastics (antistatic, static-dissipative, or conductive plastics). Preferably, baseis see through or semi-opaque so that the itemscan be viewed therein. The thickness of the basecan vary based on the material used and allows for the baseto be protected from crushing.

The basecan be made in various shapes such as a gift box, helmet, racing car, shoes, character, heart, or any other suitable shape. The shape can correspond to the designon the inflatable bodyor not be related.

The itemscan include, but are not limited to, food items such as candy, chocolates, cookies, nuts, or snacks, t-shirts, socks, wallets, belts, jewelry, perfume, gifts, golf balls, golf tees, games, construction blocks (such as LEGOS®), sports cards, art supplies, markers or stickers for do-it-yourself kits, or any other promotional items. The individual itemscan be wrapped or sealed or unwrapped or unsealed and placed within the cavity. The itemscan also be in a resealable pouch in order to keep food itemsfresh. The ballooncan be sold with an empty cavitythat can be filled by a user once purchased, or the ballooncan already include itemswithin the cavityat time of purchase.

shows the proximal side/removable lidbeing placed on the base. The inflatable bodycan be folded and secured with a securing mechanismuntil ready for use, such as a rubber band, tie, or hook and loop mechanism. The folding can obscure or hide the designto provide a surprise when inflated.show the removable lidplaced on the base. The securing mechanismcan also wrap around the baseas shown in.

shows assembly of the balloon. The inflatable bodyis folded and secured to the proximal side/removable lidwith securing mechanism, the baseis filled with items, and the removable lidis secured to the base. The balloonis placed in any desired location to display (over an air vent or through use of a fan), the securing mechanismis removed, and the inflatable bodyinflates and displays the design.

When the balloonuses a fanto provide air to the inflatable body, any necessary electronics can be included such as a power cord. The power cordcan be a USB power cord (including type A, type B, type C (compatible with Nexus 5X/6P, Nokia N1 tablet, One plus 3/2 LG G5), mini USB (compatible with MP3/4 players, GoPro, digital cameras), and micro USB (compatible with Android phones, BLUETOOTH® headphones, power banks), a lightning power cord (8 pins compatible with iPhone X/8/7/7plus/6s/6s plus/SE/5s/4c/5, iPad Pro Air mini), an AC/DC power cord, a cord that connects to a battery (such as a 9V battery) or battery pack, or any other suitable types of power cords. The power cordcan therefore, depending on type, be plugged in to a power source such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, or wall outlets. An on/off switch can also be included with an internal battery (battery pack of AA (such as 3 AA batteries), AAA (such as 2 AAA batteries), or coin cells/lithium ion batteries) if a power cordis not included for operating the battery. The removable lid(or any other appropriate part of the base) can include an internal molded slotshaped for receiving any battery as well as a removable coveras shown in. The securing mechanismcan also secure the power cordfor shipping or when the balloonis not in use. The fancan be located and operatively attached at the distal sideof the baseover the cavity, or alternatively at the proximal side.

The ballooncan further include LED light strips attached any suitable place within the basethat are also powered by the power cord.

The ballooncan be contained within packagingsuch as a plastic sleeve or box (made of paper or cardboard) for shipping or display in stores. The packagingcan include various designs related to the balloon, and can include a first designon a first side(such as showing the contents of the packagingor identifying product information), and a second designon a second side(such as a gift wrap design). Essentially, the packagingis reversible so that the first designcan be shown in a store to display and sell the balloonand the second designcan be used if a user wants to give the balloonas a gift. The packagingcan include a cut outon a distal sidethrough which the basefits such that the baseprotrudes through the cut out, while the inflatable bodyremains within the packagingunder the proximal side. Therefore, when the proximal sideis opened, the ballooncan inflate. The packagingcan be secured to the baseby any suitable mechanism, such as tabs that fit in or around the removable lidor a portion of the base.shows a plurality of balloonsin packagingfor display.shows an exploded view of contents of the packaging, including the packagingwith views of the proximaland distalsides, balloon, with baseand items.shows the packagingflat with exemplary dimensions and a first design.shows the packagingflat with exemplary dimensions and a second design. The packagingcan be folded into shape surrounding the inflatable bodyand secured with any suitable adhesive (such as pressure sensitive adhesive). A user can turn the packagingto the second designand secure the packagingthemselves with the adhesive.

shows a second example of a design of packagingwith representative dimensions.show the packagingfrom different angles.shows the balloonwith the baseand a power cordas the contents of the packaging.shows a first designon proximal sideof packagingandshows a second designon distal sideof packaging.also show the baseprotruding through the cut out, with the inflatable bodysecured within the packaging.shows a blown apart view of the contents of the package, including the inflatable body, base, items, as well as the inflatable bodyand power cordsecured to the removable lidand the itemsplaced within the cavityof base.

The present invention also provides for a method of using the balloon, by placing the balloonat a display location, flowing air through the inflatable body, inflating the inflatable body, and providing access to itemswithin the cavity. The display location can be over an air vent or any other suitable location where the basecan rest on a surface when the fanis used as an air source and plugged in with the power cord. The method can further include removing the securing mechanismso that the inflatable bodycan inflate. Inflating the inflatable bodyfurther includes displaying the design. Air can also flow out of any vents in the inflatable body. Access to the itemscan be provided through opening the removable lid. Any other seal such as a tamper proof seal can be opened in order to access the items. Itemscan also be resealed in a resealable pouch especially if they are food items. The method can further include refilling the itemsin the cavity. The method can further include a user securing packagingaround the balloonshowing a first designor a second designto provide the balloonas a gift. The method can also include a user applying color to the inflatable bodybefore being inflated by laying the inflatable bodyon a flat surface and coloring with a coloring device as described above. Any LED lights on the ballooncan be illuminated when powered with the power cord.

The present invention also generally provides for reversible packaging, including a packaging bodyhaving a first designon a first side, and a second designon a second side. The first designcan be, but is not limited to, showing the contents of the packaging, any information that is commercially required or regulatory required, display for a sales shelf, packaging for shipping, and/or any safety information. The second designis preferably gift wrap, but can also be return packaging labeled with return postage, or combinations thereof.

The reversible packagingallows a user to buy a product at a store and reverse its packaging to a colorful and celebratory design without having to buy gift wrap since the reversible packagingis the gift wrap itself. The reversible packagingis not limited to use with the balloondescribed above and can be used to contain any product, and therefore is sized according to the product it contains. The product can be for example a toy, perfume, a frozen cake, candy, jewelry, a mug(shown in) or any other product that is contained within a box. The reversible packagingcan be made of paper, cardboard, kraft paper, polyethylene, or other suitable materials. The reversible packagingcan be formed in any box or envelope (such as mailer envelopes) shape. The reversible packagingcan include any of the features described above, such as adhesive or other sealing mechanism (such as glue, hook and loop). The reversible packagingcan include a first sealing mechanism for sealing the packaging bodywith the first designplaced on any suitable location (such as edges of the first side). The reversible packagingcan include a second sealing mechanism for securing the second design around a product contained within the packaging body. The second sealing mechanism can also be located at any suitable location on the second side(such as edges of the second side). A plurality of tabsand corresponding receiving slotscan be included on any part of the packaging bodyfor ease of sealing and forming the reversible packaginginto a shape to contain a product (and can be used instead or in addition to the other sealing mechanisms described above). The shape of the reversible packagingwhen showing the first designcan be the same or a different shape when showing the second design. The reversible packagingcan further include perforations to allow the packaging bodyto be broken down into a smaller size when showing the second design.

The reversible packagingis further shown with different examples in.shows the first sidewith a first design(such as a product identifier).shows the reversible packagingopened to reveal a second designinside on a second side. The reversible packagingcan be unfolded to refold and secure showing the second designas in.shows the second side, and FIGURE shows the second side(with a gift wrap design) as folded in a box shape.

shows a first sideof reversible packagingwith a product identifying first design.shows a second sideof reversible packagingwith a gift wrap second design.show a box using a first sideof reversible packagingand the second designcan be seen inside.shows the reversible packagingunfolded to refold showing a second design.is a top view of the reversible packagingwith a first designinside.is a top view of reversible packagingshowing a second designinside, and tabs on sides can be folded to reform the box.is a bottom view of reversible packagingshowing a first side.shows the second sideof reversible packagingnow formed in a box, andshows the second sidewith the second designas the box is closed.

shows a first sideof reversible packagingfor a mugunfolded to show a first designof identifying product information.shows the first sideas folded to form a box.shows a second sideof the reversible packagingunfolded with a celebratory greeting.shows the first sideand the second designcan be seen inside.shows the second sideas formed in a box.shows the second sidewith just a gift wrap design without a celebratory greeting.shows the second sideformed in a box, andshow the second sideshowing the first designinside the box.

When the second designincludes a return label, the user can take a picture of the return label//read a barcode/toggle a QR code on the label with their smart device, which reads the label, and indicate that a package is being returned. Retailers/companies can also take a picture of the return label/read a barcode/toggle a QR code on the label to instantly approve a return or exchange, activating another return label and postage. The return label can induce communication with a retailer confirming a return, or communicate through a shipping application (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.) on a smart device to allow a user to forward a rewrapped product to anyone the user designates. This allows a product to be bought by a user and then shipped to a third party recipient. Companies can also use the label to receive merchandise and then repackage for sending to a consumer.

Therefore, the present invention also provides for a method of using reversible packaging, by a user purchasing a product contained within reversible packagingshowing a first design, the user removing the reversible packagingand reversing the reversible packagingto show a second design, and the user securing the reversible packagingaround the product showing the second design. The method can further include the step of the user giving the product as a gift to an individual. The method can include the user taking a picture of a return label//reading a barcode/toggling a QR code and sending the product to a company for a return. The method can include the user taking a picture of a return label//reading a barcode/toggling a QR code and sending the product to another individual as a gift. The method can include the user being a company and taking a picture of a return label//reading a barcode/toggling a QR code and sending the product to a consumer.

Throughout this application, various publications, including United States patents, are referenced by author and year and patents by number. Full citations for the publications are listed herein. The disclosures of these publications and patents in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.

The invention has been described in an illustrative manner and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.