Apparatus and methods for placing an object inside an inflated balloon

Claim 1

An apparatus for use in placing an object inside an inflated balloon, the apparatus comprising: a housing forming a first chamber, the housing having an orifice therein which communicates with the first chamber; means for forming a substantially air-tight seal between the orifice in the housing and the neck of a balloon when the balloon is positioned within said first chamber with the neck of the balloon extending through the orifice in the housing, said means for forming a substantially air-tight seal comprising a flexible diaphragm positioned in said orifice in the housing so as to substantially occlude the orifice, the diaphragm having a hole therethrough which communicates with said first chamber; and means for evacuating said first chamber, whereby the balloon is inflated and the object can be placed inside the inflated balloon through the orifice in the housing and the neck of the balloon.

Claim 2

An apparatus for use in placing an object inside an inflated balloon, the apparatus comprising: a housing forming a first chamber, the housing having an orifice therein which communicates with the first chamber; means for forming a substantially air-tight seal between the orifice in the housing and the neck of a balloon when the balloon is positioned within said first chamber with the neck of the balloon extending through the orifice in the housing, said means for forming a substantially air-tight seal comprising a flexible diaphragm positioned in said orifice in the housing so as to substantially occlude the orifice, the diaphragm having a hole therethrough which communicates with said first chamber; and means for evacuating said first chamber, whereby the balloon is inflated and the object can be placed inside the inflated balloon through the orifice in the housing and the neck of the balloon.

Claim 4

An apparatus for use in placing an object inside an inflated balloon, the apparatus comprising: a housing forming a first chamber, the housing having an orifice therein which communicates with the first chamber; means for enlarging the neck of a balloon when the balloon is positioned within said first chamber with the neck of the balloon extending through the orifice in the housing, said means for enlarging the neck of a balloon comprising: (a) at least three rams positioned on the housing so as to substantially surround said orifice, each ram having a retractable actuating rod which extends toward the orifice; (b) a substantially L-shaped finger attached to the actuating rod of each ram, each said finger extending through the orifice in the housing and into said first chamber, said fingers lying adjacent one another when the actuating rods of the rams are in an unretracted position such that a balloon can be positioned within the first chamber of the housing with the neck of said balloon lying around said fingers and extending through the orifice; and (c) means for retracting the actuating rods of the rams so as to enlarge the neck of a balloon lying around said fingers; means for forming a substantially air-tight seal between the orifice in the housing and the enlarged neck of the balloon, said means for forming a substantially air-tight seal comprising a flexible diaphragm positioned in said orifice in the housing so as to substantially occlude the orifice, the diaphragm having a hole therethrough which communicates with said first chamber; and means for evacuating said first chamber, whereby the balloon is inflated and the object can be placed inside the inflated balloon through the orifice in the housing and the enlarged neck of the balloon.

Claim 5

An apparatus for use in placing an object inside an inflated balloon, the apparatus comprising: a housing forming a first chamber, the housing having an orifice therein which communicates with the first chamber; means for enlarging the neck of a balloon when the balloon is positioned within said first chamber with the neck of the balloon extending through the orifice in the housing, said means for enlarging the neck of a balloon comprising: (a) at least three rams positioned on the housing so as to substantially surround said orifice, each ram having a retractable actuating rod which extends toward the orifice; (b) a substantially L-shaped finger attached to the actuating rod of each ram, each said finger extending through the orifice in the housing and into said first chamber, said fingers lying adjacent one another when the actuating rods of the rams are in an unretracted position such that a balloon can be positioned within the first chamber of the housing with the neck of said balloon lying around said fingers and extending through the orifice; and (c) means for retracting the actuating rods of the rams so as to enlarge the neck of a balloon lying around said fingers; means for forming a substantially air-tight seal between the orifice in the housing and the enlarged neck of the balloon, said means for forming a substantially air-tight seal comprising a flexible diaphragm positioned in said orifice in the housing so as to substantially occlude the orifice, the diaphragm having a hole therethrough which communicates with said first chamber; and means for evacuating said first chamber, whereby the balloon is inflated and the object can be placed inside the inflated balloon through the orifice in the housing and the enlarged neck of the balloon.

Claim 7

An apparatus for use in placing an object inside an inflated balloon, the apparatus comprising: a housing forming a first chamber and a second chamber, the housing having a lid which may be opened so as to afford access to the first chamber, and said lid having an orifice therein which communicates with the first chamber when the lid is closed; a flexible diaphragm positioned in said orifice in the lid of the housing so as to substantially occlude the orifice, the diaphragm having a hole therethrough which communicates with said first chamber when the lid of the housing is closed; at least three rams positioned on the lid of the housing so as to substantially surround said diaphragm, each ram having a retractable actuating rod which extends toward the diaphragm; a substantially L-shaped finger attached to the actuating rod of each ram, each said finger extending through the hole through said diaphragm and into said first chamber of the housing, said fingers lying adjacent one another when the actuating rods of the rams are in an unretracted position such that a balloon can be positioned within the first chamber of the housing with the neck of said balloon lying around said fingers and extending through the hole through the diaphragm; means for retracting the actuating rods of the rams so as to enlarge the neck of a balloon lying around said fingers and form a substantially air-tight seal between said neck of the balloon and the flexible diaphragm; a vacuum pump having an air intake port and an air exhaust port, the air intake port communicating with the first chamber of the housing and the air exhaust port communicating with the second chamber of the housing, whereby the pressure in the first chamber is decreased and the pressure in the second chamber is increased when the vacuum pump is actuated; and a nipple means communicating with said second chamber of the housing, the nipple means being configured such that it can be connected to the neck of a balloon so as to inject air from said second chamber into the balloon.

Claim 8

An apparatus for use in placing an object inside an inflated balloon, the apparatus comprising: a housing forming a first chamber and a second chamber, the housing having a lid which may be opened so as to afford access to the first chamber, and said lid having an orifice therein which communicates with the first chamber when the lid is closed; a flexible diaphragm positioned in said orifice in the lid of the housing so as to substantially occlude the orifice, the diaphragm having a hole therethrough which communicates with said first chamber when the lid of the housing is closed; at least three rams positioned on the lid of the housing so as to substantially surround said diaphragm, each ram having a retractable actuating rod which extends toward the diaphragm; a substantially L-shaped finger attached to the actuating rod of each ram, each said finger extending through the hole through said diaphragm and into said first chamber of the housing, said fingers lying adjacent one another when the actuating rods of the rams are in an unretracted position such that a balloon can be positioned within the first chamber of the housing with the neck of said balloon lying around said fingers and extending through the hole through the diaphragm; means for retracting the actuating rods of the rams so as to enlarge the neck of a balloon lying around said fingers and form a substantially air-tight seal between said neck of the balloon and the flexible diaphragm; a vacuum pump having an air intake port and an air exhaust port, the air intake port communicating with the first chamber of the housing and the air exhaust port communicating with the second chamber of the housing, whereby the pressure in the first chamber is decreased and the pressure in the second chamber is increased when the vacuum pump is actuated; and a nipple means communicating with said second chamber of the housing, the nipple means being configured such that it can be connected to the neck of a balloon so as to inject air from said second chamber into the balloon.