Baloon shake-off performance device

Abstract

To provide a balloon shake-off performance device which, regardless of the scale of an event meeting place, a large number of balloons set up in a plurality of places in the upper part of the meeting place are shaken off at once in good timing over the entire performance space.SOLUTION: A performance device includes: a plurality of balloon shake-off screens which are hung on the horizontal material in the upper part of a performance space and which house a large number of balloons to shake off in the performance space; a plurality of control units which make pairs with each of the plurality of balloon shake-off screens and which control shake-off timing; a timing instruction unit which designates the control units for the timing of shaking off at once the plurality of balloon shake-off screens; and a gas source for supplying gas that has a pressure for operating the control unit. The control unit is provided with an electromagnetic valve which switches a flowing direction of the gas that is supplied from the gas source in accordance with the electric signal from the timing instruction unit; and an air cylinder which introduces the gas supplied from the electromagnetic valve into the cylinder container and in which a piston rod is made to linearly move by making a piston to receive a gas pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a balloon shaking-off device used in a balloon shaking-off technique called "balloon drop" as one of the dramatic effects at concerts, wedding receptions, and various other events and ceremonies. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a visual presentation method has been known in which confetti or a large number of balloons are dropped from the sky into a presentation space in order to achieve the effect of livening up the atmosphere at various event venues and the like.

[0003] For example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses two methods. The first method involves preparing the required number of large balloons filled with many small balloons and hanging them from the ceiling, then popping the large balloon to send the small balloons inside flying into the performance space. The second method involves sewing both long sides of a large rectangular net together with fishing line in a loose wave stitch, filling the net with many balloons through the opening on the short side, tying the net to the ceiling with the seam facing down, and then pulling out the string to drop the balloons from the ceiling into the performance space. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] INTERIOR DESIGN BOXTET@EK Useful interior design tips from overseas, "How to make balloon drops (2 types) [How to make balloons fall]", [online], [Searched on June 5, 2023], Internet<URL:https: / / www.interiordesignbox.com / ?p=3709> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, Non-Patent Document 1 does not disclose how and when to pop the required number of large balloons hanging from the ceiling, or how to pull out the fishing line that sews the net together. In many cases, at wedding receptions and relatively small event venues, it is possible for a small number of people to do it manually in response to a signal, but at large venues such as concerts, if it is done manually by a large number of people using human wave tactics, it is extremely difficult to drop them all at once over the entire performance space in time with a certain moment in the music, because prior rehearsals cannot be performed and human error cannot be eliminated.

[0006] To provide a balloon shaking-off performance device that shakes off a large number of balloons set up at multiple locations above an event venue all at once in a timely manner over the entire performance space, regardless of the scale of the venue. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The balloon shake-off performance device according to claim 1 comprises a plurality of balloon shake-off curtains that are suspended from a horizontal member above a performance space and contain a number of balloons to be shaken down into the performance space, a plurality of control units that are paired with each of the plurality of balloon shake-off curtains and control the timing of shaking them down, a timing instruction unit that instructs the control unit by an electrical signal on the timing to shake down the plurality of balloon shake-off curtains at the same time, and a gas source that supplies gas having a pressure that operates the control unit, and the control unit has an electromagnetic valve that switches the flow direction of the gas supplied from the gas source according to the electrical signal from the timing instruction unit, and a switch that switches the gas supplied from the electromagnetic valve. and an air cylinder which is introduced into a cylinder container and whose piston rod moves linearly when a piston inside the cylinder container receives gas pressure, and the edges of the openings of the multiple balloon-shaking curtains which are provided for storing a large number of balloons are tied with a trigger string after the balloons are stored, and each of the tied trigger strings is hooked onto the tip of the piston rod of the paired control unit, and in response to an electrical signal from the timing instruction unit, the piston rod moves linearly and the trigger strings come off from the piston rod, causing the multiple balloon-shaking curtains to be shook down all at once, and the large number of stored balloons to be released into the performance space.

[0008] In the balloon shake-off performance device described in claim 2, the control unit further comprises a concentric cylindrical rod guide having a horizontal L-shaped cross section cut along a plane including the center line of the axis of the piston rod and fitted to the tip of the piston rod, and two rod guide support fittings erected at positions before and after the movement of the tip of the piston rod and having holes through which the rod guide can slide.By supporting the piston rod with the rod guide support fittings erected at positions before and after the movement of the tip of the piston rod and having holes through which the piston rod can slide, even a small air cylinder with a small allowable lateral load for the piston rod can adequately withstand the lateral load, and the rod guide fitted to the tip of the piston rod prevents distortion of the piston rod itself due to the lateral load and makes it easy to move the piston rod back and forth with fingers when hooking a rope.

[0009] The balloon shake-off performance device described in claim 3 comprises a balloon shake-off curtain that is cylindrical in shape and has a bottom and an opening for accommodating balloons, a mesh window formed on the circular bottom surface of the curtain body within a predetermined distance from the center for allowing air to escape, a number of eyelets formed on the edge of the opening of the curtain body for passing the trick string used to open and close the opening, and a ring-shaped frame-shaped body with spring properties arranged on the body of the curtain body to maintain the cylindrical shape.By having a simple cylindrical shape with a bottom, it is possible to accommodate several hundred balloons, and by passing the trick string through an eyelet hole with a diameter larger than the thickness of the string, smooth opening and closing of the opening is achieved, and the ring-shaped frame-shaped body with spring properties arranged on the body maintains the cylindrical shape at all times, and air flows in through the mesh window, making it possible to release the stored balloons into the performance space all at once.

[0010] In the balloon shake-off performance device described in claim 4, the air cylinder is a single-acting retractable single-rod cylinder and the solenoid valve is a normally closed type 3-port 2-position directional control valve, so that the amount of gas consumed is about half that of a double-acting air cylinder, and it is smaller and has a simpler structure than the 5-port solenoid valve used in double-acting air cylinders, and is expected to save power.

[0011] In the balloon shake-off performance device described in claim 5, the gas source is a movable high-pressure gas container filled with compressed or liquefied gas composed of any of helium, argon, nitrogen, air, and carbon dioxide, and since the high-pressure gas filled in the high-pressure gas container is non-flammable and has few impurities, it does not require an air compressor, aftercooler, air dryer, air filter, oil mist separator, etc. that are commonly used in pneumatic systems, thereby making it possible to miniaturize the entire device and increase the safety of the device.

[0012] In the balloon shake-off performance device described in claim 6, the balloon shake-off curtain is further made of cotton or anti-static cloth, thereby preventing static electricity from building up between the balloons contained inside and the balloon shake-off curtain, which would cause the balloons to stick to the balloon shake-off curtain. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, regardless of the size of the event venue, particularly in large presentation spaces such as theaters, event halls, and domes, a large balloon filled with balloons can be released simultaneously and uniformly at a timing equivalent to metronome mark 200 (tempo mark prestissimo: extremely fast, approximately 0.3 seconds or less) after a button is pressed, which previously required a large number of people to use human wave tactics to pop or pull a fishing line from a sewn net to drop the balloons manually, resulting in temporal and spatial variations. This invention provides an excellent presentation effect that matches the music being played throughout the presentation space. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a balloon shake-off performance device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control unit represented by the air circuit symbols shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of the structure of a control unit in a normal state; [Figure 4] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of the structure of a control unit in an operating state. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of the structure of a balloon shake-off curtain. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 5 are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, and in these figures, parts with the same reference numerals represent the same objects, and the basic configurations and operations are similar. EXAMPLES

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a balloon shaking-off performance device. The balloon shaking-off performance device 1 of Example 1 is composed of a pneumatic circuit system consisting of a gas source 2, a control unit 3, a tube 4, a two-branch tube fitting 5 and a pressure gauge 6, a timing indication unit 7, a commercial AC power source 8, an electrical circuit system consisting of an L (live) line 74, an N (neutral) line 75 and a branch connector 76, and a balloon shaking-off curtain 9. FIG. 1 shows the relative physical positions of the pneumatic circuit system, the electrical circuit system, and the balloon shake-off curtain 9 in relation to these circuit systems, and gives an example in which they are arranged in two levels, upper and lower. For convenience, the upper level shows the normal state, and the lower level shows the state during or after operation.

[0017] First, we will explain the outline of the pneumatic circuit system. The pneumatic circuit system is represented by symbols and circuit diagrams in accordance with the JIS standard (B0125-1, 2). The gas source 2 is composed of the minimum equipment of a high-pressure gas container 21, a pressure reducer (pressure control valve) 22, and a pressure gauge 23. This configuration is generally realized by directly attaching a pressure reducer (pressure control valve) 22 with a pressure gauge 23 to a high-pressure gas valve (not shown) attached to the high-pressure gas container 21, and is intended to reduce the extremely high pressure state of compressed gas filled in the high-pressure gas container 21 to a pressure state used in a pneumatic circuit system, and to stably maintain and supply the gas at that pressure state to the pneumatic circuit system.

[0018] In general, pneumatic systems used in industrial fields require an air compressor to produce compressed air, an aftercooler to cool the compressed air that is hot immediately after compression, an air dryer to remove moisture from the compressed air, an air filter to remove dust from the compressed air, an oil mist separator to separate and remove oil particles from the compressed air, etc. In this embodiment, however, a movable high-pressure gas cylinder filled with compressed gas or liquefied gas composed of helium, argon, nitrogen, air, or carbon dioxide is used as the high-pressure gas container 21, so that a non-flammable, high-purity high-pressure gas with few impurities can be used, making these pneumatic equipment unnecessary. Here, "high-pressure gas" refers to a compressed gas with a pressure of 1 MPa or more at room temperature, or a liquefied gas with a pressure of 0.2 MPa or more at room temperature, as specified in the High Pressure Gas Safety Act.

[0019] Compressed gas supplied from a gas source 2 is supplied to multiple control units 3 through a tube 4 that is connected at key points by a two-branch tube joint 5. In addition, since the tube 4 is branched and connected by the two-branch tube joint 5, pressure gauges 6 that measure the pressure state of the compressed gas are inserted at key points.

[0020] The control unit 3 is mainly composed of a housing 31, an air cylinder 32, a solenoid valve 33, and a tube 34. The air cylinder 32 and the solenoid valve 33 are incorporated in the housing 31, and are connected to each other by the tube 34. The compressed gas supplied through the tube 4 is supplied to the air cylinder 32 through the tube 34 via the inlet port and outlet port of the solenoid valve 33 . A more specific structure and operation of the control unit 3 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0021] Next, we will explain the outline of the electrical circuit system. The electrical circuit system is shown in accordance with the JIS standard (C0617) that specifies graphic symbols. The timing instruction unit 7 is composed of a switch 71, a circuit breaker 72, and a push button 73. The timing instruction unit 7 is connected to an external commercial AC power source 8, and is connected to the solenoid valves 33 of the multiple control units 3 via an L line 74 and an N line 75 that are branched and connected at key points by a branch connector 76, and supplies an electric signal when the push button 73 is pressed. The operation of the solenoid valve 33 in response to the supplied electric signal will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0022] Next, an overview of the balloon drop curtain 9 will be given. The balloon shaking-off curtain 9 is mainly composed of a curtain body 91, a frame-shaped body 92, a hanging rope 93, and a rope 94. The curtain body 91 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom and an opening for accommodating a balloon 95 inside, and a ring-shaped frame body 92 having spring properties is fitted into at least the body portion to maintain the cylindrical shape when accommodating or releasing the balloon 95. The bottom side of the curtain body 91 is suspended by a hanging rope 93 from a horizontal member 96 such as the railing of the catwalk at the event venue or a lighting baton, and the opening is closed by a rope 94 after the balloons 95 are placed inside. The trick string 94 that closes the opening of the balloon shaking-off curtain 9 is hooked onto the air cylinder 32 of the control unit 3 that pairs with the balloon shaking-off curtain 9, completing the preliminary setup. The control unit 3, which is paired with the balloon shake-off curtain 9, is fixed onto a horizontal member 96 with measures to prevent it from falling, and the tube 4 of the pneumatic circuit system and the L line 74 and N line 75 of the electrical circuit system are laid on the horizontal member 96.

[0023] In this way, once the number and locations of the balloon drop curtains 9 and their corresponding control units 3 have been determined, the pneumatic circuit system can be flexibly constructed by connecting the tubes 4 with two-branch tube fittings 5, and the electrical circuit system can be flexibly constructed by branching and connecting the L line 74 and N line 75 with a branch connector 76, so that the balloon drop performance device 1 can be installed regardless of the size of the event venue.

[0024] Next, the air circuit symbols of the control unit 3 shown in FIG. 1 will be explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of a control unit represented by the air circuit symbol shown in FIG. FIG. 2(A) is an example of the control unit's air circuit symbol display, showing the normal state. FIG. 2(B) is an example of the control unit shown in the air circuit symbol during operation.

[0025] The air circuit symbol conforms to the JIS standard (B0125-1), and the air cylinder 32 represents a single rod cylinder (single acting retractable type, spring return) specification. The fact that the piston rod 322 is provided only on the left side of the piston 323 indicates that this is a single rod cylinder. When compressed gas is supplied into cylinder container 321, piston 323 moves to the right as shown in FIG. 2(A) to the state shown in FIG. 2(B), and piston rod 322 is retracted into cylinder container 321. Since piston rod 322 moves in one direction, it is single-acting, and since it is retracted into cylinder container 321 as it moves, it is a retractable type. In addition, when the supply of compressed gas is cut off, the compressed gas supplied from the exhaust port marked with a downward triangle in the lower right corner of the cylinder container 321 is exhausted, and the position of the piston 323 returns from the state in Figure 2(B) to the state in Figure 2(A) by the return spring 324, indicating that this is a spring return specification.

[0026] The solenoid valve 33 represents a three-port two-position directional control valve (normally closed type, solenoid operated, spring return) specification. The two squares lined up side by side in the center indicate that it is a two-position directional control valve. The square on the right side shows the normal state returned by spring 336, and the square on the left side shows the state when solenoid 331 is activated, indicating that it is an electromagnetically operated, spring-return type. The square on the right side shows three ports: inlet port (P) 332, exhaust port (R) 333, and outlet port (A) 334. An arrow is drawn from outlet port (A) 334 to exhaust port (R) 333, and a T mark indicating a closed circuit is drawn on inlet port (P) 332, indicating that it is a normally closed type specification. The square on the left side also indicates that compressed gas is supplied from the inlet port (P) 332 to the outlet port (A) 334 when the solenoid 331 is activated.

[0027] Therefore, under normal circumstances, the piston rod 322 of the air cylinder 32 is pushed outward as shown in Figure 2(A), and the compressed gas supplied from the gas source 2 to the control unit 3 through the tube 4 is kept stopped at the inlet port (P) 332 of the solenoid valve 33. When an electrical signal is supplied through lead wire 339, the solenoid 331 of the solenoid valve 33 is activated, and compressed gas is supplied from the inlet port (P) 332 via the outlet port (A) 334 to the piping port 329 of the air cylinder 32, causing the piston rod 322 to be retracted into the cylinder container 321.

[0028] Next, a specific example of the structure of the control unit 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of the structure of the control unit in a normal state. FIG. 3A is a front view showing an example of a cross-sectional structure of a control unit in a normal state and an example of a half-sectional structure of an air cylinder. FIG. 3B is a top view showing an example of the cross-sectional structure of the solenoid valve in a normal state. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of the structure of the control unit in an operating state. FIG. 4A is a front view showing an example of a cross-sectional structure of a control unit in an operating state and an example of a half-sectional structure of an air cylinder. FIG. 4B is a top view showing an example of the cross-sectional structure of the solenoid valve in an operating state.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 3(A) and 4(A), the actual control unit 3 is composed of a housing 31, an air cylinder 32, an electromagnetic valve 33, a tube 34, a base 35, and two rod guide support brackets 36. In addition, the actual air cylinder 32 is composed of a cylinder container 321, a piston rod 322, a piston 323, a return spring 324, a piping port 329, a head cover 325, a rod cover 326, a mounting nut 327, a spring seat 328, and various packings that seal the inside of the cylinder container 321, and further a rod guide 37 is fitted to the tip of the piston rod 322.

[0030] The air cylinder 32 is fixed with a mounting nut 327 in a hole provided in the wall surface at one end of the housing 31 so that the piston rod 322 protrudes to the outside. The solenoid valve 33 is incorporated within the housing 31, and an inlet port (P) 332 is fixed to a hole provided in the side of the housing 31 so that compressed gas is supplied via a tube fitting. Also, a lead wire 339 is taken out to the outside from a hole (not shown) provided in the wall on the other end side of the housing 31 and connected to the L line 74 and the N line 75 by a branch connector 76. The piping port 329 of the air cylinder 32 is connected to an outlet port (A) 334 of the solenoid valve 33 by a tube 34 via a tube joint.

[0031] The housing 31 is fixed to a thick base 35 with screws or the like so that the control unit 3 can be securely fixed onto the horizontal member 96, and the base 35 has holes on both ends through which cable ties or the like can be passed to prevent the unit from falling. The two rod guide support brackets 36 are plate-shaped brackets with an L-shaped cross-sectional structure having holes so that the rod guides 37 can slide. One of them stands upright in accordance with the tip position of the piston rod 322 in the normal state as shown in FIG. 3(A) and is fixed to the base 35 with a screw or the like, and the other one stands upright in accordance with the tip position of the piston rod 322 in operation as shown in FIG. 4(A).

[0032] 3(A), the rod guide 37 has a concentric cylindrical shape with a horizontal L-shaped cross section on one side when cut along a plane including the center line of the axis of the piston rod 322. The cylindrical part into which the piston rod 322 is fitted is thickened to sufficiently withstand the lateral load when the trip cord 94, which is made of two thin ropes loosely twisted together in a chain shape, is hooked, and to prevent distortion of the piston rod 322 itself, and the disk part at the rear end is gripped with fingers to make it easier to move the entire piston rod 322 back and forth when the trip cord 94 is hooked to the rod guide 37. In this way, by adopting two rod guide support brackets 36 and rod guides 37, it is possible to prevent distortion of the piston rod 322 itself even in a small air cylinder 32 in which the allowable lateral load of the piston rod 322 is small, and a structure is realized that can adequately withstand a large lateral load.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3(B) and 4(B), the actual solenoid valve 33 is composed of a solenoid 331, an inlet port (P) 332, an exhaust port (R) 333, an outlet port (A) 334, a spring 336, and a lead wire 339, as well as a plunger 335 that moves in response to an electrical signal flowing through the solenoid 331, a valve seat 337 provided in the flow path, and valve bodies 338 provided on both ends of the plunger 335.

[0034] Next, the operation of the control unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(A), the air cylinder 32 is normally in a state in which the piston rod 322 is pushed outward by the force of the return spring 324. The force of the return spring 324 is such that the piston rod 322 can be easily moved toward the cylinder container 321 by gripping the disk portion of the rod guide 37 with fingers. The setup is completed by pulling the rod guide 37 back with the fingers, passing the rod guide 37 between the ropes of the setup string 94, which is made of two thin ropes loosely twisted together in a chain shape, and releasing the fingers. The lateral load that the piston rod 322 should bear from the cable 94 is not directly applied to the piston rod 322 because the rod guide 37 covering the tip of the piston rod 322 is supported by two rod guide support brackets 36.

[0035] In the solenoid valve 33, the inlet port (P) 332 through which compressed gas is supplied from the outside is normally closed as shown in Fig. 3(B). One valve body 338 provided on the plunger 335 is pressed against the valve seat 337 by a spring 336. The outlet port (A) 334 is connected internally to the exhaust port (R) 333 via the flow path indicated by the arrow, and externally to the piping port 329 of the air cylinder 32 via a tube 34, so that the compressed gas in the air cylinder 32 is discharged to the outside from the exhaust port (R) 333.

[0036] When the solenoid valve 33 is in operation, as shown in FIG. 4(B), an electric signal (current) is supplied to the solenoid 331 from the lead wire 339, which causes the plunger 335 to be magnetized and attracted to the fixed iron core indicated by the upward-slanting line to the right, causing the other valve body 338 to close the flow path of the exhaust port (R) 333 and the valve seat 337 to open, connecting the inlet port (P) 332 and the outlet port (A) 334 by the flow path indicated by the arrow. Therefore, compressed gas supplied from the outside is supplied to the piping port 329 of the air cylinder 32.

[0037] When the air cylinder 32 is in operation, compressed gas is introduced into the interior through the piping port 329 as shown in FIG. 4(A), and the piston 323 is pushed in by the pressure of the gas, so that the piston rod 322 is drawn into the cylinder container 321 . As a result, the cable 94 comes off the rod guide 37 .

[0038] When the electric signal (current) supplied from the lead wire 339 to the solenoid 331 is interrupted, the plunger 335 is demagnetized and returns to its original position shown in Fig. 3(B) by the force of the spring 336, and the compressed gas in the air cylinder 32 is exhausted to the outside from the exhaust port (R) 333 via the outlet port (A) 334 of the solenoid valve 33 connected to the piping port 329 by a tube 34. Then, as shown in Fig. 3(A), the piston rod 322 is pushed out by the force of the return spring 324 and returns to its original position.

[0039] Next, the balloon shaking-off curtain 9 will be described with reference to a specific example shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a balloon shake-off curtain. FIG. 5(A) is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a balloon-shaking curtain showing an empty state. FIG. 5(B) is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a balloon shake-off curtain in a state where a balloon is contained and the opening edge is tied with a string.

[0040] The actual balloon shaking-off curtain 9 is composed of a curtain main body 91, a frame-shaped body 92, a hanging rope 93, a trick string 94 and an opening 911, and the curtain main body 91 further has eyelets 912, a mesh window 913, a frame-shaped body insertion tube portion 914, a belt body 915 and a hook 916 for the hanging rope.

[0041] Specifically, the curtain body 91 is made of black cloth with an outer diameter of 780 mm to 2000 mm and a length of 900 mm to 2200 mm. The curtain body 91 is formed by sewing together several pieces of fabric with a width of single (approximately 900 mm) to double (approximately 1400 mm). As shown in Figure 5 (B), when balloons 95 are placed inside the curtain body 91, static electricity is generated as the balloons 95 rub against each other or between the curtain body 91 and the balloons 95, and the balloons 95 may not fall out even when the opening 911 is opened as shown in Figure 5 (A). Therefore, the black cloth is made of cotton or anti-static cloth, which is less likely to generate static electricity.

[0042] Eyelet holes 912 are formed at regular intervals (e.g., 300 mm pitch) on the edge near the opening 911 of the curtain body 91. A trap cord 94, which is made of two thin ropes loosely twisted together in a chain shape, is passed through as shown in Fig. 5(A) and both ends of the trap cord 94 are pulled to tie it up as shown in Fig. 5(B), easily closing and setting the opening 911, and an eyelet with an inner diameter sufficiently large compared to the thickness of the trap cord 94 (e.g., inner diameter 8 mm to 18 mm) is used so that the trap cord 94 can quickly return to the shape of Fig. 5(A) when it is detached from the control unit 3. Mesh window 913 is designed to make it difficult to see from the outside even if a large number of balloons are stored inside curtain body 91 as shown in Fig. 5(B), and to allow air to enter from the outside to the inside so that all the stored balloons are swept out at once when opening 911 is opened as shown in Fig. 5(A). Specifically, mesh window 913 is, for example, 400 mm to 900 mm, about half the outer diameter of curtain body 91, and is made of synthetic fiber with 400 meshes.

[0043] The frame-shaped body insertion tube 914 is formed by sewing a separate piece of fabric, for example, about 70 mm wide, to the inner circumference of the curtain body 91, taking into consideration the seam allowance, and providing an openable and closable zipper on part of its surface. The frame-shaped body 92 is formed by inserting a cylindrical piece of elastic engineering plastic (for example, 6 mm to 20 mm in diameter x 2000 mm in length) through the zipper opening into the cylindrical part and rotating it around. Due to the presence of this frame-shaped body 92, the curtain body 91 always maintains its cylindrical shape regardless of whether the opening 911 is open or closed, so that the balloons contained therein can be released all at once without blocking their path.

[0044] The belt 915 is formed by sewing a nylon flat belt, for example, about 25 mm wide and 1.2 mm thick, directly onto the bottom surface of the curtain body 91. Two belts 915 are sewn perpendicularly to the bottom surface to serve as reinforcing material for maintaining the disk-like shape of the bottom surface of the curtain body 91 when the curtain body 91 is suspended by the hanging ropes 93.

[0045] The hanging rope hooks 916 are formed in a circular ring shape by folding back a portion of the band 915 and sewing it onto the band 915 when the band 915 is sewn onto the bottom surface of the curtain body 91. The hanging rope hooks 916 are provided at positions equidistant from the center of the bottom surface, for example, about 1 / 2 the radius, on the two bands 915 sewn perpendicularly to the bottom surface, and there are four of them in total. By arranging them in this way, when the curtain body 91 is hung by passing the hanging rope 93 through the four hanging rope hooks 916, a force as uniform as possible is applied to the entire bottom surface of the curtain body 91.

[0046] The hanging rope 93 is, for example, a 6 mm thick, polyester or cotton-made, double-stranded rope. Although the strength of a double-stranded rope is lower than that of a typical 3-strand rope, it has a less rough surface, is less prone to kinking, has excellent abrasion resistance, and has the advantage of having a core. The trick string 94 is made of, for example, two thin ropes made of polyethylene with a thickness of about 3 mm to 4.5 mm loosely twisted together in a chain shape. The trick string 94 has the advantage that no matter where the rod guide 37 is inserted between the two twisted thin ropes in the loose chain shape, the setup can be completed without the trouble of tying the rope.

[0047] The balloon shaking-off curtain 9 having the above-mentioned configuration and structure has a weight of, for example, about 2 kg by itself. For example, a 9-inch rubber balloon generally has a diameter of 23 cm and a volume of about 7 liters, so the balloon shake-off curtain 9 can hold 200 to 400 balloons. If the material of the rubber balloon is 2 g, the weight of compressed air inside the rubber balloon at a temperature of 25°C is 1.2 g per liter, and the volume of the rubber balloon is about 7 liters, then the weight of one rubber balloon will be about 10.4 g. Therefore, in the case of the balloon shake-off curtain 9 holding 300 balloons, the weight will be 2 kg + 10.4 g × 300 = 5.12 kg. This load will be the lateral load on the control unit 3.

[0048] Next, a procedure for selecting the specifications of the specific pneumatic equipment used in this embodiment will be described. First, the air cylinder 32 is generally selected from commercially available products that comply with the JIS standard (B8366-1) taking into consideration the pressure of the compressed gas used, the load factor η, the load to be handled, and the like.

[0049] The pressure of the compressed gas used is within the secondary pressure range of the pressure reducer 22 and within the range of pressures used for commercially available air cylinders, and is generally set at 0.5 MPa.

[0050] The load factor η of an air cylinder is defined by the following formula. Load factor η = actual load Fr / theoretical thrust of air cylinder Ft … (1) The load factor η is a value between 0 and 1. As a general guideline, it should be 0.7 or less for static work such as clamping, 0.5 or less for dynamic work in which the load is moved horizontally or vertically, and 1.0 or less for dynamic work in which a linear guide is used to move the load horizontally.

[0051] In this embodiment, in the dynamic work of moving the air cylinder 32 horizontally, the rod guide 37 and the two rod guide support fittings 36 function as linear guides, and the load factor η is 0.5 to 1 or less. In addition, although the load is not being pushed and moved horizontally, the piston rod 322 is moved horizontally while the aforementioned lateral load of 5.12 kgf (50 N) is being applied to the rod guide 37, so the load handling this lateral load will be calculated as the actual load Fr. Generally, it is recommended that the allowable lateral load be 1 / 20 or less of the actual load Fr, but due to the presence of the rod guide 37 and the two rod guide support brackets 36, this restriction is not imposed.

[0052] The theoretical thrust Ft of an air cylinder is defined by the following formula based on Pascal's principle, which states that in a sealed container, pressure is transmitted equally perpendicularly to all surfaces within the container. Theoretical thrust of air cylinder Ft = Operating pressure P × Pressure-receiving area of ​​air cylinder A … (2)

[0053] Since the air cylinder 32 in this embodiment is a single-acting retractable single-rod cylinder, the pressure-receiving area A when compressed gas is introduced into the cylinder container 321 from the piping port 329 is defined by the following formula, where the inner diameter of the cylinder container 321 = the diameter of the piston 323 is D (mm) and the outer diameter of the piston rod 322 is d (mm). A = π × (D 2 -d 2 ) / 4 … (3)

[0054] From the formulas (1) to (3), the inner diameter D of the cylinder container 321 and the outer diameter d of the piston rod 322 can be expressed as follows: √(D 2 -d 2 ) = √[4 × Fr / (P × π × η)] … (4) If the actual load Fr is 50N, the operating pressure P is 0.5MPa, and the load factor η is 0.5, then from equation (4), √(D 2 -d 2 )=√[4×50 / (0.5×π×0.5)] ≒√254.8 ≒16mm … (5) If the load factor η is 1.0, √(D 2-d 2 )=√[4×50 / (0.5×π×1.0)] ≒√127.4 ≒11mm … (6)

[0055] In the JIS standard (B8366-1), the inner diameter D of the cylinder container 321 is stipulated as 8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, 16 mm, 20 mm, ..., and the outer diameter d of the piston rod 322 is stipulated as 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, .... From these combinations, a commercially available specification that satisfies the values ​​of formulas (5) and (6) is to be selected. For example, in the case of a commercially available product in which the inner diameter D of the cylinder container 321 is 16 mm and the outer diameter d of the piston rod 322 is 5 mm, the load factor η is satisfied within the range of 0.6 to 1.0.

[0056] Among commercially available products that satisfy the above-mentioned values ​​of inner diameter D of cylinder container 321 and outer diameter d of piston rod 322, one was selected that has the shortest horizontal movement amount (stroke L) of piston rod 322 of 15 mm, the movement speed v of piston 323 of 50 to 750 mm / s, and the maximum operating pressure Pmax of 0.7 MPa (for example, CJ2B16-15TZ manufactured by SMC Corporation). Therefore, the distance between the two rod guide support fittings 36 is 15 mm. This is from the viewpoint of reducing the instantaneous gas consumption when the piston rod 322 is moved horizontally once, and completing the horizontal movement of the piston rod 322 in approximately 0.3 seconds or less, which corresponds to the metronome mark 200 (tempo mark prestissimo: extremely fast), so as to be in sync with the momentary timing of the music being played in a concert venue.

[0057] The travel time t is expressed by the following equation. t = stroke L / travel speed v … (7) With the selected air cylinder 32, when the moving speed v is the slowest 50 mm / s, the moving time t is 15 / 50=0.3 seconds, which satisfies the specifications.

[0058] The calculation of the instantaneous gas consumption Q per air cylinder is generally defined by the following formula, assuming air under standard conditions (ANR) of 20°C, 1 atmosphere (0.1 MPa), and 65% relative humidity. Q = Pressure area A x Stroke L ×[(operating pressure P+0.1) / 0.1]×10 -6 … (8) From the pressure area A in equation (3), Q = π × (D 2 -d 2 ) / 4×L×[(P+0.1) / 0.1]×10 -6 …(9) =π×(16 2 -5 2 ) / 4×15×0.6 / 0.1×10 -6 ≒0.016 liters (ANR)

[0059] Next, selection of the sizes (effective cross-sectional areas) of the solenoid valve 33, the tube 4 and the tube 34 will be described. If the flow path of the pneumatic circuit system is narrowed in one area, the state in which the compressed gas flows before and after the narrowed area will change, causing a pressure difference, which will limit the amount of gas supplied to the air cylinder 32. If the minimum area of ​​the flow path is the effective cross-sectional area S, the upstream pressure is P1, and the downstream pressure is P2, the instantaneous gas consumption Q and the effective cross-sectional area S (mm 2 ) is practically expressed by the following simplified formula: Q = 226 × effective cross-sectional area S × √[P2 × (P1-P2)] … (10) S=Q / [226×√{P2×(P1-P2}] … (11) If P1 is used at a pressure of 0.5 MPa and P2 is assumed to drop by about 15%, then it will be 0.42 MPa. S = 0.016 liters (ANR) / [226 × √(0.42 × 0.08)] =0.016 / 41.4 ≒0.0004mm 2 … (12)

[0060] The catalog for the actual solenoid valve 33 states that the sonic conductance C (dm 3 / (s bar)) is listed and is converted from the effective cross-sectional area S using the following formula: C = 0.2 × effective cross-sectional area S … (13) C = 0.2 × 0.0004 ≒0.00008dm 3 / (s·bar) … (14) Therefore, the sonic conductance C is 0.00008 dm 3 A normally closed 3-port 2-position directional control valve with specifications of 0.11 dm3 / (s·bar) or more can be selected from commercially available products. For example, a normally closed 3-port 2-position directional control valve with specifications of 0.11 dm3 / (s·bar) or more can be selected from commercially available products. 3 / (s·bar) commercially available products were used (e.g., VZ110-1G-M5-F manufactured by SMC Corporation).

[0061] The effective cross-sectional area St of the tube can be calculated using the following formula, where dt (mm) is the inner diameter of the tube, λ is the friction coefficient of the tube, and Lt (mm) is the length of the tube. St = π × dt 2 / [4×√{λ×(Lt / dt)+1] … (16) The friction coefficient λ of a resin tube is 0.013. For example, when the length Lt of the tube is 1m to 20m and the inner diameter dt is 2.5mm, the effective cross-sectional area St is 1.97 to 0.48mm according to the above formula. 2 When the inner diameter dt is 4 mm, the effective cross-sectional area St is 6.1 to 1.55 mm 2 Since there is a margin of 6000 to 1900 times or more of the value of equation (12), a resin tube with an outer diameter of 6 mm and an inner diameter of 4 mm is used for tube 4 (for example, U2-6-4 manufactured by Nitta Corporation), and a tube with an outer diameter of 4 mm and an inner diameter of 2.5 mm is used for tube 34 for ease of handling inside housing 31 (for example, U2-4-4×2.5 manufactured by Nitta Corporation). The tubes 4 may be connected in multiple stages using two-branch tube fittings 5 ​​(for example, one-touch fitting EUT6 manufactured by Nitta Corporation), resulting in a considerably long total length. Even if the total length is 800 m, the effective cross-sectional area St according to formula (16) is 0.25, which is more than 3,000 times the value of formula (12).

[0062] The specifications of the air cylinder 32 adopted this time are as follows: the cylinder container 321 has a length of 73.5 mm, an outer diameter of 18.3 mm, the piston rod 322 has an outer diameter of 5 mm, a stroke of 15 mm, the piping port 329 has a diameter of M5×0.8, and the operating pressure range is 0.15 MPa to 0.7 MPa. In order to withstand lateral loads, the outer diameter of the cylindrical part of the rod guide 37 is 8 mm to 9 mm, and the outer diameter of the disc part is about 20 mm. The specifications of the solenoid valve 33 are: outer dimensions 48 mm×23 mm×15 mm, pipe connection diameter M5×0.8, operating pressure range 0 to 0.7 MPa, and apparent power 4.5 VA / 50 Hz. The response time of the solenoid valve 33 is less than 0.015 seconds, and should normally be taken into consideration along with the movement time of the air cylinder 32. However, since this is less than 1 / 20 of the approximately 0.3 seconds that corresponds to the metronome symbol 200, it can be ignored in this embodiment.

[0063] In order to accommodate these devices comfortably and compactly inside, the housing 31 is made of aluminum with a thickness of about 2 mm, has external dimensions of 115 mm x 62 mm x 60 mm, and is screwed onto a base 35 that is about 5 mm thick and measures 190 mm x 60 mm. A connector (e.g., Nitta Corporation's one-touch fitting EC6-M5) that fits the pipe connection diameter M5 x 0.8 and the tube outer diameter 6 mm is directly attached to the inlet port (P) 332 of the solenoid valve 33, which receives the supply of compressed gas from the tube 4, and a hole of approximately 10 mm is provided so that it can protrude from the side of the housing 31. In addition, a connector (e.g., one-touch fitting EC4-M5 manufactured by Nitta Corporation) that fits the pipe connection diameter M5 x 0.8 and the tube outer diameter 4 mm is directly attached to the outlet port (A) 334 of the solenoid valve 33 and the piping port 329, and connected to a tube 34 with a length of approximately 150 mm.

[0064] Next, a specific procedure for selecting the gas source 2 will be described. First, since an actual balloon shaking-off performance device has multiple control units 3 arranged as shown in FIG. 1, the gas consumption of the entire device is estimated. The components that consume compressed gas within the control unit 3 are the air cylinder 32, the solenoid valve 33, and the tube 34. Assuming that the instantaneous gas consumption of the air cylinder 32 is Q1, the instantaneous gas consumption of the solenoid valve 33 is Q2 the same as that of the air cylinder 32, and the instantaneous gas consumption of the tube when the length Lt of the tube 34 is about 150 mm is Q3, the instantaneous gas consumption Q0 per control unit 3 is estimated as follows based on formula (9). Q0=Q1+Q2+Q3 … (16) Q1=Q2=0.016 liters (ANR) … (17) Q3 = π × dt 2 / 4×Lt×[(P+0.1) / 0.1]×10 -6 … (18) =π×2.5 2 / 4×150×0.6 / 0.1×10 -6 ≒0.143 liters (ANR) Therefore, the instantaneous gas consumption Q0 per control unit 3 can be estimated as 0.032+0.143=0.175. If 80 control units 3 are installed and the total length of the tubes 4 is 800 m, the instantaneous gas consumption Qal of the entire device is estimated based on equation (18) as follows: Qal = Instantaneous gas consumption per control unit 3 Q0 x number of units + Instantaneous gas consumption Q4 of tube 4 … (18) Q4=π×4 2 / 4×800×10 3 x0.6 / 0.1x10 -6 … (19) ≒60 liters (ANR) Qal=0.175×80+60 … (20) ≒14+60=74 liters (ANR) Therefore, under normal circumstances when the high-pressure gas valve (not shown) of the high-pressure gas container 21 is open and the pressure gauge 23 of the pressure reducer 22 indicates an operating pressure value of 0.5 MPa, it is estimated that 60 liters of instantaneous gas consumption Q4 of the tube 4 is consumed first, and 14 liters are consumed in the control unit 3 when the push button 73 of the timing instruction unit 7 is pressed.

[0065] The most common specifications for commercially available air cylinders are 4 liter or 6 liter capacity with a filling pressure of 29 MPa (290 atmospheres) and 8 liter capacity with a filling pressure of 15 MPa (150 atmospheres), with usable air volumes of 1160 liters, 1740 liters, and 1200 liters, respectively. Therefore, if a 6-liter air cylinder is used as the high-pressure gas container 21 in the balloon shake-off performance device of this embodiment, one bottle can be used approximately 23.5 times.

[0066] The pressure reducer 22 used is a pressure reducer 22 equipped with a normal pressure gauge 23 used for air, oxygen, etc. (for example, Safety Gold (registered trademark)-V manufactured by Koike Oxygen Industry Co., Ltd.).

[0067] Finally, the electrical circuit system will be described. In Japan, the power supplied from event venues is typically 100V alternating current (AC) 15A per power system. Therefore, commercially available products that meet these specifications are selected for the switch 71 and circuit breaker 72 that constitute the timing instruction unit 7. For example, a slim circuit breaker rated at 15A (e.g., NX51A 2P 15A manufactured by Nitto Kogyo Co., Ltd.) is used as the switch 71, and a circuit breaker rated at 15A (e.g., NE52C 2P 15A manufactured by Nitto Kogyo Co., Ltd.) is used as the circuit breaker 72. As for the push button 73, as mentioned above, the apparent power per solenoid valve 33 is 4.5VA / 50Hz, and if 80 units are operated simultaneously, the specification is 360VA, or 3.6A or more. A momentary type that is ON only while the button is pressed is required, and for example, a rated 10A (for example, the φ22HW series made by IDEC Corporation) is adopted. In actuality, the timing instruction unit 7 is constructed by fixing these devices to a flat plate of a certain size with wood screws or the like and storing them in, for example, an attaché case.

[0068] The L wire 74 and the N wire 75 are, for example, AC 300V or less, rated at 12A, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the stranded conductor is 1.25mm 2 A parallel wire cord insulated with a polyvinyl chloride compound (e.g., VFF1.25) was adopted for its ease of handling. Also, for the branch connector 76, from the standpoint of ease of work at the installation site and safety, a connector (for example, 222-413 made by Wago Japan Co., Ltd.) was adopted that can be clamped simply and securely by inserting the twisted conductor of the parallel wire cord into the insertion port and then tilting a lever.

[0069] Thus, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, by adopting the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to construct a device that can simultaneously and uniformly release a large number of balloons, for example 100 to 32,000 or more in total, in a timing of approximately 0.3 seconds or less into a large-area presentation space such as a theater, event hall, or dome, thereby providing an excellent presentation effect that matches the music or the like being played in the presentation space. EXAMPLES

[0070] Next, a configuration example of a balloon shake-off performance device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The basic configuration and functions of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the high pressure gas container 21 is a carbon dioxide gas container instead of an air container.

[0071] In the case of a concert tour, etc., which may be held over consecutive days at the same venue or multiple venues, this embodiment uses carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of air so that one cylinder can be used more frequently. The molecular weight of carbon dioxide (CO2) is 44, so at 0°C and 1 atmosphere, its molar mass is 44 g / mol and its molar volume is 22.4 liters / mol. Therefore, the volume V per 1 kg of carbon dioxide at 20°C can be calculated using the following formula. V = (molar volume / molar mass) × 1000g × (273 + temperature ° C) / 273 ... (21) =(22.4 / 44)×1000×(273+20) / 273 ≒ 546.3 liters Therefore, 1 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) can be used approximately 7.3 times. Commercially available carbon dioxide gas cylinders that are easy to carry are available in CO2 filling amounts of 1 kg, 2.5 kg, 5 kg, and 7 kg, so in this embodiment, a 7 kg carbon dioxide gas cylinder was used as the high-pressure gas container 21. The capacity of a 7 kg carbon dioxide gas cylinder is 3824 liters, so one cylinder can be used about 51 times.

[0072] Since carbon dioxide gas cylinders are filled with liquefied carbon dioxide gas, continuous use can cause the temperature and pressure inside the cylinder to drop due to adiabatic expansion, which can cause the pressure reducer 22 to freeze and stop the gas from flowing, so a pressure reducer 22 with a heater or warmer is usually required, but in this embodiment, the amount of gas used is small and it is limited to instantaneous use, so a pressure reducer 22 with a normal pressure gauge 23 used for air, oxygen, etc. will suffice. Also, if there is a leak somewhere in the pneumatic circuit system, that part will freeze white, making it convenient for system checks such as early detection of the leak location. In addition to air and carbon dioxide gas, inert gases such as helium, argon, and nitrogen may also be used. In this way, by changing the type of high pressure gas and the capacity of the gas cylinder, one gas cylinder can be used multiple times, making it possible to reduce the size of the gas source 2 and increase the safety of the device.

[0073] Although the balloon shaking off performance device of the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements to the configurations and functions of the invention according to the above embodiments or other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0074] For example, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a single acting retractable single rod cylinder is used as the air cylinder 32 and a normally closed type three port two position directional control valve is used as the solenoid valve 33, but it is also possible to use a double acting single rod cylinder as the air cylinder 32 and a five port two position directional control valve or two three port two position directional control valves as the solenoid valve 33. Double-acting cylinders use compressed air for both pushing and pulling operations, so they consume twice as much compressed air, but they have the advantage of being the most widely used parts and are easily available. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 Balloon drop performance device 2. Gas Source 21 High pressure gas cylinders 22 Pressure reducer 23 Pressure gauge 3. Control Unit 31 Case 32 Air Cylinder 321 Cylinder container 322 Piston rod 323 Piston 324 Return spring 325 Head Cover 326 Rod Cover 327 Mounting Nut 328 Spring seat 329 Piping Port 33 Solenoid valve 331 Solenoid 332 Inlet port (P) 333 Exhaust port(R) 334 Exit port(A) 335 Plunger 336 Spring 337 Valve seat 338 Valve body 339 Lead Wire 34 Tube 35 Foundation 36 Rod guide support bracket 37 Rod guide 4 Tubes 5 2-branch tube fitting 6. Pressure gauge 7 Timing indication unit 71 Switchgear 72 Circuit Breaker 73 Push Button 74 L ​​(Live) Line 75 N (neutral) wire 76 Branch Connector 8 Commercial AC power 81 Power supply GND 9 Balloon Drop Curtain 91 Curtain body 911 Opening 912 Eyelet 913 Mesh Window 914 Frame-shaped body insertion tube part 915 Belt 916 Suspension rope hook 92 Frame-shaped body 93 Suspension Rope 94 Trap Rope 95 Balloon 96 Horizontal material

Claims

1. A plurality of balloon drop curtains are suspended from a horizontal member above the performance space and contain a large number of balloons to be dropped into the performance space; A plurality of control units each paired with the plurality of balloon shake-off curtains and controlling the timing of the shake-off; a timing instruction unit that instructs the control unit by an electrical signal as to the timing for simultaneously shaking down the plurality of balloon-shaking curtains; a gas source that supplies gas having a pressure for operating the control unit; The control unit an electromagnetic valve for switching a flow direction of the gas supplied from the gas source in response to an electrical signal from the timing instruction unit; an air cylinder in which the gas supplied from the solenoid valve is introduced into a cylinder container, and a piston in the cylinder container is subjected to gas pressure, thereby causing a piston rod to move linearly; The balloon shake-off performance device is characterized in that the edges of the openings of the multiple balloon shake-off curtains, which are provided to store a large number of balloons, are tied with a trick string after the balloons are stored, and each of the tied trick strings is hooked onto the tip of the piston rod of the paired control unit, and when the piston rod moves linearly in response to an electrical signal from the timing instruction unit, the trick strings come off from the piston rod, causing the multiple balloon shake-off curtains to be shaken off all at once, and the large number of stored balloons are released into the performance space.

2. The control unit further includes a rod guide having a concentric cylindrical shape fitted to a tip end of the piston rod and having a horizontal L-shaped cross section on one side cut along a plane including a center line of the axis of the piston rod. two rod guide support fittings each standing at a position before and after the movement of the tip of the piston rod and each having a hole to allow the rod guide to slide; The balloon shake-off performance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The balloon shake-off curtain includes a bottomed cylindrical curtain body having an opening for accommodating a balloon; A mesh window for venting air is formed on the circular bottom surface of the curtain body within a range of a predetermined distance from the center; A plurality of eyelet holes are formed at the edge of the opening of the curtain body for passing the trick string used to open and close the opening; A ring-shaped frame having a spring property is arranged on the body of the curtain body to maintain the cylindrical shape; 3. The balloon shake-off performance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. 3. The balloon shaking-off performance device according to claim 1, wherein the air cylinder is a single-acting retractable single-rod cylinder, and the solenoid valve is a normally closed three-port two-position directional control valve.

5. 3. The balloon shake-off performance device according to claim 1, wherein the gas source is a movable high-pressure gas container filled with compressed or liquefied gas composed of any one of helium, argon, nitrogen, air, and carbon dioxide.

6. 4. The balloon shaking-off performance device according to claim 3, wherein the balloon shaking-off curtain is further made of cotton or anti-static cloth.

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