Self-Sealing Balloon With Moldable Adhesive Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for sealing balloons, such as tying a knot or using adhesive tape, are inefficient, time-consuming, and do not allow for easy deflation and reuse.
Innovation Solution
A self-sealing balloon design featuring a moldable adhesive ring within an adhesive staging segment in the neck segment, which can be exposed and compressed to create a seal, allowing for easy inflation and deflation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a knot is tied in the balloon neck segment to seal the pressurized gas, then the sealing function is achieved, but the process becomes tedious and time-consuming, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sealing function from the manual knot-tying action and replaces it with a pre-formed adhesive loop structure embedded in the balloon neck. The adhesive loop can be activated by simple stretching or heat, eliminating the need for manual knotting while maintaining reliable sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive loop is pre-formed and embedded within the balloon neck segment during manufacturing. This preliminary preparation allows the sealing action to be activated quickly during use by simply stretching or heating the pre-positioned adhesive, rather than performing the entire sealing process from scratch.
2Reliability
If a knot is tied in the balloon neck segment to seal the pressurized gas, then the sealing function is achieved, but it becomes nearly impossible to untie the knot for deflation and reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive loop transitions from a dormant state during inflation to an activated state during deflation. By applying heat or mechanical stretching, the adhesive properties change, allowing the loop to open and close reliably. This dynamic behavior enables easy deflation and reuse while maintaining secure sealing during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in adhesive properties through parameter changes such as temperature or mechanical stress. The adhesive loop remains inactive during normal use but can be activated by heating or stretching to allow deflation, then re-activated to seal again for reuse, solving the irreversibility problem of knot-tying.
3Reliability
If adhesive tape is placed on the interior surface of the balloon neck to seal, then the sealing function is achieved, but the adhesive tape cannot be separated, eliminating potential for deflation and reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive loop is designed with dynamic adhesive properties that can be switched between active and inactive states. During inflation, the adhesive is inactive and allows the balloon to be filled. During deflation, the adhesive can be activated temporarily to seal, then deactivated again to allow reopening for reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes in the adhesive material to enable reversible sealing. By controlling temperature, moisture, or mechanical stress parameters, the adhesive transitions between sticky and non-sticky states, allowing the balloon to be sealed for use and then easily reopened for deflation and reuse.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick and reliable sealing of balloons, facilitating efficient production and allowing for repeated use by providing a secure yet separable seal.
Implementation Method 1
compressing the exposed moldable adhesive ring together forming a seal
Implementation Method 2
a moldable adhesive ring carried by an interior of the tubular balloon neck segment
Data Source
AI summary
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.