Portable Balloon Tying Device With U-Shaped Cantilever And Finger Rest
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing balloon tying devices are inefficient and cause hand fatigue due to the difficulty in passing the ribbon through a tight loop without air leakage, potential damage to the balloon, and require extra time to secure the balloon during the tying process, especially when not portable.
Innovation Solution
A portable balloon tying device with a U-shaped cantilever and angled ribbon slot, matte finish, and a brace tab for stabilization, allowing easy manipulation of the balloon and ribbon, reducing friction, and facilitating knot formation with integral ribbon integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the balloon material is kept tight to prevent air leakage, then air retention is improved, but it becomes difficult to pass the ribbon end through the loop and causes damage to the material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a finger rest as an intermediary element between the operator's finger and the balloon material. This finger rest provides a stable support surface that allows the operator to maintain tension on the balloon while using their other hand to manipulate the ribbon through the loop, solving the contradiction between keeping the balloon tight for air retention and enabling easy ribbon passage
Solution Approach 2:
The device segments the tying operation into distinct functional zones: the finger rest area for stabilization, the loop formation area for ribbon manipulation, and the tensioning area for air retention. This segmentation allows each part of the device to optimize its function without interfering with the others, enabling simultaneous air tightness and easy ribbon passage
2Reliability
If the balloon material is kept tight to prevent air leakage, then air retention is improved, but hand fatigue increases due to tying many balloons
Solution Approach 1:
The finger rest acts as a mediator that transfers the stabilization function from the operator's finger to the device itself. This allows the operator to use their fingers as leverage points rather than bearing the full load, significantly reducing hand fatigue during repeated balloon tying while maintaining the necessary tension for air retention
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of the operator's finger providing the support surface for ribbon manipulation, the invention inverts this by providing a dedicated finger rest on the device that the operator's finger rests upon. This inversion transfers the work from the operator's hand to the device structure, reducing fatigue
3Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed support device is used for tying balloons, then stability is improved, but portability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs a dynamic design where the cantilever can flex and adapt to different support surfaces (fingers, stanchions, tables). This dynamic flexibility allows the device to maintain stability across multiple portable configurations rather than requiring a fixed installation, resolving the contradiction between stability and portability
4Reliability
If the balloon is stretched tightly on the device during tying, then knot security is improved, but removal of the balloon becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The device features a localized release mechanism at the distal end of the cantilever where the balloon is removed. This local quality change (the release feature) allows the balloon to be easily detached from the tightly secured position, resolving the contradiction between knot security during tying and ease of removal afterward
Data Source
AI summary
A balloon tying device has a base and a cantilever supported by the base. The cantilever has a U-shaped cross-section and two ears defining generally parallel planes extending outwardly and terminating at a tip for retaining a loop of balloon material. Inside the U-shape of the cantilever is an axially oriented recess for passing ribbon and providing clearance for tucking an overhand knot in a balloon tail. A brace tab extends downward from the lower edge of the base.