Self-Sealing Water Balloon with Check Valve Ball
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water balloon filling and tying processes require dexterity and can be tedious, making them challenging for children and assistants in water balloon fights, as they need to be manually filled and tied off to prevent leakage.
Innovation Solution
Self-sealing water balloons with an elastomeric body, rib, and check valve ball that expand when filled, using internal pressure and buoyancy to seal the balloon without the need for manual tying, allowing for easy filling and use in water fights without leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual filling and tying is used, then the balloon can be sealed, but the process requires dexterity and is tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon employs a self-sealing mechanism where a check valve ball automatically seals the neck opening without manual intervention. The ball is positioned by internal pressure and buoyancy forces, eliminating the need for users to manually tie or seal the balloon, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable sealing and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical tying operation with an automatic mechanical sealing system. The check valve ball, guided by internal pressure and buoyancy, substitutes for human hands in performing the sealing function, making the process easier while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If manual tying is required, then leakage can be prevented, but the task becomes tedious for children and assistants
Solution Approach 1:
The self-sealing check valve ball automatically prevents leakage without requiring manual tying operations. This enables children and assistants to quickly fill balloons without struggling with tying techniques, significantly improving productivity while maintaining reliable leak prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The check valve ball is pre-positioned within the balloon structure to automatically engage with the neck opening upon filling. This preliminary positioning ensures that sealing occurs automatically as the balloon is filled, eliminating the need for post-filling tying operations and speeding up the overall process.
3Ease of operation
If the balloon body is made thin, then it is more flexible and easier to fill, but it may leak more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The thin balloon body is compensated by the self-sealing check valve ball, which automatically prevents leakage at the neck opening. The ball's automatic engagement with the opening ensures that even thin, flexible balloons maintain reliable leak resistance without requiring thicker walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different thickness characteristics to different parts of the balloon: the body can be thin for flexibility while the neck region has enhanced sealing capability through the check valve ball mechanism. This local differentiation allows the balloon to be easy to fill while maintaining leak resistance at critical points.
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 efficient and leak-proof filling of water balloons, reducing the dexterity required for filling and tying, allowing for continuous use in water balloon fights without manual sealing, and providing a biodegradable and safe option for recreational use.
Implementation Method 1
the check valve ball is buoyant and is located within the balloon body. Accordingly, the balloon is configured so that a combination of the internal pressure and the buoyancy of the ball urge it toward the rib when the balloon is partially filled with water when oriented vertically
Implementation Method 2
The balloon body defines a body thickness, an unfilled internal volume, and a filled internal volume. Furthermore, the balloon body expands between the unfilled internal volume and the filled internal volume when filled with fluid. Moreover, when filled, it has an internal pressure arising from a tension in the elastomeric balloon body
Data Source
AI summary
Balloons and related components and manufacturing methods. Various embodiments provide balloons which define elastomeric balloon bodies and necks. The balloon bodies define body thicknesses and filled and unfilled internal volumes. Tension in the balloon bodies gives rise to internal pressures when the balloons are filled. The necks couple with the bodies and define neck thickness which differ from the body thicknesses. Various embodiments provide check valve for use with the balloons and/or various liquids. These check valves can comprise a ball that further comprises a generally spherical substrate of fine particles of a biodegradable material and a coating on the substrate. The coating can be made of another biodegradable material. Combined, the coating and the generally spherical substrate form the check valve ball mid possess a density differing from the water density.