Balloon holder assembly

Abstract

A balloon holder assembly including a cup adapted to secure to the tail of an inflated balloon and an elongate holder. The cup being provided with a first locking feature and the elongate holder being provided with a second locking feature. In one aspect of the invention, the first and second locking features can be configured to cooperatively engage in any relative angular alignment of the cup and elongate holder about the longitudinal axis of the elongate holder so as to secure the cup and elongate holder together. In one aspect of the invention, the first locking feature can be an annular surface. In one aspect of the invention, the elongate holder can have an elongate element provided with the second locking feature that is bendable so the second locking feature can engage the first locking feature when the cup and elongate holder are pushed together.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A balloon holder assembly for use with an inflated balloon having an uninflated tail, comprising a cup adapted to secure to the tail of the inflated balloon, an elongate holder extending along a longitudinal axis, the cup being provided with a first locking feature and the elongate holder being provided with a second locking feature, the first and second locking features being configured to cooperatively engage in any relative angular alignment of the cup and elongate holder about the longitudinal axis so as to secure the cup and elongate holder together. 
     
     
         2 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second locking features is a latch and the other of the first and second locking features is a keeper. 
     
     
         3 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first locking feature is a keeper and the second locking feature is a latch. 
     
     
         4 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first locking feature is inside the cup. 
     
     
         5 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the elongate holder has an end and the cup includes a hollow stem for receiving the end of the elongate holder, the first locking feature being inside the hollow stem. 
     
     
         6 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cup includes a hollow stem extending along a longitudinal axis and the first locking feature is an internal surface extending perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis of the stem. 
     
     
         7 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first locking feature is an internal annular surface. 
     
     
         8 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second locking feature is at least one surface on the elongate holder extending perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis of the elongate holder. 
     
     
         9 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one surface is at least one planar surface. 
     
     
         10 . A balloon holder assembly for use with an inflated balloon having an uninflated tail, comprising a cup adapted to secure to the tail of the inflated balloon, an elongate holder, the cup being provided with an annular surface and the elongate holder being provided with at least one surface for engaging the annular surface of the cup so as to secure the cup and elongate holder together. 
     
     
         11 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the annular surface is an internal annular surface. 
     
     
         12 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the cup includes a hollow stem extending along a longitudinal axis and the annular surface extends perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis of the stem. 
     
     
         13 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the elongate holder extends along a longitudinal axis and the at least one surface extends perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         14 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the elongate holder has an end provided with the at least one surface, the end being bendable for permitting the at least one surface to engage the annular surface when the cup and elongate holder are pushed together. 
     
     
         15 . A balloon holder assembly for use with an inflated balloon having an uninflated tail, comprising a cup adapted to secure to the tail of the inflated balloon, the cup extending along a central axis and being provided with a surface extending transversely of the central axis, an elongate holder extending along a longitudinal axis and having an end, the end of the elongate holder having an elongate element provided with at least one surface extending perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis, the elongate element being bendable so the at least one surface can engage the surface of the cup when the cup and elongate holder are pushed together. 
     
     
         16 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the end of the elongate holder has an additional elongate element provided with at least one additional surface extending perpendicularly of the longitudinal axis, the additional elongate element being bendable so the at least one additional surface can engage the surface of the cup when the cup and elongate holder are pushed together. 
     
     
         17 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the surface of the cup is an annular surface. 
     
     
         18 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the elongate element and the additional elongate element are bendable towards each other for permitting the at least one surface and the at least one additional surface to engage the surface of the cup. 
     
     
         19 . The balloon holder assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the surface of the cup is an internal annular surface.