Balloon having ultraviolet sensitive indicia and method of making same

Abstract

A novelty balloon having ultraviolet sensitive indicia and including a front wall and a rear wall. The ultraviolet sensitive indicia may be disposed on the outer surface of the front wall, the inner surface of the front wall, or the inner surface of the rear wall. The indicia is formed of ultraviolet sensitive ink which may either be visible or invisible under regular lighting conditions. Thus, an image may be visible under ultraviolet lighting conditions which is not visible under regular lighting conditions. The balloon optionally includes a transparent portion in the front wall, through which the ultraviolet sensitive indicia may be viewed. An object may be contained within the balloon having ultraviolet sensitive indicia on its surface. The object may include a panel, a three-dimensional object, or a third balloon film layer sealed between the front and rear walls. A method of making such a balloon including using a separate ink deck in order to apply the ultraviolet sensitive ink to a surface of the balloon wall is also disclosed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A balloon comprising: 
 a front wall having an inner surface and an outer surface,    a rear wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, and    ultraviolet sensitive indicia disposed on the front wall or rear wall of the balloon, wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia is visible as viewed from a front perspective under ultraviolet lighting conditions.    
     
     
         2 . The balloon according to  claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia is visible under regular lighting conditions and enhanced under ultraviolet lighting conditions.  
     
     
         3 . The balloon according to  claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia is visible only under ultraviolet lighting conditions.  
     
     
         4 . The balloon according to  claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia comprises ultraviolet sensitive ink disposed on the outer surface of the front wall of said balloon.  
     
     
         5 . The balloon according to  claim 4 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive ink, under ultraviolet lighting conditions, enhances an image which is visible under regular lighting conditions.  
     
     
         6 . The balloon according to  claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia comprises ultraviolet sensitive ink disposed on the inner surface of the front wall of said balloon.  
     
     
         7 . The balloon according to  claim 4 , wherein the front wall further comprises a transparent portion, and wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia comprises ultraviolet sensitive ink disposed on the inner surface of the rear wall of said balloon.  
     
     
         8 . The balloon according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the front wall comprises a clear plastic film material.  
     
     
         9 . The balloon according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the front wall comprises a metalized film material.  
     
     
         10 . The balloon according to  claim 9 , wherein the front wall and the rear wall comprise a metalized material, and wherein the front wall and the rear wall are sealingly engaged along outer edges of the front wall and the rear wall.  
     
     
         11 . The balloon according to  claim 1 , further comprising an associated streamer or banner having additional ultraviolet sensitive indicia printed thereon.  
     
     
         12 . The balloon according to  claim 11 , wherein the indicia of the streamer or banner correlates to the ultraviolet sensitive indicia on the wall of the balloon.  
     
     
         13 . A balloon comprising: 
 a continuous elastic wall having an outer surface and an inner surface,    the wall having a front portion and a rear portion, and    ultraviolet sensitive indicia disposed on the wall of the balloon, wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia is visible as viewed from a front perspective under ultraviolet lighting conditions.    
     
     
         14 . The balloon according to  claim 13 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia is visible under regular lighting conditions and enhanced under ultraviolet lighting conditions.  
     
     
         15 . The balloon according to  claim 13 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia is visible only under ultraviolet lighting conditions.  
     
     
         16 . The balloon according to  claim 13 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia comprises ultraviolet sensitive ink disposed on the outer surface of the front portion of the wall of said balloon.  
     
     
         17 . The balloon according to  claim 16 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive ink, under ultraviolet lighting conditions, enhances an image which is visible under regular lighting conditions.  
     
     
         18 . The balloon according to  claim 13 , wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia comprises ultraviolet sensitive ink disposed on the inner surface of the front portion of the wall of said balloon.  
     
     
         19 . The balloon according to  claim 13 , wherein the front portion of the wall further comprises a transparent portion, and wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia comprises ultraviolet sensitive ink disposed on the inner surface of the rear portion of the wall of said balloon.  
     
     
         20 . The balloon according to  claim 13 , wherein the wall comprises a latex material.  
     
     
         21 . The balloon according to  claim 13 , wherein the wall comprises a metalized material.  
     
     
         22 . A balloon comprising: 
 a front wall portion having a transparent portion therein,    a rear wall portion,    an object disposed between the front wall portion and the rear wall portion, and    ultraviolet sensitive indicia disposed on a surface of the object, wherein the ultraviolet sensitive indicia is visible from a front perspective of said balloon under ultraviolet lighting conditions.    
     
     
         23 . The balloon according to  claim 22 , wherein the object is substantially two-dimensional.  
     
     
         24 . The balloon according to  claim 23 , wherein said object comprises an inner balloon layer sealed to at least one of said front wall portion and said rear wall portion.  
     
     
         25 . The balloon according to  claim 22 , wherein the object is substantially three-dimensional.  
     
     
         26 . A method of making a balloon comprising the steps of: 
 applying non-ultraviolet-sensitive ink using at least a first ink deck to an outer surface of film material to be used for the balloon front wall,    applying ultraviolet sensitive ink using at least a second ink deck to a the outer surface of the film material to be used for the balloon front wall,    forming a metalized balloon rear wall having an outer edge,    forming a metalized balloon front wall having an outer edge, and    sealingly engaging the balloon front wall to the balloon rear wall along at least the outer edges of the balloon front and balloon rear walls.    
     
     
         27 . A method of making a balloon comprising the steps of: 
 applying non-ultraviolet-sensitive ink using a first ink deck to an outer surface of clear plastic film material to be used for the balloon front wall while leaving a portion of the film material free of ink,    applying ultraviolet sensitive ink using a second ink deck to an additional surface,    forming a rear balloon wall having an outer edge,    forming a balloon front wall having an outer edge, and    sealingly engaging the front balloon wall to the rear balloon wall along at least the outer edges of the front and rear balloon walls.    
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the step of applying ultraviolet sensitive ink to an additional surface comprises applying ultraviolet sensitive ink to an object to be disposed between the front balloon wall and the rear balloon wall of said balloon, and further comprising the step of positioning the object between the front and rear walls of said balloon.  
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the object is an intermediate balloon layer, and further comprising the step of sealing at least a portion of the intermediate layer to at least one of the front and rear walls of said balloon.