Molded game ball

• US 10,058,743 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rawlings Sporting Goods Company (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rawlings Sporting Goods Company (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Katherine A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US14/790,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20150297954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/125 stitchings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/04 Rigid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/14 Special surfaces A63B37/0004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29

Abstract

A molded game ball comprises an outer cover or surface having a mold line that mimics the seam of a conventional baseball or softball. The outer cover or surface may additionally include a stitch pattern that mimics the stitching of a conventional baseball or softball.

Claims

1. A game ball, comprising:

a molded outer cover having an integral round outer surface, wherein the only mold, line formed in the outer surface includes a groove that mimics the pattern of a seam of a conventional baseball or softball, and wherein said mold line is fainted on the game ball during molding at a joint between at least two sections of a mold that is used to create the game ball, wherein groove of the mold line extends only partially through the molded outer cover such that the molded outer cover is a single unitary component.

2. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said molded outer cover additionally comprises a raised stitch pattern positioned along said mold line on the outer surface of said outer cover.

3. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said mold line comprises a groove positioned between two C-shaped cover sections that are integrally formed together to define said molded outer cover, wherein said C-shaped cover sections have the same size, shape and appearance as the figure eight shaped cover panels of a conventional softball or baseball.

4. The game ball of claim 3, wherein said outer cover additionally comprises a plurality of stitched shaped protrusions extending at an angle from fixed points along said groove to a plurality of corresponding depressions formed in said C-shaped sections.

5. The game ball of claim 4, wherein each of said plurality of corresponding depressions is provided in one of said C-shaped sections spaced equidistant from another one of said corresponding depressions and from said groove.

6. The game ball of claim 4, wherein said molded outer cover additionally comprises a plurality of raised surfaces positioned between adjacent protrusions and extending from said groove to said corresponding depressions.

7. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said outer cover comprises polyurethane.

8. The game ball of claim 7, wherein said outer cover comprises high density polyurethane.

9. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said game ball additionally comprises an inner core that it is enclosed by said outer cover.

10. The game ball of claim 9, wherein said inner core comprises polyurethane.

11. The game ball of claim 9, wherein said inner core is permanently bonded with the outer cover.

12. The game ball of claim 11, wherein said outer cover comprises polyurethane.

13. The game ball of claim 12, wherein said outer cover comprises high density polyurethane.

14. The game ball of claim 13, wherein said inner core comprises low density rigid polyurethane foam.

15. The game ball of claim 14, wherein said ball has approximately the same diameter, density and weight as a conventional competition baseball or softball.

16. The game ball of claim 4, wherein said depressions are pin-hole shaped depressions that mimic the appearance of the hole formed in the cover panels of a conventional softball or baseball through which stitching is threaded to join the panels.

17. The game ball of claim 4, wherein said protrusions generally extend from said groove at about a 45 degree angle.

18. The game ball of claim 6, wherein said plurality of raised surfaces mimic the appearance of the peripheral edge or seam area of the cover panels of a conventional baseball or softball which are raised relative to the remainder of the outer surface of the cover panels when the cover panels are stitched together.

19. The game ball of claim 18, wherein said raised surfaces are generally flat.

20. The game ball of claim 18, wherein said raised surfaces are curved or undulated.

21. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said outer cover has a thickness of between approximately 1.4 to 1.6 millimeters.

22. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said outer cover has a thickness of approximately 1.5 millimeters.

23. A game ball formed by at least two sections of a mold, said game ball, comprising:

a molded outer cover having an integral round outer surface, wherein the only mold line formed in the outer surface along a joint between the at least two sections of the mold includes a groove that mimics the pattern of a seam of a conventional baseball or softball; and

an inner core enclosed by said outer cover;

wherein the groove of the mold line extends only partially through the molded outer cover such that the molded outer cover is a single unitary component.

24. The game ball of claim 23, wherein said mold line comprises a groove positioned between two C-shaped cover sections that are integrally formed together to define said molded outer cover, wherein said C-shaped cover sections have the same size, shape and appearance as the figure eight shaped cover panels of a conventional softball or baseball.

25. The game ball of claim 24, wherein said stitch pattern comprises a plurality of stitched shaped protrusions extending at an angle from fixed points along said groove to a plurality of corresponding depressions formed in said C-shaped sections.

26. The game ball of claim 25, wherein said molded outer cover additionally comprises a plurality of raised surfaces positioned between adjacent protrusions and extending from said groove to said corresponding depressions.

27. The game ball of claim 23, wherein said inner core is permanently bonded with the outer cover.

28. The game ball of claim 27, wherein said inner core comprises low density rigid polyurethane foam.

29. The game ball of claim 28, wherein said ball has approximately the same diameter, density and weight as a conventional competition baseball or softball.

30. A molded game ball comprising an integral round outer surface, wherein there are no other mold lines formed on the ball other than a mold line formed in the outer surface including a groove that mimics the pattern of a seam of a conventional baseball or softball, and wherein said mold line is formed on the game ball during molding at a joint between at least two sections of a mold that is used to create the game ball, wherein the groove of the mold line extends only partially through the integral outer surface such that the integral outer surface is a single unitary component.

31. The game ball of claim 30, wherein said outer surface additionally comprises a raised stitch pattern positioned along said mold line.

32. The game ball of claim 31, wherein said mold line comprises a groove positioned between two C-shaped cover sections that are integrally formed together to define said outer surface, wherein said C-shaped cover sections have the same size, shape and appearance as the figure eight shaped cover panels of a conventional softball or baseball.

33. The game ball of claim 32, wherein said stitch pattern comprises a plurality of stitched shaped protrusions extending at an angle from fixed points along said groove to a plurality of corresponding depressions formed in said C-shaped sections.

34. The game ball of claim 33, wherein each of said plurality of corresponding depressions is provided in one of said C-shaped sections spaced equidistant from another one of said corresponding depressions and from said groove.

35. The game ball of claim 33, wherein said molded outer cover additionally comprises a plurality of raised surfaces positioned between adjacent protrusions and extending from said groove to said corresponding depressions.

36. The game ball of claim 32, wherein said game ball additionally comprises an inner core that it is enclosed by said outer cover.

37. The game ball of claim 36, wherein said inner core comprises polyurethane.

38. The game ball of claim 36, wherein said inner core is permanently bonded with the outer cover.

39. The game ball of claim 38, wherein said outer cover comprises polyurethane.

40. The game ball of claim 38, wherein said outer cover comprises high density polyurethane.

41. The game ball of claim 40, wherein said inner core comprises low density rigid polyurethane foam.

42. The game ball of claim 41, wherein said ball has approximately the same diameter, density and weight as a conventional competition baseball or softball.

43. The game ball of claim 33, wherein said depressions are pin-hole shaped depressions that mimic the appearance of the hole formed in the cover panels of a conventional softball or baseball through which stitching is threaded to join the panels.

44. The game ball of claim 43, wherein said protrusions generally extend from said groove at about a 45 degree angle.