Game ball cover with improved stripes and/or logos

• US 20040121865A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Guenher, Douglas G., Krysiak, Kevin L., Lee, Ming Hsin
• Granted Patent: US 7,029,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/597
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06

Abstract

An inflatable game ball including a carcass, a cover and at least one thin member. The cover has inner and outer surfaces. The inner surface of the cover is coupled to the carcass. At least one recess is formed into the outer surface of the cover. At least one thin member is coupled to the cover at the at least one recess. The member substantially fills the recess. The member has inner and outer portions. The outer portion is formed of a highly gripable material.

Claims

1. An inflatable game ball comprising:

a carcass;

a cover having inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface of the cover coupled to the carcass, at least one recess formed into the outer surface of the cover; and

at least one thin member coupled to the cover at the at least one recess, the member substantially filling the recess, the member having inner and outer portions, the outer portion being formed of a highly grippable material.

2. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a plurality of cover panels and wherein at least one cover panel has the at least one recess.

3. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the game ball is selected from the group consisting of a football, a basketball, a volleyball, a soccer ball and a rugby ball.

4. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the highly gripable material of the outer portion of the member is selected from a group consisting of a polyurethane, a polyvinylchloride, a rubber, a leather, a synthetic leather, an elastomer and combinations thereof.

5. The game ball of claim 2, wherein the game ball is a football, wherein at least two of the cover panels have two elongate curved recesses, wherein the at least one member is four stripes, and wherein each of the stripes is configured to substantially fill a separate one of the elongate curved recesses.

6. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the inner portion of the member is a backing layer.

7. The game ball of claim 6, wherein the backing layer is selected from the group consisting of a woven fabric and an unwoven fabric.

8. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer portions are formed of substantially the same material.

9. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the outer portion includes an exposed surface having a pebbled texture.

10. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the recess has a depth between the range of 0.2 to 2.0 millimeters.

11. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the recess has a depth between the range of 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters.

12. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the member has a thickness between the range of 0.2 to 2.0 millimeters.

13. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the member has a thickness between the range of 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters.

14. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the member is coupled to the cover at the recess in a method selected from the group consisting of adhesively bonded, thermally bonded, chemically bonded, stitched, sewn, press-fit, and combinations thereof.

15. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the recess is formed to generally resemble a shape selected from the group consisting of a logo, a stripe, a symbol and a trademark.

16. The game ball of claim 15, wherein the member is formed to generally correspond to the shape of the recess and is selected from the group consisting of a logo, a stripe, a symbol and a trademark.

17. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the member has a thickness that is greater than the depth of the recess such that the member substantially fills, and outwardly extends from, the recess.

18. An inflatable football comprising:

a cover having an outer surface, at least first and second recesses formed into the outer surface of the cover; and

at least first and second stripes coupled to the cover at the first and second recesses, respectively, the first and second stripes substantially filling the first and second recesses, respectively, each of the first and second stripes having inner and outer portions, the outer portion of each of the first and second stripes being formed of an outer material that is compressible, resilient, and tactile.

19. The football of claim 18, wherein the cover includes a plurality of cover panels and wherein at least one cover panel has the first and second recesses.

20. The football of claim 18, wherein the cover includes first, second, third and fourth cover panels, and wherein each of the first and second cover panels includes first and second recesses.

21. The football of claim 20, wherein the at least first and second stripes include first, second, third and fourth stripes, and wherein the first, second, third and fourth stripes substantially fill the first and second recesses of the first and second cover panels, respectively.

22. The football of claim 18, wherein the highly gripable material of the outer portion of the member is selected from a group consisting of a polyurethane, a polyvinylchloride, a rubber, a leather, a synthetic leather, an elastomer and combinations thereof.

23. The football of claim 18, wherein the inner portion of the member is a backing layer.

24. The football of claim 23, wherein the backing layer is selected from the group consisting of a woven fabric and an unwoven fabric.

25. The football of claim 18, wherein the inner and outer portions are formed of substantially the same material.

26. The football of claim 18, wherein the outer portion includes an exposed surface having a pebbled texture.

27. The football of claim 18, wherein the recess has a depth between the range of 0.2 to 2.0 millimeters.

28. The football of claim 18, wherein the recess has a depth between the range of 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters.

29. The football of claim 18, wherein the member has a thickness between the range of 0.2 to 2.0 millimeters.

30. The football of claim 18, wherein the member has a thickness between the range of 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters.

31. The football of claim 18, wherein the member is coupled to the cover at the recess in a method selected from the group consisting of adhesively bonded, thermally bonded, chemically bonded, stitched, sewn, press-fit, and combinations thereof.

32. A football comprising:

a cover having an outer surface formed of a first material; and

at least first and second stripes coupled to the cover, each of the first and second stripes having an outer surface formed of a second material, the second material having greater tactility than the first material whereby the outer surface of the first and second stripes is more easily grippable than the outer surface of the cover.

33. The football of claim 32, wherein each of the at least first and second stripes includes first and second side edges that are tapered.

34. The football of claim 32, wherein the at least first and second stripes include first, second, third and fourth stripes, and wherein the cover includes first, second, third and fourth cover panels, and wherein two of the first, second, third and fourth stripes are connected the first cover panel, and wherein the remaining of the first, second, third and fourth stripes are connected the second cover panel

35. The football of claim 32, wherein the second material of the outer portion of the member is selected from a group consisting of a polyurethane, a polyvinylchloride, a rubber, a leather, a synthetic leather, an elastomer and combinations thereof.

36. The football of claim 32, wherein the outer surface of the at least first and includes an exposed surface having a pebbled texture.

37. The football of claim 32, wherein the member has a thickness between the range of 0.2 to 2.0 millimeters.

38. The football of claim 32, wherein the member has a thickness between the range of 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters.

39. The football of claim 32, wherein the stipe is coupled to the cover at the recess in a method selected from the group consisting of adhesively bonded, thermally bonded, chemically bonded, stitched, sewn, and combinations thereof.

40. A method of manufacturing an inflatable game ball, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a carcass;

obtaining a cover having inner and outer surfaces;

forming at least one recess into the outer surface of the cover;

coupling the inner surface of the cover to the carcass; and

substantially filling the recess with a thin member having an outer portion formed of an outer material that is compressible, resilient, and tactile.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the at least one recess is formed within the outer surface of the cover using a process selected from the group consisting of embossing, milling, molding, stripping and combinations thereof.