Sport ball with self-contained dual action inflation mechanism
First Claim
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1. A sport ball having an integral pump, said ball comprising:
- a flexible ball body adapted to retain pressurized air, said body defining an aperture;
a pump disposed in said aperture and retained within said ball body, said pump including (i) a cylinder defining a hollow interior, (ii) a piston disposed in said hollow interior of said cylinder, said piston defining a passage for air flow into said cylinder, said piston movable between an extended position and an inserted position, and (iii) a valve assembly including a first valve disposed in said passage defined in said piston, said first valve configured to restrict air flow such that air may only enter said piston upon moving said piston toward an extended position.
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Abstract
An inflatable sport ball, such as a basketball, a football, a soccer ball, a volleyball or a playground ball, is provided with a self-contained inflation mechanism, or multiple self-contained inflation mechanisms, for inflating or adding pressure to the ball. The mechanism is a pump which is positioned and retained inside of the ball and which is operable from outside of the ball to pump ambient air into the ball. The pump is a dual action pump allowing air to be added to the ball on both a forward stroke and a reverse stroke.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A sport ball having an integral pump, said ball comprising:
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a flexible ball body adapted to retain pressurized air, said body defining an aperture;
a pump disposed in said aperture and retained within said ball body, said pump including (i) a cylinder defining a hollow interior, (ii) a piston disposed in said hollow interior of said cylinder, said piston defining a passage for air flow into said cylinder, said piston movable between an extended position and an inserted position, and (iii) a valve assembly including a first valve disposed in said passage defined in said piston, said first valve configured to restrict air flow such that air may only enter said piston upon moving said piston toward an extended position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An inflatable ball having an integral dual action pump assembly for changing air pressure within said ball, said ball comprising:
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a rubber bladder defining an interior region adapted for retaining pressurized air;
an outer layer disposed about said rubber bladder; and
a pump assembly disposed in said interior region of said rubber bladder, said pump assembly including a movable plunger sealingly disposed within a cylinder secured to said rubber bladder, said plunger movable in both a forward stroke and a reverse stroke, said pump assembly adapted to transfer air to said interior region of said rubber bladder by moving said plunger in either said forward stroke or said reverse stroke, said plunger defining a hollow passage along at least a portion of its length, said plunger including a one-way valve disposed in said hollow passage, said one-way valve configured to only permit air flow through said plunger and into said rubber bladder during movement of said plunger in said reverse stroke. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A dual action pump adapted for incorporation in an inflatable sport ball, said pump comprising:
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a cylinder having a head end, a nozzle end, and a cylindrical sidewall extending therebetween, said sidewall having an exterior surface and an oppositely directed interior surface, said cylinder defining a generally hollow interior chamber accessible from said head end and said nozzle end;
a movable plunger disposed in said hollow interior chamber of said cylinder, said plunger having a cap end, a sealing end, and a tubular wall extending therebetween, said plunger defining a hollow interior region accessible from said sealing end and said cap end; and
a one-way valve disposed in said hollow interior region defined in said plunger, said one-way valve permitting air flow in only one direction within said hollow interior region defined in said plunger.
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Specification