Sportsball and method of manufacturing same

• US 20050153803A1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Russell Brands LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated), SGG Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Russell Asset Management, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated), SSG Patents Incorporated
• Inventors: Laliberty, Ronald P., Swiszcz, Louis
• Granted Patent: US 7,503,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/593
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

The present development is directed to sportsballs or gameballs and to methods for producing the same. More particularly, the disclosure is directed to inflatable sportsballs or gameballs, such as basketballs, having a laminated construction, and to process for fabricating the same.

Claims

1. A sportsball, comprising:

an inflatable bladder;

a winding thread layer surrounding said bladder;

a carcass having an inner face adjacent said winding thread layer and an outer face, said outer face including a plurality of curvilinearly extending ribs each having sides and an exteriorly projecting face, said ribs defining a plurality of separated panel areas; and

a plurality of external cover panels, each affixed to the outer face of said carcass in one of said separated panel areas defined by the ribs, wherein each panel is comprised of two or more exterior panel portions comprising materials having different characteristics.

2. The sportsball of claim 1, wherein the exterior panel portions comprise two or more different materials selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, rubber, leather, micro-fiber composite or synthetic composite materials.

3. The sportsball of claim 2, wherein the leather is synthetic.

4. The sportsball of claim 2, wherein the leather is natural.

5. The sportsball of claim 2, wherein the rubber is synthetic.

6. The sportsball of claim 2, wherein the rubber is natural.

7. The sportsball of claim 1, wherein the materials of each exterior panel portion differ in one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of hardness/softness, tensile strength, tackiness, elongation, slip resistance, compression and resilience.

8. The sportsball of claim 1, wherein the materials of each exterior panel portion differ in one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of abrasion resistance, scuff, or durability.

9. The sportsball of claim 1, wherein said carcass further comprises a cellular material.

10. The sportsball of claim 1, wherein each panel comprises an outer panel portion and an inner panel portion which differ in characteristics.

11. The sportsball of claim 10, wherein the composition of the ribs and the outer panel portion are similar.

12. A method of manufacturing a laminated sportsball comprising:

providing an inflatable bladder;

winding around the inflatable bladder a reinforcing thread to produce a winding thread layer;

molding a carcass around the winding thread layer, the carcass having an inner face adjacent to the winding thread layer and an opposite outer face, wherein the outer face includes a plurality of curvilinearly extending ribs each having sides and an exteriorly projected face, said ribs defining a plurality of panel areas; and

laminating to the panel areas of the outer face of the carcass a plurality of external cover panels, wherein one or more of the panels are comprised of two or more exterior panel portions comprising materials having different characteristics.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the external panel portions comprise two or more different materials selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, rubber, leather, micro-fiber composite or synthetic composite material.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the different characteristics of the exterior panel portions include differences in hardness/softness, slip resistance, tackiness, compressibility, or resilience.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the different characteristics of the panel materials include differences in abrasion resistance, scuff or durability.

16. The laminated sportsball produced by the method of claim 12.

17. A basketball comprising:

a carcass having an outer face including a plurality of curvilinearly extending ribs defining a plurality of separated panel areas; and

a plurality of external cover panels, each affixed to the separated panel areas, wherein one or more of the panels are comprised of two or more panel portions comprising materials having different characteristics.

18. The basketball of claim 17, wherein the materials of the panel portions are selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, rubber, leather, micro-fiber composite or synthetic composite materials.

19. The basketball of claim 17, wherein two or more of the panels are comprised of two or more panel portions comprising materials having different characteristics.

20. The basketball of claim 17, wherein four or more of the panels are comprised of two or more panel portions comprising materials having different characteristics.

21. The basketball of claim 17, wherein one or more of the panels are comprised of three or more panel portions comprising materials having different characteristics.

22. The basketball of claim 17, wherein one or more of the panels are comprised of four or more panel portions comprising materials having different characteristics.