Panel of a ball for a ball game, a ball, and methods of making the same

• US 20060046880A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Force Tech Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Frank Chang
• Inventors: Tang, Ya Fang, Chang, Yuen Yuen
• Granted Patent: US 7,749,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/604
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1039 Surface deformation only of sandwich or lamina [e.g., embossed panels]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding

Abstract

The present invention provides a panel of the ball for ball game, said panel has the folding portion and the opposite folding portion on its periphery, which are opposite to each other and made of the same continuous material. The folding portion and the opposite folding portion of said leather panels have the good engaging property and difficult to separate with each other during usage because they are made of the same material. The panel has simple manufacturing process and low production cost, making the ball for ball game comprising above panels have good using properties, simple manufacturing process and low production cost.

Claims

1. A panel of a ball for a ball game, comprising:

a folding portion and an opposite folding portion on the periphery of the panel, which are opposite to each other and made of the same material.

2. The panel according to claim 1, wherein said folding portion and said opposite folding portion are engaged with each other through an engaging layer.

3. The panel according to claim 2, wherein said engaging layer is composed of a melted layer.

4. The panel according to claim 2, wherein said engaging layer is composed of adhesive.

5. The panel according to claim 4, further comprising a laminate structure of materials including a top skin material and a fold engaging material.

6. The panel according to claim 5, wherein slight roughness is provided on a periphery surface of said panel.

7. A ball for a ball game, comprising:

from inner to outer side in sequence a bladder, a reinforcing layer and panels, each panel according to claim 6.

8. The ball according to claim 7, wherein each panel is attached to a reinforcing layer directly or through a covered layer.

9. A ball, wherein the folding portions of the panel according to claim 1 are folded inwardly and stitched to each other.

10. The ball comprising panels each according to claim 6, wherein adjacent panels are connected with adhesive.

11. The ball according to claim 10, wherein the adhesive can be coated as a teeth shape.

12. The panel according to claim 1, further comprising a laminate structure of materials including a top skin material and a fold engaging material.

13. The panel according to claim 1, wherein slight roughness is provided on a periphery surface of said panel.

14. A ball for a ball game, comprising:

from inner to outer side in sequence a bladder, a reinforcing layer and panels, each according to claim 1.

15. The ball according to claim 14, wherein each panel is attached to a reinforcing layer directly or through a covered layer.

16. The ball comprising panels each according to claim 1, wherein adjacent panels are connected with adhesive.

17. The ball according to claim 16, wherein the adhesive can be coated as a teeth shape.

18. A method of making a panel of a ball for a ball game, comprising the steps of:

making a folding portion and an opposite folding portion on the periphery of the panel from the same material.

19. A method of making a ball for a ball game, comprising the steps of:

from inner to outer side of the ball, making a ball from the following three components in sequence;

a bladder, a reinforcing layer and panels made according to the method of claim 18.

20. A method of making a ball, comprising the steps of:

folding the folding portions of the panel inwardly, and stitching the folding portions of the panel to each other.