Game ball with urethane gum rubber surface

• US 20080188334A1
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Russell Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Thomas J., Nesbitt, R. Dennis, Feeney, Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/724,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20080188334A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/605
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• 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

Abstract

A game ball having a highly durable cover exterior formed of a urethane gum rubber compound. The urethane material of the cover exterior is a cross-linked molded rubber material which provides superior abrasion resistance compared to ball covers made from a molded natural rubber.

Claims

1. A game ball comprising:

an inflatable bladder;

a layer of windings disposed about said bladder; and

a cover disposed about said layer of windings, said cover including a vulcanized urethane gum rubber layer, said urethane gum rubber layer having a thickness of from 0.3 mm to 3.5 mm.

23. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the thickness of said urethane gum rubber layer is from 0.9 mm to 2.7 mm.

24. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said urethane gum rubber layer comprises a urethane gum rubber obtained from the poly-addition of an isocyanate and a polyether;

and said urethane gum rubber is vulcanized through a sulfur-based cross-linking reaction.

25. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said urethane gum rubber layer comprises a urethane gum rubber obtained from the poly-addition of a diphenylmethane diisocyanate and a C₄ polyether;

and said urethane gum rubber is vulcanized through a sulfur-based cross-linking reaction.

26. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said cover further comprises a vulcanization agent selected from the group consisting of sulfur, mercaptobenzothiazole, dibenzothiazyl disulphide, zinc chloride complex of dibenzothiazyl disulphide and mixtures thereof.

29. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said cover further includes an inner layer overlayed by said urethane gum rubber layer.

35. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said urethane gum rubber layer has a Shore A durometer hardness within the range of 45 to 85.

46. The basketball of claim 24, wherein the thickness of said inner layer is from 0.6 mm to 1.4 mm.

48. The method of claim 26, wherein said urethane gum rubber resin is obtained from the poly-addition of a diphenylmethane diisocyanate and a C₄ polyether.

49. The method of claim 26, wherein said vulcanization agent is selected from the group consisting of sulfur, mercaptobenzothiazole, dibenzothiazyl disulphide, zinc chloride complex of dibenzothiazyl disulphide and mixtures thereof.

50. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of molding a rubber inner layer over said core and wherein the step of molding said urethane gum rubber over said core comprises molding said urethane gum rubber over said rubber inner layer.

51. The method of claim 29, wherein said step of molding a rubber inner layer over said core comprises foaming said inner layer to a density within the range of 0.5-0.95 g/cm³.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

27. The game ball of claim 5, wherein said cover has a composition comprising 50 to 100 parts of a urethane gum rubber and 2.5 to 12.0 parts of said vulcanization agent expressed parts by weight based on 100 parts urethane.

6. (canceled)

28. The game ball of claim 6, wherein said composition further comprises 5 to 50 parts of a reinforcing filler.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

30. The game ball of claim 8, wherein said inner layer is comprised of cured natural rubber.

32. The game ball of claim 8, wherein the thickness of said urethane gum rubber layer is from 0.3 m to 1.9 mm.

9. (canceled)

31. The game ball of claim 9, wherein said inner layer is foamed and has a density within the range of 0.5 to 0.95 g/cm³.

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

33. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the thickness of said urethane gum rubber layer is from 0.5 mm to 1.4 mm.

34. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the thickness of said inner layer is from 0.1 mm to 1.6 mm.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

37. The game ball of claim 15, wherein said cover consists essentially of said urethane gum rubber layer.

38. The game ball of claim 15, wherein said cover further comprises a vulcanized natural rubber layer, said natural rubber layer positioned between said layer of filaments and said vulcanized urethane gum rubber layer.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

39. The game ball of claim 17, wherein said cover consists essentially of said urethane gum rubber layer overlying said natural rubber layer.

40. The game ball of claim 17, wherein said inner layer of said cover is foamed to attain a density of 0.5 to 0.95 g/cm³.

41. The game ball of claim 17, wherein said inner layer has a thickness in the range of 0.01-1.16 mm and said urethane gum rubber layer has a thickness in the range of 0.3-1.9 mm.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

43. The basketball of claim 21, wherein the thickness of said exterior layer is from 0.3 mm to 1.9 mm.

45. The basketball of claim 21, wherein the thickness of said inner layer is from 0.1 mm to 1.6 mm.

22. (canceled)

44. The basketball of claim 22, wherein the thickness of said exterior layer is from 0.5 mm to 1.4 mm.

36. A game ball comprising:

an inflatable bladder;

a layer of polymeric filaments wound over said bladder; and

a cover molded over said layer of filaments, said cover comprising a vulcanized urethane gum rubber layer, wherein said urethane gum rubber comprises a urethane gum rubber obtained from the poly-addition of an isocyanate and a polyether; and

said urethane gum rubber is vulcanized through a sulfur-based cross-linking reaction.

42. A basketball comprising:

an inflatable bladder;

a layer of polymeric filaments overlaying said bladder; and

a multi-layered cover overlying said layer of filaments, said cover comprising a vulcanized natural rubber inner layer with a density of at least 0.8 g/cm³ overlying said layer of filaments and a vulcanized urethane rubber exterior layer with a density of at least 0.8 g/cm³ overlying said inner layer, said exterior layer having a higher durometer hardness and greater abrasion resistance than said inner layer.

47. A method for making a game ball, comprising:

providing a core;

providing urethane gum rubber resin obtained from the poly-addition of an isocyanate and a polyether;

mixing a vulcanized agent with said urethane gum rubber resin to create a urethane gum rubber;

molding said urethane gum rubber over said core; and

vulcanizing said urethane gum rubber through a sulfur-based cross-linking reaction.