BALL CASE, IN PARTICULAR FOR SOCCER BALLS

• US 20090105019A1
• Filed: 11/24/2005
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Uhlsport GmbH (Gin Tonic Special Mode)
• Original Assignee: Uhlsport GmbH (Gin Tonic Special Mode)
• Inventors: Keppler, Thomas, Rothfelder, Rolf
• Application Number:
  US11/719,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20090105019A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/607
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• 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

In a ball case consisting of two-dimensional blanks which are connected with each other at their edges, with the surface of the ball case having a pattern of two different groups of polygons, it is suggested for reducing the number of the two-dimensional blanks and for reducing the overall seam length to combine a first group of polygons consisting of three-armed star-shaped areas with a second group of polygons integrally formed from partial areas of one equilateral triangle and of three equilateral pentagons in such a manner that the pentagonal areas are situated at the points of the corners of the triangle and an imaginary corner and/or the centre of each of the pentagons lies on the perpendicular bisector of the opposite side of the triangle.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A ball case consisting of two-dimensional blanks which are connected with each other at their edges, the surface of the ball case having a pattern of two different groups of polygons, of which a first group consists of three-armed star-shaped areas, and several three-armed star-shaped areas in planar development contiguously forming a one-piece two-dimensional blank, wherein a second group consists of polygons which are integrally formed from partial areas of one equilateral triangle and of three equilateral pentagons in such a manner that the pentagonal areas are situated at the points of the corners of the triangle and an imaginary corner and/or the centre of each of the pentagons lies on the perpendicular bisector of the opposite side of the triangle, said polygons being configured as separate, two-dimensional blanks.

15. The ball case according to claim 14, consisting of 20 two-dimensional blanks, namely 4 identical polygons of the second group and 16 blanks in the form of three-armed star-shaped areas.

16. The ball case according to claim 14, consisting of 8 two-dimensional blanks, namely 4 identical polygons of the second group and 4 identical one-piece blanks which each are composed of 4 three-armed star-shaped areas.

17. The ball case according to claim 14, consisting of 6 two-dimensional blanks, namely 4 identical polygons of the second group and 2 identical one-piece blanks which each are composed of 8 three-armed star-shaped areas.

18. The ball case according to claim 14, consisting of 5 two-dimensional blanks, namely 4 identical polygons of the second group and one single one-piece blank which is composed of 16 three-armed star-shaped areas.

19. The ball case according to claim 18, wherein the one-piece blank has 6 terminal edges which are connected with each other in pairs.

20. The ball case according to claim 18, wherein the one-piece blank has 6 terminal edges which are connected with each other in pairs and have a right-angled contour with its associated corners not being rounded.

21. The ball case according to claim 14, wherein the corners of the equilateral pentagons and the corners, complementarily assigned thereto, of the three-armed star-shaped areas are rounded.

22. The ball case according to claim 14, wherein all two-dimensional blanks are cut-outs punched out from a multi-layered composite material.

23. The ball case according to claim 14, wherein all two-dimensional blanks are cut-outs punched out from a multi-layered composite material with said composite material comprising:

a) a waterproof plastic coating layer defining the outer surface of the ball case,

b) a first foamed plastic layer,

c) a second foamed plastic layer and

d) a textile carrier layer impregnated with plastic material.

24. The ball case according to claim 23, wherein the first foamed plastic layer comprises at least one of a thermoplastic polyolefin and a polyurethane.

25. The ball case according to claim 23, wherein the second foamed plastic layer comprises at least one elastomer.