Sport Balls And Methods Of Manufacturing The Sport Balls

• US 20110165979A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Cohen, Tal, White, Vincent F., Chavez, Eleazar C., Raynak, Geoffrey C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,579,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/605
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/10 Bladder and cover united
• 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 156/1005 by inward collapsing of portion of hollow body

Abstract

A sport ball may include a casing that incorporates a plurality of joined panel elements, which include a first panel element with a first edge and a second panel element with a second edge. The first edge and the second edge are welded to each other. In some configurations, the first panel element has a first edge with a projection that extends outward from the first edge, the second panel element has a second edge that is located adjacent to the first edge, and the projection of the first edge is located between the second edge and the bladder. In another configuration, the first edge and the second edge are formed to have a rounded configurations. The sport ball may also include an intermediate layer and a bladder within the casing.

Claims

1. A sport ball comprising:

a casing that forms an exterior surface of the sport ball, the casing incorporating a plurality of joined panel elements that include a first panel element and a second panel element, the first panel element having a first edge with a projection that extends outward from the first edge, and the second panel element having a second edge that is located adjacent to the first edge; and

a bladder located within the casing,

the projection of the first edge being located between the second edge and the bladder, and the first edge being joined to the second edge.

2. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the first edge and the second edge have rounded configurations that define an indentation between the first edge and the second edge.

3. The sport ball recited in claim 1, further including an intermediate layer between the casing and the bladder, the projection contacting the intermediate layer.

4. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein a supplemental layer is located adjacent to the first edge and the second edge and is bonded to the first panel and the second panel.

5. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the first panel and the second panel include a thermoplastic polymer material.

6. A method of manufacturing a sport ball, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of panel elements that include a thermoplastic polymer material;

welding the panel elements to each other to join the panel elements;

turning the panel elements inside-out through an opening formed between a first edge and a second edge of at least two of the panel elements;

forming the first edge to have a projection that extends outward from the first edge;

locating the projection under the second edge; and

joining the first edge and the second edge to each other.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the step of joining the first edge and the second edge includes welding the projection to the second edge.

8. The method recited in claim 6, further including a step of locating a supplemental layer under the first edge and the second edge, and the step of joining includes joining the supplemental layer to the panel elements that form the first edge and the second edge.

9. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the step of forming includes molding at least one of the first edge and the second edge to have a rounded configuration.

10. A method of manufacturing a sport ball, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of panel elements that include a thermoplastic polymer material;

welding the panel elements to each other to join the panel elements;

turning the panel elements inside-out through an opening formed between a first edge and a second edge of at least two of the panel elements;

forming each of the first edge and the second edge to have a rounded configuration;

locating the first edge and the second edge adjacent to each other and in contact with each other; and

welding the first edge and the second edge to each other.

11. The method recited in claim 10, further including steps of:

forming the first edge to have a projection that extends outward from the first edge;

locating the projection under the second edge; and

welding the projection to the second edge.

12. The method recited in claim 10, further including a step of locating a supplemental layer under the first edge and the second edge, and the step of welding includes joining the supplemental layer to the panel elements that form the first edge and the second edge.

13. A sport ball comprising:

a casing that forms an exterior surface of the sport ball, the casing including a plurality of panel elements joined to each other with a plurality of first welds, at least one of the panel elements including a second weld spaced from the first welds;

a cover layer joined to the at least one panel element and covering the second weld; and

a bladder located within the casing.

14. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the exterior surface defines indentations between the panel elements and at a location of the first welds.

15. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein an intermediate layer is located between the casing and the bladder.

16. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the panel elements have a pentagonal shape.

17. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the panel elements include a thermoplastic polymer material.