Sport Ball Casing And Methods Of Manufacturing The Casing

• US 20120258824A1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Berggren, Scott R., White, Vincent F., Chavez, Eleazar C., Johnson, Scott W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/604
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/04 Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/085 Closures
• 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: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/04 Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding , i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/26 Hot fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/62 Stitching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/72 by combined operations or combined techniques, e.g. welding and stitching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/74 by welding and severing , or by joining and severing, the severing being performed in the area to be joined, next to the area to be joined, in the joint area or next to the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/743 using the same tool for both joining and severing, said tool being monobloc or formed by several parts mounted together and forming a monobloc B29C65/2046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7808 in the form of holes or slots B29C65/7814 takes precedence; holding or clamping means cooperating with specially formed features of at least one of the parts to be joined B29C65/7844
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0326 Cutting, e.g. by using waterjets, or perforating using heat B29C66/0346
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0346 Cutting or perforating, e.g. burning away by using a laser or using hot air simultaneously joining and severing using a fluid B29C65/7471; simultaneously welding and severing using radiation B29C65/7473
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/133 Fin-type joints, the parts to be joined being flexible the parts to be joined being rigid B29C66/1312
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24249 : forming a specific polygon not provided for in B29C66/24241 - B29C66/24243
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/3452 : Making complete joints by combining partial joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4326 : for making hollow articles or hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 : characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/712 : the composition of one of the parts to be joined being different from the composition of the other part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72327 : consisting of natural products or their composites, not provided for in B29C66/72321 - B29C66/72324
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72341 : for gases
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/727 : being porous, e.g. foam
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 : Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7292 : coated B29C66/72941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 : characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81422 : being convex
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81427 : comprising a single ridge, e.g. for making a weakening line; comprising a single tooth
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83221 : cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/02 : Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/04 : Spherical articles, e.g. balls B29D22/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 : PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2711/08 : Leather
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/545 : Football balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/737 : Articles provided with holes, e.g. grids, sieves nets B29L2028/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 : Flash, trim or excess removal

Abstract

A sport ball may include a casing and a bladder. The casing includes a plurality of panels having edge areas joined to each other with bonds, and the edge areas project toward an exterior of the ball. The bladder is located within the casing. In another aspect, the casing includes a first panel and a second panel that each have an exterior surface facing outward and an opposite interior surface facing inward. The interior surface of the first panel is bonded to the interior surface of the second panel to form a seam that joins the first panel and the second panel together. A method of manufacturing the casing may include forming thermal bonds between the panels.

Claims

1. A sport ball comprising:

a casing that includes a plurality of panels having edge areas joined to each other with bonds, the edge areas projecting toward an exterior of the ball; and

a bladder located within the casing.

2. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the exterior surface defines indentations between the panels.

3. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein a restriction structure is located between the casing and the bladder.

4. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the panels have a pentagonal shape.

5. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the panels include a thermoplastic polymer material and the bonds are thermal bonds.

6. A sport ball comprising:

a casing including a first panel and a second panel that each have an exterior surface facing outward and an opposite interior surface facing inward, the interior surface of the first panel being bonded to the interior surface of the second panel to form a seam that joins the first panel and the second panel together; and

a bladder located within the casing.

7. The sport ball recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of the first panel and the second panel include a thermoplastic polymer material that forms a thermal bond at the seam.

8. The sport ball recited in claim 6, wherein edges of the first panel and the second panel form a portion of an outer surface of the casing.

9. The sport ball recited in claim 6, wherein a restriction structure is located between the casing and the bladder.

10. The sport ball recited in claim 6, wherein the first panel and the second panel each have a lesser thickness adjacent to the seam than in areas spaced from the seam.

11. The sport ball recited in claim 6, wherein the first panel has a layered configuration that includes (a) a first layer forming a portion of the exterior surface of the first panel, (b) a second layer formed from a polymer foam material and having a lesser thickness adjacent to the seam than in areas spaced from the seam, and (c) a third layer forming a portion of the interior surface of the first panel.

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

providing at least a first panel and a second panel that each have a first surface and an opposite second surface;

joining the first panel to the second panel by (a) locating the second surface of the first panel against the second surface of the second panel and (b) forming a bond that joins the second surface of the first panel to the second surface of the second panel; and

orienting the first panel and the second panel such that (a) the first surface of the first panel and the first surface of the second panel face outward and toward an exterior of the sport ball and (b) the second surface of the first panel and the second surface of the second panel face inward and toward an interior of the sport ball.

13. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the step of joining includes applying heat to form a thermal bond between the first panel and the second panel.

14. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the step of providing includes incorporating a thermoplastic polymer material into at least one of the first panel and the second panel.

15. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the step of joining includes:

placing a flange area of the first panel in contact with a flange area of the second panel;

compressing the flange areas together; and

heating the flange areas.

16. The method recited in claim 15, further including a step of trimming the flange areas.

17. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the step of joining further includes aligning registration apertures in the flange areas.

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

providing a first panel and a second panel that each include a thermoplastic polymer material, the first panel defining a first flange and the second panel defining a second flange;

forming a seam between the first panel and the second panel by placing the first flange in contact with the second flange, compressing the first flange and the second flange together, and heating the first flange and the second flange;

removing at least a portion of the first flange and the second flange to define a protruding portion of the seam; and

orienting the protruding portion of the seam toward an exterior of the sport ball.

19. The method recited in claim 18, wherein the step of providing includes selecting the first panel and the second panel to have layered configurations that include a polymer foam material.

20. The method recited in claim 19, wherein the step of forming includes compressing the polymer foam material to reduce thicknesses of the first flange and the second flange.

21. The method recited in claim 18, wherein the step of forming includes reducing thicknesses of the first flange and the second flange.

22. The method recited in claim 18, wherein the step of orienting includes exposing edges of the first panel and the second panel on an exterior of the sport ball.

23. The method recited in claim 18, wherein the step of forming the seam further includes aligning registration apertures in the first flange and the second flange.