Sport Ball With An Inflation-Retention Bladder

• US 20120283055A1
• Filed: 05/04/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Berggren, Scott R., McNamee, Mark, Johnson, Scott W., Fliss, Eric L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,771,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/604
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/02 Bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/04 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 sport ball may include a casing, a bladder, and a valve. The casing forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball. The bladder is located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, and the bladder may be formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of a barrier material. The valve is for introducing the fluid to the bladder, and the valve is secured to the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing. A tie layer may be located between the flange and a surface of the bladder to join the flange to the bladder.

Claims

1. A sport ball comprising:

a casing that forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball;

a bladder located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, the bladder being formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer; and

a valve for introducing the fluid to the bladder, the valve being secured to the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing.

2. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is a thermoplastic urethane.

3. The sport ball recited in claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic urethane is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyether, polycaprolactone, polyoxypropylene and polycarbonate macroglycol based materials, and mixtures thereof.

4. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the bladder includes a third layer of the thermoplastic polymer material, the second layer being located between the first layer and the third layer.

5. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the first layer is located exterior of the second layer.

6. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein a tie layer secures the valve to the first layer of the bladder, the tie layer being formed from the thermoplastic polymer material.

7. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the valve includes a flange that lays parallel to a surface of the bladder, the flange being secured to an outer surface of the bladder.

8. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the valve includes a flange that lays parallel to an outer surface of the bladder, and a tie layer is located between the flange and the surface of the bladder, the tie layer bonding the valve to the bladder.

9. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the valve includes a flange that lays adjacent to the first layer of the bladder, and a tie layer is located between the flange and the first layer of the bladder, the tie layer being joined to the flange with an adhesive bond, and the tie layer being joined to the first layer of the bladder with a thermal bond.

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

11. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the casing includes a plurality of panels joined along abutting edges.

12. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the casing includes a vulcanized rubber element.

13. A sport ball comprising:

a casing that forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball;

a bladder located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, the bladder being formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic urethane and a second layer of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, the first layer being located exterior of the second layer; and

a valve for introducing the fluid to the bladder, the valve being secured to the first layer of the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing.

14. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the thermoplastic urethane is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyether, polycaprolactone, polyoxypropylene and polycarbonate macroglycol based materials, and mixtures thereof.

15. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the bladder includes a third layer of the thermoplastic urethane, the second layer being located between the first layer and the third layer.

16. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein a tie layer secures the valve to the first layer of the bladder, the tie layer being formed from a thermoplastic material.

17. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the valve includes a flange that lays adjacent to the first layer of the bladder, and a tie layer is located between the flange and the first layer of the bladder, the tie layer being joined to the flange with an adhesive bond, and the tie layer being joined to the first layer of the bladder with a thermal bond.

18. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein a restriction structure is located between the casing and the bladder.

19. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the casing includes a plurality of panels joined along abutting edges.

20. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the casing includes a vulcanized rubber element.

21. A sport ball comprising:

a casing that forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball, the casing defining an aperture;

a bladder located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, the bladder being at least partially formed from a first thermoplastic polymer material; and

a valve accessible through the aperture of the casing for introducing the fluid to the bladder, the valve being at least partially formed from a second thermoplastic polymer material that is thermal bonded to the first thermoplastic polymer material of the bladder.

22. The sport ball recited in claim 21, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer material and the second thermoplastic polymer material are thermoplastic urethane.

23. The sport ball recited in claim 21, wherein the bladder includes a first layer and a second layer, the first layer being formed from the first thermoplastic polymer material, and the second layer being formed from ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer.

24. The sport ball recited in claim 23, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer material is a thermoplastic urethane.

25. The sport ball recited in claim 24, wherein the thermoplastic urethane is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyether, polycaprolactone, polyoxypropylene and polycarbonate macroglycol based materials, and mixtures thereof.

26. The sport ball recited in claim 23, wherein the first layer is located exterior of the second layer.

27. The sport ball recited in claim 21, wherein the valve forms a flange that includes the second thermoplastic polymer material, the flange being thermal bonded to the first thermoplastic polymer material of the bladder.

28. The sport ball recited in claim 21, wherein a restriction structure is located between the casing and the bladder.

29. The sport ball recited in claim 21, wherein the casing includes a plurality of panels joined along abutting edges.

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

providing a bladder at least partially formed from a first thermoplastic polymer material;

providing a valve at least partially formed from a second thermoplastic polymer material;

thermal bonding the valve to the bladder; and

locating the bladder and at least a portion of the valve within a casing.

31. The method recited in claim 30, further including a step of selecting the first thermoplastic polymer material and the second thermoplastic polymer material to be thermoplastic urethane.

32. The method recited in claim 30, wherein the step of providing the bladder includes forming a first layer and a second layer, the first layer being formed from the first thermoplastic polymer material, and the second layer being formed from ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer.

33. The method recited in claim 32, wherein the step of providing the bladder further includes selecting the first thermoplastic polymer material is a thermoplastic urethane.

34. The method recited in claim 32, wherein the step of providing the bladder further includes locating the first layer exterior of the second layer.

35. A sport ball comprising:

a casing that forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball;

a bladder located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, the bladder being formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of a barrier material; and

a valve for introducing the fluid to the bladder, the valve being secured to the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing.

36. The sport ball recited in claim 35, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is a thermoplastic urethane.

37. The sport ball recited in claim 36, wherein the thermoplastic urethane is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyether, polycaprolactone, polyoxypropylene and polycarbonate macroglycol based materials, and mixtures thereof.

38. The sport ball recited in claim 35, wherein the barrier material is selected from a group consisting of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyvinylidene chloride, co-polymers of acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate, polyesters such as polyethyleneterephthalate, aliphatic and aromatic polyamides, and liquid crystal polymers.