Sport Ball With An Inflation-Retention Bladder

• US 20120283056A1
• 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 8,672,784 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 at least partially formed from a first thermoplastic polymer material;

a valve for introducing the fluid to the bladder, the valve including a valve housing formed from a thermoset polymer material and defining a flange that lays parallel to a surface of the bladder; and

a tie layer located between the flange and the surface of the bladder, the tie layer being formed from a second thermoplastic polymer material, and the tie layer joining the flange to the surface of the bladder.

2. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer material and the second thermoplastic polymer material are thermoplastic urethane.

3. The sport ball recited in claim 1, 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.

4. The sport ball recited in claim 3, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer material is a thermoplastic urethane.

5. The sport ball recited in claim 4, wherein the thermoplastic urethane is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyether, polycaprolactone, polyoxypropylene and polycarbonate macroglycol based materials, and mixtures thereof.

6. The sport ball recited in claim 3, wherein the first layer is located exterior of the second layer.

7. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the thermoset polymer material is rubber.

8. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the tie layer is joined to the flange with an adhesive bond, and the tie layer is joined to the bladder with a thermal bond.

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

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

11. The sport ball recited in claim 10, wherein the vulcanized rubber element is molded around the bladder.

12. 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 formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer;

a valve accessible through the aperture of the casing for introducing the fluid to the bladder, the valve including a valve housing formed from a rubber material and defining a flange that lays parallel to a surface of the bladder; and

a tie layer located between the flange and the surface of the bladder, the tie layer being formed from a second thermoplastic polymer material, and the tie layer joining the flange to the surface of the bladder.

13. The sport ball recited in claim 12, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is a thermoplastic urethane.

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 12, 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.

16. The sport ball recited in claim 12, wherein the first layer is located exterior of the second layer.

17. The sport ball recited in claim 12, wherein the tie layer is joined to the flange with an adhesive bond, and the tie layer is joined to the first layer of the bladder with a thermal bond.

18. The sport ball recited in claim 12, wherein a restriction structure is located between the casing and the bladder.

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

20. The sport ball recited in claim 19, wherein the vulcanized rubber element is molded around the bladder.

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

securing a valve to a bladder, the valve being at least partially formed from a thermoset polymer material, and the bladder being at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material;

locating the valve, the bladder, and a plurality of rubber elements within a mold, the rubber elements being positioned adjacent to an exterior of the bladder;

heating the valve, the bladder, and the rubber elements to vulcanize the rubber.

22. The method recited in claim 21, further including a step of locating a tie layer between the valve and the bladder, and wherein the step of securing includes bonding the tie layer to each of the valve and the bladder.

23. The method recited in claim 21, further including a step of locating a tie layer between the valve and the bladder, and wherein the step of securing includes adhesive bonding the tie layer to the valve and thermal bonding the tie layer to the bladder.

24. The method recited in claim 21, further including steps of (a) forming a flange on the valve and (b) locating a tie layer between the flange and the bladder, and wherein the step of securing includes bonding the tie layer to each of the flange and the bladder.

25. The method recited in claim 21, further including a step of locating a restriction structure around the bladder, and wherein.

26. The method recited in claim 21, further including a step of securing a plurality of panel elements to the rubber elements following the step of heating.