Sport Ball Casing With Thermoplastic Reinforcing Material

• US 20130005520A1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Berggren, Scott R., Chang, Chih-Chi, Shen, Yi-Jung
• Granted Patent: US 8,597,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/604
• 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: 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 65/14 using wave energy , i.e. electromagnetic radiation, or particle radiation using mechanical waves B29C65/06; using ultrasonic waves B29C65/08; pressing means transparent to electromagnetic radiation B29C66/81267
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/16 Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5057 positioned between the surfaces to be joined B29C65/5035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/62 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 66/133 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 66/721 : Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 : Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• 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 22/04 : Spherical articles, e.g. balls B29D22/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 : Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 : Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/10 : Polymers of propylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2701/12 : Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/52 : Sports equipment ; Games; Articles for amusement; Toys B29L2031/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 : Balls
• 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 156/108 : Flash, trim or excess removal

Abstract

A sport ball may have a plurality of panels that are joined at seams to form a casing. The panels may include a thermoplastic polymer material applied to an interior side of the panels, and the thermoplastic polymer material may be heat-activated to extend across the seams. The ball may further include a bladder within the casing and an intermediate layer located between the casing and the bladder. The thermoplastic polymer material may also be heat-activated to bond with the intermediate layer or casing.

Claims

1. A sport ball comprising:

a casing having (a) a plurality of panels joined together at seams and (b) a thermoplastic polymer material secured to an interior side of the casing, the thermoplastic polymer material extending across the seams; and

at least one layer within the casing.

2. The sport ball of claim 1, wherein the layer within the casing is a bladder.

3. The sport ball of claim 2, further comprising an intermediate layer located between the casing and the bladder.

4. The sport ball of claim 1, wherein the plurality of panels are joined together by welding.

5. The sport ball of claim 3, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is bonded to the intermediate layer.

6. The sport ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is configured to be activated by heat during an initial pressurization of the ball.

7. The sport ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is applied to substantially all of the interior side of the casing.

8. A sport ball comprising:

a casing forming at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball, the casing having an exterior side and an opposite interior side, and the casing including;

a first panel that includes a thermoplastic polymer material layer on the interior side and adjacent to an edge area of the first panel,

a second panel that includes a thermoplastic polymer material layer on the interior side and adjacent to an edge area of the second panel, and

at least one seam joining (a) the edge area of the first panel and the edge area of the second panel and (b) the exterior side of the first panel and the exterior side of the second panel, the thermoplastic polymer material layer of the first panel and the thermoplastic polymer material layer of the second panel extending across the seam; and

a bladder located within the casing and configured to be pressurized with air.

9. The sport ball of claim 8, further comprising an intermediate layer located between the casing and the bladder.

10. The sport ball of claim 8, wherein the seam is a welded seam.

11. The sport ball of claim 8, wherein the seam is a stitched seam.

12. The sport ball of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of additional panels, each of the additional panels comprising a thermoplastic polymer material layer on the interior side and adjacent to edge areas of the additional panels, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is configured to be activated by heat, wherein the plurality of panels are joined at a plurality of seams, and wherein the thermoplastic polymer material has been heat-activated.

13. The sport ball of claim 8, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material forms a seal across the seam.

14. A method of manufacturing a sport ball comprising:

providing a plurality of casing panels, wherein an interior side of the casing panels includes a thermoplastic polymer material layer applied adjacent to edges of the casing panels;

joining the edges of the casing panels together to form an inverted casing;

turning the casing rightside-out through an aperture formed by at least one of the casing panels;

inserting an intermediate layer and a bladder into the casing;

inflating the bladder; and

applying heat to the thermoplastic polymer material layer to bond the casing panels to the intermediate layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein joining the edges of the casing panels together comprises welding the panels together.

16. The method of claim 14, further including (a) inserting the casing, intermediate layer, and bladder into an assembly comprising an inner cavity and (b) inflating the bladder within the inner cavity while applying heat to the thermoplastic polymer material layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the inner cavity is a spherical inner cavity.

18. The method of claim 14, further including trimming the edges of the casing panels after the panels are joined.

19. The method of claim 14, further including inserting an intermediate layer in the casing.

20. The method of claim 15, further including trimming the edges of the casing panels during welding.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing the plurality of casing panels includes spraying the thermoplastic polymer material on a surface of the casing panels.

22. A sport ball comprising:

a casing having (a) a plurality of panels joined together at seams and (b) a thermoplastic polymer material secured to an interior side of the panels, the thermoplastic polymer material extending across the seams; and

a layer within the casing,

wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is bonded to the layer.

23. The sport ball of claim 22, wherein the layer within the casing is a bladder.

24. The sport ball of claim 22, wherein the layer within the casing is an intermediate layer and the ball further comprises a bladder within the intermediate layer.

25. The sport ball of claim 22, wherein the plurality of panels are joined together by welding.

26. The sport ball of claim 22, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is a spray polymer.