Sport Ball Casing With Integrated Bladder Material

• US 20130005521A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: White, Vincent F., Johnson, Scott W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,852,039 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

Abstract

A sport ball may include a plurality of panels having a first surface and an opposite second surface, the first surface forming a majority of an exterior surface of the ball. In addition, the sport ball may include an interior layer secured to the second surface of the panels and forming substantially all of an interior surface of the ball to retain a fluid within the ball, the interior layer extending between the panels to join the panels together. Further the sport ball may include a valve secured to the interior layer.

Claims

1. A sport ball comprising:

a plurality of panels defining a first surface forming a majority of an exterior surface of the ball;

an interior layer secured on an interior side of the panels and forming substantially all of an interior surface of the ball to retain a fluid within the ball, the interior layer extending between the panels to join the panels together; and

a valve secured to the interior layer.

2. The sport ball of claim 1, wherein the interior layer includes a bladder material, including a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of a barrier material configured to limit transmission of fluid.

3. The sport ball of claim 2, wherein the barrier material includes ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer.

4. The sport ball recited in claim 2, wherein the 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 2, wherein the interior layer includes a third layer, the third layer being formed of the thermoplastic polymer material, wherein the second layer is located between the first layer and the third layer.

7. The sport ball recited in claim 2, wherein the first layer is located exterior of the second layer.

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

9. A sport ball including a casing, the casing comprising:

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;

wherein the interior surface is defined by an inner layer including a bladder material for enclosing a pressurized fluid within the casing, the bladder material including a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer.

10. The sport ball recited in claim 9, wherein edges of the first panel and the second panel form a portion of an exterior surface of the casing.

11. The sport ball recited in claim 9, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is a thermoplastic urethane.

12. The sport ball recited in claim 11, wherein the thermoplastic urethane is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyether, polycaprolactone, polyoxypropylene and polycarbonate macroglycol based materials, and mixtures thereof.

13. The sport ball recited in claim 9, wherein an exterior surface of the ball defines indentations between the panels at the seams.

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

forming a casing by joining at least a first panel to at least a second panel, each panel having a first surface and an opposite second surface;

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 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 toward an interior of the sport ball;

wherein joining the first panel to the second panel includes forming a bond between the second surface of the first panel and the second surface of the second panel to form an interior layer forming substantially all of an interior surface of the ball to retain a fluid within the ball.

15. The method recited in claim 14, wherein the step of joining includes applying heat to form a thermal bond between the first panel and the second panel.

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

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

compressing the first flange area and the second flange area together; and

heating the flange areas to form a flange joint.

17. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the first flange area includes a free edge and the second flange area includes a second free edge;

and

wherein placing the first flange area in contact with the second flange area includes orienting the first free edge and the second free edge extending radially outward from a center of the ball.

18. The method recited in claim 14, wherein, a chamber defined by the casing, the bladder material including a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer.

19. The method recited in claim 18, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is a thermoplastic urethane.

20. The method recited in claim 19, wherein the thermoplastic urethane is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyether, polycaprolactone, polyoxypropylene and polycarbonate macroglycol based materials, and mixtures thereof.