BASKETBALL HAVING GROOVED SEAMS

• US 20130059683A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Krysiak, Kevin L., Gaff, Bradley L., Thurman, Robert T., Woessner, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,114,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/597
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/02 Bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

A basketball including a carcass, cover panels, and cover strips. The carcass has an outer surface defining a first set of channels and cover panels regions between the first set of channels. The panels are respectively positioned over the panel regions and are spaced apart from each other. The strips are positioned over the channels. The strips have inner and outer surfaces extending between first and second sidewalls. The strips have a thickness that is measured radially from a centerpoint from the inner to the outer surface, and a width that is measured from the first to the second sidewall. At least one groove is formed into the outer surface. The groove has a width that extends between 20 to 70 percent of the width of the strip and has a maximum depth from the outer surface that is at least 50 percent of the maximum thickness of the strip.

Claims

1. A generally spherical basketball defining a center point, the basketball comprising:

a carcass having an outer surface defining a first set of channels and a plurality of cover panels regions between the first set of channels;

a plurality of cover panels respectively positioned over the plurality of cover panel regions and spaced apart from each other, the cover panels having peripheral edges; and

a plurality of elongated cover strips positioned over the first set of channels and between the peripheral edges of the spaced-apart cover panels, the cover strips having inner and outer surfaces extending between first and second side walls, a thickness measured in a direction extending radially from the center point from the inner surface to the outer surface of the cover strip, and a width measured from the first side wall to the second side wall, at least one narrow elongate groove being formed into the outer surface of the cover strips, the groove having a width that extends between the range of 20 to 60 percent of the width of the cover strip and having a maximum depth from the outer surface of the cover strip that is at least 50 percent of the maximum thickness of the cover strip.

2. The basketball of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elongated cover strips define a collective first total length and wherein the at least one elongate groove defines a collective second total length that is at least 20 percent of the first total length.

3. The basketball of claim 2, wherein the plurality of elongated cover strips is a collection of interconnected cover strips, and wherein the at least one elongate groove is formed in each of the interconnected cover strips.

4. The basketball of claim 3, wherein the second total length is substantially the same as the first total length.

5. The basketball of claim 1, wherein the depth of the at least one elongate groove is at least 70 percent of the thickness of the cover strip.

6. The basketball of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the cover strip and the first and second side walls of the cover strip form first and second edges, respectively, and wherein the at least one elongate groove and the outer surface of the cover strip form third and fourth edges.

7. The basketball of claim 6, wherein the thickness of the cover strip at the first edge is greater than the thickness of the cover strip at the third edge, and wherein the thickness of the cover strip at the second edge is greater than the thickness of the cover strip at the fourth edge.

8. The basketball of claim 6, wherein the thickness of the cover strip is generally uniform from the first edge to the third edge and from the second edge to the fourth edge.

9. The basketball of claim 6, wherein one or more of the first, second, third and fourth edges are rounded.

10. The basketball of claim 1, wherein the at least one groove forms a general U-shape when viewed from the perspective of a lateral cross-sectional view of the cover strip.

11. The basketball of claim 1, wherein the at least one groove forms a general V-shape when viewed from the perspective of a lateral cross-sectional view of the cover strip.

12. The basketball of claim 1, wherein the cover panels are attached to the outer surface of the carcass at the cover panel regions.

13. The basketball of claim 1, wherein the carcass is formed of at least a bladder, a layer of windings about the bladder and at least one layer of elastomeric material formed over the layer of windings, and wherein the depth of the groove extends through the at least one layer of elastomeric material to the layer of windings.

14. A generally spherical basketball defining a center point, the basketball comprising:

a carcass having an outer surface that includes a set of outwardly extending ribs and a plurality of cover panels regions between the ribs, the ribs including an elongated central surface extending between first and second rib side walls, the ribs having a rib height that is measured in a direction extending radially from the center point from a first point positioned at the same radial dimension as the outer surface of the cover panel region to the central surface; and

a plurality of cover panels respectively positioned over the plurality of cover panel regions, the central surface of the ribs and the outer surface of the cover panels collectively forming the outer surface of the basketball, the central surface having a central surface width defined by the exposed distance from the first rib side wall to the second rib side wall, at least one narrow elongate channel being formed into the central surface of the rib, the channel having a width that extends between the range of 20 to 60 percent of the width of the central surface of the rib and a maximum depth that is at least 60 percent of the maximum rib height, the central surface being generally smooth and non-pebbled.

15. The basketball of claim 14, wherein the set of outwardly extending ribs define a collective first total length and wherein the at least one elongate channel defines a collective second total length that is at least 20 percent of the first total length.

16. The basketball of claim 15, wherein the set of outwardly extending ribs is a collection of interconnected ribs, wherein the at least one elongate channel is formed in each of the interconnected ribs.

17. The basketball of claim 16, wherein the second total length is substantially the same as the first total length.

18. The basketball of claim 14, wherein the depth of the at least one elongate channel is at least 70 percent of the rib height.

19. The basketball of claim 14, wherein the depth of the at least one elongate channel is at least 100 percent of the rib height.

20. The basketball of claim 14, wherein the central surface of the rib has first and second edges formed by the central surface meeting the first and second rib sidewalls, respectively, and wherein the at least one elongate channel and the central surface define third and fourth edges.

21. The basketball of claim 20, wherein the rib height at the first edge is greater than the rib height at the third edge, and wherein the rib height at the second edge is greater than the rib height at the fourth edge.

22. The basketball of claim 20, wherein the rib height is generally uniform from the first edge to the third edge and from the second edge to the fourth edge.

23. The basketball of claim 20, wherein one or more of the first, second, third and fourth edges are rounded.

24. The basketball of claim 14, wherein the at least one channel forms a general U-shape when viewed from the perspective of a lateral cross-sectional view of the rib.

25. The basketball of claim 14, wherein the at least one channel forms a general V-shape when viewed from the perspective of a lateral cross-sectional view of the rib.

26. The basketball of claim 14, wherein the cover panels are attached to the outer surface of the carcass at the cover panel regions.

27. The basketball of claim 14, wherein the carcass is formed of at least a bladder, a layer of windings about the bladder and at least one layer of elastomeric material formed over the layer of windings, and wherein the depth of the channel extends through the at least one layer of elastomeric material to the layer of windings.

28. A generally spherical basketball defining a center point, the basketball comprising:

a carcass including,

a bladder,

a layer of windings surrounding the bladder,

at least one layer of sponge rubber substantially surrounding the layer of windings, and

a plurality of seam strips positioned in a pattern over the one or both of the layers of windings and the at least one layer of sponge rubber, the carcass being molded such that the plurality of seam strips define a set of outwardly extending ribs, the outer surface of the carcass defining a plurality of cover panel regions between the ribs, the ribs including an elongated central surface extending between first and second rib side walls, the ribs having a rib height that is measured in a direction extending radially from the center point from a first point positioned at the same radial dimension as the outer surface of the cover panel region to the central surface; and

;

a plurality of cover panels respectively positioned over the plurality of cover panel regions and at least a portion of the seam strips, the central surface of the ribs and the outer surface of the cover panels collectively forming the outer surface of the basketball, the central surface having a central surface width defined by the exposed distance from the first rib side wall to the second rib side wall, at least one narrow elongate channel being formed into the central surface of the rib, the channel having a width that extends between the range of 20 to 60 percent of the width of the central surface of the rib and a maximum depth that is at least 70 percent of the maximum rib height.