Football with Segmented Cover Panels

• US 20130324333A1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: McNamee, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,084,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/599
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

A prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball in the form of a football is provided with a segmented panel having stripes formed by attaching stripe pieces to adjacent segments. In one embodiment, the stripe pieces have beveled edges and the edges of adjacent segments have corresponding beveled edges. The component pieces of the panel can be joined to the stripe pieces using stitching to securely fasten the components of the segmented panel together. A segmented panel of this construction can allow different materials having different characteristics to be used for various portions of the segmented panel.

Claims

1. A prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball comprising:

a cover, the cover comprising a plurality of panels; and

an inflatable bladder disposed inside the cover;

wherein at least one panel of the plurality of panels includes a stripe piece disposed between an end cone segment and a central body segment along a longitudinal axis; and

wherein edges of the stripe piece are joined to an edge of the end cone segment and an edge of the central body segment.

2. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 1, wherein the edges of the stripe piece are beveled.

3. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 2, wherein the edge of the end cone segment and the edge of the central body segment are beveled.

4. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 3, wherein the beveled edges of the stripe piece correspond to the beveled edge of the end cone segment and the beveled edge of the central body segment.

5. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 1, wherein the stripe piece has an approximately arcuate shape.

6. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 5, wherein the edge of the end cone segment and the edge of the central body segment have arcuate shapes corresponding to the edges of the stripe piece.

7. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 6, wherein a first edge of the stripe piece disposed adjacent to the edge of the end cone segment has a concave shape;

and

wherein a second edge of the stripe piece disposed adjacent to the edge of the central body segment has a convex shape.

8. A football comprising:

an inflatable bladder;

a plurality of panels surrounding the inflatable bladder forming a cover;

at least two panels of the plurality of panels each including a stripe disposed at either end of the panel;

wherein each panel comprises a first stripe piece disposed between a first end cone segment and a central body segment at a first end of the panel and a second stripe piece disposed between a second end cone segment and the central body segment at a second end of the panel; and

wherein the first end cone segment, the second end cone segment, and the central body segment are oriented with a length along a longitudinal axis; and

wherein the first stripe piece and the second stripe piece are oriented with a length along a transverse axis.

9. The football according to claim 8, wherein edges of the first stripe piece are joined to an edge of the first end cone segment and a first edge of the central body segment;

and

wherein edges of the second stripe piece are joined to an edge of the second end cone segment and a second edge of the central body segment.

10. The football according to claim 9, wherein the edges of the first stripe piece are joined to the edge of the first end cone segment and the first edge of the central body segment with stitching;

and

wherein the edges of the second stripe piece are joined to the edge of the second end cone segment and the second edge of the central body segment with stitching.

11. The football according to claim 10, wherein the edges of the first stripe piece are beveled.

12. The football according to claim 11, wherein the edge of the first end cone segment and the first edge of the central body segment are beveled.

13. The football according to claim 10, wherein the stitching joining the first stripe piece to the edge of the first end cone segment extends between a first stitch line disposed on the first end cone segment and a second stitch line disposed on the first stripe piece.

14. The football according to claim 13, wherein the edges of the first stripe piece are beveled;

and wherein a portion of a first beveled edge of the first stripe piece extends under a portion of the edge of the first end cone segment; and

wherein the stitching joining the first stripe piece to the edge of the first end cone segment at the first stitch line extends through the portion of the first beveled edge of the first stripe piece and the portion of the edge of the first end cone segment.

15. The football according to claim 9, wherein a top surface of the first stripe piece is flush with a top surface of the first end cone segment and a top surface of the central body segment.

16. A prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball, comprising:

an inflatable bladder;

a plurality of panels joined together to form a cover;

at least one panel of the plurality of panels comprising a segmented panel;

the segmented panel comprising a plurality of component pieces joined together to form the segmented panel, the plurality of component pieces including;

a first end cone segment disposed at a first end of the segmented panel;

a first stripe piece joined to the first end cone segment along a first edge and joined to a central body segment along a second edge;

the central body segment extending between the first stripe piece and a second stripe piece;

the second stripe piece joined to the central body segment along a third edge and joined to a second end cone segment along a fourth edge; and

the second end cone segment being disposed at a second end of the segmented panel.

17. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 16, wherein the first end cone segment comprises a first material, the first stripe piece comprises a second material, and the central body segment comprises a third material;

and

wherein the first material and the third material are each different from the second material.

18. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 17, wherein the second material has a coefficient of friction that is greater than the coefficient of friction associated with the first material and the third material.

19. The spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 17, wherein the first material is different than the third material.

20. The spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 16, wherein the first edge, the second edge, the third edge, and the fourth edge are beveled.

21. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the first stripe piece and the second stripe piece include a plurality of texture elements.

22. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of texture elements comprise a depression disposed below a top surface of the first stripe piece and/or the second stripe piece.

23. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 22, wherein the depression is formed in the top surface using at least one of thermoforming or debossing.

24. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 21, wherein the size of the plurality of texture elements vary along a length of the first stripe piece and/or the second stripe piece.

25. The prolate spheroidal inflatable game ball according to claim 24, wherein a first texture element disposed at a first end of the least one of the first stripe piece and the second stripe piece is larger than a second texture element disposed at a middle of the least one of the first stripe piece and the second stripe piece.