Sport Ball Bladder With A Pocket

• US 20140274498A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Berggren, Scott R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,211,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2041/005 with counterweight for adjusting the centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/73 Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/02 Bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/10 Bladder and cover united
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• 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: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49885 with coating before or during assembling

Abstract

A sport ball may include a casing, a bladder, and a component. The casing forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball, and the bladder is located within the casing. The bladder includes a pocket that projects toward a center of the sport ball, and the pocket defines a cavity. The component, which may be an electronic device or a counterweight, is located within the pocket. In some configurations, the bladder may include a valve that is located on an opposite side of the bladder from the pocket and component.

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, the bladder including a pocket that projects toward a center of the sport ball, the pocket defining a cavity; and

an electronic device located within the pocket.

2. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the pocket includes a neck portion and a container portion, the neck portion forming an opening to the cavity, and the container portion forming the cavity.

3. The sport ball recited in claim 2, wherein a width of the opening is less than a width of the container portion.

4. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the pocket is a shaped portion of the bladder.

5. The sport ball recited in claim 1, the electronic device has (a) a first surface oriented to face away from the center of the sport ball and (b) a second surface oriented to face toward the center of the sport ball, and the pocket contacts both of the first surface and the second surface.

6. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the bladder includes a valve, the pocket being located on an opposite side of the bladder from the valve.

7. The sport ball recited in claim 1, further including a restriction structure located between the casing and the bladder.

8. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes at least one of a sensor, a global positioning system unit, an accelerometer, and a radio-frequency identification chip.

9. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device performs at least one of processing, sending, receiving, and collecting data.

10. 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, the bladder including a pocket and a valve, the pocket being a shaped portion of the bladder, and the pocket being located on an opposite side of the bladder from the valve; and

a component located within the pocket.

11. The sport ball recited in claim 10, wherein the component is an electronic device.

12. The sport ball recited in claim 10, wherein the component is a counterweight.

13. The sport ball recited in claim 10, wherein a combination of a mass of the pocket and the component is in a range of 75 percent to 125 percent of a mass of the valve.

14. The sport ball recited in claim 10, wherein the pocket includes a container portion and a neck portion, the container portion forming a cavity within the pocket for holding the component, and the neck portion forming an opening to the cavity.

15. The sport ball recited in claim 14, wherein a width of the opening is less than a width of the container portion.

16. 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, the bladder including a pocket that projects toward a center of the sport ball, the pocket being a shaped portion of the bladder that has a container portion and a neck portion, the container portion forming a cavity within the pocket, and the neck portion forming an opening to the cavity, a width of the opening being less than a width of the cavity, and the bladder including a valve located on an opposite side of the bladder from the pocket; and

a component located within the pocket.

17. The sport ball recited in claim 16, wherein the component is an electronic device that includes at least one of a sensor, a global positioning system unit, an accelerometer, and a radio-frequency identification chip.

18. The sport ball recited in claim 16, wherein the component is a counterweight.

19. The sport ball recited in claim 16, further including a restriction structure located between the casing and the bladder.

20. A method of manufacturing a bladder for a sport ball, the method comprising:

providing a mandrel having (a) a plurality of wings that extend outward from a central axis and (b) a protrusion that forms an end portion of the mandrel and is located on the central axis;

coating each of the wings and the protrusion of the mandrel with a barrier material;

removing the barrier material from the mandrel; and

securing a valve to the barrier material.

21. The method recited in claim 20, further including a step of selecting a shape of the protrusion to correspond with a shape of an electronic device within the sport ball.