SPORT BALL CASING AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE CASING

• US 20160206930A1
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Raynak, Geoffrey C., White, Vincent F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,821,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• 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: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal

Abstract

A sport ball may include a casing and a bladder located within the casing. The casing may include a plurality of panel elements joined to each other with welds, and portions of the panel elements that include the welds may project toward an interior of the ball. A method of manufacturing a sport ball may include providing a plurality of casing elements that include a thermoplastic polymer material. Edges of the casing elements are welded to each other to join the casing elements. The casing elements may then be turned inside-out through an aperture formed by at least one of the casing elements, and the aperture may be sealed.

Claims

1. A sport ball comprising:

a casing including a plurality of panel elements, wherein two of the plurality of panel elements are joined to each other with a weld to form a seam disposed between the two of the plurality of panel elements;

wherein each of the plurality of panel elements includes;

a central panel area; and

a plurality of flange portions each extending from the central panel area;

wherein one of the plurality of panel elements defines an aperture through the central panel area and has an edge;

a plug disposed within the aperture and bonded to the edge;

a bladder defining an interior and configured to contain a pressurized gas; and

an intermediate layer disposed between the casing and the bladder;

wherein the intermediate layer abuts the casing, contacts and covers substantially all of the bladder, and extends continuously across the seam;

wherein, when the sport ball is inflated with the pressurized gas, each of the plurality of flange portions abuts the intermediate layer and deflects the intermediate layer toward the interior.

2. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the plug is spaced apart from the seam.

3. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the plug is configured for interlocking with the edge.

4. The sport ball recited in claim 3, wherein the edge has a stepped configuration.

5. The sport ball recited in claim 3, wherein the edge has a J-shaped configuration.

6. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein a majority of the central panel area defines the aperture.

7. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the casing forms an exterior portion of the sport ball and defines an indentation between adjacent ones of the plurality of panel elements.

8. The sport ball recited in claim 7, wherein the one of the plurality of panel elements has an outside surface and the plug has an external surface that is flush with the outside surface so that the exterior portion is smooth.

9. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of flange portions has an interior surface and an exterior surface disposed opposite the interior surface, and further wherein the exterior surface of one of the plurality of flange portions is welded to the exterior surface of another one of the plurality of flange portions.

10. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of panel elements is formed from a thermoplastic polymer material.

11. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is substantially spherical.

12. The sport ball recited in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from a textile.

13. A sport ball comprising:

a casing including a plurality of panel elements, wherein two of the plurality of panel elements are joined to each other with a weld to form a seam disposed between the two of the plurality of panel elements;

wherein each of the plurality of panel elements includes;

a central panel area; and

a plurality of flange portions each extending from the central panel area;

wherein one of the plurality of panel elements defines an aperture and has an edge that is spaced apart from the plurality of flange portions;

a plug disposed within the aperture and welded to the edge;

a bladder defining an interior and configured to contain a pressurized gas; and

an intermediate layer disposed between the casing and the bladder;

wherein the intermediate layer abuts the casing, contacts and covers substantially all of the bladder, extends continuously across the seam, and is a substantially seamless, spherically-shaped textile;

wherein, when the sport ball is inflated with the pressurized gas, each of the plurality of flange portions projects toward the interior, abuts the intermediate layer, and deflects the intermediate layer toward the interior.

14. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the casing forms an exterior portion of the sport ball and defines an indentation between adjacent ones of the plurality of panel elements.

15. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein the aperture is sealed with the plug such that the plug is not removable from the central panel area.

16. The sport ball recited in claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of flange portions defines a plurality of holes therein that are configured for aligning one of the plurality of flange portions with an adjacent one of the plurality of flange portions.

17. A sport ball comprising:

a casing including a plurality of panel elements, wherein two of the plurality of panel elements are joined to each other with a weld to form a seam disposed between the two of the plurality of panel elements;

wherein each of the plurality of panel elements includes;

a central panel area; and

a plurality of flange portions each extending from the central panel area and each disposed between another two of the plurality of flange portions, wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of flange portions define an incision therebetween such that each of the plurality of flange portions is disconnected from and flexible with respect to one another;

wherein one of the plurality of panel elements defines an aperture through the central panel area and has an edge that is spaced apart from the plurality of flange portions;

a bladder defining an interior and configured to contain a pressurized gas; and

an intermediate layer disposed between the casing and the bladder;

wherein the intermediate layer abuts the casing, contacts and covers substantially all of the bladder, and extends continuously across the seam, and further wherein the intermediate layer is a substantially seamless, spherically-shaped textile that is configured to restrain an outward force applied by the pressurized gas against the bladder;

a plug disposed within the aperture and bonded to the edge, wherein the plug abuts the intermediate layer;

wherein each of the plurality of panel elements has a layered structure that includes an outer layer formed from a polymer material and an inner layer formed from a textile;

wherein, when the sport ball is inflated with the pressurized gas, each of the plurality of flange portions projects toward the interior, abuts the intermediate layer, and deflects the intermediate layer toward the interior.

18. The sport ball recited in claim 17, wherein the edge has a stepped configuration and the plug has a rim having a shape that is matable with the stepped configuration.

19. The sport ball recited in claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of flange portions defines a plurality of holes therein that are configured for aligning one of the plurality of flange portions with an adjacent one of the plurality of flange portions.

20. The sport ball recited in claim 19, wherein the polymer material is selected from the group including thermoplastic polyurethane, polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, and polyolefin.