Method of Producing Sportsball with Sculptural Ball Surface

• US 20180111024A1
• Filed: 12/19/2017
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tsung Ming Ou
• Original Assignee: Tsung Ming Ou
• Inventors: OU, Tsung Ming
• Application Number:
  US15/847,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20180111024A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• 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 156/1089 of discrete laminae to single face of additional lamina

Abstract

A sports ball includes a ball body having a valve stem formed thereat, a plurality of carcass panels, a plurality of sculptural bumps is integrally formed on at least a portion of one of the carcass panels to form a sculptural ball surface of the carcass panel, wherein the carcass panels are overlapped on said ball body to form a ball carcass in a stitch-less manner. Accordingly, the sculptural bumps are raised above an outer panel surface of the carcass panel without applying a depression force to indent on the outer panel surface of the carcass panel. The carcass panels are interlocked and bonded with each other edge-to-edge to enclose the ball body inside the ball carcass.

Claims

1. A soccer ball, comprising:

a ball body having a valve stem formed thereat;

a plurality of carcass panels overlappedly laminated on said ball body to form a ball carcass in a stitch-less manner, wherein said carcass panels are interlocked and bonded with each other edge-to-edge to enclose said ball body inside said ball carcass, wherein one of said carcass panels has a valve hole aligning with said valve stem of said ball body; and

a sculptural arrangement having a plurality of sculptural bumps integrally formed on at least a portion of one of said carcass panels to form a sculptural ball surface of said carcass panel that create maximum grip and speed of said soccer ball, wherein said sculptural bumps are raised above an outer panel surface of said carcass panel without applying a depression force to indent on said outer panel surface of said carcass panel.

2. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 1, wherein said sculptural bumps are orderly sculptured in a wavy pattern on said carcass panel, wherein each of said sculptural bumps are sculptured in a quadrilateral shape.

3. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 2, wherein six of said carcass panels are provided to interlock with each other edge-to-edge to form said ball carcass, wherein each of said carcass panels has a “

X”

configuration to define a center panel portion and four panel extension portions, wherein each of said carcass panels has a plurality of curved edges and at least a straight edge extended from one of said curved edges, wherein each of said carcass panels comprises a skin layer, a backing layer, and a cushioning layer sandwiched between said skin layer and said backing layer, wherein a design pattern is printed on said skin layer.

4. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 3, wherein said ball body comprises an inflatable bladder and a ball pocket, which is constructed to have a true roundness shape, having an interior cavity receiving said inflatable bladder therein, wherein when said inflatable bladder is inflated, said ball pocket retains a true roundness shape of said inflatable bladder, wherein said ball pocket comprises a plurality of pocket panels which are overlappedly laminated with each other side by side and are treated to form an integral spherical structure of said ball pocket so as to retain a true roundness shape of said inflatable bladder after said inflatable bladder is inflated.

5. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 3, wherein said ball body comprises an inflatable bladder and a ball pocket, which is constructed to have a true roundness shape, having an interior cavity receiving said inflatable bladder therein, wherein when said inflatable bladder is inflated, said ball pocket retains a true roundness shape of said inflatable bladder, wherein said ball pocket comprises an exterior web layer, which is integrally attached on an outer surface of said inflatable bladder, comprising at least an elongated strengthened thread evenly wound around said outer surface of said inflatable bladder such that said web layer embraces said inflatable bladder for resisting stress and impact force applied to said inflatable bladder.

6. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of sculptural bumps integrally formed on said portion of one of said carcass panels to form said sculptural ball surface of said carcass panel is made by providing a treatment layer placed on top of said carcass panel, wherein said treatment layer comprises a mesh layer having a plurality of meshes thereon, and a sculptural layer formed at a bottom side of said mesh layer, wherein said sculptural layer is made of sculptural substance formed at said bottom side of said mesh layer and filled at said meshes of said mesh layer, wherein said sculptural layer is integrally bonded on said outer panel surface of said carcass panel, such that said sculptural substances filled at said meshes of said mesh layer forms said sculptural bumps on said outer panel surface of said carcass panel respectively, wherein said mesh layer on top of said carcass panel is removed to leave said sculptural layer on said outer panel surface of said carcass panel.

7. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 6, wherein said mesh layer is made of non-stick material, such that said mesh layer is removed after said sculptural layer is applied on said outer panel surface of said ball carcass.

8. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 7, wherein heat is applied on said treatment layer to detach said sculptural layer from said mesh layer and to integrally bond said sculptural layer on said outer panel surface of said carcass panel.

9. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 8, wherein said meshes are orderly formed at said mesh layer in a wavy configuration to sculpture said sculptural bumps in a wavy pattern on said carcass panel, wherein each of said meshes has a quadrilateral shape to to sculpture each of said sculptural bumps with quadrilateral shape.

10. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of sculptural bumps integrally formed on said portion of one of said carcass panels to form said sculptural ball surface of said carcass panel is made by providing a mesh layer placed on top of said carcass panel, wherein said mesh layer has a plurality of meshes thereon,k wherein a sculptural substance is evenly applied on said mesh layer that said sculptural substance passes through said meshes to be integrally bonded on said outer panel surface of said carcass panel to form said sculptural bumps thereon, wherein said mesh layer is removed on top of said carcass panel.

11. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 10, wherein said sculptural substance is in liquid form when applying on said mesh layer and is in solid form after dried.

12. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 11, wherein said mesh layer is made of non-stick material, such that said mesh layer is removed after said sculptural substance is applied on said outer panel surface of said ball carcass through said meshes.

13. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 10, wherein said sculptural substance on said mesh layer is swept to ensure said sculptural substance to be evenly applied on said mesh layer and to be evenly penetrated through said meshes on said outer panel surface of said carcass panel, and that said sculptural substance which is excessively left on said mesh layer after said sculptural substance is applied on said outer panel surface of said carcass panel is swabbed until said sculptural substance is filled at said meshes of said mesh layer and no said sculptural substance leaves on said mesh layer.

14. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 12, wherein said meshes are orderly formed at said mesh layer in a wavy configuration to sculpture said sculptural bumps in a wavy pattern on said carcass panel, wherein each of said meshes has a quadrilateral shape to sculpture each of said sculptural bumps with quadrilateral shape.

15. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 6, wherein six of said carcass panels are interlocked with each other edge-to-edge to form said ball carcass, wherein each of said carcass panels has a “

X”

configuration to define a center panel portion and four panel extension portions, wherein each of said carcass panels has a plurality of curved edges and at least a straight edge extended from one of said curved edges.

16. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 12, wherein six of said carcass panels are interlocked with each other edge-to-edge to form said ball carcass, wherein each of said carcass panels has a “

X”

configuration to define a center panel portion and four panel extension portions, wherein each of said carcass panels has a plurality of curved edges and at least a straight edge extended from one of said curved edges.

17. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 1, wherein said carcass panels are adhered on said ball body to form said ball carcass in a stitch-less manner so as to enclose said ball body inside said ball carcass, wherein each of said carcass panels comprises a skin layer, a backing layer, and a cushioning layer sandwiched between said skin layer and said backing layer.

18. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 5, wherein said carcass panels are adhered on said ball body to form said ball carcass in a stitch-less manner so as to enclose said ball body inside said ball carcass, wherein each of said carcass panels comprises a skin layer, a backing layer, and a cushioning layer sandwiched between said skin layer and said backing layer.

19. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 6, wherein said carcass panels are adhered on said ball body to form said ball carcass in a stitch-less manner so as to enclose said ball body inside said ball carcass, wherein each of said carcass panels comprises a skin layer, a backing layer, and a cushioning layer sandwiched between said skin layer and said backing layer.

20. The soccer ball, as recited in claim 14, wherein said carcass panels are adhered on said ball body to form said ball carcass in a stitch-less manner so as to enclose said ball body inside said ball carcass, wherein each of said carcass panels comprises a skin layer, a backing layer, and a cushioning layer sandwiched between said skin layer and said backing layer.