Bladder for use in a sportsball
First Claim
1. A bladder having good air retention and excellent durability for use in a sportsball, said bladder comprising:
- (a) a hollow inner core for holding pressurized air having a shape and size when fully inflated which approximates that of the sportsball in which it is used and having an air valve permanently sealed into a wall of said inner core;
(b) a first band having a cylindrical shape and dimensioned to fit over the inner core when at least partially inflated and made of a material bondable to the inner core, said first band positioned directly over the inner core so as to substantially and evenly cover a major portion of the inner core when in an inflated state and permanently bonded thereto; and
(c) a second band having a cylindrical shape and dimensioned to fit over the inner core when at least partially inflated and made of a material bondable to the inner core and the first band, said second band positioned directly over the first band at about a 90 degree angle thereto so as to substantially and evenly cover a major portion of the first band and a minor portion of the inner core when in an inflated state and permanently bonded thereto to form the bladder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bladder for use in a sportsball such as a soccer ball or volleyball has good air retention and excellent durability. It is molded to substantially conform to a shape consistent with the shape of the sportsball. The bladder comprises a hollow inner core for holding pressurized air and having an air valve permanently sealed into a wall. At least two bands of a thermoplastic elastomer having a cylindrical shape and dimensioned to fit over the inner core are so positioned and molded under heat and pressure to form the bladder. The first and second bands are positioned over the inner core so as to be at about a 90 degree angle to one another. Any subsequent bands are positioned over the inner core at prescribed angles to the immediately previous band to ensure full coverage of the inner core with the bands.
47 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A bladder having good air retention and excellent durability for use in a sportsball, said bladder comprising:
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(a) a hollow inner core for holding pressurized air having a shape and size when fully inflated which approximates that of the sportsball in which it is used and having an air valve permanently sealed into a wall of said inner core; (b) a first band having a cylindrical shape and dimensioned to fit over the inner core when at least partially inflated and made of a material bondable to the inner core, said first band positioned directly over the inner core so as to substantially and evenly cover a major portion of the inner core when in an inflated state and permanently bonded thereto; and (c) a second band having a cylindrical shape and dimensioned to fit over the inner core when at least partially inflated and made of a material bondable to the inner core and the first band, said second band positioned directly over the first band at about a 90 degree angle thereto so as to substantially and evenly cover a major portion of the first band and a minor portion of the inner core when in an inflated state and permanently bonded thereto to form the bladder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of building a bladder having good air retention and excellent durability for use in a sportsball comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming an inner core having a shape and size when fully inflated which approximates that of the sportsball and having an air valve permanently sealed into a wall of said inner core; (b) partially inflating the inner core to distend the wall of the inner core; (c) positioning a first band having a cylindrical shape directly over the partially inflated inner core so as to substantially and evenly cover a major portion of the inner core, said first band being capable of bonding to the inner (d) positioning a second band having a cylindrical shape directly over the first band at about a 90 degree angle thereto so as to substantially and evenly cover a major portion of the first band and a minor portion of the inner core, said second band being capable of permanently bonding to the first band and the inner core; (e) placing the inner core with the first and second bands positioned thereon in a mold having the approximate shape and size of the sportsball; (f) fully inflating the inner core to cause its wall to distend outwardly such that the bands on the exterior of the inner core contact the inner surface of the mold in a substantially uniform manner; and (g) molding the inner core with the bands thereon at a temperature and time sufficient to permanently bond the inner core and the bands together to form a substantially perfectly shaped bladder. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification