Ball for ball game and molding apparatus for forming the same

• US 5,380,185 A
• Filed: 07/22/1993
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Molten
• Original Assignee: Molten
• Inventors: Doi, Shigeo, Shishido, Hideomi, Okimoto, Hajime, Hirakiuchi, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHANH P
• Application Number:
  US08/095,419
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 249/63, 249/64, 249/154, 249/144, 249/151, 249/184, 249/66.1, 425/577, 425/468, 425/116, 425/423, 425/DIG. 10, 425/440, 425/443, 425/556, 425/436 R, 425/441, 425/444, 425/DIG. 51, 264/328.8
• US Class Current: 425/556
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/00 Hollow inflatable balls
• 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: B29C 45/4407 by flexible movement of undercut portions of the articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/01 Core positioning

Abstract

A molding apparatus for injection-molding a hemispherical hollow body formed of a thermoplastic elastomer and having a valve formed integrally therewith. The apparatus includes a first mold having a hemispherical convex molding surface, a second mold having a hemispherical concave molding surface larger in size than the convex molding surface. The second mold is superposed on the first mold to form a molding cavity for the hollow body. A first valve mold is removably mounted at the center of the hemispherical convex molding surface of the first mold, for forming the valve and an inside and small-diameter portion of a valve rubber insertion hole of the valve. A second valve mold is removably mounted at the center of the hemispherical concave molding surface, for forming an intermediate and large-diameter portion of the valve rubber insertion hole and an outside and small-diameter portion thereof while forming a cavity for the valve in cooperation with the first valve mold. The second valve mold includes a diametrically-enlarged portion provided at a lower end of the second valve mold for downwardly pushing the formed hollow body when the second valve mold is engaged to the second mold after the second valve is removed from the second mold.

Claims

1. A molding surface for injection-molding a hemispherical hollow body formed of a thermoplastic elastomer and having a valve formed integrally therewith, said apparatus comprising a first mold having a hemispherical convex molding surface, a second mold having a hemispherical concave molding surface larger in size than said hemispherical convex molding surface, on which said second mold is superposed said first mold to form a cavity for said hemispherical hollow body, a first valve mold removably mounted at the center of said hemispherical convex molding surface of said first mold, for forming an outer form of said valve and an inside and small-diameter portion of a valve rubber insertion hole of said valve, a second valve mold removably mounted at the center of said hemispherical concave molding surface, for forming an intermediate and large-diameter portion of said valve rubber insertion hole and an outside and small-diameter portion thereof while forming a cavity for said valve in cooperation with said first valve mold, and a plurality of gates formed in the periphery of said outside and small-diameter portion of said valve rubber insertion hole associated with said second valve mold, for injecting therethrough a plasticized or molten thermoplastic elastomer into said cavities, and wherein said second valve mold includes a means for downwardly pushing the formed hollow body when said second valve mold is engaged to said second mold after said second valve is removed from said second mold.

2. The molding apparatus for injection-molding according to claim 1, wherein said means for downwardly pushing said formed hollow body is a diametrically-enlarged portion provided at a lower end of said second valve mold.