Embossed, inflatable ball making method

• US 5,494,625 A
• Filed: 08/23/1994
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liang F. Hu
• Original Assignee: Liang F. Hu
• Inventors: Hu, Liang F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuhns, Allan R.
• Application Number:
  US08/294,707
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 264/321, 264/293, 264/51, 264/53, 264/510, 264/573, 264/574, 156/147, 273/65 ED
• US Class Current: 264/51
• 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: B29C 59/02 by mechanical means, e.g. pressing B29C59/007 takes precedence; embossing expanded porous articles B29C44/5627
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/02 Inflatable articles

Abstract

The method includes the steps of i) molding an inner tube from butyl rubber, ii) processing the outer wall of the inner tube into a coarse surface; iii) preparing cover panels from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) through a foaming process and then processing the inside wall of each cover panel into a coarse surface; iv) covering the cover panels over the inner tube by a press to form a blank ball; and v) embossing the surface of the blank ball thus obtained by an embossing machine through a heating process and then quickly cooling the embossed ball.

Claims

1. A method of making an inflatable ball, the method comprising the steps of:

i) molding an inner tube from butyl rubber and then processing the outer wall of the inner tube into a coarse surface;

ii) preparing cover panels from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) through a foaming process and then processing the inside wall of each cover panel into a coarse surface;

iii) covering the cover panels over the inner tube to form a blank ball; and

iv) embossing the surface of the blank ball thus obtained by an embossing machine through a heating process and then quickly cooling the embossed ball.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said cover panels are covered on said inner tube in a mold by a press by giving an inflation pressure of 8 to 10 lbs to said inner tube.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said blank ball is embossed by an embossing mold of said embossing machine by giving an inflation pressure of 6 to 9 lbs to said inner tube and heating said embossing mold to 150°

to 180°

C. for one minute and then quickly cooling down said embossing mold by cooling water.