Inflatable stitched sports ball and method of making same

• US 6,039,662 A
• Filed: 04/21/1998
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joyful Long International Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Joyful Long International Ltd.
• Inventors: Chan, Chong Veng
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/063,555
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 473/598, 473/599, 473/603, 473/604, 473/605, 473/609
• US Class Current: 473/604
• 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 45/02 Marking of balls

Abstract

An inflatable sports ball has a body with a multiplicity of discrete panels joined together at seams along respective adjacent edges by stitching, preferably machine stitching, to define a volume, and an inflatable bladder disposed within the volume, with a valve extending through an aperture defined in the body outer surface. Each ball panel is formed of a multi-layer laminate consisting of an outer layer of synthetic polymeric material, an intermediate layer of expanded synthetic polymeric material and a woven fabric, and an inner layer of woven fabric. A method for manufacturing an inflatable sports ball using a stitching machine to join pairs of panels at a seam along respective adjacent edges is also described.

Claims

1. An inflatable soccer ball having a body comprising:

a multiplicity of discrete panels joined together at seams along respective adjacent edges by stitching to define a volume, and

an inflatable bladder disposed within said volume and having a valve extending through an aperture defined in the outer surface of said body,

each panel of said multiplicity of panels being formed of a multi-layer laminate comprising;

an outer layer of synthetic polymeric material;

an intermediate layer of expanded synthetic polymeric material with a woven or knitted fabric; and

at least one inner layer of woven fabric.

2. The inflatable sports ball of claim 1, wherein said stitching comprises machine stitching.

3. The inflatable sports ball of claim 1, wherein said inner layer of woven fabric comprises two layers of woven fabric.

4. The inflatable sports ball of claim 1, wherein said bladder is formed of resilient material.

5. The inflatable sports ball of claim 1, wherein said bladder is joined to an inner surface of said body in a region about said valve stem.