Self-contained sport ball inflation mechanism

• US 6,409,618 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Russell Brands LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Polk, Louis F., Touhey, Daniel P., de Bakker, Peter M., Taylor, Malcolm E., Sykes, Robert C., Schachtner, Joseph J., Schomburg, Kenneth V., Harvey, Andrew C., Amundsen, Neil T., Stickler, George D., Feeney, Brian P., Stahl, Joseph E., Terrazzano, Richard F., Keane, Charles, Litscher, Eric K.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/594,980
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 473/593, 473/610, 473/611, 446/220, 446/224, 417/478, 417/479, 417/480, 417/259, 417/29, 36/29
• US Class Current: 473/593
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2041/005 with counterweight for adjusting the centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/00 Hollow inflatable balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/12 Tools or devices for blowing up or closing balls for pricking-balls A63B39/04
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 33/00 Pumps actuated by muscle power, e.g. for inflating
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/147 the closure elements having specially formed slits or being of an elongated easily collapsible form
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/202 and with flexible valve member

Abstract

An inflatable sport ball, such as a basketball, a football, a soccer ball, a volley ball or a playground ball, is provided with a self-contained inflation mechanism for inflating or more likely adding pressure to the ball. The mechanism is a pump which is inside of the ball and which is operable from outside of the ball to pump ambient air into the ball.

Claims

1. An inflatable sport ball comprising an integral pump, wherein said pump is inside said ball and includes means selectively extendable outside of said ball for actuating said pump, and further wherein said pump is essentially flush with or below the surface of the ball when not in use.

2. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 wherein said ball includes a layer which prevents the ball from expanding significantly as pressure is increased.

3. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 wherein said pump includes means for pumping ambient air into said ball and means for preventing said pumped air from escaping out of said ball.

12. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 2 wherein said sport ball is a basketball.

13. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 2 wherein said sport ball is a volley ball.

14. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 2 wherein said sport ball is a football.

15. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 2 wherein said sport ball is a soccer ball.

16. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 2 wherein said sport ball is a playground ball.

17. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 and further including means inside said ball to counterbalance the weight of said integral pump.

4. An inflatable sport ball comprising a carcass and an internal pump attached to said carcass, said pump including a cylinder having an air outlet into said ball, a one-way valve attached to said air outlet permitting air flow from said cylinder into said ball and preventing air flow from said ball back into said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder operable to draw ambient air from outside said ball into said cylinder and to force said drawn ambient air from said cylinder through said one-way valve into said ball and further including means for actuating said piston from outside said carcass and including means for locking said piston in said inserted position.

5. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 4 wherein said means for actuating said piston comprise a piston rod attached to said piston and extending through an opening in said carcass and movable between an extended position and an inserted position and further including a spring positioned to force said piston up in said cylinder away form said air outlet and force said piston rod to said extended position outside of said ball through said opening whereby said piston rod may be actuated and including means for locking said piston rod in said inserted position.

6. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 4 wherein said cylinder is sealed to said carcass around said opening.

7. A sport ball as recited in claim 4 wherein said means for actuating said piston comprises a piston rod attached to said piston and extending through an opening in said carcass and movable between an extended position and an inserted position and further including a spring positioned to force said piston down in said cylinder toward said air outlet and force said piston rod to said inserted position whereby said piston rod may be pulled to said extended position against said spring force and actuated to pump air into said ball.

8. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 4 wherein said piston is hollow and includes an air inlet hole for admitting ambient air into said piston and an air outlet hole with a second one-way valve for admitting air from said hollow piston into said cylinder.

9. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 4 wherein said means for actuating said piston comprises a rotatable crank wheel and a piston rod attached between said crank wheel and said piston wherein said crank wheel is rotatable from outside said ball.

10. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 4 and further including means attached inside said ball to counterbalance the weight of said internal pump.

11. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 4 and further including means for bleeding air pressure from said ball.

18. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 4 wherein said sport ball is a basketball.

19. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 4 wherein said sport ball is a soccer ball.