Inflatable sportsball with cushion layer

• US 6,506,135 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Top Ball Trading Company
• Original Assignee: Top Ball Trading Company
• Inventors: Ou, Tsung Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/767,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20020098927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 473/599, 473/603, 473/604, 473/605, 473/598, 473/597, 473/607, 156/170, 156/171, 156/172, 156/146, 156/147, 156/186
• US Class Current: 473/604
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

An inflatable sportsball with cushion layer includes an inflatable ball carcass defining a shape of the sportsball and a ball cover for covering the ball carcass to provide uniform softness and roundness. The ball carcass is an integral hollow ball body, which includes an inner inflatable rubber bladder, a winding thread layer that surrounds the rubber bladder with a reinforcing thread, an outer rubber layer surrounding the winding thread layer in such a manner that the outer rubber layer, the winding thread layer and the rubber bladder are integrally fused into a single fusion layer, wherein the ball carcass further includes a plurality of seam channels integrally and spacedly raised from an outer surface thereof and panels of foaming layer which are positioned between the seam channels and sandwiched between the outer rubber layer and the inner rubber layer fused on top of the winding thread layer.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an inflatable sportsball, comprising the steps of:

(a) winding an inflated rubber bladder with reinforcing thread to form a winding thread layer surrounding said rubber bladder so as to form an inner carcass;

(b) providing a plurality of cushion panels each having a predetermined shape and thickness, wherein each of said cushion panels comprises a thin inner rubber layer, a foaming layer firmly adhered on said inner rubber layer, and a thin outer rubber layer firmly adhered on said foaming layer;

(c) adhering said cushion panels on said winding thread layer of said inner carcass and arranged to define a gap separating said two adjacent cushion panels;

(d) providing a plurality of rubber strips each has a predetermined width fittingly to fill said gaps between said cushion panels and a thickness thinner than said cushion panel;

(e) filling said rubber strips in said gaps and adhering said rubber strips on said winding thread layer of said inner carcass between said cushion panels until said inner carcass is completely covered by said cushion panels and said rubber strips to form a semi-finished ball carcass;

(f) heat molding said inflated semi-finished ball carcass until all rubber materials, including said rubber bladder, said inner rubber layers of said cushion panels, said rubber strips, and said outer rubber layers of said cushion panels, are melted into a single fusion layer and said semi-finished ball carcass is fused into an integral hollow ball body to form an inflatable ball carcass, wherein said rubber strips are molded to form a plurality of seam channels raised from an outer surface of said inflatable ball carcass and said foaming layers of said cushion panels are embedded in said inflatable ball carcass to form a plurality of foaming panels sandwiched between said outer rubber layer and said winding thread layer and positioned between said seam channels, so that portions spaced between said seam channels become cushioned carcass portions; and

(g) attaching a plurality of skin panels on said cushioned carcass portions respectively to form said inflatable sportsball.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, after the step (e), further comprising a step of adhering strips of elongated rubber films along said rubber strips, wherein each of said rubber film having a width wider than said gap and said rubber strips, and thus two side edges of each of said rubber films are arranged to stick along side portions of said two adjacent cushion panels.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, before the step (f), further comprising a step of providing an additional strip of rubber film to stick around said semi-finished ball carcass in such a manner that said rubber film extends across all said rubber strips.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein, in the step (f), under each of said cushion panels, said inner rubber layer of said cushion panel melts into said winding threads of said winding thread layer and fuses to said rubber bladder integrally, and that along each of said rubber strips, said rubber film, said rubber strips, and said inner rubber layers of said adjacent cushion panels melt into said winding threads of said winding thread layer and fuse to said rubber bladder to form said ball carcass.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein, in the step (f), under each of said cushion panels, said inner rubber layer of said cushion panel melts into said winding threads of said winding thread layer and fuses to said rubber bladder integrally, and that along each of said rubber strips, said rubber film, said rubber strips, and said inner rubber layers of said adjacent cushion panels melt into said winding threads of said winding thread layer and fuse to said rubber bladder to form said ball carcass.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said inner rubber layer and said outer rubber layer have a thickness of less than 1 mm and said foaming layer has a thickness of 1 mm to 2 mm.

7. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said inner rubber layer and said outer rubber layer have a thickness of less than 1 mm and said foaming layer has a thickness of 1 mm to 2 mm.

8. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein said inner rubber layer and said outer rubber layer have a thickness of less than 1 mm and said foaming layer has a thickness of 1 mm to 2 mm.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein, in the step (b), said foaming layer is made of sponge rubber which is made by heating a kind of rubber contained foaming agent inside a mold.

10. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein, in the step (b), said foaming layer is made of sponge rubber which is made by heating a kind of rubber contained foaming agent inside a mold.

11. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein, in the step (b), said foaming layer is made of sponge rubber which is made by heating a kind of rubber contained foaming agent inside a mold.

12. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said sponge rubber is made by adhering said inner rubber layer and said outer rubber layer on both side surfaces of a foaming rubber containing a foaming agent, and then heating said foaming rubber with said inner and outer rubber layers adhered thereon in a plate mold until gas is released from said foaming rubber to produce air meshes and increase thickness to form said sponge rubber with uniform thickness and even softness.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said sponge rubber is made by adhering said inner rubber layer and said outer rubber layer on both side surfaces of a foaming rubber containing a foaming agent, and then heating said foaming rubber with said inner and outer rubber layers adhered thereon in a plate mold until gas is released from said foaming rubber to produce air meshes and increase thickness to form said sponge rubber with uniform thickness and even softness.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a width of each of said gap is between 10 mm to 15 mm.