Self-contained sport ball inflation mechanism

• US 6,702,699 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Russell Brands LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Russell Asset Management, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Taylor, Malcolm E., Polk, Louis F. III, Sykes, Robert C., Schachtner, Joseph J., Schomburg, Kenneth V., Harvey, Andrew C., Amundsen, Neil T., Touhey, Daniel P., Stickler, George D., Feeney, Brian P., Stahl, Joseph E., Terrazzano, Richard F., Keane, Charles, deBakker, Peter M., Litscher, Eric K.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US10/183,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20020187866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 473/593, 473/610, 473/611, 446/220, 446/224, 417/478, 417/479, 417/488, 417/259, 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 sports ball comprising an internal pump, wherein said pump includes means for actuating said pump and 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, wherein said pump is attached to the ball and is located in an opening in the ball such that said opening is covered when the ball is not in use and further wherein said pump is essentially flush with or below the surface of the ball when not in use.

2. The inflatable sport ball of claim 1 wherein said pump has a cylinder formed from a flexible bladder which is sealed to the carcass of the ball, wherein the flexible bladder has a top part and a bottom part.

3. The inflatable sport ball of claim 1 wherein said pump further includes a piston having an opening to the atmosphere and a valve, and the flexible bladder is attached to the piston, and further wherein the top part of the bladder folds into the bottom part of the bladder when not in use.

4. The inflatable sport ball of claim 1 wherein said sport ball is selected from the group consisting of basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, and volleyballs and playground balls.

5. The inflatable sport ball of claim 1 further including means to counterbalance the weight of the internal pump.

6. The inflatable sport ball of claim 1 further including means for bleeding air pressure from the ball.

7. An inflatable sport ball comprising an internal pump, said pump including a cylinder having an air outlet into said ball, a one way valve attached to said outlet permitting air flow from said cylinder into said ball and preventing air flow form said ball back into said cylinder, means 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 pump from outside said carcass.

8. The inflatable sport ball of claim 7 wherein said pump is operated by a separate push rod inserted into an opening in the pump.

9. The inflatable sport ball of claim 7 wherein said sport ball is selected from the group consisting of basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, volleyballs and playground balls.

10. The inflatable sport ball of claim 7 wherein said pump is essentially flush with or below the surface of the ball when not in use.

11. The inflatable sport ball of claim 7 further including means to counterbalance the weight of the internal pump.

12. The inflatable sport ball of claim 7 further including means for bleeding air pressure from the ball.

13. An inflatable sport ball comprising an internal pump, said pump including a cylinder having a piston, said piston having at least one air intake hole and an air outlet hole, a valve attached to said air outlet hole permitting air flow from said piston into said ball and preventing air flow from said cylinder back into said piston, said cylinder having a hole and a valve attached to said hole permitting air flow from said cylinder into said ball and preventing air flow from said ball back into said cylinder, and further including means for locking said piston to said cylinder.

14. The inflatable sport ball of claim 13 wherein the piston is hollow.

15. The inflatable sport ball of claim 13 further including a spring to force the piston to the extended position.

16. The inflatable sport ball of claim 13 wherein said sport ball is selected from the group consisting of basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, volleyballs and playground balls.

17. The inflatable sport ball of claim 13 wherein said pump is essentially flush with or below the surface of the ball when not in use.

18. The inflatable sport ball of claim 13 further including means to counterbalance the weight of the internal pump.

19. The inflatable sport ball of claim 13 further including means for bleeding air pressure from the ball.