Sport ball with pump having pressure relief and/or pressure indication capability

• US 6,935,977 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• 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: Lacroix, Matthew K., Kennedy, Thomas J. II, Schomburg, Kenneth V., LaLiberty, Ronald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US10/408,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20040048705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 473593-595, 473603-610, 446/220, 446/224, 417/478, 417/480, 417/499, 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 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/10 Bladder and cover united
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/12 Tools or devices for blowing up or closing balls for pricking-balls A63B39/04

Abstract

An inflatable sport ball, such as a basketball, a football, a soccer ball, a volleyball or a playground ball, is provided with a self-contained inflation mechanism, or multiple self-contained inflation mechanisms, for inflating or more likely adding pressure to the ball. The pump additionally contains an integral pressure relief device to release air and relieve the pressure of the ball and/or a pressure-indicating device to determine the relative pressure of 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 internal pump, wherein the pump includes means for actuating the pump and wherein said pump includes means for pumping ambient air into the interior of the ball and means for releasing air from the interior of the ball, and further wherein the 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 the pump comprises a one-way valve that prevents air flow from the interior of the ball.

3. The inflatable sport ball of claim 2, wherein the means for releasing air from the ball comprises opening the one-way valve and allowing air flow from the interior of the ball.

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

5. The inflatable sport ball of claim 1, further comprising means for determining the relative pressure of the sport ball.

6. The inflatable sport ball of claim 1, further comprising means to counterbalance the weight of the internal pump.

7. The inflatable sport ball of claim 3, further comprising means for determining the relative pressure of the sport ball.

8. The inflatable sport ball of claim 7, wherein the pressure indicating device is in the piston.

9. An inflatable sport ball comprising an internal pump, wherein the pump includes means for actuating the pump and wherein said pump includes means for pumping ambient air into the interior of the ball, further wherein the pump includes means for indicating the relative pressure of the ball, and further wherein the pump is essentially flush with or below the surface of the ball when not in use.

10. The inflatable sport ball of claim 9, wherein the pump comprises a one-way valve that prevents air flow from the interior of the ball.

11. The inflatable sport ball of claim 10, wherein the pump further comprises means for releasing air from the interior of the ball.

12. The inflatable sport ball of claim 11, wherein the means for releasing air from the ball comprises opening the one-way valve and allowing air flow from the interior of the ball.

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

14. The inflatable sport ball of claim 11, wherein the sport ball is selected from the group consisting of basketballs, soccer balls, volleyballs, footballs and playground balls.

15. The inflatable sport ball of claim 9, further comprising means to counterbalance the weight of the internal pump.

16. An inflatable sport ball comprising an internal pump, wherein the pump includes means for actuating the pump and wherein said pump includes means for pumping ambient air into the interior of the ball and means for releasing air from the interior of the ball, and wherein the pump includes means for indicating the relative pressure of the ball, further wherein the pump is essentially flush with or below the surface of the ball when not in use.

17. The inflatable sport ball of claim 16, wherein the pump comprises a one-way valve that prevents air flow from the interior of the ball.

18. The inflatable sport ball of claim 17, wherein the means for releasing air from the ball comprises opening the one-way valve and allowing air flow from the interior of the ball.

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

20. The inflatable sport ball of claim 16, further comprising means to counterbalance the weight of the internal pump.