Method for manufacturing an inflatable ball and a ball made with the method

• US 7,066,853 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yen-Li Chang
• Original Assignee: Yen-Li Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Yen-Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven
• Application Number:
  US10/955,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20060068951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 473/599, 473/608, 473603-605, 156170-172, 156/146, 156/147, 156/186
• US Class Current: 473/605
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/76 about more than one axis , e.g. T-pieces, balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/0073 of non-flat surfaces, e.g. curved, profiled B29C63/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/24 using threads
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/02 Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/04 Spherical articles, e.g. balls B29D22/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/02 Inflatable articles balls B29L2031/54 ; inner tyres B29L2023/245
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 Balls

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an inflatable ball has the following acts of: obtaining an inflatable bladder with a winding layer; coating thermoplastic glue on the winding layer; obtaining multiple thickened panels; coating thermoplastic glue on the thickened panels; arranging the thickened panels and the inflatable bladder inside a mold; and injecting thermal air into the inflatable bladder to make the winding layer combine with the multiple thickened panels. Wherein, each thickened panel is made of a leather layer and an optional filling layer and has a thickened middle area and multiple thinned edges around the thickened middle area. By eliminating the rubber layer in the prior arts, vulcanization is avoided. Moreover, heating the inflatable ball from inside of the mold avoids thermal deformation of outer pebbled patterns of the panels.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an inflatable ball, the method comprising acts of:

obtaining an inflatable bladder having an inner space, a winding layer surrounding the inflatable bladder and an injecting nozzle communicating with the inner space;

coating thermoplastic glue on the winding layer of the inflatable bladder;

obtaining multiple thickened panels, wherein each thickened panel is made of a leather layer and has an inner face, a thickened middle area and multiple thinned edges around the thickened middle area;

coating thermoplastic glue on the inner face of each thickened panel;

arranging the multiple thickened panels inside a mold;

placing the inflatable bladder into the mold;

injecting compressed warm air into the inflatable bladder to make the winding layer abut the multiple thickened panels until the thermoplastic glue combines the inflatable bladder and multiple thickened panels together to achieve the ball; and

removing the ball from the mold.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprising an act of attaching multiple laid-in strips between the adjacent multiple thickened panels.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the act of attaching the multiple laid-in strips is achieved by arranging the multiple thickened panels in the mold and then thermally compressing the thickened panels with the warm air to combine the thickened panels with the winding layer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compressed warm air is injected into the inflatable bladder at 50 to 60°

C. for a duration of 60 to 120 seconds.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each thickened panel further has a filling layer made of foam material formed under the leather layer.

6. An inflatable ball made with the method in claim 1, the inflatable ball comprising:

an inflatable bladder (10) with an air-injecting nozzle (12);

a winding layer (20) surrounding around the inflatable bladder (10); and

multiple thickened panels (30) mounted on the winding layer (20);

wherein, the improvement of the inflatable ball is that each thickened panel is made of a leather layer and has an outer pebbled face, an inner face, a thickened middle area and multiple thinned edges around the thickened middle area.

7. The inflatable ball as claimed in claim 6, wherein the leather layer is made of synthetic leather.

8. The inflatable ball as claimed in claim 6, wherein each thickened panel further has a filling layer made of foaming material and formed under the leather layer.

9. The inflatable ball as claimed in claim 7, wherein each thickened panel further has a filling layer made of foaming material and formed under the leather layer.

10. The inflatable ball as claimed in claim 6, wherein a space is defined between two adjacent thickened panels and a laid-in strip is attached inside the space.

11. The inflatable ball as claimed in claim 6, wherein each thickened panel has a thickness of 1.5–

3.0 mm at the thickened middle area and a thickness of 0.8 mm at each of the thinned edges; and

each thinned edge is formed in a gradient having a horizontal distance of the gradient of the thinned edge about 0.3–

1 cm.

12. The inflatable ball as claimed in claim 11, wherein the thickness at the thickened middle area is preferable 1.8–

2.5 mm; and

the horizontal distance of the gradient of the thinned edge is preferable 0.5 cm.

13. The inflatable ball as claimed in claim 12, wherein the winding layer is composed of a reinforcing thread;

wherein the reinforcing thread is made of material selected from the group consisting of Nylon thread, polyester thread, and a composite thread of Nylon and polyester.