Game ball having a thin cover and method of making same

• US 7,300,369 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Krysiak, Kevin L., Guenther, Douglas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US10/642,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20040077288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 473597-609, 473143-145
• US Class Current: 473/604
• 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 41/08 Coating a former, core or other substrate by spraying or fluidisation, e.g. spraying powder spray-up of reinforcing fibres B29C70/305
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/12 Spreading-out the material on a substrate , e.g. on the surface of a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/14 Dipping a core B29C41/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/20 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. moulding inserts or for coating articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/36 Feeding the material on to the mould, core or other substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/70 Completely encapsulating inserts B29C70/86 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/04 Spherical articles, e.g. balls B29D22/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 Balls

Abstract

A game ball is formed by molding a carcass in the final shape of the ball, spraying a mold surface with cover material, inserting the carcass into the mold, and molding the cover material onto the carcass.

Claims

1. A game ball comprising:

a molded spherical carcass having an outer surface, the outer surface defining at least one inwardly extending channel; and

a one-piece seamless cover, the cover being free of a backing layer, the cover surrounding the carcass and bonded to the carcass without an adhesive, the cover having a thickness less than 0.5 mm, the cover configured to conform to the contours of the outer surface such that the at least one inwardly extending channel of the carcass forms at least one elongate recess in an outer surface of the cover.

2. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the cover is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a wet process polyurethane, a dry process polyurethane, a coagulated polyurethane, other polyurethanes and combinations thereof.

3. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the carcass includes a bladder and at least one thread wound around the bladder.

4. The game ball of claim 3, wherein the carcass further includes at least one panel molded over the thread-wound bladder.

5. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the cover is formed of a material having a density within the range of 200-1200 kg/m³.

6. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the cover is formed of a material having a density within the range of 400-600 kg/m³.

7. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the cover is formed of a material having a density within the range of 250-350 kg/m³.

8. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the cover is formed of a material having a density within the range of 600-850 kg/m³.

9. The game ball of claim 1 wherein the cover has a thickness within the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

10. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the carcass further defines a plurality of outwardly projecting pebbles separated by a plurality of valleys.

11. A game ball comprising:

a molded carcass having an outer surface, the outer surface defining at least one inwardly extending channel; and

a cover layer formed without a backing layer and without seams, the cover layer substantially surrounding the carcass, the cover layer having a thickness less than 0.8 mm, the cover layer being selected from the group consisting of a sprayed-on cover, a painted-on cover, an electro-statically painted-on cover, a brushed-on cover, a dipped-on cover, and combinations thereof, the cover configured to conform to the contours of the outer surface such that the at least one inwardly extending channel of the carcass forms at least one elongate recess in an outer surface of the cover.

12. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the cover layer is a one-piece, integrally formed structure.

13. The game ball of claim 11 wherein the cover layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a urethane, a wet process polyurethane, a dry process polyurethane, a coagulated polyurethane, other polyurethanes, a plastic, and combinations thereof.

14. The game ball of claim 11 wherein the carcass includes an inflatable bladder and at least one thread wound around the bladder.

15. The game ball of claim 14 wherein the carcass further includes at least one panel molded over the thread-wound bladder.

16. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the cover layer is formed of a material having a density within the range of 200-1200 kg/m³.

17. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the cover layer is formed of a material having a density within the range of 400-600 kg/m³.

18. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the cover layer is formed of a material having a density within the range of 250-350 kg/m³.

19. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the cover layer is formed of a material having a density within the range of 600-850 kg/m³.

20. The game ball of claim 11 wherein the cover layer is formed around the carcass without the use of an adhesive agent.

21. The game ball of claim 11 further comprising an adhesive agent at least partially connecting the cover layer to the carcass.

22. The game ball of claim 11 wherein the cover layer has a thickness within the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

23. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the game ball is selected from the group consisting of a basketball, a football, a soccer ball and a volleyball.

24. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the cover layer has a thickness of less than 0.5 mm.

25. The game ball of claim 11, wherein the outer surface of the carcass further defines a plurality of outwardly projecting pebbles separated by a plurality of valleys.