Game ball having a thin cover and method of making same

• US 7,699,727 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US10/431,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20030203780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,539 Days
• Field of Search: 473604-611, 473143-145, 269/129
• 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 spherical carcass including;

a bladder,

a layer of windings surrounding the bladder, and

an integral layer of elastic material surrounding the layer of windings, the carcass having an outer surface, and at least a portion of the outer surface including a pebbled texture, and

a one-piece cover surrounding, and directly bonded to, the carcass without an adhesive, the cover having a thickness less than 0.5 mm.

2. The game bail of claim 1, wherein the cover is formed of a polyurethane.

3. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the layer of windings is formed of at least one thread wound around the bladder.

4. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the integral layer is formed from a plurality of panels molded over the bladder and the layer of windings.

5. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the elastic material of the integral layer is selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, natural rubber, sponge rubber and combinations thereof.

6. The game ball of claim 5, wherein the layer of the elastic material is non-fibrous.

7. The game ball of claim 1, wherein the one-piece cover is non-stitched.

8. The game ball of claim 1 wherein the cover layer is formed of a material having a density between 2.0 and 12.0 kg/m³.

9. A game ball comprising:

a carcass having an outer surface, and at least a portion of the outer surface including a pebbled texture; and

a cover layer substantially surrounding and directly contacting the carcass, the cover layer having a thickness within the range of 0.2 and 0.75 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 layer is formed of a material having a density between 2.0 and 12.0 kg/m³, the cover layer being formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a urethane, a polyurethane, a plastic, and combinations thereof.

10. The game ball of claim 9, wherein the cover layer is a non-stitched, one-piece layer.

11. The game ball of claim 9 wherein the cover layer is formed around the carcass without the use of an adhesive agent.

12. The game ball of claim 9 wherein the carcass is generally spherical.

13. The game ball of claim 9, wherein the carcass has an outer surface, and wherein at least one channel is formed into the outer surface.

14. The game ball of claim 9, wherein the cover layer is configured to conform to the outer surface of the carcass.

15. The game ball of claim 9, wherein the game ball is selected from the group consisting of a basketball, a football, a soccer ball and a volleyball.