Sports ball with a woven fabric and method for manufacturing such a sports ball

• US 8,021,252 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goedoen Holding FZC
• Original Assignee: Geodoen Holding FZC
• Inventors: Goedoen, Auranga Ajanta
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US11/291,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20060229149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,118 Days
• Field of Search: 473604-606, 473/598, 473600-602
• US Class Current: 473/604
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 39/06 Special coverings
• 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: A63B 45/02 Marking of balls

Abstract

The invention relates to a sports ball (1) comprising a core (2) and a cover (3) formed from a plurality of panel segments (4). One or more of said panel segments have an outer face covered with a woven fabric (7), preferably denim. The panel segments are connected at joints (6) and said woven fabric is attached to said outer face at said joints. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a sports ball.

Claims

1. A sports ball comprising a core and a cover formed from a plurality of panel segments, one or more of the panel segments having an outer face covered with a woven fabric, the woven fabric constituting an outermost face of the sports ball where the woven fabric covers the outer face of the one or more of the panel segments,

wherein edges of the panel segments are connected to the core via at least one of stitches or thermal moulding and the woven fabric is attached to the outer face of the one or more panel segments only at the edges,

the woven fabric is otherwise not adhesively attached to the outer face of the one or more panel segments, and

the core is an integral layer at the edges.

2. The sports ball according to claim 1, further comprising a bladder with a twill provided around the bladder.

3. The sports ball according to claim 1, wherein the woven fabric on at least one of the one or more panel segments comprises one or more visible signs.

4. The sports ball according to claim 1, wherein the sports ball is one of a soccer ball, a baseball or a rugby ball.

5. A method for manufacturing a sports ball according claim 1, the method comprising sewing the one or more panel segments together at the edges substantially simultaneously with attaching the woven fabric at the edges.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the sewing is by hand sewing.

7. A method for manufacturing a sports ball according to claim 1, the method comprising thermally moulding the one or more panel segments together at the edges substantially simultaneously with attaching the woven fabric at the edges.

8. A sports ball according to claim 1, wherein the woven fabric includes a transparent coating.

9. The sports ball according to claim 1, wherein the woven fabric comprises at least one of denim or canvas.

10. The sports ball according to claim 1, further comprising one of a liner or a liner panel disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the edges are connected to the core by connecting the edges to the one of the liner or the liner panel.

11. The sports ball according to claim 1, wherein the stitches or the thermal moulding comprises a first set of connections connecting the edges to the core, and the one or more panel segments are connected to one another via a second set of connections, the second set of connections being different than the first set of connections.

12. The sports ball according to claim 1, wherein the core extends continuously at the edges.

13. The sports ball according to claim 1, wherein the core is relatively non-elastic.

14. The sports ball according to claim 1, wherein the core has panel segments.