Molded game ball

• US 9,101,800 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rawlings Sporting Goods Company (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rawlings Sporting Goods Company (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Katherine A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US13/544,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 473600-602, 473/596, 473/597, 473/598, 473/613
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/125 stitchings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/04 Rigid cores
• 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 37/14 Special surfaces A63B37/0004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29

Abstract

A molded game ball comprises a molded outer cover having a mold line that mimics the seam of a conventional baseball or softball, and a raised stitch pattern presented along said mold line that mimics the stitching of a conventional stitched baseball or softball.

Claims

1. A game ball, comprising:

a molded outer cover comprising;

a mold line formed in the outer surface of said cover that mimics the pattern of a seam of a conventional baseball or softball, wherein said mold line comprises a groove positioned between two C-shaped cover sections that are integrally formed together to define said molded outer cover, wherein said C-shaped cover sections have the same size, shape and appearance as the figure eight shaped cover panels of a conventional softball or baseball;

a raised stitch pattern positioned along said mold line comprising a plurality of stitched shaped protrusions extending at an angle from fixed points along said groove to a plurality of corresponding depressions formed in said C-shaped sections, wherein each of said plurality of corresponding depressions provided in one of said C-shaped sections are spaced equidistant from another one of said corresponding depressions and from said groove; and

a plurality of raised surfaces positioned between adjacent protrusions and extending from said groove to said corresponding depressions.

2. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said outer cover comprises polyurethane.

3. The game ball of claim 2, wherein said outer cover comprises high density polyurethane.

4. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said game ball additionally comprises an inner core that it is enclosed by said outer cover.

5. The game ball of claim 4, wherein said inner core comprises polyurethane.

6. The game ball of claim 4, wherein said inner core is permanently bonded with the outer cover.

7. The game ball of claim 6, wherein said outer cover comprises polyurethane.

8. The game ball of claim 7, wherein said outer cover comprises high density polyurethane.

9. The game ball of claim 8, wherein said inner core comprises low density rigid polyurethane foam.

10. The game ball of claim 6, wherein said ball has approximately the same diameter, density and weight as a conventional competition baseball or softball.

11. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said depressions are pin-hole shaped depressions that mimic the appearance of the hole formed in the cover panels of a conventional softball or baseball through which stitching is threaded to join the panels.

12. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said protrusions generally extend from said groove at about a 45 degree angle.

13. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said plurality of raised surfaces mimic the appearance of the peripheral edge or seam area of the cover panels of a conventional baseball or softball which are raised relative to the remainder of the outer surface of the cover panels when the cover panels are stitched together.

14. The game ball of claim 13, wherein said raised surfaces are generally flat.

15. The game ball of claim 13, wherein said raised surfaces are curved or undulated.

16. The game ball of claim 2, wherein said outer cover has a thickness of between approximately 1.4 to 1.6 millimeters.

17. The game ball of claim 16, wherein said outer cover has a thickness of approximately 1.5 millimeters.

18. The game ball of claim 9, wherein said ball has approximately the same diameter, density and weight as a conventional competition softball or baseball.

19. The game ball of claim 18, wherein said inner core is permanently chemically bonded with the outer cover.