Game ball and method of manufacturing same

• US 9,162,114 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novation Iq LLC
• Original Assignee: Novation Iq LLC
• Inventors: Marc, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker, Philip
• Assistant Examiner(s): WU, VICKI H
• Application Number:
  US13/541,274
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 156/245
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/10 Bladder and cover united
• 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 2791/001 Shaping in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/02 Combined thermoforming and manufacture of the preform
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/082 by shaping between complementary mould parts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/14 using multilayered preforms or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/145 having at least one layer of textile or fibrous material combined with at least one plastics layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/18 Thermoforming apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/30 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/00 Shaping by bending, folding, twisting, straightening or flattening; Apparatus therefor B29C61/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/36 Bending and joining, e.g. for making hollow articles B29C53/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/04 Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding , i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/24 characterised by the means for heating the tool by impulse heating B29C65/38
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5042 covering both elements to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5071 and being composed by one single element
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5085 and comprising grooves, e.g. being E-shaped, H-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/72 : by combined operations or combined techniques, e.g. welding and stitching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1142 : Single butt to butt joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/229 : Other specific patterns not provided for in B29C66/221 - B29C66/227
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24249 : forming a specific polygon not provided for in B29C66/24241 - B29C66/24243
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4322 : by joining a single sheet to itself B29C66/4332 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4326 : for making hollow articles or hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/49 : Internally supporting the, e.g. tubular, article during joining B29C66/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/494 : using an inflatable core
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/545 : one hollow-preform being placed inside the other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 : characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 : being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72343 : for liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7394 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoset
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8122 : characterised by the composition of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81263 : Dielectric properties
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81423 : being concave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 : Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• 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: B29K 2007/00 : Use of natural rubber as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2019/00 : Use of rubber not provided for in a single one of main groups B29K2007/00 - B29K2011/00, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/003 : Thermoplastic elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 : PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2823/06 : PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2823/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/545 : Football balls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A game ball, such as a soccer ball, having a cover comprised of one or more cover panel blanks and one or more reinforcement material blanks, is provided. The cover panel blanks and reinforcement material blanks are bonded together so that the free edges and interior panel boundaries of the cover panel blanks are aligned with the reinforcement material blanks.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a reinforced cover portion of a sports ball, comprising:

molding a continuous paneled sheet of cover material in a molding apparatus, wherein said continuous paneled sheet of cover material comprises a plurality of panels each of which is curved to have a radius of curvature of said sports ball, wherein said continuous paneled sheet of cover material is configured such that each of said panels is integrally connected to adjacent panels of said sheet;

cutting a cover panel blank from said continuous paneled sheet of cover material;

providing a reinforcement material blank formed from a reinforcement material; and

bonding said cover panel blank to an exterior surface of said reinforcement material blank to provide a reinforced cover portion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said cover panel blank comprises six pentagon panels and ten hexagon panels.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said bonding step comprises heat bonding said cover panel blank to said reinforcement material blank.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said bonding step comprises adhering said cover panel blank to said reinforcement material blank using adhesive.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said reinforcement material blank comprises a plurality of linked polygon outlines that are bonded to said cover panel blank.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said panels of said cover panel blank are defined by interior panel boundaries and free edges.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising aligning said reinforcement material blank with one or more of said interior panel boundaries and said free edges such that said reinforcement material blank is bonded to said cover panel blank along said interior panel boundaries and said free edges.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said cover material and said reinforcement material flow together along said interior panel boundaries and said free edges during said bonding step.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said molding apparatus comprises:

a first electrode and a second electrode;

a first mold and a second mold positioned between said first and second electrodes, wherein said first and second molds define a molding cavity therebetween; and

an energy source operable to generate an alternating electric field between said first and second electrodes and across said molding cavity.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said molding step comprises:

placing said cover material in said molding cavity; and

heating said cover material by generating said alternating electric field across said molding cavity to form said continuous paneled sheet of cover material.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said cover panel blank comprises a polyurethane polyvinyl chloride, synthetic leather, or a combination thereof supported by a woven or non-woven fabric.

12. A method for manufacturing a reinforced cover portion of a sports ball, comprising:

molding a continuous paneled sheet of cover material in a molding apparatus, wherein said continuous paneled sheet of cover material comprises a plurality of panels each of which is curved to have a radius of curvature of said sports ball, wherein said continuous paneled sheet of cover material is configured such that each of said panels is integrally connected to adjacent panels of said sheet;

cutting a cover panel blank from said continuous paneled sheet of cover material;

providing a reinforcement material blank comprising a plurality of linked polygon outlines formed from a reinforcement material; and

bonding said cover panel blank to said linked polygon outlines of said reinforcement material blank to provide a reinforced cover portion.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said cover panel blank comprises six pentagon panels and ten hexagon panels.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said bonding step comprises heat bonding said cover panel blank to said reinforcement material blank.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said bonding step comprises adhering said cover panel blank to said reinforcement material blank using adhesive.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said panels of said cover panel blank are defined by interior panel boundaries and free edges.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising aligning said reinforcement material blank with one or more of said interior panel boundaries and said free edges such that said reinforcement material blank is bonded to said cover panel blank along said interior panel boundaries and said free edges.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said cover material and said reinforcement material flow together along said interior panel boundaries and said free edges during said bonding step.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said molding apparatus comprises:

a first electrode and a second electrode;

a first mold and a second mold positioned between said first and second electrodes, wherein said first and second molds define a molding cavity therebetween; and

an energy source operable to generate an alternating electric field between said first and second electrodes and across said molding cavity.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said molding step comprises:

placing said cover material in said molding cavity; and

heating said cover material by generating said alternating electric field across said molding cavity to form said continuous paneled sheet of cover material.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein said cover panel blank comprises a polyurethane polyvinyl chloride, synthetic leather, or a combination thereof supported by a woven or non-woven fabric.