Sport ball casing with thermoplastic reinforcing material

• US 9,370,695 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2013
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Chih-Chi, Shen, Yi-Jung, Berggren, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aftergut, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US14/065,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20140116602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 156/145, 156/156, 156/267
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• 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 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/14 using wave energy , i.e. electromagnetic radiation, or particle radiation using mechanical waves B29C65/06; using ultrasonic waves B29C65/08; pressing means transparent to electromagnetic radiation B29C66/81267
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/16 Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5057 positioned between the surfaces to be joined B29C65/5035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/62 Stitching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/74 by welding and severing , or by joining and severing, the severing being performed in the area to be joined, next to the area to be joined, in the joint area or next to the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/743 using the same tool for both joining and severing, said tool being monobloc or formed by several parts mounted together and forming a monobloc B29C65/2046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7808 in the form of holes or slots B29C65/7814 takes precedence; holding or clamping means cooperating with specially formed features of at least one of the parts to be joined B29C65/7844
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0326 Cutting, e.g. by using waterjets, or perforating using heat B29C66/0346
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/133 Fin-type joints, the parts to be joined being flexible the parts to be joined being rigid B29C66/1312
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24249 forming a specific polygon not provided for in B29C66/24241 - B29C66/24243
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/3452 Making complete joints by combining partial joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4326 for making hollow articles or hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells
• 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 66/721 : Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 : Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81422 : being convex
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81427 : comprising a single ridge, e.g. for making a weakening line; comprising a single tooth
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83221 : cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/04 : Spherical articles, e.g. balls B29D22/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 : Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 : Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/10 : Polymers of propylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2701/12 : Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/52 : Sports equipment ; Games; Articles for amusement; Toys B29L2031/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 : Balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/545 : Football balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/737 : Articles provided with holes, e.g. grids, sieves nets B29L2028/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 : Flash, trim or excess removal

Abstract

A sport ball may have a plurality of panels that are joined at seams to form a casing. The panels may include a thermoplastic polymer material applied to an interior side of the panels, and the thermoplastic polymer material may be heat-activated to extend across the seams. The ball may further include a bladder within the casing and an intermediate layer located between the casing and the bladder. The thermoplastic polymer material may also be heat-activated to bond with the intermediate layer or casing.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a sport ball, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of casing panels, wherein each of the plurality of casing panels has an interior side having a plurality of edges;

applying a thermoplastic polymer material to each of the plurality of casing panels to form a thermoplastic polymer material layer disposed on the interior side adjacent to the plurality of edges;

after applying, joining adjacent ones of the plurality of casing panels together at the plurality of edges to form a plurality of seams and an inverted casing, wherein the inverted casing defines an aperture therethrough between two adjacent ones of the plurality of casing panels;

turning the inverted casing rightside-out through the aperture;

after turning, inserting an intermediate layer and a bladder into the aperture;

after inserting, inflating the bladder; and

heating the thermoplastic polymer material layer to bond the plurality of casing panels to the intermediate layer at the plurality of seams and thereby manufacture the sport ball.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein joining the plurality of edges together comprises welding the plurality of casing panels together.

3. The method of claim 1, further including, after inserting, (a) positioning the casing, the intermediate layer, and the bladder into an assembly defining an inner cavity, and (b) inflating the bladder within the inner cavity while heating the thermoplastic polymer material layer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a first one of the plurality of casing panels has a first edge and a second one of the plurality of casing panels has a second edge disposed adjacent to the first edge, and further wherein joining the plurality of edges together includes welding the thermoplastic polymer material layer at the first edge to the thermoplastic polymer material layer at the second edge.

5. The method of claim 1, further including, after joining the plurality of edges together, trimming the plurality of edges.

6. The method of claim 2, further including, concurrent to welding, trimming the plurality of edges.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein applying includes spraying the thermoplastic polymer material onto the interior side of each of the plurality of casing panels.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein applying includes spraying the thermoplastic polymer material onto the interior side so that the thermoplastic polymer material layer is disposed along each of the plurality of edges.