Game ball

• US 4,856,781 A
• Filed: 12/23/1986
• Issued: 08/15/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Molten
• Original Assignee: Molten
• Inventors: Sumida, Hideki, Tanaka, Masayuki, Doi, Shigeo, Shishido, Hideomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/945,617
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 273/65 R, 273/65 E, 273/65 ED, 273/DIG. 020, 273/65 EB, 273/65 EC, 273/65 EG, 273/58 B, 273/58 BA
• US Class Current: 473/603
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0095 Volleyball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

A ball for ball game comprises a rubber hollow spherical bladder, a valve holder fixed to the tube for charging air into the tube, a valve member attached to the valve holder; a fabric layer covering the bladder surface and a leather layer. The fabric layer is composed of a plurality of equilateral quadrilateral pieces sewn together to form a sphere. The equilateral quadrilateral pieces each include two sheets of approximately trapezodial fabric pieces that are sewed together symmetrically at a central seam line. The equilateral quadrilaterla pieces are sewed together such that central seam lines of adjacent equilateral quadrilateral pieces fall at right angles to ech other. The fabric layer gives sphericity, dimensional stability and durability to the ball. The leather layer is adhered to the fabric layer directly or through a rubber based thin intermediate layer. On a circumferential line in the fabric layer which includes one seam line, at least one other seam line exists at a prescribed interval to equally divide the un-sewn portions. All segments on the spherical surface of the fabric layer, which are divided by a plurality of circumferential lines including all of the seam lines, have the same shape.

Claims

1. A ball for a ball game comprising:

a rubber hollow spherical bladder;

a valve holder fixed to the bladder for charging air into the bladder;

a valve member attached to the valve holder;

a fabric layer covering a surface of the bladder composed of a plurality of equilateral quadrilateral pieces sewn together to form a sphere, the fabric layer giving sphericity, dimensional stability and durability to the ball, said equilateral quadrilateral pieces each comprising two sheets of approximately trapezoidal fabric pieces that are sewed together symmetrically at a central seam line, said equilateral quadrilateral pieces being sewed together such that said central seam lines of adjacent equilateral quadrilateral pieces fall at right angles to each other; and

a leather layer adhered to the fabric layer.

8. The ball of claim 1, wherein the fabric layer has a small hole through which a valve member penetrates;

a patch member comprising fabric and rubber for reinforcing a portion of the fabric layer around the small hole, the patch member being interposed between the fabric layer and the bladder in a region including the small hole; and

as thread member for fixing the path member to the fabric layer around the small hole;

the fabric layer being adhered and fixed to the bladder through the patch member.

9. The ball of claim 1, wherein a seam margin of each fabric piece is positioned on a side of the fabric layer next to the bladder, and a seam portion is coated or permeated with a reinforcing agent.

10. The ball of claim 9, wherein the reinforcing agent is an adhesive.

2. The ball of claim 14, wherein six equilateral quadrilateral pieces the sphere, each trapezoidal fabric piece defined by two approximately parallel long sides A and B, wherein A and B satisfy the relationship of A>

B, which are curved outwardly and two short sides C having equal length wherein B and C satisfy the relationship of B=2C.

3. The ball of claim 2, wherein each fabric piece comprises a woven fabric composed of staple fibers, wherein warp lines of each fabric piece are about the central seam line and inclined by about 20°

to 70°

with respect to the central seam line.

4. The ball of claim 2, wherein each fabric piece comprises a woven fabric composed of continuous filament, wherein warp lines of each fabric piece are approximately parallel to long sides of the fabric layer.

5. The ball of claim 2, wherein the fabric layer has a containing opening which comprises an un-sewed portion closed by the sewing after the bladder is inserted in the fabric layer, each seam margin of the containing opening being solely positioned at an outside of the fabric layer and folded back by 180°

, and other seam margins of the fabric layer are positioned at a side of the fabric layer next to the bladder.

6. The ball of claim 5, wherein the containing opening is formed at the central seam line of one of the equilateral quadrilateral pieces.

7. The ball of claim 5, wherein the seam margins of the containing opening are adhered by mucilage to a surface of the facing fabric layer, and, when the fabric layer is stretched by internal pressure of the bladder, a tensile force applied to the fabric layer is transmitted to the seam margins of the containing opening through the mucilage.