Football

• US 5,888,157 A
• Filed: 10/03/1997
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Guenther, Douglas G., Gaff, Bradley Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US08/943,783
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 473/597, 473/598, 473/599, 473/601, 473/602, 473/603, 473/604, 473/605, 473/607, 473/608, 473/609
• US Class Current: 473/604
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

A football includes an elongated bladder and a plurality of longitudinally extending rubber strips which are secured to the bladder. Each of the rubber strips has a longitudinally extending groove. A plurality of cover panels surround the bladder and the rubber strips. Each of the cover panels has a pair of longitudinally extending tapered edges which extend into grooves in the rubber strips and which abut against edges of adjacent cover panels.

Claims

1. A football comprising:

an ellipsoid shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis and a generally circular transverse cross section,

a plurality of rubber strips secured to the bladder and extending in a longitudinal direction, each of the rubber strips having an outer surface, a pair of longitudinally extending side edges, and a longitudinally extending V-shaped groove which extends generally parallel to the side edges, and

a cover surrounding the bladder and the rubber strips, the cover being formed by a plurality of cover panels which are secured to the bladder, each cover panel having outer and inner surfaces and a pair of longitudinally extending tapered edges which taper downwardly from the outer surface to the inner surface, the tapered edges of each cover panel extending downwardly into a V-shaped groove of a rubber strip and abutting tapered edges of adjacent cover panels to form V-shaped indentations in the cover.

2. The football of claim 1 in which said rubber strips are spaced about 90°

apart around the circular cross section of the bladder.

3. The football of claim 2 in which the longitudinal side edges of each of the rubber strips are tapered downwardly from the outer surface thereof.

4. A method of making a football comprising the steps of:

forming an ellipsoid shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis and a generally circular transverse cross section,

securing a plurality of rubber strips to the bladder so that the bladder extends in a longitudinal direction,

molding the bladder and the rubber strips to form a carcass, the mold forming a generally V-shaped groove in each of the strips,

securing a plurality of cover panels to the bladder, each cover panel having outer and inner surfaces and a pair of longitudinally extending tapered edges which taper inwardly from the outer surface to the inner surface, and

positioning each of the tapered edges of each panel in one of said V-shaped grooves so that each tapered edge of a panel abuts a tapered edge of an adjacent panel.

5. The method of claim 4 in which said rubber strips are secured to the bladder at locations which are spaced about 90°

apart around the circular cross section of the bladder.