Ball for ball game

• US 6,685,585 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Adidas International BV (Adidas AG), Molten
• Original Assignee: Adidas International BV (Adidas AG), Molten
• Inventors: Doi, Shigeo, Okimura, Yoshihisa, Shishido, Hideomi
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US10/293,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 473/598, 473/599, 473/603, 473/604, 473/605, 473/607
• US Class Current: 473/605
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

A ball for a ball game includes an elastic bladder having the form of a spherical hollow body into which compressed air is charged, a reinforced layer formed on a whole surface of the bladder, and a plurality of leather panels bonded onto the reinforced layer directly or through a cover rubber layer, wherein a peripheral edge portion of the leather panel is folded toward an inside and a thickness adjusting member for eliminating a difference in step caused by the folding of the leather panel is caused to be bonded onto the back of the leather panel surrounded by the folded portion of the leather panel.

Claims

1. A ball for a ball game comprising:

an elastic bladder having a form of a generally spherical hollow body into which compressed air is charged;

a reinforced layer formed on a whole surface of the bladder; and

a plurality of leather panels bonded onto the reinforced layer, wherein a peripheral edge portion of each leather panel is folded toward an inside and a thickness adjusting member is disposed in a void defined by the folded peripheral portions and bonded onto a back of each leather panel.

2. The ball for ball game of claim 1, further comprising a cover rubber layer formed on the reinforced layer.

3. The ball for ball game of claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge portion of the leather panel is folded toward the inside by about 180 degrees.

4. The ball for ball game of claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge portion of the leather panel is folded toward the inside by about 90 degrees.

5. The ball for ball game of claim 1, wherein the leather panel is bonded in a joint with an adjacent leather panel.

6. The ball for ball game of claim 3, wherein a notch is formed in the folded portion of the leather panel.

7. The ball for ball game of claim 1, wherein the thickness adjusting member is made of a woven fabric.

8. The ball for ball game of claim 1, wherein the thickness adjusting member is made of a shock absorbing member.

9. The ball for ball game of claim 1, wherein the thickness adjusting member has a lamination structure of a woven fabric and a shock absorbing member.

10. The ball for ball game of claim 8 wherein the shock absorbing member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a foaming member, a nonwoven fabric, a bulky woven fabric, and a honeycomb construction member.

11. The ball for ball game of claim 1, wherein a reinforcing member is provided between the leather panel and the thickness adjusting member.

12. The ball for ball game of claim 11, wherein the reinforcing member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polyester film, a PVC film, a polyethylene film, and a polypropylene film.