Closed cell foam article and manufacturing method
AssigneeGateway, Inc.
InventorTroy Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Closed cell foam articles, such as sports balls, and related manufacturing methods are disclosed herein. The article includes a main body made of closed-cell elastomeric resin foam having a density ranging between about 0.050 sg and about 0.800 sg after curing. Some articles are assembled by inserting a cured core into a main body so that the core is secured in the main body via an interference fit, and the core has one or more portions extending to the exterior surface of the main body such that the an exposed surface of the one or more exposed portions of the core blend substantially with the exterior surface of the main body.
Claims19
A closed cell foam article, comprising:
- a main body having a substantially spherical shape, and comprising
- an exterior surface having a curvature, and
- an interior surface defining a cavity extending to the exterior surfaces such that
- the cavity has two openings exposed at the exterior surface of the main body;
- and
- a core disposed in the cavity and sized to substantially fill the cavity such that the core is secured in the main body via an interference fit, wherein the core is generally similar to a cylindrical shape, yet comprises a middle section that bulges in a convex manner, instead of having parallel sides, wherein the bulging middle section has a variable diameter along a transverse plane of and having at two opposing ends, two surfaces exposed to the exterior surface of the main body such that the exposed surfaces of the core align with the curvature of the exterior surface of the main body, and wherein the core and the two openings are sized to allow the core to be inserted into said cavity, after the core has been manufactured to its finished form.
A closed cell foam article, comprising:
- a main body having
- an exterior surface having a curvature, and
- an interior surface defining a cavity extending to the exterior surfaces such that
- the cavity has two openings exposed at the exterior surface of the main body;
- and
- a core disposed in the cavity and sized to substantially fill the cavity such that the core is secured in the main body via an interference fit, and the core having at two opposing ends, two surfaces exposed to the exterior surface of the main body such that the exposed surfaces of the core align with the curvature of the exterior surface of the main body, and wherein the core and the two openings are sized to allow the core to be inserted into said cavity, after the core has been manufactured to its finished form, and wherein the interior surface of the main body includes a generally spherical or generally prolate spheroidal concave section, and the core includes a complementary generally spherical or generally prolate spheroidal convex portion complementing the concave portion and engaging with the concave portion of the main body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.