Method of making inflatable stitched sports balls
OwnerChong Veng Chaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing an inflatable sports ball uses a stitching machine to join pairs of panels at a seam along respective edges. The inflatable sports ball has a body with a multiplicity of discrete panels joined together at seams along respective adjacent edges by stitching, preferably machine stitching, to define a volume, and an inflatable bladder disposed within the volume, with a valve extending through an aperture defined in the body outer surface. Each ball panel is formed of a multi-layer laminate consisting of an outer layer of synthetic polymeric material, an intermediate layer of expanded synthetic polymeric material and a woven fabric, and an inner layer of woven fabric.
Claims6
A method for manufacture of an inflatable sports ball comprising a body formed of a multiplicity of discrete panels and containing an inflatable bladder, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a laminate comprising an outer layer of synthetic polymeric material, an intermediate layer of expanded synthetic polymeric material with a woven or knitted fabric, and at least one inner layer of woven fabric;
- cutting the laminate into a plurality of panels of appropriate shape and size, each panel having an inner surface and an outer surface;
- placing a pair of panels with respective outer surfaces in face to face engagement, and, using a stitching machine, joining the pair of panels at a seam along their respective adjacent edges;
- repeating the previous step with additional pairs of panels to form an assembly of panels having the shape of a sports ball body and defining a volume;
- reversing the assembly of panels through an opening in the assembly of panels to form a sports ball body defining a volume;
- inserting an inflatable bladder through the opening into the volume of the sports ball body;
- positioning a valve stem of the bladder through an aperture provided in the sports ball body;
- and
- securing the opening into the sports ball body.
A method for manufacture of an inflatable sports ball comprising a body formed of a multiplicity of discrete panels and containing an inflatable bladder, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a laminate comprising an outer layer of synthetic polymeric material, an intermediate layer of expanded synthetic material with a woven or knitted fabric, and at least one inner layer of woven fabric;
- cutting the laminate into a plurality of panels of appropriate shape and size, each panel having an inner surface and an outer surface;
- placing a pair of panels with respective outer surfaces in face to face engagement and joining the pair of panels at a seam along their respective adjacent edges;
- repeating the previous step with additional pairs of panels to form an assembly of panels having the shape of a sports ball body and defining a volume;
- reversing the assembly of panels through an opening in the assembly of panels to form a sports ball body defining a volume;
- inserting an inflatable bladder through the opening into the volume of the sports ball body;
- positioning a valve stem of the bladder through the opening into the volume of the sports ball body;
- and
- securing the opening into the sports ball body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.