Dual embossed cover material for sporting goods and method of making same

#The present invention relates generally to a dual embossed cover material for sporting goods products. In particular, the present invention relates to a cover material having a dual embossed outer surface wherein the cover material is configured for use on a sporting good product, such as, for example, a game ball, a mitt, a golf club grip, a tennis racquet grip or a baseball bat grip.

#Sporting goods products, such as game balls and mitts, are well known. Game balls typically include an inflatable bladder positioned within an outer casing or cover. Additionally, game balls can also typically include one or more layers of material between the bladder and the cover. Covers of game balls are commonly formed of rubber, leather, synthetic leather or a polymeric material. Mitts typically include an outer shell formed by a front ply and a back ply, and a webbing or pocket. The outer shell of a mitt is commonly formed of a leather, a synthetic leather or other synthetic material.

#Sporting goods products, such as game balls and mitts, face a number of ever present challenges. One such challenge is to produce a game ball with improved gripping and tactile characteristics or a mitt with enhanced ball catching and retention characteristics. As such, the outer surface of game balls, such as basketballs and footballs, typically include a pebbled texture to improve the gripability of the ball. Also, many mitts include a padded front ply to enhance a player's ability to catch and retain a ball with a mitt.

#FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a basketball in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a layered sectional view of the basketball of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 is a sectional, front view of the outer surface of a cover assembly of the basketball of FIG. 1.

#Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a basketball is indicated generally 10. The basketball 10 is one example of a game ball. The present application is directly applicable to other games balls, including, for example, footballs, rugby balls, soccer balls, and volleyballs, and to other sporting goods products including, for example, mitts.

#The basketball 10 is a spherical inflatable object. The basketball 10 preferably includes a bladder 12, a layer of windings 14, a carcass 16 and a cover assembly 18. The bladder 12 is an inflatable air tube preferably having a spherical shape. The bladder 12 is disposed within the windings 14, the carcass 16 and the cover assembly 18. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the bladder 12 can disposed directly within the cover assembly 18. The bladder 12 enables the basketball 10 to retain a predetermined amount of air thereby achieving the desired air pressure within, or firmness to, the basketball 10. The bladder 12 is typically made of latex, butyl rubber or other suitable material. The bladder 12 includes a valve (not shown) that extends through the windings 14, the carcass 16 and the cover assembly 18 for access by a user.

#The layer of windings 14 includes one or more elongate threads 20, which are wound around the bladder 12. The threads 20 form a layer of windings 14 that reinforces the bladder 12 and retains the spherical shape of the bladder 12. The threads 20 are formed of a high tensile strength material, preferably nylon. In alternative embodiments, the thread 20 can be a textile, a wire, or other conventional thread material. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the layer of windings 14 is comprised of 2100 meters of 210 denier Nylon thread.