Sport ball casing and methods of manufacturing the casing
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsGeoffrey C. Raynak, Vincent F. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sport ball may include a casing and a bladder located within the casing. The casing may include a plurality of panel elements joined to each other with welds, and portions of the panel elements that include the welds may project toward an interior of the ball. A method of manufacturing a sport ball may include providing a plurality of casing elements that include a thermoplastic polymer material. Edges of the casing elements are welded to each other to join the casing elements. The casing elements may then be turned inside-out through an aperture formed by at least one of the casing elements, and the aperture may be sealed.
Claims5
A sport ball comprising:
- a casing that forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball, the casing including a plurality of panels joined together at seams, the plurality of panels including:
- a first panel at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material, the first panel including a first central portion and a first edge portion;
- and
- a second panel at least partially formed from the thermoplastic polymer material, the second panel including a second central portion and a second edge portion;
- the first edge portion and the second edge portion being joined to each other with a weld, and the first edge portion and the second edge portion projecting toward an interior of the ball beyond adjacent portions of the panels;
- a bladder located within the casing, the bladder being configured to contain a pressurized gas;
- and
- an intermediate layer located between the casing and the bladder, the intermediate layer being configured to restrain an outward force from pressure within the bladder by having a limited degree of stretch, wherein the intermediate layer is continuous, covering substantially all of the bladder, and wherein the intermediate layer extends continuously across the seams;
- wherein the first central portion and the second central portion each include an exterior surface facing radially outward and an interior surface facing toward an interior of the ball, the interior surface being at least partially formed from the thermoplastic polymer material;
- wherein at least a portion of the interior surface of the first central portion and the second central portion contacts at least one of the bladder and the intermediate layer;
- and
- wherein the intermediate layer is a substantially seamless, spherically-shaped textile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.