Sports ball and method of manufacturing sports ball

A sports ball, comprising:

• a cover formed from a plurality of outer panels cut from a first sheet material;
• an internal padding layer formed from a plurality of internal padding layer cut-outs cut from a second sheet material;
• an internal valve padding layer formed from an internal valve padding cut-out cut from a third sheet material;
• and
• a bladder comprising a valve, wherein
• the internal valve padding layer cut-out comprises a valve hole and a plurality of perforations,
• the internal padding layer cut-outs comprise a plurality of perforations,
• the plurality of perforations in the internal valve padding layer cut-out and in the internal padding layer cut-outs do not extend through the outer panels,
• the panels comprise a layer of heat-reactive adhesive that expands upon heating, applied to a top surface of the panels along peripheral edges of the top surface of the panels,
• the cover is formed by stitching together adjoining panels of the plurality of panels along respective edges of the adjoining panels, such that the stitching joins adjoining panels with the top surfaces of the respective adjoining panels with the heat-reactive adhesive disposed thereupon facing one another at seams to form an inside-out cover, wherein an inlet opening is stitched closed last, and the inlet opening is stitched closed by machine stitching a first part of the inlet opening, and hand stitching remaining parts of the inlet opening,
• one of the internal padding layer cut-outs is attached to a bottom surface of each one of the stitched panels,
• the internal valve padding layer cut-out is attached to a bottom surface of a valve hole panel which is comprised of one of the panels having a valve hole,
• the bladder is disposed inside the cover turned right-side out, with the valve of the bladder inserted through both of the valve holes to extend to an exterior surface of the cover;
• and
• the seams of the cover are welded by the heat-reactive adhesive being expanded by heat so as to cover the stitching in the seams.

A method for manufacturing a sports ball, comprising:

• cutting a plurality of outer panels from a first sheet material, a plurality of corresponding internal padding layer cut-outs from a second sheet material, and an internal valve padding layer cut-out from a third sheet material, wherein
• the internal valve padding layer cut-out comprises a valve hole and a plurality of perforations,
• the internal padding layer cut-outs comprise a plurality of perforations, and
• the plurality of perforations in the internal valve padding layer cut-out and in the internal padding layer cut-outs do not extend through the outer panels;
• applying onto a top surface of each of the panels, along peripheral edges of the top surface, a layer of heat-reactive adhesive that expands upon heating;
• stitching together adjoining panels of the plurality of panels along respective edges of the adjoining panels, such that the stitching joins adjoining panels with the top surfaces of the respective adjoining panels facing one another at seams to form an inside-out cover, leaving an inlet opening unstitched;
• attaching one of the internal padding layer cut-outs to a bottom surface of each one of the stitched panels;
• attaching the internal valve padding layer cut-out to a valve hole panel that is comprised of one of the panels having a valve hole;
• turning the inside-out cover to be right-side out, such that the internal padding layer is inside the right-side out cover;
• inserting a reinforced deflated bladder into the cover, and inserting a valve of the bladder into both of the valve holes;
• closing the inlet opening by machine stitching closed a first part of the inlet opening, and then bonding closed remaining parts of the inlet opening without stitching;
• inflating the bladder inside the cover;
• and
• applying heat and pressure from the exterior of the cover to mold the ball and cause expansion of the heat-reactive adhesive to cover the stitching in the seams and weld the seams.