Games using tangible projectile – Projectile – per se; part thereof or accessory therefor – Comprising casing or cover having stitched seam or laced...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-28
2001-03-27
Wong, Steven (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Projectile, per se; part thereof or accessory therefor
Comprising casing or cover having stitched seam or laced...
C473S604000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206795
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to basketball, and more particularly to a basketball having improved playing characteristics.
2. Description of Related Arts
Conventional basketball, as shown in
FIG. 1
, generally comprises a spherical bladder carcass
11
which is a hollow rubber ball having a valve stein affixed thereto. The bladder carcass
11
has a plurality of projection ribs
111
integrally protruded and extended thereon to define eight leaf shape panel recesses
112
surrounding by the ribs
111
. The two vertical sides of each rib form two extending edges of each panel recess
112
, which are generally perpendicular to the bottom surface
113
of the panel recesses
112
, i.e. the outer surface of the bladder carcass
11
.
The basketball further comprises eight leaf shaped cover panels
12
having a shape of each of the panel recesses
112
adapted to affix in the eight panel recesses
112
respectively. Each of the cover panels
12
is made of leather or synthetic leather such as polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). As shown in
FIG. 1
, the synthetic leather made of cover panel
12
is composed of an outer coating layer
121
and an inner lining layer
122
integrally attached and supported under the outer coating layer
121
.
The rigidity and durability of a conventional basketball as described above merely depend on the cover panels
12
but not the soft rubber bladder carcass
11
. The structure of the cover panels
12
must be tough enough to absorb all the impact force. Therefore, the outer coating layer
121
of each of the cover panels
12
, no matter it is made of leather or synthetic leather, must be further strengthened by affixing one more layer of coarsely lining
122
thereon in order to better support the outer coating layer
121
and resist the stress. The roundness and re-enforcement of the basketball depend on the strength of the lining cloth.
The coarse lining layer
122
of each of the cover panels
12
generally increases the hardness and toughness of the ball cover
11
but fails to provide a comfortable gripping and better rebounding characteristics. In fact, the leather or the thickened and hardened synthetic leather cover panels
12
of the conventional basketball may make the basketball player feels hurt and pain during ball passing and shooting activities, especially to children and those amateur players. In other words, for children and training basketball players or amateur players, the conventional basketball would be too rigid and hard for them.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
In order to improve the above drawbacks of the conventional basketball, the applicant first concepts to replace the lining layer
122
with a foam layer. However, the cover panel becomes not hard and tough enough. However, if an additional foam layer is adhered to the conventional cover panel, another unsolvable problem appears, that is the edges of the foam layers fail to rigidly adhere with the vertical sides of the ribs
111
of the bladder carcass
11
while the thickness of the ribs
111
is standardized.
Accordingly, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a basketball having a plurality of panel recesses thereon specifically adapted for firmly affixing a plurality of cover panels each of which comprising an additional foam layer attached to the conventional cover panel, so as to construct a basketball not only retaining the original characteristic of durable, hardness and toughness but also containing new characteristics of being easier to grip and having better rebounding feature.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a basketball which is more durable and has a softer feeling to reduce the painful during ball passing and shooting, especially suitable for children, training players and amateur players.
Accordingly, a basketball of the present invention is provided to accomplish the above objects, which comprises a spherical bladder carcass which is a hollow rubber ball having a valve stem affixed thereto. The bladder carcass has a plurality of projection ribs integrally protruded and extended thereon to define eight leaf shape panel recesses surrounding by the ribs. Each of the ribs is structured in wedge shaped having two inwardly inclined sides to form two extending inclined edges for each panel recess, so that each of the ribs has a slightly narrower root and a slightly wider top end.
The basketball further comprises eight leaf shaped cover panels having a shape of each of the panel recesses adapted to adhere in the eight panel recesses respectively. Each of the cover panels comprises a cover layer made of leather or synthetic leather such as polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The synthetic leather made cover panel is composed of an outer coating layer and an inner lining layer integrally attached and supported under the outer coating layer. Each of the cover panels further comprises an additional cushion layer made of foam material having a top surface integrally adhered to the lining layer and a bottom surface for adhering a lining cloth thereto, wherein each side of the cushion layer is inwardly inclined for fitting in the respective panel recess.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2214179 (1940-09-01), Reach
patent: 2280314 (1942-04-01), Scudder
patent: 3506265 (1970-04-01), Yugi
patent: 3508750 (1970-04-01), Henderson
patent: 4462590 (1984-07-01), Mitchell
patent: 5542662 (1996-08-01), Kouzai et al.
patent: 5681233 (1997-10-01), Guenther et al.
patent: 5752890 (1998-05-01), Shishido et al.
patent: 6099423 (2000-08-01), Ou
Chan Raymond Y.
David and Raymond Patent Group
Wong Steven
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