Games using tangible projectile – Projectile – per se; part thereof or accessory therefor – Comprising casing or cover having stitched seam or laced...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-18
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
06206794
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to inflatable, multi-panel, stitched sports balls and methods for making same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Inflatable sports balls, such as soccer balls, volley balls, hand balls consist of an outer body in the form of a sphere and an inflatable bladder disposed therein. Sports balls of this type are often formed by joining discrete panels together, e.g. by stitching, along their respective adjacent edges. Shishido et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,781 suggests use of a sewing or stitching machine to join the panels together.
To enhance durability, and to resist enlargement of the ball over time, e.g. due to action of the compressed air contained within the bladder, a sports ball may have a wound core, i.e., an inflatable bladder covered with windings of thread, e.g. nylon yarn.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, an inflatable sports ball having a body comprising a multiplicity of discrete panels joined together at seams along respective adjacent edges by stitching to define a volume, and an inflatable bladder disposed within the volume and having a valve extending through an aperture defined in the outer surface of the body. Each panel of the multiplicity of panels is formed of a multi-layer 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.
Preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following additional features. The stitching comprises machine stitching. The inner layer of woven fabric comprises two layers of woven fabric. The bladder is formed of resilient material. The bladder is joined to an inner surface of the body in a region about the valve stem. The sports ball is a soccer ball, a volley ball or a hand ball.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for manufacture of an inflatable sports ball comprising a body formed of a multiplicity of discrete panels and containing an inflatable bladder comprises 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.
Preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following additional features. The method comprises the further step of joining together opposed surfaces of the bladder and sports ball body within the volume in a region about the valve stem. The method comprises the further step of trimming the exposed end of the valve stem to adjacent the outer surface of the sports ball body. The method comprises the further step of securing the opening in the sports ball body by hand stitching. The opening comprises an open seam in the sports ball body.
Other features and advantages of the invention may be seen from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment, and from the claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3506265 (1970-04-01), Yugi
patent: 4660831 (1987-04-01), Kralik
patent: 4856781 (1989-08-01), Shishido et al.
patent: 5413331 (1995-05-01), Stillinger
patent: 5759123 (1998-06-01), Ou
patent: 5772545 (1998-06-01), Ou
patent: 6039662 (2000-03-01), Chan
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Wong Steven
LandOfFree
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