U.S. patent application number 10/138490 was filed with the patent office on 2003-09-11 for colorable ball and kit for making.
Invention is credited to Rudzki, Lewis.
Application Number | 20030171173 10/138490 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29552683 |
Filed Date | 2003-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030171173 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rudzki, Lewis |
September 11, 2003 |
Colorable ball and kit for making
Abstract
A kit and method for coloring the inside of a ball is disclosed,
with the kit comprising at least one inflatable transparent or
translucent ball having a valve stem, at least one colorant, and at
least one paint injector for injecting at least one colorant into
an inflatable ball. The paint injector comprises a hollow barrel, a
plunger which fits into the hollow barrel, and at least one hollow
needle for injecting said at least one colorant into said ball. The
kit may also include a pump for inflating the ball before the
colorant, preferably paint, is injected into the ball.
Inventors: |
Rudzki, Lewis; (Los Angeles,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JONATHAN E. GRANT
2120 L STREET, N.W.
SUITE 210
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Family ID: |
29552683 |
Appl. No.: |
10/138490 |
Filed: |
May 6, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60290063 |
May 11, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/569 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 41/12 20130101;
A63B 41/00 20130101; A63B 45/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/569 |
International
Class: |
A63B 041/12 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1) A kit for coloring the inside of a ball, said kit comprising: A)
at least one inflatable ball selected from the group consisting of
translucent balls, and transparent balls, and combinations thereof,
said ball comprising a valve stem; B) at least one colorant; and C)
at least one paint injector for injecting said at least one
colorant into said at least one inflatable ball, said at least one
paint injector comprising: i) a hollow barrel; ii) a plunger which
fits into said hollow barrel; iii) at least one hollow needle for
injecting said at least one colorant into said ball.
2) The kit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one
inflatable ball is selected from the group consisting of
basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, volley balls, kick balls, and
combinations thereof.
3) The kit according to claim 1, wherein said ball is
translucent.
4) The kit according to claim 2, wherein said ball is a
basketball.
5) The kit according to claim 1, wherein said colorant is selected
from the group consisting of dyes, stains, and paints.
6) The kit according to claim 5, wherein said colorant is said
paints.
7) The kit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one ball is
translucent.
8) The kit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one ball is
transparent.
9) The kit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one ball is
comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of
polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, other transparent and translucent
plastics, and combinations thereof.
10) The kit according to claim 6, wherein said paints are comprised
of colors selected from the group consisting of black, white,
yellow, blue, orange, green, purple, red, and combinations
thereof.
11) The kit according to claim 1, further comprising at least one
pump to inflate said at least one ball.
12) The kit according to claim 1, further comprising at least one
needle for said at least one pump to inflate said at least one
ball.
13) The kit according to claim 1, wherein said colorant does not
adhere to the inside of said at least one ball.
14) A method of coloring the inside of a ball, comprising:
inflating a ball having a valve stem, said ball selected from the
group consisting of transparent balls and translucent balls; and
injecting a colorant into said ball by means of a paint injector,
said colorant being injected into said ball by means of a at least
one paint injector.
15) The method according to claim 14, wherein said at least one
inflatable ball is selected from the group consisting of
basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, volley balls, kick balls, and
combinations thereof.
16) The method according to claim 14, wherein said ball is
translucent.
17) The method according to claim 14, wherein said ball is a
basketball.
18) The method according to claim 14, wherein said colorant is
selected from the group consisting of dyes, stains, and paints.
19) The method according to claim 18, wherein said colorant is said
paints.
20) The method according to claim 14, wherein said at least one
ball is translucent.
21) The method according to claim 14, wherein said at least one
ball is transparent.
22) The method according to claim 14, wherein said at least one
ball is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting
of polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, other transparent and
translucent plastics, and combinations thereof.
23) The method according to claim 14, wherein said colorants are
comprised of colors selected from the group consisting of black,
white, yellow, blue, orange, green, purple, red, and combinations
thereof.
25) The method according to claim 14, further comprising at least
one pump to inflate said at least one ball.
26) The method according to claim 14, further comprising at least
one needle for said at least one pump to inflate said at least one
ball.
27) The method according to claim 14, wherein a colorant which does
not adhere to the inside of the ball is injected.
28) A toy device comprising: a ball being either translucent or
transparent, said ball having a valve stem; a colorant positioned
on the inside of said ball.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/290,063, filed May 11, 2001 for a "Translucent
Basket Ball."
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention discloses a kit for making a colorable ball
which can be colored from the inside.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Over the years, the art of manufacturing balls has improved.
In many cases, these improvements included adding color to the
balls.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,195 (Sullivan et al) discloses a
high-visibility inflated game ball such as a basketball, football,
soccer ball, volleyball or the like. The game ball includes a
central inflated portion and a metallocene catalyzed polyolefin
cover formed over the central inflated portion. In one embodiment,
the cover has fluorescent pigment, fluorescent dye, and/or optical
brighteners incorporated therein in order to impart to the cover a
reflectance of at least 75% in at least a part of the visible
spectrum. In another embodiment, reflective metallic particles are
incorporated in addition to, or in place of the pigment, dye and
optical brightener in order to add a glittery appearance to the
ball cover. The particularly preferred game ball of the invention
is a basketball. The game ball is particularly useful at dusk when
conventional basketballs of a dull orange color become difficult to
see.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,400 (Schickert) Basketball backboards
and other moldable plastic parts of basketball goal assemblies are
formed of thermoplastic materials made in a compression molding
process enabling use of an integrally molded graphics sheet. To
produce the compression molded part with inmolded graphics, a
peripheral edge of the printed graphics sheet is positioned to
register with a positioning surface in the mold thereby aligning
the graphics sheet relative to the mold. The graphics sheet
bonds/melts with the base thermoplastic material during the molding
operations and becomes a permanent inmolded graphics sheet
surrounded by a border portion. The printed graphics sheet is
formed of a material compatible with the thermoplastic material. A
preferred thermoplastic material includes recycled plastic made
from landfill-destined plastic and/or recycled glass fiber and/or
other filler materials.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,573 (Kennedy) discloses a game ball with
a hologram image and method of fabrication comprising a first
outermost layer. Such first layer has an exterior surface and an
interior surface. The first layer is formed of a coating with a
diffraction grating on its interior most surface. The first layer
is coated with a solution, either solvent or water born, and is of
a transparent material which is an ultraviolet stabilized polymer.
The material of the first layer is an acrylic polymer, preferably
polyurethane and constitutes a flexible metalized sheet. A second
layer has an exterior surface and an interior surface. The second
layer is formed of a reflective layer of aluminum deposit vacuum. A
third innermost layer has an exterior surface and an interior
surface. The third layer is formed of hot melt adhesive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] This invention discloses a method and a kit for painting the
inside of a ball such that the paint is visible from the outside.
The kit includes either a translucent or transparent ball, a
colorant, and a means for putting the colorant inside the ball.
Preferably the colorant is injected inside the ball. More
specifically, the colors are injected into the ball through a
standard valve stem system, which is the system in which the ball
is inflated. A separate paint injector with a needle similar to a
standard air pump needle is used to inject the color into the
ball.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an uninflated translucent
basketball;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the canisters holding the
colorant to be used;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the colorant injectors into
which the colorant is drawn;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the air pump for injecting
air into a ball; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross section of a wall of a basketball.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a kit for coloring the inside of a
ball comprises at least one inflatable ball 1 The ball may be
either translucent or transparent, and should contain a valve stem
2. For ease of packing, the ball may be in a deflated 3 condition
when packaged. The ball may be a basketball, football, soccer ball,
volley ball, kick ball, and any combinations thereof.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a translucent
basketball is in the kit. The ball has a weight in the range
between about 525 grams and about 650 grams, and is between about 9
inches in diameter and about 10 inches in diameter. The ball can be
of any size, weight, diameter, and/or dimension, depending on the
type and purpose of the ball.
[0017] In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the
material used to create the translucent basketball is a formulation
of PVC. Specifically, the formulation used for the translucent ball
is as follows:
[0018] Polyvinyl Chloride Paste in the range of about 49 to about
52%;
[0019] Plasticizer DOP in the range of about 45% to about 48%;
[0020] Stabilizer in the range of about 1.25% to about 2.25%;
[0021] and Pigment (Brightener) in the range of about 0.75% to
about 1.5%.
[0022] The amounts and percentages of each chemical component may
differ depending on the amount of clarity desired in the plastic.
Different chemicals in different amounts will allow for more
transparent balls. Varying the plasticizers and stabilizers will
give the ball(s) different degrees of rigidity. Similarly, the
amount of pigment will be dependent upon the other chemicals and
their amounts in the plastic compound(s).
[0023] It should be noted that any number of plastics may be used
to form a translucent or transparent ball including but not limited
to polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, other transparent and
translucent plastics, and combinations thereof; however, the PVC
formulations are usually the best and cheapest plastic to use.
Other thermoplastic and polyamide polymers which give a translucent
or transparent appearance may be used.
[0024] The ball is produced using a rotation mold. However, any
method known to those skilled in the art may be used.
[0025] The ball will have a thickness of about 3.5 to about 4.75
millimeters. It should be noted that ball thickness depends on what
type of ball is to be made.
[0026] The basketball, as with all other balls, is designed with
translucent or, in some cases, transparent properties, so that a
colorant 4, in this case contained in the containers 13 can be
injected into the ball by means of the valve stem 2 which is the
device by which the ball is inflated.
[0027] The kit also includes a colorant injector 5 for injecting a
colorant 4. The colorant may be a wet paint, a dry paint, a dye, a
stain or any other sort of product which allows for a adherence of
the colorant to the inside surface 6 of the ball as opposed to the
outside surface 14 of the ball. The colorant injector 5 is used to
inject the colorant into the ball. and is comprised of a hollow
barrel 7, a plunger 8, and a hollow needle 9 for drawing the
colorant 4 from its container 13 into the hollow barrel 7 and for
injecting the colorant 4 into the ball 1 through the valve stem 2
so that the colorant 4 can color the inside surface 6 of the ball
1. The colorant 4 included in the kit or which may be used to coat
the inside selected from the group consisting of black, white,
yellow, blue, orange, green, purple, red, and combinations thereof.
A cover 10 may be used to fit over the hollow needle.
[0028] Additionally, there may be added other colorants which do
not adhere to the material being used, thereby providing an
everchanging color pattern within the ball.
[0029] The kit may also include an air pump 11 with a needle 12 to
pump up the ball being painted. The needle may be part of the pump
or may be a separate piece that fits into the pump 11 by
conventional means.
[0030] To paint the inside of the ball, the ball 1 is inflated to
the desired circumference and rigidity level. This process is
performed by a standard pump 11 and needle 12. The color 4 is
injected into the ball 1 using a colorant injector 5. Individuals
draw the colorant 4 from the container 13 into the colorant
injector 5 by putting the tip of the needle 9 into the colorant 4
and pulling the plunger 8 of the colorant injector 5 up from the
barrel 7 to suck up the colorant 4.
[0031] The needle 9 of the colorant injector 5 is then inserted
into the valve stem 2, and the individual presses down on the
plunger forcing the colorant 4 out of the barrel and into the
translucent or transparent ball 2. Individuals can aim the colorant
4 by rotating the ball 1. After injecting the colorant 4 into the
ball 1, the ball can be bounced or swirled around to create a
unique pattern of color inside the ball 1. After swirling and/or
bouncing the ball 1 around, further play with the ball 1 should be
curtailed for the colorant to dry before more colorant is injected
or before using the ball.
[0032] It is possible to inject a colorant into the ball before the
ball is inflated; however, it is more difficult to establish a
color pattern within the ball
[0033] As various changes could be made in the above constructions
without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended
that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the
accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not
in a limiting sense.
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