U.S. patent application number 11/193498 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-01 for foamed inner tube.
Invention is credited to Chao-Ho Chan, Chuan-Hsin Lo.
Application Number | 20070026176 11/193498 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37694661 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070026176 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lo; Chuan-Hsin ; et
al. |
February 1, 2007 |
Foamed inner tube
Abstract
A ball inner tube used as a ball bladder or sold individually as
a ball with better resilience, improved airtight performance and
longer service is comprised of an inner tube designated material
given the primary heating process, bound with a mixture of a
foaming agent and the same material designated for the inner tube,
and put under the secondary heating process at a temperature of
165.degree. C. for the foaming agent to be integrated with the
inner tube.
Inventors: |
Lo; Chuan-Hsin; (Hua Lien
Hsien, TW) ; Chan; Chao-Ho; (Yung He City,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEONG C LEI
PMB # 1008
1867 YGNACIO VALLEY ROAD
WALNUT CREEK
CA
94598
US
|
Family ID: |
37694661 |
Appl. No.: |
11/193498 |
Filed: |
August 1, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/36.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/1376 20150115;
A63B 41/02 20130101; A63B 45/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/036.5 |
International
Class: |
B65D 39/00 20060101
B65D039/00 |
Claims
1. A ball inner tube essentially comprised of an inner tube
designated material given the primary heating process, bound with a
mixture of a foaming agent and the same material designated for the
inner tube, and put under the secondary heating process for the
foaming agent to be integrated with the inner tube.
2. The ball inner tube of claim 1, wherein the designated material
for the inner tube relates to rubber, TPU or PVC.
3. The ball inner tube of claim 1, wherein the temperature of the
secondary heating process for binding the foaming agent the inner
tube is 165.degree. C.
4. The ball inner tube of claim 1, wherein the foaming agent is
prepared in any color desired for the inner tube to be directly
sold as a finished product of a ball.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] (a) Technical Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention is related to a foamed inner tube, and
more particularly, to one used for balls that gives strong
structure, long service life and excellent resilience.
[0003] (b) Description of the Prior Art
[0004] The ball bladder is usually related to a direct type of an
inner tube as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings,
an inner tube 1 having its surface entwined with yarns 11 as
illustrated in FIG. 2; a yarn 11 entwined inner tube 1 being
further wrapped with an outer tube 12 as illustrated in FIG. 3; or
an inner tube 1 bound with fabrics 13 as illustrated in FIG. 4.
However, these ball bladders are found with the following flaws:
[0005] 1. As the direct type of inner tube is molded and admixed
with sulfur, it tends to continuously expand along with the
addition of air. [0006] 2. The inner tube entwined with yarns
involves more complicated manufacturing process. [0007] 3. The
sandwich type inner tube also involves complicated manufacturing
process and higher production cost. [0008] 4. The fabric bound
inner tube also involves comparatively higher production cost.
[0009] Even though the yam entwined inner tube, the sandwich type
inner tube or the fabric bound inner tube is free of the problem of
continuous expansion when inflated, its impact force and resilience
are still limited and fails to provide longer service life.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a
ball inner tube that allows easier process and longer service life.
To achieve the purpose, the material for the ball inner tube is
first given a primary heating process and bound with a material
blended with the same material used for making the inner tube and
an additive of foaming agent before going through a secondary
heating process for the foaming agent to be integrated with the
inner tube to become the final product of a foamed inner tube as a
ball bladder.
[0011] The amount of the foaming agent to be added is adjustable
depending on the thickness and resilience as required for the
particular ball inner tube; and the foaming agent can be prepared
in any color for the finished product of the ball.
[0012] Other than rubber, TPU, PVC and other material identical
with that used for the inner tube may be blended with the foaming
agent for the manufacturing of the foamed inner tube.
[0013] The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief
introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these
and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention
itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the
art, the following detailed description of the invention and the
claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical
reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
[0014] Many other advantages and features of the present invention
will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making
reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets
of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment
incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by
way of illustrative example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a construction of a
direct type of inner tube.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a construction of a
yarn-entwined type of inner tube.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a construction of a
sandwich type of inner tube.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a construction of a
fabric bound type of inner tube.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a process flow chart of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a construction of the
present invention.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a table showing results of impact test conducted
on the present invention and the prior art.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a table showing impact test data conducted on the
present invention and the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments
only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or
configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following
description provides a convenient illustration for implementing
exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the
described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement
of the elements described without departing from the scope of the
invention as set forth in the appended claims.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, an inner tube of the present
invention is made by first having a material designated for the
inner tube to go through a primary heating process; and then the
inner tube 1 is bound with a mixture of a foaming agent and the
same material designated for the inner tube to be put through a
secondary heating process at a temperature of 165.degree. C. to
become a formed inner tube serving as a ball bladder. Wherein, the
inner tube 1 for being contained by the foamed layer 2 is prevented
from continuously expanding when inflated to achieve the same
effects provided by the yarn entwined, fabric bound or sandwich
type of the prior art while the foamed layer 2 allows adjustment of
its thickness and resilience depending on the requirements of the
particular ball to improve its hand-touch comfort and
resilience.
[0025] The inner tube of the present invention also provides
multiple functions. The foamed layer 2 can be made into any color
as desired to forthwith become a finished product of a ball for
direct sales.
[0026] Either in impact withstanding or in resilience, the inner
tube of the present invention outperforms and inner tube of the
prior art. As shown in FIG. 7, after the impact test of 5000
rounds, the present invention maintains its amount of deformation
not greater than 3 mm in X, Y and Z axes to ensure of its true
circle. In 200 cm drop test, the present invention gives a bouncing
height not less than 140 cm and the bouncing could last 15.about.20
rounds until it ends up in still.
[0027] As illustrated in FIG. 8 for further examination into the
detailed data availed form the impact test based on X, Y and Z axes
of a circle, after 5000 rounds of impact, the variance of any of
the prior art ranges between 4.0.about.7.0 mm; and the present
invention, 3.0 mm in the distribution of 698 m, 697 mm, and 700 mm
respectively for X, Y and Z axes.
[0028] Advantages of the present invention include but not limit to
the followings: [0029] 1. Resilience of the foamed layer gives
hand-touch comfort and protection; [0030] 2. Reduced the inner
pressure the outer layer of the ball as confined by the foamed
layer help ease off the pressure acting upon the stitches made
either by a sewing machine or by hand on the outer layer for longer
service life; [0031] 3. Increased impact withstanding and
resilience performance for the ball, and the foaming multiplex can
be adjusted for the resilience of the ball depending on the
appearance of the ball or customer's needs; and [0032] 4. Whereas
the manufacturing process is similar to that for the yarn-entwined
type or fabric bound type, purchase of yarn-entwining or
fabric-binding machine is not required for cost saving.
[0033] Furthermore, the additional foamed layer of the present
invention for the ball bladder increases the airtight performance
of the inner tube to reduce air leakage, natural deflation rate,
and chances of being pierced through by sharp objects including
rocks and nails.
[0034] It will be understood that each of the elements described
above, or two or more together may also find a useful application
in other types of methods differing from the type described
above.
[0035] While certain novel features of this invention have been
shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is
not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be
understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and
changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in
its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without
departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
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