U.S. patent application number 11/517925 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-13 for game ball.
Invention is credited to Ching Wan Chen.
Application Number | 20080064540 11/517925 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39170434 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080064540 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Ching Wan |
March 13, 2008 |
Game ball
Abstract
A game ball includes two molded semi-spherical members each
having an outer peripheral portions, and the peripheral portions of
the molded semi-spherical members may be engaged with each other
and welded or secured together to form the game ball. One of the
molded semi-spherical members may include a valve for selectively
inflating the game ball. Either of the molded semi-spherical
members includes a pattern formed on the outer peripheral portion.
The peripheral portions of the molded semi-spherical members may be
welded together with such as ultrasonic waves.
Inventors: |
Chen; Ching Wan; (Taichung,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHARLES E. BAXLEY, ESQ.
90 JOHN STREET, THIRD FLOOR
NEW YORK
NY
10038
US
|
Family ID: |
39170434 |
Appl. No.: |
11/517925 |
Filed: |
September 8, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/604 ;
473/609; 473/611 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 39/08 20130101;
A63B 45/02 20130101; A63B 41/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/604 ;
473/609; 473/611 |
International
Class: |
A63B 41/00 20060101
A63B041/00; A63B 39/00 20060101 A63B039/00 |
Claims
1. A game ball comprising: two molded semi-spherical members each
including an outer peripheral portions, and said peripheral
portions of said molded semi-spherical members being engaged with
each other and welded together to form said game ball.
2. The game ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said molded
semi-spherical members include a valve attached thereto for
selectively inflating said game ball.
3. The game ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein either of said
molded semi-spherical members includes a pattern provided on an
outer peripheral portion thereof.
4. The game ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said peripheral
portions of said molded semi-spherical members are welded together
with ultrasonic waves.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a game ball, and more
particularly to a game ball including an easily manufacturing
structure for allowing the game ball to be easily and quickly
manufactured, without polluting our environment.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Various kinds of typical game balls or sports balls have
been developed and used, and comprise such as volley balls, foot
balls, basket balls, or other inflatable or resilient or bouncing
balls that may be made or manufactured with various kinds of
manufacturing methods.
[0005] Some of the typical game balls or sports balls are made of
poly vinyl chloride (PVC) materials which is a chemical material
having a strong acid characteristic, and a stabilized agent is
required to be added into the PVC materials while making the balls.
However, the PVC materials may not be recycled, and may generate
dioxin that may pollute our environment.
[0006] The other typical game balls or sports balls are made of
poly urethane (PU) materials, and a catalyzing agent or vulcanizing
agent is required to be added into the PU materials while making
the balls. However, the catalyzing agent or vulcanizing agent may
also pollute our environment.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,375 to Uruba et al. discloses one of the
typical game balls including an inner bladder, and a layer of yarn
wound about or over or around the inner bladder. However, a
complicated yarn winding machine or facility is required for
winding the yarn about or over or around the inner bladder, and it
takes a long time to wind the yarn about or over or around the
inner bladder.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,648 to Aoyama discloses another typical
inflatable game ball including a number of layers, and one or more
vulcanizing processes are required for manufacturing the balls.
However, similarly, the vulcanizing processes and/or materials may
also pollute our environment.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,897 to Lees discloses a further typical
smooth basketball including an inner bladder, and a cover that
surrounds the bladder, in which the cover may include one or more
winding layers and one or more stock layers that may not be easily
and quickly attached or secured onto the inner bladder.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,894 to Lee discloses a still further
typical rubber basketball including a sheet of rubber materials
which is required to be cut into a bladder, and the bladder is then
required to be inflated, at least one thread is then required to be
wound about or over or around the inner bladder with a wrapping
machine, a number of rubber sheets are further required to be cut
and attached onto the wrapped layer, a groove is required to be
made between adjacent rubber sheets, and a thinner and narrower
strip is then required to be bond at each junction of adjacent
rubber sheets. However, the manufacturing processes are complicated
and time consuming and expensive.
[0011] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate
the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional game balls or
sports balls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a game ball including an easily manufacturing structure for
allowing the game ball to be easily and quickly manufactured,
without polluting our environment.
[0013] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is
provided a game ball comprising two molded semi-spherical members
each including an outer peripheral portions, and the peripheral
portions of the molded semi-spherical members may be engaged with
each other and welded or secured together to form the game
ball.
[0014] One of the molded semi-spherical members include a valve
attached thereto for selectively inflating the game ball. Either of
the molded semi-spherical members includes a pattern provided on an
outer peripheral portion thereof. The peripheral portions of the
molded semi-spherical members may be welded together with such as
ultrasonic waves.
[0015] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed
description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a game ball in
accordance with the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the game ball; and
[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the game ball taken
along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, illustrating the inner structure of the
game ball.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] Referring to the drawings, a game ball 10 in accordance with
the present invention comprises two semi-spherical members or half
members 11, 12 made of soft or resilient rubbers or other synthetic
materials that may be recycled, and that may be heat sealed, or
that may be hot pressed. The two semi-spherical members or half
members 11, 12 each may include an outer peripheral portion 13, and
the peripheral portions 13 of the two semi-spherical members or
half members 11, 12 may then be engaged with each other and heat
sealed or welded together by such as ultrasonic waves, or the like,
for allowing the two semi-spherical members or half members 11, 12
to be easily and quickly secured together to form the game ball
10.
[0020] It is to be noted that the two semi-spherical members or
half members 11, 12 may also be formed or made or manufactured with
such as molding, or mold-injection processes without vulcanizing
processes, such that no chemical materials will pollute our
environment. A valve 14 may be attached or secured into one of the
two semi-spherical members or half members 11 such as while molding
or mold-injecting the two semi-spherical members or half members
11, 12, for allowing the game ball 10 to be selectively inflated by
the users or by other inflating pumps or the like.
[0021] It is further to be noted that the two semi-spherical
members or half members 11, 12 may be easily and quickly molded or
mold-injected with one mold device (not shown) for forming one of
the game balls 10, such as volley balls, and another mold device
(not shown) for forming the other game balls 10, such as foot
balls, and a further mold device (not shown) for forming the
further game balls 10, such as basket balls, and the other mold
devices (not shown) for forming the further game balls 10, such as
other inflatable or resilient or bouncing balls, such that only one
mold device is good enough for forming or making or manufacturing
each of the game balls 10, such as volley balls, foot balls, basket
balls, or other inflatable or resilient or bouncing balls.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, either or both of the two semi-spherical
members or half members 11, 12 of the game balls 10 may further
include a suitably pattern 15 formed or provided on an outer
peripheral portion 16 thereof for such as decorative purposes, or
marking purposes, or the like. The patterns 15 may be easily and
quickly formed on the outer peripheral portion 16 of the game balls
10 with such as the mold devices (not shown) without painting
processes, printing processes, drafting processes, carving
processes, or the like.
[0023] In addition, the two semi-spherical members or half members
11, 12 may be made into a uniform thickness with the molding, or
mold-injection processes, and only one hot pressing, or heat
sealing or welding process is good enough to secure the two
semi-spherical members or half members 11, 12 together to form the
game ball 10, without generating any poisonous gases. Furthermore,
the soft or resilient rubbers or other synthetic materials for
making the two semi-spherical members or half members 11, 12 may be
recycled and thus will not pollute our environment, and the
recycled materials may further be heated or melted and used to mold
or to mold-inject the game balls 10.
[0024] Accordingly, the game ball in accordance with the present
invention includes an easily manufacturing structure for allowing
the game ball to be easily and quickly manufactured, without
polluting our environment.
[0025] Although this invention has been described with a certain
degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present
disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous
changes in the detailed construction and the combination and
arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
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