U.S. patent application number 13/760541 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-15 for ball shaped product and method for making the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAN FANG CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is SAN FANG CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to CHUNG-CHIH FENG, KAI-FENG KANG, CHUN-YI KUO, KO-FENG WANG, I-PENG YAO.
Application Number | 20130210561 13/760541 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48946047 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130210561 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FENG; CHUNG-CHIH ; et
al. |
August 15, 2013 |
BALL SHAPED PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME
Abstract
The present invention relates to a ball shaped product and a
method for making the same. The method includes the following steps
of: (a) placing a ball shaped interior material on a supporting
seat, wherein a part of an outer surface of the ball shaped
interior material is exposed outside the supporting seat; (b)
placing the ball shaped interior material and the supporting seat
in a chamber; (c) covering a wrapping material on the chamber; (d)
vacuum pumping the chamber, so that the wrapping material is
attached to the exposed part of the outer surface of the ball
shaped interior material; (e) releasing the vacuum of the chamber;
and (f) rotating the ball shaped interior material, and repeating
the step (a) to step (e) at least one time.
Inventors: |
FENG; CHUNG-CHIH; (Kaohsiung
City, TW) ; YAO; I-PENG; (Kaohsiung City, TW)
; WANG; KO-FENG; (Kaohsiung City, TW) ; KANG;
KAI-FENG; (Kaohsiung City, TW) ; KUO; CHUN-YI;
(Kaohsiung City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SAN FANG CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD.; |
|
|
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SAN FANG CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO.,
LTD.
Kaohsiung City
TW
|
Family ID: |
48946047 |
Appl. No.: |
13/760541 |
Filed: |
February 6, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/569 ;
156/186 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 51/10 20130101;
B29C 51/12 20130101; A63B 45/00 20130101; B29D 99/0042 20130101;
B29L 2022/02 20130101; B29K 2105/256 20130101; B29K 2101/12
20130101; B29L 2009/00 20130101; A63B 37/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/569 ;
156/186 |
International
Class: |
B29D 99/00 20060101
B29D099/00; A63B 37/02 20060101 A63B037/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 15, 2012 |
TW |
101104983 |
Claims
1. A method for making a ball shaped product, comprising: (a)
placing a ball shaped interior material on a supporting seat,
wherein a part of an outer surface of the ball shaped interior
material is exposed outside the supporting seat; (b) placing the
ball shaped interior material and the supporting seat in an
accommodating space of a chamber, wherein the chamber has an
opening; (c) covering a wrapping material on the opening of the
chamber; (d) vacuum pumping the chamber, so that the wrapping
material is attached to the exposed part of the outer surface of
the ball shaped interior material; (e) releasing the vacuum of the
chamber; and (f) rotating the ball shaped interior material, and
repeating the step (a) to step (e) at least one time.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (c), the
material of the wrapping material is thermoplastic urethane (TPU),
polyurethane (PU), rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon,
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polycarbonate (PC).
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (c), the
wrapping material has an adhesive layer.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the step (e) or
step (f), the method further comprises a step of cutting away the
wrapping material that is not attached to the ball shaped interior
material.
5. A method for making a ball shaped product, comprising: (a)
placing a ball shaped interior material on a first supporting seat,
wherein a first outer surface of the ball shaped interior material
is exposed outside the first supporting seat; (b) placing the ball
shaped interior material and the first supporting seat in an
accommodating space of a first chamber, wherein the first chamber
has an opening; (c) covering a first wrapping material on the
opening of the first chamber; (d) vacuum pumping the first chamber,
so that the first wrapping material is attached to the first outer
surface of the ball shaped interior material; (e) releasing the
vacuum of the first chamber; (f) rotating the ball shaped interior
material, and then placing the ball shaped interior material on a
second supporting seat, wherein a second outer surface of the ball
shaped interior material is exposed outside the second supporting
seat; (g) placing the ball shaped interior material and the second
supporting seat in an accommodating space of a second chamber,
wherein the second chamber has an opening; (h) covering a second
wrapping material on the opening of the second chamber; and (i)
vacuum pumping the second chamber, so that the second wrapping
material is attached to the second outer surface of the ball shaped
interior material.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein after the step (a), the
method further comprises a step of forming an adhesive layer on the
first outer surface; and after the step (f), the method further
comprises a step of forming an adhesive layer on the second outer
surface.
7. The method according to claim 5, wherein in the step (c), the
first wrapping material has an adhesive layer; and in the step (h),
the second wrapping material has an adhesive layer.
8. A ball shaped product, comprising: a ball shaped interior
material; and less than four wrapping materials, adhered to the
ball shaped interior material.
9. The ball shaped product according to claim 8, wherein the ball
shaped interior material is a bladder and has a perfect spherical
shape, an elliptical spherical shape or an egg shape; and the ball
shaped product further comprises an adhesive layer, located between
the ball shaped interior material and the wrapping materials.
10. The ball shaped product according to claim 8, wherein the
material of the wrapping material is thermoplastic urethane (TPU),
polyurethane (PU), rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon,
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polycarbonate (PC); the
wrapping materials are adhered to the ball shaped interior material
by vacuum suction; and the number of the wrapping materials is two.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a ball shaped product and a
method for making the same, and more particularly to a ball shaped
product and a method for making the same by using vacuum
suction.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Among various types of balls, considering a simple ball
body, the entire ball body is formed by means of directly injection
molding a rubber material. Based on the requirements of appearance,
tactile, texture, or sports competition, a machine sewing process
or hand sewing process is further developed. In such process, a
bladder needs to be disposed inside the ball body for reason of
sewing, the air is filled into the bladder during inflation, such
that the bladder inflates the ball body, and then a surface cover
of the ball is machine sewn or hand sewn onto the bladder.
Conventionally, materials for making the surface cover of the ball
include thermoplastic urethane (TPU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and
polyurethane (PU), which are nonfoamed or single-layer foamed.
[0005] The conventional ball making process has disadvantages of
consuming much labor and time, and having a bottleneck in terms of
production capacity, yield and quality. In addition, only a small
range of materials can be used.
[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel and inventive
ball shaped product and method for making the same to solve the
above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides a method for making a ball
shaped product, comprising the following steps of: (a) placing a
ball shaped interior material on a supporting seat, wherein a part
of an outer surface of the ball shaped interior material is exposed
outside the supporting seat; (b) placing the ball shaped interior
material and the supporting seat in an accommodating space of a
chamber, wherein the chamber has an opening; (c) covering a
wrapping material on the opening of the chamber; (d) vacuum pumping
the chamber, so that the wrapping material is attached to the
exposed part of the outer surface of the ball shaped interior
material; (e) releasing the vacuum of the chamber; and (f) rotating
the ball shaped interior material, and repeating the step (a) to
step (e) at least one time.
[0008] The present invention further provides a method for making a
ball shaped product, comprising the following steps of: (a) placing
a ball shaped interior material on a first supporting seat, wherein
a first outer surface of the ball shaped interior material is
exposed outside the first supporting seat; (b) placing the ball
shaped interior material and the first supporting seat in an
accommodating space of a first chamber, wherein the first chamber
has an opening; (c) covering a first wrapping material on the
opening of the first chamber; (d) vacuum pumping the first chamber,
so that the first wrapping material is attached to the first outer
surface of the ball shaped interior material; (e) releasing the
vacuum of the first chamber; (f) rotating the ball shaped interior
material, and then placing the ball shaped interior material on a
second supporting seat, wherein a second outer surface of the ball
shaped interior material is exposed outside the second supporting
seat; (g) placing the ball shaped interior material and the second
supporting seat in an accommodating space of a second chamber,
wherein the second chamber has an opening; (h) covering a second
wrapping material on the opening of the second chamber; and (i)
vacuum pumping the second chamber, so that the second wrapping
material is attached to the second outer surface of the ball shaped
interior material.
[0009] In the present invention, a large area can be wrapped in
each vacuum wrapping process, and the vacuum wrapping process is
fast and thus can save labor and time, and improves the production
capacity, yield and quality. In addition, a wide range of materials
can be used.
[0010] The present invention further provides a ball shaped
product, comprising a ball shaped interior material and less than
four wrapping materials. The wrapping materials are adhered to the
ball shaped interior material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The invention will be described according to the appended
drawings in which:
[0012] FIGS. 1 to 8 are schematic views of an embodiment of a
method for making a ball shaped product of the present invention;
and
[0013] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a
supporting seat used in the method for making a ball shaped product
of the present invention.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0014] FIGS. 1 to 8 are schematic views of an embodiment of a
method for making a ball shaped product of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, a first chamber 1 is provided. In this
embodiment, the first chamber 1 is a vacuum wrapping machine,
having an accommodating space 10, an opening 11 and at least one
vacuum channel 12.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 2, a first supporting seat 2 is provided.
In this embodiment, the first supporting seat 2 has an outer
periphery 21, which defines a recess 22. The recess 22 may be half
of a perfect spherical shape, half of an elliptical spherical
shape, half of an egg shape or half of other spherical shapes. In
other embodiments, the recess 22 may be one third, two thirds, one
quarter, three quarters or other proportions of a spherical shape.
An upper end of the outer periphery 21 is located at the same
horizontal height, that is, the upper end of the outer periphery 21
is a plane.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 3, a ball shaped interior material 3 is
placed on the first supporting seat 2. In this embodiment, the ball
shaped interior material 3 is a bladder and may have a perfect
spherical shape, an elliptical spherical shape, an egg shape or
other shapes. The ball shaped interior material 3 is received in
the recess 22, that is, a part of an outer surface of the ball
shaped interior material 3 is exposed outside the first supporting
seat 2, and the other part of the outer surface is surrounded by
the outer periphery 21 of the first supporting seat 2. In this
embodiment, a first outer surface 31 of the ball shaped interior
material 3 is exposed outside the first supporting seat 2, and a
second outer surface 32 of the ball shaped interior material 3 is
surrounded by the outer periphery 21 of the first supporting set
2.
[0017] Then, the ball shaped interior material 3 and the first
supporting seat 2 are placed in the accommodating space 10 of the
first chamber 1. In this embodiment, the method further includes a
step of forming an adhesive layer (not shown) on the first outer
surface 31. It should be understood that, if the outer surface of
the ball shaped interior material 3 is adhesive, this step may be
omitted.
[0018] Then, a first wrapping material 4 is completely covered on
the opening 11 of the first chamber 1. In this embodiment, the
material of the first wrapping material 4 is thermoplastic urethane
(TPU), polyurethane (PU), rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon,
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polycarbonate (PC). Preferably,
the first wrapping material 4 has an adhesive layer (not shown) on
a lower surface thereof, and has texture on an upper surface
thereof.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 4, the first chamber 1 is vacuum pumped
through the vacuum channel 12, so that the first wrapping material
4 is drawn down rapidly by vacuum suction, and then attached to the
exposed part of the outer surface (that is, the first outer surface
31) of the ball shaped interior material 3. In this embodiment, the
first wrapping material 4 is adhered to the exposed part of the
outer surface (that is, the first outer surface 31) of the ball
shaped interior material 3. Preferably, the temperature of the
first chamber 1 is controlled between room temperature and
250.degree. C.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 5, after the vacuum of the first chamber 1
is released, the first wrapping material 4 that is not attached to
the ball shaped interior material 3 is cut away, so that only the
first wrapping material 4 located on the first outer surface 31 is
left. In other embodiments, the cutting step at this time may be
omitted, and an excess of the wrapping material is cut away once
for all after the wrapping process is completed.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 6, the ball shaped interior material 3 is
rotated, and then placed on a second supporting seat 2a, wherein
the second outer surface 32 of the ball shaped interior material 3
is exposed outside the second supporting seat 2a. The second
supporting seat 2a has an outer periphery 21a, which defines a
recess 22a. In this embodiment, the second supporting seat 2a and
the first supporting seat 2 are the same supporting seat, or
different supporting seats having the same appearance, because the
recesses 22 and 22a are each half of a perfect spherical shape. In
other embodiments, the second supporting seat 2a and the first
supporting seat 2 may be supporting seats having different
appearances.
[0022] Then, the ball shaped interior material 3 and the second
supporting seat 2a are placed in an accommodating space 10a of a
second chamber 1a. The second chamber 1a is a vacuum wrapping
machine, having the accommodating space 10a, an opening 11a and at
least one vacuum channel 12a. In this embodiment, the second
chamber 1a and the first chamber 1 are the same chamber; however,
in other embodiments, the second chamber 1a and the first chamber 1
are different chambers. In this embodiment, the method further
includes a step of forming an adhesive layer (not shown) on the
second outer surface 32. It should be understood that, if the outer
surface of the ball shaped interior material 3 is adhesive, this
step may be omitted.
[0023] Then, a second wrapping material 4a is completely covered on
the opening 11a of the second chamber 1a. In this embodiment, the
material of the second wrapping material 4a is thermoplastic
urethane (TPU), polyurethane (PU), rubber, polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polycarbonate
(PC). Preferably, the second wrapping material 4a has an adhesive
layer (not shown) on a lower surface thereof, and has texture on an
upper surface thereof. The second wrapping material 4a and the
first wrapping material 4 are the same or different.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 7, the second chamber 1a is vacuum pumped
through the vacuum channel 12a, so that the second wrapping
material 4a is drawn down rapidly by vacuum suction, and then
attached to the exposed part of the outer surface (that is, the
second outer surface 32) of the ball shaped interior material 3. In
this embodiment, the second wrapping material 4a is adhered to the
exposed part of the outer surface (that is, the second outer
surface 32) of the ball shaped interior material 3.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 8, after the vacuum of the second chamber
1a is released, the second wrapping material 4a that is not
attached to the ball shaped interior material 3 is cut away, thus
fabricating a ball shaped product 5. It should be understood that,
if the first wrapping material 4 that is not attached to the ball
shaped interior material 3 is not cut away in the step of FIG. 5,
the cutting step at this time is cutting away the first wrapping
material 4 and the second wrapping material 4a that are not
attached to the ball shaped interior material 3.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a
supporting seat used in the method for making a ball shaped product
of the present invention. The supporting seat 2b of this embodiment
is substantially the same as the first supporting seat 2 shown in
FIG. 2, except that the upper end of the outer periphery 21b of the
supporting seat 2b has ridges and valleys, for example, a tooth
shape. It should be understood that, the outer periphery 21b of the
supporting seat 2b may also have other shapes.
[0027] In this embodiment, the vacuum wrapping process is performed
two times. However, in other embodiments, if a specially designed
supporting seat is provided, the vacuum wrapping process may also
be performed three times or more than four times, with one third or
less than one quarter of the ball shaped interior material 3 being
wrapped each time.
[0028] In this embodiment, a large area can be wrapped in each
vacuum wrapping process, and the vacuum wrapping process is fast
and thus can save labor and time, and improves the production
capacity, yield and quality. In addition, a wide range of materials
can be used.
[0029] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment
of a ball shaped product of the present invention. The ball shaped
product 5 includes a ball shaped interior material 3 and a
plurality of wrapping materials. The wrapping materials are adhered
to the ball shaped interior material 3. In this embodiment, the
ball shaped interior material 3 is a bladder and may have a perfect
spherical shape, an elliptical spherical shape, an egg shape or
other shapes. The ball shaped interior material 3 has a first outer
surface 31 and a second outer surface 32. The number of the
wrapping materials is two, which are respectively a first wrapping
material 4 and a second wrapping material 4a. The first wrapping
material 4 and the second wrapping material 4a are respectively
adhered to the first outer surface 31 and the second outer surface
32 of the ball shaped interior material 3 by vacuum suction.
[0030] The material of the first wrapping material 4 is
thermoplastic urethane (TPU), polyurethane (PU), rubber, polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or
polycarbonate (PC). The material of the second wrapping material 4a
is thermoplastic urethane (TPU), polyurethane (PU), rubber,
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
or polycarbonate (PC). The second wrapping material 4a and the
first wrapping material 4 are the same or different.
[0031] Preferably, the ball shaped product 5 further includes an
adhesive layer (not shown), located between the ball shaped
interior material 3 and the wrapping materials 4 and 4a. In this
embodiment, the number of the wrapping materials is two; however,
in other embodiments, the number of the wrapping materials may be
three or more than four.
[0032] The principle and the efficacies of the present invention
have been disclosed above, and are not intended to limit the
present invention. Therefore, modifications and variations of the
embodiments made by persons skilled in the art do not depart from
the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the protection
scope of the present invention is defined by the scope of the
following claims.
* * * * *