Abstract
Soccer balls, volley balls and the like are provided with interior reinforcing patches disposed over the stitched seems to prevent thread breakage, seam separation and water incursion while at the same time enhancing the softness and durability of the ball's structural panels.
Claims
1. An object for sports play comprising: a plurality of exterior, stitched together panels sewn at their edges, configured to form a closed volume and forming, by said stitching, raised interior edges at the edges of said panels; an inflatable bladder occupying said closed volume; a plurality of Y-shaped patches adhered to said panels on interior portions of said panels and disposed over said stitching so as to cover the juncture of three stitching edges.
2. The object of claim 1 in which the stitched together panels form a soccer ball.
3. The object of claim 1 in which the stitched together panels form a volley ball.
4. The object of claim 1 in which the patches overlap.
5. The object of claim 1 in which said stitching is performed by machine.
6. The object of claim 1 further including adhesive material disposed exteriorly and in contact with said stitching.
7. The object of claim 1 in which said panels comprise material selected from the group consisting of PU, PVC and TPU with a foam and fabric sandwich in single or multiple layers.
8. The object of claim 1 in which said patches comprise material selected from the group consisting of a singular layer of fabric, a singular layer of fabric impregnated with latex rubber, a combination of multiple layers of fabric impregnated with latex rubber and a combination of multiple layers of fabric without rubber impregnation.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of practice, together with the further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates a hexagonal panel and a pentagonal panel and the stitching together of the edges of two hexagonal panels, as for example in the creation of a soccer ball having 32 panels;
[0028] FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 except the panels shown are intended for use in the structuring of a volleyball;
[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates the interior of a soccer ball prior to its inversion through the last sewn opening and also illustrates the presence of raised, sewn edges;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 except that it provides a closer detail of the stitching;
[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates the shape of patches that are disposed over the interior stitching for seam strengthening;
[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates the patches shown in FIG. 5 disposed over the stitching on the interior of a soccer ball;
[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates the process employed for the insertion of the bladder;
[0034] FIG. 8 illustrates the stitching up of the last seam;
[0035] FIG. 9 illustrates a completed soccer ball and particularly illustrates the presence of a valve for filling the ball with air;
[0036] FIG. 10 illustrates the interior of a soccer ball produced with 12 pentagonal panels with patches in place;
[0037] FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 except that the stitching is more clearly visible before the patches are put in place;
[0038] FIG. 12 illustrates the interior of a volleyball before the patches are in place;
[0039] FIG. 13 illustrates patches of the present invention being applied to the interior of a volleyball;
[0040] FIG. 14 it is similar to FIG. 13 except that it illustrates different patch shapes employed in the construction of a desired volleyball; and
[0041] FIG. 15 illustrates a finished volleyball.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates to shapes of the panels used in the construction of one form of soccer ball. In this construction, 20 hexagonal panels and 12 pentagonal panels are employed. In particular, there is illustrated hexagonal panel 101 and pentagonal panel 102. Also shown in this figure is the joining together of two of the hexagonal panels by means of stitching 103. It is noted that this stitching structure produces raised stitching 105 on the interior of the ball in its final form (See FIGS. 3 and 4). The presence of this stitching plays a significant role in the present invention. Reinforcement patches used in the present invention comprise any suitable material such as a fabric which is punched out from a large sheet of material. The patch is either a single layered or multilayered fabric which comprises any suitable fabric and may exist in a plurality of shapes depending on the pattern of seams on the ball.
[0043] FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 except that it is directed to the construction of a volleyball. In particular, panels 201 and 202 are shown and are shown as being sewn together by way of stitching 203. FIGS. 12 through 15 are also useful to consider along with FIG. 2 as these are also directed to the fabrication of volleyballs.
[0044] FIG. 3 illustrates the construction of a soccer ball using the well-known set of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons. The hexagonal panels are denoted by reference 101 and the pentagonal panels are denoted by reference 102. In particular, the illustration of FIG. 3 shows the construction of a soccer ball in its inverted form prior to the insertion of the bladder. The bladder is the device used for inflation. Of particular note is raised stitching 105 which is present on the inside of the completed soccer ball. Also of note is seam 107. This is the last seam sewn before the soccer ball is inverted. It is through seam 107 that bladder 109 is inserted. See FIG. 7. Also shown in FIG. 3 is the presence of opening 110 in one of the panels. It is within this opening that a valve for the bladder is disposed. FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 except that it is an enlargement and is better descriptive of stitching lines and holes 103. The preferred material for the panels is PU, PVC and TPU with a foam and fabric sandwich. Materials such as PU+Foam+Fabric, TPU+Foam+Fabric etc. are employed. Additionally, multiple layers of fabric instead of one are employed. One could employ any suitable combination of material or materials and any type of sandwich of materials or material for the panels. Likewise, patch material is either a singular layer of fabric impregnated with latex rubber or a combination of multiple layers of fabric impregnated with latex rubber. As with the panels, any suitable material is employed.
[0045] FIG. 5 is particularly relevant for the present invention. In particular, there are shown two versions of patches, 150 and 151, intended for being placed over raised threaded portions 105. These are the patches employed in the present invention for all of the purposes recited above. Patch 151 illustrates an embodiment of the invention which is usable because sewn edges are often higher at the corners of each panel. By employing patch design 151, the problem of dealing with wrinkles that are formed at these corners or vertices is solved. Patch design 151 is provided with V-shaped cuts, as shown, so that when patches sit along the seams where three panels meet, the patches do not form wrinkles.
[0046] FIG. 6 is also particularly relevant in understanding the structure and features of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 6 illustrates the placement of patches 150 or 151 over sewing seams or edges 105. Note that the presence of overlap between adjacent patches is visible in this figure. It is observed that the ball shown in FIG. 6 represents a soccer ball with 20 hexagonal panels and 12 pentagonal panels. Clearly this figure illustrates the interior structure of a soccer ball prior to its being inverted through open seam 107. A patch of reinforcement fabric 150 is applied over each machine sewn panel stitch joint 105 with adhesive to better secure the stitched panels together. Fabric reinforcement patches cover each adjacently sewn panel joint and thus forms a network of reinforced ridges to further secure the stitching and to withstand pressure from an inflated bladder. This relieves pressure on the machine sewn stitches which are often not strong enough and are not able to withstand bladder pressure. The patches link one panel body to another panel body going across the sewing ridges and bonds them together in such a way that inflated bladder pressure is eliminated on the stitches. The patches act as a strong barrier to absorb pressure and to hold an inflated bladder inside without damage and without tearing any stitches during kicking during play.
[0047] FIG. 7 illustrates the exterior of a soccer ball with 20 hexagonal panels and 12 pentagonal panels wherein bladder 109 is in the process of being inserted through seam 107 (see FIGS. 3, 6 and 10). Also visible is opening 110 for an inflation valve. FIG. 8 illustrates the process of stitching up the last seam after bladder 109 is disposed through seam 107. Needle and thread (121 and 120, respectively) are used to close up seam 107. FIG. 9 illustrates completed soccer ball 100. The patches of the present invention are not visible in this Figure.
[0048] FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 6 except that it is directed to the construction of a soccer ball in which only pentagonal panels are used in its construction. Here the pentagonal panels are denoted by reference numeral 104. FIG. 10 also illustrates seem 107 through which an inflatable bladder is inserted before the ball is turned inside out. FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10 except that it illustrates the internal structure of a soccer ball prior to placement of patches 150.
[0049] FIGS. 12 through 15 represent the structures employed in the present invention when they are used for the construction of a volleyball. A completed volleyball is illustrated in FIG. 15. In the construction of a volleyball differently shaped panels, 201, 202 and 203, are employed. See FIG. 12. In the construction of a volleyball sewn ridges 205 are produced by the sewing operation which, like the construction of a volleyball, is preferably done by machine. It is clear from the illustration that there is shown a volleyball's interior prior to the application of any reinforcing patches and prior to its inversion and the insertion of a bladder. FIG. 13 illustrates the placement of reinforcing patches 250 and 251. As discussed above, patch 251 also includes V-shaped notches to better accommodate the higher ridge portions that occur at panel vertices. FIG. 14 illustrates the placement of patches 260 which are sized to accommodate the network of internal ridges produced in the construction of a conventional volleyball. A completed volleyball 200 is illustrated in FIG. 15.
[0050] The reinforcement patches employed in the present invention are made of any suitable fabric or combination of fabrics. Additionally, it is noted that patches are disposed in either singular or multiple layers. Patches comprise a plurality of shapes depending on the stitching pattern employed in ball fabrication. Patches are disposed either in a fashion in which their ends overlap or in which they do not touch. However, in preferred embodiments, overlapping is preferred. The panels themselves comprise any suitable ball material and/or any combination of suitable materials used to make any type of sports ball. While the present description is generally directed to the construction of soccer balls and volley balls, by selecting panels of various shapes it is possible to construct a sports ball of any desired shape. However, spherical shapes more common and are easier to design and fabricate. As described above, particularly with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, all of the panels are sewn together, except for certain final panels, which are stitched together lastly so as to allow the ball to be turned inside out.
[0051] These reinforcement patches work as an interior safety reinforcement layer between one panel to another and thus this whole network of reinforcement patches inside of ball panels make it one uniform interior layer protecting the sewing parts and at the same time attaching themselves to the flat part of panel that reduces pressure on stitches and sewing parts.
[0052] In preferred embodiments of the present invention, all of the reinforcing patches connect with each other by overlapping each other, as shown in FIGS. 6, 10 and 14, thus forming a single reinforcing layer underneath (looking from the outside) the sewing ridges of the panels.
[0053] In another preferred embodiment, after the ball is completed, a thin adhesive is deployed along the seams; the adhesive then seeps through the seams and ends up on the internal patches. In this way, the adhesive strengthens the connection between adjacent seams along the panel edges. Thus, the internal patches forming a bond of three parts: thread, panel edges and internal patches. This further secures seam strength and at the same time helps to make the seams more waterproof.
[0054] All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
[0055] Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of this invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural, chemical, and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 USC § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”
[0056] While the invention has been described in detail herein in accordance with certain preferred embodiments thereof, many modifications and changes therein may be effected by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
