US20080064540A1

US20080064540A1 - Game ball

Info

Publication number: US20080064540A1
Application number: US11/517,925
Authority: US
Inventors: Ching Wan Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-09-08
Filing date: 2006-09-08
Publication date: 2008-03-13

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.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
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.
2. Description of the Prior Art
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

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.
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.
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.
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

FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a game ball in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the game ball; and

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.