Basketball having a reduced moment of inertia

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10022593-B2
Application number	US-201514982195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Nov 9, 2012
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A basketball configured for organized, competitive play and having a total mass. The basketball includes an inflatable, generally spherical bladder, a set of winding surrounding the bladder, an elastomeric layer surrounding the set of windings and the bladder, and a plurality of cover panels positioned over the elastomeric layer. The bladder has a bladder mass that is greater than 25 percent of the total mass. The elastomeric layer and the set of windings have a collective mass that is less than 55 percent of the total mass.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A basketball for organized, competitive play and having a total mass, comprising:
an inflatable, generally spherical bladder having a bladder mass that is greater than 25 percent of the total mass;
a set of windings surrounding the bladder;
an elastomeric layer surrounding the set of windings and the bladder, the elastomeric layer and the set of windings having a collective mass that is less than 55 percent of the total mass; and
a plurality of cover panels positioned over the elastomeric layer, the basketball being formed without one or more of electronics, batteries and charging coils.

2. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the basketball is a size 7 basketball.

3. The basketball of claim 2 , wherein the basketball has a moment of inertia less than 54.0 kg/cm 2 .

4. The basketball of claim 2 , wherein the basketball has a moment of inertia less than 53.0 kg/cm 2 .

5. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the bladder mass is at least 30% of the total mass.

6. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the bladder mass is at least 35% of the total mass.

7. The basketball of claim 5 , wherein the collective mass is less than 50% of the total mass.

8. The basketball of claim 6 , wherein the collective mass is less than 45% of the total mass.

9. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the total mass is within the range 566 to 625 grams.

10. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the total mass is within the range of 580 to 605 grams.

11. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the density of the bladder is greater than 1.125.

12. The basketball of claim 1 , further comprising a weight positioned at the center of the inflatable spherical bladder.

13. The basketball of claim 12 , wherein the weight has a mass within the range of 5 to 25 grams.

14. The basketball of claim 12 , wherein the bladder further includes internal structure for supporting the weight within the bladder.

15. The basketball of claim 14 , wherein the internal structure is a tube inwardly extending from a wall of the bladder.

16. The basketball of claim 14 , wherein the internal structure is a cross-member extending across the internal volume of the bladder.

17. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the bladder includes a bladder wall, and wherein the bladder wall has a thickness of at least 0.9 mm.

18. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric layer is formed of a sponge rubber compound.

19. The basketball of claim 18 , wherein the sponge rubber compound includes a foaming agent, wherein the foaming agent represents at least 2.5 percent of the weight of the rubber compound prior to curing of the rubber compound.

20. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cover panels including a backing layer, wherein the backing layer includes nano-fibers.

Assignees

• Wilson Sporting Goods

Inventors

• Krysiak Kevin L
• Bauer Jonathan L
• Simonutti Frank M
• Hare Daniel E
• Thurman Robert T

Classifications

• A63B2220/56

  Pressure · CPC title

• A63B2220/72

  Temperature · CPC title

• A63B2220/30

  Speed · CPC title

• A63B2220/40

  Acceleration · CPC title

• A63B43/00

  Balls with special arrangements · CPC title