Game ball having a reduced moment of inertia

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10737145-B2
Application number	US-201816037913-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2012
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A game ball configured for organized, competitive play and having a total mass. The game ball includes an inflatable bladder, a layer of reinforcing material surrounding the bladder, an elastomeric layer surrounding the bladder, and a plurality of cover panels positioned over the layer of reinforcing material and the elastomeric layer. The bladder has a bladder mass that is greater than 25 percent of the total mass. The elastomeric layer and the layer of reinforcing material have a collective mass that is less than 55 percent of the total mass. The game ball is formed without one or more of electronics, batteries and charging coils.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17. The game ball 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 game ball of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric layer is formed of a sponge rubber compound.

19. The game ball 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 game ball of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cover panels including a backing layer.

Assignees

• Wilson Sporting Goods

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A63B2243/0025

  Football · CPC title

• A63B2220/833

  Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement · CPC title

• A63B43/004

  electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration · CPC title

• A63B41/00

  Hollow inflatable balls · CPC title

• A63B2220/12

  Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS · CPC title