Tennis ball having a thermoplastic core

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11426637-B2
Application number	US-202016787465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2020
Priority date	Feb 11, 2020
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A tennis ball including a spherical core. The spherical core including an outer surface and a raised wall integrally molded as part of the outer surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tennis ball comprising:
a spherical core, the spherical core comprising an inner surface directly adjacent a hollow interior of the tennis ball and an outer surface;
a raised wall integrally molded as part of the outer surface, wherein the raised wall and the inner surface and the outer surface of the spherical core are all part of a single homogeneous layer of material, wherein the raised wall forms a continuous dog-bone or stadium shaped line defining two identical dog-bone or stadium shaped recesses;
a first dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel received within a first one of the dog-bone or stadium shaped recesses; and
a second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel received within a second one of the dog-bone or stadium shaped recesses, wherein the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel each comprise a polymeric backing engaged to an outer surface of the spherical core,
wherein the tennis ball comprises a finished tennis ball that conforms to ITF and USTA size, weight, deformation and rebound requirements, wherein the core comprises at least one ethylene-alkene copolymer and wherein the core and the raised wall of the finished tennis ball are meltable.

2. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the raised wall is shaped to extend over the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel, the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel each having a top face, a bottom face and edge portions, extending from the top face to the bottom face, wherein the top face has a first portion forming an outer most exposed surface of the tennis ball and a second portion underlying the raised wall.

3. The tennis ball of claim 2 , wherein the raised wall has a top surface, the top surface comprising texturing.

4. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the raised wall comprises a thermoplastic material having a specific gravity of 0.86 to 1.38, a flexural modulus of 2.0 to 50.0 MPa, and a Shore D hardness of 10 to 70.

5. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the raised wall has a height above the outer surface of at least 2.0 mm.

6. The tennis ball of claim 5 , wherein the raised wall has a height above the surface no greater than 4.0 mm.

7. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the raised wall has a width of at least 1.0 mm.

8. The tennis ball of claim 7 , wherein the raised wall has a width of no greater than 2.5 mm.

9. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the spherical core comprises two half shells, a first one of the half shells comprising a first portion of the raised wall and a second one of the half shells comprising a second portion of the raised wall, the second portion being aligned end-to-end with the first portion at a juncture of the half shells.

10. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the tennis ball comprising the spherical core conforms to ITF and USTA size, weight, deformation and rebound requirements.

11. The tennis ball of claim 1 wherein the core is non-inflatable.

12. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the core is pressurized to a non-zero internal pressure of up to 15 psi.

13. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the core is not pressurized.

14. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the first dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel each comprise a woven fiber material.

15. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the first dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel each comprise a needle-punch fiber material.

16. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the first dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel each comprise a non-felt material cover.

17. A tennis ball comprising:
a spherical core, the spherical core comprising an outer surface; and
a raised wall integrally molded as part of the outer surface;
a first dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel received within a first one of dog-bone or stadium shaped recesses; and
a second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel received within a second one of the dog-bone or stadium shaped recesses,
wherein the raised wall is shaped to extend over the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel, the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel each having a top face, a bottom face and edge portions, the edge portions extending from the top face to the bottom face, the top face having a first portion forming an outer most exposed surface of the tennis ball and a second portion underlying the raised wall, and
wherein the tennis ball comprises a finished tennis ball that conforms to ITF and USTA size, weight, deformation and rebound requirements, wherein the core comprises at least one ethylene-alkene copolymer and wherein the core and the raised wall of the finished tennis ball are meltable.

18. The tennis ball of claim 17 , wherein the raised wall has a top surface comprising texturing.

19. The tennis ball of claim 18 , wherein the texturing comprises dimples.

20. The tennis ball 23 , wherein the raised wall comprises ledges projecting over the top face of each of the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel.

21. The tennis ball of claim 17 , wherein the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel each comprise porous material, wherein portions of the raised wall impregnate the porous material in portions of the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel, the portions of the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel being impregnated being limited to particular portions proximate the raised wall.

22. The tennis ball of claim 17 , wherein the raised wall has a first maximum radial height and wherein portions of the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel have a second maximum radial height greater than the first maximum radial height.

23. The tennis ball of claim 1 , wherein the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog-bone or stadium shaped cover panel each comprise porous material, wherein portions of the raised wall impregnate the porous material in portions of the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel, the portions of the first dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel and the second dog bone or stadium shaped cover panel being impregnated being limited to particular portions proximate the raised wall, continuously extending from the raised wall and out of contact with the outer surface of the spherical core.

24. A tennis ball comprising:
a spherical core, the spherical core comprising an inner surface directly adjacent a hollow interior of the tennis ball and an outer surface;
a raised wall integrally molded as part of the outer surface, wherein the raised wall and the inner surface and the outer surface of the spherical core are all part of a single homogeneous layer of material, wherein the raised wall forms a continuous dog-bone or stadium shaped line defining two identical dog-bone or stad

Assignees

• Wilson Sporting Goods

Inventors

• Simonutti Frank M
• Lee Chloe J
• Thurman Robert T
• Dillon William E
• Vogel David A

Classifications

• A63B2220/805

  Optical or opto-electronic sensors · CPC title

• A63B2220/44

  Angular acceleration · CPC title

• A63B2209/00

  Characteristics of used materials · CPC title

• A63B37/0098

  Rigid hollow balls, e.g. for pétanque · CPC title

• A63B37/12

  Special coverings {, i.e. outer layer material (balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023)} · CPC title