CPC A63B 41/08 (2013.01) [A63B 41/02 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |
1. An inflatable sports ball comprising:
a bladder capable of being inflated to a predetermined internal pressure, the bladder defining:
an exterior bladder surface; and
a valve opening configured to receive a valve, the valve configured to permit selective inflation of the bladder to the predetermined internal pressure, such that the bladder defines a bladder circumference, when the bladder is inflated to the predetermined internal pressure;
a casing disposed about the bladder, the casing comprising:
an outer cover layer comprising:
a plurality of adjoining panels coupled at a plurality of seams, wherein each seam has a seam width and a seam depth;
a plurality of channels defined by the outer cover layer and spaced apart from each of the seams, each channel having a channel width and a channel depth; and
a plurality of protrusions extending from the outer cover layer surface to a protrusion terminus, wherein the protrusion terminus is radially spaced apart from the outer cover layer surface by a protrusion height that is greater than about 0.05 millimeters (mm);
an intermediate structure disposed between the bladder and the outer cover layer, the intermediate structure comprising a restriction structure, wherein the restriction structure comprises a plurality of overlapping strips and the outer cover layer is bonded directly to the intermediate structure at each channel; and
wherein:
each strip of the plurality of overlapping strips is interwoven with each of the other strips and wrapped about the bladder circumference;
the restriction structure comprises a uniform number of radially-stacked layers of the overlapping strips over a substantial entirety of the exterior bladder surface; and
the plurality of overlapping strips defines a nexus void that is aligned with the valve opening such that the valve is contained within the nexus void.
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