US 12,251,605 B2
Ball, in particular a soccer ball, and method of manufacturing a ball
Hans-Peter Nürnberg, Gutenstetten (DE)
Assigned to adidas AG, Herzogenaurach (DE)
Filed by adidas AG, Herzogenaurach (DE)
Filed on Sep. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/465,271.
Application 16/509,027 is a division of application No. 15/064,170, filed on Mar. 8, 2016, granted, now 10,376,750, issued on Aug. 13, 2019.
Application 17/465,271 is a continuation of application No. 16/509,027, filed on Jul. 11, 2019, granted, now 11,110,324.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2015 204 151.4 (DE), filed on Mar. 9, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2021/0394026 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. A63B 41/08 (2006.01); A63B 43/00 (2006.01); A63B 43/06 (2006.01); A63B 45/00 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC A63B 45/00 (2013.01) [A63B 41/08 (2013.01); A63B 41/085 (2013.01); A63B 43/004 (2013.01); A63B 43/06 (2013.01); A63B 2225/54 (2013.01); A63B 2225/74 (2020.08); A63B 2243/0025 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A ball comprising:
a shell;
panels disposed on an outside of the shell and arranged in such a way that there is a gap between two adjacent panels, wherein the two adjacent panels comprise a first panel and a second panel;
a filling material partially filling the gap such that the unfilled portion of the gap has a depth of at least 1.5 mm;
a first pseudo seam extending over an outer surface of the first panel, the first pseudo seam comprising a groove in the outer surface of the first panel and dividing the outer surface of the first panel into portions having two different shapes, the portions having the two different shapes being defined by the gap and the first pseudo seam such that each of the portions of the first panel is bordered by both the gap and the first pseudo seam; and
a second pseudo seam extending over an outer surface of the second panel and intersecting the gap, the second pseudo seam comprising a groove in the outer surface of the second panel and dividing the outer surface of the second panel into portions having the two different shapes, the portions having the two different shapes being defined by the gap and the second pseudo seam such that each of the portions of the second panel is bordered by both the gap and the second pseudo seam;
wherein the depth of the gap from the outer surface of one of the panels to a top surface of the filling material in the gap is different than a depth of the pseudo seam such that the pseudo seam is distinguishable from the gap.