US 12,257,482 B2
Systems and methods for producing a sports ball
Ali Hasnain Hussain, Richmond Hill (CA)
Filed by Ali Hasnain Hussain, Richmond Hill (CA)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/759,971.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/651,415, filed on May 24, 2024.
Prior Publication US 2024/0416186 A1, Dec. 19, 2024
Int. Cl. A63B 45/00 (2006.01); A63B 41/08 (2006.01); B29D 22/04 (2006.01)
CPC A63B 45/00 (2013.01) [A63B 41/08 (2013.01); B29D 22/04 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A manufacturing method of a sports ball, comprising the steps of:
forming a plurality of panels (502), comprising:
forming an outer layer (200) for the plurality of panels, comprising forming the outer layer by attaching foam (206) to a Polyurethane (PU) layer (202);
forming cutouts (312 and 314) corresponding to a respective shape for each of the plurality of panels from the outer layer (200/300),
forming pre-mold cutouts (502/622) by creating one or more foam indentations (510) on each of the respective cutouts by removing a part of the foam of each respective cutout of the respective cutouts by applying a laser to the foam of the each respective cutout;
forming each respective panel of the plurality of panels by:
placing each of the pre-mold cutouts (622) in a corresponding mold (600), wherein a shape of the corresponding mold corresponds to a shape of a finalized panel, the corresponding mold comprising of an upper mold portion (602) and a lower mold portion (604), the lower mold portion (604) comprising a cavity (610) in a desire shape of a respective panel, the upper mold portion (602) comprising a pressing part (608) corresponding to shape of the cavity (610), wherein each of the pre-mold cutouts (622) with an end-to-end length (620) of more than five millimeters more than an end-to-end length (614) of the pressing part (608); and
forming each respective panel (630) in each respective corresponding mold by applying pressure to each of the pre-mold cutouts utilizing the upper mold portion (602) and applying heat for thirty to forty seconds, wherein each respective panel (630) with an end-to-end length (632) of one millimeters more than an end-to-end length (614) of the pressing part (608);
creating a bladder valve panel (1000) by inserting a valve (1104) in one of the plurality of panels;
forming a pre-finalized ball by attaching the plurality of the panels (1302) including the bladder valve panel to a bladder (1300) and respective edges to each of the plurality of the panels to respective edges of adjacent panels of the plurality of the panels; and
placing the pre-finalized sports ball (1310) in a ball mold and applying heat to the pre-finalized sports ball, wherein the applying heat to the pre-finalized sports ball comprises applying 70 degrees Celsius for thirty seconds to sixty seconds.