Abstract: There is provided a sports ball capable of relieving the pain of the hands suffered from impact on the ball and having a soft feel and high flexibility. The sports ball comprises a spherical hollow rubber bladder (2) inflated with air injected into it, a fabric tape reinforcement layer (3) formed by winding a narrow adhesive-impregnated fabric tape (7) around a central spherical portion (6) of the rubber bladder about each of three axes of the rubber bladder with the exception of opposite spherical end portions (5) of the rubber bladder, whereby the fabric tape reinforcement layer is formed as orthogonal lap windings of the fabric tape over substantially all of the spherical surface of the rubber bladder, to provide a fabric tape wound ball core, and surface panels (4) adhered with adhesive to the fabric tape reinforcement layer on the rubber bladder, after vulcanization and forming of the fabric tape wound ball core.

Abstract: Surface panels of a sports ball are arranged to facilitate bending of their outer peripheral edge portions into an arc, without reducing strength of an elastic member, to define a groove at a seam between adjacent panels. Panels are adhered through the elastic members to a body defining a ball core with high adhesion strength. The panels have sheet material backed by an elastic member, each panel having an arched portion formed by bending inwardly an outer peripheral edge portion of each panel with a radius of curvature more than the thickness of the panel, after formation of many apertures in an inner peripheral edge portion of the elastic member. Lower edges of the arched portions of adjacent panels abut each other. A groove is defined at seams between adjacent panels, and the panels are adhered to a ball core body by adhering the elastic members to the body.

Abstract: Surface panels of a sports ball are arranged to facilitate bending of their outer peripheral edge portions into an arc, without reducing strength of an elastic member, to define a groove at a seam between adjacent panels. Panels are adhered through the elastic members to a body defining a ball core with high adhesion strength. The panels have sheet material backed by an elastic member, each panel having an arched portion formed by bending inwardly an outer peripheral edge portion of each panel with a radius of curvature more than the thickness of the panel, after formation of many apertures in an inner peripheral edge portion of the elastic member. Lower edges of the arched portions of adjacent panels abut each other. A groove is defined at seams between adjacent panels, and the panels are adhered to a ball core body by adhering the elastic members to the body.

Abstract: There is provided a sports ball capable of relieving the pain of the hands suffered from impact on the ball and having a soft feel and high flexibility. The sports ball comprises a spherical hollow rubber bladder (2) inflated with air injected into it, a fabric tape reinforcement layer (3) formed by winding a narrow adhesive-impregnated fabric tape (7) around a central spherical portion (6) of the rubber bladder about each of three axes of the rubber bladder with the exception of opposite spherical end portions (5) of the rubber bladder, whereby the fabric tape reinforcement layer is formed as orthogonal lap windings of the fabric tape over substantially all of the spherical surface of the rubber bladder, to provide a fabric tape wound ball core, and surface panels (4) adhered with adhesive to the fabric tape reinforcement layer on the rubber bladder, after vulcanization and forming of the fabric tape wound ball core.

Abstract: In a pattern inspection method, a master pattern serving as a reference and the continuous tone image of a pattern to be measured that is sensed by a camera are aligned. At least the position of a base in the continuous tone image of the pattern to be measured is detected on the basis of the master pattern. At least one threshold is set on the basis of the difference from at least the density value of the base. The continuous tone image of the pattern to be measured is binarized on the basis of the set threshold. The pattern to be measured is inspected by comparing the binarized pattern to be measured and the master pattern. A pattern inspection apparatus and alignment method are also disclosed.

Abstract: In a pattern inspection method, a master pattern serving as a reference and the continuous tone image of a pattern to be measured that is sensed by a camera are aligned. At least the position of a base in the continuous tone image of the pattern to be measured is detected on the basis of the master pattern. At least one threshold is set on the basis of the difference from at least the density value of the base. The continuous tone image of the pattern to be measured is binarized on the basis of the set threshold. The pattern to be measured is inspected by comparing the binarized pattern to be measured and the master pattern. A pattern inspection apparatus and alignment method are also disclosed.