With Sealable Opening, Valve, Or Inflation Tube For Insertion Of Fluid (e.g., Beach Ball, Etc.) Patents (Class 473/610)
  • Patent number: 11833397
    Abstract: An inflatable sports ball is provided. The inflatable sports ball having a bladder defining an exterior bladder surface and a bladder circumference. The inflatable sports ball may further comprise a cover disposed about the bladder, the cover comprising an outer cover layer and an intermediate structure. The intermediate structure is disposed between the outer cover layer and the bladder. The intermediate structure comprises a restriction structure. The restriction structure may comprise a plurality of overlapping strips. Each of the overlapping strips is interwoven with each of the other strips and wrapped about the bladder circumference. In this way, the restriction structure comprises a uniform number of radially-stacked layers of the overlapping strips over a substantial entirety of the exterior bladder surface between the exterior bladder surface and the outer cover layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Arthur Parker Molinari
  • Patent number: 11413178
    Abstract: An intragastric balloon comprises a bag body, provided with an internal cavity shaped to contain a filling fluid, and a valve having a valve body provided with a through inner conduit for feeding the filling fluid into the cavity; the valve body is flexible and elastically deformable, being made of an elastic material; and is arranged inside the bag body and shaped so as to elastically deform until it occludes the conduit following a pressure exerted on an outer surface of the valve body by the filling fluid contained in the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: EUROMEDICAL S.R.L.
    Inventors: Romano Miglietti, Giorgio Ramorino, Matteo Storer
  • Patent number: 11058923
    Abstract: An American-style football may include a prolate spheroidal shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis, an outermost layer about the bladder, a lacing surface featuring a series of parallel projections from an exterior of the outermost layer and an intermediate sandwiched between the bladder and the outermost layer, wherein the intermediate layer is configured to decrease a MOI of the football.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventors: Daniel E. Hare, Kevin L. Krysiak, Andrew K. Tryner, Daniel W. Kolcun, Andrew J. Wentling, Robert T. Thurman
  • Patent number: 10709531
    Abstract: An automatic dental flosser (10,11,37) includes a floss cartridge or attachment (14,15,17,19) detachably connectable to a power driver (12,13). The attachment comprises a plastic bifurcated member (16,82) supporting a dental floss span for flossing teeth. A rotatably supported floss supply spool (58) is connected to the bifurcated member for continuously replacing used floss spans with clean floss spans. A rotatably supported floss take-up spool (50,72) is connected to the bifurcated member for being driven by the driver to wind used floss drawn from the bifurcated member. Means for encapsulating the used floss and for distributing antimicrobial fluid (69) on the used floss are included to inhibit microbial activity. Means are provided to distribute used floss along a take-up spool for high-capacity used floss storage until disposal of the cartridge. In the unlikely event of a floss snag, such as on a dental appliance, a built-in floss cutter (88) can instantly detach the flosser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Inventor: Charles L. Urso
  • Patent number: 9289657
    Abstract: A football with a free moving weight. Implementations may include an outer cover, a bladder within the outer cover, and a free weight within the bladder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Inventor: Chris Rice
  • Patent number: 9011621
    Abstract: A sports ball having a high-performance cover formed from a plurality of panels with attached foam backing. The panels may be stitched together at stitch lines which are 2-4 mm from the edges of each of the panels. During manufacturing, before compression is applied, foam attached to outer layers for each of the panels may be a distance 2-6 mm away from the stitch lines. Foam attached on the inside of the sports ball may provide support and a robust round shape for manufacturing of a high performance sports ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Inventor: Ali Hasnain Hussain
  • Patent number: 8926459
    Abstract: A sport ball may include a casing that forms an exterior surface of the sport ball. The casing may incorporate a plurality of joined panels, including a closure panel. In addition, the ball may include a backing layer located radially inward of the closure panel, the backing layer extending beyond a peripheral boundary of the closure panel and at least partially overlapping with one or more panels adjacent to the closure panel. The backing layer may also include an opening located radially inward of the closure panel, the opening being smaller than the surface area of the closure panel. Also, the ball may include a bladder located radially inward of the backing layer, the bladder including a valve for introducing fluid into the ball, the valve extending through the opening and through the closure panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott R Berggren, Scott W. Johnson, Vincent F. White
  • Patent number: 8771115
    Abstract: A sport ball may include a casing, a bladder, and a valve. The casing forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball. The bladder is located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, and the bladder may be formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of a barrier material. The valve is for introducing the fluid to the bladder, and the valve is secured to the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing. A tie layer may be located between the flange and a surface of the bladder to join the flange to the bladder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott R. Berggren, Mark McNamee, Scott W. Johnson, Eric L. Fliss
  • Patent number: 8771110
    Abstract: A valve for a ball includes a casing and a core. The core is arranged at least partially inside the casing. The core comprises a first sealing area with a plurality of sections which have alternating concave and convex curvatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: adidas International Marketing B.V.
    Inventor: Volker Peter Steidle
  • Patent number: 8702542
    Abstract: The invention is for a weighted ball designed to be hit or struck where the ball has a resilient, flexible, nonburstable outer shell, a hollow inner chamber and a filler hole where a weighted filler material is inserted into the hollow inner chamber through the filler hole and where the air inside the hollow inner chamber that displaces the remaining space inside the hollow inner chamber and where the inside air pressure is equal to the outside air pressure, and where a hole plug seals the filler hole after filling the hollow inner chamber with the weighted filler material, and where a hole plug sealant is used to fill the vacant hole plug space and to reinforce and strengthen the hole plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Inventor: Pete Parenti
  • Patent number: 8672784
    Abstract: A sport ball may include a casing, a bladder, and a valve. The casing forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the ball. The bladder is located within the casing for enclosing a pressurized fluid, and the bladder may be formed from a material that includes a first layer of thermoplastic polymer material and a second layer of a barrier material. The valve is for introducing the fluid to the bladder, and the valve is secured to the bladder and accessible from an exterior of the casing. A tie layer may be located between the flange and a surface of the bladder to join the flange to the bladder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott R. Berggren, Mark McNamee, Scott W. Johnson, Eric L. Fliss
  • Patent number: 8579744
    Abstract: An inflatable sports ball and its pneumatic inflation valve core are provided. The pneumatic inflation valve core includes a passage penetrating the pneumatic inflation valve core in a lengthwise direction. The passage is provided for receiving an inflation needle which is served for inflating a ball bladder of an inflatable sports ball. When an inflation needle inserts into the passage of the pneumatic inflation valve core, since the pneumatic inflation valve core has adequate length, the pneumatic inflation valve core prevents the inflation needle from piercing through the ball bladder as the ball bladder is flat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Inventor: Keng-Hua Chou
  • Publication number: 20130252771
    Abstract: A ball inflation valve includes a valve body extended into an inflatable inner bladder of a ball and having an axial bore and an annular flange portion; a valve core partially held in the axial bore of the valve body and having an air hole; a canvas superimposing layer flatly superimposed on the annular flange portion of the valve body to locate around the valve core; and a protective top including a sleeve portion enclosing a length of the valve core exposed from the valve body and a locating flange portion radially outward extended from the sleeve portion to locate between a surface cover of the ball and the valve body and the valve core, so that any sulfide from the valve body and the valve core will attach to an inner side of the protective top without forming a yellowing smudge on the ball surface cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Long Way Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mei Sun LIN
  • Patent number: 8540595
    Abstract: A ball inflation valve includes a valve body extended into an inflatable inner bladder of a ball and having an axial bore and an annular flange portion; a valve core partially held in the axial bore of the valve body and having an air hole; a canvas superimposing layer flatly superimposed on the annular flange portion of the valve body to locate around the valve core; and a protective top including a sleeve portion enclosing a length of the valve core exposed from the valve body and a locating flange portion radially outward extended from the sleeve portion to locate between a surface cover of the ball and the valve body and the valve core, so that any sulfide from the valve body and the valve core will attach to an inner side of the protective top without forming a yellowing smudge on the ball surface cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Long Way Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mei Sun Lin
  • Publication number: 20130053193
    Abstract: An inflatable ball includes interconnected first and second half ball bodies. The first half ball body has a first half ball wall with first inner and outer wall surfaces, and a first rib structure formed as one piece with the first half ball wall and projecting from one of the first inner and outer wall surfaces. The first half ball wall has a through hole extending through the first inner and outer wall surfaces, and a first annular connecting edge interconnecting circumferential ends of the first inner and outer wall surfaces. The second half ball body has a second half ball wall with second inner and outer wall surfaces, and a second rib structure projecting from one of the second inner and outer wall surfaces. A valve unit is attached to the first half ball body in connection with the through hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventor: Jack LO
  • Patent number: 8292764
    Abstract: A valve for a ball includes a casing and a core. The core is arranged at least partially inside the casing. The core comprises a first sealing area with a plurality of sections which have alternating concave and convex curvatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: adidas International Marketing B.V.
    Inventor: Volker Peter Steidle
  • Patent number: 7998005
    Abstract: Ball structures, such as basketballs, are formed to include regions with different and distinct tactile characteristics or “feel.” Such ball structures may include a cover member divided into plural panels that are separated by channels. The exterior surface of one or more of these panels may include regions having different textures. One region, which extends over a central portion of the panel, includes raised elements, such as raised ribs or other structures, that may extend at least 0.5 mm outward from a base surface of the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: Glenn Geisendorfer
  • Publication number: 20110183791
    Abstract: An inflatable ball includes an outer cover defining a confining chamber therein, a bladder unit disposed in the confining chamber, and a valve unit connected to the bladder unit. The bladder unit includes an outer bladder defining an accommodation chamber, an inner bladder disposed in the accommodation chamber and defining an inflating space, and a winding thread layer disposed in the accommodation chamber and covering an outer surrounding surface of the inner bladder. The outer bladder has a first elongation percentage. The inner bladder has a second elongation percentage greater than the first elongation percentage of the outer bladder. The winding thread layer has a third elongation percentage less than the first elongation percentage of the outer bladder. The bladder unit can be deflated and inflated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Inventor: Chuan-Hsin LO
  • Patent number: 7828681
    Abstract: Ball structures, such as basketballs, are formed to include regions with different and distinct tactile characteristics or “feel.” Such ball structures may include a cover member divided into plural panels that are separated by channels. The exterior surface of one or more of these panels may include regions having different textures. One region, which extends over a central portion of the panel, includes raised elements, such as raised ribs or other structures, that may extend at least 0.5 mm outward from a base surface of the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: Glenn Geisendorfer
  • Publication number: 20100167851
    Abstract: A hooded valve and valve assembly for use in inflatable objects, especially inflatable balls with an internal bladder that are inflated through insertion of an air needle, are disclosed. The valve includes an exterior chamber for easy insertion of the needle, a closed central portion for retention of air once the needle is removed, and a flexible interior chamber for enabling air to flow from the needle and to prevent the needle from puncturing the ball or the bladder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventor: Dann Burke
  • Publication number: 20100130315
    Abstract: A bladder for an inflatable ball, in particular a soccer ball, has electrical wiring wherein the wiring is at least partially arranged along a bladder wall to interconnect two electrical or electronic devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: adidas International Marketing B.V.
    Inventor: Volker Peter STEIDLE
  • Patent number: 7645203
    Abstract: A carcass of a soccer ball or other inflatable game ball has a bladder with a valve for introducing air into said bladder; a fabric pocket layer located outside said bladder composed of a plurality of fabric pieces sewn to form a spherical shape, with a hole for the valve, the sewing thread for sewing said fabric pieces and the sewn margin being located in the inner side of said fabric pocket, and an opening being cut for reversing and placing the bladder being located on one of the fabric pieces; and an opening-cover adhered solidly on said opening for enclosing said opening. The surface of the manufactured ball is soft, with good tactility and the performance of ball-controlling is good. At the same time because there is no sewn margin left on the out side of the fabric pocket layer, no slight unevenness will exist on the surface of the fabric pocket layer, the ball will have a substantially perfect spherical shape, and can be easily controlled by athletes during a game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Inventors: Ya Fang Tang, Margaret Yuen Yuen Chang
  • Patent number: 7517294
    Abstract: A dual-bladder inflatable ball includes: a valve unit; an outer cover defining a confining chamber therein and connected sealingly to the valve unit; a bladder unit enclosed in the confining chamber in the outer cover, connected to the valve unit, and including an inner bladder and an outer bladder enclosing the inner bladder and disposed between the outer cover and the inner bladder. The bladder unit is operable between an inflated state, where the inner and outer bladders are spherical in shape and the inner bladder abuts against the outer bladder, and a deflated state, where the inner and outer bladders are non-spherical in shape and cooperatively define a gap therebetween. The outer bladder has a first elongation percentage, and the inner bladder has a second elongation percentage greater than the first elongation percentage of the outer bladder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Inventor: I-Chen Tsai
  • Publication number: 20080268990
    Abstract: To provide a toy ball which includes an air plug which facilitates the injection and discharge of air and which does not have to be plugged immediately after the completion of air injection, a toy ball is made up of a ball main body which has an air hole in a predetermined position and which is formed into a spherical body by injecting air into an interior thereof and a hollow rod-like air plug which is freely detachably mounted in the air hole in the ball main body and which allows air to be injected therethrough while kept mounted in the air hole, and the air plug is made up of a pipe-like air injecting pipe having an enlarged portion at an outer end portion thereof, an air flow-in member which is mounted at an inner end portion of the air injecting pipe and which has a space in an interior thereof, and a spherical valve which is inserted in the space in the air flow-in member in such a manner as to be sorbable movable state to a distal end of the air injecting pipe so as to be secured thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicants: AGATSUMA CO., LTD., Kazumasa Harasawa
    Inventor: Shinji Todokoro
  • Patent number: 6949276
    Abstract: A bladder shell for inflatable balls having a layer of blended synthetic latex and natural rubber latex compounded with an anti-oxidant, an activator, an accelerator, a thickening agent, a wetting agent, and a stabilizer etc. to form a low air permeability and high bounce bladder shell having thickness of between 0.25 mm to 3.0 mm. Also disclosed is a process for the preparation of the bladder shell that includes dipping former in a bath of blended natural rubber latex and synthetic latex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignees: Enkay (India) Rubber Company, Private Limited
    Inventors: Satish Jain, Naresh Jain, Anil Jain, Vipin Jain, Jinesh Jain
  • Patent number: 6544608
    Abstract: A bladder shell for inflatable balls having at least a pair of layers of compounded synthetic latex and compounded natural rubber latex or at least a layer of blended synthetic latex and natural rubber latex compounded with anti-oxidant, activators, accelerators, thickening and wetting agents, stabilizers etc. to form a low air permeability and high bounce bladder shell having thickness of between 0.25 mm to 3.0 mm. The present invention also defines a process for the preparation of the bladder shell comprising formation of at least a layer of natural rubber latex and a synthetic latex each. The process of the present invention comprises dipping the former in not only a natural rubber latex bath but also in the synthetic latex bath. In an another embodiment, the process comprises dipping the former in the bath comprising blended natural rubber latex and synthetic latex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Inventors: Satish Jain, Naresh Jain, Anil Jain, Vipin Jain, Jinesh Jain
  • Patent number: 6334804
    Abstract: A NOVEL TOY BALLOON OR BAME BALL comprises a rubber balloon with a tube like structure that projects from the containing wall of the balloon opposite the neck. When this tube projects into the body of the balloon, the end of it can be held to one side of the mouthpiece during inflation then tied together with the neck to seal the balloon. The resultant balloon has a hollow core open at one end and is approximately spherical. This novel elastic structure has a multitude of uses some of which are in different fields. One particular use is that it provides a new type of rubber game ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Inventor: Michael Carr Brown
  • Patent number: 5779968
    Abstract: A sports ball bladder and method of manufacture which produces a sports ball in which a valve element (48) is fused to the bladder and is disposed away from a parting line (40) of a mold (34). The bladder is made by extruding a parison (64) and closing a mold cavity (42) in surrounding relation thereof. A blow needle (46) supports the valve element thereon and delivers fluid pressure to an interior area (68) of the parison. The expanding parison fills the mold cavity and impinges on the valve element. The expanded parison is cooled to solidify the thermoplastic material. The pressure in the interior area is then relieved through the blow needle and the mold is opened. To avoid thinning of the bladder adjacent to the parting line, thermoplastic material is pushed inwardly into the mold cavity from a pinch pocket (80) as the mold is closed. After the ball bladder is formed, a valve member (72) is inserted into the valve element to enable holding of the bladder in an inflated condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Advanced Elastomer Systems, L.P.
    Inventors: John Robert Richwine, Ostin H.C. Tan, Purushottam Das Agrawal, Tiong Boon Seet, Kevin Mark Gase
  • Patent number: 5649875
    Abstract: A toy missile resembling a humanoid figure, the missile including a plastic film casing confining an inflated balloon, which causes the casing to assume a ball-like form. Printed on the front face of the casing is the head and torso of the figure. Hinged to the upper zone of the casing and extending therefrom is a first pair of plastic film pockets in each of which is entrapped a compressible filler to define the arm and hand appendages of the figure. Hinged to the lower zone of the casing and extending therefrom is a second pair of plastic film pockets in each of which is entrapped a compressible filler to define the leg and feet appendages of the figure. When a player grasps one of the appendages and then whirls the missile and lets it fly, the ball then rotates in the course of flight, causing the appendages to stretch out from the ball to stabilize the flight pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Inventor: Donald Spector