Gymnastic ball

Abstract

A gymnastic ball is constructed to have a spherical rubber wall, an inflatable inner tube mounted inside the spherical rubber wall, and two rubber handles adhered to and vulcanized with the spherical rubber wall, each rubber handle having a rigid support embedded therein to reinforce the structural strength.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ball for the training of the body and more particularly, to a durable gymnastic ball, which has reinforced handles for the gripping of the hands during exercise.

2. Description of the Related Art

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an inflatable ball constructed according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,115,926 for gymnastics. According to this design, the inflatable ball 10 comprises rubber walls 11, and at least one handle structure fastened to the rubber walls 11. Each handle structure comprises thin marginal edges 14, hemispherical recesses 12, and a handle 15. Each hemispherical recess 12 has a concave-convex bottom joined to the rubber walls 11. This design of inflatable ball has numerous drawbacks as outlined hereinafter:

• 1. The design of the handle 15 hemispherical recesses 12 is not orthopedically engineered for convenient and positive gripping of the hand.
• 2. The limited bonding area between the concave-convex bottom of the hemispherical recess 12 and the rubber walls 11 is insufficient to secure the handle structure to the rubber walls 11 firmly.
• 3. The thin marginal edges 14 tend to be forced away from the rubber walls 11, thereby causing the handle structure to fall from the rubber walls 11.
• 4. Each handle structure tends to be broken or permanently deformed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a gymnastic ball, which has handles for comfort and positive gripping of the hands. It is another object of the present invention to provide a gymnastic ball, which has the handles thereof respectively reinforced with an embedded rigid support against breaking. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a gymnastic ball, which has the handles formed integral with the ball body so that the handles do not fall from the ball body. To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the gymnastic ball comprises a ball body and at least one handle fastened to the ball body. The ball body comprises a spherical rubber wall, an inflatable inner tube mounted inside the spherical rubber wall, and an air valve extended from the inflatable inner tube to the outside of the spherical rubber wall for enabling the user to drive forced air into the inflatable inner tube to inflate the inflatable inner tube. The at least one handle is respectively molded from raw rubber and adhered to the spherical rubber wall and vulcanized with the spherical rubber wall. Each handle has a rigid support embedded therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing the outer appearance of an inflatable ball according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a part of the inflatable ball shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a gymnastic ball constructed according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the gymnastic ball shown according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional assembly view of the gymnastic ball according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing the outer appearance of the gymnastic ball according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a gymnastic ball 20 in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a ball body 21, and at least one, for example, two handles 22. The ball body 21 comprises a spherical rubber wall 25, an inflatable inner tube 24 mounted inside the spherical rubber wall 25, and an air valve 26 extended from the inflatable inner tube 24 to the outside of the spherical rubber wall 25. Through the air valve 26, compressed air is applied to inflate the inflatable inner tube 24. The spherical rubber wall 25 has a certain wall thickness that determines the weight of the gymnastic ball 20. Preferably, the gymnastic ball 20 is made having a weight ranging from about 6˜20 pbs. The handles 22 are molded from raw rubber and vulcanized, each having a support 23 embedded on the inside to reinforce the structural strength. The support 23 is preferably molded from rigid plastics.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the handles 22 are adhered to the spherical rubber wall 25 of the ball body 21 with a bonding agent, and then the handles 22 with the ball body 21 are put in a mold and then vulcanized by heating. After vulcanization, the handles 22 are formed integral with the ball body 21 and in flush with the spherical rubber wall 25.

As indicated above, the handles 22 have a respective support 23 embedded therein to reinforce the structural strength, therefore the handles 22 do not break or permanently deformed. Because the handles 22 are formed integral with the ball body 21, they do not fall from the ball body 21. Further, each handle 22 provides a wide gripping area for the holding of the hand.

A prototype of gymnastic ball has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 3˜6. The gymnastic ball functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gymnastic ball comprising a ball body and at least one handle fastened to said ball body, wherein said ball body comprising a spherical rubber wall, an inflatable inner tube mounted inside said spherical rubber wall, and an air valve extended from said inflatable inner tube to the outside of said spherical rubber wall for enabling the user to drive forced air into said inflatable inner tube to inflate said inflatable inner tube; said at least one handle is respectively molded from raw rubber and adhered to said spherical rubber wall and vulcanized with said spherical rubber wall, each said handle having a rigid support embedded therein.