SEAMLESS LAMINATED BASKETBALL
A seamless laminated basketball has a carcass and multiple outer covers attached to an outer surface of the carcass. Each outer cover has a thin portion formed around a peripheral edge of the outer cover and seamlessly connected to the thin portions of adjacent outer covers. As widths of the thin portions of the outer covers change, widths of recessed ball channels of the seamless laminated basketball change accordingly. Molds for manufacturing the carcass do not have to be remade or changed. Therefore, the seamless laminated basketball has simplified manufacturing processes and lowered manufacturing cost. Moreover, the outer covers are seamlessly connected to one another, which provides the laminated basketball an intact appearance. Furthermore, the connected outer covers prevent each other from peeling away from the carcass.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated basketball, especially to a seamless laminated basketball.
2. Description of the Prior Art(s)
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However, since each mold for manufacturing the carcass 51, 41 has elongated portions with fixed widths for forming the strips 52 or the grooves 43 of the carcass 51, 41, as widths of the ball channels of the conventional laminated basketballs change, the molds for manufacturing the carcasses 51, 41 have to be remade or changed accordingly. Moreover, whenever the widths of the ball channels change, multiple set of the molds have to be prepared for the purpose of mass production on the conventional laminated ball, which causes inconvenient manufacturing processes and increased manufacturing cost. Moreover, since the outer covers 53, 42 are independently attached to the outer surface of the carcass 51, 41, the outer covers 53, 42 have a tendency to peel away from the carcass 51, 41. Furthermore, the grooves 43 cause the conventional laminated basketball to have a non-integrated appearance.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a seamless laminated basketball to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe main objective of the present invention is to provide a seamless laminated basketball. To achieve the foregoing objective, the seamless laminated basketball has a carcass and multiple outer covers. The outer covers are attached to an outer surface of the carcass. Each outer cover has a thin portion formed around a peripheral edge of the outer cover and seamlessly connected to the thin portions of adjacent outer covers.
The above-mentioned carcass may have multiple grooves formed in an outer surface of the carcass. The above-mentioned thin portion of each outer cover may be mounted in and disposed along corresponding grooves of the carcass.
The above-mentioned outer surface of the carcass may be smooth.
The above-mentioned peripheral edges of every two adjacent outer covers may abut each other.
The above-mentioned thin portions of every two adjacent outer covers may overlap.
The above-mentioned thin portions of the outer covers may be coated or transfer-printed with colored materials or foils to form ball channels.
The above-mentioned seamless laminated basketball may further have multiple strips mounted on the thin portions of the outer covers and recessed below outer surfaces of the outer covers to form the ball channels.
The above-mentioned strips may be rubber strips or composite leather strips.
As widths of the thin portions of the outer covers change, widths of the recessed ball channels of the seamless laminated basketball change accordingly. Therefore, the widths of the ball channels can be changed at manufacturer's choice. Molds for manufacturing the carcass do not have to be remade or changed. Therefore, the seamless laminated basketball has simplified manufacturing processes and lowered manufacturing cost. Moreover, the outer covers are seamlessly connected to one another, which provides the laminated basketball an intact appearance and the connected outer covers prevent each other from peeling away from the carcass.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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The outer covers 20 are attached to the outer surface of the carcass 10. Each outer cover 20 has an inner surface, an outer surface, a peripheral edge and a thin portion 21. The thin portion 21 is thinned from the inner surface of the outer cover 20, is formed around the peripheral edge of the outer cover 20, is pressed to be mounted in and disposed along corresponding grooves 11 of the carcass 10, is seamlessly connected to the thin portions 21 of adjacent outer covers 20 to cover the carcass 10, and is recessed below the outer surfaces of the outer covers 20 to form ball channels above the thin portion 21.
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The seamless laminated basketball has the following advantages. As widths of the thin portions 21, 21A of the outer covers 20, 20A change, widths of the recessed ball channels of the seamless laminated basketball change accordingly. The width of the ball channels can be changed at manufacturer's choice. The grooves 11 of the carcass 10 can be kept in a uniform size, and molds for manufacturing the carcass 10, 10A do not have to be remade or changed. Therefore, the seamless laminated basketball has simplified manufacturing processes and lowered manufacturing cost. Moreover, the outer covers 20, 20A are seamlessly connected to one another, which provides the laminated basketball an intact appearance. Furthermore, the connected outer covers 20, 20A prevent each other from peeling away from the carcass 10, 10A.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
Claims
1. A seamless laminated basketball comprising
- a carcass; and
- multiple outer covers attached to an outer surface of the carcass, and each outer cover having a thin portion formed around a peripheral edge of the outer cover, seamlessly connected to the thin portions of adjacent outer covers to cover the carcass and recessed below the outer surfaces of the outer covers to form ball channels above the thin portion.
2. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 1, wherein
- the carcass has multiple grooves formed in an outer surface of the carcass; and
- the thin portion of each outer cover is mounted in and is disposed along corresponding grooves of the carcass.
3. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the carcass is smooth.
4. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 2, wherein the peripheral edges of every two adjacent outer covers abut each other.
5. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 3, wherein the peripheral edges of every two adjacent outer covers abut each other.
6. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 2, wherein the thin portions of every two adjacent outer covers overlap.
7. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 3, wherein the thin portions of every two adjacent outer covers overlap.
8. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 4, wherein the thin portions of the outer covers are coated or transfer-printed with colored materials or foils.
9. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 5, wherein the thin portions of the outer covers are coated or transfer-printed with colored materials or foils.
10. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 6, wherein the thin portions of the outer covers are coated or transfer-printed with colored materials or foils.
11. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 7, wherein the thin portions of the outer covers are coated or transfer-printed with colored materials or foils.
12. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 4 further having multiple strips mounted on the thin portions of the outer covers and recessed below outer surfaces of the outer covers to form the ball channels.
13. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 5 further having multiple strips mounted on the thin portions of the outer covers and recessed below outer surfaces of the outer covers to form the ball channels.
14. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 6 further having multiple strips mounted on the thin portions of the outer covers and recessed below outer surfaces of the outer covers to form the ball channels.
15. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 7 further having multiple strips mounted on the thin portions of the outer covers and recessed below outer surfaces of the outer covers to form the ball channels.
16. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 12, wherein the strips are rubber strips or composite leather strips.
17. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 13, wherein the strips are rubber strips or composite leather strips.
18. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 14, wherein the strips are rubber strips or composite leather strips.
19. The seamless laminated basketball as claimed in claim 15, wherein the strips are rubber strips or composite leather strips.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 13, 2012
Publication Date: Mar 13, 2014
Inventor: I-Ting LEE (Taipei City)
Application Number: 13/675,498
International Classification: A63B 41/08 (20060101);