Patent ID: 9586098
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: A63B

Claim:
1. A method for manufacturing a sports ball, comprising: cutting a plurality of outer panels from a first sheet material, a plurality of internal padding layer cut-outs from a second sheet material, and an internal valve padding layer cut-out from a third sheet material, wherein the internal valve padding layer cut-out comprises a valve hole and a plurality of perforations, and the internal padding layer cut-outs comprise a plurality of perforations, and the plurality of perforations in the internal valve padding layer cut-out and in the internal padding layer cut-outs do not extend through the outer panels; applying onto a top surface of each of the panels, along peripheral edges of the top surface, a layer of heat-reactive adhesive that expands upon heating; stitching together adjoining panels of the plurality of panels along respective edges of the adjoining panels, such that the stitching joins adjoining panels with the top surfaces of the respective adjoining panels facing one another at seams to form an inside-out cover, leaving an inlet opening unstitched; attaching one of the internal padding layer cut-outs to a bottom surface of each one of the stitched panels; attaching the internal valve padding layer cut-out to a valve hole panel that is comprised of one of the panels having a valve hole; turning the inside-out cover to be right-side out, such that the internal padding layer is inside the right-side out cover; inserting a reinforced deflated bladder into the cover, and inserting a valve of the bladder into both of the valve holes; stitching the inlet opening closed; inflating the bladder inside the cover; applying heat and pressure from the exterior of the cover to mold the ball and cause expansion of the heat-reactive adhesive to cover the stitching in the seams and weld the seams.