SELF CONTAINED SPORT BALL INFLATION MECHANISM

Abstract: An inflatable sport ball (10), such as a basketball, a football, a soccer ball, a volley ball or a playground ball, is provided with a self-contained inflation mechanism for inflating or more likely adding pressure to the ball. The mechanism is a self-contained, manually operable pumping chamber which is inside of the ball and which is operable from outside of the ball to compress the chamber and pump ambient air into the ball.

Description: Self Contained Sport Ball Inflation Mechanism This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/1 59,31 1 , filed October 14, 1 999. Background of the Invention The present invention relates to sport balls which contain mechanisms for inflating or adding pressure to the balls. Conventional inflatable sport balls, such as basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, volley balls and playground balls, are inflated through a traditional inflation valve using a separate inflation needle that is inserted into and through a self-sealing inflation valve. A separate pump, such as a traditional bicycle pump, is connected to the inflation needle and the ball is inflated using the pump. The inflation needle is then withdrawn from the inflation valve which self-seals to maintain the pressure. This system works fine until the sport ball needs inflation or a pressure increase and a needle and/or pump are not readily available. Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a sport ball which has a self- contained inflation mechanism. The object is to be able to inflate or add pressure to a sport ball without the need for separate inflation equipment such as a separate inflation needle and pump. Specifically, the invention relates to a sport ball which has a self-contained, manually operable pumping chamber which pumps ambient air into the ball to achieve the desired pressure. More specifically, the pumping chamber includes means for admitting ambient air into the chamber and means for forcing that air from the chamber through one-way valve means into the interior volume of the ball. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a portion of a sport ball with a self-contained pumping chamber comprising a bellows arrangement operable from outside tfte ball for adding air pressure to the ball. Figure 2 is a cross-section view of the pumping chamber of Figure 1 . Figure 3 is a view partially in cross section showing an alternative pumping chamber arrangement. Figure 4 is a view partially in cross section of another alternative pumping chamber arrangement. Figure 5 is an isometric view of the separate components of the pumping chamber of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross-section view of a portion of a sport ball illustrating a further alternative pumping chamber. Figure 7 is an illustration of a sport ball of the Figure 6 type being pumped. Figure 8 illustrates another pump chamber embodiment of the invention. Figure 9 illustrates a further pump chamber embodiment. Figure 10 is a sectional view of an adjustable, self regulating pressure relief valve. Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a portion of a sport ball 10 is illustrated incorporating one embodiment of an inflation pumping chamber of the invention. The ball which is illustrated is a typical basketball construction comprising a carcass 1 2 which is a term used herein to include all the various layers of the ball such as a rubber bladder 14 for air retention, a layer 1 6 composed of layers of nylon or polyester yarn windings wrapped around the bladder and an outer rubber layer 1 8. For a laminated ball, the carcass also includes an additional outer layer 20 of leather or a synthetic comprising panels which are applied by adhesive and set by pressure during a cold molding process. The windings are randomly oriented and two or three layers thick and they form a layer which cannot be extended to any significant degree and which restricts the ball from expanding to any significant extent above its regulation size when inflated above its normal playing pressure. This layer for footballs, volleyballs and soccer balls is referred to as a lining layer and is usually composed of cotton or polyester cloth that is impregnated with a flexible binder resin such as vinyl or latex rubber. In the present invention, a chamber of some sort is incorporated into the sport ball structure in which the chamber is filled with air and then the air is manually expelled from the chamber into the interior of the ball. The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a section of the carcass 12 formed into a pump chamber 22 which includes an inner portion 24, which is a section of the bladder 14 and the layer 16, and an outer portion 26, which is a section of the rubber layer 1 8 and the outer layer 20. The outer portion 26 is attached along one edge 28 so that the outer portion 26 can be lifted and rotated around that attached edge 28 outwardly away from the carcass. The three free edges of the outer portion 26 are attached to the inner portion 24 by the bellows 30. The pump chamber 22 is thus bounded by the inner portion 24, the outer portion 26 and the bellows 30. Located in the inner portion 24 is a one-way valve 32 comprising a known duckbill valve which permits air flow from the pump chamber 22 into the sport ball when the bellows is closed but prevents reverse flow. Likewise, the outer portion 26 has a one-way valve 34 which also comprises a duckbill valve. This valve 34 permits air flow from the atmosphere into the pump chamber 22 when the bellows 30 is opened but does not permit reverse flow when the bellows is closed. The inner portion 24 has a recess 36 to accommodate the duckbill 34 when the bellows is closed. The outer portion 26 has a ball latch 38 which snaps into the recess 40 to hold the outer portion 26 down in the closed position. As shown in Figure 2, this recess 40 is a part of the duckbill valve 32 but it could also be a separate recess. Velcro strips on the end of the outer portion 26 and on the corresponding surface of the inner portion 26 can also be used to hold the outer portion down. A small indentation and undercut may be formed on the end of the outer portion for access to pull the outer portion up. Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 3. This comprises a bulb 42 which has a bellows-shaped configuration such that the bulb can be compressed. This bulb 42 has a one-way valve, duckbill outlet 44 and a small inlet hole 46. The bulb 42 is mounted in a housing 48 with a recess 50 on the inside surface of the carcass 1 2. The carcass 1 2 has a small opening 52 for access to the compressible bulb 42 and for the passage of air. In order to make the opening 52 as small as possible and yet provide for the compression of the bulb, a small key 54 is provided which covers the inlet hole 46 in the bulb and is then used to compress the bulb to force the air out of the one-way outlet valve 44 into the sport ball. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention comprising a compressible pump chamber 56 which is placed in a depression 58 in the sport ball carcass 1 2. The chamber 56 comprises the four parts illustrated in Figure 5 including the base 60, the cover 62, the open cell foam pad 64 and the duckbill valve 66. The foam pad 64 and the duckbill 66 are placed into the base 60 and the cover 62 is cemented to the base 60 with the duckbill being located in the exit tube 68 that is formed. The top 70 of the cover 62 is flexible and has an air intake hole 72. The open cell foam pad 64 is normally full of air which has entered through the hole 72. The hole 72 is then covered with a finger and the flexible top 70 is pushed to compress the open cell foam pad 64 and force the air out through the exit tube 68 and duckbill 66. The cover 70 is then released and air enters the hole 72 to again fill the open cell foam pad 64. Figure 6 illustrates another version of the invention wherein the pumping chamber 74 comprises the space between the carcass 1 2 and the relatively rigid partition 76 inside of the ball attached to the carcass. Duckbill one-way valves 78 and 80 are located in the carcass 1 2 and the partition 76 respectively. A spring 82 is located between the carcass 1 2 and the partition 76 and maintained in position by the duckbill 80 and a protrusion 84 on the inside of the carcass. The pressure in the ball is increased by pressing on the carcass 1 2 over the chamber 74 to compress the spring and expel the air from the chamber 74 through the duckbill 80 into the ball. When the pressure on the ball is released, the spring forces the carcass back out to its normal position which draws air from the atmosphere in through the duckbill 78 into the chamber 74. Figure 7 illustrates pumping the ball by placing it on the ground or some other surface and pressing on the carcass in the region of the chamber. Figures 8 and 9 show other variations of the invention in which a squeezable bulb 86 is contained within a pocket 88 within the ball. In the Figure 8 variation, the bulb 86 is permanently located in the pocket 88. The bulb 86 has an air outlet comprising a one-way valve 90 communicating through the pocket 88 into the interior of the ball. The bulb 86 also has an air inlet which also has a one-way valve 92 permitting air to enter the bulb 86. A permeable membrane 94 covers the bulb 86 and a flap 96 on the carcass permits -access for pressing down on the bulb to squeeze air into the ball. The Figure 9 variation is similar to that in Figure 8 except that the bulb 86 is removed from the pocket 88 for easier manipulation. This is possible because the outlet of the bulb 86 is connected to the one-way valve 90 by means of the tube 98. Since the pressure in a sport ball can be too high through overinflation or a temperature increase, it is advisable to have a way to bleed pressure from the ball when the conventional inflating needle is not available. Such an arrangement is shown in Figure 1 0 involving a self-regulating, adjustable pressure relief valve 100. This comprises an aperture 102 through the carcass 1 2 covered on the inside by the cup- shaped enclosure 104. The enclosure 1 04 has an opening 1 06 with a valve seat 1 08. The valve 1 10 seals against the valve seat 108 to hold the pressure in the ball. The valve stem 1 1 2 is threaded through a disk 1 14 whereby the disk 1 14 can be moved axially on the valve stem 1 1 2 by turning the head 1 1 6 of the valve stem 1 1 2. A spring 1 1 8 is located around the valve stem 1 1 2 between the disk 1 1 4 and the carcass. Therefore, turning the head 1 1 6 and valve stem 1 1 2 moves the disk 1 1 4 axially on the valve stem and adjusts the pressure of the spring 1 1 8. The pressure of the spring 1 1 8 is adjusted such that an over pressure in the ball will force the valve to open and bleed pressure and then close when the desired pressure is reached.

Claims: Claims: 1 . An inflatable sport ball comprising a carcass having a section thereof comprising a manually operated inflation means comprising: a. an inside layer attached to said carcass; b. an outside layer hinged to said carcass along one edge thereof and moveable toward and away from said inside layer around said hinged edge; c. a bellows attached between said inside and said outside layers forming an inflation chamber; d. one-way valve means located in said outside layer for admitting air from the atmosphere into said inflation chamber when said outside layer is moved away from said inside layer; and e. one-way valve means in said inside layer for admitting air into said sport ball from said inflation chamber when said outside layer is moved towards said inside layer. 2. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 and further including means for locking said outside layer down against said inside layer. 3. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 wherein said carcass includes a layer which is non-stretchable whereby excess pressure in said sport ball will not significantly increase the size of said sport ball. 4. An inflatable sport ball as recite-d in claim 1 and further including means for bleeding air pressure from said ball. 5. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 wherein said sport ball is a basketball. 6. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 wherein said sport ball is a volley ball. 7. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 wherein said sport ball is a football. 8. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 wherein said sport ball is a soccer ball. 9. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 wherein said sport ball is a playground ball. 1 0. An inflatable sport ball comprising: a. a carcass defining the boundary between the outside and inside of said sport ball; b. an aperture extending through said carcass; c. a manually compressible chamber mounted within said carcass adjacent to said aperture and positioned whereby said compressible chamber can be compressed by pressure applied through said aperture; d. an inlet opening in said compressible chamber for admitting atmospheric air through said aperture and into said compressible chamber; and e. an outlet one-way valve in said compressible chamber communicating between said compressible chamber and the inside of said sport ball for the one-way flow of air from said compressible chamber into the inside of said sport ball when said chamber is compressed. 1 1 . An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 10 wherein said compressible chamber contains an open cell foam pad. 1 2. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 0 wherein said compressible chamber is a bellows. 1 3. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 0 wherein said sport ball comprises a ball selected from the group consisting of basketballs, volley balls, footballs, soccer balls and playground balls. 1 4. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 10 wherein said carcass includes a layer which is non-stretchable whereby excess pressure in said sport ball will not significantly increase the size of said sport ball. 1 5. An inflatable sport ball comprising: a. a flexible carcass defining the boundary between the outside and inside of said sport ball; b. a rigid member attached to the inside of a portion of said carcass shaped to define a chamber between said flexible carcass and said rigid member; c. a one-way valve in said carcass communicating between said outside of said sport ball and said chamber for admitting air into said chamber; d. a one-way valve in said rigid member communicating between said chamber and said inside of said sport ball for passing air from said chamber into said inside of said sport ball when said portion of said carcass is flexed to compress said chamber; and e. a spring in said chamber, between said carcass and said rigid member adapted to force said portion of said carcass outwardly to decompress said chamber. 1 6. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 5 wherein said carcass includes a layer which is non-stretchable whereby excess pressure in said sport ball will not significantly increase the size of said sport ball. 1 7. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 5 wherein said sport ball comprises a ball selected from the group consisting of basketballs, volley balls, footballs, soccer balls and playground balls. 1 8. An inflatable sport ball comprising: a. a carcass; b. a pocket on the inside of said carcass; c. a squeeze bulb located in said pocket, said squeeze bulb including means for admitting ambient air into said squeeze bulb and one- way valve means for passing air from said squeeze bulb and out of said pocket into the inside of said carcass. 1 9. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 8 wherein said carcass includes a layer which is non-stretchable whereby excess pressure in said sport ball will not significantly increase the size of said sport ball. 20. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 1 8 including an access through said carcass into said pocket and wherein said squeeze bulb is removable from said pocket through said access and further including a tube connecting said bulb to said one-way valve means. 21 . An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 20 wherein said carcass includes a layer which is non-stretchable whereby excess pressure in said sport ball will not significantly increase the size of said sport ball. 22. An inflatable sport ball comprising: a. a carcass defining the boundary between the outside and inside of said sport ball, said carcass including a layer which is non- stretchable whereby excess pressure in said sport ball will not increase the size of said sport ball; b. a manually compressible chamber mounted on a portion of said carcass positioned such that said chamber can be compressed by the application of manual pressure from outside of said sport ball and decompressed by the release of said manual pressure; c. means for admitting ambient air into said chamber upon release of said manual pressure; and d. an outlet one-way valve in said chamber communicating between said chamber and the inside of said sport ball permitting the one-way flow of air from said compressible chamber into the inside of said sport ball upon compression by the application of manual pressure. 23. An inflatable sport ball as recited in claim 22 and further including means for bleeding excess air pressure from said sport ball.

Inventors: AMUNDSEN NEIL T, DE BAKKER PETER M, FEENEY BRIAN P, HARVEY ANDREW C, KEANE CHARLES, LITSCHER ERIC K, POLK LOUIS F III, SCHACHTNER JOSEPH J, SCHOMBURG KENNETH V, STAHL JOSEPH E, STICKLER GEORGE D, SYKES ROBERT C, TAYLOR MALCOLM E, TERRAZZANO RICHARD F, TOUHEY DANIEL P, AMUNDSEN, NEIL, T., DE BAKKER, PETER, M., FEENEY, BRIAN, P., HARVEY, ANDREW, C., KEANE, CHARLES, LITSCHER, ERIC, K., POLK, LOUIS, F., III, SCHACHTNER, JOSEPH, J., SCHOMBURG, KENNETH, V., STAHL, JOSEPH, E., STICKLER, GEORGE, D., SYKES, ROBERT, C., TAYLOR, MALCOLM, E., TERRAZZANO, RICHARD, F., TOUHEY, DANIEL, P.
Applicants: SPALDING SPORTS WORLDWIDE INC, SPALDING SPORTS WORLDWIDE, INC.
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A63B37
IPC codes: A63B41, A63B43, F16K15