| US 7,503,861 B2 | ||
| Sportsball and method of manufacturing same | ||
| Louis Swiszcz, Chicopee, Mass. (US); and Ronald P. Laliberty, Dudley, Mass. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Russell Asset Management, Inc., Wilmington, Del. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 10, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/33,069. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/535351, filed on Jan. 09, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0153803 A1, Jul. 14, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. A63B 41/08 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 473—596 [473/603; 473/604] | 17 Claims |
| 1. A sportsball, comprising:
an inflatable bladder;
a winding thread layer surrounding said bladder;
a carcass having an inner face adjacent said winding thread layer and an outer face, said outer face consisting of a plurality
of curvilinearly extending ribs each having sides and an exteriorly projecting face, said ribs defining a plurality of separated
panel areas; and
a plurality of external cover panels, each affixed to the outer face of said carcass in one of said separated panel areas
defined by the ribs, wherein each external cover panel comprises an outer panel portion and an inner panel portion, the outer
panel portion having an interior edge and an exterior edge, the inner panel portion having at least one edge which is connected
to the interior edge of the outer panel portion, and the exterior edge of the outer panel portion being connected to the ribs;
wherein the outer panel portion and inner panel portion comprise materials having different characteristics, the inner and
outer panel portions are each visible when the external cover panel is affixed to the outer face; and
wherein the interior edge of the outer panel portion parallels the ribs to which the exterior edge is connected for substantially
the entire length of the rib that defines the respective panel area.
|