GB2446578A

GB2446578A - Dual-bladder inflatable ball

Info

Publication number: GB2446578A
Application number: GB0702978A
Authority: GB
Inventors: L-Chen Tsai
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-02-15
Filing date: 2007-02-15
Publication date: 2008-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 2027-02-15
Also published as: GB0702978D0; GB2446578B

Abstract

A dual-bladder inflatable ball includes: a valve unit (30) ; an outer cover (10) defining a confining chamber (12) therein and connected sealingly to the valve unit (30) ; a bladder unit (20) enclosed in the confining chamber (12) in the outer cover (10) , connected to the valve unit (30), and including an inner bladder (22) and an outer bladder (21) enclosing the inner bladder (22) and disposed between the outer cover (10) and the inner bladder (22) . The bladder unit (20) is operable between an inflated state, where the inner and outer bladders (22, 21) are spherical in shape and the inner bladder (22) abuts against the outer bladder (21) , and a deflated state, where the inner and outer bladders (22, 21) are non-spherical in shape and cooperatively define a gap (23) therebetween, the outer bladder (21) has a first elongation percentage, and the inner bladder (22) has a second elongation percentage greater than the first elongation percentage of the outer bladder (21).

Description

1 2446578

DUAL-BLADDER INFLATABLE BALL

This invention relates to an inflatable ball, more particularly to an inflatable ball having dual bladders enclosed in an outer cover.

As shown in Fig. 1, a conventional inflatable ball includes an outer cover 1, a rubber bladder layer 2, and a valve unit 3 provided on the rubber bladder layer 2 and extending through the outer cover i and the rubber bladder layer 2. The valve unit 3 includes a base portion 301 connected to the rubber bladder layer 2 and a valve portion 302 inserted into the base portion 301. However, the conventional inflatable ball has following disadvantages.

The inflatable ball tends to lose its desired shape by virtue of the material employed for the rubber bladder layer 2 (i.e., vulcanized rubber) when the rubber bladder layer 2 is over-inflated. Moreover, the rubber bladder layer 2 is made from a single layer of rubber, so that a leakage problem is likely to occur. In addition, since the base portion 301 of the valve unit 3 is made from an elastic rubber material, the valve portion 302 is likely to be moved through the base portion 301 and thus falls into the rubber bladder layer 2 when being inserted into the base portion 301.

Fig. 2 shows another conventional inflatable ball, which includes an outer cover 1, a rubber bladder unit 2, and a valve unit 3 provided on the rubber bladder unit 2 and extending through the outer cover 1 and the rubber bladder unit 2. The rubber bladder unit 2 includes a rubber layer 201 and a winding thread 202 wound around the rubber layer 201. The valve unit 3 includes a base portion 301 and a valve portion 302 inserted into the base portion 301. The winding thread 202 prevents over-inflation of the rubber layer2Ol. However, the requirement forawinding apparatus makes the manufacture of the inflatable ball complicated, and the problem of uneven winding and the problem of falling of the valve portion 302 from the base portion 301 are likely to occur.

Fig. 3 shows yet another conventional inflatable ball, which includes an outer cover 1, a rubber bladder unit 2, and a valve unit 3 provided on the rubber bladder unit 2 and extending through the outer cover 1 and the rubber bladder unit 2. The rubber bladder unit 2 includes a rubber layer 201 and fabric tapes 202 provided on the rubber layer 201. The valve unit 3 includes a base portion 301 and a valve portion 302 inserted into the base portion 301. The fabric tapes 202 prevent over-inflation of the rubber layer 201. However, the fabric tapes 202 have a problem of uneven tension, so that the shape and size of the inflatable ball cannot be desirablymaintained. Furthermore, theprocedure for attaching the fabric tapes 202 to the rubber layer 201 is complicated. The problem of falling of the valve portion 302 from the base portion 301 is also likely to occur in this inflatable ball.

Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide an inflatable ball having dual bladders enclosed in an outer cover.

According to this invention, an inflatable ball includes: a valve unit; an outer cover def ining a confining chamberthereinandconnectedsealinglytothevalveunit; a bladder unit enclosed in the confining chamber in the outer cover, connected to the valve unit, and including an inner bladder and an outer bladder enelosing the inner bladder and disposed between the outer cover and the inner bladder, the bladder unit being operable between an inflated state, where the inner and outer bladders are spherical in shape and the inner bladder abuts against the outer bladder, and a deflated state, where the inner and outer bladders are non-spherical in shape and cooperatively definea gap therebetween, the outerbladder having a first elongation percentage, the inner bladder having a second elongation percentage greater than the first elongation percentage of the outer bladder.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary partly sectional view of a conventional inflatable ball; Fig. 2isafragrnentarypartlysectionalviewof another conventional inflatable ball; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary partly sectional view of yet another conventional inflatable ball; Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of an inflatable ball according to this invention at a deflated state; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment; and Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment at an infiabed state.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the preferred embodiment of an inflatable ball according to the present invention is shown to include an outer cover 10, a bladder unit 20, and a valve unit 30.

The outer cover 10 is made from leather, defines a confining chamber 12 therein, and has a hole 11. The bladder unit 20 is enclosed in the confining chamber 12 in the outer coverlO, andincludesaninnerbladder22andanouterbladder 21 enclosing the inner bladder 22. The outer bladder 21 has an outer peripheral surface 213, an inner peripheral surface 212, and a hole 211. The inner bladder 22 has an outer peripheral surface 223, an inner peripheral surface 222, and a hole 221, and defines an inflating space 24.

The bladder unit 20 is operable between an inflated state, where the inner and outer bladders 22, 21 are spherical in shape, where the outer peripheral surface 213 of the outer bladder 21 abuts against the outer cover 10, and where the outer peripheral surface 223 of the inner bladder 22 abuts against the inner peripheral surface 212 of the outer bladder 21 (see Fig. 6), and a deflated state, where the inner and outer bladder 22, 21 are non-spherical in shape and where the outer peripheral surface 223 of the inner bladder 22 and the inner peripheral surface 212 of the outer bladder 21 cooperatively define a gap 23 therebetween (see Fig. 4) . The outer bladder 21 has a first elongation percentage and is made from a material selected from the group consisting of thermopiasti polyurethane (TPtJ), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), natural rubber, artificial rubber, and latex. The inner bladder 22 is made from a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene-vinyl acetate, natural rubber, artificial rubber, and latex, and has a second elongation percentage greater than the first elongation percentage of the outer bladder 21. That is, the materials forthe outer and innerbiadders 21, 22 can be chosenbased on actual requirements as long as the first elongation percentage of the outer bladder 21 is smaller than the second elongation percentage of the inner bladder 22 such that inflation of the inner bladder 22 can be controlled and limited by the outer bladder 21 to thereby prevent over-inflation of the inflatable ball. For example, in the preferred embodiment of this invention, the outer bladder 21 is made from a plurality of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) pieces joined together using high frequency or ultrasonic welding techniques. The inner bladder 22 is made from vulcanized rubber.

Preferably, as shown in Fig. 5, the valve unit 30 includes a slit-type valve 33 extending through the hole 11 in the outer cover 10, the hole 211 in the outer bladder 21, and the hole 221 in the inner bladder 22. The valve unit 30 further includes a hollow valve-supporting seat 31 and a hollow valve-retaining member 32 extending fittingly into the valve-supporting seat 31. The silL-type valve 33 extends fittingly into the valve-retaining member 32. Each of the valve-supporting seat 31 and the valve-retaining member 32 has a rim portion 311, 321 extending outwardly therefrom and secured to the inner peripheral surface 222 of the inner bladder 22 and the outer peripheral surface 213 of the outer bladder 21, respectively, using, for example, high frequency or ultrasonic welding techniques. It should be noted that the rim portions 311, 321 can be secured to the outer peripheral surface 223 of the inner bladder 22 and inner peripheral surface 212 of the outer bladder 21, respectively.

Preferably, the valve-supporting seat 31 has an inner wall 312 formed with an annular recess 314. The valve-retaining member 32 has an annular portion 324 fitted into the annular recess 314 and defining an annular groove 325. The slit-type valve 33 has an annular protrusion 334 received fittingly in the annular groove 325 in the annular portion 324 of the valve-retaining member 32. With such configuration, the problem of undesired falling of the slit-type valve 33 into the inflating space 24 can be avoided.

In this invention, the material for the valve-supporting seat 31 can be the same as or different from that of the inner bladder 22. Similarly, the material for the valve-retaining member 32 can be the same as or different from that of the outer bladder 21. Thc 3lit-type valve 33 is made from rubber. Preferably, the elongation percentage of the valve-retaining member 32 is smaller than that of the valve-supporting seat 31 so as to enhance the effect in preventing the falling of the slit-type valve 33 into the inflating space 24 in the inner bladder 22.

With the dual-bladder structure, i.e., the inner and outer bladders 22, 21, according to this invention, the over-inflation and the leakage drawbacks can be avoided so that the inflatable ball can be maintained at a desired size and shape. Besides, pressure exerted on the outer cover 10 by the bladder unit 20 can also be reduced to thereby improve the durability of the inflatable ball.

Moreover, with the inclusion of the valve-retaining member 32 in the inflatable ball of this invention, falling of the slit-type valve 33 into the inflating space 24 in the inner bladder 22 can be avoided. Furthermore, the present invention eliminates the winding and taping processes and use of a winding machine, thereby resulting in lower manufacturing costs.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A dual-bladder inflatable ball comprising: a

valve unit; an outer cover defining a confining chamber therein and connected sealingly to said valve unit; a bladder unit enclosed in said confining chamber in said outer cover, connected to said valve unit, and including an inner bi 1der and an outer bladder enclosing said inner bladder and disposed between said outer cover and said inner bladder, said bladder unit being operable between an inflated state, where said inner and outer bladders are spherical in shape and said inner bladder abuts against said outer bladder, and a deflated state, where said inner and outer bladders are non-spherical in shape and cooperatively define a gap therebetween, said outer bladder having a first elongation percentage, said inner bladder having a second elongation percentage greater than said first elongation percentage of said outer bladder.
2. Thedual-bladderinflatableballofclaiml, wherein said outer bladder is made from a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene-vinyl acetate, natural rubber, artificial rubber, and latex.
3. Thedual-bladderinflatableballofclaiml, wherein said inner bladder is made from a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene-vinyl acetate, natural rubber, artificial rubber, and latex.
4. Thedual-bladderinflatableballofclaiml, wherein said valve unit includes a slit-type valve, each of said outer cover and said inner and outer bladders being formed with a hole for extension of said slit-type valve therethrough, said valve unit further including a hollow valve-supporting seat nd a hollow vdive-retainlng member extending fittingly into said valve-supporting seat, said slit-type valve extending fittingly into said valve retaining member, each of said valve-supporting seat and said valve-retaining member having a rirnportion extending outwardly therefrom and secured to a periphery of said hole in a respective one of said inner and outer bladders.
5. Thedual-bladderinflatableballofclaim4, wherein said valve-supporting seat has an inner wall formed with an annular recess, said valve-retaining member having an annular portion fitted into said annular recess and defining an annular groove, said slit-type valve having an annular protrusion received fittingly in said annular groove in said annular portion of said valve-retaining member.
6. The dual-bladder inflatable ball of claim 4, wherein said valve-supporting seat is made from a material having athirdelongationpercentage, saidvalve-retainingmember made from a material having a fourth elongation percentage smaller than said third elongation percentage of said valve-supporting seat.
7. The dual-bladder inflatable ball of claim 4, wherein said valve-supporting seat is made from a material the same as that of said inner bladder of said bladder unit.
8. The dual-bladder inflatable ball of claim 4, wherein said valve-retainingmember ismade frornamaterial the same as that of said outer bladder of saiU bladder unit.
9. The dual-bladder inflatable ball substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.