Inflatable Ball and Method of Making the Same

Abstract

An inflatable ball includes an inflatable bladder and s skin layer. The skin layer covers the inflatable bladder, and includes a plurality of interconnected panel segments. At least one of the panel segments includes a panel substrate proximate to the inflatable bladder, and a transparent protective layer, which has an inner surface printed with a pattern and applied with a glue layer for attaching to the panel substrate.

1 . An inflatable ball, comprising:
 an inflatable bladder; and   a skin layer covering said inflatable bladder, and including a plurality of interconnected panel segments, at least one of said panel segments including
 a panel substrate proximate to said inflatable bladder, and 
 a transparent protective layer having an inner surface printed with a pattern and applied with a glue layer for attaching to said panel substrate. 
   
   
   
       2 . The inflatable ball as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said transparent protective layer includes a hot melt adhesive layer, and said pattern is an ink-based pattern printed on said hot melt adhesive layer. 
   
   
       3 . The inflatable ball as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said hot melt adhesive layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic vulcanizate and polyvinyl chloride. 
   
   
       4 . The inflatable ball as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said glue layer includes an oil-based glue. 
   
   
       5 . The inflatable ball as claimed in  claim 1 , further including luminous powders disposed between said transparent protective layer and said glue layer. 
   
   
       6 . The inflatable ball as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said panel substrate is made of a material including ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer. 
   
   
       7 . A method of making an inflatable ball, comprising interconnecting a plurality of panel segments to form a skin layer covering an outer surface of an inflatable bladder,
 wherein at least one of the panel segments is made by a panel forming method including the steps of:
 a) printing a pattern on one side of a substrate that is coated with a release agent layer;, 
 b) adhering a transparent protective layer to said one side of the substrate that is printed with the pattern; 
 c) removing the substrate from the transparent protective layer so that the pattern is transfer-printed onto the transparent protective layer; 
 d) applying a glue layer on the transparent protective layer so that the pattern is covered with the glue layer; and 
 e) adhering the transparent protective layer to a panel substrate via the glue layer so that the pattern is disposed between the transparent protective layer and the panel substrate. 
   
   
   
       8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the step b) is conducted by covering a hot melt adhesive sheet on the substrate, and hot pressing the hot melt adhesive sheet against the substrate. 
   
   
       9 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising a step of spreading luminous powders on a surface of the transparent protective layer that is printed with the pattern prior to the step d). 
   
   
       10 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the step b) is conducted by coating a hot-melt adhesive on a carrier plate and adhering the carrier plate to the substrate via the hot-melt adhesive. 
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the carrier plate is a hot melt adhesive sheet. 
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the step a) is conducting using an inkjet printer connected to a computer, the computer being operable to cause the inkjet printer to print the pattern on the substrate. 
   
   
       13 . An inflatable ball, comprising:
 an inflatable bladder; and   a skin layer covering said inflatable bladder, and including a plurality of interconnected panel segments, at least one of said panel segments being made by a panel forming method including the steps of:
 a) printing a pattern on one side of a substrate that is coated with a release agent layer; 
 b) adhering a transparent protective layer to said one side of said substrate that is printed with said pattern; 
 c) removing said substrate from said transparent protective layer so that said pattern is transfer-printed onto said transparent protective layer; 
 d) applying a glue layer on said transparent protective layer so that said pattern is covered with said glue layer; and 
 e) adhering said transparent protective layer to a panel substrate via said glue layer so that said pattern is disposed between said transparent protective layer and said panel substrate.