Game Ball and Method for Making Game Ball

Abstract

The invention discloses a method of making a game ball. The method comprises utilizing a mold to form a game ball section. The patterned surface is imprinted into the surface of the molded game ball section. The mold is utilized to create a plurality of grooves in the outer surface of the molded game ball section. The plurality of grooves creates a strength and resiliency in the molded game ball section. One or more molded game ball sections are combined edge to edge to create a final game ball. The mold used can be a male mold or a female mold. The molded game ball section can be made through vacuum forming, compression molding, or injection molding.

1 . A method of making a game ball comprising
 a. Selecting a blank of material;   b. Heating said blank of material;   c. Putting said blank of material into a mold
 i. Said mold having a contoured face; 
 ii. Said contoured face comprising a plurality of hexagonal shapes, a plurality of pentagonal shapes, and a plurality of border sections, each of said border sections disposed between two of said shapes
 1. Wherein said hexagonal shapes and said pentagonal shapes are situated in a predetermined pattern; 
 2. Wherein said border sections comprises a first bevel area, a second bevel area, and a groove disposed between said first bevel area and said second bevel area; 
 
   d. Deforming said blank of material;   e. Transferring said shape of said contoured face into said deformed blank of material;   f. Forming said deformed material into a molded game ball section
 i. Creating a plurality of pentagonal shapes in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said mold; 
 ii. Creating a plurality of hexagonal shapes in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said mold; 
 iii. Creating a plurality of border sections disposed between two shapes in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said mold; 
 iv. Creating a pair of bevel sections within each of said border sections in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said mold; 
 v. Creating a groove disposed between each of said pair of bevel sections in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said mold; 
   g. Cooling said molded game ball section;   h. Removing said molded game ball section from said mold;   i. Combining said molded game ball section with one or more other molded game ball sections to form a spherical game ball.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1  further comprising
 a. Ensuring each of said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially twelve millimeters wide; 
 b. Ensuring each of said pair of bevels in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially 1.5 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 c. Ensuring each of said grooves in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape with an angle of sixty degrees, is substantially 0.4 millimeters wide at the surface of said molded game ball section, and is substantially 0.3 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 d. Ensuring that the thickness of the molded game ball section is substantially 2.5 millimeters from the inside edge of said molded game ball section to the outer edge of each of said plurality of grooves. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 1  further comprising
 a. Creating a vacuum between said contoured face of said mold and said deformed blank of material. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 1  further comprising
 a. Applying hydraulic pressure to said deformed blank of material to compress said deformed blank of material into said mold. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 1  further comprising
 a. Applying an adhesive to the edge of said molded game ball section prior to adjoining said molded game ball sections. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 1  further comprising
 a. Applying an adhesive to the outer surface of said spherical game ball; 
 b. Applying an outer layer of material to said outer surface of said spherical game ball. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 1  further comprising
 a. Creating one or more connectors extending from the edge of said molded game ball section with said mold; 
 b. Creating one or more receivers extending into the edge of said molded game ball section with said mold; 
 c. Wherein said connectors of one molded game ball section are complementary to said receivers of a second game ball section; 
 d. Wherein said connectors of one molded game ball section are disposed within said receivers of a second game ball section when said molded game ball sections are combined together. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 3  further comprising
 a. Applying an adhesive to the outer surface of said spherical game ball; 
 b. Applying an outer layer of material to said outer surface of said spherical game ball. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 8  further comprising
 a. Creating one or more connectors extending from the edge of said molded game ball section with said mold; 
 b. Creating one or more receivers extending into the edge of said molded game ball section with said mold; 
 c. Wherein said connectors of one molded game ball section are complementary to said receivers of a second game ball section; 
 d. Wherein said connectors of one molded game ball section are disposed within said receivers of a second game ball section when said molded game ball sections are combined together. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 9  further comprising
 a. Ensuring each of said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially twelve millimeters wide; 
 b. Ensuring each of said pair of bevels in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially 1.5 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 c. Ensuring each of said grooves in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape with an angle of sixty degrees, is substantially 0.4 millimeters wide at the surface of said molded game ball section, and is substantially 0.3 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 d. Ensuring that the thickness of the molded game ball section is substantially 2.5 millimeters from the inside edge of said molded game ball section to the outer edge of each of said plurality of grooves. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 4  further comprising
 a. Applying an adhesive to the outer surface of said spherical game ball; 
 b. Applying an outer layer of material to said outer surface of said spherical game ball. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 11  further comprising
 a. Creating one or more connectors extending from the edge of said molded game ball section with said mold; 
 b. Creating one or more receivers extending into the edge of said molded game ball section with said mold; 
 c. Wherein said connectors of one molded game ball section are complementary to said receivers of a second game ball section; 
 d. Wherein said connectors of one molded game ball section are disposed within said receivers of a second game ball section when said molded game ball sections are combined together. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 12  further comprising
 a. Ensuring each of said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially twelve millimeters wide; 
 b. Ensuring each of said pair of bevels in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially 1.5 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 c. Ensuring each of said grooves in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape with an angle of sixty degrees, is substantially 0.4 millimeters wide at the surface of said molded game ball section, and is substantially 0.3 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 d. Ensuring that the thickness of the molded game ball section is substantially 2.5 millimeters from the inside edge of said molded game ball section to the outer edge of each of said plurality of grooves. 
 
     
     
         14 . A method of making a game ball comprising
 a. Heating a predetermined amount of particulate polymer material to a melting point;   b. Creating a cavity between a contoured female mold and a male mold
 i. Said female mold having a contoured face; 
 ii. Said contoured face comprising a plurality of hexagonal shapes, a plurality of pentagonal shapes, and a plurality of border sections, each of said border sections disposed between two of said shapes
 1. Wherein said hexagonal shapes and said pentagonal shapes are situated in a predetermined pattern; 
 2. Wherein said border sections comprises a first bevel area, a second bevel area, and a groove disposed between said first bevel area and said second bevel area; 
 
   c. Injecting a predetermined amount of said melted polymer into said cavity;   d. Forming said melted polymer into a molded game ball section
 i. Creating a plurality of pentagonal shapes in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said female mold; 
 ii. Creating a plurality of hexagonal shapes in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said female mold; 
 iii. Creating a plurality of border sections disposed between two shapes in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said female mold; 
 iv. Creating a pair of bevel sections within each of said border sections in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said female mold; 
 v. Creating a groove disposed between each of said pair of bevel sections in the outer surface of said molded game ball section with said contoured face of said female mold; 
   e. Cooling said molded game ball section;   f. Removing said male mold from said female mold;   g. Removing said molded game ball section from said female mold;   h. Combining said molded game ball section with one or more other molded game ball sections to form a spherical game ball.   
     
     
         15 . The method as in  claim 14  further comprising
 a. Ensuring each of said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially twelve millimeters wide; 
 b. Ensuring each of said pair of bevels in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially 1.5 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 c. Ensuring each of said grooves in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape with an angle of sixty degrees, is substantially 0.4 millimeters wide at the surface of said molded game ball section, and is substantially 0.3 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 d. Ensuring that the thickness of the molded game ball section is substantially 2.5 millimeters from the inside edge of said molded game ball section to the outer edge of each of said plurality of grooves. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method as in  claim 14  further comprising
 a. Applying an adhesive to the edge of said molded game ball section prior to adjoining said molded game ball sections. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method as in  claim 14  further comprising
 a. Applying an adhesive to the outer surface of said spherical game ball; 
 b. Applying an outer layer of material to said outer surface of said spherical game ball. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method as in  claim 14  further comprising
 a. Creating one or more connectors extending from the edge of said molded game ball section with said mold; 
 b. Creating one or more receivers extending into the edge of said molded game ball section with said mold; 
 c. Wherein said connectors of one molded game ball section are complementary to said receivers of a second game ball section; 
 d. Wherein said connectors of one molded game ball section are disposed within said receivers of a second game ball section when said molded game ball sections are combined together. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 18  further comprising
 a. Applying an adhesive to the outer surface of said spherical game ball; 
 b. Applying an outer layer of material to said outer surface of said spherical game ball. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method as in  claim 20  further comprising
 a. Ensuring each of said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially twelve millimeters wide; 
 b. Ensuring each of said pair of bevels in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section is substantially 1.5 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 c. Ensuring each of said grooves in said plurality of border sections molded into the outer surface of said molded game ball section has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape with an angle of sixty degrees, is substantially 0.4 millimeters wide at the surface of said molded game ball section, and is substantially 0.3 millimeters deep into the surface of said molded game ball section; 
 d. Ensuring that the thickness of the molded game ball section is substantially 2.5 millimeters from the inside edge of said molded game ball section to the outer edge of each of said plurality of grooves.