Apparatus and methods for a quiet pickleball

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are provided for a quiet pickleball. The quiet pickleball includes a spherical body comprising a sound dampening layer surrounding an inner plastic layer. Holes extend through the spherical body into a hollow interior. The sound dampening layer reduces the noise exhibited when the pickleball is hit with a paddle. The sound dampening layer can be attached to the exterior of a plastic pickleball or can be co-molded or injection molded during forming the pickleball. In one embodiment, the sound dampening layer is a felt pad adhesively attached to the exterior of the pickleball. A die enables cutting the felt pad to a shape that enables covering the exterior of the pickleball. An indexing jig enables attaching the felt pad to the pickleball such that holes in the felt pad are aligned with holes in the pickleball.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A quiet pickleball, comprising:
 a spherical body comprising a sound dampening layer surrounding an inner plastic layer; and   a multiplicity of holes extending through the spherical body into a hollow interior.   
     
     
         2 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 1 , wherein the sound dampening layer is configured to reduce the noise exhibited when the pickleball is hit with a paddle. 
     
     
         3 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 1 , wherein the sound dampening layer comprises any material found to reduce the noise of hitting the pickleball with a paddle. 
     
     
         4 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 1 , wherein the sound dampening layer comprises a spring surface that may be applied to the exterior of the plastic layer. 
     
     
         5 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 4 , wherein the spring surface is co-molded or insert molded into the spherical body. 
     
     
         6 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 1 , wherein the sound dampening layer comprises a felt layer that is attached to the exterior of the pickleball by way of a suitable adhesive. 
     
     
         7 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 6 , wherein the felt pad comprises an adhesive side that attaches to the pickleball. 
     
     
         8 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 6 , wherein the felt pad comprises a spherical segmented shape or an hourglass shape having two rounded portions that share an intervening narrow portion. 
     
     
         9 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 8 , wherein the hourglass shape enables covering the exterior of the pickleball with two felt pads. 
     
     
         10 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 9 , wherein a die is configured to enable cutting the felt pad into the hourglass shape. 
     
     
         11 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 10 , wherein an index mark is disposed on the die to enable aligning an index mark on the felt pad such that the hourglass shape can be cut in a manner that aligns holes in the felt pad with holes in the pickleball. 
     
     
         12 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 11 , wherein at least one index mark is disposed on the surface of the pickleball to guide orienting the felt pad on the surface of the pickleball. 
     
     
         13 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 12 , wherein an indexing jig is configured for installing the felt pad onto the exterior of the pickleball. 
     
     
         14 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 13 , wherein the indexing jig is configured to enable aligning the holes in the felt pad with the holes in the pickleball during attaching the felt pad onto the exterior of the pickleball. 
     
     
         15 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 14 , wherein the indexing jig comprises a plate and a multiplicity of pins. 
     
     
         16 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 15 , wherein the plate is configured to support the felt pad while the pins extend through the holes. 
     
     
         17 . The quiet pickleball of  claim 16 , wherein an index mark is disposed on the plate to guide positioning the felt pad on the indexing jig. 
     
     
         18 . A method for a quiet pickleball, comprising:
 cutting a felt pad into an hourglass shape by way of a die;   laying the felt pad flat on an indexing jig;   aligning an index mark on a pickleball with index marks on the indexing jig and the felt pad; and   rolling the pickleball to attach the felt bad to the exterior of the pickleball.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein cutting the felt pad includes aligning an index mark on the felt pad with an index mark on the die. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein laying the felt pad includes aligning the index mark on the felt pad with an index mark on the indexing jig.