Biomimetic composite layer for basketball production

Abstract

According to the biomimetic composite layer for basketball production in the field of balls, through the hydrophobic anti-slip strips and the water absorption strips which are arranged at intervals, hand sweat contacted by players is adsorbed and stored in a partitioned mode, and the water absorption capacity and the water locking capacity of basketball wrappers are improved; meanwhile, the bionic mastoids which are arranged on the surfaces of the hydrophobic anti-slip strips and have the particle size reaching the micron order have good water repellency, water can conveniently move to the surfaces of the water absorption strips along the hydrophobic anti-slip strips under the self-rotation effect of the basketball, separation of hand sweat and the hydrophobic anti-slip strips is accelerated, and by matching with the micron-order bionic mastoids, the anti-slip effect is good. The roughness of the surface of the hydrophobic anti-slip strip is improved, a player can hold the basketball conveniently, slipping of the basketball due to hand sweat is reduced, and the holding hand feeling is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a basketball cover material, in particular to a biomimetic composite layer used in basketball production and applied in the field of balls. Background Art

[0002] Existing basketball covers generally use hygroscopic PU materials, mainly because this material has significant moisture absorption and perspiration function. During basketball games, players' hands tend to sweat, which affects ball control and shooting accuracy. Hygroscopic PU materials can absorb sweat and moisture by adding a layer of hygroscopic coating on the surface of the basketball, keeping the surface of the basketball dry and smooth, thereby improving players' ball control and comfort. In addition, hygroscopic PU materials also have excellent properties such as wear resistance, impact resistance, and anti-aging, which can meet the high requirements of basketball for materials.

[0003] In actual applications, although hygroscopic PU materials are widely used in the manufacture of basketball covers due to their moisture absorption and perspiration properties, their water absorption capacity is limited by the thickness of the material and long-term wear. At the same time, their moisture discharge capacity is significantly weaker than their water absorption capacity, causing the hygroscopic PU material to easily accumulate water inside to form water clusters after absorbing water. When the basketball is subjected to external forces such as hitting, these accumulated water clusters may overflow from the surface of the material, causing the surface of the basketball to become wet, thereby affecting the player's ball-holding feel and athletic performance. Therefore, although hygroscopic PU materials have many advantages, their water absorption and water retention properties in actual use still need to be further optimized to ensure the stability and ball control of the basketball during long-term, high-intensity exercise.

[0004] The existing Chinese patent with publication number CN204158977U discloses a sweat-absorbent basketball outer cover, which includes an outer cover and an elastic layer located on the inner side of the outer cover. The thickness of the outer cover is 2 to 3 mm, and the outer cover is made of polyurethane or styrene-butadiene rubber; the thickness of the elastic layer is 2 to 3 mm, and the elastic layer is made of foamed EVA material or TPE material. The outer cover and the elastic layer are bonded and fixed by a polyurethane adhesive layer.

[0005] Although the above patents have improved the water-absorbing materials, they still fail to better overcome the problem of water cluster aggregation and water seepage after absorbing excessive water. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that the existing basketball outer cover water-absorbing material easily aggregates into clumps and then overflows after absorbing water.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a biomimetic composite layer for basketball production, including a supporting inner layer, the outer end surface of the supporting inner layer is fixedly connected to a plurality of equally spaced hydrophobic anti-skid strips, the outer end surface of the hydrophobic anti-skid strip is fixedly connected to bionic papillae that are evenly distributed in a matrix and have a particle size of micrometer level, a channel with an open upper end and a rectangular groove is formed between an adjacent pair of hydrophobic anti-skid strips, and a water-absorbing strip fixedly connected to its inner wall is nested in the channel.

[0008] In the biomimetic composite layer for basketball production, the water-locking, water-draining and anti-slip capabilities are improved by means of the hydrophobic anti-skid sleeves and water-absorbing strips arranged at intervals and the biomimetic papillae arranged on the surface of the hydrophobic anti-skid strips.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present application, both the supporting inner layer and the hydrophobic anti-slip strip are made of hydrophobic modified polyurethane rubber raw material, the water-absorbing strip is made of water-absorbing modified polyurethane rubber raw material and has pores inside, and the stiffness of the water-absorbing strip is less than that of the hydrophobic anti-slip strip.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present application, the water-absorbing strip includes an inner water-absorbing layer and an outer water-absorbing layer vertically stacked in the channel, the inner diameter of the pores of the inner water-absorbing layer is smaller than the inner diameter of the pores of the outer water-absorbing layer, and the fiber diameter of the inner water-absorbing layer is smaller than the fiber diameter of the outer water-absorbing layer.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present application, the supporting inner layer, the hydrophobic anti-slip strip and the bionic mastoid are integrally injection-molded using a hydrophobic modified polyurethane rubber material, and the bionic mastoid has a truncated cone-shaped structure.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present application, a method for integrally injecting the supporting inner layer, the hydrophobic anti-slip strip and the bionic mastoid using a hydrophobically modified polyurethane rubber raw material comprises the following steps:

[0013] Step 1, making a molding mold, the molding mold includes a bionic mastoid groove and a groove protrusion;

[0014] Step 2, placing oligomer polyol, polyisocyanate, chain extender, hydrophobic modifier and auxiliary additives into a mixer for heating and mixing to obtain a mixed raw material;

[0015] Step three, injecting the mixed raw material into a molding die to obtain a molded first preform.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present application, the hydrophobic modifier is one of fluorine-containing compounds or siloxanes.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present application, the auxiliary additives include reinforcing fiber staples, which are nylon fiber segments with consistent length.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present application, the method for preparing the water-absorbing strip using the water-absorbing modified polyurethane rubber raw material comprises the following steps:

[0019] Step 1, making a molding mold;

[0020] Step 2, placing oligomer polyol, isocyanate, chain extender and water absorption modifier into a mixer for heating and mixing to obtain a mixed raw material;

[0021] Step three, injecting the mixed raw materials into a forming mold to obtain a formed water-absorbing strip.

[0022] As a further improvement of the present application, the water absorption modifier is one of a microporous filler, a foaming agent or a fiber with a special cross-section.

[0023] As a further improvement of the present application, the biomimetic composite layer for basketball production is formed by placing the first preform and the water-absorbing strip into a welding mold and heating and welding them.

[0024] In summary, the present invention uses the hydrophobic anti-slip strips and water-absorbing strips arranged at intervals to perform zoned adsorption and storage of player's hand sweat, thereby improving the water absorption and water-locking capacity of the basketball surface; at the same time, the bionic papillae arranged on the surface of the hydrophobic anti-slip strips and with a particle size of micron level have better water-repellent ability, which facilitates the movement of moisture along the hydrophobic anti-slip strips to the surface of the water-absorbing strips under the action of the rotation of the basketball, accelerates the separation of hand sweat from the hydrophobic anti-slip strips, and cooperates with the micron-level bionic papillae to increase the roughness of the surface of the hydrophobic anti-slip strips, which facilitates the player's hand to grasp the ball, reduces the slipping of the basketball due to hand sweat, and improves the grip feel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the explosion structure of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is the front view of the application;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transverse cross-sectional structure of the present application;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the deformation of the water-absorbing strip during the basketball hitting the ground in this application;

[0030] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the deformation of the water-absorbing strip when the basketball rebounds and leaves the ground in this application.

[0031] Description of the numbers in the figure:

[0032] 1. Supporting inner layer; 2. Hydrophobic anti-slip strip; 3. Bionic papilla; 4. Channel; 5. Water-absorbing strip; 501. Inner water-absorbing layer; 502. Outer water-absorbing layer; 503. Pores; 6. Reinforced fiber staples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following describes two implementation modes of the present application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] The first implementation method:

[0035] Figure 1-6 A biomimetic composite layer for basketball production is shown, comprising a supporting inner layer 1, to the outer end surface of which is fixedly connected a plurality of equally spaced hydrophobic anti-skid strips 2, to the outer end surfaces of which are fixedly connected biomimetic papillae 3 evenly distributed in a matrix and having a particle size of micrometer level, a channel 4 with an open upper end and in the shape of a rectangular groove is formed between an adjacent pair of hydrophobic anti-skid strips 2, in which a water-absorbing strip 5 fixedly connected to the inner wall thereof is nested.

[0036] Specifically, in the production process of basketball, the biomimetic composite layer of the present application is used as the basketball surface material. When the player sweats on his hands during use, after the sweat contacts the surface material, the hydrophobic anti-skid strip 2 is made of hydrophobically modified polyurethane rubber raw material and has micron-level bionic papillae 3 on its surface, so that water cannot stay on the hydrophobic anti-skid strip 2 and is easy to slide quickly along the surface of the hydrophobic anti-skid strip 2. The basketball rotates to a certain extent during dribbling and hitting, and the wall attachment effect (Coanda effect) makes it easy for water to slide along the spherical surface of the basketball. When the water slides to the surface of the water-absorbing strip 5, the water is absorbed by the water-absorbing strip 5. The hydrophobic anti-skid strip 2 and the water-absorbing strip 5 arranged at intervals realize the rapid collection and segmented isolation of water, so that the water is more evenly distributed on the water-absorbing strip 5 in each channel 4, reducing the aggregation of water and the outward penetration, improving the dryness of the basketball surface, and improving the physical feeling of use;

[0037] In addition, the hydrophobic anti-slip strips 2 of the micron-scale bionic papillae 3 have a higher surface roughness and are arranged at intervals, so that the player's hands have greater contact friction when grasping the surface of the basketball, further improving the feel of holding the ball and further reducing the impact of sweat on holding the ball.

[0038] Compared with traditional basketball cover, the biomimetic composite layer for making the cover provided in the present application can absorb and store the sweat from the players' hands in different areas through the hydrophobic and anti-skid strips 2 and the water-absorbing strips 5 arranged at intervals, thereby improving the water absorption and water-locking capacity of the basketball cover; at the same time, the bionic papilla 3 with a particle size of micron level arranged on the surface of the hydrophobic and anti-skid strip 2 has better water-repellent ability, which facilitates the movement of moisture along the hydrophobic and anti-skid strip 2 to the surface of the water-absorbing strip 5 under the action of the rotation of the basketball, accelerates the separation of hand sweat from the hydrophobic and anti-skid strip 2, and cooperates with the micron-level bionic papilla 3 to improve the roughness of the surface of the hydrophobic and anti-skid strip 2, which is convenient for the players to grasp the ball, reduce the slipping of the basketball due to hand sweat, and improve the grip feel.

[0039] In this embodiment, both the supporting inner layer 1 and the hydrophobic anti-slip strip 2 are made of hydrophobic modified polyurethane rubber raw material, the water-absorbing strip 5 is made of water-absorbing modified polyurethane rubber raw material, and there are pores 503 inside, and the stiffness of the water-absorbing strip 5 is less than the stiffness of the hydrophobic anti-slip strip 2.

[0040] For details, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 There are many pores inside the water-absorbing strip 5. After the basketball is hit, it first contacts the ground and then rebounds from the ground. In this process, the lower part of the basketball surface contacts the ground and undergoes a deformation process of first compression and then rebound. The pores 503 inside the water-absorbing strip 5 are first compressed and then expanded. When the pores 503 are squeezed downward, the compression deformation of the pores 503 causes the internal moisture to quickly gather into water droplets during compression. During the rebound process, the rebound of the water-absorbing strip 5 increases the pore size of the pores 503. The gathered water droplets are more likely to separate from the pores under the action of inertia, thereby improving the moisture removal effect. Due to the difference in stiffness between the water-absorbing strip 5 and the hydrophobic anti-slip strip 2, the deformation of the water-absorbing strip 5 is greater, making it easier for moisture to separate from the water-absorbing strip, thereby accelerating the drainage process and reducing the weight of the basketball increased due to water absorption.

[0041] In this embodiment, the supporting inner layer 1 and the hydrophobic anti-slip strip 2 are integrally injection-molded using a hydrophobic modified polyurethane rubber material.

[0042] Specifically, the channel 4 enclosed by the integrally formed supporting inner layer 1 and the hydrophobic anti-slip strip 2 has better integrity, thereby improving the water locking effect of the channel 4 .

[0043] It should be noted that the front and rear ends of the channel 4 in the drawings of the specification are not blocked in order to facilitate the display of the layered structure of the biomimetic composite layer.

[0044] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 The supporting inner layer 1, the hydrophobic anti-slip strip 2 and the bionic mastoid 3 are integrally injection-molded using a hydrophobic modified polyurethane rubber material, and the bionic mastoid 3 is a truncated cone structure.

[0045] Specifically, many tiny spaces are formed between the numerous tiny papilla structures similar to the surface of the lotus leaf. These spaces can form a thin air film when they come into contact with water droplets. The existence of the air film prevents the water droplets from directly contacting the surface of the lotus leaf, but is repelled by the air film, thereby achieving a waterproof effect. At the same time, the hydrophobic modified rubber raw material itself has good water-repellent ability, and the truncated cone structure is adopted to enhance the toughness and wear resistance of the bionic papilla 3.

[0046] In this embodiment, the method of integrally injecting the supporting inner layer 1, the hydrophobic anti-slip strip 2 and the bionic mastoid 3 using a hydrophobic modified polyurethane rubber raw material comprises the following steps:

[0047] Step 1, making a molding mold, the molding mold includes a bionic mastoid groove and a groove protrusion;

[0048] Step 2, placing oligomer polyol, polyisocyanate, chain extender, hydrophobic modifier and auxiliary additives into a mixer for heating and mixing to obtain a mixed raw material;

[0049] Step three, injecting the mixed raw materials into a molding die to obtain a molded first preform (including three parts: a supporting inner layer 1, a hydrophobic anti-slip strip 2 and a bionic mastoid 3).

[0050] Specifically, the first preformed body, which is composed of the supporting inner layer 1, the hydrophobic anti-slip strip 2 and the bionic mastoid 3, has simple manufacturing steps and high molding quality.

[0051] It should be noted that the hydrophobic modifier is a fluorine-containing compound or a siloxane.

[0052] See also Figure 4 The auxiliary additives include reinforcing fiber staples 6, which are nylon fiber segments with the same length.

[0053] Specifically, the rigidity of the first preform is further enhanced, and the rigidity difference with the water-absorbing strip 5 is increased.

[0054] In this embodiment, the method for making the water-absorbing strip 5 using water-absorbing modified polyurethane rubber raw material includes the following steps:

[0055] Step 1, making a molding mold;

[0056] Step 2, placing oligomer polyol, isocyanate, chain extender and water absorption modifier into a mixer for heating and mixing to obtain a mixed raw material;

[0057] Step three, injecting the mixed raw materials into a forming mold to obtain a formed water-absorbing strip 5.

[0058] Specifically, the water absorbing strip 5 is manufactured.

[0059] It should be noted that the water-absorbing modifier is one of microporous filler, foaming agent or special-shaped cross-section fiber.

[0060] After the first preform and the water-absorbing strip 5 are completed, the biomimetic composite layer for basketball production is formed by placing the first preform and the water-absorbing strip 5 into a welding mold and heating and welding them.

[0061] Specifically, the integrally formed first preform and the water absorbing strip 5 are heated and welded, thereby reducing the use of glue, improving the stability of the connection, and further improving the water locking effect.

[0062] Second implementation method:

[0063] Figure 2 , Figure 4-6 A biomimetic composite layer for basketball production is shown. Based on the first embodiment, the water-absorbing strip 5 includes an inner water-absorbing layer 501 and an outer water-absorbing layer 502 vertically stacked in the channel 4. The inner diameter of the pores 503 of the inner water-absorbing layer 501 is smaller than the inner diameter of the pores 503 of the outer water-absorbing layer 502, and the fiber diameter of the inner water-absorbing layer 501 is smaller than the fiber diameter of the outer water-absorbing layer 502.

[0064] For details, please refer to Figure 4 , because the water-absorbing strip 5 adopts a double-layer structure and there is a differential capillary effect between the inner water-absorbing layer 501 and the outer water-absorbing layer 502, that is, due to the difference in fiber fineness, density or pore structure of each layer, additional pressure is formed inside the material, so that the liquid flows from the side with large fiber diameter and large pore to the side with small fiber diameter and small pore under the action of pressure difference, so that the inner water-absorbing layer 501 of the water-absorbing strip 5 has an adsorption effect on the moisture in the outer water-absorbing layer 502, so that the moisture is better locked in the inner water-absorbing layer 501 of the inner layer, further improving the water-locking effect of the water-absorbing strip 5 and the humidity difference between the inside and the outside, and further improving the grip of the basketball surface leather;

[0065] Also, see Figure 5 and Figure 6 , making it easier for moisture to gather into water clusters in the inner water-absorbing layer 501, and then in the process of the basketball hitting the ground and rebounding, the water clusters gather better during the compression process, and during the rebound and expansion process, the water clusters are more likely to break away from the water-absorbing strips 5 under the combined action of rebound inertia and extrusion force, further improving the water locking and drainage capabilities. It should be noted that the rebound inertia force on the water clusters is much greater than the adsorption force of water flowing from the outer water-absorbing layer 502 to the inner water-absorbing layer 501 due to the differential capillary effect between the inner water-absorbing layer 501 and the outer water-absorbing layer 502.

[0066] In view of current practical needs, the above-mentioned implementation mode adopted in this application is not limited to the scope of protection. Various changes made within the knowledge scope of technical personnel in this field without departing from the concept of this application still fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A biomimetic composite layer for basketball production, characterized in that: The invention comprises a supporting inner layer (1), wherein a plurality of hydrophobic anti-skid strips (2) distributed at equal intervals are fixedly connected to the outer end surface of the supporting inner layer (1), bionic papillae (3) distributed evenly in a matrix and having a particle size reaching the micron level are fixedly connected to the outer end surface of the hydrophobic anti-skid strips (2), a channel (4) with an upper end opening and in the shape of a rectangular groove is formed between a pair of adjacent hydrophobic anti-skid strips (2), and a water absorbing strip (5) fixedly connected to the inner wall of the channel (4) is embedded in the channel (4).

2. The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting inner layer (1) and the hydrophobic anti-skid strip (2) are both made of hydrophobic modified polyurethane rubber raw material, the water-absorbing strip (5) is made of water-absorbing modified polyurethane rubber raw material, and has pores (503) inside, and the rigidity of the water-absorbing strip (5) is less than the rigidity of the hydrophobic anti-skid strip (2).

3. The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production according to claim 2, characterized in that: The water-absorbing strip (5) comprises an inner water-absorbing layer (501) and an outer water-absorbing layer (502) which are vertically stacked and arranged in a channel (4); the inner diameter of the pores (503) of the inner water-absorbing layer (501) is smaller than the inner diameter of the pores (503) of the outer water-absorbing layer (502); and the fiber diameter of the inner water-absorbing layer (501) is smaller than the fiber diameter of the outer water-absorbing layer (502).

4. The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production according to claim 2, characterized in that: The supporting inner layer (1), the hydrophobic anti-slip strip (2) and the bionic mastoid (3) are integrally injection-molded using a hydrophobic modified polyurethane rubber raw material, and the bionic mastoid (3) is in a truncated cone-shaped structure.

5. The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production according to claim 4, characterized in that: The method for integrally injecting the supporting inner layer (1), the hydrophobic anti-slip strip (2) and the bionic mastoid (3) using a hydrophobically modified polyurethane rubber raw material comprises the following steps: Step 1, making a molding mold, the molding mold includes a bionic mastoid groove and a groove protrusion; Step 2, placing oligomer polyol, polyisocyanate, chain extender, hydrophobic modifier and auxiliary additives into a mixer for heating and mixing to obtain a mixed raw material; Step three, injecting the mixed raw material into a molding die to obtain a molded first preform.

6. The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production according to claim 5, characterized in that: The hydrophobic modifier is one of a fluorine-containing compound or a siloxane.

7. The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production according to claim 5, characterized in that: The auxiliary additives include reinforcing fiber staples (6), which are nylon fiber segments with uniform length.

8. The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production according to claim 5, characterized in that: The method for making the water-absorbing strip (5) using water-absorbing modified polyurethane rubber raw material comprises the following steps: Step 1, making a molding mold; Step 2, placing oligomer polyol, isocyanate, chain extender and water absorption modifier into a mixer for heating and mixing to obtain a mixed raw material; Step three, injecting the mixed raw materials into a forming mold to obtain a formed water-absorbing strip (5).

9. The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production according to claim 8, characterized in that: The water absorption modifier is one of microporous filler, foaming agent or special-shaped cross-section fiber.

10. The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production according to claim 8, characterized in that: The biomimetic composite layer for basketball production is formed by placing a first preform and a water-absorbing strip (5) into a welding mold and heating and welding them.

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