Method of repairing ball for sports

Abstract

A method of repairing a sports ball. The invention relates to a method of repairing a sports ball comprising a core (1) on which a plurality of inserts (2) are glued to form an outer cladding, said method involving gluing the inserts (2) with a hot melt adhesive material and replacing at least one insert (2), this is done by heating the ball at least at the insert to a temperature sufficient to debond the insert; removing said insert from the core (1); the removed insert is replaced by gluing a new insert (2) with a hot melt adhesive material to obtain a repaired ball.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for repairing a game ball.

[0002] This invention is particularly applicable to the repair of balls used in sports activities, especially those used in team sports such as basketball, football, volleyball or handball, or more generally applicable to the repair of balls suitable for use in other sports and / or leisure activities. Background Technology

[0003] These types of balls typically include a core, which is formed, in particular, by an inflatable bladder surrounded by a carcass, on which multiple panels are glued to form an outer sheath.

[0004] Such inserts typically have an inner surface that is glued to the outside of the skeleton, and an outer surface that forms part of the rebound surface of the ball, on which patterns can be formed in relief, particularly to increase the coefficient of friction of the rebound surface, and / or by printing, particularly for aesthetic and / or commercial purposes.

[0005] Due to their arrangement, the inserts are prone to damage and / or wear over time, which limits the lifespan of the ball, even if the core and / or some other inserts may still be in usable condition. Furthermore, the desire to personalize the ball, particularly by changing the appearance and / or material of at least some inserts, may also lead to the discarding of balls that are still in good condition.

[0006] This leads to a great deal of waste, which is even more problematic given the still complex nature of recyclability of sports balls, especially due to the different parts that need to be processed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to improve upon the prior art by specifically proposing a method that enables the ball to be easily repaired by replacing at least one insert, thereby extending the lifespan of the ball while other components remain in good condition.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention proposes a method for repairing a sports ball, the sports ball comprising a core on which a plurality of inserts are glued to form an outer coating, the method involving gluing the inserts with a hot melt adhesive material and replacing at least one insert, which is performed in the following manner:

[0009] - Heat the ball at least at the insert to a temperature sufficient to cause the insert to debond;

[0010] - Remove the insert from the core;

[0011] - The repaired ball is obtained by replacing the removed inlay with a new inlay glued with hot melt adhesive material. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] - Figure 1 The structure of the sports ball according to the present invention is schematically shown in the form of a partial cross-section;

[0014] - Figure 2 The adhesive bonding between the insert and the core is schematically shown in the form of an exploded perspective view of the components;

[0015] - Figure 3 The assembly perspective view is shown schematically. Figure 2 The sports ball obtained after the shown inserts are glued together;

[0016] - Figure 4 The removal of the insert to be replaced is schematically shown in the form of an exploded perspective view of the components. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Referring to these figures, the following describes a method for repairing sports balls.

[0018] The sports ball shown is specifically designed for use in team sports such as basketball. However, this method can also be applied to sports balls designed for use in other team sports such as football, volleyball, or handball, or more generally to balls used in other sports and / or recreational activities.

[0019] The sports ball includes a core 1 on which multiple inserts 2 are glued to form an outer coating.

[0020] refer to Figure 1 The core 1 includes an inflatable bladder 3, particularly made of natural rubber (such as latex) or synthetic rubber, which is surrounded by a skeleton 4, which is particularly made of nylon and can be reinforced, with inserts 2 glued to the skeleton.

[0021] Specifically, a wrapping material 5, made of natural and / or synthetic fibers, is provided between the pouch 3 and the skeleton 4.

[0022] The insert 2 may be made of natural, composite or synthetic leather, rubber or plastic, and each insert has an inner surface 2a and an outer surface 2b. The inner surface 2a is glued to the outside of the skeleton 4, and the outer surface 2b forms part of the rebound surface of the ball.

[0023] The outer surface 2b of each insert 2 may include a pattern, which may be formed in relief, particularly to increase the coefficient of friction of the spring surface, and / or formed by printing, particularly for aesthetic and / or commercial purposes.

[0024] In order to enable them to be replaced subsequently, especially in the case of wear and / or deterioration 6, and in the case of wanting to subsequently customize at least some of the inserts 2 of the ball, the method involves gluing the inserts 2 to the skeleton 4 with a hot melt adhesive material 7, such that if it is necessary to replace at least one of the inserts, the one or more inserts to be replaced can be debonded by heating, especially at a temperature above the melting point of the adhesive material.

[0025] In one embodiment, the hot melt adhesive material 7 is polyurethane-based, and preferably a reactive polyurethane (PUR) adhesive. This adhesive is easy and quick to apply, and once cured, it possesses high structural strength and sufficient flexibility to withstand vibration and impact, making it particularly suitable for manufacturing sports balls that experience repeated impacts to hard surfaces, especially the ground, during sporting and / or recreational activities. Specifically, the polymer of the adhesive material 7 may be selected to have peel strength that facilitates the removal of the heated insert 2.

[0026] This method may involve applying a primer to the outer surface of the skeleton 4 before the insert 2 is glued to the skeleton 4, in order to improve the adhesion between the insert and the skeleton and thus limit the risk of the insert accidentally detaching, especially after repeated impacts of a ball against a hard surface. This pretreatment step may be performed at a temperature of about 65°C for about 3 minutes.

[0027] This method involves:

[0028] - Apply adhesive material 7 to the back of each insert 2 while it is still hot at a temperature above its melting point, particularly at 90°C-120°C and preferably 100°C-110°C;

[0029] - At a temperature below the melting point of the adhesive material 7, preferably at a temperature of 55-70°C, each insert 2 is applied to the skeleton 4 for their adhesive bonding to initiate the bonding between the insert and the skeleton.

[0030] - The adhesive bonding is completed by pressing the insert 2 onto the skeleton 4, particularly in a suitable mold, under a pressure of about 0.4 kg / cm for a period of 90-150 seconds.

[0031] If it is necessary to replace at least one insert 2, especially in cases of wear and / or deterioration 6 and / or a desire to customize the insert, the method enables:

[0032] - Heat the ball at least at the insert 2 to a temperature sufficient to debond the insert;

[0033] - Remove the insert from skeleton 4;

[0034] - The repaired ball is obtained by replacing the removed insert with a new insert 2 glued with hot melt adhesive material 7;

[0035] And repeat the method as needed.

[0036] Therefore, the implementation of the ball repair method enables the selective and repeated replacement of one or more worn and / or custom-made inserts 2 to extend the service life of the ball.

[0037] The heating temperature is specifically higher than the melting point of the hot melt adhesive material 7 initially used to bond the insert 2 to be replaced. In particular, the heating temperature is slightly higher than this melting point, especially by less than 10%, to limit the risk of ball damage while limiting the overall energy cost of repairing the ball.

[0038] For this purpose, the heating temperature is 90°C-120°C, and particularly about 110°C. In addition, this heating is maintained for a period of 5-15 minutes, particularly 10 minutes, before the insert to be replaced 2 is removed.

[0039] After removing the used insert 2, the method may involve applying a primer to at least one area 4a of the skeleton 4, particularly the area 4a from which the used insert is removed, and then gluing a new insert 2 to the area.

[0040] Advantageously, the hot melt adhesive material used to bond the new insert is also polyurethane-based, and preferably a reactive polyurethane (PUR) adhesive, for the reasons discussed above.

[0041] The adhesive material 7 is heat-coated onto the back of the replacement insert 2 before being applied to the skeleton 4 for adhesive purposes.

[0042] The coating temperature is preferably similar to the heating temperature, which can be achieved, in particular, by using an adhesive material 7 similar to the adhesive material initially used to glue the removed insert 2 to glue the new insert 2.

[0043] The new insert 2 is then pressed onto the skeleton 4 to glue it, the pressing being carried out in a suitable mold at a temperature below the heating and coating temperature, in order to induce the drying of the adhesive material 7 and thus the bonding of the new insert 2 to the skeleton 4.

[0044] Specifically, similar to the initial adhesive bonding of insert 2, the pressing of insert 2 onto the skeleton 4 can be carried out at a temperature of 55-70°C and a pressure of approximately 0.4 kg / cm for a period of 90-150 seconds.

[0045] The restoration of the ball can be carried out in the workshop using appropriate techniques, especially molding and methods for heating and removing used inserts.

Claims

1. A method for repairing a sports ball comprising a core (1) to which a plurality of inserts (2) are glued to form an outer covering, the method comprising using a hot melt adhesive material (7) to glue the inserts (2) and replace at least one insert (2) by means of: - Heat the ball at least at the insert to a temperature sufficient to cause the insert to debond; - Remove the insert from the core (1); - The removed insert is replaced by a new insert (2) glued with hot melt adhesive material (7) to obtain a repaired ball.

2. The repair method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot melt adhesive material (7) is based on polyurethane.

3. The repair method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The heating temperature is 90℃-120℃.

4. The repair method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Keep the heating on for 5-15 minutes before removing the insert (2).

5. The repair method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Before applying the insert to the core (1) for gluing, the adhesive material (7) is thermally applied to the back side of the insert (2).

6. The repair method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The coating temperature is similar to the heating temperature.

7. The repair method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method includes applying a primer to at least one area (4a) of the core (1) and then gluing an insert (2) to the area.

8. The repair method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The insert (2) is pressed into the core (1) for gluing.

9. The repair method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The pressing is carried out in a mold.

10. The repair method according to any one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that, The pressing is carried out at a temperature lower than the heating temperature.

11. The repair method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The core (1) includes an inflatable bladder (3) surrounded by a skeleton (4).

12. The repair method according to claim 11, characterized in that, Insert the wrapping material (5) between the pouch (3) and the skeleton (4).

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