Sports ball and outer shell and panel thereof

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention is a panel for a sports ball. An edge of the panel is a corrugated three-dimensional edge, which is either a continuous rectangular corrugated three-dimensional edge or triangular corrugated three-dimensional edge, the thickness of the edge being smaller than the thickness of the panel. The present invention further provides a sports ball, a football and a manufacturing method for the football. In the present invention, the edge of the panel is changed from a two-dimensional plane edge to a corrugated three-dimensional edge, which greatly increases the bonding area for the edge of the panel. Moreover, the interlocking of three-dimensional shapes greatly increases a bonding force between panels, thus solving the problem of a weak bonding force between panel seams of an existing bonded ball due to a small bonding area, which would otherwise lead to panel detachment and water seepage during use. By making the thickness of the edge of the panel smaller than the thickness of the panel, a groove of a certain depth is formed between panels after bonding, ensuring that the ball has good aerodynamic performance while increasing the bonding force.

Description

Sports ball and its shell and ball piece Technical Field The present invention relates to the field of balls for competitive sports such as football, handball and rugby, and in particular to a sports ball and its shell and ball piece. Background Art Generally speaking, a ball used in competitive sports consists of a hollow inner bladder filled with compressed air, a reinforcement layer to stabilize the ball's qualities (such as roundness, shape retention, size, durability, etc.), and an outer skin made of artificial leather covering the reinforcement layer. Currently, balls used in competitive sports are mainly divided into three categories based on their manufacturing method: pasted balls, hand-sewn balls, and sewing machine-sewn balls. Pasted balls are made by gluing multiple outer skins to the outside of the reinforcement layer, which then wraps the reinforcement layer. Hand-sewn balls are made by sewing multiple composite leather pieces with padding and cushioning material glued to the back from the inside out into a bag-like shape, which is then turned over and filled with an inner bladder. Sewing machine-sewn balls are made by sewing a composite panel (ball piece) with reinforcing cloth or cushioning material glued to the back outward, leaving a closed edge, into a bag-like shape. The closed edge is then turned over, the inner bladder is inserted, and the closed edge is sewn. Official match balls used in international tournaments such as football, handball, and rugby have traditionally been hand-sewn. These games are typically played outdoors, even in the rain, and water can enter the ball through the holes and the gaps between them. For example, the weight of a size 5 ball used in adult football matches is regulated by FIFA (International Football Federation) to be between 420 and 450 grams, which is optimal for kicking and dribbling, while also minimizing impact on the body. However, football matches continue even in the rain. As mentioned above, water can seep into the ball through the holes and the gaps between them, increasing its weight. Depending on the rain, the average weight of a ball after soaking up water can exceed 800 grams, and in some cases, even exceed 1000 grams. Balls weighing more than the specified weight will have reduced flight distance and will not be dribbled properly. Football, a sport that uses parts of the body other than the hands, includes heading. Heading a ball causes the brain inside the skull to vibrate due to the impact, and while heading a ball within a specified weight was considered harmless, a shocking event occurred in 2019. Geoff Astle, a former player for West Bromwich Albion in the English Premier League, scored numerous goals with his headers and was selected for the England national team at the World Cup in Mexico. He died at the age of 59. An autopsy in 2019 concluded that he died of an occupational disease caused by brain damage resulting from the vibrations within the skull. This situation has led to discussions within FIFA regarding a limit on the number of headings allowed. FIFA has also discussed banning children from heading and the use of protective gear. As a countermeasure to solve this problem, a ball called a heat-bonded ball has appeared in recent years and has been put into use. Japanese Patent (Publication No. 2010-240427 (P2010-240427A)) discloses a football.

[0033] The paragraph states, "The side edges of the panels 30 and 40 are bonded together, so that the seam 50 is configured as a bonded seam." This suggests that the solution involves applying adhesive between adjacent panels to bond and seal them, preventing water from entering the seams. However, as shown in Figure 6 of the patent, the bonding area is a narrow, linear, curved surface with a very small surface area. The bonding and sealing shown in the patent only partially seals the seams, whereas currently commercially available thermally bonded balls are constructed by bonding all the seams of pentagonal and hexagonal panels together, and these seams are also narrow, linear surfaces. The thickness of the ball shown in the patent is 2mm. Because the grooves between the ball pieces are important for maintaining good aerodynamic properties of the ball, only a portion of the thickness of the ball piece can be bonded to form the grooves, and a bonding height of 1mm is preferred. A standard football is generally composed of 20 hexagonal panels and 12 pentagonal panels. The side length of the pentagonal and hexagonal panels is 45mm, so the bonding area is 1mm×45mm=45mm. 2 Since adhesion is proportional to the bonding area under the same conditions, this bonding area does not provide sufficient adhesion. Furthermore, this patent was applied for and authorized to secure the intellectual property rights for the official match ball used in the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa. Kicking a ball exerts an impact force exceeding 100kgf, and the shoe becomes embedded in the ball. As the ball deforms significantly due to the force of the kick, some of this force contributes to the peeling of the adhesive between the pieces. Furthermore, as the ball strikes the ground, friction between the ball surface and the ground continuously generates force, attempting to separate the adhesive between the pieces. As a result, the pieces can easily peel apart, leading to further water seepage. Summary of the Invention Purpose of the invention: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sports ball and its shell and ball piece to solve the problems existing in the prior art. Technical solution: The present invention provides a ball piece for a sports ball, wherein the edge of the ball piece is a wavy three-dimensional edge. Furthermore, the edge is a continuous rectangular wavy three-dimensional edge. Furthermore, the edge is a continuous triangular wave-shaped three-dimensional edge. Furthermore, the thickness of the edge is smaller than the thickness of the spherical sheet. Furthermore, the ball piece includes a buffer material layer and a skin, and the skin covers the outer surface of the buffer material layer. The present invention also provides a sports ball shell, wherein the shell comprises the sports ball piece of the present invention. Furthermore, the shell is composed of a plurality of the spherical pieces, the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent spherical pieces are symmetrically arranged, and the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent spherical pieces are bonded by an adhesive. Furthermore, the shell is composed of a plurality of the spherical pieces, and the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent spherical pieces are meshed with each other. The mating surfaces of the edges of the spherical pieces are bonded by adhesive. The present invention also provides a sports ball, which includes the outer shell of the sports ball of the present invention. Beneficial effects: The present invention discloses a football and a manufacturing method thereof, which have the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art: 1. The present invention transforms the edges of the ball pieces from two-dimensional planes into wavy three-dimensional edges, which can significantly increase the bonding area of the ball piece edges. At the same time, through the interweaving of the three-dimensional shapes, the bonding strength between the ball pieces is greatly increased, thereby solving the problem of the existing bonded balls with weak bonding strength due to the small bonding area of the ball piece seams, which may cause the ball pieces to peel off and leak during play. 2. The thickness of the edge of the ball piece is smaller than the thickness of the ball piece. After the ball pieces are glued together, grooves of a certain depth will be formed between the ball pieces, ensuring that the ball has good aerodynamic performance when the bonding force is increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a partial three-dimensional structure of a corner of the ball piece shown in FIG1 ; FIG3 is a structural diagram of one connection solution for the spherical pieces shown in Example 1 of the present invention; FIG4 is a structural diagram of a second connection solution for the spherical pieces shown in Example 1 of the present invention; FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of embodiment 2 of the present invention; FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a partial three-dimensional structure of a corner of the ball piece shown in FIG5 ; FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of Example 3 of the present invention; FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the AA cross-sectional structure of FIG1 ; FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of embodiment 4 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. As shown in Figures 1, 5, and 7, the present invention provides a sports ball piece. The edge 2 of the piece 1 is a three-dimensional, wavy edge, which increases the bonding area between the pieces. The interweaving of the three-dimensional shapes also enhances the bonding strength between the pieces 1. The thickness of the edge 2 is less than that of the piece 1, so that after bonding, grooves of a certain depth are formed between the pieces 1, ensuring the aerodynamic performance of the ball. The piece 1 includes a cushioning material layer 11 and a cover 12, which covers the outer surface of the cushioning material layer 11. Based on the ball piece 1 of the present invention, the present invention further provides a shell of a sports ball, which includes the ball piece 1 of the present invention. Based on the shell of a sports ball of the present invention, the present invention provides a ball, the shell of the ball is the shell of the present invention. Example 1 As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the edge 2 of a sports ball piece 1 of the present invention is a continuous three-dimensional rectangular wave-like edge. Specifically, the continuous rectangular waves form a continuous concave-convex three-dimensional surface with a rectangular cross-section along the edge of the piece, thereby increasing the edge area. The rectangular cross-section refers to the multiple rectangular protrusions and depressions that appear on the edge of the piece 1 when projected downward from directly above, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 shows the outer shell of a sports ball according to the present invention, which is formed by bonding together pieces 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 illustrates the meshing of the wavy, three-dimensional edges of adjacent pieces 1. Only a partial view of the meshing area is shown. The meshing surfaces of the piece edges 2 are bonded together using adhesive 3. FIG4 shows the outer shell of a sports ball according to the present invention. It is formed by bonding together pieces 1 according to this embodiment. However, the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent pieces 1 are not intermeshed, but rather arranged symmetrically, bonded together by adhesive 3. Because the gaps between the edges 2 of adjacent pieces 1 are filled with adhesive 3 in this bonding method, the effect is similar to the meshing structure shown in FIG3 . Furthermore, because the raised portions of the rectangular waves on the three-dimensional edges face each other, the outer dimensions of the bonded pieces 1 are larger compared to the meshing structure shown in FIG3 , increasing the pressure exerted by adjacent pieces 1 on the bonded joint and the bonding strength. In actual ball manufacturing, an intermediate connection scheme between the connection schemes shown in FIG3 and FIG4 exists, in which the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent pieces are partially intermeshed. However, the effect is essentially the same as that shown in FIG2 and FIG3 . Example 2 As shown in Figures 5 and 6 , the edge 2 of a sports ball piece 1 of the present invention is a continuous, triangular, wavy three-dimensional edge. Specifically, the continuous triangular waves form a continuous, concave-convex three-dimensional surface with triangular cross-sections on the edge of the piece, increasing the edge area. The triangular cross-section refers to the multiple triangular convex and concave structures that appear when projected downward from directly above the piece 1, as shown in Figure 5 . Similar to Figure 3 of Example 1, the shell of a sports ball of the present invention is made by bonding the ball pieces 1 of this embodiment, the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent ball pieces are meshed with each other, and the meshing surfaces of the edges 2 of the ball pieces 1 are bonded by adhesive 3. The principle of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. Since the triangular wave increases the bonding area of the edge of the ball piece, the bonding force is also increased. Similar to FIG4 of Example 1, the shell of a sports ball of the present invention is made of the ball sheet 1 of this embodiment. However, the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent spherical sheets 1 are not intermeshed, but are symmetrically arranged and bonded together using adhesive. The principle is the same as in Example 1. Since the gaps between the three-dimensional edges of adjacent spherical sheets are filled with adhesive in this bonding method, the effect is the same as the meshing structure of this embodiment. Furthermore, since the raised portions of the triangular waves of the three-dimensional edges are opposed to each other, the outer dimensions of the spherical sheets 1 after bonding are larger than in the meshing structure of this embodiment, increasing the pressure exerted by the adjacent spherical sheets on the bonded area and thus enhancing the bonding strength. An intermediate solution between the meshing structure of this embodiment and the symmetrical arrangement structure exists, in which the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent spherical sheets partially mesh, but the effect is not substantially different. Example 3 As shown in Figure 7 , the ball piece 1 of the present invention consists of a cushioning material layer 11 and a cover 12. The cover 12 covers the outer surface of the cushioning material layer 11, and the inner surface of the cushioning material layer 11 is attached to the ball's reinforcement layer. The cushioning material layer 11 can be made of a cushioning material such as EVA, and the cover 12 can be made of the same material as in the prior art. Based on the ball piece 1 shown in Figure 7, the wavy three-dimensional edge can be molded on the edge of the ball piece shown in Figure 7 through a mold, or formed through high-frequency processing, or can be continuously formed during the production process of the ball piece, and finally form the edge structure shown in Figure 1. Figure 8 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram along the AA direction of Figure 1. Example 4 Based on Example 1, it is assumed that the pitch of the rectangular wave-shaped three-dimensional edge of the ball piece 1 is 8mm, and the amplitude of the rectangular wave-shaped three-dimensional edge can be 2mm. Assuming that the bonding height of the edge is the same as 1.0mm as in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-240427 (P2010-240427A) , to simplify the calculation, based on Figure 2, it is assumed that the three-dimensional wave of the ball piece edge is not inclined as shown in the figure, but is at a right angle, as shown in Figure 9. The bonding area is 1mm×45mm+1mm×2mm×8=61mm 2 , an increase of 35% compared to the Japanese patent (Publication No. 2010-240427 (P2010-240427A)). This rate of increase increases inversely proportional to the spacing of the rectangular waves. That is, by reducing the spacing, the bonding area can be further increased. In addition, by increasing the thickness of the buffer material layer 11 of the ball piece 1, the bonding area can be greatly increased. For example, if the thickness of the buffer material layer 11 is 4 mm and the height of the rectangular wave-shaped three-dimensional edge in the thickness direction of the ball piece 1 is 2 mm, the bonding area is 2 mm × 45 mm + 2 mm × 2 mm × 8 = 122 mm 2 This value is 270% of that in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-240427 (P2010-240427A). Since the bonding force is proportional to the bonding area, the bonding force in this case is 2.7 times that in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-240427 (P2010-240427A). While the edge 2 of the ball in Example 1 is not a right angle, it is nearly so, not much different from the right angle shown in Figure 9.

Claims

1. A sports ball piece, characterized in that: The edge of the spherical piece is a wavy three-dimensional edge.

2. The sports ball piece according to claim 1, wherein: The edge is a continuous rectangular wavy three-dimensional edge.

3. The sports ball piece according to claim 1, wherein: The edge is a continuous triangular wave-shaped three-dimensional edge.

4. The sports ball piece according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the edge is smaller than the thickness of the spherical sheet.

5. The sports ball piece according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ball piece includes a buffer material layer and a skin, and the skin covers the outer surface of the buffer material layer.

6. A sports ball housing, characterized in that: The shell comprises the spherical piece according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The ball cover according to claim 6, characterized in that: The shell is composed of a plurality of the spherical pieces, the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent spherical pieces are symmetrically arranged, and the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent spherical pieces are bonded by an adhesive.

8. The ball cover according to claim 6, characterized in that: The shell is composed of a plurality of the spherical sheets, the wavy three-dimensional edges of adjacent spherical sheets are meshed with each other, and the meshing surfaces of the edges of the spherical sheets are bonded by an adhesive.

9. A sports ball, characterized in that: The invention comprises the housing described in claims 6-8.

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