Elastomeric Ball With Overmolded Details And Foamed Core
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ball manufacturing methods do not effectively combine thermoplastic materials with foamed polymeric cores to achieve desired performance characteristics such as gripability and durability, particularly in sports balls like footballs, while ensuring safety and ease of handling.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of a thermoplastic outer shell with overmolded details and a foamed polymeric core, where half shells are injection molded, details are added, and the core is formed within the shell using a foam mold, allowing for enhanced grip and durability through specific material combinations and processing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a ball is made with a foamed polymeric core and thermoplastic shell to improve gripability and safety, then the ball becomes softer and safer for handling, but the structural integrity and durability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a foamed polymeric core (providing softness and safety) with a thermoplastic shell (providing structural integrity and durability). The overmolded details from a second thermoplastic material further enhance the composite structure, creating a multi-layered composite ball that balances safety and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by using different materials for different parts of the ball. The core uses foamed polymeric material for safety, while the shell and overmolded details use thermoplastic materials for durability. This localized material selection allows each region of the ball to have optimized properties for its specific function.
2Reliability
If multiple layers of material are combined in the ball construction to enhance performance characteristics, then gripability and durability are improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by first forming the thermoplastic shell with injection molding, then overmolding the details onto the shell before finally forming the foamed polymeric core. This sequential preliminary preparation of each layer simplifies the overall manufacturing process compared to attempting to create the multi-layer structure in a single step.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements the nested doll principle by placing the foamed polymeric core inside the thermoplastic shell, which itself contains the overmolded details. This nested structure allows for efficient manufacturing where each layer is formed and then enclosed by the next layer, simplifying the assembly process while maintaining complex multi-layer construction.
3Ease of operation
If overmolded details are added to the outer surface to enhance gripability, then the ball's handling characteristics improve, but the manufacturing time and process steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining the formation of the thermoplastic shell and the overmolded details into a single integrated manufacturing process. The overmolding step adds the grip-enhancing details directly onto the shell in one continuous operation, rather than requiring separate manufacturing steps for the shell and the surface details.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a ball with improved gripability and durability, meeting performance criteria like durometer hardness ranges, while ensuring safety and ease of handling, with enhanced aesthetic appeal through material color differentiation.
Implementation Method 1
a core formed from a foamed polymeric material and disposed within the cavity of the outer shell
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a ball including an outer shell formed from a first thermoplastic material and having an inner surface defining a cavity, outer details formed from a second thermoplastic material and disposed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the outer shell, and a core formed from a foamable polymeric material and disposed within the cavity of the outer shell. The ball may be produced by forming a pair of half shells having inner surfaces defining corresponding portions of the cavity of the outer shell, forming the outer details on the outer surface of at least one of the half shells, and foaming a polymeric material to form the core.