Leather Panel Extending Portion Reinforcement for Ball Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional balls for ball games face issues with weak sewing strength leading to seam tears and stitch-skipping due to the use of foam materials, and inadequate bonding between leather panels, which results in water absorption and exposure of stitching threads under impact.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing a ball with a spherical shell-shaped outer layer composed of leather panels, where each panel has a main body and an extending portion thinner than the main body, bonded with a heat-active adhesive and reinforced with a reinforcing member, stitched together with a stitching thread to enhance durability and prevent water seepage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If foam material is used in leather panels and stitched at folding portions, then the peripheral portion is not bulging and the ball feels soft, but the sewing strength becomes weak causing seam tear and stitch-skipping
Solution Approach 1:
A reinforcing member (tape or fabric) is introduced as an intermediary element between the foam material and the stitching thread. This reinforcing member is stitched together with the leather panels at the folding portions, providing a strong bonding interface that prevents seam tear and stitch-skipping while maintaining the non-bulging shape and soft feel of the peripheral portions.
2Shape
If foam material is used in leather panels, then the peripheral portion is not bulging, but the foam material and leather tear at stitched portion under impact
Solution Approach 1:
The leather panel is constructed as a composite structure with foam material bonded to the rear surface of the leather, and a reinforcing member (tape or fabric) positioned at the folding portion. This composite structure combines the softness and shape-maintaining properties of foam with the high strength and impact resistance of the reinforcing member, preventing tearing at the stitched portions under impact conditions.
3Device complexity
If adjacent leather panels are not bonded to each other, then the structure is simpler, but the force splits panels apart under impact exposing stitching thread
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing member serves as an intermediary bonding element between adjacent leather panels. By stitching the reinforcing members of adjacent panels together with stitching threads, the panels are effectively bonded to each other, creating a unified structure that resists splitting forces under impact and protects the stitching threads from exposure.
4Ease of manufacture
If leather panels are stitched together without bonding, then manufacturing is simpler, but water is absorbed between panels
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing member acts as an intermediary bonding element that joins adjacent leather panels together through stitching. This creates a sealed interface between panels that prevents water from penetrating into the spaces between panels, while still allowing for relatively simple manufacturing processes.
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 effectively prevents seam tears and stitch-skipping, maintains the ball's shape by preventing bulging, and ensures high adhesive strength, reducing the risk of stitching thread exposure and water absorption, while maintaining the ball's soft texture.
Implementation Method 1
bonded with a heat-active adhesive
Data Source
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AI summary
The ball for ball games has a ball body (7) and a spherical shell-shaped outer layer (5) having a plurality of leather panels (4) and disposed on the outside of the ball body (7). The plurality of leather panels (4) each have a main body (11) and an extending portion (12) that is thinner than the main body (11) and extends from a front-side portion of an outer end surface of the main body (11) to configure an outer end surface of the leather panel (4). The extending portions (12) of adjacent leather panels (4) are bonded to each other with an adhesive (17) and stitched together with a stitching thread (13). In the ball for ball games, the extending portion (12) is provided with a reinforcing member (15) for reinforcing an area thereof stitched with the stitching thread (13).