Wilson Sporting Goods Co.

Frank M Simonutti

Robert T Thurman

William E Dillon

David A Vogel

Wayne R Bradley

Chloe J Lee

Kevin L Krysiak

Daniel E Hare

Michael Vrska

Jonathan L Bauer

Bradley L Gaff

Ty B Goodwin

Patrick J Udelhofen

Lane D Lemons

Ralph E Peterson

Peter R Tolley

Jerry Matheny

Michael Markovich

Benny Tong

Richard D Matheny

A tennis ball including a spherical hollow elastomeric core having a specific gravity of less than 1 and a thickness of at least 4.5 mm, and a textile layer covering the spherical elastomeric hollow core. The spherical hollow core has an initial internal pressure of no greater than 5 psi. The tennis ball has a first tennis ball rebound height when measured at a first time when the tennis ball is unused and a second tennis ball rebound height measured after the tennis ball is exposed to atmospheric pressure for four months following the first time and is unused. The second tennis ball rebound height being at least 96% of the first tennis ball rebound height.

Tennis ball

A tennis ball including a spherical core. The spherical core including an outer surface and a raised wall integrally molded as part of the outer surface.

Tennis ball having a thermoplastic core

A method for forming a tennis ball including the steps of providing a non-foamed thermoplastic core and providing a non-smooth textured surface on the core. The thermoplastic core including a thermoplastic material having a specific gravity of 0.86 to 1.38, a flexural modulus of 2.0 to 50.0 MPa, and a Shore D hardness of 10 to 70. The thermoplastic material having a thickness between 3.0 and 8.0 mm. The thickness of the thermoplastic material being configured to maintain dimensional stability at internal pressures of between zero and 15 psi.

A tennis ball including a non-foamed thermoplastic core defining an internal volume. The core includes a thermoplastic material having a specific gravity of 0.86 to 1.38, a flexural modulus of 2.0 to 50.0 MPa, and a Shore D hardness of 10 to 70. A thickness of the thermoplastic material is between 3.0 and 8.0 mm. The thickness of the thermoplastic material is configured to maintain dimensional stability at internal pressures of between zero and 15 psi.

A tennis ball may include a spherical hollow elastomeric core having a specific gravity of less than 1 and a thickness of at least 4.5 mm and a textile layer covering the spherical hollow core.

A game ball configured for organized, competitive play and having a total mass. The game ball includes an inflatable bladder, a layer of reinforcing material surrounding the bladder, an elastomeric layer surrounding the bladder, and a plurality of cover panels positioned over the layer of reinforcing material and the elastomeric layer. The bladder has a bladder mass that is greater than 25 percent of the total mass. The elastomeric layer and the layer of reinforcing material have a collective mass that is less than 55 percent of the total mass. The game ball is formed without one or more of electronics, batteries and charging coils.

Game ball having a reduced moment of inertia

A tennis ball comprises a hollow elastic circumferential core defining a primary outer surface pattern, and a textile outer layer extending over and about the core.

Tennis ball having a core with aerodynamic patterns

A tennis ball may include a spherical hollow core having an inner surface including material shift lines and a textile outer layer over and about the core.

Tennis ball having a core with internal material shift lines

A golf ball includes a core, a mantle and a cover layer. The core includes polybutadiene and has a diameter of less than 1.45 inches. The core has a deflection of at least 0.225 inches under an applied static load of 200 pounds. The mantle includes at least one fully neutralized ionomer terpolymer comprising ethylene, carboxylic acid and an acrylate. The mantle composition has a flexural modulus of less than 10,000 psi. The core and the mantle form a core-mantle assembly having a diameter of between 1.540 inches and 1.580 inches with a deflection of greater than 0.210 inches under an applied static load of 200 pounds. The cover layer includes one or more ionomer materials and has a Shore D hardness of greater than 62.

Low compression golf ball

A golf ball sensing apparatus for use with a portable electronic device including a data acquisition device and a processing unit, and in association with a golf club and a cup. The apparatus includes a golf ball, at least one sensor carried by the ball and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The sensor senses at least one attribute of the ball. The medium directs a processing unit to identify the initiation of a first stroke of the ball towards the cup, obtain a first final location after the first stroke, obtain the at least one attribute of the first stroke, store a set of associated data regarding the first stroke, obtain a second initial location of the ball prior to a subsequent second stroke, and output portions of the stored set of data in response to the second initial location being within a predetermined zone of the first initial location.

Golf ball and caddie system

A basketball configured for organized, competitive play and having a total mass. The basketball includes an inflatable, generally spherical bladder, a set of winding surrounding the bladder, an elastomeric layer surrounding the set of windings and the bladder, and a plurality of cover panels positioned over the elastomeric layer. The bladder has a bladder mass that is greater than 25 percent of the total mass. The elastomeric layer and the set of windings have a collective mass that is less than 55 percent of the total mass.

Basketball having a reduced moment of inertia

An apparatus including a golf ball comprising an internal sensor, and an internal wireless communicator. The internal wireless communicator adapted to communicate parameters sensed by the sensor to external electronics, wherein the external electronics are configured to determine if the golf ball went into a cup based upon the parameters.

A baseball capable of being tested under ASTM F1887-09 wherein the baseball is projected at a strike plate at a speed of approximately 60 mph to measure the COR of the baseball. The baseball includes a core formed of a diene-based rubber composition, at least one layer of yarn surrounding the core, and a cover assembly surrounding the one layer of yarn. The core has a diameter of less than 2.0 inches and a weight less than 1.5 ounces. The baseball has a circumference of less than 9.5 inches and a weight of less than 5.5 ounces. The baseball has an initial COR value when tested in accordance with ASTM F1887-09 and a second COR value measured after the baseball has undergone at least 60 impacts of approximately 60 mph against the strike plate. The second COR value is greater than 95 percent of the initial COR value.

Baseball with improved core and enhanced durability

A golf ball () in accordance with the principles of the present invention has a core () with a low compression, but has at least two additional layers () that provide for increased durability and control. The core () is formed of a polybutadiene compound that produces a zero (or less) compression. The mantle () is molded around the core () using terpolymers, which are comprised of ethylene, acrylic acid and n-butyl acrylate, with 100% of the acrylic acid groups neutralized with metal ions. The mantle (), when molded, yields a deflection of greater than 0.170 inches under an applied static load of 200 lb. This correlates to a PGA compression of between about &#x2212;20 and 15. The cover () is molded using conventional ionomers and 'very low modulus' ionomers (V.L.M.I.), and has a hardness of between about 50 and 75 on a Shore D scale.

Golf ball products are made by reaction injection molding (RIM) fast curing thermoset polyurethane compounds. A polyurethane prepolymer and a curing agent are mixed and injected at low temperature and pressure into a closed mold where the reaction mixture gels. The mold is opened and the golf ball product is removed within 10&#x2013;60 seconds after the injection step.

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Wheaton, IL, United States of America

Frank M Simonutti