Nike, Inc.

Scott Ryan Berggren

Vincent F White

Clayton J Lindsay

Aaron B Weast

James Molyneux

Jordan M Rice

Brandon S Burroughs

Bert B Buxton

Edward Stephen Lowe

Scott W Johnson

Tal Cohen

Gary W Glahn

Michelle J Deaton

Chih-Chi Chang

Yi-Jung Shen

Arthur Parker Molinari

Todd D Smith

Mark McNamee

Eric L Fliss

Eleazar C Chavez

Thomas J Rushbrook

Timothy J Smith

Sam Amis

Alison Sheets-Singer

Edward S Lowe, Jr

A sport ball includes a casing that includes a plurality of joined panels and defines a cavity. The casing includes at least a first panel having (a) a first layer positioned to form a portion of an exterior surface of the sport ball, (b) a second layer disposed adjacent to the first layer, and (c) a third layer disposed adjacent to the second layer. The first panel defines a first indentation and a second indentation spaced apart from the first indentation. The first indentation has a first depth and the second indentation has a second depth that is less than the first depth. The first depth is from 0.5 times to 4 times larger than the second depth. The sport ball also includes a bladder disposed within the cavity.

Sport ball and casing defining a major channel and a minor channel

A sports ball having a cover with an outer substrate surface is provided. The cover includes a plurality of raised lenticular features each having a terminus and a plurality of land areas. The raised lenticular features are formed from dimensional ink and disposed upon and extend from the outer substrate surface, such that each terminus is spaced apart from the outer substrate surface by a height greater than about 0.05 millimeters. The cover, including raised lenticular features and the land areas, defines a plurality of directionally-based designs within the physical surface geometry thereof, such that a first design is visible when the sports ball is viewed from a first viewing angle, a second design is visible when the sports ball is viewed from a second viewing angle, and a third design is visible when the sports ball is viewed from a third viewing angle.

Sports ball

A sports ball comprising a cover having an outer substrate surface is provided. The cover may include a plurality of panels, wherein each panel has a respective panel surface. The panel surfaces of the respective panels collectively comprise the outer substrate surface of the cover. A surface texture is disposed upon and additively applied to the outer substrate surface. The surface texture is disposed on the respective panel surfaces in customizable, panel-specific, predefined panel arrangements. The surface texture defines a surface profile that includes an alternating and repeating series of land areas and raised portions, wherein each raised portion is positioned between a plurality of land areas. The raised portions extend from the outer substrate surface and are formed from a dimensional ink, wherein each of the plurality of raised portions has a terminus spaced apart from the outer substrate by a height of greater than about 0.05 millimeters (mm).

A footbed having the ability to fixedly secure the forefoot portion of the foot while allowing the heel portion to laterally move during activity is provided. The footbed can include a sock liner positioned thereon wherein the sock liner is more firmly secured to the footbed in the forefront region than in the heel region to allow lateral movement.

Footbed for article of footwear

A sports ball comprising a cover having an outer substrate surface is provided. The cover may include plurality of panels, wherein each panel has a respective panel surface. The panel surfaces of the respective panels collectively comprise the outer substrate surface of the cover. A surface texture is disposed upon and additively applied to the outer substrate surface. The surface texture is disposed on the respective panel surfaces in customizable, panel-specific, predefined panel arrangements. The surface texture defines surface profile that includes an alternating and repeating series of land areas and raised portions, wherein each raised portion is positioned between a plurality of land areas. The raised portions extend from the outer substrate surface and are formed from a dimensional ink, wherein each of the plurality of raised portions has a terminus that is spaced apart from the outer substrate a height of greater than about 0.05 millimeters (mm).

A sport ball includes a casing formed from a plurality of panels joined together at a plurality of seams. Each of the plurality of panels includes (a) a first layer having a first thickness, formed from a polymer material, and positioned to form a portion of an exterior surface of the sport ball; (b) a second layer having a second thickness, formed from a polymer foam material, and positioned inward and adjacent to the first layer; and (c) a third layer positioned inward and adjacent to the second layer. The first layer defines a first indentation therein. The first layer is bonded directly to the third layer at the first indentation, and the first indentation has a first indentation thickness equal to a sum of the first thickness and the second thickness. The sport ball also includes a bladder located within the casing.

Sport ball with indented casing

A sport ball includes a casing that includes a plurality of joined panels and defines a cavity. The casing includes at least a first panel having (a) a first layer positioned to form a portion of an exterior surface of the sport ball, (b) a second layer disposed adjacent to the first layer, and (c) a third layer disposed adjacent to the second layer. The first panel defines a first indentation and a second indentation spaced apart from the first indentation. The first indentation has a first depth and the second indentation has a second depth that is less than the first depth. The sport ball also includes a bladder disposed within the cavity.

A method of manufacturing a sport ball includes providing a plurality of casing panels including a first panel and a second panel. The first panel has a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first panel includes a first flange area forming a first edge portion of the first panel. The second panel has a third surface and an opposite fourth surface. The second panel includes a second flange area forming a second edge portion of the second panel. The method includes turning the first flange area away from the first surface of the first panel, turning the second flange area away from the third surface of the second panel, abutting the first flange area and the second flange area, and joining the first panel to the second panel.

Sport ball casing with thermoplastic reinforcing material

A method of making a spherical sport ball includes forming a casing having a first and a second substantially hemispherical panel component. The first panel component is a first unitary structure and has a first central panel, a first plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the first central panel and having a first plurality of edges, and a plurality of flange areas extending from the first plurality of edges. The second panel component is a second unitary structure and has a second central panel and a second plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the second central panel. The method includes joining together the first panel component and the second panel component at a non-linear, circumferential seam between the first and second plurality of polygonal peripheral panels. The method also includes forming a vertex between adjacent ones of the plurality of flange areas.

Sport ball casing and methods of manufacturing the casing

A sport ball may include a casing that forms an exterior surface of the sport ball. The casing may incorporate a plurality of joined panels, including a closure panel. In addition, the ball may include a backing layer located radially inward of the closure panel, the backing layer extending beyond a peripheral boundary of the closure panel and at least partially overlapping with one or more panels adjacent to the closure panel. The backing layer may also include an opening located radially inward of the closure panel, the opening being smaller than the surface area of the closure panel. Also, the ball may include a bladder located radially inward of the backing layer, the bladder including a valve for introducing fluid into the ball, the valve extending through the opening and through the closure panel.

Sport balls and methods of manufacturing the sport balls

A sport ball includes a casing formed from a plurality of panels joined together at a plurality of seams. Each of the plurality of panels has (a) a first layer formed from a polymer material and positioned to form a portion of an exterior surface of the sport ball; (b) a second layer formed from a polymer foam material and positioned inward and adjacent to the first layer; (c) a third layer positioned inward and adjacent to the second layer; and a thickness. The first layer of at least one of the plurality of panels defines a first indentation therein. The first layer is bonded directly to the third at the first indentation, and the first indentation extends through an entirety of the thickness. The sport ball also includes a bladder located within the casing.

A spherical sport ball may include a casing that includes first and second substantially hemispherical panel components. Each substantially hemispherical panel component may be a unitary structure having a central panel and a plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the central panel. In addition, the first substantially hemispherical panel component may be joined with the second substantially hemispherical panel component at a non-linear, circumferential seam between peripheral panels of the first hemispherical panel component and peripheral panels of the second hemispherical panel component.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods estimate the distance between a player and a ball by transmitting a chirp (sweep signal) to a radio tag located on the ball. During the chirp, the frequency of the transmitted signal is changed in a predetermined fashion. The radio tag doubles the transmitted frequency and returns the processed signal to a transceiver typically located on the player. The currently transmitted frequency is then compared with the received frequency to obtain a difference frequency from which an apparatus may estimate the distance. The apparatus may simultaneously receive the processed signal from the radio tag while transmitting the sweep signal.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Scott Ryan Berggren