Play balls or pressureless tennis balls
US5558325A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 5, 1993 |
| Grant date | Sep 24, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 5, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/1386
- WIPO fieldMacromolecular chemistry, polymers
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A hollow rubber play ball is disclosed that uses a combination two or more fillers to produce desirable playing properties in a tennis ball as specified by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ITF). The preferred play ball is a pressureless tennis ball. The specific fillers disclosed are mineral type particulate reinforcing fillers such as silicas and carbon black, polymeric fillers such as cellulose, a reaction product of grafting polyethylene with cellulose, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers. These fillers can also have surface treatments to enhance the elastomer-filler interaction. Another reinforcing filler that can be introduced with the rubber components is the non-rubber constituents in skim rubber that serve to increase the modulus of a compounded rubber.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.