[0001] Display Package For An Inflatable Ball

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/239,572 filed September 1, 2021, entitled “Inflatable Ball Packaging Assembly”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/257,792 filed October 20, 2021, entitled “Display Package for an Inflatable Ball”, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/305,842 filed February 2, 2022 entitled “Display Package for an Inflatable Ball”, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention generally relates to a display package for an inflatable ball, and more particularly, to packaging used in the shipment and display of inflatable balls, such as inflatable sports balls.

SUMMARY

[0004] In one embodiment there is a packaged inflatable ball including packaging having a front panel having a first aperture, and a rear panel spaced from the front panel and having a second aperture, the front panel and the rear panel forming a container, and an inflatable ball disposed within the container, the inflatable ball being at least partially deflated such that a first portion of the inflatable ball has a generally concave shape and a second portion has a generally convex shape. The second portion of the inflatable ball extends at least partially out of the container through the first aperture.

[0005] In some embodiments, the front panel has a third aperture spaced from the first aperture, and the rear panel has a fourth aperture spaced from the second aperture. In some embodiments, the packaged inflatable ball further includes a second inflatable ball disposed within the container, the second inflatable ball being at least partially deflated such that a first portion of the second inflatable ball has a generally concave chape and a second portion has a generally convex shape and the second portion of the second inflatable ball extends at least partially out of the container through the third aperture. In some embodiments, the first aperture and second aperture are generally aligned with each other such that each of the first aperture and second aperture extend circumferentially around a common axis. [0006] In some embodiments, the packaged inflatable ball is a first packaged inflatable ball, the second aperture being configured to receive a portion of another inflatable ball of a second packaged inflatable product having a generally convex shape to allow the second packaged inflatable ball to nest with the first inflatable ball such that the second portion of the another inflatable ball is at least partially disposed within the container. In some embodiments, the inflatable ball is generally spherical when fully inflated. In some embodiments, the inflatable ball is a soccer ball. In some embodiments, the inflatable ball is any one of a basketball, volleyball, soccer ball, football, rugby ball and a playground ball. In some embodiments, no portion of the inflatable ball extends out of the container through the second aperture. In some embodiments, the packaged inflatable ball further includes an air pump at least partially exposed through the packaging.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first portion of the inflatable ball is nested within the second portion of the inflatable ball. In some embodiments, the first portion of the inflatable ball has a first surface area, and the second portion of the inflatable ball has a second surface area that is about equal to the first surface area. In some embodiments, the first portion of the inflatable ball is collapsed such that it at least partially abuts the second portion of the inflatable ball. In some embodiments, the first portion of the inflatable ball includes a base section, a middle section, and a top section, the middle section being disposed between the base section and top section, and the generally concave shape of the first portion being defined by the base section, middle section, and top section and the base section at least partially abuts an inner surface of the rear panel the top section is disposed opposite the base section such that the distance between the front panel and top section is less than the distance between the front panel and base section.

[0008] In another embodiment there is a system of packaged inflatable balls including a first packaged inflatable ball including a first packaging including a front panel having a first aperture, and a rear panel spaced from the front panel and having a second aperture, the front panel and the rear panel forming a first container, a first inflatable ball disposed within the first container, the first inflatable ball being at least partially deflated such that a first portion of the first inflatable ball has a generally concave shape and a second portion of the first inflatable ball has a generally convex shape, the second portion of the first inflatable ball extends at least partially out of the first container through the first aperture of the first packaging. There is a second packaged inflatable ball including a second packaging including a front panel having a first aperture, and a rear panel spaced from the front panel and having a second aperture, the front panel and the rear panel forming a second container, and a second inflatable ball disposed within the second container, the second inflatable ball being at least partially deflated such that a first portion of the second inflatable ball has a generally concave shape and a second portion of the second inflatable ball has a generally convex shape. The second portion of the second inflatable ball extends at least partially out of the second container through the first aperture of the second packaging and through the second aperture of the first packaging such that the second portion of the second inflatable ball is at least partially disposed within the first container of the first packaging.

[0009] In another embodiment there is a method of packaging and displaying an inflatable ball, the method including providing a first packaging including a front panel having a first aperture, and a rear panel spaced from the front panel and having a second aperture, the front panel and the rear panel of the first packaging forming a first container, positioning a first inflatable ball disposed within the first container, the first inflatable ball being at least partially deflated such that a first portion of the first inflatable ball has a generally concave shape and a second portion has a generally convex shape, the second portion of the first inflatable ball extends at least partially out of the first container through the first aperture, providing a second packaging including a front panel having a first aperture, and a rear panel spaced from the front panel and having a second aperture, the front panel and the rear panel of the second packaging forming a second container, positioning a second inflatable ball disposed within the second container, the second inflatable ball being at least partially deflated such that a first portion of the second inflatable ball has a generally concave shape and a second portion of the second inflatable ball has a generally convex shape, the first portion of the second inflatable ball is generally aligned with the first aperture of the second packaging and the second portion of the second inflatable ball extends at least partially out of the second container through the first aperture of the second packaging. The second portion of the second inflatable ball extends at least partially out of the second container through the first aperture of the second packaging and through the second aperture of the first packaging such that the second portion of the second inflatable ball is at least partially disposed within the first container of the first packaging. [0010] In another embodiment, there is a package for displaying an inflatable ball, the package including a front panel having a first aperture, the front panel having a length of about 8.4 inches and the first aperture having a radius of about 3 inches, a rear panel, spaced from the front panel and having a second aperture, the rear panel having a length of about 8.4 inches and the second aperture having a radius of about 2.9 inches, and two side panels opposite one another and each coupled to and extending between the front panel and rear panel, the side panels having a length of about 2.7 inches. The width of the front panel, rear panel and two side panels is about 10 inches and when the package is in a use configuration in which the front panel, rear panel, and two side panels are folded to form a box structure, the front panel, rear panel, and two side panels define a container for receiving an inflatable ball.

[0011] In another embodiment, there is a packaged inflatable ball including packaging including a front panel having a first aperture, and a rear panel spaced from the front panel and having a second aperture, the front panel and the rear panel forming a container, an inflatable ball disposed within the container, the inflatable ball being at least partially deflated such that a first portion of the inflatable ball has a generally concave shape and a second portion has a generally convex shape, and an air pump at least partially exposed through the packaging. The second portion of the inflatable ball extends at least partially out of the container through the first aperture, the first aperture and second aperture are generally aligned with each other such that each of the first aperture and second aperture extend circumferentially around a common axis, the first portion of the inflatable ball includes a base section, a middle section, and a top section, the middle section being disposed between the base section and top section, and the generally concave shape of the first portion being defined by the base section, middle section, and top section, and the base section at least partially abuts an inner surface of the rear panel the top section is disposed opposite the base section such that the distance between the front panel and top section is less than the distance between the front panel and base section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The following detailed description of embodiments of the display package for an inflatable ball, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

[0013] In the drawings:

[0014] Fig. 1 A is a front perspective view of a packaged inflatable ball in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Fig. IB is a rear perspective view of the packaged inflatable ball of Fig. 1 A;

[0016] Fig. 1C is a top perspective view of the packaged inflatable ball of Fig. 1 A where the top panel is in an open configuration;

[0017] Fig. ID is a side view of the packaged inflatable ball of Fig. 1 A;

[0018] Fig. 2 is a side-cross sectional illustration of the inflatable ball in the deflated state;

[0019] Fig. 3A is a side perspective view of two packaged inflatable balls of Fig. 1 A, separated from one another; [0020] Fig. 3B is a side perspective view of the two packaged inflatable balls of Fig. 3 A nested one within the other;

[0021] Fig. 4 is a top view of the packaging of Fig. 1 A as a blank;

[0022] Fig. 5A is a front perspective view of a packaged inflatable ball in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Fig. 5B is a top view of the packaging of Fig. 5 A as a blank;

[0024] Fig. 6A is a front view of a packaged inflatable ball in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Fig. 6B is a top view of the packaging of Fig. 6A as a blank;

[0026] Fig. 7A is a front perspective illustration of a packaging for a packaged inflatable ball in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Fig. 7B is a top perspective view of the packaging of Fig. 7A in an open configuration with two inflatable balls disposed within the packaging;

[0028] Fig. 8A is a front perspective view of a packaging for a packaged inflatable ball in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig. 8B is a rear perspective view of the packaging of Fig. 8 A;

[0030] Fig. 8C is a top perspective view of the packaging of Fig. 8 A in an open configuration;

[0031] Fig. 8D is a rear, top perspective view of the packaging of Fig. 8 A with the spacer partially removed;

[0032] Fig. 8E is a rear perspective view of the spacer included in the packaging of Fig. 8 A;

[0033] Fig. 8F is a side perspective view of the two packaged inflatable balls of Fig. 8 A nested one within the other;

[0034] Fig. 8G is a top view of the packaging of Fig. 8 A as a blank; and

[0035] Fig. 8H is a top view of the spacer included in the packaging of Fig. 8 A as a blank.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Packaging, such as cardboard packaging, is commonly utilized to ship and display inflatable products, such as inflatable sports balls (e.g., soccer balls, basketballs, volleyballs, footballs, playground balls, rugby balls). The packaging is constructed as a cardboard blank that is folded and secured into a box-shaped enclosure that is suitable for retaining the inflatable product therein, to display product and brand information and so that the inflatable product can be displayed on a shelf. One such type of packaging is formed from a cardboard blank that is formed into an enclosure having a front panel, rear panel, a pair of side panels, a bottom panel and a top panel. The panels define an interior cavity (e.g., a container) dimensioned to receive the inflatable product. The top panel is typically rotatable or foldable such that a user may fold the top panel up to retrieve the inflatable product from within the interior cavity.

[0037] Inflatable sports balls are typically provided and displayed in an inflated configuration such that the inflatable sports balls are packaged ready for use by a user. This requires that the overall size of the packaging be large enough to fully enclose the inflated sports ball or include openings such that portions of the sports ball can extend therethrough. Additionally, the packaging is typically shipped and displayed with the sports ball provided therein in the inflated configuration. As such, when multiple packages are stacked front-to-back for shipment and/or display, the size of the inflated sports ball negatively impacts the number of packages that can be shipped and/or displayed within a given area. For example, the portion of the sports ball that protrudes outside of the packaging prevents a flat, or direct contact between the front and rear panels of adjacent boxes. Therefore, a limited number of packages can be transported and/or displayed within a designated space, such as a retail shelf or shipping container. Therefore, there exists a need to provide a packaging structure for inflatable sports balls that increases the number of inflatable sports balls that may be shipped and/or displayed within a limited space.

[0038] Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in Figs. 1 A-3 a packaged inflatable ball, generally designated 10, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The packaged inflatable ball 10 may be used to at least partially enclose inflatable sports balls such as, but not limited to, soccer balls, basketballs, volleyballs, footballs, rugby balls, kickballs, beach balls, exercise balls, playground balls and/or any other inflatable recreation and/or sporting ball.

[0039] Referring to Figs. 1 A-1D, the packaged inflatable ball 10 includes a packaging 100 and an inflatable ball 102 at least partially enclosed within the packaging 100. The packaging 100 and inflatable ball 102 may be configured to allow another packaged inflatable ball to be nested therein to minimize the space required to display and/or store the packaged inflatable balls. For example, the packaged inflatable ball 102 may protrude from one end of the packaging 100 and form a recess at an opposite end of the packaging to allow for another inflatable ball to be nested within the recess. The packaging 100 may include a front panel 104 defining a first aperture 106, and a rear panel 108 defining a second aperture 110. The front panel 104 and rear panel 108 may be spaced from one another such that each at least partially defines a container 114 (shown in Fig. 1 C). Put another way, there is an interior cavity defined by the space between the front panel 104 and rear panel 108 in which the inflatable ball 102 is positioned. As shown, a portion of the inflatable ball 102 protrudes outwardly through the first apertures 106 away from the front panel 104 and does not protrude outwardly through the second aperture 110. As such, the inflatable ball 102 and second aperture 110 form a recess to allow for another inflatable ball 102 to be nested therein. The packaging 100 may further include two side panels 112 disposed opposite one another and extending between the front panel 104 and rear panel 108, a top panel 116 and a bottom panel 118 (shown in Fig. 3) disposed opposite the top panel 116. The space between the front panel 104, rear panel 108, side panels 112, top panel 116 and bottom panel 118 may define container 114.

[0040] The top panel 116 may be rotatable about fold line 120 that extends across the front panel 104 to allow the top panel 116 to be rotated open, thereby allowing the insertion or removal of the inflatable ball 102 from package 100. The top panel 116, when closed, may be releasably locked in that position such that the top panel 116 does not accidentally open. For example, the top panel 116 may define a slot 122 for receiving a corresponding tab 124, or flap 124, of the rear panel 108. The tab 124 may be moved out of engagement with slot 122 by a user when the user wishes to open the top panel 116. In some embodiments, the first aperture 106 and second aperture 110 are generally aligned with each other such that each of the first aperture 106 and second aperture 110 extend circumferentially around a common axis. For example, the first aperture 106 and second aperture 110 may be aligned such that each extends circumferentially around axis A.

[0041] Referring to Fig. 2, there is shown a side cross-sectional illustration of the inflatable ball 102 in a deflated state. The inflatable ball 102 may be packaged in a deflated configuration, or deflated state, in which the inflatable ball 102 may be collapsed within itself to form the general shape shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the shape shown in Fig. 2 is an example for illustrating the deflated state and an inflatable ball 102 need not adhere exactly to the shape and proportions shown in Fig. 2. The deflated state may also be understood by the interior volume of the inflatable ball 102 relative to the maximum volume of the inflatable ball 102 when in an inflated state. For example, if the interior volume of the inflatable ball 102 is 5400 centimeters cubed when in the inflated state, then the deflated state, for purposes of this disclosure, may be when the interior volume is between about 1% to about 20% of that. In some embodiments, the deflated state may be when the interior volume is between about 1% to about 10% of the interior volume of the inflatable ball 102 when in the inflated state. In some embodiments, the deflated state may be when the interior volume is between about 1% to about 5% of the interior volume of the inflatable ball 102 when in the inflated state. The inflated state may refer to the state at which the pressure of air contained within the inflatable ball is within a predetermined use range. For example, the inflatable ball 102 shown in the figures is a soccer ball and the predetermined air pressure for use of a soccer ball is between 8.5 and 14.5 pounds per square inch.

[0042] When in the deflated state, the inflatable ball 102 may have a first portion 126 that has a generally concave shape (shown in Fig. IB) and a second portion 128 that has a generally convex shape (shown in Fig. 1 A). The first portion 126 may have a first surface area defined by the surface area of the outer surface of the first portion 126. Similarly, the second portion 128 may have a second surface area defined by the surface area of the outer surface of the second portion 128. The ratio of the first surface area and second surface area may be about the same when the inflatable ball 102 is in the deflated state. Put another way, the inflatable ball 102 may have a total surface area defined by the entire outer surface of the inflatable ball 102 and the ratio of the surface areas of the first portion 126 and second portion 128 may refer to the percentage of that total surface area. For example, the first portion 126 may be about 45% the total surface area and the second portion 128 may be about 55% the total surface area.

[0043] Still referring to Fig. 2, the first portion 126 may be nested within the second portion 128. Put another way, the second portion 128 forms a generally bowl-like or C-shape in which the first portion 126 is nested or collapsed within. In some embodiments, although not shown in Fig. 2, one or more sections of the first portion 126 may abut one or more sections of the second portion 128. For example, when in the deflated state, the first portion 126 may be collapsed within the second portion 128 such that one or more interior surfaces of the first portion 126 directly contact one or more interior surfaces of the second portion 128. In some embodiments, contact between the interior surfaces of the first and second portion 126 and 128 may be dependent on the type of inflatable ball 102. For example, a basketball may be vacuum sealed such that there is substantially no air, or gas, within the basketball, thereby allowing at least the majority of the interior of the first and second portions to be directly in contact with one another. The first portion 126 may include a base section 126a, a middle section 126b, and a top section 126c that define the generally concave shape of the first portion 126. The middle section 126b may be positioned between the base section 126a and top section 126c. The top section 126c may be generally where the peak or vertex of the concave shape is located on the first portion 126 when in the deflated state.

[0044] In the deflated state the distance d between the top section 126c of the first portion 126 and top section 128c of the second portion 128 is less than the diameter of the inflatable ball 102 when the inflatable ball 102 is in the inflated state. In the deflated state, the inflatable ball 102 may have a total width W that is about half of the diameter of the inflatable ball 102 when the inflatable ball 102 is in the inflated state. For example, when in the deflated state, the inflatable ball 102 is folded at or proximate a mid-point 127 in the inflatable ball 102 such that the width W of the inflatable ball 102 in the deflated state is about half of the diameter of the inflatable ball 102 in the inflated state. In some embodiments, the mid-point 127 of the inflatable ball 102 may directly contact, or abut, the rear panel 108 of the packaging 100. In some embodiments, a vacuum pump may be used to remove at least a portion of gas (e.g., air) from within the inflatable ball 102 before it is positioned within packaging 100.

[0045] In Fig. 2, there is a dash-dot-dash line illustrating the position of the front panel 104 relative to the inflatable ball 102. As shown here, a section of the first portion 126 and second portion 128 extend outwardly (e.g., the sections shown to the right of the dash-dot-dash line) from the front panel 104. It will be understood, however, that Fig. 2 is an illustration and that the exact position of the inflatable ball 102 relative to the front panel 104 may be different in some aspects. For example, the second portion 128 may extend outwardly from the front panel 104 in generally the same manner as shown in Figs. 1 A and 2 while the first portion 126 does not.

[0046] Referring back to Figs. 1 A-1C, the inflatable ball 102 may be provided in the package 100 in the deflated state such that one end of the inflatable ball 102 extends out of the package 100 while the opposite end does not. This may allow for other packaged inflatable balls, having the same or similar configuration, to be stacked front to back and at least partially nested within the adjacent packaged inflatable ball, as discussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the base section 126a of the first portion 126 abuts an inner surface 130 of the rear panel 108 when the inflatable ball 102 is contained within package 100. The top section 126c may be positioned closer to the front panel 104 than the base section 126a. For example, the distance between the top section 126c and front panel 104 may be less than the distance between the base section 126a and the front panel 104. In this manner, the base section 126a does not extend outwardly from the package 100 through the second aperture 110. As such, another packaged inflatable ball may be partially received through the second aperture 110 and nested within the package 100 as discussed in more detail below. The second portion 128 may extend outwardly from the package 100 through the first aperture 106, when the inflatable ball 102 is in the deflated state. In this manner, the second portion 128 may be at least partially nested within another packaged inflatable ball, as discussed in more detail below. By providing the inflatable ball 102 such that the second portion 128 extends out of the first aperture 106, the inflatable ball 102 may be displayed while allowing a user to touch and view the inflatable ball 102 while it is within the package 100 as if the inflatable ball 102 was in the inflated state.

[0047] Referring to Figs. 3 A-3B, there is shown an example of nesting two packaged inflatable balls 10i, IO2, one within the other. In Fig. 3A, the first packaged inflatable ball 101 is positioned in front of the second packaged inflatable ball IO2 such that the second packaged inflatable ball IO2 may be nested, partially, within the first packaged inflatable ball 10i. For example, the second portion 126i of the first inflatable ball 102i is collapsed, as described above, such that the second portion 1282 of the second inflatable ball 1022 may extend through the second aperture 1101 of the first package 100i. In this manner, a portion of the second inflatable ball 1022 may be nested within the first package 100i. For example, as shown in Fig. 3B, the second packaged inflatable ball IO2 is partially nested within the first packaged inflatable ball 10i. Although not visible from this figure, the second portion 1262 of the second inflatable ball 1022 is partially nested within the first packaged inflatable ball 10i. In this manner, the packaged inflatable balls 10i, IO2 may be shipped or displayed, in this nested configuration, to minimize the space occupied by the packaged inflatable balls 10i, IO2. As such, the shipping space and/or display space occupied by the packaged inflatable balls 10i, IO2 may be maximized. Although only two packaged inflatable balls 10i, IO2 are shown nested, one within the other, in this example, it will be understood that any number of packaged inflatable balls 10 may be nested, one within another, in this same manner.

[0048] Referring to Fig. 4, the package 100 may be sized and shaped to accommodate different sizes and shapes of inflatable balls. For example, the shape of the apertures 106 and 110 may correspond to the shape of the inflatable ball that is contained within the package 100. In the examples illustrated herein, the inflatable ball is a soccer ball. However, it will be understood that the size and shape of the apertures 106 and 110 may be different for different inflatable balls. For example, a football has a generally prolate spheroid shape, and as such, a package, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, may include apertures having a shape which matches the cross-section of said prolate spheroid shape. Additionally, the dimensions of the package 100 may be different for differently sized inflatable balls. For example, a basketball has a larger radius than a soccer ball and as such the dimensions of a package, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, may be increased to accommodate containing the basketball.

[0049] In Fig. 4, the package 100 is shown in a blank configuration in which the package 100 has not been folded into the configuration shown in Figs. 1 A-3B. The package 100 may be formed of a single piece of material (e.g., cardboard, a corrugate material, a plastic material, a paper material) that is configured to be folded into the configuration shown in Figs. 1 A-3B. The blank package 100 shown in Fig. 4 is dimensioned for a soccer ball and it will be understood that the dimensions may be altered to accommodate differently sized inflatable balls as discussed above. The blank package 100 may have a total length Lo of about 23 inches and a total width Wo of about 15.86 inches. The side panels 112 may have a length L _s of about 2.7 to about 2.75 inches. The front panel 104 may have a length Lf of about 8.4 inches. In some embodiments, the length of the rear panel 108 is about equal to the length Lf of the front panel. The front panel 104, side panels 112, and rear panel 108 may have a width W _p of about 10 inches. The top panel 116 may have a width Wt of about 2.7 inches. The first aperture 106 may have a radius of about 3 inches and the second aperture 110 may have a radius of about 2.9 inches. In some embodiments, the first aperture 106 and second aperture 110 have about the same radius, within +/- 1/16 of an inch.

[0050] Referring back to Figs. 1 A-1C, the packaged inflatable ball 10 may include an air pump 132 disposed within package 100. The air pump 132 may be a manual air pump for inflating the inflatable ball 102. The air pump 132 may be disposed within an alcove 134 defined by the front panel 104 and the top panel 116. The alcove 134 may provide a visual indication to the user that the air pump 132 is included in the packaged inflatable ball 10. For example, the alcove 134 allows a portion of the air pump 132 to be partially exposed through the packaging 100 such that said portion is visible to a potential purchaser of the packaged inflatable ball 10. In some embodiments, the air pump 132 may not be included in the packaged inflatable ball 10. For example, the air pump 132 may be provided separately from the packaged inflatable ball 10.

[0051] Referring to Fig. 5A-5B, there is shown a packaged inflatable ball, generally designated 20, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. The packaged inflatable ball 20 is generally the same as the packaged inflatable ball 10 shown in Figs. 1-3B, except that two inflatable balls 202a and 202b are provided in a single package. For example, the package 200 is generally the same as package 100 (shown in Figs. 1-3B) except that it is sized to contain two inflatable balls 202a and 202b, each in the deflated state. The inflatable balls 202a and 202b are the same as the inflatable ball 102 shown in Figs. 1-3B and, as such, the description of the inflatable ball 102 will not be repeated for sake of brevity. As such, the package 200 includes a front panel 204 and a back panel 208 with a total of four apertures. The front panel 204 includes a first aperture 206a and the back panel 208 includes a corresponding second aperture 210a for the first inflatable ball 202a. Similarly, the front panel 204 includes a third aperture 206b and the back panel 208 includes a fourth aperture 210b for the second inflatable ball 202b. The packaging 200 may be sized such that the first inflatable ball 202a and second inflatable ball 202b are spaced from one another as shown in Fig. 5A. However, it will be understood that the space between the two balls 202a and 202b may be increased or decreased.

[0052] In Fig. 5A, there are two packaged inflatable balls depicted where one is nested in the other. It will be understood that the nesting of the packaged inflatable balls is the generally same as the nesting for the packaged inflatable balls 10i and IO2 described in Figs. 3A-3B, except that each packaged inflatable ball includes two inflatable balls 202a and 202b. For example, each inflatable ball 202a and 202b is provided in the deflated state (as shown in Fig. 2) such that the generally concave shaped first portion (not shown in Fig. 5 A) allows the generally convex shaped second portion of the other package to be nested within package 200. The package 200 may define an alcove 234 for displaying air pump 232, where the alcove 234 and air pump 232 are generally the same as the alcove 134 and air pump 132 in Fig. 1 A.

[0053] As mentioned above, the package 200 is sized to contain two inflatable balls 202a and 202b. In Fig. 5B, the package is shown in a blank configuration in which the package 200 has not been folded into the configuration shown in Fig. 5A. The package 200 may be formed of a single piece of material (e.g., cardboard, a corrugate material, a plastic material, a paper material) that is configured to be folded into the configuration shown in Fig. 5 A. The blank package 200 shown in Fig. 5B is dimensioned for two soccer balls and it will be understood that the dimensions may be altered to accommodate differently sized inflatable balls as discussed above. The blank package 200 may have a total length Li of about 38.95 inches and a total width Wi of about 16.5 inches. The front panel 204 and top panel 216 may have a length Ltf of about 16 inches. The side panels 212 may have a length L _si of about 3 inches. In some embodiments the length of the rear panel 208 and bottom panel 218 is generally equal to the length Ltf of the front panel 204 and top panel 216. In some embodiments, the width of the front panel 204 and rear panel 208 is generally the same as the width W _p of the front panel 104 and rear panel 108 shown in Fig. 4. The first aperture 206a and third aperture 206b disposed on the front panel 204 may each have a radius Ri of about 3.03 inches. The second aperture 210a and fourth aperture 210b may each have a radius R2 of about 2.94 inches. In some embodiments, the apertures 206a and 206b on the front panel 204 and have about the same radius as the apertures 210a and 210b on the rear panel 208, within +/- 1/16 of an inch.

[0054] Referring to Figs. 6A-6B, there is shown a packaged inflatable ball, generally designated 30, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The packaged inflatable ball 30 is generally the same as the packaged inflatable ball 20, except that the air pump 332 and alcove 334 are positioned on the side of the package 300 instead of the top. For example, the front panel 304 and one side panel 312 may define the alcove 334 and the air pump may be positioned within the package 300 such that a portion of it is exposed through the alcove 334. As such, the dimensions of the package 300 may be slightly different than the dimensions of package 200.

[0055] For example, in Fig. 6B, the package 300 is shown in a blank configuration. The package 300 may be formed of a single piece of material (e.g., cardboard, a corrugate material, a plastic material, a paper material) that is configured to be folded into the configuration shown in Fig. 6A. The blank package 300 shown in Fig. 6B is dimensioned for two soccer balls and it will be understood that the dimensions may be altered to accommodate different sized inflatable balls as discussed above. The blank package 300 may have a total length L2 of about 44.45 inches and a total width W2. In some embodiments, the front panel 304, side panels 312 and rear panel 308 have a width W2 _P of about 8.31 inches. The front panel 304 and top panel 316 may have a length L2 _P of about 18.75 inches. In some embodiments, the length of the rear panel 308 and bottom panel 318 is generally equal to the length L2 _P of the front panel 304. The side panels 312 may each have a length L2S of about 3 inches. The first and third aperture 306a, 306b, on the front panel 304, may have a radius Ri of about 3.03 inches. The second and fourth apertures 310a, 310b, on the rear panel 308, may have a radius R2 of about 2.94 inches. In some embodiments, the apertures 306a and 306b on the front panel 304 and have about the same radius as the apertures 310a and 310b on the rear panel 308, within +/- 1/16 of an inch.

[0056] In the embodiments shown in Figs. 5A-6B, the packaged inflatable balls 20 and 30 include two inflatable balls 202a-202b and 302a-302b of the same type (e.g., two soccer balls) contained within a single package 200 and 300, respectively. However, it will be understood that any one of the packages 200 and 300 may be configured to contain two inflatable balls of different types. For example, any one of the packages 200 or 300 may contain therein any combination of a basketball, soccer ball, football, volleyball, playground ball, or rugby ball. In an instance where the packaging includes two inflatable balls of a different size (e.g., a basketball and soccer ball) the dimensions of the packaging may be dependent upon the larger inflatable ball (e.g., the ball with a greater diameter when fully inflated). For example, the dimensions for a package containing a basketball and soccer ball would be dependent upon the basketball such that the package is large enough to contain therein the basketball and soccer ball.

[0057] Similarly, the apertures on the front panel and rear panel of the package may each be sized according to the size of the inflatable ball. For example, using the package 200 as a reference, a basketball in the deflated state may be positioned within package 200 such the basketball is generally aligned with the first aperture 206a and second aperture 210a. As such, the first aperture 206a and second aperture 210a may have a radius that is greater than the radius disclosed with reference to Fig. 5B to allow the generally convex surface of the basketball to extend out of the first aperture 206a. Continuing this example, the soccer ball may be generally aligned with the third aperture 206b and fourth aperture 210b and the size of those apertures 206b, 210b may be generally the same as what is shown and discussed with reference to Fig. 5B. [0058] Still referring to the embodiments shown in Figs. 5A-6B, the packaged inflatable balls 20 and 30 contain two inflatable balls 202a-202b and 302a-302b in a single package 200 and 300, respectively, where the inflatable balls 202a-202b and 302a-302b are spaced from one another along a length of the package 200, 300. It will be understood that package 200 and/or package 300 may be altered such that additional inflatable balls may be contained therein. For example, the length of each of the packages 200 and/or 300 may be increased and additional apertures may be formed on the front and rear panels such that the packages 200 and/or 300 may contain therein three, four, five, six or more than six inflatable balls, spaced from one another similar to how the inflatable balls 202a-202b and/or 302a-302b are spaced from one another.

[0059] Referring to Figs. 7A-7B, there is shown a packaged inflatable ball, generally designated 40, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. The packaged inflatable ball 40 may be generally the same as the packaged inflatable ball 10 shown in Figs. 1-4, except that it may not include the air pump 132 and alcove 134. Additionally, the packaged inflatable ball 40 may include two inflatable balls nested, one within the other, inside the package 400 as shown in Fig. 7B. For example, the package 400 may define a container 414 sized to receive a first inflatable ball 402a and a second inflatable ball 402b nested within the first inflatable ball 402a. The package 400 may include a front panel 404 having a first aperture 406 and a rear panel 408, spaced from the front panel 404, and having a second aperture 410 that are generally the same as the package 100 shown in Figs. 1-4, except that the front panel 404 and rear panel 408 are spaced from one another by a distance greater than the distance between the front panel 104 and rear panel 108 of the package 100. Another packaged inflatable ball, generally the same as the packaged inflatable ball 40, may be nested partially within the packaged inflatable ball 40 in the same manner as described with reference to Figs. 3A-3B and will not be described again for sake of brevity. Similarly, the inflatable balls 402a and 402b may be provided in the deflated state as described with reference to Fig. 3 and nested, one within the other.

[0060] It will be understood that although two inflatable balls 402a and 402b are shown nested one within the other, that additional inflatable balls may be positioned inside package 400 in a similar manner. For example, three, four, five, six or more than six inflatable balls provided in the deflated state may be positioned within package 400 and nested one within another as shown in Fig. 7B. As such, the size of the package 400 may be increased to accommodate the additional inflatable balls. For example, the length of the side walls 412 of package 400 may be increased from what is shown in Fig. 7A to allow three, four, five, six or more than six inflatable balls to be contained therein in the same manner as what is shown in Fig. 7B. [0061] Referring to Figs. 8A-8H, there is shown a packaged inflatable ball, generally designated 50, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. The packaged inflatable ball 50 may be similar to the packaged inflatable ball 10, shown in Figs. 1-4, except that it may be configured to receive a ball of a different shape. Referring to Figs. 8A-8B, the packaged inflatable ball 50 may include packaging 500 and an inflatable ball 502 at least partially enclosed within the packaging 500. The packaging 500 may include a front panel 504, a rear panel 508, two side panels 512, a top panel 516, and a bottom panel 518 that function generally the same as the corresponding panels of packaging 100, except that the dimensions of the panels 504, 508, 512, 516, 518 may be different. The packaged inflatable ball 50 may include an air pump 532, generally the same as air pump 132, disposed within an alcove 534. Although the alcove 534 is depicted as being positioned proximate a side panel 512, it will be understood that the alcove 534 and/or air pump 532 may be positioned at any other location on packaging 500. As a non-limiting example, the alcove 534 and/or air pump 532 may be positioned proximate the top panel 516 and along either side panel 512.

[0062] The inflatable ball 502 may be in a deflated state, generally similar to the deflated state as described above with reference to ball 102. For example, the inflatable ball 502 may be provided in the deflated state and positioned within the packaging 500 such that a portion (e.g., second portion 528) of the inflatable ball 502 protrudes outwardly from a front panel 504 of the packaging 500 through a first aperture 506. Similarly, a portion (e.g., a first portion 526) of the inflatable ball 502 may be nested within the second portion 528 of the inflatable ball 502. In some embodiments, the second portion 528 protrudes from the packaging 500 and the first portion 526 is enclosed substantially within the packaging 500. As shown in Figs. 8A-8B, the inflatable ball 502 has a generally prolate spheroid shape instead of the generally spherical shape of the inflatable ball 102 shown in Figs. 1A-3. As such, the first aperture 506 and/or second aperture 510, located on the rear panel 508, may have a shape that corresponds to a cross-section of the inflatable ball 502. For example, the shape of the first aperture 506 and/or second aperture 510 may have a generally elliptical shape. In some embodiments, the size of the generally elliptical shape of the first aperture 506 and/or second aperture 510 is defined by a corresponding major axis and minor axis. In some embodiments, the size of the first aperture 506 and second aperture 510 is generally equal. In other embodiments, the size of the first aperture 506 and second aperture 510 is different. For example, the second aperture 510 may be smaller than the first aperture 506. The inflatable ball 502 shown in Figs. 8A-8B is a football, however it will be understood that the packaging 500 may contain a rugby ball or any other inflatable ball. [0063] In some embodiments, the packaged inflatable ball 50 includes a spacer 550 configured to space the inflatable ball 502 from the rear panel 508. Referring to Figs. 8B-8C, the spacer 550 may be disposed within the package 500. In some embodiments, a portion of the spacer 550 is configured to abut the rear panel 508 of the package 500, when the spacer 550 is positioned within the package 500. The spacer 550 may be positioned within the package 500 between the inflatable ball 502 and the rear panel 508 of the package thereby causing the inflatable ball 502 to be spaced from the rear panel 508. For example, the inflatable ball 502 may abut a panel of the spacer 550 that is opposite the panel of the spacer 550 that abuts the rear panel 508 of the package 500. In this manner, the spacer 550 may displace the inflatable ball 502 within the package 500 towards the front panel 504 of the package 500. Put another way, the spacer 550 may prevent the inflatable ball 502 from directly contacting the rear panel 508 and may space the inflatable ball 502 from the rear panel 508 by a predetermined amount in a direction generally perpendicular to the front panel 504 and rear panel 508.

[0064] Providing a spacer (e.g., spacer 550) positioned between the inflatable ball 502 and rear panel 508 may increase the amount of the inflatable ball 502 that protrudes from the front panel 504 and/or improve the visual appearance of the packaged inflatable ball 50. For example, when the spacer 550 is not positioned within the package 500, the inflatable ball 502 may be jostled or moved relative to the front panel 504 and/or rear panel 508. Put another way, when the spacer 550 is not positioned between the inflatable ball 502 and rear panel 508, the inflatable ball 502 may be capable of being displaced relative to the front panel 504 and/or rear panel 508 by a first amount. As such, the inflatable ball 502 may be displaced towards the rear panel 508 and away from the front panel 504 within the packaging 500 when the spacer 550 is not included. For example, when displayed, transported and/or handled by a user, the inflatable ball 502 positioned within a package 500, that does not include the spacer 550, may be displaced by up to a first amount such that the portion of the inflatable ball 502 that protrudes from the front panel 504 is reduced.

[0065] When the spacer 550 is positioned between the rear panel 508 and inflatable ball 502 the amount that the inflatable ball 502 may be displaced relative to the front panel 504 and/or rear panel 508 may be less than the first amount. For example, the spacer 550 is configured to prevent the inflatable ball 502 from directly contacting the rear panel 508 of the package 500 by providing a surface that is spaced from the rear panel 508 by a predetermined distance. In this manner, the space within the package 500 that the inflatable ball 502 may be displaced is reduced from the first amount to a second amount. Put another way, the spacer 550 may cause the inflatable ball 502 to be partially compressed against, or abut, the front panel 504 and may resist displacement of the inflatable ball 502 in a direction away from the front panel 504 and toward the rear panel 508. As such, the appearance of the inflatable ball 502, that protrudes from the front panel 504 of the package 500 may be improved. For example, the portion of the inflatable ball 502 that protrudes from the front surface 504 may provide a visual indication that there is a tight fit between the inflatable ball 502 and the first aperture 506. Put another way, the spacer 550 may reduce the amount of gaps between the outer surface of the inflatable ball 502 and the periphery of the first aperture 506 where the inflatable ball 502 extends through the first aperture 506. This may have a positive impact on the appearance of the quality of the packaged inflatable ball 50 and/or the tactile response experienced by a user when interacting with the packaged inflatable ball 50.

[0066] Referring to Figs. 8D-8E, the spacer 550 may be removable from the package 500 to facilitate easy insertion and/or removal of the inflatable ball 502 from the package 500. In some embodiments, the spacer 550 includes one or more apertures to facilitate stacking of multiple packaged inflatable balls 50 nested one within the other, similar to what is described above with reference to Figs. 3A-3B. The spacer 550 may include a front panel 552 defining a first aperture 554 and a rear panel 556 defining a second aperture 558. The rear panel 556 may be configured to abut against the inner surface of rear panel 508 of the packaging 500 when the spacer 550 is positioned within the packaging 500. The front panel 552 may be spaced from the rear panel by a distance generally equal to the length of the side panels 560 that extend between the front panel 552 and rear panel 556. The front panel 552 may at least partially abut the inflatable ball 502 when the spacer 550 is positioned within the package 500 such that the inflatable ball 502 is spaced from the rear panel 508 of the packaging 500 as described above. It will be understood that the spacer 550 may be rotated such that the front panel 552 abuts the rear panel 508 of the package 500 and the rear panel 556 of the spacer 550 contacts the inflatable ball 502 while still functioning at least generally the same as described herein.

[0067] The first aperture 554 and second aperture 558 may be configured to allow a portion of another inflatable ball (not shown) included in another packaged inflatable ball generally the same as package 50 to pass therethrough. For example, as shown in Fig. 8F, there is a first packaged inflatable ball 50i and a second packaged inflatable ball 502 each of which may be generally the same as the packaged inflatable ball 50 described herein. Each packaged inflatable ball 50i and 502 may include a spacer generally the same as spacer 550. As shown, the second packaged inflatable ball 502 is partially nested within the first packaged inflatable ball 50i. This may be done in generally the same manner as described above with reference to the packaged inflatable ball 10 and Figs. 3A-3B. Referring back to Figs. 8D-8E, the first aperture 554 and second aperture 558 of the spacer 550 may have generally the same shape as the first aperture 506 and second aperture 510 of packaging 500. In some embodiments, the first aperture 554 and/or second aperture 558 may be generally the same size as the second aperture 510 of packaging 500. In some embodiments, the first aperture 554 and/or second aperture 558 may be larger than the second aperture 510 of packaging 500. In other embodiments, the first aperture 554 and/or second aperture 558 may be smaller than the second aperture 510 of packaging 500.

[0068] Although not shown, it will be understood that a spacer, similar to spacer 550, may be included in one or more of the packaged inflatable balls 10, 20, 30, and/or 40 described above with reference to Figs. 1A-7B. The spacer included in any one of the packages 10, 20, 30, and/or 40 may include apertures, similar to apertures 554 and 558, that are shaped generally the same as the apertures defined by the corresponding packaging (e.g., packaging 100, 200, 300, 400) and/or inflatable balls (e.g., inflatable balls 102, 202, 302, 402). For example, a spacer included in packaged inflatable ball 10 may have apertures that are generally circular in shape.

[0069] Referring to Fig. 8G, the package 500 is shown in a blank configuration. The package 500 may be formed of a single piece of material (e.g., cardboard, a corrugate material, a plastic material, a paper material) that is configured to be folded into the configuration shown in Figs. 8A- 8F. The blank package 500 shown in Fig. 8G is dimensioned for a football and it will be understood that the dimensions may be altered to accommodate footballs of a different size and/or different sized inflatable balls of the same or different type. The blank package 500 may have a total length L3 of about 21.1 inches and a total width W3 of about 16 inches. In some embodiments, the front panel 504, side panels 512 and rear panel 508 have a width W3 _P of about 10.75 inches. The front panel 504 and top panel 516 may have a length L3 _P of about 7.75 inches. In some embodiments, the length of the rear panel 508 and bottom panel 518 is generally equal to the length L3 _P of the front panel 504. In some embodiments, the length Lsf between the two flaps coupled to the rear panel 508 that are configured to be received by the top panel 516 when the packaging is closed is about 5 inches. The side panels 512 may each have a length L3 _S of about 2.45 inches. The top panel 516 may have a width W3t of about 2.42 inches. In some embodiments, the width W3t of the top panel 516 is generally equal to the length L3 _S of the side panels 512. In some embodiments, the first aperture 506 is defined by a major axis measuring about 7.56 inches and minor axis measuring about 5.125 inches. In some embodiments, the second aperture 510 is defined by a major axis measuring about 7.68 inches and a minor axis measuring about 5.25 inches.

[0070] Referring to Fig. 8H, the spacer 550 is shown in a blank configuration. The spacer 550 may be formed of a single piece of material (e.g., cardboard, a corrugate material, a plastic material, a paper material) that is configured to be folded into the configuration shown in Fig. 8D-8E. The blank spacer 550 shown in Fig. 8H is dimensioned for package 500 and it will be understood that the dimensions may be altered to accommodate different sized packages (e.g., packages 100, 200, 300, 400) and/or inflatable balls as discussed above. The blank spacer 550 may have a total length L4 of about 16.51 inches and a width W4 of about 10.42 inches. The front panel 552 may have a length L4 _P of about 7.26 inches and the rear panel 556 may have a length L4r of about 7.2 inches. The side panels 560 may have a length of about 0.73 inches. The first aperture 554 may be defined by a major axis measuring about 7.5625 inches and a minor axis measuring about 5.125 inches. The second aperture 558 may be defined by a major axis measuring about 7.8125 inches and a minor axis measuring about 5.375 inches.

[0071] In some embodiments, any one of the packaged inflatable balls 10, 20, 30, 40 and/or 50 may include additional accessories. For example, any one of the packaged inflatable balls 10, 20, 30, 40 and/or 50 may include cones, football flags, football tees, netting or any other accessories that may be commonly used in association with a corresponding sport and/or game (e.g., basketball, soccer, football, volleyball, rugby, kickball). The additional accessories may be at least partially contained within the package 100, 200, 300, 400 and/or 500, respectively.

[0072] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the exemplary embodiments shown and described above without departing from the broad inventive concepts thereof. It is to be understood that the embodiments and claims disclosed herein are not limited in their application to the details of construction and arrangement of the components set forth in the description and illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the description and the drawings provide examples of the embodiments envisioned. The embodiments and claims disclosed herein are further capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.

[0073] Specific features of the exemplary embodiments may or may not be part of the claimed invention and various features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a”, “an” and “the” are not limited to one element but instead should be read as meaning “at least one”. Finally, unless specifically set forth herein, a disclosed or claimed method should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the steps may be performed in any practical order.