US20110111896A1 - Foam Game Ball with Core - Google Patents
Foam Game Ball with Core Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20110111896A1 US20110111896A1 US12/617,714 US61771409A US2011111896A1 US 20110111896 A1 US20110111896 A1 US 20110111896A1 US 61771409 A US61771409 A US 61771409A US 2011111896 A1 US2011111896 A1 US 2011111896A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- ball
- foam
- water
- core
- holes
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B43/00—Balls with special arrangements
- A63B43/002—Balls with special arrangements with special configuration, e.g. non-spherical
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B39/00—Hollow non-inflatable balls, i.e. having no valves
- A63B39/06—Special coverings
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2225/00—Miscellaneous features of sport apparatus, devices or equipment
- A63B2225/60—Apparatus used in water
Abstract
A foam game ball is provided which is adapted to absorb water and includes holes along the length of the ball so as to allow centrifugal force to cause the water to be expelled through the holes when the ball is saturated with water and thrown or kicked. The ball further includes a core, such as a hollow bladder with a non-absorbent outer surface, with an average specific weight less than the specific weight of the foam when fully saturated with water.
Description
- The present invention relates to foam game balls, in particular foam game balls designed to absorb water and release water through holes when thrown.
- Foam balls for play are known in the art. Foam balls designed for safe play have been sold under the NERF trademark for many years. The NERF balls are generally made from polyurethane, which allows for the production of a relatively soft ball.
- A foam ball designed for water play is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/683,384. The foam ball of that invention has tubular holes which allow water to spray from the ball when the ball is soaked in water and subsequently thrown or kicked.
- Generally, foam balls are constructed of solid foam, primarily for simplicity of manufacture. For non-water play or for smaller balls such construction is acceptable, and there is little to be gained from an alternative, more complicated construction. However, larger balls intended for water play, once fully soaked, became too heavy to allow for easy throwing.
- It is an object of the current invention to provide for a foam ball that sprays water when soaked and subsequently thrown or kicked.
- It is a further object of the current invention to provide for a ball that is of reasonable weight when fully soaked with water.
- The current invention is a foam ball that has tubular holes to allow for water spray when the ball is soaked with water and thrown. Uniquely, for foam balls, it includes a non-absorbent core that has a lower average specific weight than that of the fully soaked foam. The core must be large enough to replace enough of the foam to reduce the total weight of the ball when fully soaked, but small enough for the layer of foam over the core to form the holes that spray water and to absorb sufficient water to effect the spray.
- The invention can be applied to foam balls of various shapes, sizes, and designs, although the benefit would be greatest with larger balls intended for water play.
-
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a spherical game ball showing a soccer design pattern on one-half of the game ball. -
FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the spherical game ball showing a volleyball design pattern on one-half of the game ball. -
FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a spherical game ball with a hollow bladder as the core. -
FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of a spherical game ball with an alternative material as the core. -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an ellipsoid game ball. -
FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal cross-section of the ellipsoid game ball. -
FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of the ellipsoid game ball taken at the midpoint of the longitudinal axis. -
FIGS. 1A and 1B show alternative perspective views of a spherical game ball implementing the invention. The design of theball 8 provides for asoccer ball pattern 12 on one-half of the ball as shown inFIG. 1A and avolleyball pattern 10 on the other half of the ball as shown inFIG. 1B . However, any exterior design could be implemented without affecting the function of the current invention. - The
ball 8 includes aform portion 18 that forms at least one and preferably a plurality ofholes 14 that penetrate into thefoam 18. Preferably, theholes 14 include at least one tubular section. Theholes 14 can be directed toward a likely central point of rotation of theball 8, for example, the center point of a spherical ball, thus providing a better release ofwater 16 when thefoam 18 is soaked with water and theball 8 is subsequently thrown or kicked. It will be noted that an additional cover (not shown) could be placed on the ball provided that the cover included holes aligned with theholes 14 in thefoam 18 without adversely affecting the function of the invention. The foam may be made from polyurethane, but other materials could be used to produce an absorbent form. - The amount of
foam 18 on the external surface of theball holes 14, but must not be so great as to cause the ball to be unwieldy when subject to the increased weight of the fully saturated foam. It is also desirably for the holes to be of a minimum depth so as to allow for a good spray of water. Generally, thefoam 18 should be of a depth of at least 0.75 inches so as to allow forholes 14 of a depth of at least 0.5 inches, although the invention will still function with a smaller depth offoam 18. - With reference to
FIG. 2 , a cross-section of theball 8 is shown. Thefoam 18 is in a layer around acore 23 which has an average specific weight that is less than the specific weight of thefoam 18 when fully soaked with water. In the embodiment shown thecore 23 has a non-absorbentouter layer 20 which may be made of a durable, relatively flexible, and light-weight plastic such as polyethylene and an innerhollow space 22 which may be filled with air or another gas, thus forming a bladder-like structure. Theouter layer 20 must be sufficiently durable so that it does not allow water to penetrate into thehollow space 22, which would adversely affect both the weight of the ball when soaked with water and the performance of the ball when in use. - In the embodiment shown, the
holes 14 are substantially cylindrical, and form tubular holes where the cross-section of the hole remains essentially the same for the entire depth. It would be possible, however, to have only one or more sections of thehole 14, preferably at or near the surface of thefoam 18, that are tubular. However,tubular holes 14 are both easy to manufacture and still allow for a good spray of water when theball 8 is in use. - The
holes 14 are generally directed toward the center ofspherical ball 8 so as to allow for the maximum amount of centrifugal force to operate on the water, thus maximizing the spray. - With reference to
FIG. 3 , analternative core 23 is shown, comprised of a material or a combination of materials which have a lower average specific weight than thefoam 18 when theball 8 is fully soaked with water. Materials such as plastic, or a plastic-enclosed foam, are possible alternatives. While it is desirable for the core to be non-absorbent, so that the specific weight does not change when the ball is exposed to water, it is also possible to have a core which absorbed a sufficiently lesser amount of water to reduce the weight of the ball when fully saturated to the desired level. - With reference to
FIGS. 4 , 5, and 6, an alternative ball shape is shown. In this embodiment theball 30 has an ellipsoid shape such as may be found in football or rugby balls. As with thespherical ball 8, there isfoam 18 covering aninner core 23, which is preferably non-absorbent. Theholes 14 are designed to release a spray ofwater 16 when theball 30 is soaked in water and subsequently thrown or kicked. -
FIG. 5 shows a first cross-section of theball 30, along the longitudinal axis of the ball. Theholes 14 are directed toward this central axis, as a likely axis of rotation when theball 30 is thrown in a “spiral,” as is typical of a thrown football. -
FIG. 6 shows a second cross-section of theball 30, again showing theholes 14 directed toward the central longitudinal axis. It will be noted that theholes 14 are positioned at various places along the length of the ball and around the ball's circumference, so as to produce a larger spray of water. - In this embodiment, the core, 23 is composed of a non-absorbent
outer layer 20 and a hollowinner portion 22 which can be filled with air or another gas. It should be noted that while this air or gas could be under pressure, as is typical in “real” footballs or other game balls, such pressurization is not essential in the case of the foam balls, since the purpose of the hollow section is to reduce the weight of the ball. - The invention may also be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential properties. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential properties. Essentially, any game ball of whatever shape or design could be modified to include an absorbent foam exterior with holes designed to spray water when the foam is soaked and the ball is subsequently thrown, together with a core of lower specific weight than the fully-soaked foam. Further, multiple cores could be employed. It is therefore understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. The claims herein are intended to cover all obvious modifications thereof which are within the scope and the spirit of the invention defined in the above claims.
Claims (15)
1. A ball adapted to absorb water comprising:
an absorbent foam exterior surface adapted to absorb water, wherein the foam forms at least one hole, and wherein the foam has a first specific weight when the ball is fully saturated with water; and
a core having an average second specific weight that is less than the first specific weight when the ball is fully saturated with water;
and wherein the absorbent foam covers the core.
2. The ball of claim 1 wherein the core comprises a non-absorbent outer surface.
3. The ball of claim 2 wherein the core is hollow.
4. The ball of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one hole is tubular.
5. The ball of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hole is tubular.
6. The ball of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the at least one hole is tubular.
7. The ball of claim 2 wherein the at least one hole is tubular.
8. The ball of claim 1 wherein the absorbent foam covers the core at a depth of at least 0.75 inches.
9. The ball of claim 2 wherein the absorbent foam covers the core at a depth of at least 0.75 inches.
10. The ball of claim 3 wherein the absorbent foam covers the core at a depth of at least 0.75 inches.
11. The ball of claim 4 wherein the absorbent foam covers the core at a depth of at least 0.75 inches.
12. The ball of claim 8 wherein the at least one hole has a depth of at least 0.5 inches.
13. The ball of claim 9 wherein the at least one hole has a depth of at least 0.5 inches.
14. The ball of claim 10 wherein the at least one hole has a depth of at least 0.5 inches.
15. The ball of claim 11 wherein the at least one hole has a depth of at least 0.5 inches.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/617,714 US20110111896A1 (en) | 2009-11-12 | 2009-11-12 | Foam Game Ball with Core |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/617,714 US20110111896A1 (en) | 2009-11-12 | 2009-11-12 | Foam Game Ball with Core |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20110111896A1 true US20110111896A1 (en) | 2011-05-12 |
Family
ID=43974603
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/617,714 Abandoned US20110111896A1 (en) | 2009-11-12 | 2009-11-12 | Foam Game Ball with Core |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20110111896A1 (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10279279B2 (en) | 2017-04-21 | 2019-05-07 | Sergei Baranoff | Self-leveling bubble producing system |
US20190358499A1 (en) * | 2016-07-12 | 2019-11-28 | Molten Corporation | Ball |
US20200038716A1 (en) * | 2018-08-03 | 2020-02-06 | Chris Wright | Methods and systems associated with an object for a game |
USD933146S1 (en) * | 2019-04-08 | 2021-10-12 | Chris Wright | Gaming device |
US20220387858A1 (en) * | 2019-12-03 | 2022-12-08 | Universiteit Gent | Wetting ball |
Citations (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4463951A (en) * | 1981-03-17 | 1984-08-07 | Oyo Rubber Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. | Ball |
US4880233A (en) * | 1986-11-15 | 1989-11-14 | Seoul Nassau Corporation | Game ball |
US5123645A (en) * | 1991-03-18 | 1992-06-23 | Macdonald Richard A | Projectile with interiorly weighted flow passage insert |
US5253866A (en) * | 1991-07-18 | 1993-10-19 | Tonka Corporation | Ball with a passive sound device |
US5277641A (en) * | 1992-12-28 | 1994-01-11 | Gable Derek J | Spinning flying toy with fluid release |
US5458329A (en) * | 1994-08-04 | 1995-10-17 | Bushman; Earl K. | Play prolate spheroid game ball |
US5462273A (en) * | 1988-06-13 | 1995-10-31 | Spector; Donald | Variable weight playball |
US6012997A (en) * | 1997-03-19 | 2000-01-11 | Mason; David W. | Compound safety ball |
US6142894A (en) * | 1999-02-19 | 2000-11-07 | Lee; Yu-Shien | Article producing sound and light on impact |
US6939193B1 (en) * | 2004-07-22 | 2005-09-06 | Mcdowell William C. | Aquatic game device |
US20070049432A1 (en) * | 2005-08-23 | 2007-03-01 | Junior Kenneth L | Basketball having grippable apertures for one-handed dunking |
US7270588B2 (en) * | 2005-01-03 | 2007-09-18 | Frazier John K | Flying disc |
US20080039246A1 (en) * | 2006-08-08 | 2008-02-14 | Marc Gregory Martino | Self-propelled football with internally ducted fan and electric motor |
US20100035710A1 (en) * | 2008-01-29 | 2010-02-11 | Carson Kelly Smith | Lighted Projectile |
US8029393B2 (en) * | 2007-03-07 | 2011-10-04 | Frazier John K | Foam game ball with tubular holes |
-
2009
- 2009-11-12 US US12/617,714 patent/US20110111896A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4463951A (en) * | 1981-03-17 | 1984-08-07 | Oyo Rubber Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. | Ball |
US4880233A (en) * | 1986-11-15 | 1989-11-14 | Seoul Nassau Corporation | Game ball |
US5462273A (en) * | 1988-06-13 | 1995-10-31 | Spector; Donald | Variable weight playball |
US5123645A (en) * | 1991-03-18 | 1992-06-23 | Macdonald Richard A | Projectile with interiorly weighted flow passage insert |
US5253866A (en) * | 1991-07-18 | 1993-10-19 | Tonka Corporation | Ball with a passive sound device |
US5277641A (en) * | 1992-12-28 | 1994-01-11 | Gable Derek J | Spinning flying toy with fluid release |
US5458329A (en) * | 1994-08-04 | 1995-10-17 | Bushman; Earl K. | Play prolate spheroid game ball |
US6012997A (en) * | 1997-03-19 | 2000-01-11 | Mason; David W. | Compound safety ball |
US6142894A (en) * | 1999-02-19 | 2000-11-07 | Lee; Yu-Shien | Article producing sound and light on impact |
US6939193B1 (en) * | 2004-07-22 | 2005-09-06 | Mcdowell William C. | Aquatic game device |
US7270588B2 (en) * | 2005-01-03 | 2007-09-18 | Frazier John K | Flying disc |
US20070049432A1 (en) * | 2005-08-23 | 2007-03-01 | Junior Kenneth L | Basketball having grippable apertures for one-handed dunking |
US20080039246A1 (en) * | 2006-08-08 | 2008-02-14 | Marc Gregory Martino | Self-propelled football with internally ducted fan and electric motor |
US8029393B2 (en) * | 2007-03-07 | 2011-10-04 | Frazier John K | Foam game ball with tubular holes |
US20100035710A1 (en) * | 2008-01-29 | 2010-02-11 | Carson Kelly Smith | Lighted Projectile |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20190358499A1 (en) * | 2016-07-12 | 2019-11-28 | Molten Corporation | Ball |
EP3485946A4 (en) * | 2016-07-12 | 2020-02-26 | Molten Corporation | Ball |
US11117023B2 (en) * | 2016-07-12 | 2021-09-14 | Molten Corporation | Ball |
US10279279B2 (en) | 2017-04-21 | 2019-05-07 | Sergei Baranoff | Self-leveling bubble producing system |
US20200038716A1 (en) * | 2018-08-03 | 2020-02-06 | Chris Wright | Methods and systems associated with an object for a game |
US10688348B2 (en) * | 2018-08-03 | 2020-06-23 | Chris Wright | Methods and systems associated with an object for a game |
USD933146S1 (en) * | 2019-04-08 | 2021-10-12 | Chris Wright | Gaming device |
US20220387858A1 (en) * | 2019-12-03 | 2022-12-08 | Universiteit Gent | Wetting ball |
US11771960B2 (en) * | 2019-12-03 | 2023-10-03 | Universiteit Gent | Wetting ball |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |