Game ball with bridged panels
First Claim
1. A game ball including a plurality of panels connected along abutting edges, said plurality of panels comprising a bridged panel formed of two integrally-formed, non-equilateral, hexagonal portions, said bridged panel defining a plurality of edges, each said edge having a length selected from a short length and a long length, a ratio of said short length to said long length being selected to provide substantially equal values of material stress and degree of stretch in said plurality of panels.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is a game ball comprising a plurality of panels that are connected along abutting edges. The panels include at least one bridged panel that is formed of two integrally-connected, non-equilateral hexagonal portions. In addition to the bridged panels, the game ball includes equilateral pentagonal panels and non-equilateral hexagonal panels. Each hexagonal portion and each hexagonal panel includes three long edges and three short edges. A ratio of a length of each short edge to a length of each long edge is at least 0.069.
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Citations
45 Claims
- 1. A game ball including a plurality of panels connected along abutting edges, said plurality of panels comprising a bridged panel formed of two integrally-formed, non-equilateral, hexagonal portions, said bridged panel defining a plurality of edges, each said edge having a length selected from a short length and a long length, a ratio of said short length to said long length being selected to provide substantially equal values of material stress and degree of stretch in said plurality of panels.
- 11. A game ball including a plurality of panels connected along abutting edges, said plurality of panels comprising a bridged panel, a hexagonal panel, and a pentagonal panel, said bridged panel being formed of two integrally-formed, non-equilateral, hexagonal portions, said bridged panel defining a plurality of edges, each said edge having a length selected from a short length and a long length, a ratio of said short length to said long length being, selected to provide substantially equal values of material stress and degree of stretch in said plurality of panels.
- 22. A game ball that includes a plurality of panels connected along abutting edges, said plurality of panels comprising six bridged panels, eight hexagonal panels, and twelve pentagonal panels, each said bridged panel including a first hexagonal portion that is integrally-formed with a second hexagonal portion, said panels each having a plurality of edges with a length selected from a short length and a long length, a ratio of said short length to said long length being in a range of 0.69 to 0.99.
- 30. A substantially spherical soccer ball that includes a plurality of panels connected along abutting edges, said plurality of panels comprising six bridged panels, eight non-equilateral hexagonal panels, and twelve equilateral pentagonal panels, each said bridged panel including a first hexagonal portion that is integrally-formed with a second hexagonal portion, said panels each having a plurality of edges with a length selected from a short length and a long length, a ratio of said short length to said long length being approximately 0.839 to provide substantially equal values of material stress and degree of stretch in said panels.
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33. A substantially spherical game ball including a plurality of panels connected along abutting edges, said plurality of panels comprising:
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a bridged panel including a first hexagonal portion and a second hexagonal portion, each said hexagonal portion having a non-equilateral configuration, and each said hexagonal portion defining six edges, three of said edges of each said hexagonal portion having a long length, and three of said edges of each said hexagonal portion having a short length, said first hexagonal portion being integrally-formed with said second hexagonal portion;
a hexagonal panel with a non-equilateral configuration, said hexagonal panel defining six edges, at least one of said edges of said hexagonal panel having said long length and at least one of said edges of said hexagonal panel having said short length; and
a pentagonal panel with an equilateral configuration, said pentagonal panel defining five edges, each said edge of said pentagonal panel having said long length, said long length and said short length being selected to provide substantially equal values of material stress and degree of stretch in said panels. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A substantially spherical soccer ball including a plurality of panels connected along abutting edges, said plurality of panels comprising:
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six bridged panels that each include a first hexagonal portion and a second hexagonal portion, each said hexagonal portion having a non-equilateral configuration, and each said hexagonal portion defining six edges, three of said edges of each said hexagonal portion having a long length, and three of said edges of each said hexagonal portion having a short length, one of said edges of said first hexagonal portion with said short length being joined with one of said edges of said second hexagonal portion with said short length to integrally-form said first hexagonal portion with said second hexagonal portion;
eight hexagonal panels with a non-equilateral configuration, each said hexagonal panel defining six edges, at least one of said edges of said hexagonal panel having said long length and at least one of said edges of said hexagonal panel having said short length; and
twelve pentagonal panels with an equilateral configuration, each said pentagonal panel defining five edges, each said edge of said pentagonal panel having said long length, a ratio of said long length to said short length being in a range of 0.69 to 0.99. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A substantially spherical soccer ball including a plurality of panels connected along abutting edges, said plurality of panels comprising:
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six bridged panels that each include a first hexagonal portion and a second hexagonal portion, each said hexagonal portion having a non-equilateral configuration, and each said hexagonal portion defining six edges, three of said edges of each said hexagonal portion having a long length, and three of said edges of each said hexagonal portion having a short length, one of said edges of said first hexagonal portion with said short length being joined with one of said edges of said second hexagonal portion with said short length to integrally-form said first hexagonal portion with said second hexagonal portion;
eight hexagonal panels with a non-equilateral configuration, each said hexagonal panel defining six edges, at least one of said edges of said hexagonal panel having said long length and at least one of said edges of said hexagonal panel having said short length; and
twelve pentagonal panels with an equilateral configuration, each said pentagonal panel defining five edges, each said edge of said pentagonal panel having said long length, a ratio of said long length to said short length being approximately 0.839 to provide substantially equal values of material stress and degree of stretch in said panels. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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Specification