Soccer ball with motion graphic

• US 20070281812A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike International Ltd. (Nike, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Citek, Karl, Smith, Todd, Reichow, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,512,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/604
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06

Abstract

Balls for team and individual sports include a motion graphic that provides enhanced perception of ball rotation. The motion graphic is typically defined with a visual characteristic that contrast with a ball casing. The motion graphic includes first and second termination portions that are coupled by a connection region. The first and second termination portions are symmetrically situated with respect to a longitudinal axis and are asymmetric with respect to axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The motion graphic and the ball casing can be provided with substantially opposite colors selected to exhibit similar or substantially the same reflectivities.

Claims

1. A ball, comprising:

a first exterior field region associated with a first visual stimulus; and

a second exterior field region in which a motion graphic is defined, wherein the motion graphic is defined based on a second visual stimulus that is substantially contrasting with the first visual stimulus, wherein the motion graphic includes first and second termination portions that are substantially symmetric with respect to a first longitudinal axis and asymmetric with respect to a second longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis, wherein the first and second termination portions are partially coupled by a connection portion that extends substantially perpendicularly to the first axis.

3. The ball of claim 1, wherein the connection portion extends from the first termination portion to the second termination portion.

4. The ball of claim 1, wherein the motion graphic further comprises an interior region within the connection portion and the termination portions, and defined by the visual stimulus associated with first visual stimulus.

5. The ball of claim 4, wherein the termination portions consist essentially of a truncated annular ring.

6. The ball of claim 5, wherein the truncated annular ring extends along a semicircular arc.

7. The ball of claim 6, wherein a radius of the semicircular arc is less than about ⅘

of a radius of the soccer ball.

8. The ball of claim 7, wherein a height of the motion graphic is less than about ⅖

of a circumference of the soccer ball.

2. The ball of claim 2, wherein the motion graphic further comprises an interior region within the connection portion and the termination portions and that is associated with first visual stimulus.

9. The ball of claim 2, wherein the first visual stimulus and the second visual stimulus are associated with contrasting colors.

10. The ball of claim 9, wherein the contrasting colors are blue and yellow.

11. The ball of claim 10, wherein the blue and yellow colors have substantially equal effective average reflectances.

12. A ball, comprising:

an exterior casing; and

a motion graphic defined on the exterior casing, wherein the motion graphic is defined by a perimeter that establishes end portions that are symmetric with respect to a ball longitude, and that are coupled by a connection region, wherein the perimeter encloses a motion graphic interior and includes first, second, and third perimeter portions configured so as to exhibit selected visual characteristics substantially visually contrasting with respect to the exterior casing.

13. The ball of claim 12, wherein the motion graphic is asymmetric with respect to any longitude perpendicular to the longitude about which the end portions are symmetric.

14. The ball of claim 13, wherein the first, second, and third perimeter portions are situated so that the first and third perimeter portions are the exterior-most and interior-most perimeter portions, respectively, and the second perimeter portion is situated between the first and third perimeter portions, and the first and third perimeter portions are configured so as to exhibit a common visual characteristic.

15. The ball of claim 14, wherein the visual characteristic exhibited by the first and third perimeter portions is a common color, and the second perimeter portion is configured to exhibit a visual characteristic associated with a different shade of the common color.

16. The ball of claim 15, wherein the exterior casing is provided with a color that is spectrally opposite that of the perimeter.

17. The ball of claim 15, wherein the exterior casing is yellow, and the perimeter is blue.

18. The ball of claim 12, wherein the first, second, and third perimeter portions are situated so that the first and third perimeter portions are the exterior-most and interior-most perimeter portions, respectively, and the second perimeter portion is situated between the first and third perimeter portions, and the first and third perimeter portions are configured so as to exhibit a common visual characteristic.

19. The ball of claim 18, wherein the visual characteristic exhibited by the first and third perimeter portions is a common color, and the second perimeter portion is configured to exhibit a visual characteristic associated with a different shade of the common color.

20. The ball of claim 18, wherein the exterior casing is provided with a color that is spectrally opposite that of the perimeter.

21. The ball of claim 20, wherein the exterior casing is yellow, and the perimeter is blue.

22. A method, comprising:

defining a motion graphic that includes first and second pattern ends that are situated symmetrically with respect to an first axis on an exterior of a ball; and

configuring the motion graphic to exhibit a visual characteristic that is substantially contrasting with respect to the ball exterior.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the visual characteristic exhibited by the ball exterior and the motion graphic are substantially opposite.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein each pattern end is substantially asymmetric with respect to any axis perpendicular to the first axis.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the motion graphic is defined by a perimeter that exhibits two or more shades of a common color.