Comba Ball With Magnus Effect

• US 20090082144A1
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Francisco Pacheco
• Original Assignee: Francisco Pacheco
• Inventors: Pacheco, Francisco
• Granted Patent: US 7,935,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/604
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/02 Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/04 Spherical articles, e.g. balls B29D22/02 takes precedence

Abstract

This invention refers to the structure for a ball or ball cover that comprises a plurality of interconnected panels comprising first and second groups of panels which combined form a sphere. The first group of panels define at least two different surface areas of the ball or ball cover disposed at polar extremes on the surface of the sphere and the second group of panels define an area of the surface in the form of a ring, with at least three undulations and disposed in the equatorial zone of the surface of the ball or ball cover, creating a separation between the polar extremes defined by the first group of panels; whereby the width of the ring is modified to improve the sphericity of the ball or ball cover and obtaining a ball of a selected measurement (C).

Claims

1. A ball or ball cover having a circumference with a first selected measurement (C′

), comprising;

a plurality of interconnected panels comprising first and second groups of panels which combine to form a sphere,

said first group of panels defining at least two different surface areas of said ball or ball cover corresponding to polar hemispheres of said sphere;

said second group of panels defining an area of said surface in the form of a circumferential band, with at least three undulations and disposed in the equatorial zone of said surface the said ball or ball cover, creating a separation between and joining said polar hemispheres defined by said first group of panels;

whereby the width of said band is modified to improve the sphericity of the ball or ball cover and obtaining a ball of a selected second measurement (C).

2. The ball or ball cover of claim 1, wherein the first selected measurement (C′

) is greater than the second selected measurement (C) and the modification of the width of the band comprises a reduction of from 10% to 50% and wherein said reduction is determined by the moment at which the prolate spheroid becomes a sphere of a circumference (C) before becoming an oblate spheroid.

3. The ball or ball cover of claim 2, wherein said second group of panels is made up of six rhombus and six trapezium and each of said areas of said first group of panels is made up of four equilateral triangles, six rhombus and nine trapezium.

4. The ball or ball cover of claim 3, wherein at least one of said panels in the form of a rhombus is a square.

5. The ball or ball cover of claim 3, wherein at least one panel of said groups of panels is of elastic material.

6. The ball or ball cover of claim 3, wherein at least one panel of said groups of panels has a greater rigidity than the rest of the panels.

7. The ball or ball cover of claim 3, wherein the measure of the reduction in the width of the band is determined by a larger number than the difference between the polar circumference and the equatorial circumference, divided by two.

8. The ball or ball cover of claim 7 wherein the width of the band following reduction is equal to 71% of the original width and to 21% of the diameter of said ball.

9. In an inflatable ball for ball games comprising a circumference with a first selected measurement (C′

), a surface comprising a plurality of interconnected basic shapes comprising eighteen squares, twenty four trapezoids and eight equilateral triangles, said squares having four sides of substantially equal length (a) and two corresponding diagonals of length (d), said triangles having three sides of substantially equal length (c) and a central point (Y) and said trapezoids having four sides composed of two legs of said length (a), one base of said length (a) and a smaller side of said length (c), each of said trapezoids being enclosed by three of said squares and one of said triangles wherein said sides (c) of said trapezoids are connected to said sides (c) of said equilateral triangles and said sides (a) of said trapezoids are connected to said sides (a) of said squares, and wherein said interconnected basic shapes are grouped into three groups of sections, two groups of sections comprising nine trapezoids, six squares and four e triangles forming a polar hemisphere with a central point (Y) with one of said four triangles located exactly in the polar extreme, and a third group of sections comprising six trapezoids and six squares forming an undulated equatorial band, said ball comprising two of said polar hemispheres joined along adjacent sides to adjacent sides of the equatorial band, wherein the improvement comprises;

decreasing the width of the equatorial band by between 20% and 40%, creating a reduction in the measurement of the polar axis with respect to the measurement of the equatorial axis, forming said equatorial band from an appropriate material, whereby a ball with a second selected measurement of circumference (C), improved sphericity and improved characteristics is obtained

10. The ball of claim 9, wherein said decrease in the width of the band is of 29%.

11. The ball of claim 9, wherein said appropriate material of the equatorial band has an elasticity greater than said two polar hemispheres of said ball.

12. The ball of claim 9, wherein said appropriate material of the equatorial band has a hardness greater than said polar hemispheres of said ball.

13. The ball of claim 9, wherein said appropriate material of the equatorial band has a hardness similar to said polar hemispheres of said ball.

14. The ball of claim 9, wherein the degree of decrease of said width of the equatorial band is determined by a comparison between the length of the polar axis, and the length of the equatorial axis and is calculated approximately as one half the difference between the polar axis and the equatorial axis, said calculation being repeated several times until mining the polar axis and equatorial axis equal.

15. The ball of claim 9, wherein the degree of decrease of the width of the equatorial band to be applied is determined based on the difference between the actual measurement of the polar axis and actual measurements of the equatorial axis before applying the reduction, determining the degree of decrease necessary to achieve equality between both axes.

16. A method for improving the sphericity and roundness of a ball or ball cover having a circumference of selected measurement (C) and comprising a plurality of interconnected panels defining in said ball or ball cover at least three distinct surface areas corresponding to two polar hemispheres joined by a single equatorial band;

the method comprising decreasing the width of each one of said panels comprising said equatorial band, thereby generating changes in polar and equatorial axes of said ball.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising, determining the degree of decrease that makes the circumferences around said ball uniform.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising a redistribution of said panels in accordance with said decrease, where said decreased areas accommodate in an independent form from the structures of the other surface areas.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the determination of the degree of said decrease as the degree of decrease necessary to produce equality between the actual measurement of the equatorial axes and polar axis for a sphere of circumference (C).

20. A method for improving the sphericity and roundness of a multipanel ball or ball cover having a circumference of selected measurement (C) said panels comprising 24 trapezoids, 18 squares and 8 triangles arranged in three groups, wherein two identical groups of 9 trapezoids, 6 squares and 4 triangles form polar hemispheres and one individual group of 6 trapezoids and 6 squares forms an equatorial band, said band having alternating undulations with three undulations in a first polar direction and three undulations in a second and opposite polar direction, where the three corners of each substantially triangular panel correspond to central points of octants of said ball;

the method comprising positioning of the vertices of said substantially triangular panels of one of the said identical groups in the three undulations of the individual group that go in a first direction and the positioning of the vertices of said substantially triangular panels of the other identical group in the three undulations of the individual group that go in the second direction so that the area adjusts to a measurement that satisfies the circumference (C) in all directions.