FOOTBALL INCLUDING INDICIA TO IMPROVE VISIBILITY

• US 20100062883A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Cellan, Damon M., Bevier, Joseph J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,449,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/597
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American 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

A prolate spheriodal ball includes first and second ends and first and second mid regions between the first and second ends and the tranverse axis, respectively. The ball is colored with a first color. First and second tips at first and second ends are colored to contrast with the first color. First and second mid regions include colored regions that are colored to contrast with the first color. The peripheries of the contrasting colored regions are continuous around the ball.

Claims

1. A prolate spheroidal ball, including:

a body having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and made of material having a first color;

the body including a first tip located at the first end and a second tip located at the second end, each of the first and second tips being colored with a second color that contrasts with the first color, an outer periphery of the tip having a ring shape; and

the body further including a first mid region between the first tip and the transverse axis and a second mid region between the second tip and the transverse axis, a portion of each of the first and second mid regions being colored with the second color, an outer periphery of each mid region portion colored with the second color having a ring shape continuous around the body.

2. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 1, wherein the first color is a generally tan color and the second color is contrasts highly with the first color.

3. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 1, wherein the second color has a dominant wavelength between about 520 and about 770 nm.

4. The prolate spheriodal ball of claim 1, wherein the first color and the second color are flat.

5. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 1, wherein the second color covers no more than about 50% of a surface area of the body.

6. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 1, wherein an inner periphery of each mid region portion colored with the second color includes an inner periphery that is ring shaped over at least half of a circumference of the body.

7. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 6, wherein a portion of the inner periphery of each mid region portion colored with the second color extends to form a finger portion.

8. A prolate spheroidal ball, including:

a body having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and made of material having a first color;

the body including a first tip located at the first end, the first tip being colored with a second color that contrasts with the first color, an outer periphery of the tip having a ring shape; and

the body further including a first mid region between the first tip and the transverse axis, a portion of the first mid region being colored with the second color, an outer periphery of the mid region portion colored with the second color having a ring shape continuous around the body.

9. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 8, wherein the first color is a generally tan color and the second color contrasts highly with the first color.

10. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 8, wherein the second color has a dominant wavelength between about 520 and about 770 nm.

11. The prolate spheriodal ball of claim 9, wherein the first color and the second color are flat.

12. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 9, wherein an inner periphery of the mid region portion colored with the second color includes an inner periphery that is ring shaped over at least half of a circumference of the body.

13. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 12, wherein a portion of the inner periphery of the mid region portion colored with the second color extends to form a finger portion.

14. A prolate spheroidal ball, including:

a body having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and made of material having a first color; and

the body including a first tip located at the first end, the first tip being colored with a second color that contrasts with the first color, an outer periphery of the tip having a ring shape.

15. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 14, wherein the first color is a generally tan color and the second color contrasts highly with the first color.

16. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 14, wherein the second color has a dominant wavelength between about 520 and about 770 nm.

17. The prolate spheriodal ball of claim 14, wherein the first color and the second color are flat.

18. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 14, wherein the second color covers no more than about 50% of a surface area of the body.

19. A prolate spheroidal ball, comprising:

a body having a longitudal axis, a transverse axis, an external surface, and first and second ends;

a first body portion extends from the tranverse axis to the first end, the first body portion shape being conical in shape, and wherein

the first body portion is divided into three sections, a first section extending from the first end and being conical in shape, a third section being frustoconical in shape and extending from the transverse axis, and a second section being frustoconical in shape and extending between the first section and the third section, and wherein

the first section and the second section have contrasting colors, and wherein the second section and at least one area of the third section are contrasting colors.

20. A prolate spheroidal ball, including:

a body having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and made of material having a first color;

the body including a first tip located at the first end;

the body further including a first mid region between the first tip and the transverse axis, a portion of the first mid region being colored with the second color, an outer periphery of the first mid region portion colored with the second color having a ring shape continuous around the body;

wherein an inner periphery of the first mid region portion colored with the second color includes an inner periphery that is ring shaped over at least half of a circumference of the body; and

wherein a portion of the inner periphery of the first mid region portion colored with the second color extends to form a finger portion.

21. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 20, wherein the first color is a generally tan color and the second color is contrasts highly with the first color.

22. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 20, wherein the second color has a dominant wavelength between about 520 and about 770 nm.

23. The prolate spheriodal ball of claim 20, wherein the first color and the second color are flat.

24. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 20, wherein the second color covers no more than about 50% of a surface area of the body.

25. A prolate spheroidal ball, including:

a body having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and made of material having a first color;

the body including a first tip located at the first end, the first tip being colored with a second color that contrasts with the first color, an outer periphery of the tip having a ring shape; and

the body further including a first mid region between the first tip and the transverse axis, a portion of each of the first mid region being colored with a third color, an outer periphery of the mid region portion colored with the third color having a ring shape continuous around the body.

26. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 25, wherein the first color is a generally tan color and the second and third colors are colors that contrast highly with the first color.

27. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 25, wherein the second and third colors have dominant wavelengths between about 520 and about 770 nm.

28. The prolate spheriodal ball of claim 25, wherein the first, second, and third colors are flat.

29. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 25, further comprising a lace element.

30. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 29, wherein an inner periphery of the mid region portion colored with the third color includes an inner periphery that is ring shaped over at least half of a circumference of the body.

31. The prolate spheroidal ball of claim 30, wherein a portion of the inner periphery of the mid region portion colored with the third color extends to form a finger portion adjacent the lace element.