BALL WITH ANOMALIES

• US 20110218064A1
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charlie Henry Bibby
• Original Assignee: Charlie Henry Bibby
• Inventors: Bibby, Charlie Henry
• Granted Patent: US 10,668,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/595
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/02 Bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/04 with an eccentric centre of gravity; with mechanism for changing the centre of gravity solid balls A63B37/10

Abstract

A bouncy ball includes anomalies which, when bounced upon, causes the ball to bounce irregularly. The anomaly may comprise a solid protrusion formed integrally with an outer skin of the ball or a separate plug filled into a pocket formed in the outer skin. The shape of the protrusion may be partially spherical. The solid protrusion may also include elongate grooves, flat surfaces or any other desired shape, such as a star. The bouncy ball may also include a secondary bladder with inflatable anomalies. The secondary bladder is coupled to a generally spherical inner tube which may be formed with grooves to receive the secondary bladder. Outer skins may be coupled over the secondary bladder and inner tube.

Claims

1. A bouncy ball, comprising:

an inflatable bladder having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a skin configured to be coupled to the outer surface of the inflatable bladder; and

a solid anomaly which, when bounced upon, causes the ball to bounce erratically.

2. The ball of claim 1, wherein:

the skin comprises a first rubber material and a pocket having a pocket inner surface; and

the solid anomaly comprises a plug composed of a second rubber material different from the first rubber material, the plug being configured to fit into the pocket between the outer surface of the bladder and the pocket inner surface so as to form a protrusion.

3. The ball of claim 1, wherein the solid anomaly is integral with the skin and composed of a same rubber material as the skin.

4. The ball of claim 3, wherein the solid anomaly comprises a protrusion.

5. The ball of claim 4, wherein the protrusion is at least partially spherical.

6. The ball of claim 4, wherein the protrusion comprises elongate grooves.

7. The ball of claim 3, wherein the solid anomaly comprises a plurality of flat surfaces formed on the outer surface of the skin.

8. A bouncy ball, comprising:

an inflatable bladder having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a skin configured to be coupled to the outer surface of the inflatable bladder; and

a solid protrusion which, when bounced upon, causes the ball to bounce erratically.

9. The ball of claim 8, wherein:

the skin comprises a first rubber material and a pocket having a pocket inner surface; and

the solid protrusion comprises a plug composed of a second rubber material different from the first rubber material, the plug being configured to fit into the pocket between the outer surface of the bladder and the pocket inner surface.

10. The ball of claim 8, wherein the solid anomaly is integral with the skin and composed of a same rubber material as the skin.

11. The ball of claim 8, wherein the protrusion is at least partially spherical.

12. The ball of claim 8, wherein the protrusion comprises elongate grooves.

13. The ball of claim 8, wherein the solid protrusion comprises a plurality of flat surfaces formed on the outer surface of the skin.

14. The ball of claim 8, wherein the solid comprises letters or numbers.

15. A bouncy ball, comprising:

a first, inner inflatable bladder having a first inner surface and a first outer surface;

a second inflatable bladder configured to be coupled to the first outer surface of the first inflatable bladder, the second inflatable bladder comprising an anomaly which, when bounced upon, causes the ball to bounce erratically; and

an outer skin configured to wrap around the first inflatable bladder and the second inflatable bladder.

16. The ball of claim 15, wherein:

the second inflatable bladder comprises an air chamber; and

the anomaly comprises an air pocket in fluid communication with the air chamber, the air pocket being configured to form a protrusion when inflated.

17. The ball of claim 16, wherein the skin comprises a skin pocket configured to receive the protrusion of the second inflatable bladder.

18. The ball of claim 15, wherein the second inflatable bladder comprises a generally thin and elongate band.

19. The ball of claim 18, wherein the first inflatable bladder comprises a groove to receive the band of the second inflatable bladder.

20. The ball of claim 15, wherein the second inflatable bladder comprises a pair of generally thin and elongate bands formed in a crisscross pattern.