FLOATING SOCCER BALL

• US 20160082323A1
• Filed: 09/18/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dylan Dinehart, Stewart Higa
• Original Assignee: Dylan Dinehart, Stewart Higa
• Inventors: Higa, Stewart, Dinehart, Dylan
• Application Number:
  US14/858,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20160082323A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2039/003 substantially hollow and pressureless
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2043/001 Short-distance or low-velocity balls for training, or for playing on a reduced area
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 39/00 Hollow non-inflatable balls , i.e. having no valves rigid balls A63B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 39/06 Special coverings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements

Abstract

For an aerodynamic soccer ball, a shell with a hollow interior is provided. A plurality of orifices are disposed and uniformly spaced on the shell.

Claims

1. A ball comprising:

a shell comprising a hollow interior; and

a plurality of orifices disposed and uniformly spaced on the shell.

2. The ball of claim 1, wherein the shell is fabricated of a semi-rigid, resilient, flexible material.

3. The ball of claim 1, wherein the shell is fabricated of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic rubber acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, styrene, polystyrene, and polyester.

4. The ball of claim 1, wherein each orifice has an orifice area in the range of 10 to 60 centimeters squared (cm²).

5. The ball of claim 1, wherein the plurality of orifices have a total orifice area in the range of 25 to 55 percent of an available shell area.

6. The ball of claim 1, wherein each orifice is one of a circle and multi-sided.

7. The ball of claim 1, wherein the ball is a soccer ball with a mass in the range of 50 to 150 grams (g) for a size 3 soccer ball.

8. The ball of claim 1, wherein the ball is a soccer ball with a mass in the range of 75 to 250 g for a size 5 soccer ball.

9. The ball of claim 1, wherein the shell has a shell thickness in the range of 2.9 to 3.1 millimeters (mm).

10. The ball of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises an outer shell and an inner shell.

11. The ball of claim 10, wherein outer shell is fabricated from thermoplastic rubber and has an outer shell thickness in the range of 1.45 to 1.55 mm and the inner shell is fabricated from one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polypropelene and has an inner shell thickness in the range of 1.45 to 1.55 mm.