Game ball

• US 4,318,544 A
• Filed: 10/30/1980
• Issued: 03/09/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: W H Brine Company
• Original Assignee: W H Brine Company
• Inventors: Brine, William H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/202,140
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 273/60 R, 273/65 EG, 273/65 EF, 273/58 K, 273/65 R, 273/65 E, 40/327
• US Class Current: 473/596
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

An inflated soccer ball has an inner air bag with a surrounding outer shell. The outer shell is provided with a plurality of indentations arranged so as to provide a wind channel configuration which aids in aerodynamic control of the ball. The wind channel is elongated and extends in at least three different directions.

Claims

1. A game ball having an inner air chamber and a spherical surrounding outer shell,

said outer shell comprising an outer surface having a plurality of indented wind channel means extending in at least three different linear directions angularly arranged with respect to each other,

each of said wind channel means comprising at least three adjacent parallel elongated depressions extending for a segment length of at least 1 inch,

and said plurality of wind channel means being arranged over said surface in a balanced order and acting to aid in improved aerodynamic balance to said ball.

2. A game ball in accordance with claim 1 with said depressions extending substantially uniformly into said surface to a depth of at least 1/16 inch.

3. A game ball in accordance with claim 2 with said series laid out in the form of a plurality of interlocked pentagons.

4. A game ball in accordance with claim 3 wherein 12 pentagon shapes are uniformly arranged over the surface of said ball and said ball is a soccer ball.

5. A game ball in accordance with claim 4 wherein said 12 pentagons overlie uniformly a plurality of pentagon shaped sections in the surface of said soccer ball.

6. A game ball in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wind channel means has substantially parallel sidewalls.

7. A game ball in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wind channel means has a U shaped cross section with the walls having a depth equal to the width of the cross section.