Basketball

• US 4,570,931 A
• Filed: 04/03/1984
• Issued: 02/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Martin, Robin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/596,423
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 273/65 EG, 273/232, 273/65 E, 273/65 ED, 273/65 EE, 273/65 EF, D21/204, D21/205, 40/327
• US Class Current: 473/596
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 39/06 Special coverings

Abstract

The surface of a basketball is provided with rows of pebbles or projections, each of which has a flat triangular outer surface and three pointed apexes. The triangles in each row are arranged in alternating directions so that the fingers of a player will engage the pointed apexes of some triangles regardless of the direction in which the fingers extend.

Claims

1. A basketball having a generally spherical surface with a plurality of triangular projections for increasing the ability of a player to grip the basketball, each of the triangular projections having a substantially flat triangular upper surface and three side walls which extend downwardly between the substantially flat upper surface of the projection and the spherical surface of the basketball, the triangular upper surface being defined by three straight sides which provide three pointed apexes.

2. The basketball of claim 1 in which the triangular projections are arranged in a plurality of spherical rows having an upper boundary and a lower boundary which extend generally parallel to each other, each pair of adjacent projections in each row being positioned so that one of the sides of one of the pairs of projections is generally aigned with the upper boundary of the row and one of the sides of the other of the pair of projections is generally aligned with the lower boundary of the row.

3. The basketball of claim 1 in which each of the side walls is inclined at a slope of about 2:

1.

4. The basketball of claim 1 in which each of the side walls is inclined at a slope of about 3:

1.

5. The basketball of claim 1 in which the triangular upper surface of each of the projections is an equilateral triangle.

6. The basketball of claim 5 in which the length of each of the sides of each triangular upper surface is from 0.090 to 0.105 inch.

7. The basketball of claim 1 in which the triangular upper surface of each of the projections is from 0.045 to 0.050 inch above the spherical surface of the basketball.

8. The basketball of claim 1 in which the triangular projections are arranged in a plurality of spherical rows, adjacent projections in each row being positioned so that adjacent sides of the triangular projections extend parallel to each other.

9. The basketball of claim 8 in which the perpendicular spacing between the parallel adjacent sides of the flat upper surfaces of adjacent projections in a row is from 0.090 to 0.108 inch.