Cover for a ball or sphere

• US 6,916,263 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seesaw Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seesaw Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Pacheco, Francisco
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US10/398,405
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 473603-605, 473/607, 473/612, 473/598, 473/599, 473/596, D21/709, D21/713
• US Class Current: 473/607
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

A ball for ball games, organized in 18 squares and adjusted by 8 helices, wherein the ideal sphericity is obtained when the distance from the center (Y) to the corners of the triangle in the center of the helix is equal to the difference in distance that exists between the square and its diagonal: If c=sqrt(3)*(d−a) and d=⅛C, then sphere.

Claims

1. An inflatable ball for ball games comprising:

a circumference with a selected measurement (C);

a surface having a number of interconnected basic panels comprising eighteen squares, twenty four trapezoids and eight equilateral triangles, said squares having four sides of substantially equal length (a) and two corresponding diagonals of length (d), said triangles having three sides of a substantially equal length (c) and a central point (Y) and said trapezoids having four sides composed of two legs of said length (a), one base of said length (a) and a smaller side of said length (c);

said trapezoids being enclosed by three of said squares and one of said triangles, wherein said sides (c) of said trapezoids are connected to said sides (c) of said equilateral triangles and said sides (a) of said trapezoids are connected to said sides (a) of said squares; and

the relation of said circumference measurement (C) with said length (c) ranging between a first ratio of (c)=6.436% (C) and a second ratio of (c)=6.25% (C) and said length (d) of said diagonals of said squares being substantially equal to one eighth of said measurement (C).

2. The ball of claim 1, wherein said length (c) of said triangles is equal to the difference between said length (d) and said length (a) multiplied by the square root of the number three:

(c)=sqrt(3)×

(d−

a).

3. The ball of claim 1, wherein twelve of said squares have one of said diagonals of length (d) and the other of said diagonals of a length larger than (d), thereby forming twelve rhombuses, said longer diagonals being disposed between two of said triangles.

4. The ball of claim 1 further comprising subassemblies in the form of large panels formed from the union of selected groups of said basic panels.

5. The ball of claim 4 further comprising subassemblies in the form of small panels formed from subdivisions of selected groups of said basic panels.

6. The ball of claim 1 further comprising subassemblies in the form of small panels formed from subdivisions of selected groups of said basic panels.

7. The ball of claim 1 further comprising four diametral axes passing through the center of said ball, each axis having two opposed poles disposed at said points (Y), said triangles including three identical interconnected sub-triangles dividing each of said triangles, said three sub-triangles each comprising a base of said length (c) and two legs extending in an “

s”

pattern from each apex of said triangle to said central point (Y).

8. The ball of claim 7, wherein said “

s”

extensions of said legs of said sub-triangles are disposed in two opposed orientations, and further comprising a first group of four of said triangles having said sub-triangle legs of one orientation and a second group of four of said triangles having said sub-triangle legs of the other orientation, each triangle of said first group of triangles being disposed at one of said poles of said four diametral axes and each triangle of said second group of triangles being disposed at an opposed pole of said axes, whereby each axis has a triangle of said first group at one pole and a triangle of said second group at the opposite pole.

9. The ball of claim 1 further comprising at least four elongated support strings disposed between two of said points (Y), each of said strings crossing the others substantially near the absolute center of said ball.

10. The ball of claim 1 further comprising an ornamental design of at least eight concave cogwheels disposed at said points (Y).

11. The ball of claim 1 further comprising an ornamental design of at least twelve concave cogwheels disposed at the center of some of said squares.