Comba ball with magnus effect

• US 7,935,013 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Francisco Pacheco
• Original Assignee: Francisco Pacheco
• Inventors: Pacheco, Francisco
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/223,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20090082144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 473603-605, 473/607, 473/612, 473/598, 473/599, 473/596, D21/709, D21/713
• US Class Current: 473/604
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/02 Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/04 Spherical articles, e.g. balls B29D22/02 takes precedence

Abstract

This invention refers to the structure for a ball or ball cover that comprises a plurality of interconnected panels comprising first and second groups of panels which combined form a sphere. The first group of panels define at least two different surface areas of the ball or ball cover disposed at polar extremes on the surface of the sphere and the second group of panels define an area of the surface in the form of a ring, with at least three undulations and disposed in the equatorial zone of the surface of the ball or ball cover, creating a separation between the polar extremes defined by the first group of panels; whereby the width of the ring is modified to improve the sphericity of the ball or ball cover and obtaining a ball of a selected measurement (C).

Claims

1. A ball having improved sphericity evidenced by a circumference with a selected measurement (C), comprising:

a plurality of interconnected panels comprising first and second groups of panels which combine to form a sphere,

said first group of panels defining at least two different surface areas of said ball corresponding to polar hemispheres of said sphere;

said second group of panels defining an area of said surface in the form of a circumferential band having a width, and said area having generally parallel sides along its length with at least three undulations and disposed in the equatorial zone of said surface of the said ball, creating a separation between and joining said polar hemispheres defined by said first group of panels;

whereby the width of said band is modified to improve the sphericity of the ball and obtain a ball of a selected circumference with measurement (C).

2. The ball of claim 1, wherein the selected measurement (C) represents a modification of the width of the band and comprises a reduction of from 10% to 50% and wherein said reduction is determined by the moment at which a prolate spheroid becomes a sphere of a circumference (C) before becoming an oblate spheroid.

3. The ball of claim 2, wherein said second group of panels is made up of six rhombus and six trapezium and each of said areas of said first group of panels is made up of four equilateral triangles, six rhombus and nine trapezium.

4. The ball of claim 3, wherein at least one of said panels in the form of a rhombus is a square.

5. The ball of claim 3, wherein at least one panel of said groups of panels is of elastic material.

6. The ball of claim 3, wherein at least one panel of said groups of panels has a greater rigidity than the rest of the panels.

7. The ball of claim 3, wherein the measure of the reduction in the width of the band is determined by a larger number than the difference between the polar circumference and the equatorial circumference, divided by two.

8. The ball of claim 7 wherein the width of the band following reduction is equal to 71% of the original width and to 21% of the diameter of said ball.

9. In an inflatable ball for ball games comprising a circumference with a selected measurement (C), a surface comprising a plurality of interconnected basic shapes 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 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), each of 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 wherein said interconnected basic shapes are grouped into three groups of sections, two groups of sections comprising nine trapezoids, six squares and four equilateral triangles forming a polar hemisphere with a central point (Y) with one of said four triangles located exactly in the polar extreme, and a third group of sections comprising six trapezoids and six squares forming an undulated equatorial band, having generally parallel sides along its length said ball comprising two of said polar hemispheres joined along adjacent sides to adjacent sides of the equatorial band, wherein the improvement comprises:

decreasing the width of the equatorial band by between 20% and 40%, creating a reduction in the measurement of the polar axis with respect to the measurement of the equatorial axis, forming said equatorial band from an appropriate material, whereby a ball with a selected measurement of circumference (C), improved sphericity and improved characteristics is obtained.

10. The ball of claim 9, wherein said decrease in the width of the band is of 29%.

11. The ball of claim 9, wherein said appropriate material of the equatorial band has an elasticity greater than said two polar hemispheres of said ball.

12. The ball of claim 9, wherein said appropriate material of the equatorial band has a hardness greater than said polar hemispheres of said ball.

13. The ball of claim 9, wherein said appropriate material of the equatorial band has a hardness similar to said polar hemispheres of said ball.

14. The ball of claim 9, wherein the degree of decrease of said width of the equatorial band is determined by a comparison between the length of the polar axis, and the length of the equatorial axis and is calculated approximately as one half the difference between the polar axis and the equatorial axis, said calculation being repeated several times until making the polar axis and equatorial axis equal.

15. The ball of claim 9, wherein the degree of decrease of the width of the equatorial band to be applied is determined based on the difference between the actual measurement of the polar axis and actual measurements of the equatorial axis before applying the reduction, determining the degree of decrease necessary to achieve equality between both axes.