Elastically deformable item of sports equipment comprising a deformable electromagnetic coil structure

• US 9,889,343 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Retkowski, Reiner, Hartmann, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US14/651,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20150328502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/00 Hollow inflatable balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/071 Winding coils of special form winding conductors onto closed formers or cores H01F41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/00 Coils superconducting coils H01F6/06; fixed inductances of the signal type H01F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 by assembling coil and core

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a concept for an elastically deformable item of sports equipment comprising at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure around a curved surface within the item of sports equipment, such that the at least one electromagnetic coil structure forms a three-dimensional curve having non-vanishing geometric torsion and curvature to provide an elongation reserve related to a maximum deformation of the item of sports equipment.

Claims

1. An elastically deformable item of sports equipment, comprising:

at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure arranged around a curved surface within the item of sports equipment, wherein the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure is wound spirally around a curved axis, the curved axis being curved according to the curved surface to provide an elongation reserve related to a maximum elastic deformation of the item of sports equipment;

wherein

the curved axis extends completely around the circumference of the item of sports equipment, and

the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure is wound spirally around an entire length of the curved axis, thereby extending completely around the circumference of the item of sports equipment.

2. The item of sports equipment according to claim 1, wherein

the curved surface is a spherical surface in an undeformed condition of the item of sports equipment;

and

a length of at least one turn of the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure around the spherical surface is larger than the circumference of the spherical surface.

3. The item of sports equipment according to claim 1, wherein at least one electrical conductor of the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure is arranged essentially spirally along a circular path on the curved surface.

4. The item of sports equipment according to claim 3, wherein

at least one electrical conductor of the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure includes a first section being wound with a first spiral orientation and a second section being wound with a second spiral orientation;

and

the first spiral orientation and the second spiral orientation lead to at least one intersection of the first section and the second section of the at least one electrical conductor.

7. The item of sports equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fixing element configured to fix a position of the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure on the curved surface underneath an outer skin of the item of sports equipment.

8. The item of sports equipment according to claim 7, wherein the fixing element comprises:

seams of the outer skin or fixation straps arranged around the curved surface.

9. The item of sports equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one capacitive element coupled to the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure to form a resonant circuit for a frequency in a range of 10 kHz to 150 kHz.

10. The item of sports equipment according to claim 9, wherein the at least one capacitive element is integrated into a cover material of the item of sports equipment or into a patch thereof.

11. The item of sports equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least three spirally wound coils arranged perpendicular to each other around the curved surface to form at least three loop antennas in the item of sports equipment.

12. The item of sports equipment according to claim 11, wherein each of the at least three spirally wound coils is tuned separately to a respective resonant frequency by at least one capacitor.

13. The item of sports equipment according to claim 1, wherein

the item of sports equipment is a ball having a ball bladder and an outer ball skin;

and

the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure is arranged between the ball bladder and the outer ball skin.

17. The item of sports equipment according to claim 1, wherein the item of sports equipment is a ball.

18. The item of sports equipment according to claim 1, wherein the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure forms a three-dimensional curve having non-vanishing geometric torsion and curvature to provide the elongation reserve related to the maximum elastic deformation of the item of sports equipment.

19. The item of sports equipment according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure includes at least one helical coil wound around the curved axis;

and

the curved axis extends along the curved surface within the item of sports equipment.

5. An elastically deformable item of sports equipment, comprising:

at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure arranged around a curved surface within the item of sports equipment, wherein the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure is wound spirally around a curved axis, the curved axis being curved according to the curved surface to provide an elongation reserve related to a maximum elastic deformation of the item of sports equipment;

wherein

at least one electrical conductor of the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure includes a first section wound with a first spiral orientation and a second section wound with a second spiral orientation,

the first spiral orientation and the second spiral orientation lead to at least one intersection of the first section and the second section of the at least one electrical conductor, and

the first section and the second section of the at least one electrical conductor form a twisted or braided pair of conductors.

6. An elastically deformable item of sports equipment, comprising:

at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure arranged around a curved surface within the item of sports equipment, wherein the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure is wound spirally around a curved axis, the curved axis being curved according to the curved surface to provide an elongation reserve related to a maximum elastic deformation of the item of sports equipment;

wherein

at least one electrical conductor of the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure is wound around at least one of an elastic and a flexible carrier material, the flexible carrier material being arranged along a circumferential direction of the curved surface.

14. A method for manufacturing an elastically deformable item of sports equipment, the method comprising:

arranging at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure around a curved surface within the item of sports equipment, such that the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure is wound spirally around a curved axis, the curved axis being curved according to the curved surface to provide an elongation reserve related to a maximum elastic deformation of the item of sports equipment, wherein

the curved axis extends completely around the circumference of the item of sports equipment, and

the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure is wound spirally around an entire length of the curved axis, thereby extending completely around the circumference of the item of sports equipment.

15. The method for manufacturing the item of sports equipment according to claim 14, wherein the item of sports equipment is a ball.

16. The method for manufacturing the item of sports equipment according to claim 14, wherein the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure forms a three-dimensional curve having non-vanishing geometric torsion and curvature to provide the elongation reserve related to the maximum elastic deformation of the item of sports equipment.

20. The method for manufacturing the item of sports equipment according to claim 14, wherein

the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure includes at least one helical coil wound around the curved axis;

and

the curved axis extends along the curved surface within the item of sports equipment.