Skokker™ ball

• US 20070037641A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gamelot, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gamelot, Inc.
• Inventors: Wong, Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 7,520,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/594
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0054 Substantially rigid, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0056 Hollow; Gas-filled
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0097 Layers interlocking by means of protrusions or inserts, lattices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/08 Liquid cores; Plastic cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/04 with an eccentric centre of gravity; with mechanism for changing the centre of gravity solid balls A63B37/10

Abstract

A ball with a hollow inner core filled approximately 50% or less by volume with a fluid (which can include metallic spheres), a ball shell and struts (six or more) attached to the core and connected to an inner surface of the ball in such a way so as to maintain the core at the center of the ball. A swirling motion of the fluid within the hollow inner core determines the motion of the ball and a direction of travel away from a point of contact at which a force is applied to the ball to cause it to move or change direction. The direction of travel of the ball will be to the right when a counterclockwise spin is applied to the ball at the point of contact, the direction of travel of the ball will be to the left when it a clockwise spin is applied to the ball at the point of contact, and the direction of travel of the ball will be straight when a top spin is applied to ball at the point of contact. The weight ratio of the fluid to the ball without the fluid is approximately 1:1 or greater.

Claims

1. A game ball, comprising:

a hollow inner core partially filled with a fluid;

a ball shell having an outer surface and an inner surface; and

six struts, each of said struts having a first end attached to the core and a second end connected to inner surface of the ball;

wherein the six struts are attached to the core at six attachment points and connected to the ball shell at six connection points in two perpendicular planes such that each of the two planes will contain four of said six attachment and connection points.

2. The ball of claim 1, wherein a swirling motion of the fluid within the hollow inner core determines the motion of the ball and a direction of travel away from a point of contact at which a force is applied to the ball to cause it to move or change direction.

3. The ball of claim 2, wherein the direction of travel of the ball will be to the right when a counterclockwise spin is applied to the ball at the point of contact, the direction of travel of the ball will be to the left when it a clockwise spin is applied to the ball at the point of contact, and the direction of travel of the ball will be straight when a top spin is applied to ball at the point of contact.

4. The ball of claim 1, wherein the six struts support the core in such a way so as to maintain the core at the center of the ball.

5. The ball of claim 1, wherein the inner core is formed out of a hard plastic material and the fluid fills approximately 50% or less of an inner core volume while the remainder of the inner core volume is filled with a gas.

6. The ball of claim 5, wherein the fluid is further comprised of a plurality of metallic spheres.

7. The ball of claim 5, wherein the weight ratio of the fluid to the ball without the fluid is approximately 1:

1 or greater.

8. The ball of claim 1, wherein each of said struts is further comprised of:

a spring located between the first and second ends and an elastic flap at the second end.

9. The ball of claim 8, wherein the ball is further comprised of an inflation valve affixed to the ball shell for inflating an air pocket located between the inner surface of the ball shell and the hollow inner core to a preselected pressure.

10. The ball of claim 9, wherein the preselected pressure is approximately 6 psi and the diameter of the ball shell, when the ball is inflated to the preselected pressure, is approximately nine inches.

11. A game ball, comprising:

a hollow inner core partially filled with a fluid;

a ball shell having an outer surface and an inner surface; and

a plurality of struts, each of said struts having a first end attached to the core and a second end connected to inner surface of the ball;

wherein the plurality of struts are attached to the core and connected to the ball shell in such a way so as to maintain the core at the center of the ball; and

wherein a swirling motion of the fluid within the hollow inner core determines the motion of the ball and a direction of travel away from a point of contact at which a force is applied to the ball to cause it to move or change direction.

12. The ball of claim 11, wherein the direction of travel of the ball will be to the right when a counterclockwise spin is applied to the ball at the point of contact, the direction of travel of the ball will be to the left when it a clockwise spin is applied to the ball at the point of contact, and the direction of travel of the ball will be straight when a top spin is applied to ball at the point of contact.

13. The ball of claim 12, wherein the ball is further comprised of an inflation valve affixed to the ball shell for inflating an air pocket located between the inner surface of the ball shell and the hollow inner core to a preselected pressure and wherein the fluid fills approximately 50% or less of an inner core volume and the remainder of the inner core volume is filled with a gas.

14. The ball of claim 13, wherein the fluid is further comprised of a plurality of metallic spheres.

15. The ball of claim 14, wherein the weight ratio of the fluid to the ball without the fluid is approximately 1:

1 or greater.

16. The ball of claim 15, wherein each of said struts is further comprised of:

a spring located between the first and second ends and an elastic flap at the second end.

17. The ball of claim 16, wherein said ball is made by forming a long slit in the ball shell, inserting the inner core with fluid into the interior of the ball shell through the long slit, sequentially attaching the plurality of struts to the inner core at a plurality of strut attachment points, each of said struts being inserted through the long slit and extending them to a final position and sealing the long slit.

18. A game ball, comprising:

a core with a sealed spherical cavity filled with a gas and a fluid that can swirl within the cavity;

a ball shell having an outer surface, an inner surface and an inflation valve; and

at least six struts, each of said struts being attached to the core at a first end and extending outwardly toward the inner surface of the ball shell at which a second end of the strut contacts said inner surface of the ball shell, the second end of the strut being biased against the inner surface of the ball shell by a spring;

wherein a swirling motion of the fluid within the spherical cavity determines the motion of the ball and a direction of travel away from a point of contact at which a force is applied to the ball to cause it to move or change direction; and

wherein the direction of travel of the ball will be to the right when a counterclockwise spin is applied to the ball at the point of contact, the direction of travel of the ball will be to the left when a clockwise spin is applied to the ball at the point of contact, and the direction of travel of the ball will be straight when a top spin is applied to ball at the point of contact.

19. The ball of claim 18, wherein the weight ratio of the fluid to the ball without the fluid is approximately 1:

1 or greater.

20. The ball of claim 19, wherein the gas occupies approximately 50% or more of the volume of the sealed spherical cavity.