Inflatable ball with a digital pressure display

• US 5,755,634 A
• Filed: 05/19/1997
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tien-Tsai Huang
• Original Assignee: Tien-Tsai Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Tien-Tsai
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US08/858,570
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 473/569, 473/570, 473/571, 473/593, 473/599, 473/603, 473/604, 473/605, 473/609, 473/610, 473/611, 73/714, 73/866.3
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2041/005 with counterweight for adjusting the centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/008 Devices for measuring or verifying ball characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies

Abstract

An inflatable ball with a digital pressure display including a ball body, and a pressure display mechanism disposed in the ball body. The pressure display mechanism includes a pressure sensor and a display. The sensor may detect the pressure of air inside the ball body, and the display indicates the air pressure value, so that the user may know the amount of air pressure in the ball body any time.

Claims

1. An inflatable ball with a digital pressure display, comprising:

a ball body, comprising a first layer and a second layer which are interconnected, said ball body being inflatable via a valve;

a pressure display mechanism, provided in said ball body and comprising a pressure sensor for sensing the air pressure inside said ball body, and a display for displaying the sensed air pressure value to enable the user to know the pressure of air inside said ball body.

2. An inflatable ball with a digital pressure display as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pressure sensor may output different electric current or electric voltage signals according to change in air pressure, and said pressure display mechanism further comprises a battery, for supplying electric power to said pressure display mechanism;

a switch, for determining the start or stop of said pressure display mechanism, said switch being exposed on said second layer of said ball body;

an amplifying circuit, for amplifying the signals output by said pressure sensor; and

a microprocessor, for processing the pressure signals passed thereto before sending the processed signals to said display for indicating the pressure of air inside said ball body.

3. An inflatable ball with a digital pressure display as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display is an LCD display, and said microprocessor is capable of analog-digital conversion.

4. An inflatable ball with a digital pressure display as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display is an LCD display, and said pressure display mechanism further comprises an analog-digital converter, an LCD propeller, and a microprocessor, so that detected pressure signals are first sent to said analog-digital converter before they are sent to said microprocessor and said LCD propeller and finally to said display for showing the air pressure inside ball body.

5. An inflatable ball with a digital pressure display as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display has a protective transparent sheet disposed thereon.

6. An inflatable ball with a digital pressure display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape of said first layer and said second layer of said ball body may be substantially the same.