U.S. patent application number 11/282141 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-24 for dimpled soccer ball.
Invention is credited to Hansan Ma.
Application Number | 20070117662 11/282141 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38054264 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070117662 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ma; Hansan |
May 24, 2007 |
Dimpled soccer ball
Abstract
A soccer ball, that is, European-style football, with a
plurality of air-turbulence-producing depressions distributed over
a majority of the outer surface of the skin. The depressions
produce a preferably circular surface shape, with a breadth of less
than about one-quarter inch and preferably having a breadth to
depth ratio of about 2 to about 6. The soccer ball of the present
invention preferably has depressions distributed substantially
uniformly over the majority of the outer surface. A method for
providing the soccer ball with altered aerodynamic performance may
include forming depressions by embossing the skin or molding
depressions therein.
Inventors: |
Ma; Hansan; (Hong Kong,
CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
William A. Birdwell;BIRDWELL & JANKE, LLP
Suite 1400
1100 SW Sixth Avenue
Portland
OR
97204
US
|
Family ID: |
38054264 |
Appl. No.: |
11/282141 |
Filed: |
November 18, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/604 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 41/00 20130101;
A63B 41/08 20130101; A63B 45/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/604 |
International
Class: |
A63B 41/00 20060101
A63B041/00 |
Claims
1. A soccer ball, comprising: a flexible, inflatable skin having a
generally spherical shape when inflated; and a plurality of
depressions formed in the skin, the depressions being distributed
over the majority of the outer surface of the skin and having
sufficient depth and breadth to cause air turbulence adjacent the
surface of the skin when the ball moves through the air.
2. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the depressions are
distributed substantially uniformly over the outer surface of the
skin.
3. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the depressions are
distributed in a substantially hexagonal array over the outer
surface of the skin.
4. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the depressions form
substantially circular shapes in the outer surface of the skin.
5. The soccer ball of claim 4, wherein the depressions have a
diameter of less than about one-half inch.
6. The soccer ball of claim 4, wherein the depressions have a
diameter of less than about one-quarter inch.
7. The soccer ball of claim 4, wherein the depressions have a
surface diameter to depth ratio of about 2 to about 6.
8. The soccer ball of claim 4, wherein the depressions comprise a
substantially hemi-spherical surface.
9. The soccer ball of claim 8, wherein the depressions have a
surface diameter to depth ratio of about 2 to about 6.
10. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the maximum
surface breadth to depth of a majority of the depressions is about
2 to about 6.
11. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the surface density of the
depressions is about 23 to about 27 depressions per square inch
inclusive.
12. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the depressions have a
diameter of less than about one-quarter inch.
13. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the skin comprises a
material selected from among leather, rubber, or plastic.
14. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the skin forms a hollow
inflatable interior.
15. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the skin is inflated by an
air bladder.
16. The soccer ball of claim 1, wherein the skin is inflated by an
elastic foam material.
17. A method for providing a soccer ball with altered aerodynamic
performance, comprising providing a flexible, inflatable skin
having a generally spherical shape when inflated; and forming a
plurality of depressions in the skin, the depressions being
distributed over the majority of the outer surface of the skin and
having sufficient depth and breadth to cause air turbulence
adjacent the surface of the skin when the ball is moving through
the air.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising distributing the
depressions substantially uniformly over the outer surface of the
skin.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the skin provided is comprised
of one of rubber or leather, and the depressions are formed in the
skin by embossing the skin with a die.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the skin is first formed as one
or more substantially flat sections, all or a portion of the
sections are embossed with the depressions, and the one or more
sections are thereafter stitched into the hollow; inflatable
form.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein the skin provided is comprised
of plastic, and the depressions are formed by molding them into the
plastic.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to soccer balls; and to altering the
aerodynamic behavior of soccer balls by providing
air-turbulence-generating depressions in the surface thereof.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In sports involving throwing, hitting, kicking or otherwise
impelling a soccer ball, the performance characteristics of the
ball can greatly affect the play of the game. Properties of the
ball such as the inflation pressure, rigidity, and surface
characteristics all influence the speed with which the ball can be
projected and the attributes of its flight. Although the size,
shape and weight of a particular kind of ball are typically
governed by the traditions and rules of the given game, it is
possible to modify or improve the performance properties of a ball
through altering its surface properties. For instance, tennis balls
with differing surface properties of their felt coverings and
different rigidities or inflation pressures are well known to be
used under different circumstances.
[0003] Golf balls, which are of solid construction having an
enameled surface covering and a relatively dense resilient core
formed of rubber or synthetic plastics, ordinarily are covered by
dimples. In the history of development of the golf ball, the
surface was originally smooth, but it was discovered from the
experience of golfers that a dented ball whose surface had been
more or less covered with minute depressions caused by impacts on
the ball of hard objects flew further. Golf balls were then
deliberately covered with dents or dimples, small depressions in
the surface, substantially over their entire surface. This surface
texturing provided such a distinct advantage that today all golf
balls are covered with such dimpling. The depressions on a typical
golf ball are about 1-3 mm in diameter and about 0.5-1.5 mm in
depth, and are distributed over the surface uniformly. The physical
basis underlying the improved flight characteristics of the dimpled
golf ball has been explained as resulting from turbulent flow of
the air around a dimpled ball which in turn causes less "flow
separation" and a reduced aerodynamic resistance to the ball's
travel. Lift may also be generated by a traveling golf ball which
has been hit to impart a backspin.
[0004] Few other examples of surface texturing designed to affect
the aerodynamic performance, as opposed to the grip, of soccer ball
s appear to be known. Another solid and not inflatable ball, the
baseball, has been modified by covering the surface with
depressions of a size similar those found on golf balls. Thus, U.S.
Pat. No. 4,256,304 discloses a baseball suitable for use in an
automated pitching machine that is substantially covered with a
multiplicity of cup-like or hemispherical depressions. This
modification is disclosed to enable the ball to travel greater
distances with enhanced accuracy.
[0005] Depressions on a basketball have been disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,518,234, although the depressions are much larger than those
used on golf balls. The depressions are stated to be for the
purpose of improving the player's grip on the ball. Each depression
is of an approximate size to a fingertip to allow the player to
grip a ball having a larger convex surface than is otherwise
possible. No disclosure is provided regarding any alteration of
aerodynamic properties of this ball. The dimples of this basketball
are stated to be in the same proportion to the ball's diameter as
the dimples on a golf ball to the golf ball's diameter; thus the
basketball of this disclosure visually resembles a greatly
oversized golf ball and the depressions are thus much larger than
those found on a golf ball.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present invention provides a soccer ball with a
plurality of air-turbulence-producing depressions distributed over
a majority of the outer surface of the skin. The depressions are
preferably distributed over the majority of the outer surface of
the skin and have sufficient depth and breadth to cause air
turbulence adjacent the surface of the skin when the soccer ball is
moving through the air. The depressions are preferably circular in
shape, with a breadth of less than about one-quarter inch and
preferably having a breadth to depth ratio equaling about 2 to
about 6, and a surface density of about 23 to about 27 depressions
per square inch. The soccer ball of the present invention is
preferably substantially covered by a regular array of the
depressions.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a preferred embodiment of a
soccer ball according to the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the skin
of a soccer ball according to the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of
the depressions in the skin of a soccer ball according to the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0010] Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present
invention comprises a soccer ball, or European-style football, 10.
As viewed from the side, the soccer ball is substantially round,
the outer surface 12 forming a smooth monotonic curve except for
the slight variation caused by the alternating hexagonal and
pentagonal patches that preferably make up the skin 16. In the
preferred embodiment, the soccer ball has a circumference of 27-28
inches (68-70 cm) and thus a diameter of 8.6-8.9 inches (21.6-22.3
cm). The soccer ball 10 is circular in any cross-section.
[0011] The soccer ball 10, which is hollow and formed of an at
least moderately flexible skin 16, sometimes enclosing an air
bladder 18 as is shown in FIG. 2, preferably assumes substantially
the dimensions stated upon inflation with air or another suitable
gas. The skin is preferably formed of leather, rubber, plastic, or
similar suitable material that is both at least moderately flexible
and is resistant to tearing or puncturing. The preferred air
bladder, which may be constructed of any suitable material,
pressurizes the skin upon inflation. The skin of the preferred
soccer ball is typically formed by sewing or gluing together
alternating hexagonal and pentagonal patches in the pattern of a
truncated icosahedron, with the seams disposed inwardly.
[0012] The skin 16 is preferably tough enough to withstand damaging
abrasion during handling and play, and to protect the air bladder,
if any, from puncture and the resulting loss of air pressure.
[0013] Typically, the soccer ball is inflated to a pressure within
a range suitable to confer sufficient elasticity and rigidity to
allow it to be firmly grasped, to maintain its shape when subject
to acceleration upon being thrown or kicked, but also permitting
elastic deformation allowing the ball to bounce, or to be kicked
substantial distances. For a soccer ball meeting official rules, it
is preferably inflated to a pressure of about 8.5-15.6 psi (60-110
kPa). Normally, the ball is filled with air via a port (not shown)
in the skin and bladder that allows for insertion of a hollow
needle attached to a source of compressed air, the port then
closing to seal the air in the bladder when the needle is removed.
Alternatively, the soccer ball may be filled with an elastic foamed
material, preferably a plastic, wherein the gas that is trapped
within the cells of the foam provides resiliency. When the term
"inflated" or "inflatable" is used herein, it is defined as
covering both means of providing internal air pressure to keep the
ball elastic.
[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the soccer ball according to the present
invention is provided with depressions 22 on the surface of the
soccer ball; the skin is preferably substantially covered by the
small depressions. The depressions have sufficient depth and
breadth to cause air turbulence adjacent the surface of the skin
when the ball is moving through the air. The amount of turbulence
created is dependent upon a number of factors including the size,
breadth and depth of the depressions 22, as well as their shape,
their density and distribution over the surface, the total
proportion of the surface that is covered by the depressions, and
the relative velocity of the skin of the soccer ball to the air.
Preferably, about 23 to about 27 depressions per square inch cover
the surface of the ball 10, and the depressions 22 on the preferred
ball 10 are circular in shape, about 3/16 inches in diameter, and
about 1/16 inch deep with a hemispherical profile as shown in FIG.
3. They preferably cover a majority of or substantially the entire
surface of the soccer ball substantially uniformly, such as in a
close-packed hexagonal array, but other arrangements may be
employed without departing from the principles of the present
invention. The preferred size, shape and distribution of the
depressions 22 results in a soccer ball 10 having a total number of
about 6100 depressions, a section of the pattern of the dimpled
texturing 14 being shown in FIG. 1, although it is understood that
this pattern of dimpled texturing covers substantially the entire
surface of the soccer ball.
[0015] Turning to FIGS. 2 and 3, a cross-sectional detail of a
section of the soccer ball's covering shows the skin 16 and an air
bladder 18 respectively on the outer and inner surfaces thereof.
The depressions 22 are preferably hemispherical in contour in the
depth dimension. The un-modified skin areas 24 between the
depressions 22 form a substantially continuous surface or network
over the surface of the soccer ball. Depending on the size and
spacing and thus the density of the depressions, the unmodified
skin areas may constitute a greater or lesser proportion of the
total surface area of the soccer ball. In the preferred embodiment
wherein there are about 23 to about 27 depressions per square inch,
each depression being a circle of diameter 3/16 inches, the skin
areas 24 comprise about 30% and the depressions 22 comprise about
70% of the total surface area of the soccer ball 10.
[0016] However, the depressions may be of other shapes, sizes and
distributions over the outer skin of the soccer ball without
departing from the principles of the present invention. For
example, the depressions may be polygonal, or even irregularly
shaped. For example, the depressions could be hexagonal in form.
The depressions may be close packed, or may be substantially
separated from each other over the outer skin of the soccer
ball.
[0017] The depressions serve to alter the aerodynamic properties of
the soccer ball when it is traveling through the air after being
thrown or kicked. The aerodynamic properties of a soccer ball
according to the invention are altered to a greater or lesser
degree depending upon the variables as outlined above. Analogously
to the operation of depressions on a golf ball as described above,
the depressions on the soccer ball according to the present
invention serve to create air turbulence as the soccer ball travels
through the air, which lessens aerodynamic resistance by
diminishing "separation of the flow." Thus, the increased distance
that can be achieved by a throw or kick of a given force is a
desirable aerodynamic results.
[0018] In addition to decreasing aerodynamic resistance, the
depressions provide greater control over the soccer ball by a
soccer player. That is, they increase the frictional engagement
between the player's soccer shoe and the soccer ball so that the
player can more easily impart controlled spin on the soccer ball.
This controlled spin, together with the air turbulence created
adjacent the surface of the soccer ball, enables the soccer player
to curve the soccer ball in a desired direction more readily. For
example, the player is better able to curve the ball around or over
a goalie to make a score.
[0019] The depressions 22 may be introduced onto the surface of the
soccer ball 10 using a variety of suitable methods. If the skin 16
is formed of leather, the depressions may be impressed into the
surface through the use of a die under pressure. The leather
surface may then optionally be coated, hardened or fixed as is
known in the art. Alternatively, a flat leather surface may be
ablated by suitable means, such as by drilling or grinding out the
recesses, particularly in the case of circular depressions. The
leather so-treated is then assembled into the intact soccer ball.
If the skin is to be formed of rubber the depressions may either be
molded in place prior to vulcanization of the rubber, or may be
embossed with a die or ground out as in the case of the leather. If
the skin is to be formed of plastic, the depressions may similarly
be formed in place during the molding operation when the plastic
monomer is polymerized in a mold, or may be embossed or ground
subsequent to the polymerization operation. In the case of a soccer
ball having a plastic skin, which may be cast or molded in final
three-dimensional form in a single operation rather than as a flat
structure or set of structures that are assembled by stitching or
gluing as in the case of a leather skin, the depressions may be
emplaced at the time of formation of the intact soccer ball.
[0020] The terms and expressions which have been employed in the
foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description
and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of
such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the
features shown and described or portions thereof, it being
recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited
only by the claims which follow.
* * * * *