Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B41/00—Hollow inflatable balls
  • A63B41/08—Ball covers; Closures therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B45/00—Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B2243/00—Specific ball sports not provided for in A63B2102/00 - A63B2102/38
  • A63B2243/0025—Football

Definitions

• the invention relates to a ball case, in particular for soccer balls, which consists of two-dimensional blanks which are connected with each other at their edges, i.e. are sewed, bonded or welded, with the surface of the ball case having a pattern of two different groups of polygons, of which the first group consists of three-armed star-shaped areas, and several three-armed star-shaped areas in planar development contiguously forming a one-piece two-dimensional blank.
• Ball cases of this known type are know from DE 37 26 830 Cl and EP 0 773 045 Bl, for instance.
• the seams are in many respects the weak points of the ball case which usually is made from leather, artificial leather, plastic laminates or textile composite materials:
• the seams of a ball have an effect on the spin of a "kicked" ball during free flight, comparable with the dimples of a golf ball which likewise have an effect on the flight behavior thereof.
• seam is to be understood in the context of the present invention not only so as to include a conventional sewing seam, but also a bonded joint and a weld seam, depending on whether the two-dimensional blanks of the ball case have been sewn, bonded or welded with each other.
• the invention is based on the object to provide a ball case which is suited for lowering the number of the panels to less than 13 and thus reduce the overall seam length, and with which one can concomitantly manage to approach the ideal spherical shape and improve the flight behavior and the wear resistance of the ball or ball case.
• the second group of polygons consists of polygons which are integrally formed from partial areas of one equilateral triangle and of three equilateral pentagons in such a manner that the pentagonal areas are situated at the points of the comers of the triangle and an imaginary corner and/or the centre of each of the pentagons lies on the perpendicular bisector of the opposite side of the triangle, which polygons are configured as separate, two-dimensional blanks.
• the ball case consists of 8, 6 or only 5 two-dimensional blanks, namely 4 identical polygons of the second group in each case, and 4 or 2 identical one-piece blanks, most preferably, however, only one single one-piece blank, the blank(s) being composed of three-armed star-shaped areas.
• the most advantageous embodiment of the ball case according to the invention is the "5 panel ball case” according to claim 5, which consists of 4 identical polygons of the second group and one single one-piece blank which is composed of 16 three-armed star-shaped areas.
• the one-piece blank which is composed of 16 three-armed star-shaped areas, has 6 terminal edges which are sewn, bonded or welded with each other in pairs such that the envelope of the blank (in the state connected with itself) is a sphere or has a three-dimensional shape which approaches the spherical shape as good as possible.
• terminal edges which are sewn, bonded or welded with each other in pairs, preferably have a right-angled contour, with the associated corners being not rounded so that the contours of the three-armed star-shaped areas, adjoining by connecting these edges, will have a continuous extension.
• AIl two-dimensional blanks can be punched-out leather or artificial leather pieces; it is preferred, however, that they are cut-outs punched out from a multi-layered laminate or composite material which may include 4 layers or sheets permanently fixed to each other, in fact advantageously
• the waterproof plastic coating layer may be a film of polyolefin or polyurethane, and also the first foamed plastic layer preferably consists of at least one thermoplastic polyolefin or polyurethane. It would also be possible that the waterproof plastic coating layer and the first foamed plastic layer are jointly introduced in the composite in the form of an integral foam film.
• the second foamed plastic layer preferably consists of at least one elastomer which may be an elastomer on the basis of natural rubber or isoprene or silicone; such elastomer may also be a thermoplastic elastomer or thermoplast-elastomer- copolymerisate.
• the ball case according to the invention is preferably used as ball case for soccer balls; it may also be used for other sport and game balls, however.
• FIG. 1 shows in a planar development a top view of 5 individual blanks or panels which, when they are connected with each other at their edges, form a spherical or almost spherical ball case according to the invention for use in a soccer ball;
• FIG. 2 is an enlarged top view of a one-piece two-dimensional blank in the form of a polygon P 2 of Fig. 1.
• the ball case according to the invention consists of 5 two-dimensional blanks or panels which have been punched out from a suitable composite material.
• the 5 panels pertain to two different groups of polygons, of which the first group of polygons generally is referenced by P 1 and consists of three-armed star-shaped areas 11, 12.
• P 1 the first group of polygons
• 1, 16 three-armed star-shaped areas 11, 12 contiguously form one single two-dimensional blank 10 made in one piece and having 6 terminal edges 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 which have a right-angled contour and the associated corners of which, contrary to all other corners of the polygon blank 10, are not rounded.
• edges 4 to 9 are sewn or bonded with each other in pairs, i.e. edge 4 with edge 7, edge 6 with edge 8 and edge 5 with edge 9. If edges 4 to 9 are sewn or bonded with each other in pairs in the aforementioned fashion, then all three-armed star-shaped areas 11, 12 will be convexly curved in such a manner that the envelope of all three-armed star-shaped areas 11, 12 and, with this, of the one-piece blank 10 is a sphere or virtually spherically shaped.
• the one-piece blank 10 thus defines a skeleton of a spherical surface with 4 through-holes which will be closed by sewing on or sticking in a second group of polygons P 2 .
• the polygons P 2 are integrally formed from partial areas of one equilateral triangle 20 (Fig. 2) and of three equilateral pentagons 21 in such a manner that the pentagonal areas are situated at the points of the (imaginary) corners of the triangle and an imaginary corner E and/or the centre M of each of the pentagons 21 lies on the perpendicular bisector 22 of the opposite side of the triangle.
• the polygons P 2 of the second group of polygons are likewise shaped as separate, two- dimensional blanks as the ⁇ olygon(s) of the first group P 1 , the polygon(s) being realized in the drawn embodiment by the single one-piece blank 10.
• the corners of the equilateral pentagons 21 are rounded, just as the corners, complementarily assigned thereto, of the three-armed star-shaped areas 11, 12.
• the centre M of the pentagons 21 lies within the area of the triangle 20; it would also possible, however, that it is located outside the triangle area, which is readily apparent for a person skilled in the art.
• the one-piece and two-dimensional blank 10 formed from the three-armed star-shaped areas 11, 12 can be cut into 2 or 4 congruent parts which, however, will have to be connected with each other again for manufacturing the ball case according to the invention, in fact along the cutting lines 1, 2 and/or 3.
• the one-piece blank 10 is severed along cutting line 1, one obtains 2 two-dimensional blanks (A + B) and (C + D) which can be brought to congruence by rotating one of the two sections, i.e. they are congruent.
• one of the so produced two sections is again severed along cutting line 2 or along cutting line 3, there again will be formed 2 sections from each half, namely sections A, B, C and D which are congruent to each other.
• one would again sever the so produced sections A to D along the lines 13 one would receive in each case 3 congruent three-armed star-shaped areas 12 and one three-armed star-shaped area 11.
• a further advantage of the one-piece and two-dimensional blank 10, defining a skeleton which completely encompasses the spherical surface, is a clear improvement of the roundness of the ball case or ball in the inflated state.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Professional, Industrial, Or Sporting Protective Garments (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=35677436

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (14)

Family Cites Families (12)

• 2004
  • 2004-11-25 DE DE102004056951A patent/DE102004056951B4/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2005
  • 2005-11-24 WO PCT/EP2005/012572 patent/WO2006056441A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2005-11-24 US US11/719,851 patent/US20090105019A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-11-24 EP EP05810573A patent/EP1827618A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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