Patent · US Expired

Football with gyroscopic ring

US5228687A · kind A · utility

42Cited by
18References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 7, 1983
Grant dateJul 20, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 7, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S273/20
  • WIPO fieldFurniture, games
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A football having a body formed of a foam material an oblate spheroid contour being substantially symmetrical about a major axis and a minor axis. An outwardly opening groove is formed in the outer surface of the body and extends circumferentially about the minor axis. A soft, resilient plastic ring is seated in the groove. The ring has a weight in the range of approximately one-third to approximately the weight of the foam body. Shallow dimples are formed on the outer surface of the body with the dimples arranged in a plurality of rows extending along the major axis of the body. Each row has a number of dimples located on a compound curve which passes through a meridian at the minor axis of the body, has loops on opposite sides of the meridian and terminates at the meridian at opposite ends of the body. The diameters of the dimples decrease from the largest diameters located adjacent the minor axis of the body to the smallest diameters adjacent the ends of the body along the major axis.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.