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US 11,202,942 B1Granted
Sports ball with controllable trajectory
OwnerJazmine Zamorainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention provides sports ball having asymmetrical traction and/or asymmetrical surface structure. The asymmetrical traction is useful for differentially controlling ball spin and trajectory height as the ball is projected from a pitching machine. The asymmetrical surface structure is useful for differentially controlling the lateral component of the ball's trajectory. Optionally, the ball is a pitching machine ball. The method also provides a method of projecting the ball from a pitching machine.
Claims17
A sports ball comprising a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere, wherein:
- a. the first hemisphere and the second hemisphere are non-overlapping;
- b. the first hemisphere comprises a plurality of grooves;
- c. the plurality of grooves are arcuate grooves running substantially parallel to an equator that separates the first hemisphere from the second hemisphere;
- d. the plurality of grooves are configured such that when the ball is projected from a drive wheel of a pitching machine after being oriented such that the first hemisphere is set laterally to a first side of a center plane of a drive wheel of the pitching machine such that an axis of rotation of the ball extends from the first hemisphere to the second hemisphere, the trajectory of the projected ball is offset laterally toward a second side of the center plane opposite the first side;
- e. the ball has a density of at least about 0.2 g/cm3;
- and
- f. the plurality of groove are configured such that:
- i. each of the plurality of grooves is a continuous groove or a non-continuous groove, wherein, when the groove is the non-continuous groove, the non-continuous groove comprises one or more uninterrupted portions of groove and one or more interruptions, wherein the one or more uninterrupted portions of groove have a ratio of length to width of at least 2:1, and wherein the one or more uninterrupted portions of groove have a cumulative arc angle of greater than 180 degrees;
- ii. each of the plurality of grooves has a depth of at least 3% of a diameter of the ball;
- iii. each of the plurality of grooves has two opposing sidewalls having protrusion angles less than 30 degrees relative to each other;
- and
- iv. the plurality of groove are configured with one or more of the features selected from the group consisting of:
- 1. each of the plurality of grooves has a protrusion angle of less than 15 degrees relative to a radius of the ball that extends to a center of the groove at a surface of the ball;
- and
- 2. each of the plurality of grooves has a sidewall having a protrusion angle of less than 30 degrees relative to a radius of the ball that extends to the sidewall at a surface of the ball.
12 more elements
A sports ball comprising a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere, wherein:
- g. the first hemisphere and the second hemisphere are non-overlapping;
- h. the first hemisphere comprises a plurality of grooves;
- i. the plurality of grooves are arcuate grooves running substantially parallel to an equator that separates the first hemisphere from the second hemisphere;
- j. the plurality of grooves are configured such that when the ball is projected from a drive wheel of a pitching machine after being oriented such that the first hemisphere is set laterally to a first side of a center plane of a drive wheel of the pitching machine such that an axis of rotation of the ball extends from the first hemisphere to the second hemisphere, the trajectory of the projected ball is offset laterally toward a second side of the center plane opposite the first side;
- k. the ball has a density of at least about 0.2 g/cm3;
- l. the plurality of groove are configured with one or more features selected from the group consisting of:
- i. each of the plurality of grooves is a continuous groove or a non-continuous groove, wherein when the groove is the non-continuous groove, the non-continuous groove comprises one or more uninterrupted portions of groove and one or more interruptions, wherein the one or more uninterrupted portions of groove have a ratio of length to width of at least 2:1, and wherein the one or more uninterrupted portions of groove have a cumulative arc angle of greater than 180 degrees;
- ii. each of the plurality of grooves has a depth of at least 3% of a diameter of the ball;
- iii. each of the plurality of grooves has a protrusion angle of less than 15 degrees relative to a radius of the ball that extends to a center of the groove at a surface of the ball;
- iv. each of the plurality of grooves has a sidewall having a protrusion angle of less than 30 degrees relative to a radius of the ball that extends to the sidewall at a surface of the ball;
- and
- v. each of the plurality of grooves has two opposing sidewalls having protrusion angles less than 30 degrees relative to each other;
- m. the plurality of grooves are arcuate grooves concentric about an axis of the ball that is perpendicular to the equator;
- and
- n. the sports ball further comprises a concavity, wherein the concavity is in the first hemisphere at a pole of the axis of the ball that is perpendicular to the equator.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.