EP0170782B1 - Large-diameter tennis ball - Google Patents

Large-diameter tennis ball Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0170782B1
EP0170782B1 EP85104619A EP85104619A EP0170782B1 EP 0170782 B1 EP0170782 B1 EP 0170782B1 EP 85104619 A EP85104619 A EP 85104619A EP 85104619 A EP85104619 A EP 85104619A EP 0170782 B1 EP0170782 B1 EP 0170782B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ball
tennis
standard
balls
inches
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP85104619A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0170782A1 (en
Inventor
Brian Claire
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Wilson Sporting Goods Co
Original Assignee
Wilson Sporting Goods Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Wilson Sporting Goods Co filed Critical Wilson Sporting Goods Co
Publication of EP0170782A1 publication Critical patent/EP0170782A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0170782B1 publication Critical patent/EP0170782B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B39/00—Hollow non-inflatable balls, i.e. having no valves
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B43/00—Balls with special arrangements
    • A63B2043/001—Short-distance or low-velocity balls for training, or for playing on a reduced area

Definitions

  • This invention relates to tennis balls, and, more particularly, to a tennis ball which plays slower than a standard tennis ball.
  • Document GB-A-2 053 697 discloses a tennis ball which is pressurised with sulphur hexafluoride or halogenated hydrocarbon gases. These gases are chosen because they have a small rate of permeation through the wall of the ball. Balls inflated with such gases often exhibit a significant high-pitched noise which can be disturbing to players. To reduce this noise or to even suppress this noise, the internal surface of the ball is profiled by a multiplicity of depressions or protuberances, whilst the outer surface of the ball is smooth. The profiling is in the form of dimples or pimples of circular plan view, intersecting ridges or rectangular blocks. This profiling prevents the ball from emitting a "pinging" noise when bounced.
  • the initial internal prssure of this kind of tennis ball is preferably in the range of 68950.6 to 82740.7 Pa and the balls should meet the specification as laid down by the International Lawn Tennis Federation:-Diameter - "Go-No Go" gauge 2.575 to 2.700 inches (65.4-68.6 mm)
  • the problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a tennis ball which plays slower than a standard tennis ball, yet which is more lively than a standard ball.
  • This invention provides a new tennis ball which plays slower than a standard tennis ball yet which is more lively than a standard ball.
  • the diameter of the ball is about 3% to about 11 % larger than the diameter of a standard ball so that the ball moves through the air more slowly than a standard ball and has increased visibility. Since the new ball is slower than a standard ball, the new ball is more likely to fall inbounds when hit with a greaterforce or when hit over the net at a greater height. The slower ball is also easier to reach by the player. Accordingly, the new ball is more forgiving, provides more margin for error, requires less skill, and provides longer rallies than a standard ball.
  • the new ball Even though the new ball is slower, the new ball has increased liveliness as measured by rebound and coefficient of restitution. Although the ball is larger than a standard ball, it weighs the same because the core is thinner. The ball therefore feels light and lively on the racket.
  • a tennis ball 10 is comprised of a core 11 formed of rubber or other elastomeric material and a felt cover 12.
  • the core is molded in the conventional manner, but, as will be explained in detail hereinafter, the diameter and thickness of the core are different than the diameter and thickness of a standard tennis ball core.
  • the felt cover 12 is formed from light weight woven felt.
  • the weight of the felt is preferably 474.7 gm/m 2 (14 ounces per square yard) compared to 745.9 gm/m 2 (22 ounces per square yard) for woven felt which is conventionally used.
  • the thickness of the cover is about 2.39 mm (0.094 inch), compared to about 3.05 mm (0.120 inch) for a standard ball.
  • the larger balls surprisingly exhibited better coefficient of restitution as the impact speed increased.
  • the increase is not linear, and the optimum increase is obtained at about a 4.6% increase in size.
  • the change in COR at 21.34 m (70 feet) per second from the standard ball to the 4.6% larger ball is +0.045, but the change from the 4.6% ball to the 15% ball is only +0.018.
  • Fig. 2 is a computer simulation of the flight paths of various sized balls which are launched by a tennis ball cannon at the same velocity and launch angle. Controlled data on actual launches is difficult to obtain because the tennis ball cannon launches different sized balls slightly differently and launches a particular sized ball inconsistently and because of the uncontrollable variables of spin, wind, etc. However, the accuracy of the computer simulation was verified by an actual launch with each size of ball.
  • Fig. 2 the standard tennis ball is launched from one baseline of a tennis court at a velocity of 35.66 m (117 feet) per second at an angle which will enable the ball to fall on the other baseline 23.77 m (78 feet) away.
  • the launch angle in Fig. 2 is 5.30°. It will be seen that as the balls get larger, they do not travel as far and are more likely to fall inside the baseline.
  • Figs. 3 and 4 are similar to Fig. 2. However, the launch speed and angle in Fig. 3 is 29.26 m (96 feet) per second and 9.2°, respectively, and the launch speed and angle in Fig. 4 is 23.16 m (76 feet) per second and 16.9°.
  • Fig. 5 is a computer simulation of the flight paths of various sized balls which are launched from one baseline at the same velocity and at an angle which will enable the ball to hit the other baseline. It will be seen that as the balls get larger, they can be hit over the net at a greater height and still land inbounds. Thus, the margin of error increases as the size of the ball increases.
  • the launch speed in Fig. 5 was 29.26 m (96 feet) per second.
  • Figs. 6 and 7 are similar to Fig. 5 but the launch speed was 26.16 m (76 feet) per second and 20.12 m (66 feet) per second, respectively.
  • Play testing was used to determine the acceptable range of the larger ball. Testing by tennis players under actual playing conditions is important because the acceptability of tennis equipment depends to a large extent on "feel" and "perceived” performance rather than on predicted performance. The play testing indicated that balls which were 1.2% larger than a standard ball did not exhibit significantly different playing characteristics than a standard ball. A ball which was 4.6% larger was noticeably slower than a standard ball, and the players felt that they were more accurate and were able to hit with more control with the larger ball, that rallies lasted longer, and that they had more time to set up for the ball. These same characteristics were also exhibited by balls which were 8.0% and 11.2% larger than a standard ball, although the 11.2% ball felt heavy to some players.
  • the spin of a ball is proportional to the moment of inertia of the ball.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Professional, Industrial, Or Sporting Protective Garments (AREA)
  • Prostheses (AREA)
  • Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
  • Massaging Devices (AREA)
  • Undergarments, Swaddling Clothes, Handkerchiefs Or Underwear Materials (AREA)
  • Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
EP85104619A 1984-08-06 1985-04-17 Large-diameter tennis ball Expired EP0170782B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US63811084A 1984-08-06 1984-08-06
US638110 1984-08-06

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0170782A1 EP0170782A1 (en) 1986-02-12
EP0170782B1 true EP0170782B1 (en) 1988-07-27

Family

ID=24558680

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85104619A Expired EP0170782B1 (en) 1984-08-06 1985-04-17 Large-diameter tennis ball

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0170782B1 (pt)
JP (2) JPS6148385A (pt)
KR (1) KR880002368B1 (pt)
AU (1) AU583500B2 (pt)
BR (1) BR8500903A (pt)
CA (1) CA1272229A (pt)
DE (1) DE3563908D1 (pt)
GB (1) GB2162759A (pt)
ZA (1) ZA85571B (pt)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6338550U (pt) * 1986-08-28 1988-03-12
JPH0522200Y2 (pt) * 1987-05-08 1993-06-07
GB2390816B (en) * 2002-07-02 2006-07-19 Derek Price Lightweight 75mm ball

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH616848A5 (pt) * 1974-05-18 1980-04-30 Patentex Sa
FR2355530A1 (fr) * 1976-06-21 1978-01-20 Lacoste Francois Balle de tennis
AU503457B1 (en) * 1977-08-01 1979-09-06 General Tire & Rubber Company, The Low resonance inflated ball
JPS5483533A (en) * 1977-12-14 1979-07-03 Gen Tire & Rubber Co Expanded ball for game that holding of pressure can be continued
GB2053697B (en) * 1979-07-19 1983-11-02 Dunlop Ltd Pressurised play balls
US4596389A (en) * 1983-06-03 1986-06-24 The Large Tennis Ball Company Tennis ball

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU4102785A (en) 1986-02-13
KR860001599A (ko) 1986-03-20
AU583500B2 (en) 1989-05-04
DE3563908D1 (en) 1988-09-01
BR8500903A (pt) 1986-04-15
CA1272229A (en) 1990-07-31
GB2162759A (en) 1986-02-12
EP0170782A1 (en) 1986-02-12
JPS6148385A (ja) 1986-03-10
ZA85571B (en) 1985-09-25
KR880002368B1 (ko) 1988-11-03
JPH0488966U (pt) 1992-08-03
GB8506047D0 (en) 1985-04-11

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