US20120122600A1

US20120122600A1 - Billiard ball and method for manufacturing same

Info

Publication number: US20120122600A1
Application number: US13/386,902
Authority: US
Inventors: Young Ho Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-07-24
Filing date: 2010-07-26
Publication date: 2012-05-17
Also published as: WO2011010903A2; KR100984379B1; WO2011010903A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a billiard ball, comprising: a main body, the outer surface of which has at least one design groove; a designed member which is arranged in the design groove and which has a design; and a transparent resin which fills the design groove, thereby continuously showing an advertisement design, which has been formed on the billiard ball, during a game of billiards, thus achieving maximized advertising effects.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a billiard ball and a method for manufacturing the same which has a design.

BACKGROUND ART

In modern society, various products are being released on the market in line with the development of industry, and as a result, marketing accounts for the most important part of a company. In that regard, various marketing mechanisms are being tested, and advertisement methods which intensively expose advertisement to customers to ensure an easy consumption and awareness. In particular, in modern society, brand image of a company plays an important role, and thus methods for intensively exposing corporate brands are being developed.
These days, billiards expands as a popular sport which may be enjoyed by everyone instead of being enjoyed by a limited age level or men only.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

The present invention has been made to solve the problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a billiard ball and a manufacturing method thereof which forms an advertisement design in a billiard ball and expose the advertisement design continuously to people during a game of billiards and achieve maximized advertisement effects.

Technical Solution

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a billiard ball comprises a main body, the outer surface of which has at least one design groove; a designed member which is arranged in the design groove and which has a design; and a transparent resin which fills the design groove.
The designed member is provided in a bottom surface of the design groove.
The designed member comprises a first design portion that is provided in a side of the design groove and a second design portion which is provided in a bottom surface of the design groove.
The designed member comprises Korean paper.
The design groove is 0.5 to 3 mm in depth.
The transparent resin comprises the same material as the resin for forming the main body.
In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a manufacturing method for a billiard ball, the method comprises forming a design groove in a main body, inserting a designed member into the design groove, filling the design groove with resin, curing the resin and trimming a surface of the resin filling the design groove to prevent any step from the surface of the main body.
In order to achieve another object of the present invention, a billiard ball which comprises a main body in which at least one through hole is formed and passes through and a design bar which is provided in the through hole, and a design bar which is provided in the through hole and has a design printed in both ends.
The design bar is formed in the same material as that of the main body.
The at least one design bar comprises a first bar member which passes through a center of the main body and is arranged vertically, a second bar member which passes through a center of the main body and is arranged horizontally and a third bar member which passes through a center of the main body and is arranged horizontally in forward and backward directions.
In order to achieve another object of the present invention, a manufacturing method for a billiard ball, the method comprises preparing a design bar which has a design in both ends; and placing the design bar so that both ends of the design bar are provided in an edge of an internal space of the mold; and injecting resin to the mold to form a main body which surrounds the design bar.
The design bar has the same melting point as that of the main body or has a higher melting point than the main body.
The method further comprises thermal-treating a surface of the main body.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECT

As described above, a billiard ball and a manufacturing method according to the present invention forms a design groove on a billiard ball, arranges a designed member in the design groove to thereby continuously expose an advertisement printed in the designed member to players during a game of billiards and achieve maximized advertisement effects.
Further, a billiard ball and a manufacturing method according to the present invention forms a through hall in a billiard ball, inserts a design bar into the through hall to show a design portion printed in both ends of the design bar to the outside to thereby achieve maximized advertisement effects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a billiard ball according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the billiard ball according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a billiard ball according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate processes for a manufacturing method of the billiard ball according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a billiard ball according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a billiard ball according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the billiard ball according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a billiard ball according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate processes for a manufacturing method for the billiard ball according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 10.

BEST MODE

Below, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings so as to be easily realized by a person having ordinary knowledge in the art. The exemplary embodiments may be embodied in various forms without being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Descriptions of well-known parts are omitted for clarity, and like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a billiard ball according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the billiard ball according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a billiard ball according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a main body 10, at least one design groove 20 which is formed in an outer surface of the main body 10, a designed member 30 which is arranged in the design groove 10, and a transparent resin 40 which fills the design groove 20.
The main body 10 is shaped like a circle by using resin for forming a billiard ball, and is different in size depending on the type of billiards and is also different in color.
At least one of the design grooves 20 may be formed in the outer surface of the main body 10.
For example, if there are two design grooves 20, they may be formed in a straight line direction, or arranged in a radial direction. If there are four design grooves 20, they may be arranged in a criss-cross shape.
The design groove 20 is formed in a depth to accommodate therein the designed member 20. The design groove 20 may have various shapes including circular, elliptical, star and polygonal shapes. The depth T of the design groove 20 may range from 0.5 to 3 mm.
The designed member 30 may be manufactured in the same shape as that of the design groove 20. Any type and material may be used for a film on which an advertisement design is printed. The designed member 30 may include various materials including a fiber in which a design is printed, a resin which is different from the resin used for forming a billiard ball, paper, metal, etc. The designed member 30 may have a bottom surface of the design groove 20 engraved.
The designed member 30 is arranged in the design groove 20, which is filled by a transparent resin 40. As the filled transparent resin 40 is cured, the designed member 30 is fixed to the design groove 20. However the resin may further include resin in other colors.
The designed member 30 may include Korean paper in which an advertisement design is printed. If Korean paper is used, the printed advertisement design becomes clear due to the nature of the Korean paper, and deformation of the advertisement design may be minimized by the transparent resin filling the design groove 20. That is, the liquid transparent resin may easily fill the air gap of paper such as Korean paper, and thus does not deform the shape of Korean paper and makes clear the design formed in the Korean paper. If paper such as Korean paper is used, transparent resin is fixed after it fully permeates the Korean paper, and thus the Korean paper may be firmly fixed without causing difference from the transparent resin.
The design which is formed in the designed member 30 may be a logo of a particular company, or other various designs including the yin-yang pattern which may fully reflect the image of nation.
The transparent resin 40 may include the same resin as the forming resin which effectively shows the designed member 30 arranged in the design groove 20 and forms the main body 10.
Such a billiard ball continuously shows an advertisement design formed in the ball during a game of billiards and promotes maximized advertisement effects. In particular, billiards requires concentration due to its nature and players enjoy the game while concentrating on the billiard ball, and the advertisement effects may increase as much.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a billiard ball according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
The billiard ball according to the second exemplary embodiment includes a main body 10, at least one design groove 50 which is formed in an outer surface of the main body 10, and a transparent resin 40 which fills the design groove 50.
A depth of the design groove 50 is deeper than the depth of the design groove 20 according to the foregoing exemplary embodiment, and a designed member may be attached to a side thereof. That is, the design groove 50 according to the second exemplary embodiment includes a bottom surface 52 and a side 54, and the designed member 60 includes a first design portion 62 which is arranged in the bottom surface 52, and a second design portion 64 which is attached to the side 54.
The billiard ball according to the second exemplary embodiment has the designed member 60 attached to the bottom surface 52 and the side 54 of the design groove 50 to thereby further enhance the visual advertisement effects.
Many features which have been described in the first exemplary embodiment may apply to the present exemplary embodiment.
FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate processes for a manufacturing method of the billiard ball according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 4, a circular main body 10 is formed. At least one design groove 20 is formed in the outer surface of the main body 10. The design groove 20 may be formed by engraving the main body 10 after the manufacturing of the main body 10 having the circular type, or may be formed together with the main body 10.
As shown in FIG. 5, the designed member 30 in which an advertisement design is printed in arranged in the design groove 20. The designed member 30 may be arranged only in the bottom surface or both the side and bottom surface of the design groove 20. The designed member 30 may be engraved or embossed in the bottom surface or side of the design groove 20.
As shown in FIG. 6, the design groove 30 is filled with the transparent resin 40. If the designed member 30 includes paper, the transparent resin 40 may fully permeate the designed member 30 as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, a resin layer 45 may be interposed between the designed member 30 and the bottom surface of the design groove 20.
Lastly, the surface of the transparent resin 40 which fills the design groove 20 is trimmed to prevent any step from the surface of the main body 10 to thereby complete a billiard ball. To make a sooth surface or polish the surface of the billiard ball, thermal treatment or other various surfaced treatments may be performed.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a billiard ball according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the billiard ball according to a third the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
A billiard ball according to a third exemplary embodiment includes a main body 10, a through hole 60 which passes through a center of the main body 10 and a design bar 70 which is provided in the through hole 60.
The design bar 70 may be formed in the same material as that of the main body 10. A design portion 80 in which a design is printed is provided in both ends exposed the outside through the through hole 60. The design portion 80 may be formed by attaching a material having a design formed therein thereto or engraved or embossed.
In the manufacturing process of the billiard ball according to the third exemplary embodiment, the through hole 60 is formed in the main body 10, the design bar 70 is inserted into the through hole 60 and the surface of the billiard ball is coated.
The through hole 60 may be formed together with the main body 10 or after the main body 10 is formed. The design portion 80 is formed by printing a design 80 such as advertisement or corporate logo in both ends of the design bar 70 to show it to consumers. The billiard ball according to the third exemplary embodiment may be manufactured by the method which is illustrated on the basis of FIGS. 11 and 12.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a billiard ball according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
A billiard ball according to the fourth exemplary embodiment includes a main body 10, three through holes 92, 94 and 96 which pass through a center of the main body 10, and three design bars 102, 104 and 106 which are arranged in the three through holes 92, 94 and 96.
The design bars 102, 104 and 106 include a first bar member 102 which is arranged in the first through hole 92 that is vertically formed in the main body 10, a second bar member 104 which is arranged in the second through hole 94 that is horizontally formed in the main body 10, and a third design bar 106 which is arranged in the third through hole 96 that is horizontally form in the forward and backward direction of the main body 10.
As the three design bars 102, 104 and 106 are arranged in the main body 10 and the design portion 110 is formed in both ends of each of the design bars 102, 104 and 106, six design portions 110 are formed in a surface of the main body 10.
The design portions 110 include designs such as advertisement or corporate logo and are formed in both ends of the design bars 102, 104 and 106.
If the first bar member 102 is arranged in an axis X, the second bar member 104 is arranged in an axis Y, and the third bar member 106 is arranged in an axis Z.
The design bars 102, 104 and 106 and the main body 10 may have the same material. The design bars 102, 104 and 106 may be stronger than the main body 10. The design bars 102, 104 and 106 may have different colors from that of the main body 10.
With the foregoing configuration, a manufacturing process for the billiard ball according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention is as follows.
As shown in FIG. 11, three design bars 102, 104 and 106 are prepared.
The three design bars 102, 104 and 106 are circular bars, and include a first bar member 102 which is arranged vertically, a second bar member 104 which is connected in the left and right from a center of the first bar member 102 and a third design bar 106 which is connected in a forward and backward direction from a center of the first bar member 102. That is, the three design bars 102, 104 and 106 pass through the center of the main body 10 and are arranged in axes X, Y and Z respectively.
A design portion 110 is formed in both ends of the design bars 102, 104 and 106. The design portion 110 may be formed by printing a design in both ends of the design bar, or additional material having a design therein may be attached or may be engraved.
As shown in FIG. 12, the design bars 102, 104 and 106 are put in molds 120 and 122 to form the main body 10.
When the design bars 102, 104 and 106 are put in the molds 120 and 122, a positioning device (not shown) may be used to arrange both ends of the design bars 102, 104 and 106 in an edge of the molds 120 and 122, i.e., face the molds 120 and 122 at around an internal surface of the molds 120 and 122.
Then, resin is injected to the inside of the molds 120 and 122. The resin surrounds the design bars 102, 104 and 106 and is cured to form the main body 10. The resin may have the same color as that of the billiard ball which is to be manufactured.
The resin is cured while covering both ends of the design bars 102, 104 and 106, i.e., the design portion 110. In this case, if the surface of the main body 10 is thermally treated at a predetermined temperature, the resin becomes transparent to a predetermined thickness from an external surface thereof to make clear the design portion 110.
The material for forming the main body 10 may include resin which may be liquefied at a temperature lower than the temperature for the design bars 102, 104 and 106. When three design bars 102, 104 and 106 are arranged within injection moldings 120 and 122, the design bars 102, 104 and 106 have a higher melting point that the material of the main body 10 of the billiard ball. As a result, the design bars 102, 104 and 106 do not change when the main body 10 of the billiard ball is formed.
The material for forming the main body 10 may include the same materials as the design bars 102, 104 and 106. In this case, injection molding is performed at a temperature which is room temperature lower than or higher than room temperature.
Lastly, the surface of the main body 10 may be thermally treated or other various surface treatments may be performed to assign various functions or features.
Although a few exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the range of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A billiard ball comprising a main body, the outer surface of which has at least one design groove; a designed member which is arranged in the design groove and which has a design; and a transparent resin which fills the design groove.

2. The billiard ball according to claim 1, wherein the designed member is provided in a bottom surface of the design groove.

3. The billiard ball according to claim 1, wherein the designed member comprises a first design portion that is provided in a side of the design groove and a second design portion which is provided in a bottom surface of the design groove.

4. The billiard ball according to claim 1, wherein the designed member comprises Korean paper.

5. The billiard ball according to claim 1, wherein the design groove is 0.5 to 3 mm in depth.

6. The billiard ball according to claim 1, wherein the transparent resin comprises the same material as the resin for forming the main body.

7. A manufacturing method for a billiard ball, the method comprising: forming a design groove in a main body, inserting a designed member into the design groove, filling the design groove with resin, curing the resin and trimming a surface of the resin filling the design groove to prevent any step from the surface of the main body.

8. A billiard ball which comprises a main body in which at least one through hole is formed and passes through a center and a design bar which is provided in the through hole, and has a design printed in both ends.

9. The billiard ball according to claim 8, wherein the design bar is formed in the same material as that of the main body.

10. The billiard ball according to claim 8, wherein the at least one design bar comprises a first bar member which passes through a center of the main body and is arranged vertically, a second bar member which passes through a center of the main body and is arranged to the left and right horizontally and a third bar member which passes through a center of the main body and is arranged horizontally in forward and backward directions.

11. A manufacturing method for a billiard ball, the method comprising:

preparing a design bar which has a design in both ends; and

placing the design bar so that both ends of the design bar are provided in an edge of an internal space of the mold; and injecting resin to the mold to form a main body which surrounds the design bar.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the design bar has the same melting point as that of the main body or has a higher melting point than the main body.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising thermal-treating a surface of the main body.