WO2004018053A1

WO2004018053A1 - Ball with improved properties

Info

Publication number: WO2004018053A1
Application number: PCT/NL2003/000557
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pieter Huybers
Original assignee: Pieter Huybers
Priority date: 2002-08-20
Filing date: 2003-08-01
Publication date: 2004-03-04
Also published as: AU2003256155A1; NL1021303C1

Abstract

Ball (1, 20), composed of flat parts of the first type (2, 21), which is characterized in that it is rectangular and has two alternating shorter sides (6; 25) and two longer sides (7; 26), of parts of a second type (3, 22) and of a third type (4, 23), which are identical in terms of each type and where all parts are arranged three-dimensionally at the same distance around a ball centre in such a way that each of the shorter sides (6, 25) of a part of the first type (2, 21) adjoins a corresponding side of a part of the second type (3, 22) and that each of its longer sides (7, 26) adjoins a corresponding side of a part of the third type (4, 23), and where parts of the second type (3, 22) and of the third type (4, 23) have alternating relatively very short sides (5, 24) according which they themselves adjoin. In order to reduce the connection length of the parts, the rectangular parts (2, 21) can be subdivided into two isosceles triangles (28, 36) that are added to parts of the third type (4, 23) according the sides (6, 25) and into two isosceles trapezoids (29, 37) that are added to parts of the second type (3, 22) according the sides (7, 26) and thus respectively form the larger parts (30, 39) and (31, 38) and that can be circumscribed by substantially identical circles.

Description

Short title: BALL WITH IMPROVED PROPERTIES

The invention relates to a new type of soccer ball, composed of three kinds of polygonal parts of such a shape and size that an improvement of its properties is achieved.

The ball type, that at present generally is used for sporting purposes, consists in most cases of an inflatable inner ball of an elastic material and of an exterior ball made of leather or a leathery material, the latter of which is commonly composed of smaller parts whose form and number are based on that of a mathematical figure, a polyhedron called Truncated Icosahedron, which in the following for con- venience is called Variant I and which leads to a subdivision pattern, consisting of twenty hexagons and of twelve pentagons, equilateral and originally planar. The parts of the exterior ball are cut from a flat sheet of material and connected to one another by means of sewing, welding or another suitable technique, in such a way that the hexagons are joined at every other side to a pentagon or to another hexagon. All polygonal parts are arranged three-dimensionally around the centre of the sphere that can be circumscribed through the corners of the polygons, further shortly called ball centre.

The mathematical form in question is derived from the regular Icosahedron, which consists of twenty equilateral triangles, by cutting off small pyramids at the vertices, thus forming regular pentagonal cutting planes. The triangles change into hexagons. If this truncation is done at one third of the original side length, the hexagons become regular and equilateral. In every corner of the polyhedron always two hexagons and one pentagon meet. All face angles of the pentagons are 108 degrees and those of the hexagons are 120 degrees. All sides, whether of the pentagons or of the hexagons have the same length. The hexagon however has a larger circumscribable circle than the pentagon. This means that the hexagon is closer to the ball centre of the sphere than the pentagon. If the interior ball is inflated, the parts will bulge and try to reach a spherical form. The material must therefore be stretched, the hexagon a little bit more than the pentagon. This is a source of inaccuracies and local differences in material behaviour and wearing.

Instead of truncating the Icosahedron through the third parts of its edges, this truncation can be done at a distance from the ball centre that is equal to that of the triangular faces in the Icosahedron. This leads to a situation where the pentagons and the hexagons all have the same distance from the ball centre. This new shape can be considered as a so- called isodistant version of the Truncated Icosahedron, which in the following is referred to as to Variant II. The hexagons are however no longer equilateral. The three sides, that adjoin the pentagons become longer than the three other sides. All face angles stay equal to those of the regular pentagons and hexagons in the Truncated Icosahedron. If the longer sides of the hexagons, that adjoin pentagons, are called A and the shorter sides, adjoining hexagons are called B, it can mathematically be proven that the ratio of the sides B and the sides A is equal to B : A = si (24°) : sin(36°) = 0.69198171 : 1.

In the Dutch Patent NL-9201381 dated 30.07.1992 this composition for the skin of a soccer ball is explicitly claimed and a similar claim is done in the PCT filing EP0652794 dated 17.02.1994, although in this case to a ratio of the short and long sides instead of B : A = 0.692, a preference is given to B : A = 0.839 which leads to different distances from the ball centre of the two kinds of faces.

A substantial improvement with respect to the roundness can be achieved by an additional truncation of Variant II, but parallel to the edges B at the meetings of two adjoining hexagons, by cutting planes that again have the same distance from the centre as the triangular faces in the basic Icosahe- dron. By this second isodistant truncation thirty rectangular new faces are formed, having two long sides C and two shorter sides D. The twenty hexagons become hexagons with alternate long sides C and relatively very short sides E, the twelve pentagons turn into decagons with alternate long sides D and very short sides of the length E. The two sides C of the rectangles adjoin sides C of the hexagons and its two sides D adjoin sides D of the decagons. Mathematically it can be proven that the various sides relate as C : D : E = sin(57°) : sin(33°) : sin(3°), or approximately as 16.025 : 10.407 : 1, if C and D are expressed in the length E. The thus found shape is in the following called Variant III. If all three variants are scaled up until through their vertices a sphere can be circumscribed with a diameter that answers the offi- cial requirements of an official match ball, this last variant III does not only have the advantage that all faces are at the same distance from the centre but that they also are farther away from the centre than in Variant II, so that they are closer to the spherical shape, that is aimed at by the inflation of the ball.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a view of the first embodiment of ball 1 according to the invention, in the absence of a pressure dif- ference and with all parts still in flat form. The ball is composed of three kinds of parts: thirty rectangles 2, twenty hexagons 3 en twelve decagons 4. The rectangles 2 have two relatively short sides 6 and two relatively long sides 7. The decagons 4 have five sides 6 and five relatively very short sides 5 that alternate. The hexagons 3 have three sides 7 and three relatively very short sides 5 that alternate also. The rectangles 2 adjoin decagons 4 with their sides 6 and hexagons 3 with their sides 7. The hexagons 3 and the decagons 4 meet according the sides 5. Fig. 2 shows how an Icosahedron 8, consisting of twenty equilateral triangles 12, is truncated. This leads to a shape 9, in the preceding called Variant I and consisting of twenty equilateral hexagons 10 en twelve equilateral pentagons 11.

Fig. 3 shows the process of truncation of the regular Icosahedron through the third parts of its sides, where R is the distance of a vertex to the ball centre 13 and Z is the distance of a pentagonal cutting plane 11 with respect to this centre.

Fig. 4 shows a so-called Isodistant Truncated Icosahedron 14, in the preceding called Variant II, that is the result of the process of truncation described in Fig. 3, in the case that the value of Z is kept equal to that of the triangular faces 12 in the original Icosahedron 8 with respect to the centre 13. In this case twelve equilateral pentagons 16 are obtained with the sides 18 and twenty inequilateral hexagons 15 with the sides 17 en 18.

Fig. 5 shows a further truncation of the spatial model 14, in the case that this takes place parallel to the common sides 17 between every two adjoining hexagons 15, again at he same distance from the centre 13 as the triangular faces 12 of de Icosahedron 8 and leading to the spatial model 1, in the preceding called Variant III.

Fig. 6 shows the rectangle 2, the hexagon 3 and the decagon 4, that are the result of the truncation process, shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows the three parts 2, 3 en 4 of the ball 1, that is the subject of the invention, and that in this case are placed in one and the same circumscribable circle 19. The fact that all parts of Variant III have the same circumscribable circle 19, proves that they all are at the same distance from the centre 13.

Fig. 8 shows the layout of the complete exterior skin of ball 1, according the invention. This consists of thirty rectangles 2, twenty hexagons 3 and twelve decagons 4.

Fig. 9 shows the meeting of two parts 2, one part 3 and one part 4 in each vertex of Variant III. In the ideal situation the edge 5 has such a length, that a cross connection can be made between a decagon and a hexagon. This contributes to a greater strength and form stability.

If it is assumed that the circumscribable sphere passing through the corners of the faces of the ball, which is a polyhedron and which is in accordance with the figures 1 to 9, has a radius of R = 110 mm (being the average dimension for a football of the size 5 according the specifications of FIFA, the Federation of International Football Associations), it is possible to compile the following Table 1 , showing the distances Z from the centre 13 of the parts 10 and 11 for a ball of the model 9 (Variant I) , of the parts 15 and 16 for a ball of the model 14 (Variant II) and of the parts 2, 3 and 4 for a ball of the model 1 (Variant III) .

TABLE 1

Owing to the fact that the 62 parts 2, 3 and 4 of ball 1 according the invention all are at even distances from the centre 13 and that they also are farther away from the centre than in both other cases (i.e. Variants I and II) and thus are closer to the circumscribable sphere, a better approximation is achieved of a true sphere through the corner points of the faces. If the internal pressure of the ball 1 is raised the material will have to expand to a lesser extent than that of the known balls, resulting in a lower and more equal stress level.

Although the sides 5, 6 and 7 in the most ideal situation relate as sin (3°) : sin (33°) : sin (57°), or approximately as 1 : 10.407 : 16.025 if this relation is expressed in the side 5, it is possible to vary the side 5 for the sake of the technical production between sin(0°) en sin(15°). The relations of the long sides 7 and the short sides 6 in the rectangular face 2 and thus of the corresponding sides in the hexagons 3 and the decagons 4 are respectively (60°) : sin(36°) and sin (45°) : sin(21°).

Fig. 10. The principle, in the foregoing called isodistant truncation' can also be applied to the Octahedron, a regular mathematical figure consisting of eight equilateral triangles. This leads in the first instance to a Truncated

Octahedron, consisting of eight equilateral triangles and six squares. In the second instance this leads to an Isodistant Truncated Cuboctahedron 20, consisting of twelve rectangles 21, eight hexagons 22 and six octagons 23. The rectangles have two relatively short sides 25 and two longer sides 26 that alternate with one another. They adjoin according their long sides 26 with corresponding sides of the hexagons 22 and according their short sides 25 with corresponding sides of the octagons 23. The hexagons and the octagons have every other side a relatively very short side, according which they are adjoined. This embodiment of the invention is called Variant IV, having the advantage that it consists of a smaller number of parts than the previously mentioned Variant III, and thus having a considerable shorter seam length, which is important from the viewpoint of an economical production and of a to be expected water absorption during circumstances of practice. A disadvantage of this smaller number of parts is, that it forms a less accurate approximation of the circumscribable sphere. These two aspects most be weighed one against another for use in practice. The Isodistant Truncated Cuboctahedron is shown here in its original form 20 with flat faces and also in inflated form 40.

Fig. 11 shows the individual parts of the Isodistant Truncated Cuboctahedron 20: the rectangle 21 having the al- ternating sides 26 and 25, the hexagon 22 having the alternating sides 26 and 24, and the octagon 23 having the alternating sides 25 and 24. The sides 24, 25 and 26 are respectively called E, D and C. They relate in the optimum situation as C : D : E = sin (52.5°) : sin (37.5°) : sin (7.5°), or approximately as 6.078 : 4.664 : 1, if C and D are expressed in the length E. Also in this case it is possible to vary for practical reasons the value of E between sin(0°) and sin (15°). The relations between the long sides C and the short sides D in the rectangle 21 and therefore also of the corresponding sides D in the hexagons 22 and the octagons 23 are in that case respectively sin(60°) : sin(45°) en sin(45°) : sin(30°).

Fig. 12 shows the complete layout of the Isodistant Truncated Cuboctahedron 20.

Fig. 13 shows that the parts 21, 22 en 23 with all their corners fitting on one circumscribable circle 27, which fact proves that they all are at the same distance from the centre of the sphere that can be circumscribed through the vertices of the Isodistant Truncated Cuboctahedron 20.

Fig. 14 shows a possibility to reduce the number of parts that constitute ball 1. To that end the rectangular element 2 of Fig. 1 can be subdivided into four smaller parts, of which two have the form of the isosceles triangle 28 that adjoins with its basis a short side 6 of the rectangular element 2 and of which the two others have the form of the isosceles trapezoid 29, that adjoins with its longest parallel side the side 7 of the element 2. Five parts 28 can with their side 6 be connected to the corresponding sides 6 of a decagon 4 and they form in that case together with this the element 30, that roughly has the form of a pentagon with slightly genicu- lated sides. Three parts 29 can with their side 7 be con- nected to the corresponding sides 6 of the hexagon 3 and they form in that case together with this hexagon the element 31, that roughly has the form of a new hexagon with sides that are alternatively straight or geniculated.

Fig. 15 shows a ball 32 composed according Fig. 14, with all parts in flat form and the same in the inflated form 33, which has indeed the same geometric basic shape as the ball 1 of Fig. 1, but is composed here of twelve, in five directions slightly folded, generally pentagonal faces and of twenty, in three directions slightly folded generally hexagonal faces. In this way the number of elements is reduced from 62 to 32. Moreover, the total connection length between the elements is also considerably shorter than in the first case.

Fig. 16 shows a preferable form of the parts in ball 32 or 33. Part 34 is more or less hexagonal and part 35 is more or les pentagonal. The parts, made according these data, have specific advantages over the parts of the standard ball, in the preceding called Variant I, that have the form of egui- lateral pentagons and hexagons. The area of part 34, the 'hexagon', is only 5.2% larger than that of part 35, the pentagon' (the difference in Variant I being 51%), both having the same inscribable circle (the difference in Variant I being 25.8%) and the same circumscribable circle (the difference in Variant I being 17.6%) . This means, that the stress distribution in the new ball will be much more uniform than in Variant I, and that the pentagon' and the ^λhexagon' will feel much more similar in kicking and heading, which gener- ally will lead to a more accurate manageability and a more predictable behaviour. Moreover, the circumference of the hexagon 34 is only 1.5% greater than that of the pentagon 35 (against 20% in Variant I). This means that in both panels 34 and 35 exactly the same number of stitches along the sides can be applied for the interconnection (for example 45, instead of 48 in the hexagons and 40 in the pentagons of the standard ball) , whereas the total number of stitches is the same as that in the standard ball (generally 720) . Presumably this construction method will lead to a softer feeling of the ball, which will particularly be apparent in heading, because the meetings of two parts 34 and one part 35 in the corners are completely flat (360°) and do not have the form of a low pyramid (the sum of the face angles in Variant I is 348°) as in all other current ball types. Fig. 17. The same procedure as in Fig. 14 can be followed for ball 20, where the rectangular elements 21 are subdivided into two parts 36, that have the form of an isosceles trian- gle with side 25 as its basis, and into two trapezoidal parts 37 with side 26 as their longest parallel side. Three parts 37 are added to part 22 according its sides 26 and four parts 36 are added to part 23 according its sides 25. In this way the larger elements 38 and 39 are formed. Element 38 has roughly the form of a hexagon with sides that are alternatively straight or slightly geniculated. The element 39 has roughly the form of a square with four sides that are slightly geniculated. Fig. 18 shows the new embodiment of ball 20, that is composed of eight parts 38 and six parts 39, in inflated form 41.

Claims

1. Ball (1; 20), composed of flat rectangular parts of the first type (2; 21) with the sides (6; 25) and (7; 26), hexagonal parts of the second type (3; 22) with the sides (5; 24) and (7; 26) and decagonal parts of the third type (4; 23) with the sides (5; 24) and (6; 25), the parts are arranged three-dimensionally around a ball centre in such a way that each side (7; 26) of a part of the first type (2; 21) is con- nected to a side (7; 26) of a part of the second type (3;

22), that each side (6; 25) of a part of the first type (2; 21) is always connected to a side (6; 25) of a part of the third type (4; 23) and that each side (5; 24) of a part of the second type (3; 22) is connected to a side (5; 24) of a part of the third type (4; 23), whereby the lengths of the sides (5; 24), (6; 25) en (7; 26) are chosen such, that all parts (2,3,4; 21,22,23) in the flat situation have the same distance from the ball centre, and the ball is suitable for containing a pressurized medium. 2. Ball according claim 1, characterized in that the ratio of the lengths of the sides (5; 24) : (6; 25) : (7; 26) lie respectively within the ranges sin(0°; 0°) : sin (36°; 45°) : sin(60°; 60°) and sin(15°; 15°) : sin(21°; 30°) : sin(45°; 45°) .

3. Ball according claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the ratio of the lengths of the sides (5; 24) : (6; 25) : (7; 26) is equal to sin (3°; 7.5°) : sin (33°; 37.5°) : sin (57°; 52.5°) .

4. Ball according claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that the rectangular parts (2; 21) are subdivided into two isosceles triangles (28; 36) and two trapezoids (29; 37) , where five or respectively four of such triangles (28; 36) are combined with adjacent parts (4; 23) to form larger elements (30; 39) of which all sides are slightly geniculated and where three of such trapezoids (29; 37) are combined with adjacent parts (3; 22) to form larger elements (31; 38) of which the sides are alternatively either straight or slightly geniculated.

5. Ball according claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 characterized in that it does not consist of an individual inner and outer ball but only consists of one layer of a flexible material, that is composed of parts similar to those in claims 1, 2 and 3 but where the parts are connected with a technique that leads to an airtight or gastight seam.