System and method for determining a pickleball bounce point during pickleball play
View Patent ↗A coating, for example a piezochromic coating, can adhere to a pickleball court. The coating can mark a pickleball bounce point during pickleball play on the pickleball court. When a pickleball bounces from a coated surface of the pickleball court, the pickleball can produce a mark on or in the coating at the bounce point. The mark can provide a visible indication of location of the bounce point that informs whether the bounce point was in an in-bounds or an out-of-bounds area of the pickleball court. The coating can thus help players and/or referees determine who prevailed in a volley or won a point during a pickleball game.
1 . A system for determining a pickleball bounce point during pickleball play, the system comprising:
a piezochromic coating adhering to a selected area of a pickleball court,
wherein the piezochromic coating comprises a piezochromic threshold,
wherein the piezochromic threshold is selected to be below a first pressure and above a second pressure,
wherein the first pressure comprises pressure of a pickleball impacting the pickleball court and bouncing during the pickleball play,
wherein the second pressure comprises pressure a sole of a shoe of a pickleball player applies to the pickleball court as the pickleball player moves about the pickleball court during the pickleball play, and
wherein the piezochromic coating comprises a piezochromic tape, the piezochromic tape comprising:
a first tape that is translucent and chemically inert with respect to the pickleball, wherein the first tape comprises an upper surface defining a plane extending horizontally along the upper surface, wherein the upper surface is disposed to contact the pickleball during said pickleball play, and wherein the first tape comprises polyethylene terephthalate;
a second tape that is opaque and that is disposed below the first tape; and
an adhesive that is disposed below the second tape and that adheres the piezochromic tape to the selected area of the pickleball court,
wherein the piezochromic tape comprises a plurality of materials disposed below the plane and above the adhesive,
wherein the plurality of materials are separated from one another when the upper surface is subjected to a third pressure that is below the piezochromic threshold, and
wherein the plurality of materials are operative to interact to produce a color change responsive to the upper surface being subjected to a fourth pressure from a pickleball impact that is above the piezochromic threshold.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of materials are further operative such that one or more mechanical stimuli applied to the piezochromic tape by said pickleball impact exclusively initiates said color change.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the selected area of the pickleball court comprises a line that comprises at least one of a side line, a base line, a centerline, and a volley line, wherein the adhesive adheres is adhering the piezochromic tape to the line, and wherein the second tape is colored to match the line.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the produced color change comprises a mark, and
wherein the mark fades with time responsive to conclusion of the pickleball impact and the upper surface no longer being subjected to the fourth pressure.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second tape is colored to match the selected area of the pickleball court,
wherein at least one material in the plurality of materials comprises metal, and
wherein the color change is a reversible color change.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the piezochromic tape further comprises metal disposed below the first tape and above the adhesive for producing a color change responsive to the pickleball impacting the upper surface and bouncing during said pickleball play.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the piezochromic tape is operative to undergo a reversible color change during said pickleball play without a chemical reaction occurring between the pickleball and the piezochromic tape.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of materials are further operative such that one or more mechanical stimuli applied to the piezochromic tape by said pickleball impact exclusively initiates the color change,
wherein the selected area of the pickleball court comprises a line that comprises at least one of a side line, a base line, a centerline, and a volley line, wherein the adhesive adheres the piezochromic tape to the line, wherein the second tape is colored to match the line,
wherein the produced color change comprises a mark, wherein the mark fades with time responsive to conclusion of the pickleball impact and the upper surface no longer being subjected to the fourth pressure, and
wherein at least one material in the plurality of materials comprises metal.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the piezochromic coating further comprises:
particles of silica such that the piezochromic coating composes silica in a range of 2 to 10 percent by weight; and
granules of elastomeric material such that the piezochromic coating composes elastomeric material in a range of 2 to 10 percent by weight,
whereby the particles of silica and the granules of elastomeric material favorably control mechanical properties of coated and uncoated portions of the pickleball court to facilitate uniform play across the pickleball court.
10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the piezochromic coating forms a first exterior surface of the pickleball court,
wherein a non-piezochromic coating forms a second exterior surface of the pickleball court that is disposed laterally adjacent the first exterior surface of the pickleball court,
wherein the piezochromic coating comprises granules of elastomeric material, such that the piezochromic coating composes elastomeric material in a range of 2 to 10 percent by weight, to favorably control mechanical properties of the first exterior surface of the pickleball court relative to mechanical properties of the second exterior surface of the pickleball court to facilitate uniform play across the first and second exterior surfaces of the pickleball court.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein said controlled mechanical properties comprise Leeb rebound hardness,
wherein the first exterior surface has a first Leeb rebound hardness,
wherein the second exterior surface has a second Leeb rebound hardness, and
wherein the first Leeb rebound hardness is within ten percent of the second Leeb rebound hardness, thereby favorably controlling mechanical properties of the first exterior surface of the pickleball court relative to mechanical properties of the second exterior surface of the pickleball court to facilitate uniform play across the first and second exterior surfaces of the pickleball court.
12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the piezochromic coating forms a first exterior surface of the pickleball court,
wherein a non-piezochromic coating forms a second exterior surface of the pickleball court that is disposed laterally adjacent the first exterior surface of the pickleball court,
wherein the piezochromic coating comprises particles of silica, such that the piezochromic coating composes silica in a range of 2 to 10 percent by weight, to favorably control mechanical properties of the first exterior surface of the pickleball court relative to mechanical properties of the second exterior surface of the pickleball court to facilitate uniform play across the first and second exterior surfaces of the pickleball court.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein said controlled mechanical properties comprise kinetic friction coefficient,
wherein the first exterior surface has a first kinetic friction coefficient with the pickleball,
wherein the second exterior surface has a second kinetic friction coefficient with the pickleball, and
wherein the first kinetic friction coefficient is within ten percent of the second kinetic friction coefficient, thereby favorably controlling mechanical properties of the first exterior surface of the pickleball court relative to mechanical properties of the second exterior surface of the pickleball court to facilitate uniform play across the first and second exterior surfaces of the pickleball court.
14 . A system for determining a pickleball bounce point during pickleball play, the system comprising:
a piezochromic coating adhering to a selected area of a pickleball court,
wherein the piezochromic coating comprises a piezochromic threshold,
wherein the piezochromic threshold is selected to be below a first pressure and above a second pressure,
wherein the first pressure comprises pressure of a pickleball impacting the pickleball court and bouncing during the pickleball play,
wherein the second pressure comprises pressure a sole of a shoe of a pickleball player applies to the pickleball court as the pickleball player moves about the pickleball court during the pickleball play, and
wherein the piezochromic coating comprises a piezochromic tape that comprises:
a first tape that is translucent, chemically inert with respect to the pickleball, and disposed to contact the pickleball during said pickleball play;
a second tape that is opaque and that is disposed below the first tape; and
an adhesive that is disposed below the second tape and that adheres the piezochromic tape to the selected area of the pickleball court.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first tape comprises polyethylene terephthalate,
wherein the selected area of the pickleball court comprises a line that comprises at least one of a side line, a base line, a centerline, and a volley line, wherein the adhesive is adhering to the line, and wherein the second tape is colored to match the line, and
wherein the piezochromic tape further comprises metal disposed between the first tape and the adhesive for producing a color change responsive to the pickleball impacting the first tape and bouncing during said pickleball play.