Basketball having a reduced moment of inertia
View Patent ↗A basketball configured for organized, competitive play and having a total mass. The basketball includes an inflatable, generally spherical bladder, a set of winding surrounding the bladder, an elastomeric layer surrounding the set of windings and the bladder, and a plurality of cover panels positioned over the elastomeric layer. The bladder has a bladder mass that is greater than 25 percent of the total mass. The elastomeric layer and the set of windings have a collective mass that is less than 55 percent of the total mass.
1. A basketball for organized, competitive play and having a total mass, comprising:
an inflatable, generally spherical bladder having a bladder mass that is greater than 25 percent of the total mass;
a set of windings surrounding the bladder;
an elastomeric layer surrounding the set of windings and the bladder, the elastomeric layer and the set of windings having a collective mass that is less than 55 percent of the total mass; and
a plurality of cover panels positioned over the elastomeric layer, the basketball being formed without one or more of electronics, batteries and charging coils.
2. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the basketball is a size 7 basketball.
3. The basketball of claim 2 , wherein the basketball has a moment of inertia less than 54.0 kg/cm 2 .
4. The basketball of claim 2 , wherein the basketball has a moment of inertia less than 53.0 kg/cm 2 .
5. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the bladder mass is at least 30% of the total mass.
6. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the bladder mass is at least 35% of the total mass.
7. The basketball of claim 5 , wherein the collective mass is less than 50% of the total mass.
8. The basketball of claim 6 , wherein the collective mass is less than 45% of the total mass.
9. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the total mass is within the range 566 to 625 grams.
10. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the total mass is within the range of 580 to 605 grams.
11. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the density of the bladder is greater than 1.125.
12. The basketball of claim 1 , further comprising a weight positioned at the center of the inflatable spherical bladder.
13. The basketball of claim 12 , wherein the weight has a mass within the range of 5 to 25 grams.
14. The basketball of claim 12 , wherein the bladder further includes internal structure for supporting the weight within the bladder.
15. The basketball of claim 14 , wherein the internal structure is a tube inwardly extending from a wall of the bladder.
16. The basketball of claim 14 , wherein the internal structure is a cross-member extending across the internal volume of the bladder.
17. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the bladder includes a bladder wall, and wherein the bladder wall has a thickness of at least 0.9 mm.
18. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric layer is formed of a sponge rubber compound.
19. The basketball of claim 18 , wherein the sponge rubber compound includes a foaming agent, wherein the foaming agent represents at least 2.5 percent of the weight of the rubber compound prior to curing of the rubber compound.
20. The basketball of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cover panels including a backing layer, wherein the backing layer includes nano-fibers.