American-style football having a reduced MOI
An American-style football may include a prolate spheroidal shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis, an outermost layer about the bladder, a lacing surface featuring a series of parallel projections from an exterior of the outermost layer and an intermediate sandwiched between the bladder and the outermost layer, wherein the intermediate layer is configured to decrease a MOI of the football.
1. An American-style football comprising:
a prolate spheroidal shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis;
an outermost layer about the bladder;
a lacing surface featuring a series of parallel projections from an exterior of the outermost layer; and
a non-uniform layer sandwiched between the bladder and the outermost layer, the non-uniform layer having non-uniform distribution of mass providing a greater mass proximate the longitudinal axis to decrease a MOI of the football, the non-uniform layer including a first region distant the longitudinal axis having a first density of a first material and a second region proximate the longitudinal axis having a second density of a second material greater than the first density of the first material, wherein the first region has a first density of individual apertures through the non-uniform layer and wherein the second region has a second density of individual apertures through the non-uniform layer that is less than the first density of the apertures.
2. An American-style football comprising:
a prolate spheroidal shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis;
an outermost layer about the bladder;
a lacing surface featuring a series of parallel projections from an exterior of the outermost layer; and
a non-uniform layer sandwiched between the bladder and the outermost layer, the non-uniform layer having non-uniform distribution of mass providing a greater mass proximate the longitudinal axis to decrease a MOI of the football, the non-uniform layer including a first region distant the longitudinal axis having a first density of a first material and a second region proximate the longitudinal axis having a second density of a second material greater than the first density of the first material, wherein the first region comprises individual apertures of a first size through the non-uniform layer and wherein the second region comprise individual apertures of a second size, smaller than the first size, through the non-uniform layer.
3. An American-style football comprising:
a prolate spheroidal shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis;
an outermost layer about the bladder;
a lacing surface featuring a series of parallel projections from an exterior of the outermost layer; and
a non-uniform layer sandwiched between the bladder and the outermost layer, the non-uniform layer having non-uniform distribution of mass providing a greater mass proximate the longitudinal axis to decrease a MOI of the football, the non-uniform layer including a first region distant the longitudinal axis having a first density of a first material and a second region proximate the longitudinal axis having a second density of a second material greater than the first density of the first material, wherein the first region has a first density of individual cells through the non-uniform layer and wherein the second region has a second density of individual cells through the non-uniform layer that is less than the first density of the individual cells.
4. An American-style football comprising:
a prolate spheroidal shaped bladder having a longitudinal axis;
an outermost layer about the bladder;
a lacing surface featuring a series of parallel projections from an exterior of the outermost layer; and
a non-uniform layer sandwiched between the bladder and the outermost layer, the non-uniform layer having non-uniform distribution of mass providing a greater mass proximate the longitudinal axis to decrease a MOI of the football, the non-uniform layer including a first region distant the longitudinal axis having a first density of a first material and a second region proximate the longitudinal axis having a second density of a second material greater than the first density of the first material, wherein the first region comprises individual cells of a first size through the non-uniform layer and wherein the second region comprise individual cells of a second size, smaller than the first size, through the non-uniform layer.
5. The American-style football of claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material have a same material composition.
6. The American-style football of claim 1 , wherein the non-uniform layer comprises a woven, knitted or felted fabric.
7. The American-style football of claim 1 , wherein the non-uniform layer forms a liner between the bladder and the outermost layer.
8. The American-style football of claim 1 , wherein the lacing surface comprises a lace passing through the outermost layer and forming the projections.
9. The American-style football of claim 1 , wherein the first region of the non-uniform layer is proximate the lacing surface and the second region of the non-uniform layer is proximate the longitudinal axis, wherein the first region is different than the second region.
10. The American-style football of claim 2 , wherein the first material and the second material have a same material composition.
11. The American-style football of claim 3 , wherein the first material and the second material have a same material composition.
12. The American-style football of claim 4 , wherein the first material and the second material have a same material composition.