Sports ball with suspension system and device and method for determining the equilibrium of a sports ball

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a sports ball (100), in particular a football, wherein the ball comprises: a.) a hollow shell (130); and b.) a casing (50) suspended in the hollow shell (130) by a plurality of strands (110), wherein the casing (50) comprises at least a first part (51) and a second part (52) coupled together; c.) wherein each of the plurality of strands (110) is attached to the shell and to the first part (51) and / or the second part (52); d.) wherein the strands are attached to the shell and the casing (50) such that the first part (51) and the second part (52) are compressed together.

Description

1. Technical FieldThe present invention relates to a sport ball, in particular football, football, basketball or playing ball. The sport ball comprises a suspension system for suspending one or more electronic devices. The suspension system is improved so that durability of the sport ball is increased and failure of the electronic devices is reduced. The present invention also relates to a device and a corresponding method for determining the equilibrium of a sports ball.2. Prior ArtSports balls, such as footballs, footballs, basketballs or game balls for children of different types of construction, and various methods for their production, are known from the prior art.Such sports balls used in sports activities typically comprise a hollow shell comprising a bladder. The hollow shell may be empty or provided with one or more electronic devices housed in a housing, a tray, or the like. These electronic devices are useful for providing information regarding various parameters of sporting activity. Exemplary information is the position of the sport ball, which could be the position at any time or at various adjustable specific times during the game, the sporting activity or the like. Furthermore, the information can comprise parameters of the sport ball and / or the performance of individual players, athletes or the like.Such information is particularly useful not only for the players, but especially for persons observing the game, the sporting activity or the like, players and other persons monitoring the game for compliance with the rules, or trainers for performance and medical monitoring.It is a challenging object to provide electronic devices within the hollow shell of such sports balls to provide the above-mentioned information in an accurate and consistent manner. Not only is the provision generally difficult to achieve, but it also increases the cost of producing the sport ball. This is particularly true for larger balls with inflatable bladders. Therefore, there is a need for innovative solutions that overcome these challenges.Known solutions are mentioned, for example, in the following.EP 2 281 610 B1 relates to a bladder for an inflatable ball, in particular a football. The bladder includes at least two planar reinforcement surfaces extending inside the bladder and at least one electronic device disposed within the bladder and held in a predetermined position by the planar reinforcement surfaces.Unpublished U.S. patent application No. 17 / 856,302 relates to a sport ball, in particular football or football. The sport ball comprises a hollow shell and a pit (pit) suspended in the hollow shell by a plurality of strings. Each of the plurality of cords includes a first end coupled to the hollow sheath at a first location, a second end coupled to the hollow sheath at a second location, and a center portion coupled to the pit.Although the prior art attempts have already provided good solutions and improvements over the prior art in some aspects, room still remains for improvements. For example, there remains a risk that the housing or pit including the electronic devices will be damaged. As is known, the housing is usually provided in the form of two hemispheres that are connected to each other while containing the electronic device therein. Strings (also referred to as strings) are typically attached to an inner wall of the sport ball and to the hemispheres such that significant forces act on both hemispheres pulling them apart. This can in turn lead to a possible failure.In view of this, there is a need to further improve the mechanical integrity of the housing comprising the one or more electronic devices. In particular, the durability of the suspension system for such sport balls and thereby the durability of the sport balls should generally be improved. Moreover, the risk of possible failure of the housing should be reduced and the longevity of the sports balls increased. It is a general goal that the sport ball should be less expensive throughout the life cycle.Moreover, in a second aspect, it is known that sports balls such as footballs, footballs, basketballs or children's game balls can expand over a relatively large length due to an impact during a sports activity. For example, a football ball may expand over a length of about 4 mm to 10 mm diameter during an impact depending on its thickness. Such expansion or deformation generally causes relatively high loads on the cords of the suspension system of the housing comprising the electronic devices.Usually, the cords are not provided with sufficient extensibility, which causes rather high forces on the housing of the electronic device. While less strain may be necessary to keep the electronic device in the center of the sport ball, it may still contribute to mechanical failure of the housing. Such a failure could impair the correct functioning of the electronic device.In view of this, there is a need to further improve the mechanical integrity and durability of sports balls comprising such electronic devices. In particular, the attachment of the suspension system should be improved. Furthermore, the durability of sports balls should be increased. It is a general goal that the sport ball should be less expensive throughout the life cycle.Moreover, in a third aspect, sports balls such as footballs, footballs, basketballs or game balls for children of different types usually have to be balanced in order not to impair the performance of the activity with the ball.It is known that such imbalance can usually occur in sports balls. For example, if a housing within the sport ball comprising an electronic device is not located exactly in the middle of the bladder, this could result in an imbalance of the sport ball. Moreover, manufacturing tolerances may result in an imbalance of the sport ball. Therefore, techniques for measuring equilibrium are required to determine imbalance. This could be useful, for example, to adjust or prevent the imbalance from using and / or selling sport balls having an imbalance exceeding a certain threshold.Document U.S. Pat. No. 9,352,195 B2 relates to a device for weighing a bowling ball. In particular, the device for weighing a bowling ball comprises a weight scale and a bowling ball support arrangement. The ball support assembly includes a cradle that holds the bowling ball and the assembly includes weight supports. Whenever the scale is read, one of these weight supports is supported by the scale and another is supported spaced from the scale. In a first orientation of the bowling ball with a first hemisphere of the ball closer to the weight support supported by the scale, a first scale reading is determined. Then, in a second orientation with the first hemisphere of the ball further away from the weight support supported by the scale, a second scale reading is determined. The comparison of the two balance readings enables the weight imbalance of the two hemispheres of the ball to be determined.However, the prior art has some shortcomings. For example, sport balls that include housings with electronic devices, but also sport balls without such housings, require a relatively sensitive and accurate imbalance measurement.Against this background, there is a need to further improve the known devices for determining the balance of sports balls. There is a further need to provide a corresponding method which makes it possible to determine the balance of sports balls in an improved manner. There is a general need to provide an apparatus and method that enables the balance of sports balls to be determined in a quick, cost effective, accurate, consistent and repeatable manner.3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe above objects are achieved at least in part by the subject matter of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are subject of the dependent claims and other suitable aspects of the present invention are described by the overall disclosure of the present application.A sport ball having strings that compress a housing,In a first aspect, the objects are achieved by a sport ball, in particular a football, wherein the sport ball comprises: a.) a hollow shell; and b.) a housing suspended in the hollow shell by a plurality of strings, wherein the housing comprises at least a first part and a second part coupled to each other; c.) wherein each of the plurality of strings is fastened to the shell and to the first part and / or the second part; d.) wherein the strings are fastened to the shell and the housing such that the first part and the second part are compressed.In this way, the sport ball provides for an increased durability of the housing and / or the coupling of the first part and the second part of the housing. Because the forces on the housing are typically quite large, compressing the first part and the second part while the housing is suspended in the hollow shell has the advantage that the housing is less likely to be damaged and / or pulled apart. In this way, all electronic devices are securely held in the housing and can function as intended for a longer time. A possible mechanical failure of the housing, as is known from the prior art, is less likely to occur.As is known in the art, the housing is typically connected to strands such that forces pull parts of the housing apart. This is disadvantageous, for example, from a mechanical perspective. The inventors have found a way to overcome this problem by the proposed sport ball described herein.The hollow shell may provide sufficient space so that the housing may be disposed within the hollow shell. In some cases, the hollow shell may provide some structural integrity of the sport ball.The housing may be configured to receive any type of object. The housing may be configured to receive one or more electronic devices, such as a battery and / or a wireless transmitter, a sensor, or the like. The housing may provide some rigidity to protect the electronic devices from any type of external impact such as dirt, dust, water, steam, vibration, or the like.The housing being "suspended" may mean that the housing may be disposed anywhere in the hollow shell and that the housing may be supported by the plurality of strands. In one example, the housing may hang substantially freely on all sides of the housing, except at the attachment positions of the strands to the housing.The "first part" and / or the "second part" may form any parts of the housing. It is noted that the housing may include other parts besides the first part and the second part. For example, there may be a third part, a fourth part, a fifth part, and so forth. In one example, the first portion and the second portion are two hemispheres. However, it is to be understood that this depends on the shape of the housing.The "plurality of strings" may include any number of strings. It is noted that when reference is made herein to each of the plurality of strings being attached to the shell and to the first part and / or the second part of the housing, it is contemplated that the sport ball may include one or more strings that are not necessarily attached to the shell and / or to the first part and / or the second part of the housing. For example, the sport ball may comprise one or more strings arranged only in the sport ball and / or in the hollow shell.Each of the plurality of strands is "attached" to the sheath and to the first portion and / or the second portion. The possible fastening means may comprise any means which enable fastening of the respective elements. In a non-exhaustive list of possible fasteners, the following may be mentioned: adhesive, mechanical fasteners (such as screws, nails, bolts, etc.), welding, soldering, sewing, hook and loop fastening, riveting, clamping, magnetic connection, locking mechanisms, tying with ropes or strings, fusion bonding, stitching, specialized cements and adhesives, snap fasteners.The first part and the second part are "compressed". This can be understood to mean that a force acts from the first part on the second part and / or from the second part on the first part. It may not be necessary for the first part and the second part to move relative to each other. It is understood that the force acting from the first part on the second part and / or from the second part on the first part can be described by a force vector. The vector may be composed by individual components along different axes. At least one component of the vector may be directed from the first part to the second part and / or from the second part to the first part in order to provide the advantageous effects described herein. It need not be excluded that the remaining components of the vector comprise values greater than zero. In other words, the (total) vector does not have to be aligned exclusively from a center point of the first part to a center point of the second part and / or from a center point of the second part to a center point of the first part.The sport ball as described herein may be useful in any type of sporting activity, particularly in any of the following non-exhaustive list of examples: football, basketball, tennis, fullyball, baseball, softball, American football, rugby, cricket, golf, handball, fieldpoxy, table tennis, badminton, cash, lacrosse, bocball, bowling, netball, australian rubes football, gaelic football, beach fullyball, waterball, paddle tennis, and sepak takraw.In an example of the sport ball, the housing may be suspended substantially in a center of the hollow shell.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of strings is attached to one of the first part and the second part, and optionally, each of the plurality of strings comprises: a first end coupled to the hollow shell at a first location, a second end coupled to the hollow shell at a second location, and a center portion coupled to the housing, wherein a first length between the center portion and the first end and / or a second length between the center portion and the second end is greater than a shortest distance between the hollow shell and the housing.The term coupling or coupled may be similarly understood as fastening or attached and may include any possible means for providing a connection such that the respective parts do not experience relative movement with respect to each other. For example, the first end and / or the second end need not move relative to the hollow shell and / or the central portion need not move relative to the housing.The first length and / or the second length, which is greater than a shortest distance between the hollow shell and the housing, improves the advantageous effect that the first part and the second part are compressed. The shortest distance between the hollow shell and the housing may be determined by a substantially straight line intersecting the hollow shell and the housing.The "central portion" can be understood to be substantially in a central position with respect to the first end and the second end. However, the central portion should not be construed as indicating only such an arrangement in a strict literal sense, but also includes a state in which the arrangement is relatively displaced by a tolerance or a distance, thereby making it possible to achieve the same function.The first end and / or the second end may include an area proximate to the physical ends of the strand. This may allow a first end portion and / or a second end portion to be coupled to the hollow shell, as understood by those skilled in the art. In other words, the coupling comprises a larger area of the respective ends than only the physical end edge of the strand.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the first length and / or the second length is a factor of at least 1.01, preferably at least 1.02, more preferably at least 1.03, more preferably at least 1.04, more preferably at least 1.05, more preferably at least 1.06, more preferably at least 1.07, more preferably at least 1.08, more preferably at least 1.09, more preferably at least 1.1 greater than the shortest distance between the hollow shell and the housing; and / or the first length and / or the second length is a factor of at most 1.3, preferably at most 1.29, more preferably at most 1.28, more preferably at most 1.27, more preferably at most 1.26, more preferably at most 1.25, more preferably at most 1.24, more preferably at most 1.23, more preferably at most 1.22, more preferably at most 1.21, more preferably at most 1.2 greater than the shortest distance between the hollow shell.Greater lengths of the strands may facilitate the contact portions on the first part and the second part providing improved mechanical integrity and stability of the housing. In addition, a greater length may provide greater elasticity. On the other hand, smaller lengths reduce the amount of material used. Therefore, an optimum balance of the first length and / or the second length should be achieved as proposed herein.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the first location and the second location are spaced apart from each other by at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, preferably at least 40%, preferably at least 50%, preferably at least 60% of a shortest distance between the hollow shell and the housing.This has the advantage that the force distribution can be adjusted in a more flexible manner. For example, spacing the first location and the second location may result in the force vectors being oriented in a different direction. This makes it possible to provide an optimized force acting on the first part and the second part of the housing.It is generally understood that the distance may depend on the number of strings of the plurality of strings used, the type of sports ball and / or the volume of the sports ball used. The number of strings may also depend on the type of sports ball and / or on the volume of sports ball used.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the first part and the second part are coupled along a plane, wherein each of the plurality of strings crosses the plane.The plane may be understood as an imaginary plane protruding through a portion separating the first part and the second part. The plane can extend to infinity. The coupling along a plane may include manufacturing tolerances such that the plane does not intersect the coupling portions of the first part and the second part in a purely physical sense. For example, the coupling portions may be composed of a plurality of surfaces, edges, corners, or the like, which may not be perfectly arranged on a plane. In this illustrative example, the plane may intersect an average of the coupling portions.Crossing this plane through each of the plurality of strands has the advantage that the first part and the second part are compressed.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, each center portion coupled to the housing is spaced from the plane by at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, preferably at least 15%, preferably at least 20%, preferably at least 25%, preferably at least 30%, preferably at least 35%, preferably at least 40% of a largest dimension of the housing, wherein preferably each center portion coupled to the housing is spaced from the plane in a direction substantially opposite the first and / or second location.This has the advantage that the point of the force vector arranged on the first part and / or the second part of the housing, which acts substantially in the direction of the second part and / or the first part, is further spaced apart from the plane. This can in turn contribute to increasing the part of the force vector which is directed towards the respective other part of the housing.The largest dimension of the housing may be, for example, a diameter if the housing takes the form of a ball. In the case of a cylinder, the largest dimension may be the length of the cylinder or a diameter of an end surface of the cylinder. The skilled person is able to determine the largest dimensions of the housing using suitable and well known measurement techniques.Each center portion coupled to the housing is spaced from the plane in a direction substantially opposite the first and / or second location. This is understood such that the central portion coupled to the first part of the housing is spaced from the plane by the amounts indicated herein, while the central portion is disposed on the first part of the housing and not on the second part of the housing. Similarly, the central portion coupled to the second portion of the housing is spaced from the plane by the amounts indicated herein, while the central portion is disposed on the second portion of the housing and not on the first portion of the housing.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of strings is attached to the first part and the second part, wherein each of the plurality of strings preferably comprises two middle portions coupled to the housing.The attachment to the first part and the second part of the housing may be performed by any type of attachment means described elsewhere herein. In particular, the plurality of strands may be wound, wound, guided, convoluted, or the like around the first portion and the second portion. For this purpose, dedicated coupling portions may be provided on the housing. In part, these coupling portions may be similar to the grooves described elsewhere herein. Alternatively or additionally, these coupling portions may comprise hook means, locking means or the like for winding the strands. Alternatively or additionally, the coupling portions may comprise any of loop fasteners, adhesive fasteners, eyescrew fasteners, threaded insert fasteners, clamping fasteners, or the like.The two center portions may each be similar to the center portion described elsewhere herein and / or may be implemented in substantially the same manner.Generally, this embodiment may include any features of the sport ball described elsewhere herein as long as it is technically possible.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the housing comprises a plurality of grooves, preferably hook-shaped grooves, for coupling to one or more middle portions of each string, wherein the middle portion of each string is preferably guided through a respective groove.This facilitates coupling the one or more middle portions of each strap to the housing. The plurality of grooves may be evenly distributed and / or follow a predefined pattern on the housing. The hook-shaped grooves have the advantage that the strand can be easily accommodated therein and that no specific further means for coupling are required.The guiding through a respective groove can be understood such that the strand is at least partially accommodated within the groove. It may also include configurations in which the strand is repeatedly received within the groove, e.g. it could be routed around the groove to improve coupling.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of grooves comprises outer receiving portions for receiving a central portion of a string and a holding portion for holding the received central portion of the string, wherein each of the outer receiving portions comprises one or more curvatures and / or chamfers, wherein the curvatures preferably have a radius of at least 0.2 mm, more preferably at least 0.3 mm, more preferably at least 0.4 mm, most preferably at least 0.5 mm.A groove may refer to a relatively long, narrow and / or flat cut or channel. The shape of a groove may depend on its cross-sectional profile, which may vary based on its intended purpose and the manufacturing process. Example shapes of grooves encompassed by the present disclosure may be one or more of the following non-exhaustive list: U-shaped, V-shaped, square, rounded, trapezoidal, customized grooves, and / or any combination thereof. V-shaped grooves have the advantage that the coupling can be particularly improved. A V-shaped groove has a cross-sectional shape resembling the letter V. Such a groove may have two inclined sides meeting at a point at the bottom of the groove.A rounding can be understood as a rounding of an inner or outer corner of a part and / or element or the like. A chamfer can be understood as an inner or outer corner with an angle or a type of chamfer or the like. A rounding and / or a chamfer facilitates the receiving of the strand.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the outer receiving portions are spaced apart by the holding portion by at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.4 mm, preferably at most 0.3 mm, preferably at most 0.2 mm, preferably at most 0.1 mm.Such a spacing of the outer receiving portions of the groove facilitates the orientation in which the plurality of strands are received to be easily adjusted. For example, an inclination angle between the one of the strands and each of the grooves can be adjusted by this embodiment. In one example, the strands may be substantially straight when taken up. In one example, the strands may be provided in the shape of a tangent with respect to the groove.Reducing the spacing of the outer receiving portions has the advantage that the portions of the strands leaving the groove can be arranged closer together. It is understood that this may at least partially influence the force acting from the first part on the second part and / or from the second part on the first part.In a preferred embodiment of the sport ball of the present disclosure, the housing is a pit, wherein the pit preferably comprises an electronic device such as a battery and / or a wireless transmitter, wherein the electronic device preferably comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of: a pressure sensor, a global positioning system sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, a Hall sensor, a temperature sensor, a cell phone module, and a combination thereof.A pit may refer to a small chamber or recess in the sport ball structure. The pit is generally used with an electronic device. The pit may include one or more electronic devices, such as electronic tracking or sensing devices. These devices are useful for tracking ball movements, player performance or other data related purposes.The pit has the advantage that any type of information may be transmitted to one or more external devices (e.g., smart phones or computers) for purposes of analysis or the like.In a preferred embodiment of the sport ball of the present disclosure, the housing has the shape of a sphere, a cube, a cylinder, a cone, a pyramid, a prism, a torus, a tetrahedron, wherein the two parts have substantially the same shape, wherein the two parts preferably have the shape of hemispheres.These shapes have the advantage that sufficient volume can be provided to accommodate one or more electronic devices therein. The shapes may also facilitate grooves being easily provided thereon. Having substantially the same shape may include manufacturing tolerances as will be understood by those skilled in the art.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the two parts are coupled to one another by means of binding, adhesive bonding, sewing, screwing, preferably by adhesive bonding at their contact surfaces.This facilitates the production of the housing and in particular the coupling of the first part and the second part.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the hollow shell comprises an inflatable bladder.An inflatable bladder may at least partially comprise the hollow shell in a substantially gas impermeable manner. It may also make it possible to adjust the properties of the sports ball during use by inflating or releasing gas from the bladder. The sport ball may comprise a valve unit by which the inflatable bladder may be filled or deflated. This makes it possible to easily adjust a pressure inside the sport ball to improve the sporting activity according to its intended purpose.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the first location comprises a first pad bonded to an outer surface of the hollow shell and / or wherein the second location comprises a second pad bonded to the outer surface of the hollow shell.The first and / or second pad may help fix the plurality of strands. A pad may include one or more layers of any type of configuration. For example, one or more layers of the pad may be substantially soft or substantially rigid. The pad may help to support the surface of the hollow shell. It can facilitate the damping. A pad may include one or more layers of material bonded together. Such joining may be performed by any means such as bonding, tying or the like.In some examples, one or more openings may be formed in the hollow shell. This may facilitate the strands being able to extend through the openings. In such an example, the strands may be bonded to the first pad layer and / or the second pad layer while the pads are disposed at least in a periphery of each of the openings. In such embodiments, the first pad layer and / or the second pad layer may comprise a larger effective diameter compared to the opening to allow an inner side of the first pad layer and / or the second pad layer to bond to the hollow shell.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of strands comprises fiber material at the first end and / or the second end, wherein the frayed fibers are bonded to the first pad and / or the second pad.This has the advantage of improving the attachment of the plurality of strands to the hollow sheath. The bonding may include adhesive bonding, such as adhesive bonding. The bonding may comprise curing the adhesive.Generally, bonding may refer to the process by which atoms, ions or molecules adhere to each other to form a solid material. It may involve various mechanisms such as metallic bonding, covalent bonding, ionic bonding, or intermolecular forces depending on the type of material.Exemplary fibrous materials may be one or more of the following non-exhaustive list: cotton (cotton fibers may be soft, fluffy, and widely used in the textile industry to make clothing, towel, bed sheets, and many other fabric products), wool (wool may be a natural fiber obtained from the batt of sheep or other animals. It has advantageous effects in terms of insulation and softness, thereby being suitable for any kind of purposes), hemp (hemp fibers can be used in various industries including textiles, paper making and building. Hemp fibers are durable and have excellent strength properties), flax (flax fibers derived from flax plant and are used for the production of linen. Linen may be known for its light, breathable and absorbent properties, thereby being suitable for clothing and household appliances), jute (jute is a natural plant fibre and, due to its strength and vibration, may be used generally for the production of hook and loop bags, yarn, rope and carpet backs), sisal, bamboo, coconut or the like.The frayed fibers may have a length of greater than or equal to 10 millimeters, greater than or equal to 8 millimeters, or greater than or equal to 5 millimeters.Alternatively, in some examples, the first end and / or the second end may be directly bonded to the hollow shell.In some examples, the first and second ends may each be disposed between two pad layers of a pad. In some embodiments, the first and second ends may be flattened onto a pad layer such that the first and second ends each span the entire effective diameter of the pad layer or a portion thereof. In some embodiments, the first and second ends may be frayed to form a flattened portion for attachment to the pad. In such embodiments, the frayed ends may increase the effective diameter of the strands to coarsen the surface for attaching strands to pads.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of strings comprises one or more string members, preferably attached to each other, or is a continuous string extending from the first end to the second end.A continuous strand facilitates the assembly and the provision of the sport ball.One or more string members may be implemented, for example, by two strings, a first string of which is used for connection to the hollow shell at the first location and a second string of which is used for connection to the hollow shell at the second location. This could be advantageous because it simplifies the attachment.In an alternative embodiment, the one or more string elements may be implemented by one or more, preferably a closed loop. The closed loop may be capable of assuming a circular shape. The one closed loop may be at least partially stretched to take the form of a triangle having corners proximate the first location of the hollow shell, the housing, and the second location of the hollow shell.In another embodiment, the one or more string elements may be implemented by two closed loops. Each of the two closed loops may be capable of assuming a circular shape. One of them may be used for the first location of the hollow shell and the second location of the hollow shell, respectively.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the housing comprises a mass of at most 100 grams, preferably at most 80 grams, preferably at most 70 grams, preferably at most 60 grams, preferably at most 50 grams, preferably at most 45 grams, preferably at most 40 grams, preferably at most 35 grams, preferably at most 30 grams.Sports ball with reduced force on the housingIn a second aspect of the present disclosure, the objects are achieved by a sport ball, in particular a football, wherein the sport ball comprises: a.) a hollow shell; and b.) a housing suspended in the hollow shell by a plurality of strings, c.) wherein each of the plurality of strings comprises a functional element configured to reduce a force acting on the housing during ordinary use.In this way, the sport ball offers the advantage that durability and durability are improved. In particular, the suspension of the housing in the hollow sheath is improved by means of the plurality of strands. The functional element has the advantage of at least partially compensating the force acting on the housing. Therefore, force peaks acting on the housing can be substantially reduced and / or attenuated compared to conventional strings. The mechanical integrity and mechanical stability may in turn be increased according to the sports ball described herein. In particular, any type of mechanical damage including breaking strands, wearing strands, releasing strands from the housing, and / or releasing strands from the hollow shell may be reduced."During use" may include any situation of the sport ball during any type of sporting activity. The sporting activity may include any of the following non-exhaustive examples: football, basketball, tennis, fullyball, baseball, softball, American football, rugby, cricket, golf, handball, Feldspar, table tennis, badminton, cash, lacrosse, bocball, bowling, netball, australian rubes football, gaeliy football, beach fullyball, waterball, paddle tennis, and sepak takraw.The functional element may refer to any means, component, part, element that serves a particular purpose and / or performs the particular function of reducing a force acting on the housing during ordinary use. The functional element may be implemented by any means that enables, for example, elasticity and / or relaxation of the plurality of strands.The "plurality of strings" may include any number of strings. It is noted that when reference is made herein to each of the plurality of strings being attached to the shell and to the first part and / or the second part of the housing, it is contemplated that the sport ball may include one or more strings that are not necessarily attached to the shell and / or to the first part and / or the second part of the housing. For example, the sport ball may comprise one or more strings arranged only in the sport ball and / or in the hollow shell.In a preferred embodiment of the sport ball of the present disclosure, the functional element is configured to increase and / or decrease a length of the string depending on the force acting on the housing, preferably in a substantially reversible manner.Increasing and / or decreasing the length of the strand has the advantage that peak forces acting on the housing can be reduced. Therefore, the mechanical load can be reduced and / or at least attenuated.The reversible manner means that such an increase and / or decrease of a length can be at least partially reversed and / or reversed. For example, the strand may return to its length before any force was applied to it. This in turn means that no permanent or irreversible increase and / or decrease of the length is carried out. In some examples, the reversible manner means that the increase and / or decrease can be completely reversed back to its initial state. However, it is to be understood that in some cases, a complete inversion to its initial state cannot be performed. This may be the case because minor plastic deformations may occur after an increase and / or decrease, which may not be reversible.The amount of increase and / or decrease in the length of the string may depend on the situation in which the sport ball is currently being used, e.g. a situation in a specific sporting activity.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the functional element comprises elastomer material.Elastomeric materials are well accepted in the present industry and relatively easy to obtain. In addition, they facilitate the production of the strand. They provide unique properties and applications.Exemplary elastomeric materials that may be used may include one or more of the following non-exhaustive list: natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyurethane (PU), silicone rubber, neoprene, nitrile rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), butyl rubber (IIR), fluoroelastomers (Viton), chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the functional element comprises a damping element having one or more openings, wherein the strand is guided one or more times through one or more of the one or more openings.This further helps reduce the forces acting on the housing and alleviate the mechanical loads.The damping element may be understood as a one-piece element, which could be implemented as part of the strand or as a piece separate from the strand. The damping element may be implemented as a component or mechanism configured to dissipate or reduce energy, such as energy resulting from vibrations, oscillations, and / or mechanical disturbances within the sport ball. This allows to absorb or dampen excessive movement or vibration of the string, thereby reducing the magnitude or impact of these vibrations, oscillations and / or mechanical disturbances.Guiding the strand one or more times through one or more of the openings has the advantage that the damping can be improved. In addition, by adjusting the number of loops provided by the string, the damping effect of the functional element can be set quite easily.In a preferred embodiment of the sport ball of the present disclosure, the cushioning member is a piece separated from each of the plurality of strings and has the outer shape of a circle such as a ring, a triangle, a rectangle, or any combinations thereof.Providing a damping element as a separate piece has the advantage that each part can be manufactured by itself, which can generally reduce the manufacturing time. In addition, the replacement of a part thereof is facilitated, rather than replacing an entire and one-piece part. Therefore, the cost can be reduced.The separate piece can be easily manufactured to provide a desired amount of attenuation. In one example, each thread may include multiple ones of these functional elements implemented by separate elements. This increases flexibility in adjusting the damping effect.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the string contacts the cushioning element at at least two, preferably at least three points.The term "contact" means that the strand at least partially contacts the damping element, e.g. at a contact section. Such contact facilitates the connection of the strand to the damping element.In a preferred embodiment of the sport ball of the present disclosure, the functional element comprises a further damping element which is formed integrally with the strand.The function element is not limited to only one damping element, but any number of damping elements may be provided. The further damping element, which is formed integrally with the strand, has the advantage that the combined effect of two damping elements can provide the intended function.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the further damping element comprises one or more loops formed by the string.In a preferred embodiment of the sport ball of the present disclosure, the further damping element has the shape of a winding.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the sports ball is a sports ball according to any aspect described elsewhere herein.It is understood that the sport ball according to this second aspect may combine any of the features associated with the sport ball described elsewhere herein, in particular with respect to the first aspect, even if this combination is not explicitly mentioned herein.Equilibrium determination of a sports ballIn a third aspect of the present disclosure, the objects are achieved by a device for determining the equilibrium of a sport ball, in particular football, wherein the device comprises: a.) a weight scale; b.) a support element for supporting the sport ball; c.) a carrier on which the support element is arranged, wherein the carrier is arranged at one end on a pivot joint and at the opposite end on the weight scale; d.) a frame for receiving the sport ball in a predetermined manner, wherein the frame is mountable on the support element.In this manner, the present disclosure provides an apparatus by which the balance of a sport ball can be determined accurately and in a cost-effective, consistent, and repeatable manner. In particular, it is due to the framework that the determination of the balance of the sport ball is improved, since the known solutions of such devices do not provide for receiving a sport ball in a predetermined manner.The weight scale may be any means suitable for measuring a weight. The support element is implemented so that it can provide some stability to the frame. In particular, the frame should not move substantially relative to the support member when the sport ball is received. The support can also be referred to as a frame, a cantilever arm or the like.The frame as used herein may be any means suitable for receiving the sport ball. Preferably, the frame may be a substantially rigid structure that may be composed of multiple elements, such as interconnected beams, columns and / or joints that provide support, stability and / or load bearing.Capturing the sport ball in a predetermined manner is understood such that the frame includes features and / or features that allow capturing the sport ball in a predictable manner, rather than in any way. Therefore, the accommodation can be improved. Such characteristics and / or features may include any visual indicators and / or any structural elements, such that positioning the sport ball in some positions may become more difficult, while other positions may be more easily occupied.Additionally or alternatively, the frame may be mountable to the support member in a predetermined manner. The frame may include means such as physical, magnetic or digital means indicating an orientation of the frame. An orientation of the sport ball is thereby also indicated. This may be useful, for example, to prevent performing a measurement in cases where the frame is outside an intended position / orientation.When reference is made herein to determining the balance of a sport ball, it is also contemplated that the imbalance of the sport ball may be determined in the same manner because balance and imbalance of an object are hand-handed.In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for determining the balance of a sports ball of the present disclosure, the frame comprises at least two rings oriented substantially perpendicular to each other and defining a grid having a substantially spherical shape, the two rings intersecting at two opposite intersections.This has the advantage that the sport ball can be easily accommodated in the frame. The two rings may have a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the sport ball.That the two rings are substantially perpendicular to each other means that a plane protruding through the first ring intersects a plane protruding through the second ring in a substantially perpendicular manner. Of course, manufacturing tolerances should be included, so the angle described herein may deviate somewhat from an angle of 90°.In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for determining the balance of a sport ball of the present disclosure, the frame further comprises a third ring oriented substantially perpendicular to each of the at least two rings.The third ring further helps to improve the pick-up of the sport ball. In addition, the third ring allows rotation of the frame along any of the three spatial axes.In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for determining the balance of a sport ball of the present disclosure, the third ring intersects at two opposite intersections with each of the at least two rings, thereby providing six intersections, a first pair of which is arranged on a first spatial axis, a second pair of which is arranged on a second spatial axis, a third pair of which is arranged on a third spatial axis, the three spatial axes being substantially perpendicular to each other.The intersections have various advantages. For example, they provide some structural integrity of the frame. In addition, they may allow additional mounting space for other parts such as the support member.In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for determining the balance of a sport ball of the present disclosure, the frame comprises one or more mounting means for mounting on the support element, wherein the frame preferably comprises one, two or three pairs of mounting means, wherein each pair is arranged on a first spatial axis, a second spatial axis and / or a third spatial axis, wherein the mounting means are preferably arranged at the intersecting locations.The mounting means facilitate a firm attachment of the frame to the support element. Mounting portions arranged on a spatial axis are understood to be arranged on opposite sides of the frame along the spatial axis. This increases the flexibility of positioning the frame with respect to the support element. In addition, for an already picked up sport ball within the frame, the frame can be easily rotated including the sport ball to measure the weight after the rotation. This helps to determine the balance of the sport ball.In a preferred embodiment of the sports ball of the present disclosure, the mounting means comprise indicators.The indicators facilitate that a current position of the sport ball within the frame can be easily seen. In addition, the indicators facilitate that the sport ball can be positioned according to an intended position.In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for determining balance of a sport ball of the present disclosure, the indicators display a sign, a number, a valve of a ball, an orientation aid for attachment, or the like.The indicators have the advantage that a rotation of the frame and / or the sport ball can easily be tracked and / or determined in advance. For example, the indicators may include increasing numbers such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or the like. Colored indicators also help to detect the state of rotation. A combination of numbers and colors is also advantageous.In a preferred embodiment of the device for determining the balance of a sport ball of the present disclosure, the mounting means comprise grooves for engaging correspondingly shaped elevations of the support element and / or the mounting means comprise magnetic means for engaging with corresponding magnetic means of the support element.These types of mounting means are widely used in industry and provide relatively easy mounting of the frame to the support member with relatively little effort. It is advantageous that the grooves with correspondingly shaped elevations and / or the magnetic mounting means can be easily released and fixed in order to support a relatively fast rotation of the frame. This reduces the time required to perform the equilibrium measurement.A groove may refer to a relatively long, narrow and / or flat cut or channel. The shape of a groove may depend on its cross-sectional profile, which may vary based on its intended purpose and the manufacturing process. Example shapes of grooves encompassed by the present disclosure may be one or more of the following non-exhaustive list: U-shaped, V-shaped, square, rounded, trapezoidal, customized grooves, and / or any combination thereof.In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for determining the balance of a sport ball of the present disclosure, the frame is separable into two substantially similar parts, the frame preferably being separable along a plane defined by one of the three rings.This has the advantage that the frame can be easily opened and / or closed, so that the picking up of the sport ball is simplified.According to the third aspect of the present disclosure, the objects are achieved by a method for determining the balance of a sport ball, in particular football, wherein the method comprises: a. placing the sport ball in a first orientation on a device for determining the balance of a sport ball; b. obtaining a first measurement value based on the first orientation; c. placing the sport ball in a second orientation on the device; d. obtaining a second measurement value based on the second orientation; e. determining the balance of the sport ball based on the first measurement value and the second measurement value; f. wherein placing the sport ball in the first orientation and / or the second orientation is performed in a predetermined manner.It is also understood that the features and advantages described with respect to the apparatus for determining the balance of a sport ball as described elsewhere herein are equally applicable to the method steps for determining the balance of a sport ball. The method enables in particular an improved fastening of the sport ball within the frame. This improves the precision and accuracy of the manual operation. In addition, the method supports automatic placement, e.g. rotation of the sport ball in each type of orientation, in particular in six different orientations. Placing the sport ball in a desired orientation by placing the frame in the respective desired rotation has the advantage that the method is less dependent on the size of the sport ball.The first orientation, the second orientation, and / or any further orientation may comprise any amount of rotation of the sport ball about any spatial axis. Therefore, the respective orientations can be distinguished from each other by the degree to which the sport ball is rotated and the spatial axis about which the sport ball is rotated.In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present disclosure, the method further comprises using the apparatus to determine the balance of a sport ball as described elsewhere herein.It is noted that the method steps as described herein may comprise all aspects and / or embodiments described herein, although not expressly described as method steps, but rather with respect to the apparatus for determining the balance of a sports ball as described elsewhere herein. Therefore, it is to be understood that the technical characteristics shown or described for the apparatus, the advantages and the improvements over the prior art are equally applicable to the method.In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present disclosure, the placement of the sport ball in the first orientation and / or the second orientation is automated.This simplifies the method and has the further advantage that the equilibrium measurement can be carried out more accurately.Such automated placement may be understood to require minimal human intervention. Therefore, the need for direct human intervention in the execution of the method can be significantly reduced.Automation is generally used in various industries such as manufacturing, logistics, financing, healthcare, and information technology to improve the efficiency, productivity, accuracy, and scalability of processes. However, such automation has not been performed on methods for determining the balance of a sport ball. The inventors have thus improved a way to a more efficient measurement method.In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present disclosure, determining the balance of the sport ball comprises determining a hypothetical mass of the balance positioned on an outer surface of the sport ball.In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present disclosure, the second orientation corresponds to a rotation of the sport ball of substantially 180° about a first spatial axis, wherein steps a.) to e.) of the method are repeated for a second spatial axis and a third spatial axis, each substantially perpendicular to the first spatial axis and to each other, in order to determine the balance of the sport ball in three spatial axes.This further contributes to determining the balance of the sport ball. In particular, this improves the determination by taking into account the further spatial axes.In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present disclosure, the method further comprises the step of comparing the balance of the sport ball with a predetermined upper threshold.This facilitates the quality control of the sport ball. It may be the case that a sport ball may be modified after it is identified that the balance is greater than or equal to an upper threshold. In this way, imbalance may be reduced for quality purposes.Alternative Equilibrium Determination of a Sport BallIn an alternative third aspect, i.e. an alternative to the above-described third aspect of the present disclosure, the objects are achieved by a device for determining the equilibrium of a sport ball, in particular football, wherein the device comprises: a.) a weight scale; b.) a support element for supporting the sport ball and / or for receiving the sport ball; c.) a carrier on which the support element is arranged, wherein the carrier is arranged at one end on a pivot joint and at the opposite end on the weight scale; d.) moving means for moving the ball of the sport in a predetermined and preferably automatic manner.The movement means can be configured such that the sports ball can perform any type of translation and / or rotation movement.In a preferred embodiment of the device of the alternative third aspect, the moving means is a rotating means for rotating the sport ball in a predetermined and preferably automatic manner. In one example, the rotating means is not configured such that the sport ball performs translation movements.In a preferred embodiment of the device of the alternative third aspect, the support element comprises receiving means suitable for receiving the sport ball. This facilitates the sports ball being able to be easily accommodated by means of the support element. In one example, the support member may at least partially define a recess such that the sport ball may be received therein by gravity. The receiving means of the support element can be configured to enable a relative rotation of the sports ball to the support element and / or the carrier.In a preferred embodiment of the device of the alternative third aspect, the movement means, preferably the rotation means, is arranged on the device separately from the support element and / or the receiving means. Thereby, the moving means may define parts which are separated from the support element and / or the receiving means. This may have the advantage that the functionalities of moving the sport ball and picking up the sport ball may be provided by separate pieces. This may provide improved exchangeability and accessibility. In addition, if a piece breaks during its life or the like, only the broken piece needs to be replaced.Alternatively, the support element comprises the movement means, preferably the rotation means. This may have the advantage that the support element and the movement means may be formed integrally in order to reduce the number of parts.In a preferred embodiment of the device of the alternative third aspect, the moving means, preferably the rotating means, comprises at least one rotating element, wherein the at least one rotating element is configured to at least partially contact the sport ball when the sport ball is received in the support element. Preferably, the at least one rotating element is configured to transmit a movement, preferably a rotation, to the sports ball when the sports ball is received in the supporting element. The at least one rotating element may be configured to transmit a rotation to the sport ball about one or more, in particular two, different spatial axes of the sport ball, wherein the one or more different spatial axes are preferably substantially perpendicular to each other. The at least one rotating element may be configured to rotate the sport ball about the one or more different spatial axes by a predetermined angular segment.In a preferred embodiment of the device of the alternative third aspect, the at least one rotating element is at least one, preferably two, roller(s). In a preferred embodiment of the device of the alternative third aspect, the at least one rotating element has the shape of a cylinder. Alternatively, the rotary member is in the form of a ball. Alternatively, the rotating element is a rolling ball.The at least one rotary element can be driven by one or more drive units, in particular one or more electric drive units. In this way, the at least one rotating element is configured to rotate the sport ball about at least one, preferably two, spatial axes.Similar advantages as mentioned in connection with the third aspect of the present disclosure apply to the alternative third aspect of the present disclosure. Further, as understood by those skilled in the art, features mentioned in connection with the third aspect of the present disclosure also apply to the alternative third aspect of the present disclosure as long as it is technically reasonable.In particular, the alternative third aspect of the present disclosure provides a device by which the balance of a sport ball can be determined accurately and in a cost-effective, consistent and repeatable manner. In particular, the movement means, in particular the rotating element(s), is due to the fact that the determination of the equilibrium of the sport ball is improved, since the known solutions of such devices do not provide for rotating and thereby positioning a sport ball in a predetermined manner.The apparatus according to the alternative third aspect of the present disclosure may also serve to provide a corresponding method according to an alternative third aspect. The method according to the alternative third aspect can comprise similar method steps and thus advantages to the method according to the third aspect.The steps of placing the method according to the alternative third aspect may comprise rotating the rotating element(s) to transmit the rotation to the sport ball such that the sport ball is rotated into a first orientation and / or into a second orientation.The second orientation corresponds to a rotation of the sport ball of substantially 180° about a first spatial axis. Steps a.) to e.) of the method as mentioned in connection with the method according to the third aspect are repeated for a second spatial axis and a third spatial axis, each substantially perpendicular to the first spatial axis and to each other, in order to determine the equilibrium of the sport ball in three spatial axes.In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the alternative third aspect of the present disclosure, the support element and / or the rotating element(s) comprise indicators. The indicators facilitate the sport ball being positionable according to an intended position.In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the alternative third aspect of the present disclosure, the indicators display a sign, a number, a valve of a ball, an orientation aid for attachment, or the like.In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the alternative third aspect of the present disclosure, the device may comprise an inspection system, which preferably comprises a camera. The first and / or second orientation of the sport ball may be compared to a predetermined first and second orientation, respectively. The first and / or second orientation of the sport ball may be adjusted if a deviation exceeding a predetermined threshold is determined based on the comparison. The setting can be carried out automatically, in particular by means of an electronic processing device.4. Brief Description of the FiguresIn the following the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following figures: FIG. 1 : shows a schematic view of an exemplary sport ball, in particular a football, in a cross section according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 : shows an exemplary interior of a sports ball, in particular a football, in a perspective view according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows a detail view of the exemplary interior of a sport ball of FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows a detail view of the exemplary interior of a sport ball of FIG. 2 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 : shows two schematic views of an exemplary string of a suspension system of a sport ball, in particular a football, with a functional element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 : shows a schematic view of an exemplary string of a suspension system of a sport ball, in particular a football, with a functional element according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 : shows two schematic views of an exemplary string of a suspension system of a sport ball, in particular of a football, with a functional element according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure in two different states. FIG. 8 : shows a schematic view of an exemplary string of a suspension system of a sport ball, in particular of a football, with a functional element according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 : shows an exemplary view of a device for determining the balance of a sport ball, in particular a football, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 shows a detailed view of the device for determining the equilibrium of a sport ball from FIG. 9. FIG. 11 : shows the device for determining the equilibrium of a sports ball of FIG. 9 in six different orientations. FIG. 12 : shows a schematic diagram of a method for determining the balance of a sport ball, in particular a football, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 shows an exemplary view of a device for determining the balance of a sport ball, in particular a football, according to an alternative embodiment. FIG. 14 shows an exemplary view of a device for determining the balance of a sport ball, in particular a football, according to a further alternative embodiment.5. Detailed Description of the Preferred EmbodimentsOnly some possible embodiments of the invention are described in detail below. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and a variety of other embodiments are applicable without departing from the scope of the invention. The illustrated embodiments may be modified and combined in various ways whenever compatible, and certain features may be omitted as long as they appear to be dispensible. In particular, the disclosed embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one embodiment with one or more features of another embodiment.It is to be understood that not all features of the described aspects / embodiments need be present to realize the technical advantages provided by the present disclosure, which is defined by the subject matter of the claims. The disclosed aspects / embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one aspect / embodiment with one or more features of another aspect / embodiment. In particular, those skilled in the art will understand that features and / or functional elements of one aspect / embodiment can be combined with technically compatible features and / or functional elements of another aspect / embodiment of the present disclosure, provided that the resulting combination falls within the definition of the present disclosure. In this regard, it should be noted that references to "one embodiment," "one embodiment," "an example embodiment," or the like, indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, feature, structure, and / or characteristic, but it is not necessarily required that each embodiment must include the particular feature, feature, structure, and / or characteristic.While the following embodiments are described primarily with reference to a sport ball and / or an apparatus and method for determining the balance of a sport ball, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosure according to the invention may be equally applied in a variety of different technical fields and / or use cases.In the present figures and the present description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. For purposes of clarity and brevity, certain aspects of components or steps of certain embodiments will be presented without undue detail, such detail being apparent to one skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein, and / or such detail would obscure an understanding of more relevant aspects of the embodiments.The terms "one end", "the other end", "outer side", "upper", "under", "below", "central", "end", "part", "length", "outer end", etc. indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings.A sport ball having strings that compress a housing,FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary sport ball 100, in particular a football, in a cross section according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows an exemplary interior of a sports ball 100, in particular a football, in a perspective view according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows a detail view of the exemplary interior of a sport ball 100 of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows a detail view of the exemplary interior of a sport ball 100 of FIG. 2 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.The sport ball 100 may be intended for use in any type of sporting activity. For example, the sport ball 100 can be used in football, basketball, fullyball, rugby, football, tennis or the like.The sports ball 100 comprises: a hollow shell 130 and a housing 50 suspended in the hollow shell 130 by a plurality of strings 110 (110a, 110b, 110c), the housing 50 comprising at least a first part 51, 52 and a second part 52, 51 coupled together. Each of the plurality of strands 110 is attached to the hollow shell 130 and to the first part 51 and / or the second part 52. Each of the plurality of strands 110 is attached to the hollow shell 130 and the housing 50 such that the first part 51 and the second part 52 are compressed. Compression means that a force acts from a portion of the first part 51 on a portion of the second part 52.For the sake of brevity, only one strand 110a is indicated in FIG. 1. However, as seen in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the sport ball 100 may include a plurality of strings 110.As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, each of the plurality of strands 110 is attached to either the first part 51 or the second part 52. Further, each of the plurality of strands 110 includes: a first end 111 coupled to the hollow shell 130 at a first location, a second end 113 coupled to the hollow shell 130 at a second location, and a middle portion 112 coupled to the housing 50, wherein a first length L 1 (as indicated in FIG. 1 ) between the middle portion 112 and the first end 111 and / or a second length L 2 (as indicated in FIG. 1 ) between the middle portion 112 and the second end 113 is greater than a shortest distance W 1 (as indicated in FIG. 1 ) between the hollow shell 130 and the housing 50.The first length L 1 and / or the second length L 2 may be greater than the shortest distance W 1 between the hollow shell 130 and the housing 50 by a factor of at least 1.01 and / or at most 1.3, as described elsewhere herein.As best seen in FIG. 1, the first location (which may be near reference number 111) and the second location (which may be near reference number 113) are spaced apart from each other by at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, preferably at least 40%, preferably at least 50%, preferably at least 60% of a shortest distance W1between the hollow shell 130 and the housing 50.In an illustrative example, the first location (111) and the second location (113) may be spaced apart in absolute numbers by at least 5 cm, preferably at least 6 cm, preferably at least 7 cm, preferably at least 8 cm, preferably at least 9 cm, preferably at least 10 cm. Additionally or alternatively, the first location (111) and the second location (113) can be spaced apart from one another by at most 20 cm, preferably at most 18 cm, preferably at most 16 cm, preferably at most 14 cm, preferably at most 12 cm, preferably at most 10 cm. This, of course, depends on the type of the sport ball 100.As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the first portion 51 and the second portion 52 are coupled along a plane 54, with each of the plurality of strands 110 crossing the plane 54. Each center portion 112 coupled to the housing 50 may be spaced from the plane 54 by at least 5%, most preferably at least 40%, of a largest dimension W 3 of the housing 51. As can be seen from FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, each center portion 112 coupled to the housing 50 is spaced from the plane 54 in a direction substantially opposite the first (111) and / or second location (113). The parts 51, 52 can be coupled to one another by means of binding, adhesive bonding, sewing, screwing, preferably by adhesive bonding at their contact surfaces.Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown an embodiment of a sport ball 100 in which each of the plurality of strings 110 is secured to the first portion 51 and the second portion 52 of the housing 50. Moreover, each of the plurality of strands 110 includes two or more center portions 112 coupled to the housing 50. For example, a first of the two middle portions 112 of the string 100b is coupled to the part 51 of the housing 50 at a respective holding portion 53b, and a second of the two middle portions 112 of the string 100b is coupled to the part 52 of the housing 50 at a respective holding portion 53b'.As can be seen in particular from Figures 1, 2 and 3, the housing 50 comprises a plurality of grooves 53, preferably hook-shaped grooves, for coupling to one or more central portions 112 of each strand 110. The central portion 112 of each strand 110 is preferably guided through a respective groove 53. Each of the plurality of grooves 110 may include outer receiving portions 53 a(best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 ) for receiving a center portion 112 of a strand 110 (see strand 110 bin FIG. 2 and strand 110 ain FIG. 3 ) and a holding portion 53 bfor holding the received center portion 112 of the strand 110 (see strand 110 bin FIG. 2 and strand 110 ain FIG. 3 ). Each of the outer receiving portions 53 aincludes one or more fillets and / or chamfers having a respective radius, as described elsewhere herein. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer receiving portions 53 aare spaced apart by the holding portion 53 bby a maximum distance. Exemplary numbers thereof are at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.4 mm, preferably at most 0.3 mm, preferably at most 0.2 mm, preferably at most 0.1 mm.The housing 50 may be a pit and the housing 50 may include one or more electronic devices such as a battery and / or a wireless transmitter, a sensor such as a pressure sensor, a global positioning system sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, a hall sensor, a temperature sensor, a cell phone module, and combinations thereof.As can be seen, the housing 50 has the shape of a ball in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and the shape of a cylinder in FIG. 4. However, any type of shape is included, as described elsewhere herein.Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, a suspension system 105 is indicated which may be included in the sport ball 100. The suspension system 105 may serve the purpose of suspending the housing 50 within the hollow shell 130. The suspension system 105 may include, for example, the plurality of strings 110.The first location (near reference number 111) may include a first pad bonded to an outer surface 132 of the hollow shell 130. Further, the second location (proximate the reference number 113) may include a second pad bonded to the outer surface 132 of the hollow shell 130. The pad or pads may comprise multiple layers. For example, the pad or pads may comprise a patch and / or a plate. In such an example, the patch may form a first pad layer and the plate may form a second pad layer. Each of the plurality of strands 110 may comprise fiber material at the first end 111 and / or the second end 113. Furthermore, frayed fibers may be bonded to the first pad (in the vicinity of the reference symbol 111) and / or the second pad (in the vicinity of the reference symbol 113).In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sports ball 100 described herein, each of the plurality of strings 110 may include one or more string members, which are preferably attached to each other. In addition, each of the plurality of strings 110 may be a continuous string extending from the first end 111 to the second end 113.In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sports ball 100 described herein, the housing 50 has a mass of at most 100 grams, preferably at most 80 grams, preferably at most 70 grams, preferably at most 60 grams, preferably at most 50 grams, preferably at most 45 grams, preferably at most 40 grams, preferably at most 35 grams, preferably at most 30 grams.In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sports ball 100 described herein, the sports ball 100 may include an outer layer 120. The hollow shell 130 may be substantially disposed within the outer layer 120. In the case that the sport ball 100 is a football, the outer layer 120 may be provided with a plurality of panels, such as pentagonal or hexagonal. The plurality of panels may be glued, sewn or welded together. The outer layer 120 may alternatively or additionally be provided with a textured surface. Texture may beneficially affect the feel, handling, and aerodynamics of the sport ball 100. For example, a surface that is too smooth may result not only in poor handling of the sport ball 100, but also in a sport ball 100 that wobbles quite significantly during flight. In embodiments where the outer layer 120 (i.e., facing the environment) of the sport ball 100 is directly textured, a plastic coating or plastic film material may not be needed. Nevertheless, the plastic coating or plastic film material may be advantageously added, for example, to stabilize the texture, improve the appearance and / or protect it from abrasion and other external influences.In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sports ball 100 described herein, a carcass may be disposed between the outer layer 120 and the hollow shell 130. The carcass may serve to reinforce and / or support the hollow shell 130. The carcass may have the advantage of reducing and / or preventing the hollow shell 130 from being damaged by external impacts such as shocks or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the carcass may improve the dimensional stability of the sports ball 100. In some embodiments, the carcass may comprise a band or the like that could be wound around the bladder. Further, the carcass may be bonded to the hollow shell 130.In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sports ball 100 described herein, the hollow shell 130 may include an outer surface 132 and / or an interior 134. The outer surface 132 may include a coating, such as a transparent film, which has the advantage that the hollow shell 130 may be used as a sport ball 100 without the need for a separate outer layer, such as the outer layer 120. A plastic coating and / or a plastic film material may be arranged on an outwardly directed surface of the ball. The outer surface 132 may alternatively or additionally comprise a plastic coating or plastic film material (this may be provided in portions of the outer surface 132, for example). This may increase the durability, abrasion resistance, and / or tear strength of the sport ball 100, and particularly the outer surface 132. Also, a plastic coating or plastic film material may serve to affect the appearance of the sport ball 100 if no outer layer 120 is provided (otherwise, such plastic coating or plastic film material may be provided on the outer layer 120). A plurality of properties can be influenced by such a plastic coating or a plastic film material. For example, the handling of the sport ball 100, for example the grip of the sport ball 100 or its water-repellent properties, and / or its aerodynamic properties can thus be influenced and adjusted according to the desired requirements. The interior 134 may be a hollow portion or cavity substantially provided in the hollow shell 130.Although the hollow shell 130 is shown in FIG. 1 as having a particular thickness, it should be appreciated that in some embodiments the thickness may be substantially zero. In particular, the hollow shell 130 may be quite thin.In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sports ball 100 described herein, the hollow shell 130 may comprise a bladder. In certain embodiments, the bladder may be an inflatable bladder. An inflatable bladder may include a cavity of the hollow shell 130. In one example, the bladder may comprise about at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, preferably at least 99%, or substantially about 100% of the hollow shell 130. The bladder may be substantially gas impermeable. It may further enable the properties of the sport ball 100 to be adjusted during use by inflating the sport ball 100 and / or releasing gas from the bladder. This may serve the purpose of adjusting a pressure within the sport ball 100, which may be useful for adapting the sport ball 100 to the conditions of an external environment and / or the needs of athletes using the ball 100. In particular, filling the inflatable bladder with gas at above ambient pressure may serve to alter and control the elasticity and rebound characteristics of the sport ball 100. It could additionally be useful to deflate the sport ball 100 during shipping. The sport ball 100 may comprise a valve unit, by means of which the cavity inside the inflatable bladder can be filled or emptied. The inflatable bladder may be filled with gas or gases such as air or nitrogen, which makes it easier to keep the resulting weight of the sports ball 100 rather low.In one example, the hollow shell 130 of the sport ball 100 would not need to include an inflatable bladder. This may be viable due to the various design possibilities of the sport ball 100 encompassed by the present disclosure. In such an example, the sport ball 130 may be provided with certain support structures such that it still includes elastic properties. In such an example, a sport ball 100 may be provided that does not need to be inflated and yet permanently has the desired properties.In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sports ball 100 described herein, one or more of the plurality of strands 110 may comprise nylon and polyester. In some embodiments, one or more of the plurality of strands 110 may comprise rubber. In some embodiments, one or more of the plurality of strands 110 may comprise Kevlar® (a para-aramid). In some embodiments, one or more of the plurality of strands 110 may comprise rubber and Kevlar® formed together.In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sports ball 100 described herein, the sports ball 100 may comprise polyurethane and / or polyester. For example, the sports ball 100 may comprise polyurethane in an amount of at least 20%, preferably at least 40%, preferably at least 60%, preferably at least 80% and / or of at most 100%, preferably at most 80%, preferably at most 60%, preferably at most 40%, preferably at most 20%, and / or polyester in an amount of at least 20%, preferably at least 40%, preferably at least 60%, preferably at least 80% and / or of at most 100%, preferably at most 80%, preferably at most 60%, preferably at most 40%, preferably at most 20%. Preferably, the sports ball 100 comprises about 60% polyurethane and about 40% polyester. The term "about" may include a variation of manufacturing tolerances and / or a variation of about 2% to 5%.In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sports ball 100 described herein, the sports ball 100 may additionally or alternatively comprise particles of an expanded material. The particles may be arranged randomly. For example, various layers, sectors, or regions of expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ePTFE) and expanded polyether block amide (ePEBA) may be used in the sports ball 100 to affect the physical properties of the sports ball 100 as desired. Moreover, the sport ball 100 may include other materials such as non-expanded plastic materials, foamed plastics (for example, a two-component polyurethane foam having a continuous and homogeneous structure), leather, rubber, metal wires, films, and so forth.In any of the aspects and / or embodiments of the sport ball 100 described herein, the housing 50 comprising electronic devices may be separately mounted with the plurality of strings 110. Further, additionally or alternatively, the plurality of strings 110 and the hollow shell 130 may be mounted separately from the housing 50 that includes electronic devices. It may be possible that one or more first attachments may be used to cut a strand 110 a, 110 b, 110 cto a suitable length. First and second string lines may extend along the first attachments and be attached to the first attachments to cut the string 110 a, 110 b, 110 c. These first attachments may be removed from the sports ball 100 after assembly, such as after cutting the string 110 a, 110 b, 110 c. In some embodiments, second fasteners may be used to bond a first end 111 and a second end 113 of the strand 110 a, 110 b, 110 cto the hollow shell 130.In an alternative example, a sport ball, particularly a football, may comprise: a.) a hollow shell; and b.) a housing suspended in the hollow shell by a plurality of strings, the housing comprising two parts coupled along a plane; c.) each of the plurality of strings crossing the plane.The plane may be understood as an imaginary plane protruding through coupling portions to infinity. It should be appreciated that this alternative example may combine any of the features associated with the sport ball described elsewhere herein, although this combination is not explicitly mentioned herein.Sports ball with reduced force on the housingFIG. 5 shows two schematic views of an example string 110 aof a suspension system 105 (as best seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 ) of a sport ball 100, particularly a football, having a functional element 115 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of an exemplary string 110 aof a suspension system 105 of a sport ball 100, in particular of a football, with a functional element 115 according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure.The sport ball 100 includes a hollow shell 130 and a housing 50 suspended within the hollow shell 130 by a plurality of strands 110 (as best seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4). As shown in FIG. 5, one or more of the plurality of strings 110 (only one string 110 ais indicated in FIG. 5 ) includes a functional member 115 configured to reduce a force acting on the housing 50 during ordinary use. The functional element 115 is configured to increase and / or decrease a length of the strand 110 adepending on the force acting on the housing 50, preferably in a substantially reversible manner. The functional element 115 may comprise elastomer material.The functional element 115 may include a damping element 116 having one or more openings 118. Further, the strand 110 amay be passed one or more times through one or more of the one or more openings 118. Two openings 118 are indicated in FIG. 5. An opening 118 is indicated in FIG. 6.The one or more openings 115 may be implemented as through holes. The one or more openings 115 may have any shape. Example shapes of the one or more openings 115 may include one or more of the following non-exhaustive list: circle, triangle, square, rectangle, trapezoid, parallelogram, diamond, pentagonal, hexagon, seven corner, octagon, nonagon, decagon, ellipse, star, sickle, heart, arrow, diamond, dragon, scale triangle, isosceles triangle, equilateral triangle, irregular polygon, regular polygon, spiral, quadrilateral, semicircle, trapezoid, cross, infinity symbol, pentagonal, hexagon, arrow tip, and sicklemond.The damping element 116 may be a separate piece from each of the plurality of strands 110, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Further, the damping element 116 may have the outer shape of a circle, such as a ring, a triangle, a rectangle, or any combinations thereof. As can also be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the strand 110 acontacts the damping element 116 at at least two, preferably at least three points.The functional element 115 can comprise a further damping element 117, as described in detail below.FIG. 7 shows two schematic views of an exemplary string 110 aof a suspension system 105 of a sport ball 100, in particular of a football, with a functional element 115 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure in two different states. In the upper part of FIG. 7, the strand 110 ais illustrated as having a shorter length. In the lower part of FIG. 7, the strand 110 ais illustrated as having a greater length. The embodiment of FIG. 7 may include any of the features of the embodiments of the sport ball 100 described elsewhere herein.The functional element 115 comprises a further damping element 117 which is formed integrally with the strand 110 a. An example of an integrally formed damping element 117 may be a portion of the strand 110 a, which is as illustrated in FIG. 7. This may act in a manner substantially similar to a coil spring or the like. The bent portion provides a shorter length of the strand when substantially no force is applied to the strand 110a. The length may then increase when a force acts on the strand 110 a. The direction of force is indicated in FIG. 7 by the arrows along the longitudinal direction of the strand 110 a. The bent portion of the strand 110 amay include elastically deformable material. As can be seen in the upper part of FIG. 7, the further damping element 117 of the strand 110 ais in the form of a zigzag. The further damping element 117 of the strand 110 acan certainly assume the shape of a winding.FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of an exemplary string 110 aof a suspension system 105 of a sport ball 100, in particular of a football, with a functional element 115 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of FIG. 8 may include any of the features of the embodiments of the sport ball 100 described elsewhere herein.In FIG. 8, the further damping element 117 comprises one or more loops formed by the strand 110 a.Equilibrium determination of a sports ballFIG. 9 shows an exemplary view of a device 200 for determining the balance of a sport ball 100, in particular a football, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 10 shows a detailed view of the device 200 for determining the equilibrium of a sports ball 100 from FIG. 9.The device 200 comprises a weight balance 201, a support element 202 for supporting the sport ball 100 (as best seen in FIG. 11 ); a carrier 205 on which the support element 202 is arranged, wherein the carrier 205 is arranged at one end on a pivot joint 206 and at the opposite end on the weight balance 201, a frame 210 for receiving the ball 100 (as best seen in FIG. 11 ) in a predetermined manner, wherein the frame 210 is mountable on the support element 202.The frame 210 may comprise at least two rings 211, 212 oriented substantially perpendicular to each other and defining a grid having a substantially spherical shape. The two rings 211, 212 intersect at two opposite intersection points 211 a, 211 b.As seen in this figure, the frame 210 may include a third ring 213 oriented substantially perpendicular to each of the at least two rings 211, 212. The third ring 213 intersects with each of the at least two rings 211, 212 at two opposite intersections 212 a, 212 b, 213 a, 213 b, thereby providing six intersections 211 a, 211 b, 212 a, 212 b, 213 a, 213 b, of which a first pair is arranged on a first spatial axis, of which a second pair is arranged on a second spatial axis, of which a third pair is arranged on a third spatial axis. The three spatial axes are substantially perpendicular to each other.The frame 210 may comprise one or more mounting means 211', 212', 213' for mounting to the support member 202. As can be seen, the frame 210 may comprise a 211', 211', two 212', 212' or three 213', 213' pairs of mounting means, each pair being arranged on a first spatial axis, a second spatial axis and / or a third spatial axis. It is noted that not all mounting means are indicated for brevity. The mounting means 211', 211', 212', 212', 213', 213' are arranged at the intersecting points 211a, 211b, 212a, 212b, 213a, 213b.The mounting means 211', 211', 212', 212', 213', 213' can comprise indicators 211", 211", 212", 212", 213", 213". It is noted that not all indicators are indicated for brevity, however, it should be understood that the frame may include one, two, three, four, five, six, or even more indicators 211", 211", 212", 212", 213", 213". Two indicators 211'', 211'' (and / or 212'', 212''; and / or 213'', 213'') of the indicators may be arranged on a spatial axis.The indicators 211", 211", 212", 212", 213', 213" may display a sign such as a number, a valve of a ball, an orientation aid for attachment, or the like.As can be seen in particular in FIG. 10, the mounting means 211', 211', 212', 212', 213', 213' comprise grooves for engaging correspondingly shaped elevations of the supporting element 202. Alternatively or additionally, the mounting means 211', 211', 212', 212', 213', 213' comprise magnetic means for engaging corresponding magnetic means of the support element 202.As shown in the partially exploded view of FIG. 10, the frame 210 is separable into two substantially similar parts. In particular, the frame 210 is separable along a plane defined by one of the three rings 211, 212, 213.FIG. 11 shows the apparatus 200 for determining the balance of a sport ball of FIG. 9 in six different orientations. These different orientations may be adopted, in particular, due to the rotation of the frame 210 during the execution of the method for determining the balance of the sports ball 100. For the sake of brevity, most reference numerals have been omitted, but those skilled in the art will recognize the elements illustrated in this figure at least in view of the reference numerals of FIGS. 9 and 10.The sport ball 100 may be disposed within the frame 210. For this purpose, the frame 210 can be opened, as exemplarily shown in FIG. 10. The ball of sports can be inflated, for example to about 0.4 bar. The sport ball 100 and the frame 210 can fit tightly when fully pressurized. Therefore, it is advantageous not to inflate the sport ball 100 so much as to facilitate balance measurement. The sport ball 100 can be positioned such that the sport ball 100 with its valve is aligned with an indicator 211'', e.g. a text with position 1. Indicators 211" may also be useful to align the upper portion of the separate frame 210 with its lower portion to receive the sport ball 100.The sport ball 100 and / or the frame 210 may be placed on the support element 202 such that the indicator 211'', e.g. number 1 and / or color green, is oriented upwards. This is shown in the upper left illustration in FIG. 11. A first measured value based on this first orientation can then be obtained by means of the weight scale.The sport ball 100 and / or the frame 210 may then be placed in a second orientation as shown in the right upper illustration in FIG. 11. In this orientation, the frame 210 has been rotated through 90° such that the indicator 212'', e.g., number 2 and / or color blue, is oriented upward. A second measured value based on this second orientation can then be obtained by means of the weight scale.This process of placing the sport ball 100 and obtaining a measurement value is continued for all remaining four orientations. This is shown in the second row from left to right and in the third row from left to right in FIG. 11, respectively.Determining the balance of the sport ball based on the measurements may be understood as follows and / or may comprise one or more of the following: imbalance is when the center of gravity is not in the geometric center of the sport ball. For example, "x grams imbalance" means that removing x grams from a specific location results in a balanced ball. On a spatial axis, two measurement values can be obtained (e.g., the second after a rotation of about 180°). A measurement value may include a weight indicated by the weight scale. It is understood that the weight indicated on the weight balance depends on a possible imbalance mass, the gravitational acceleration (which is generally known to the person skilled in the art) and the distance from the location of the possible imbalance mass to a reference point (e.g. the lever arm). The difference can be determined from these two measured values. From this difference, an actual position of the center of gravity can be determined. From this, one could derive the required change in position of the center of gravity between a balanced ball and the imbalance ball of the spatial axis on which the two measured values were obtained. In one example, the difference in the measurements may result in an imbalance vector, for example, including a mass being positioned at a predefined radius spaced from the geometric center of the sport ball. The predefined radius may be the radius of the sport ball. Obtaining the measurement values on the two remaining spatial axes makes it possible to determine an actual 3D position of the center of gravity. This makes it possible to determine the mass that should be removed from a specific location of the three spatial axes at the predefined radius (e.g., the radius of the sport ball).The placement of the sport ball can be carried out manually and / or automatically. The manual placement may be performed by the hand of an operator or the like. The automatic placement may be performed by a robot or the like. For example, a 3D robot may be performed, also referred to as a robot manipulator or robot arm. The robot may be a mechanical device configured to mimic the movements of a human arm. The robot may include an end effector, which may be a part of a robot arm that cooperates with the frame 210 and / or the sport ball 100. The end effector may be implemented using a gripper, a suction cup, or any other specialized tool. The end effector may allow the robotic arm to grasp, manipulate, or perform tasks with the frame 210 and / or the sport ball 100 in its environment, such as placement.The above description of the device 200 of FIGS. 9 to 11 applies equally to the method described in the following FIG. 12. Thus, all features and advantages mentioned in connection with the apparatus 200 also apply to the method and vice versa.FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of a method 1000 for determining the balance of a sport ball, in particular a football, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.The method 1000 comprises placing 1010 the sport ball in a first orientation on a device for determining the balance of a sport ball; obtaining 1020 a first measurement value based on the first orientation; placing 1030 the sport ball in a second orientation on the device; obtaining 1040 a second measurement value based on the second orientation; determining 1050 the balance of the sport ball based on the first measurement value and the second measurement value; wherein the placing 1010, 1030 the sport ball in the first orientation and / or the second orientation is performed in a predetermined manner.The method enables a precise and consistent placement of the sport ball 100 in the frame 210 and in particular in any of the six orientations. It is noted that the angular precision and accuracy are the keys for properly measuring balance. In addition, the method enables a fairly rapid and repeatable measurement of equilibrium.Optionally, a calibration procedure may be performed. Preferably, this is carried out before the sports ball is placed in a first orientation.For this calibration, the frame 210 which can be separated in advance is mounted such that the indicators thereon coincide with each other. The measurement process according to the method 1000 may then be performed to measure the balance / imbalance of the frame 210 without the sport ball 100. The resulting data may be used for calibration.Alternative Equilibrium Determination of a Sport BallFIG. 13 shows an exemplary view of a device 300 for determining the balance of a sport ball 100, in particular a football, according to an alternative embodiment. Only a portion of the device 300 is shown, and most features and advantages with respect to the device 200 described elsewhere herein apply to the device 300. For the sake of brevity, the following description will focus primarily on the differences of the device 300 and the device 200 described elsewhere herein.The device 300 comprises a support element 202 for supporting the sport ball 100 and / or for receiving the sport ball 100. The support member 202 at least partially defines a recess such that the sport ball 100 may be received therein by gravity. The receiving means of the support element 202 is configured to enable a relative rotation of the sports ball 100 to the support element 202. The device 300 further comprises moving means 305, 306 for moving the sport ball 100 in a predetermined and preferably automatic manner. The moving means 305, 306 is in this example a rotating means 305, 306 comprising at least one rotating element, in particular a first roller 305 and a second roller 306.The first roller 305 is driven by a drive unit 315, in particular an electric drive unit. The second roller 306 is driven by a drive unit 316, in particular an electric drive unit. In this way, the first roller 305 and the second roller 306 are configured to rotate the sport ball 100 about at least one, preferably two, spatial axes. It is understood that the rotation of the sport ball 100 can thus take place automatically.FIG. 14 shows an exemplary view of a device 300 for determining the balance of a sport ball, in particular a football, according to an alternative embodiment. Only a portion of the device 300 is shown, and most features and advantages with respect to the device 200 described elsewhere herein apply to the device 300. For the sake of brevity, the following description will focus primarily on the differences of the device 300 and the device 200 described elsewhere herein and the device 300 of FIG. 13.The device 300 comprises a support element for supporting the sport ball 100 (not shown in FIG. 14 ) and / or for receiving the sport ball 100. The device 300 further comprises moving means 310 for moving the sport ball 100 in a predetermined and preferably automatic manner. The moving means 310 is in this example a rotating means 310 comprising a rotating element, in particular a rolling ball 310.The rolling ball 310 is driven by one or more drive units 315, 316, in particular one or more electric drive units. In this manner, the rolling ball 310 is configured to rotate the sport ball 100 about at least one, preferably two, spatial axes.In Fig. 14 two drive units 315, 316 are shown, each driving a cylinder 311, 312 which triggers a rotation of the rolling ball 310, which transmits the rotation to the sports ball. It is understood that the rotation of the sport ball 100 can thus take place automatically.It should be noted that the above embodiments and / or examples may be combined with other aspects as described herein, and details of the embodiments and / or examples may also be omitted, as understood by those skilled in the art. The scope of protection is determined by the claims and is not limited by the embodiments and / or examples disclosed in the above figures.6. List of Reference Numerals Used50 Housing / pit 51, 52 two parts (first part, second part) 53 groove 53a outer receiving portions 53b holding portion 53b' further holding portion 54 plane 100 sport ball 105 suspension system 110 plurality of strings 110a, 110b, 110 cstrand 111 first end of strand 112 middle section of strand 113 second end of strand 115 functional element 116 damping element 117 further damping element 118 opening(s) 120 outer layer 130 hollow shell 132 outer surface 134 inner L 1 first length between the middle section and the first end L 2 second length between the middle section and the second end W 1 shortest distance between the hollow shell and the housing W 2 distance from each middle section coupled to the housing to the plane W 3 largest dimension of the housing 200 device 201 weight balance 202 support element 203 elevations of the support element 205 carrier 206 pivot joint 210 frame 211 first ring 212 second ring 213 third ring 211 a, 211 bintersects 212 a, 212 bintersects 213 a, 213b intersection points 211' mounting means 212' mounting means 213' mounting means 211" indicators 212" indicators 213" indicators 300 alternative device 305 moving means / first roller 306 moving means / second roller 310 moving means / rolling ball 311, 312 cylinder 315, 316 drive unit 1000 method 1010 method step: placing the sport ball in a first orientation 1020 method step: obtaining a first measured value 1030 method step: placing the sport ball in a second orientation 1040 method step: obtaining a second measured value 1050 method step: determiningReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedEP 2 281 610 B1

[0007] US 17 / 856,302

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 9,352,195 B2

[0016]

Claims

A sports ball (100), in particular football, comprising: a. a hollow shell (130); and b. a housing (50) suspended in the hollow shell (130) by a plurality of strings (110), the housing (50) comprising at least a first part (51) and a second part (52) coupled to each other; c. wherein each of the plurality of strings (110) is attached to the shell and to the first part (51) and / or the second part (52); d. wherein the strings are attached to the shell and the housing (50) such that the first part (51) and the second part (52) are compressed.The sports ball (100) of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of strings (110) is attached to one of the first part (51) and the second part (52), and wherein each of the plurality of strings (110) comprises: a first end (111) coupled to the hollow shell (130) at a first location, a second end (113) coupled to the hollow shell (130) at a second location, and a center portion (112) coupled to the housing (50), wherein a first length (L1) between the center portion (112) and the first end (111) and / or a second length (L2) between the center portion (112) and the second end (113) is greater than a shortest distance (W1) between the hollow shell (130) and the housing (50).The sports ball (100) according to claim 2, wherein the first length (L1) and / or the second length (L2) is greater than the shortest distance (W1) between the hollow shell (130) and the housing (50) by a factor of at least 1.02, preferably of at least 1.04, more preferably of at least 1.06, more preferably of at least 1.08, more preferably of at least 1.1; and / or by a factor of at most 1.3, preferably at most 1.28, more preferably at most 1.26, more preferably at most 1.24, more preferably at most 1.22, more preferably at most 1.2.The sports ball (100) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first location and the second location are spaced apart by at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, preferably at least 40%, preferably at least 50%, preferably at least 60% of a shortest distance (W1) between the hollow shell (130) and the housing (50).The sports ball (100) of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first portion (51) and the second portion (52) are coupled along a plane (54), each of the plurality of strings (110) crossing the plane (54).The sports ball (100) of claim 5, wherein each center portion (112) coupled to the housing (50) is spaced from the plane (54) by at least 5%, preferably at least 10%, preferably at least 15%, preferably at least 20%, preferably at least 25%, preferably at least 30%, preferably at least 35%, preferably at least 40% of a largest dimension (W3) of the housing (50), wherein preferably each center portion (112) coupled to the housing (50) is spaced from the plane (54) in a direction substantially opposite to the first and / or second location.The sports ball (100) of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of strings (110) is attached to the first part (51) and the second part (52), wherein each of the plurality of strings (110) preferably comprises two middle portions (112) coupled to the housing (50).The sport ball (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (50) comprises a plurality of grooves (53), preferably hook-shaped grooves (53), for coupling to one or more middle portions (112) of each string, wherein preferably the middle portion (112) of each string is guided through a respective groove (53).The sports ball (100) of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of grooves (53) comprises outer receiving portions (53a) for receiving a middle portion (112) of a string and a holding portion (53b) for holding the received middle portion (112) of the string, wherein each of the outer receiving portions (53a) comprises one or more curvatures and / or chamfers, wherein the curvatures preferably have a radius of at least 0.2 mm, more preferably at least 0.3 mm, more preferably at least 0.4 mm, most preferably at least 0.5 mm.The sports ball (100) according to claim 9, wherein the outer receiving portions (53a) are spaced apart by the holding portion (53b) by at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.4 mm, preferably at most 0.3 mm, preferably at most 0.2 mm, preferably at most 0.1 mm.The sport ball (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the housing (50) is a pit, wherein the pit preferably comprises an electronic device such as a battery and / or a wireless transmitter, wherein the electronic device preferably comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of: a pressure sensor, a global positioning system sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, a Hall sensor, a temperature sensor, a cell phone module, and a combination thereof.Sports ball (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (50) has the shape of a sphere, a cube, a cylinder, a cone, a pyramid, a prism, a torus, a tetrahedron, wherein the two parts (51, 52) have substantially the same shape, wherein the two parts (51, 52) preferably have the shape of hemispheres.Sports ball (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two parts (51, 52) are coupled to one another by means of binding, adhesive bonding, sewing, screwing, preferably by adhesive bonding at their contact surfaces.The sports ball (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the hollow shell (130) comprises an inflatable bladder.The sports ball (100) of any preceding claim when dependent on claim 2, wherein the first location comprises a first pad bonded to an outer surface of the hollow shell (130), and / or wherein the second location comprises a second pad bonded to the outer surface of the hollow shell (130).The sports ball (100) of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of strands comprises fiber material at the first end (111) and / or the second end (113), the frayed fibers being bonded to the first pad and / or the second pad.The sports ball (100) of any preceding claim, wherein each of the plurality of strings (110) comprises one or more string members, preferably attached to each other, or is a continuous string extending from the first end (111) to the second end (113).The sport ball (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (50) comprises a mass of at most 100 grams, preferably at most 80 grams, preferably at most 70 grams, preferably at most 60 grams, preferably at most 50 grams, preferably at most 45 grams, preferably at most 40 grams, preferably at most 35 grams, preferably at most 30 grams.A sports ball (100), in particular football, comprising: a. a hollow shell (130); and b. a housing (50) suspended in the hollow shell (130) by a plurality of strings (110), c. wherein one or more, preferably each of the plurality of strings (110) comprises a functional element (115) configured to reduce a force acting on the housing (50) during ordinary use.The sports ball (100) according to claim 19, wherein the functional element (115) is configured to increase and / or decrease a length of the string depending on the force acting on the housing (50), preferably in a substantially reversible manner.The sports ball (100) according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the functional element (115) comprises elastomer material.The sports ball (100) according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the functional element (115) comprises a damping element (116) having one or more openings (118), wherein the string is guided one or more times through one or more of the one or more openings (118).The sports ball (100) of claim 22, wherein the cushioning element (116) is a separate piece from each of the plurality of strings (110) and has the outer shape of a circle, such as a ring, a triangle, a rectangle, or any combinations thereof.The sports ball (100) according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the string contacts the cushioning element (116) at at least two, preferably at least three points.Sports ball (100) according to one of claims 19 to 24, wherein the functional element (115) comprises a further damping element (117), which is formed integrally with the string.The sports ball (100) of claim 25, wherein the further cushioning element (117) comprises one or more loops formed by the string.The sports ball (100) according to claim 26, wherein the further damping element (117) is in the form of a winding.The sports ball (100) according to any one of claims 19 to 27, wherein the sports ball (100) is a sports ball (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 18.A device (200) for determining the balance of a sport ball (100), in particular football, the device (200) comprising: a. a weight scale (201); b. a support element (202) for supporting the sport ball (100); c. a carrier (205) on which the support element (202) is arranged, wherein the carrier (205) is arranged at one end on a pivot joint (206) and at the opposite end on the weight scale (201); d. a frame (210) for receiving the ball in a predetermined manner, wherein the frame is mountable on the support element (202).The device (200) of claim 29, wherein the frame (210) comprises at least two rings oriented substantially perpendicular to each other and defining a grid having a substantially spherical shape, the two rings intersecting at two opposite intersections.The apparatus (200) of claim 30, wherein the frame (210) further comprises a third ring (213) oriented substantially perpendicular to each of the at least two rings.The apparatus (200) of claim 31, wherein the third ring intersects at two opposing intersections with each of the at least two rings, thereby providing six intersections, a first pair of which is disposed on a first spatial axis, a second pair of which is disposed on a second spatial axis, a third pair of which is disposed on a third spatial axis, the three spatial axes being substantially perpendicular to each other.The device (200) according to any one of claims 30 to 32, wherein the frame (210) comprises one or more mounting means (211', 212', 213') for mounting on the support element (202), wherein the frame (210) preferably comprises one, two or three pairs of mounting means (211', 212', 213'), wherein each pair is arranged on a first spatial axis, a second spatial axis and / or a third spatial axis, wherein the mounting means (211', 212', 213') are preferably arranged at the intersecting locations.Device (200) according to claim 33, wherein the mounting means (211', 212', 213') comprise indicators (211", 212", 213").The device (200) according to claim 34, wherein the indicators (211", 212", 213") indicate a sign such as a number, a valve of a ball, an orientation aid for attachment, or the like.The device (200) according to claim 35, wherein the mounting means (211', 212', 213') comprise grooves (53) for engaging correspondingly shaped protrusions of the support element (202) and / or wherein the mounting means (211', 212', 213') comprise magnetic means for engaging corresponding magnetic means of the support element (202).The apparatus (200) of any of claims 29 to 36, wherein the frame (210) is separable into two substantially similar parts, preferably wherein the frame (210) is separable along a plane (54) defined by one of the three rings.A method (1000) for determining the balance of a sport ball (100), in particular football, the method (1000) comprising: a. placing (1010) the sport ball (100) in a first orientation on a device (200) for determining the balance of a sport ball (100); b. obtaining (1020) a first measurement value based on the first orientation; c. placing (1030) the sport ball (100) in a second orientation on the device (200); d. obtaining (1040) a second measurement value based on the second orientation; e. determining (1050) the balance of the sport ball (100) based on the first measurement value and the second measurement value; f. wherein the placing of the sport ball (100) in the first orientation and / or the second orientation is performed in a predetermined manner.The method (1000) of claim 38, further comprising using the apparatus (200) of any one of claims 29 to 37.The method (1000) of claim 38 or 39, wherein the placing of the sport ball (100) in the first orientation and / or the second orientation is automated.The method (1000) of any of claims 38 to 40, wherein determining the balance of the sport ball (100) comprises determining a hypothetical mass of the balance positioned on an outer surface of the sport ball (100).The method (1000) of any of claims 38 to 41, wherein the second orientation corresponds to a rotation of the sport ball (100) of substantially 180° about a first spatial axis, wherein the steps a. to e. of the method (1000) are repeated for a second spatial axis and a third spatial axis, each substantially perpendicular to the first spatial axis and to each other, to determine the balance of the sport ball (100) in three spatial axes.The method (1000) of any of claims 38 to 42, further comprising the step of comparing the balance of the sport ball to a predetermined upper threshold.

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