Light-up balls with color-changing and tumbling effects, and their use in daytime and nighttime games

Abstract

Luminous color-changing balls with a roly-poly effect, and their use in daytime and nighttime games. The present invention consists of a ball (1) having means for obtaining a color change (12), shock detection (13), control of the color change (14), and energy supply (15), located inside the outer shell (11) of the ball (1). The center of gravity of said ball is advantageously offset from its center of gravity, which makes it possible to obtain a roly-poly effect. This property is notably obtained by taking advantage of the distribution of the different components located at the core of the ball. Thus, a ball is available that can be used in the dark or even in complete darkness, in board games, with a roly-poly effect that is both fun and useful for limiting the playing area. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 6

Description

Title of the invention: Luminous balls with color change and tumble effect, and their use in daytime and nighttime games

[0001] The present invention relates to luminous balls, which can be used in games, both indoors and outdoors, in particular in conditions of significant darkness or even in the middle of the night.

[0002] It also relates to luminous balls, capable of changing color, in particular following impacts to which they are subjected, in particular when two (or more) balls collide.

[0003] It also relates to said balls, luminous, capable of changing color, and having an external envelope, preferably flexible, so as to absorb shocks while transmitting them to the interior of said balls.

[0004] Said balls advantageously have, within their external envelope, a shock sensor connected to a member for controlling the change in color of the balls, itself connected to a member for changing the color of said balls. The cooperation between these different members allows the change in color of the balls, as soon as they undergo a shock, either when they come into contact with the ground or an object positioned on the ground, such as an obstacle or another ball.

[0005] According to a particularly advantageous variant, the center of gravity of said ball is eccentric relative to the barycenter of said ball. This is notably obtained by offsetting certain of the internal organs of said ball, such as for example the shock sensor, the organ for controlling the change of color or the energy supply organ. This gives the whole a tumble effect, which reinforces the playful nature of the game while improving its playability since the tumble effect will limit the playing area accordingly.

[0006] Balls, boules and other balloons are among the basic accessories of many board games, especially games played outdoors.

[0007] In order to perpetuate these practices in nocturnal environments, or even in the middle of the night, we have imagined and used different technologies to make these objects luminous or even to modify their coloring.

[0008] In this regard, reference may be made to document FR2739035.

[0009] This document describes luminous objects having a means of changing color, said objects being in particular balls capable of being used in games. These objects have a luminous network such as diodes or halogen lamps. Said luminous devices are positioned on a support which extends inside the ball and has an external contact switch that abuts the inner surface of the ball. The outer surface of the ball is formed by two hemispheres, with a flexible central gap. When the ball touches the ground, the gap closes and activates the switch. The hemispheres can be transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque with transparent holes. The ball can be ovoid or polyhedral, and it can also be a sphere.

[0010] Today there is a need for bullets that are simple to make and can be used in the dark or even in the middle of the night.

[0011] There is also a need to propose such objects, which are luminous and capable of changing color, in particular when two balls collide or when a ball comes into contact with the ground or an obstacle.

[0012] There is also a need to have such objects, capable of absorbing shocks so as not to have to resort to playing fields with too large a surface area (without shock absorption, the amplitude of the movements of two balls which collide can be very significant, several tens of meters on a smooth ground for example).

[0013] It can also be very interesting to have a so-called "tumbler" effect, which reinforces the playful nature of the game in question. This tumbler effect also reinforces the playability of the whole, since it limits the amplitude of the movements of the balls.

[0014] Furthermore, said balls must be simple to manufacture and inexpensive.

[0015] The present invention therefore consists of a ball (1) having an envelope external (11) as well as: a. of a means of obtaining a change in coloration (12), b. a shock detection means (13), c. a means for controlling the color change (14) connected to the means for obtaining a color change (12) as well as to the shock detection means (13), d. an energy supply means (15), said means (12), (13), (14) and (15) being located inside the outer casing (11) of the ball (1).

[0016] When such a ball comes into contact with the ground or when it strikes another ball, object or obstacle placed on the ground, it undergoes an impact; this impact is detected by the means (13) provided for this purpose. Said impact detection means (13) is connected to the means for controlling the change of color (14). The information that the ball has just undergone an impact is therefore transmitted to the means for controlling the change of color (14). The latter has a programmable algorithm for managing the coloring of the ball; for example, the algorithm makes it possible to manage a sequence of colorings step by step, each step corresponding to an impact suffered by the ball. In other words, at each impact, the ball changes from one color to another according to a given sequence (or random mode) and managed by the color change control means (14).

[0017] This ball therefore has a means for changing the color (12). Said means for changing the color consists of a light network (121), consisting of one or more light-emitting diodes, colored lamps, LEDs, or any other device capable of producing different colors, either by the combination of several means individually giving a single color and activated independently of each other (network of colored lamps, for example, all or some of the lamps of the same color being lit together), or by using at least one means capable of producing different colors (network of LEDs for example, all the LEDs being controlled so as to simultaneously obtain the same color).

[0018] These light networks are positioned inside the outer casing (11) and sufficiently distant from it, so as to avoid direct impacts which could damage them. When they implement several light devices, said devices are sufficiently distant from each other so as to avoid contacts between them which could also damage them. A person skilled in the art will also know how to adapt a distribution of these light devices, so as to obtain a homogeneous distribution of the light through the outer casing of said ball.

[0019] By way of non-limiting examples, it is possible to use, for example, products available under the following names: LED Dip, LED SMD, LED High-Power, LED COB, LED COB Filament.

[0020] Said ball also has a shock detection means (13) which is a shock sensor, in particular a spring sensor, a tilt sensor, in particular a ball sensor, a vibration sensor, in particular a piezoelectric sensor, a shock switch, a magnetic sensor, a sound sensor, a light sensor or an accelerometer, or a gyroscope, preferably a single shock sensor, even if the present invention can also implement several shock sensors. In this case, it can be a vibration or tilt sensor. A static sensor or a dynamic sensor such as an accelerometer or a gyroscope can be used independently, even if the choice of a static sensor is preferable, for energy saving reasons.

[0021] Preferably, it is an adjustable sensitivity sensor which makes it possible to filter the level of shocks by changing the sensitivity of the sensor. Those skilled in the art will know how to adapt the sensitivity of the sensor, in particular depending on the material constituting the external envelope of the ball. In this respect, it is desirable to ultimately obtain a sensitivity greater than that of an untimely shock, such as the movement of the players. on the ground, but obviously less than the impact of a ball on the ground or the shock between two balls.

[0022] As non-limiting examples, it is possible to use, for example, vibration sensors from the so-called SW 180 series, such as the SW18010P, SW18015P, SW18020P, SW18030P sensors, marketed for example by the company MOBICON Electronic component.

[0023] Said ball therefore also has a means for controlling the change of coloration (14), connected both to the means for obtaining a change of coloration (12) and to the means for detecting an impact (13). This connection is notably established using an electronic card (16). As a result, said means for controlling the change of coloration (14) is capable of receiving information from the sensor (presence of an impact) and of transforming this information into an instruction transmitted to the means for obtaining a coloration (choice of a coloration). The choice of said coloration is controlled by an algorithm, said algorithm having been configured beforehand, so as to produce a given sequence of colorations.

[0024] This means of controlling the change of coloring is a logic gate, and more classically a set of logic gates carrying out logic operations (Boolean), well known to those skilled in the art. The logic operations are carried out electrically by a combination of flip-flops or inverters, based on transistors.

[0025] Said ball, the subject of the present invention, has a push button (17), which makes it possible to activate or deactivate the energy supply member. The transition from one to the other of these states corresponds to the “on” and “off” modes of the brightness change control system. The “on” mode corresponds to the phase where the balls are used for playing, for example, and the “off” mode corresponds to the phase where the balls are not or no longer used, in order to save the energy supply member.

[0026] Said ball therefore also has a means of supplying energy (15). Such a means consists of cells or batteries, of variable sizes and shapes. These are preferably batteries, said batteries being ideally integral with the means of controlling the color change (14).

[0027] As examples, batteries that can be implemented in the present invention are AA (LR6) batteries, AAA (LR03) batteries, 9V batteries, CR123A batteries, 3V coin-cell lithium batteries, 3.6V lithium-ion batteries, AG10 batteries. As examples, batteries that can be implemented in the present invention are rechargeable AA batteries, rechargeable AAA batteries, 9V rechargeable batteries, CR123A rechargeable batteries, 3V coin-cell lithium rechargeable batteries (CR2032), 3.6V lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, AGIO rechargeable batteries (LR54).

[0028] By ball is meant an object having an external envelope, completely closed or not, of substantially spherical shape. By substantially spherical is meant a shape whose external envelope can be contained in the space delimited by 2 spheres whose centers are merged, and whose radii measurements differ by a maximum of 10%. As such, this object can be for example a polyhedron made up of several panels, an ovoid or even a sphere. When it is not completely closed, said ball has holes or openings at the level of its external envelope, said holes having a size of the order of a few millimeters, ideally from 0.5 to 5 mm.

[0029] The present invention is in no way limited to a particular ball size, but in a game where such objects are manually manipulated, a size between 5 and 10 cm in diameter represents an interesting variant.

[0030] Said ball is preferably made of a flexible outer casing, which allows it to absorb the shocks to which it is subjected. As such, it is advantageous to choose said material which constitutes said outer casing so as to obtain a deformation of at least 30% (30% reduction in the length of the diameter of the ball, in the case of a sphere) when said ball is subjected to a force of 15 Newtons. Such a force represents approximately the force likely to be exerted by a 4-year-old child, holding said ball in his hand. It is also advantageous to choose said material, so as to obtain a deformation of at most 30% (30% reduction in the length of the diameter of the ball, in the case of a sphere) when said ball is subjected to a force of 10 Newtons.

[0031] By way of examples, the material constituting the external envelope may be chosen from silicone, thermoplastic rubber (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), cellulose acetate, PVC, silicone gels, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), possibly modified polyethylenes, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), silicones and silicone rubbers, thermoplastic foams and in particular foams based on ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), PETG, ABS, cork.

[0032] Said ball, and in particular its external envelope, is obtained by conventional manufacturing methods, well known to those skilled in the art. Advantageously, said external envelope may be made up of different parts, screwable, glueable or nestable in / with each other. It may in particular be made up of two half-spheres glued to each other.

[0033] In a particularly interesting variant, the center of gravity of said ball is offset relative to its barycenter. It is understood that the barycenter designates the point located equidistant from all the points constituting the external envelope of said ball. In the case of a sphere, it is therefore the center of said sphere. As for the center of gravity of said ball, it is understood that it designates the point of application of the resultant of the forces of gravity relative to said ball. When said ball is a sphere and if it were limited to its external envelope only (which is not the case of the present invention), the center of gravity would be confused with the barycenter, and would therefore be the center of said sphere.

[0034] It is in particular by shifting the center of gravity of the ball which is the subject of the present invention relative to its barycenter that a tumble effect is obtained. This tumble effect proves to be particularly interesting with a view to limiting the playing area in spaces with restricted dimensions (indoor rooms or small gardens); the tumble effect will cause the ball to rotate on itself until it returns to a balanced position. In addition, this tumble effect will reinforce the playful nature of the game in question.

[0035] There are various means for achieving such an objective. In particular, additional ballasts of any shape and nature may be used, the weight and arrangement of which inside the outer casing will enable the center of gravity of said ball to be moved and offset in relation to its barycenter.

[0036] A particularly interesting alternative is to take advantage of the means (12), (13), (14) and (15) located within the external envelope, by arranging them in such a way that the distribution of their masses makes it possible to obtain this shift between the center of gravity and the barycenter of said ball.

[0037] In a preferred variant, the center of gravity of the assembly consisting of the impact detection means (13), the means for controlling the change of color (14) and the energy supply means (15), is offset relative to the barycenter of the ball (1).

[0038] Preferably, said ball is a sphere and its center of gravity is offset relative to its barycenter at a distance from said barycenter of between 1 / 3 and 2 / 3 of the radius of said sphere.

[0039] The use of the ball, as described and claimed in the present Application, in a board game, in particular outdoors, in dark conditions or even in the middle of the night, is also part of the objects of the present invention.

[0040] The attached drawings illustrate the invention:

[0041] [Fig. 1] illustrates a particular embodiment in which the ball which is the subject of the present invention is a sphere. In [Fig. 1] this sphere is made up of two half-spheres. These two half-spheres are made of silicone, and can be obtained by manufacturing processes - such as injection - well known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, these two half-spheres can be obtained by cutting a commercial product, which is a sphere in particular made of silicone, such as for example a “water bomb”. These two hemispheres are attached to each other, notably here thanks to a chemical bond based on a silicone glue which is the Sili-Glue product marketed by the company CLÉOPÂTRE®.

[0042] [Fig. 2] illustrates the particular mode in which the ball which is the subject of the present invention is a sphere. This figure is a diametrical sectional view of said sphere, and of its external envelope (11). The section is made here along a plane which is parallel to the card (16) which appears inside the internal envelope (11). This figure illustrates an assembly of its internal elements, in particular the color change means (12) consisting of 4 LEDs (121), the shock detection means (13), the color change control means (14), the energy supply means (15) consisting here of 2 CR2032 batteries (151), all of these means being fixed (welded) on the card (16). A push button (17) is also fixed to the card (16).

[0043] [Fig. 3] illustrates a diametrical sectional view of said ball, along a plane perpendicular to the card (16). It illustrates the same embodiment as that of [Fig. 2]. According to this view, [Fig. 3] illustrates the particular variant according to which the center of gravity of the ball is offset relative to its barycenter. This is obtained by arranging the means (12), (13), (14) and (15) in a plane located below the parallel plane and which intersects said ball in its center. Advantage is thus taken of the elements present within said ball, to offset its center of gravity without having to resort to additional ballasts. Such an arrangement advantageously makes it possible to achieve the desired tumble effect. This figure shows the 4 LEDs facing upwards, but it is understood that other configurations are possible, such as, for example, 2 LEDs facing upwards and 2 LEDs facing downwards.

[0044] [Fig.4] and [Fig.5] illustrate a similar assembly but, in the respective cases where said ball is an ovoid and a polyhedron.

[0045] [Fig. 6] illustrates the case where the ball is a sphere. It illustrates in particular the deformation of such a sphere, at the moment when the person handling it presses on the external casing (11) in order to press the push button (17). The push button is here arranged on either side of the energy supply means (15), centered on the card (16). Advantageously, it has a lower height than that of the energy supply means. Such an arrangement makes it possible to manually switch on or off the light network (starting or stopping the game), without the push button being pressed during the game (no untimely switching off of the light network, due for example during the game to a shock of the ball with the ground, an obstacle or another ball).

[0046] [Fig.7] represents a particular assembly where the center of gravity of the assembly consisting of the shock detection means (13), the means for controlling the change of coloring (14) and the energy supply means (15), is offset relative to the barycenter of the ball (1);

Claims

Claims

1. Ball (1) having an outer casing (11) as well as: a. a means for obtaining a change in coloration (12), b. a means for detecting an impact (13), c. a means for controlling the change in coloration (14) connected to the means for obtaining a change in coloration (12) as well as to the means for detecting an impact (13), d. a means for supplying energy (15), said means (12), (13), (14) and (15) being located inside the outer casing (11) of the ball (1)

2. Ball (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that its center of gravity is offset relative to its barycenter.

3. Ball (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the center of gravity of the assembly consisting of the impact detection means (13), the means for controlling the change of color (14) and the energy supply means (15), is offset relative to the barycenter of the ball (1).

4. Ball (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has an electronic card (16) providing the connection between the means for obtaining a change in color (12) and the impact detection means (13).

5. Ball (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the color changing means (12) is a light network (121), consisting of one or more light-emitting diodes, colored lamps or LEDs.

6. Ball (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shock detection means (13) is a shock sensor, in particular a spring sensor, a tilt sensor, in particular a ball sensor, a vibration sensor, in particular a piezoelectric sensor, a shock switch, a magnetic sensor, a sound sensor, a light sensor or an accelerometer, or a gyroscope.

7. Ball (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the color change control means (14) is a set of logic gates.

8. Ball (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that the energy supply means (15) consists of cells or batteries.

9. Ball (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a push button (16).

10. Ball (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material constituting the external envelope (11) is chosen from silicone, thermoplastic rubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, cellulose acetate, PVC, silicone gels, polymethyl methacrylate, possibly modified polyethylenes, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), silicones and silicone rubbers, thermoplastic foams and in particular foams based on ethylene vinyl acetate, PETG, ABS, cork.

11. Ball (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that its outer casing (11) is made up of different parts, which can be screwed, glued or fitted into / with each other.

12. Ball (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a sphere, an ovoid, a polyhedron.

13. Ball (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that it is a sphere whose center of gravity is offset relative to its barycenter at a distance from said barycenter of between 1 / 3 and 2 / 3 of the radius of said sphere.

14. Ball (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that it is a sphere consisting of two half-spheres, glued to each other.

15. Use of the ball, according to one of the preceding claims, in a board game.

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