Lacrosse Training Ball Impact Absorption Composite Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
In sports like lacrosse, hard balls pose a risk of injury to novice players due to their impact, deterring participation and requiring excessive protective gear, necessitating a training ball that absorbs impact while maintaining aerodynamic and durability properties.
Innovation Solution
A lacrosse training ball design featuring a spherical shape with twelve pentagonal panels made of flexible materials, filled with a mixture of refined sand and rubber pellets, and sewn with strong threads using specific knotting techniques to ensure durability and minimal recoil upon impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a hard ball is used for lacrosse, then the ball maintains aerodynamic properties and durability, but it causes injury risk to novice players and requires excessive protective gear
Solution Approach 1:
The ball combines an inner core made of softer, impact-absorbing material with an outer cover made of durable, aerodynamic material. This composite structure allows the ball to absorb impact forces while maintaining the aerodynamic properties needed for proper flight characteristics during training.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the ball by using a softer inner core material with specific hardness characteristics that differ from traditional hard balls. This parameter change reduces impact force while the outer cover maintains the necessary durability and aerodynamic shape for effective training.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a softer ball is used to reduce impact, then injury risk decreases, but the ball may lack durability to withstand high-speed throws and collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-material construction with softer inner core and tougher outer cover creates a ball that absorbs impact internally while the outer shell resists wear and tear from high-speed throws and collisions, achieving both safety and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The softer inner core acts as a pre-designed cushioning element that absorbs impact forces before they can cause injury, while the outer cover provides the structural integrity needed to withstand repeated use in training scenarios.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a softer ball is used to reduce impact, then safety improves, but the ball may lose aerodynamic properties required for regulation play
Solution Approach 1:
The outer cover material and shape are specifically designed to maintain aerodynamic properties for proper flight characteristics, while the inner core provides impact absorption, allowing the ball to function safely without compromising its aerodynamic performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The ball effectively absorbs impact, reduces injury risk, and maintains performance through numerous high-speed throws and collisions, encouraging safer training and increased participation by minimizing anxiety among novice players.
Implementation Method 1
filled with a mixture of refined sand and rubber pellets... minimal recoil upon impact
Implementation Method 2
filled with a mixture of refined sand and rubber pellets
Implementation Method 3
twelve pentagonal panels made of flexible materials
Data Source
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AI summary
A lacrosse training ball that is made up of a shell that defines an enclosure having an interior volume is disclosed. The shell includes a plurality of pads connected along a plurality of seams sewn with a thread having a finishing knot. The interior volume is substantially occupied by a filler that includes a mixture of a first material and a second material.