Soccer Ball Perforated Interior Panels Cushioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Soccer balls currently lack sufficient flexibility and cushioning, leading to potential head and neck injuries during play, particularly when players use their heads to interact with the ball, as the stitching process creates a hard network of structures that increase impact upon contact.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating perforated interior panels that fit into recesses formed by the stitching, providing additional cushioning and flexibility, and an inflatable bladder, which works in conjunction with the exterior panels to reduce the hardness of the ball's surface, thereby enhancing safety without altering the ball's feel or weight significantly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the stitching process is used to assemble panels, then the ball maintains structural integrity and shape, but hard structures are formed along the seams that increase impact upon contact
Solution Approach 1:
A cushioning layer is introduced as an intermediary element between the exterior panels and the interior bladder. This cushioning layer absorbs the impact energy, reducing the hardness felt during contact while allowing the stitching structure to maintain its structural integrity and shape stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning layer is pre-installed within the ball structure before final assembly. This beforehand cushioning prepares the ball to absorb impact forces during play, preventing the hard stitched structures from transmitting excessive force to the player's head or body.
2Strength
If the ball surface is made harder to maintain shape and structure, then the ball provides better control and feel, but the risk of head and neck injuries increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cushioning layer serves as a mediator that allows the ball to maintain its shape and structural strength through the stitched panel construction while simultaneously reducing the injury risk by absorbing impact forces before they reach the player's head or body.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning layer is strategically positioned at the interior surface of the ball, specifically at locations where impact occurs during play. This local quality approach provides injury protection where needed while maintaining overall ball structure and shape.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If interior panels are added to cover stitching edges, then cushioning is provided, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ball is divided into distinct segments: exterior panels, interior panels, and a cushioning layer. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and assembled separately, making the complex structure more manageable while providing the necessary cushioning functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning layer is nested within the ball structure, positioned between the exterior panels and the interior bladder. The interior panels are positioned to cover the stitching edges. This nested arrangement provides cushioning and coverage while organizing the complex structure in a compact, manageable way.
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 solution results in a safer soccer ball with increased flexibility and reduced impact upon contact, maintaining the desired characteristics of current soccer balls while providing improved player protection from harder stitched portions.
Implementation Method 1
an inflatable bladder which occupies the closed volume. Most relevant to the present invention there is provided interior panels which fit into these recesses and further include a portion which extends over the stitching edges so as to provide a degree of cushioning
Data Source
AI summary
An object, such as a soccer ball, is provided with perforated, interior panels disposed between an interior inflatable bladder and an outer covering which is stitched together from a plurality of individual panels. The stitching process produces raised portions surrounding the interior sides of the outer covering. These raised portions define recesses into which the perforated interior panels are disposed. The recess-filling panels overlie the ridges which are hard and whose hardness is counteracted by these preferably perforated panels. This provides a smooth surface against which the inflatable bladder rests. Additional flexure is also provided by perforating one or more of the layers in the outer covering.