Elastically deformable item of sports equipment comprising a deformable electromagnetic coil structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9735472-B2
Application number	US-201214415659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2012
Priority date	Jul 26, 2012
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments relate to an elastically deformable item of sports equipment ( 100; 200; 250; 300; 500 ), comprising at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure ( 104; 204; 254; 304; 504 ) arranged around a curved surface ( 102; 106; 202; 206; 252; 256; 302; 306; 502; 506 ) within the item of sports equipment, wherein the at least one deformable electromagnetic coil structure has an elongation reserve corresponding to a maximum elastic deformation of the item of sports equipment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An elastically deformable item of sports equipment, comprising:
at least one deformable loop antenna arranged around a curved surface within the elastically deformable item of sports equipment, wherein the at least one deformable loop antenna has an elongation reserve corresponding to a maximum elastic deformation of the elastically deformable item of sports equipment,
wherein the elastically deformable item of sports equipment is a ball having a ball bladder and a ball cover, and wherein the at least one deformable loop antenna is arranged between the ball bladder and the ball cover,
wherein the electric conductor of the at least one deformable loop antenna is formed on a flexible printed circuit board.

2. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 1 , wherein a length of one turn of the at least one deformable loop antenna is larger than a circumference of the elastically deformable item of sports equipment.

3. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 1 , wherein an electric conductor of the at least one deformable loop antenna is arranged in a meandering or zigzag pattern around the curved surface.

4. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 3 , wherein the electric conductor of the at least one deformable loop antenna is meandered lateral to a circumferential direction along the curved surface to obtain a transversal meandering.

5. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 3 , wherein the electric conductor of the at least one deformable loop antenna is meandered radial to a circumferential direction along the curved surface to obtain a longitudinal meandering.

6. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 3 , wherein the electric conductor of the at least one deformable loop antenna is molded into an elastic or flexible carrier material for supporting the meandered shape of the at least one deformable loop antenna.

7. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one deformable loop antenna comprises at least one turn of an elastic electric conductor.

8. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the elastically deformable item of sports equipment comprises means for fixing a position of the at least one deformable loop antenna on the curved surface underneath the ball cover.

9. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 8 , wherein the means for fixing comprises seams of the ball cover or fixation straps arranged around the curved surface in regular distances.

10. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one capacitive element coupled to the at least one deformable loop antenna to form a resonant circuit for a predetermined frequency in the range of 10 kHz to 150 kHz.

11. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one capacitive element is integrated into the ball cover or into a patch of the elastically deformable item of sports equipment.

12. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 1 , further comprising at least three deformable electromagnetic coils arranged mutually perpendicular to each other around the curved surface to form at least three deformable loop antennas in the elastically deformable item of sports equipment.

13. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 12 , wherein each of the at least three deformable electromagnetic coils is tuned separately to a resonance frequency by at least one capacitor, respectively.

14. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one deformable loop antenna is elastically deformable.

15. An elastically deformable item of sports equipment, comprising:
at least one deformable loop antenna arranged around a curved surface within the elastically deformable item of sports equipment, wherein the at least one deformable loop antenna has an elongation reserve corresponding to a maximum elastic deformation of the elastically deformable item of sports equipment,
wherein the elastically deformable item of sports equipment is a ball having a ball bladder and a ball cover, and wherein the at least one deformable loop antenna is arranged between the ball bladder and the ball cover,
wherein seams of the ball cover or fixation straps arranged around the curved surface in regular distances fix a position of the at least one deformable loop antenna on the curved surface underneath the ball cover.

16. An elastically deformable item of sports equipment, comprising:
at least one deformable loop antenna arranged around a curved surface within the elastically deformable item of sports equipment, wherein the at least one deformable loop antenna has an elongation reserve corresponding to a maximum elastic deformation of the elastically deformable item of sports equipment,
wherein the elastically deformable item of sports equipment is a ball having a ball bladder and a ball cover, and wherein the at least one deformable loop antenna is arranged between the ball bladder and the ball cover,
wherein at least three deformable electromagnetic coils are arranged mutually perpendicular to each other around the curved surface to form at least three deformable loop antennas in the elastically deformable item of sports equipment.

17. The elastically deformable item of sports equipment according to claim 16 , wherein each of the at least three deformable electromagnetic coils is tuned separately to a resonance frequency by at least one capacitor, respectively.

Assignees

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E V

Inventors

• Bernhard Josef
• Hartmann Markus
• Eskildsen Joern
• Bretz Ingmar

Classifications

• A63B45/00

  Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls (working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29) · CPC title

• H01Q1/22

  by structural association with other equipment or articles · CPC title

• A63B69/002

  for football (American-football dummies A63B69/34) · CPC title

• A63B69/0026

  for ice-hockey · CPC title

• A63B41/00 Primary

  Hollow inflatable balls · CPC title