Tether Ball

The pre invention relates to amusement or exercising devices, and particularly to a ball having a tether cord secured thereto such as used in playing various types of games or performing various types of athletic exercises.

One type of tether ball popular in training players for the game of soccer includes an inflated soccer ball to which one end of a tether cord is secured, the opposite end of the tether cord being formed with a loop for application around the waist of the player. In the conventional construction, the tether cord is secured to the tether ball by a plastic disc or patch bonded over the end of the tether cord and to the outer face of the ball. However, such a construction does not securely fix the end of the tether cord to the ball particularly when the ball is sharply hit.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tether ball of a construction which more firmly secures the tether to the ball.

According to the present invention, there is provided a ball and a tether cord secured thereto, characterized in that the tether cord is secured to the ball by a stud having an enlarged head engaging the external surface of the ball, and a shank passing through an opening in the ball and formed with a shoulder engaging the inner surface of the ball. The underface of the enlarged head of the stud is formed with a cavity for receiving one end of the tether cord, and with a bore extending from the cavity to the outer surface of the enlarged head through which the tether cord passes.

According to further features in the preferred embodiment of the invention described below, the cavity is eccentric with respect to the enlarged head, and the outer end of the bore is centric with respect to the enlarged head.

According to still further features in the preferred embodiment of the invention described below, the ball is inflatable and is integrally formed with a hollow stem extending internally of the ball and coaxial with the opening. The shank of the stud extends through the hollow stem; and the shoulder in the shank is an annular shoulder engaging the inner end of the hollow stem.

According to still further features in the described preferred embodiment, the shank includes: a first conical section gradually decreasing in diameter from the enlarged head; a second conical section more sharply decreasing in diameter from the first conical section towards, and terminating in, the annular shoulder; and a third conical section even more sharply decreasing in diameter starting from the annular shoulder and terminating in a pointed tip. The first conical section is of larger length than the second conical section, and the second conical section is of larger length than the third conical section.

As will be more readily apparent from the description below, a tether ball constructed in accordance with the foregoing features provides a very strong securement of the tether cord to the ball.

The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates one form of tether ball constructed in accordance with the present invention particularly useful for training soccer players in ball handling;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the ball of FIG. 1 and the end of the tether cord secured thereto; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view more particularly illustrating the manner of securing the end of the tether cord to the ball.

FIG. 1 illustrates one type of tether ball particularly useful for training soccer players in ball handling. The illustrated tether ball thus includes an inflated soccer ball 2 to which one end of a tether cord 4 is secured, the opposite end of the tether cord being formed with a loop 6 applied around the waist of the player. The tether cord 4 is of a length such that it will always maintain the ball close to the player as the player repeatedly kicks the ball to keep the ball in constant motion over the ground.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the end of the tether cord 4 is secured to the ball 2 by means of a stud, generally designated 10, having an enlarged head 12 engaging the outer surface of the ball 2. Stud 10 includes a shank 14 passing through a hollow stem 16 integrally formed with the ball 2 and terminates in an annular shoulder 18 engaging the inner end of the hollow stem.

More particularly, as shown in FIG. 3, the enlarged head 12 of the stud 10 is formed with an outer surface 12a of substantially semi-spherical configuration, and with an inner flat surface 12b which engages the outer surface of the ball 2. The enlarged head 12 is further formed with a cavity 12c, starting from its inner face, and leading to a bore 12c extending from the cavity to the outer face of the enlarged head. Bore 12d is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stud 10. Its cavity 12c is located eccentrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stud, and the outer end of its bore 12d is located substantially centrically (i.e., coaxially) of the longitudinal axis of the stud.

Shank 14 of stud 10 is formed with a first conical section 14a gradually decreasing in diameter from the enlarged head 12; a second conical section 14b more sharply decreasing in diameter towards, and terminating in, the annular shoulder 18; and a third conical section 14c even more sharply decreasing in diameter, starting from the annular shoulder 18 and terminating in a pointed tip 14d. As clearly seen in FIG. 3, conical section 14a is of larger length than conical section 14b, and the latter is of larger than the conical section 14c.

As one example, the thickness of the enlarged head 12 may be 8 mm; the length of conical section 14a may be 13 mm, the length of conical section 14b may be 7 mm, and the length of conical section 14c may be 3 mm. In addition, the diameter of conical section 14a may decrease from about 3 mm to about 2.8 mm, and the diameter of conical section 14b may decrease to a diameter of 2 mm at the annular shoulder; the annular shoulder may have a diameter of 3.5 mm; and the enlarged head 12 may have a diameter of 27 mm.

It will be seen that the tether cord 4 may be easily secured to the ball 2 by enlarging (e.g., by knotting) the end of the tether 4 cord 4, as shown at 4a, passing the tether cord through the bore 12d so that the enlarged end 4a of the tether cord is anchored within the cavity 12c; and then forcefully inserting the shank 14 of the stud 12 through the hollow stem 16 until the annular shoulder 18 of the shank engages the inner end of the hollow stem. The tether is thus firmly secured to the ball. Moreover, since the cavity 12c receiving the end of the tether 4 is eccentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stud 10, the forces applied to the tether cord 4 will produce a rotary moment of the stud with respect to the hollow stem 16, rather than a force parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stud which would tend to force the stud out of the hollow stem. The arrangement thus securely attaches the tether cord 4 to the ball 2.

The hollow stem 16 may also be used for inflating the soccer ball; alternatively, another hollow stem may be provided at the opposite end of the ball for purposes of inflating the soccer ball. The cord 4 may be elastic or non-elastic.

While the invention has been described with respect to one preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that this embodiment is described merely for purposes of example, and that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made.