This invention relates to takraw balls and it particularly relates to an improved method of manufacturing takraw balls.
Sepak Takraw is played by opposing teams passing a takraw ball across a chest-high net using feet, knees, head, shoulders etc., i.e. every part of the body except the player's hands and arms. The object of the game is to ground the ball in the opposing team's court; the rules of the game are similar to volleyball. Another form of takraw is hoop takraw, only one team plays at a time and the players co-operate to get the ball into a vertically orientated hoop some 5 meters above the ground.
Document GB 2196861 A (11 May 1988—Boonchai Lorhpipat) describes the manufacture of traditional takraw balls by conventionally weaving split rattan strips into a spherical basket and the manufacture of takraw balls by weaving strips of plastics material into interwoven hoops.
More particularly and as described in GB 2196861, with reference to the drawings wherein
weaving strips (2) and (3) into a spherical basket (1) and joining the ends of each woven strip into a hoop, each strip being formed of an elongate, generally flat length (4) of plastics material having one convex side edge (5) of constant radius and the other side edge of sinusoidally undulating profile having troughs (7) and peaks (6), the hooped strip assuming a frusto-conical shape with the convex side edge in a diametral plane.
arranging pairs of hooped strips (2) with the strip convex sides edges (5) opposed in a common plane and the sinusoidal sides edges relatively staggered so that interwoven hooped strips cross-over at troughs (7) of the sinusoidal sides edges, the frusto-conical hoops, being arranged back-to-back conform more to a spherical shape and the sinusoidal side edge troughs permitting hoops to interweave more tightly at cross-overs;
separating each pair of hooped strips (2) by an additional hoop (3) formed of an elongate, narrow, flat and straight-side edged strip of plastics material, the additional hoop being inserted centrally between the opposed side edges (6) of each hoop pair thereby to force each hoop pair apart to tighten the weave of the ball.
The outer faces (8) of the side (2) and central (3) strips may be grooved (12) to lend elasticity to the plastics strip material and to control the weight of the ball. Each side strip is holed (16,17,) at each end with one end of the strip having a depression (15) in the outer face (8) shaped to accommodate the other strip end and enable an essentially flush surface joint to be formed when the ends have been pop riveted together. The inner face of each strip is preferably plain.
By this method, when formed into a hoop, the side strip (3) would preferentially bend in the trough regions (7), where the strip is weakest (more flexible), this results in a polygonally-shaped hoop (2) being formed (see
To overcome this irregularity, the side strips have been pre-formed by bending, kinking, the peak regions (6) as shown in
Document WO 95/28206 (26 Oct. 1995—Satian Industries Co. Ltd.) describes a takraw ball woven from strips of composite material of which one part is of soft material and the other part of woven material; generally component parts are arranged and the strips are so woven that the outer surface of the ball is soft.
Document WO 2006/051248 (18 May 2006—Satian Industries Co. Ltd.) describes a takraw ball woven from strips of springy material having soft material pads moulded into recesses in a strip outer face.
A takraw ball side strip in accordance with the present invention and embodiments thereof are set forth in the appended claims.
A side strip in accordance with the present invention bends more readily in peak regions than in trough regions whereby the hooped side strip is more nearly circular than prior art hooped side strips. A takraw ball woven from side strips in accordance with the present invention is more spherical than prior art balls as the peak regions are rounded, not flattened or angular.
Also, a side strip in accordance with the present invention eliminates one manufacturing step, thereby improving economy and providing an improved takraw ball.
In an embodiment, an inner face of the side strip is relieved in the peak region to provide more flexibility.
The above and further features of the present invention are illustrated in the Drawings, wherein:
The side strip (2) shown in
When riveted through holes (16,17) the thus-formed hoop (30) is shown by
In the takraw ball (32) shown by
Providing grooves to introduce more flexibility to the peak region leaves full strip thickness adjacent the strip edges; to maintain strength and durability. Other shapes or patterns of relief could be used, such as a trapezoidal recess replacing the grooves.
Side strips are moulded from plastics material and the peak region relief can be moulded along with other strip features.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1117043.8 | Oct 2011 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2012/069545 | 10/3/2012 | WO | 00 | 4/3/2014 |