Appeal No. 2005-1335 Page 3
Application No. 10/128,266
The ball according to the invention is composed of
twelve equilateral pentagonal parts 1 and twenty
hexagonal parts 2, each pentagon being connected to
five hexagons and each hexagon being connected to three
other hexagons and three pentagons.
According to the invention, the hexagons are
equiangular, but not equilateral, the ratio between the
length of the relatively short cathetuses b and the
length of the relatively long cathetuses a being at
least 0.69 and preferably 0.839. The length of the
long cathetuses a corresponds to the length of a side
of a pentagon. It has been established that by
choosing 0.69a<b<a, the difference in material stress
and material stretch in the pentagons and hexagons of
an inflated ball is smaller than when b is smaller than
0.69a or greater than a. When the preferred value
b=0.839a is used, the material stress and the degree of
stretch in the hexagons, in the inflated state of the
ball, are virtually equal to the material stress and
the degree of stretch in the pentagons. As long as the
value of b is in the said range between a and 0.69a,
the difference in material stress and degree of stretch
will be less than when a and b are equal, i.e. when the
hexagons are [equilateral] [column 2, lines 10 through
31].
As conceded by the examiner, Schaper does not respond to the
limitations in independent claim 1, or the corresponding
limitations in independent claims 11, 22, 30, 33, 38 and 43,
requiring a bridged panel formed of two seamlessly-joined
hexagonal portions. To account for these differences, the
examiner turns to Schwaner.
Schwaner also discloses an inflatable game ball, e.g., a
soccer ball, designed to retain the spherical symmetry afforded
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007