I've heard that there is a patent or trademark on a Japanese designed
tennis ball (the yellow version we all know). I'm searching for the
story behind this tennis ball.
Good luck
Martin
Fine research, Bobbie7! ...Well done! :)
Well done bobbie7-ga,
You not only found some interesting stuff about the tennis balls but
also some more interesting sensory stuff. Thanks for that.
I've secured you the payment
Martin
Hi Martin,
I wasn't able to find any relevant stories on japanese-designed tennis balls.
I found that the following tennis balls (from Japan) have been
approved by the ITF (International Tennis Federation) for 2003, if
that's of any use (?)
Babolat Team (Type 2 - Medium)
Babolat VS (Type 2 - Medium)
Bridgestone XT8 (Type 2 - Medium)
Dunlop Fort (Type 1)
Prince 4 Championship (Type 2 - Medium)
Roland Garros French Open (Type 2 - Medium)
Yonex TMP80 (Type 2 - Medium)
http://www2.itftennis.com/html/rule/balllist.asp
And an interesting (but not all that relevant) tidbit:
"Hello, I thought you might like to hear about a recycling initiative
we've started here in Japan. We collect thousands of tennis balls from
across the country and donate them to schools The balls are attached
to the bottom of desks and chairs to reduce noise and protect the
floor from ware. They are especially welcome in schools that have
children with hearing difficulties. These children wear hearing aids
that are sensitive to sudden loud noises."
(Letter from Global Sports Alliance, Japan)
http://www.tennisaffinity.com/balldilemma.html
regards,
jackburton-ga
Hi Martin,
Here is some information about Japanese patented tennis balls.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Kobe, JP) patented a pressureless tennis ball.
?A pressureless tennis ball which has excellent rebound properties and
produces a satisfactory feeling of striking retained over a long
period of time, the tennis ball having a hollow spherical core made
from a rubber composition containing 3 to 50% by weight
You may read the claims and detailed description here:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=7&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&p=1&S1=('tennis+balls'+AND+japan)&OS="tennis+balls"+AND+japan&RS=("tennis+balls"+AND+japan)
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Kobe, JP) also patented the rubber
composition for the hollow core of pressureless tennis ball.
?A rubber composition suitable for producing hollow cores of
pressureless tennis balls and superior in rebound properties and
feeling of striking balls by racket?
You may read the claims and detailed description here:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=8&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&p=1&S1=('tennis+balls'+AND+japan)&OS="tennis+balls"+AND+japan&RS=("tennis+balls"+AND+japan)
Pressureless tennis ball
Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Kobe, JP)
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=9&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&p=1&S1=('tennis+balls'+AND+japan)&OS="tennis+balls"+AND+japan&RS=("tennis+balls"+AND+japan)
Method for positioning seamed balls
Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Kobe, JP)
?This invention relates to a method for positioning seamed balls, and
more particularly to a method for automatically positioning the seamed
balls such as known tennis balls, baseballs and the like, each having
a known curved endless seam line which divides an entire ball surface
into a pair of identical, dumbbell-like parts, hereinafter referred to
as "dumbbell sheet(s)" or "dumbbell(s)", each of which has a pair of
identical round hip portions joined by a waist portion which is most
reduced at its middle portion.?
You may read the claims and detailed description here:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=11&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&p=1&S1=('tennis+balls'+AND+japan)&OS="tennis+balls"+AND+japan&RS=("tennis+balls"+AND+japan)
Tennis balls and core
Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Inc. (Kobe, JP)
?An object of the present invention is to obtain a tennis ball and a
core for the tennis ball which meets the ITF standard and has
excellent durability.?
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=12&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&p=1&S1=('tennis+balls'+AND+japan)&OS="tennis+balls"+AND+japan&RS=("tennis+balls"+AND+japan)
Pressureless tennis ball
Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Kobe, JP)
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=13&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&p=1&S1=('tennis+balls'+AND+japan)&OS="tennis+balls"+AND+japan&RS=("tennis+balls"+AND+japan)
In researching the Sumitomo Rubber Company, I found three interesting
examples for fragrance branding.
Summitomo successfully registered a floral fragrance for tyres.
Vennootschap registered the smell of grass for their tennis balls.
Unicorn Products registered the smell of beer for their darts.
From the Sunday Business Post Online:
?.. the smell of lavender has been added to car tyres by a Japanese
manufacturer. Believe it or not, you can buy flights for darts that
come complete with the smell of stale beer. Tennis addicts can stock
on balls that are impregnated with the whiff of freshly-mown grass.?
http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2001/01/21/story289139.asp
?In Britain the Sumitomo Rubber Company successfully registered "a
floral fragrance/smell reminiscent of roses as applied to tyres".
Unicorn Products was allowed to register "the strong smell of bitter
beer applied to flights for darts". In 1999, on appeal, the Community
Trade Mark Office ruled that "the smell of freshly cut grass" was an
adequate representation of a mark applied to tennis balls by a Dutch
marketing company.?
http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:1IW02OI8fksJ:macdonald.butterworths.co.uk/news/GetArticle.asp%3FNewsID%3D2214+Sumitomo+tyres+smell&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
?On the same day two other applications to register smells as trade
marks were lodged at the Registry and both applications were
successful. The first was lodged by Sumitomo Rubber Co, which applied
to register 'a floral fragrance/smell reminiscent of roses as applied
to tyres,' and the second was lodged by Unicorn Products, which
applied to register 'the strong smell of bitter beer applied to
flights for darts'.?
Source: Taylor Joynson Garrett
http://www.legal500.com/devs/uk/ip/ukip_062.htm
Sumitomo Rubber Co.
?The second application was lodged by Sumitomo Rubber Co., which
applied to register ?a floral fragrance/smell reminiscent of roses as
applied to tyres?.[19] This request was successful and became known as
the first UK?s olfactory trade mark with the no. GB 2001416.[20]?
Unicorn Products
?Another success that day was registered by Unicorn Products, which
sought to register a mark in class 28 in respect of ?the strong smell
of bitter beer applied to flights for darts?.[21] This olfactory trade
mark was recorded by the UK Register Office under no. GB 2000234.?
Vennootschap
?The case of Vennootschap onder Firma Senta Aromatic Marketing led to
a much more controversial debate concerning the registration of smell
trade marks. The firm applied to register the ?smell of fresh cut
grass? for tennis balls and it was initially rejected by the examiner
on the basis that this description was not a graphical representation
in means of Art.?
It was finally accepted.
http://www.inter-lawyer.com/lex-e-scripta/articles/trademarks-registration-smell-EU.htm
Unicorn Products
The Trade Mark comprises the strong smell of bitter beer applied to
flights for darts.
Scent: The mark comprises the strong smell of beer.
Goods: Darts. The smell is used for flights for darts. Class 28 ?
Source: Legal Mart
http://www.legalmart.com.au/topics/business/patents/info_tips/2f_examples_tm.asp#Scent%20Marks
One more piece of information:
Dulux brand has trademarked the sound of a barking dog.
http://thomsonderwent.com/ipmatters/faq/tac/8184122/
The sound of a certain dog barking helps to identify, and brand, Dulux paint.
http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2001/01/21/story289139.asp
Would any of my findings meet your needs?
Thanks
Bobbie
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