Reflective billiard balls, apparatus, system, and method
A reflective billiard ball with a highly reflective surface, regardless of tint, of sufficient reflective qualities to allow the user to align the cue stick accurately with the axis of reflective billiard ball. The ball comprises a spherical convex mirror, where the reflected image is smaller than actual size because the light waves are diverged by the spherical shape. Further disclosed is an aiming device, to aid the user in aiming a cue ball towards an object ball so that the cue ball pushes the object ball into a desired pocket. Furthermore disclosed is a cue stick with a highly reflective surface, regardless of tint, of sufficient reflective qualities to allow the user to align the cue stick accurately with the axis of the disclosed reflective billiard ball. The reflective attribute extends from the tip of the cue stick to the butt of the cue stick. Still further disclosed are systems and methods comprising the disclosed reflective billiard balls, aiming device, and cue stick
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIXNot Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is in the technical field of reflective billiard balls and billiard games such as pool, as well as systems, methods, and apparatus making use thereof.
PRIOR ARTTable games such as billiards and pool require the use of a cue ball and one or more object balls. A table comprises a flat, level playing surface, with one or more holes or pockets deployed at the edges of the table, open towards the inside where the cue ball and object balls rest. The table surface is covered with a cloth with a fine “nap” that enables the cue ball and object balls to slide, roll, and spin with relatively low friction. Traditionally and commonly, the table is rectangular, with pockets on the sides as well as at the corners. However some such tables are circular and other shapes, with pockets at various locations. Invariably, such games also require a cue stick, having a leather tip or other relatively pliable material. A basis for all such games is for the player to use the cue stick to strike the cue ball, so that the cue ball in turn strikes a targeted object ball in such a way that the targeted object ball travels across the table and into the desired pocket. The leather tip protects the cue ball and holds chalk to provide grip and control over the cue ball and yet transfers mechanical energy from cue the stick to cue ball that it strikes. For skillful players, the transfer of force from stick to cue ball and to object balls is efficient as to magnitude and direction.
The physics and mathematics of aiming in billiards is well known. Various methods are available. Among them is ghost ball aiming. The player envisions where the cue ball would be at the moment of impact with the object ball to propel the object ball in the desired direction. The player perceives that a ball is there, which is not and is thus referred to as a ghost ball. The location of the ghost ball becomes a target: the position where the player aims to pass the cue ball through to in turn strike the object ball in the spot necessary to pocket the shot. At the moment of impact, when the cue ball contacts the object ball, a line drawn through the centers of both balls is the line along which the object ball will travel. So, the proper placement of the ghost ball will direct the object ball towards the desired pocket.
Players know well the notion of “English” applied to the cue ball. English is essentially spin or slide that takes place when the cue ball is struck with force (magnitude and direction) with direction not aligned with an axis of the cue ball; a glancing blow, in effect, that imparts spin or slide on the cue ball. The resulting path of the cue ball can be curved, and yet skilled players may still direct the spinning or sliding cue ball to the ghost ball spot, and thus impart energy into the object ball. This is similar to the skillful use of a curved ball path used by bowlers to direct a bowling ball to a target spot.
A very important playing technique is the stun shot, which allows the player to control and accurately predict the path of the cue ball after it makes contact with the object ball. Consider an object ball and a pocket where the player wants the object ball to enter. Consider a line through the object ball's center and directed towards that pocket. Consider now a line on the surface of the object ball, at the point where the cue ball would strike and thus tangent to the object ball surface at that point. Thus the tangent line is also perpendicular to the axis line. If the cue ball is hit so that it both (a) goes past the position of the ghost ball, and also (b) is sliding at the moment of impact (not rolling or spinning), then object ball will move forward along the axis line and move towards the pocket (if sufficient force is imparted). But also the cue ball will leave the ghost ball spot and move along the tangent line. If it's a straight-in shot, where the cue ball strikes the object ball in line with the pocket-directed axis then the cue ball will stop on the ghost ball spot. Top instructors consider the stun shot, because of the cue ball path control aspects, to be the most important shot in pool.
As with other games requiring skill, training methods and devices as well as playing aids are prominent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONWe disclose a reflective with a highly reflective surface, regardless of tint, of sufficient reflective qualities to allow the user to align the cue stick accurately with the axis of reflective billiard ball. The ball comprises a spherical convex mirror, chrome-like, silver-like, or gold-like, for example, where the reflected image is smaller than actual size because the light waves are diverged by the spherical shape. Although all billiard balls have some level of reflectivity and reflectance, we disclose such reflective billiard balls that are effective at reflecting images to a player at a usual distance away from the reflective billiard ball.
We further disclose an aiming device, to aid the user in aiming a cue ball towards an object ball so that the cue ball pushes the object ball into a desired pocket.
We further disclose a cue stick with a highly reflective surface, regardless of tint, of sufficient reflective qualities to allow the user to align the cue stick accurately with the axis of the disclosed reflective billiard ball. The reflective attribute extends from the tip of the cue stick to the butt of the cue stick.
We further disclose systems and methods comprising the disclosed reflective billiard balls, aiming device, and cue stick.
As a sphere, the reflective billiard ball has a center which is also its center of gravity (or center of mass). As with any sphere, a point on the surface also represents a point on a radius that also includes the center. Force applied to the surface, as a vector, is transferred to the center of gravity of the reflective billiard ball according to laws of physics and mathematics. The key parameters are the magnitude and direction of the force, the angle at which the force hits the reflective billiard ball surface, dimensions of the reflective billiard ball, weight of the reflective billiard ball, and other parameters.
The truest reflection of an object off of a spherical convex mirror takes place when the object is directly facing the points on the ball that produce the reflection: when the angles of incidence equal the angles of reflection for each point of the object are equal to zero, or nearly so (depending on how large the object is). When the surface is curved, light from the various points strike the curved surface at different angles of incidence because of the curve. A point whose light strikes at zero degrees angle of incidence is also aligned with a radius and thus also aligned with the center of gravity of the ball. That point on the curved surface is on a line, or plane, that is perpendicular to the ball surface. Thus, the reflection of that point is true, as the light is not diverged by the curve.
The tip of the cue stick, with its relatively small ball-striking surface, has the larger, elongated cue stick body behind it. Slight deviation in the angle of the cue stick with respect to the reflective billiard ball produce noticeable reflection. But when the cue stick is aligned and co-linear with a radius of the reflective billiard ball, then the reflection off of the tip is true and alignment of the rest of the stick is apparent.
As shown in
In
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- (1) angle of incidence 140 equals angle of refection 150.
- (2) at the equator of the object ball 154, the point of incidence is on a the surface and on a vertical plane that is tangent to that point of incidence.
- (3) at the equator of the object ball 154, the angle of incidence 140 of reflected light to point of incidence on the object ball 154 is 45 degrees, given that height of the point of incidence on the equator is 1 radius high and the horizontal distance from the ghost ball spot to the vertical plane is 1 radius, thus making a 45-45-90 degree triangle. The combination of 45 degree angle of incidence 140 and 45 degree angle of reflection 145 create the 90 degree angle of that triangle.
- (4) the horizontal axis 148 of the object ball 154 is aligned with the target pocket 158.
Thus, the angular light beam 160 that strikes the highly reflective object ball 154 at the equator and at an angle of 45 degrees from the horizontal axis 148 will reflect the angular beam 162 to precisely show the ghost ball spot 156 on the playing surface 146.
The advantages here include, without limitation:
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- 1. The reflective cue ball 152 may be used both in training and in regular play.
- 2. The reflective curved surface greatly indicates alignment variation of the cue stick 150 from alignment with the horizontal axis 148 of the cue ball 152, thus allowing the player to see whether the alignment of cue stick 150, cue ball 152, ghost ball spot 156, and target pocket 158 are as desired.
- 3. At times, deviation from the horizontal axis 148 is desirable in order to apply spin, or “English” to the shot. Such depends on the tip of the cue stick 150 striking the cue ball 152 at positions away from dead center along the horizontal axis 148. Reflection of the cue stick 150 from the cue ball 152 allows the player to assess alignment of the cue stick 150 with respect to the cue ball 152 in order to create any desired spin.
- 4. The spotting device mechanism 180, and implementations 182 and 184, allow accurate ghost ball spot 156 position marking without getting in the way of the shot, and thus may be used in training and in actual game play (if players agree).
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. A system for marking a ghost ball spot, comprising an aiming device using visible light to cause a reflection off of an object ball onto a playing surface, such reflection indicating the ghost ball spot on a playing surface, where the object ball has a mirror surface.
2. A method of marking a ghost ball spot comprising the steps of aiming a light source at an object ball, where such object ball has a mirror surface, such that the light source strikes the object ball at the object ball equator, causing a reflection of the light source onto a playing surface; and observing the reflection on the playing surface.
3. A structure for marking a ghost ball spot, comprising:
- a means for shining a light beam on an object ball at an angle such that the light beam strikes the object ball at an angle of incidence of 45 degrees, and causing a reflction of the light beam onto a playing surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 26, 2013
Publication Date: Aug 28, 2014
Inventor: Pierre E. Deveaux (Columbus, OH)
Application Number: 13/775,118
International Classification: A63D 15/00 (20060101); A63B 43/06 (20060101);