Abstrict A ball pit ball for use in ball pits or seas of balls with desiccant
for absorbing moisture from a surface of the ball pit ball and from
neighboring surfaces. The ball pit ball has a generally spherical
hollow outer shell defining an open inner volume with a volume of
desiccant material, such as calcium chloride, in the open inner
volume of the outer shell. The desiccant material can be liquid,
such as calcium chloride brine, or solid and can comprise one or
more desiccant materials in combination. A volume of chlorine may
be further disposed in the open inner volume of the ball pit ball,
possibly with a proportion of two parts chlorine to one part calcium
chloride.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. A ball pit ball with desiccant for absorbing moisture from a
surface of the ball pit ball with desiccant and from neighboring
surfaces in a ball pit, the ball pit ball comprising:
a generally spherical hollow outer shell;
an open inner volume defined by an inner surface of the outer shell;
and
a volume of desiccant material retained within the open inner volume
of the outer shell wherein the desiccant material comprises a calcium
chloride brine solution of approximately 30% to approximately 50%
calcium chloride brine;
whereby the ball pit ball with desiccant absorbs moisture from
the inner surface of the outer shell of the ball pit ball with desiccant
and from neighboring surfaces in a ball pit.
2. The ball pit ball of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the
outer shell is generally spherical.
3. The ball pit ball of claim 1 wherein the calcium chloride brine
comprises a solution of approximately 35% to approximately 40% calcium
chloride brine.
4. The ball pit ball of claim 3 wherein the calcium chloride brine
comprises a solution of approximately 37% calcium chloride brine.
5. A ball pit ball with desiccant for absorbing moisture from a
surface of the ball pit ball with desiccant and from neighboring
surfaces in a ball pit, the ball pit ball comprising:
a generally spherical hollow outer shell;
an open inner volume defined by an inner surface of the outer shell;
a volume of desiccant material retained within the open inner volume
of the outer shell;
a volume of chlorine disposed in the open inner volume of the ball
pit ball; and
whereby the ball pit ball with desiccant absorbs moisture from
the inner surface of the outer shell of the ball pit ball with desiccant
and from neighboring surfaces in a ball pit.
6. The ball pit ball of claim 1 wherein the desiccant material
comprises a liquid.
7. The ball pit ball of claim 1 wherein the desiccant material
comprises a solid.
8. The ball pit ball of claim 5 wherein the desiccant material
is chosen from the desiccant group consisting of activated charcoal,
alumina, alumino silicate, calcium chloride, calcium fluoride, calcium
oxide, calcium sulfate, clays, lithium chloride, molecular sieves,
silica gel, starches, a zeolite, barium oxide, magnesium perchlorate,
glycerin, calcium hydride, phosphoric anhydride, phosphoric acid,
potassium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, ethylene glycol, barium oxide,
and sodium sulfate.
9. The ball pit ball of claim 8 wherein the desiccant material
comprises a combination of two or more of the desiccant materials
from the desiccant group of claim 8.
10. The ball pit ball of claim 5 wherein the desiccant material
comprises calcium chloride.
11. The ball pit ball of claim 10 wherein the calcium chloride
is in liquid form.
12. The ball pit ball of claim 8 wherein the calcium chloride comprises
calcium chloride brine.
13. The ball pit ball of claim 10 wherein the calcium chloride
is in solid form.
14. The ball pit ball of claim 5 wherein the volume of desiccant
materials comprises calcium chloride wherein the chlorine and the
calcium chloride are provided in a proportion of two parts chlorine
to one part calcium chloride.
15. The ball pit ball of claim 5 wherein the outer shell comprises
a continuous, substantially sealed structure.
16. The ball pit ball of claim 5 wherein the outer shell has an
outer diameter of between approximately 2 and approximately 3 inches.
17. The ball pit ball of claim 16 wherein the outer shell has an
outer diameter of approximately 2.6 inches.
18. A ball pit ball with desiccant for absorbing moisture from
a surface of the ball pit ball with desiccant and from neighboring
surfaces in a ball pit, the ball pit ball comprising:
a generally spherical hollow outer shell;
an open inner volume defined by an inner surface of the outer shell;
and
a volume of desiccant material retained within the open inner volume
of the outer shell wherein the desiccant material comprises calcium
chloride;
whereby the ball pit ball with desiccant absorbs moisture from
the inner surface of the outer shell of the ball pit ball with desiccant
and from neighboring surfaces in a ball pit.
19. The ball pit ball of claim 18 further comprising a volume of
chlorine disposed in the open inner volume of the ball pit ball.
20. The ball pit ball of claim 18 wherein the chlorine and the
calcium chloride are provided in a proportion of two parts chlorine
to one part calcium chloride.
Description FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to desiccant containers.
Stated more particularly, disclosed herein is a ball pit ball with
desiccant for use within ball pits, which are also known as "seas
of balls," and similar circumstances for the purpose of absorbing
moisture and thus better protecting children and other users by
inhibiting the formation and generation of bacteria and fungi.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It will be appreciated at the outset that a wide variety of devices
and arrangements have been disclosed that employ a desiccant material
to absorb water vapor, liquid water, and other liquid. For example,
U.S. Pat. No. 3326810 issued Jun. 20 1967 to Dolan discloses
a non-dusting silica desiccant bag that is created by nylon mesh
bonded to microporous polyurethane. Another desiccant device is
disclosed by Cullen et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4783206 which was
issued Nov. 8 1988. Cullen describes an elongated, hollow, and
moisture impermeable cylindrical body fabricated of polyethylene,
polyester or polypropylene having end caps constructed of spun-bonded
polyolefin that allow moisture to pass. A still further drying arrangement
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2638179 to Yard, where the desiccant
material, which is contained within a capsule, absorbs moisture
from a gelatin skin, and not directly from the outside atmosphere.
Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 4665050 to Degen et al. Discloses
sorbent particles that are immobilized within a solid matrix of
softened thermoplastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene,
where moisture is transmitted into the sorbent lying on the surface
of the thermoplastic. More recently, a desiccant entrained polymer,
formed by the blending of a polymer, such as polypropylene and polyethylene,
a desiccating agent, and a channeling agent, such as ethylene-vinyl
alcohol and polyvinyl alcohol, was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5911937
issued Jun. 15 1999 to Hekal. Here, the mixture is solidified so
that the channeling agent forms passage in the mixture through which
moisture is communicable to the desiccating agent that is entrained
within the mixture.
In each case, it will be realized that the volume of liquid or
liquid vapor capable of being absorbed by a desiccant container
is dependent on both the amount and the absorbent capacity of the
desiccant material. Some most commonly used desiccating agents within
the field of chemical engineering include activated charcoal, alumina,
alumino silicate, calcium chloride, calcium fluoride, calcium oxide,
calcium sulfate, clays, lithium chloride, molecular sieves, silica
gel, starches, a zeolite, barium oxide, magnesium perchlorate, glycerin,
calcium hydride, phosphoric anhydride, phosphoric acid, potassium
hydroxide, sulfuric acid, ethylene glycol, barium oxide, and sodium
sulfate. Of course, a desiccant agent can comprise one such desiccant
or a mixture of such desiccants.
Notably, commercial grade calcium chloride may be considered to
be a preferred desiccant in certain applications due to its low
cost and high degree of hygroscopicity. One skilled in the art will
be aware that calcium chloride, CaCl.sub.2 can be prepared by dissolving
limestone (i.e. a naturally occurring form of calcium carbonate)
or marble chips (i.e. also a naturally occurring form of calcium
carbonate) in hydrochloric acid. Commercially, however, calcium
chloride is typically made from the residues of an ammonia-soda
process. Advantageously, calcium chloride has been found to meet
government safety standards even where used in an environment where
contact with food may occur.
Notwithstanding the significant number of desiccant devices that
have been developed by inventors of the prior art, one knowledgeable
in the art will realize that no such device has been disclosed for
use particularly in a ball pit or "sea of balls," such
as one in which children and, possibly, adults can play at amusement
parks, carnivals, malls, and certain restaurants such as McDonald's,
Burger King, and others, and even in private applications by rental
or purchase. In such seas of balls, a retaining area is provided
typically in the form of a rectangular arrangement of retaining
walls and a floor. The dimensions of the retaining area certainly
can vary widely from a small ball pit that is just a few feet across
to a large ball pit that is ten, twenty, or even more feet across
and is suitable for allowing multiple persons to play therein simultaneously.
Some seas of balls provide netting above the retaining walls for
preventing any of the potentially thousands of ball pit balls from
spilling thereover. In use, participants can jump into the ball
pit or sea of balls as though it were a giant pile of leaves. Once
in the ball pit, participants can move about within the enveloping
sea of balls as they hide, jump, and otherwise play.
Unfortunately, as the present inventor has appreciated, the ball
pit balls and other surfaces in such seas of balls often are contaminated
with a variety of liquids including saliva, perspiration, and beverages.
Leaving such contaminating liquids on the ball pit balls and other
ball pit surfaces certainly can lead to disadvantageously unsanitary
conditions. While individually drying each ball manually, such as
by a drying cloth or the like, certainly is possible, it is also
a cumbersome and time-consuming task. With this, an operator must
either expend laborious efforts to dry the surfaces of the individual
ball pit balls and the ball pit in general or forego drying those
surfaces entirely thereby leading to worsening sanitary conditions.
With the foregoing in mind, the present inventor has advantageously
appreciated that a ball pit ball capable of drying its own surface
and indeed drying neighboring surfaces within a ball pit would be
useful for removing contaminating liquids in a ball pen or ball
pit and thereby assisting in maintaining such a ball pit in a sanitary
condition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the above-described state of the prior art, a few objects
and advantages of the present invention are worth particular mention.
Advantageously, the present invention sets forth with the broadly
stated object of meeting the needs left by the prior art while providing
a number of heretofore unrealized advantages thereover.
Stated more particularly, a principal object of the present invention
is to provide a ball pit ball with desiccant that is capable of
absorbing moisture from its own surface and from neighboring surfaces
in a ball pit or the like and thereby inhibiting the growth of bacteria
and fungi associated with ball pit balls within a ball pen as well
as the internal surfaces of the ball pen itself.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a ball pit
ball that is exceedingly rugged in use while remaining simple in
construction and reasonable in cost.
An underlying object of the invention is to assist operators of
ball pits and similar equipment that is in physical contact with
persons to maintain the ball pit or other arrangement in a sanitary
condition without expending significant efforts to do so.
Another underlying object of the invention is to promote public
health by maintaining surfaces of play areas, such as ball pits
and the like, in a dry and uncontaminated condition.
Undoubtedly, these and further objects and advantages of the instant
invention will be obvious both to one who reviews the present disclosure
and to one who has an opportunity to make use of an embodiment of
the present invention for a ball pit ball with desiccant.
In accomplishing these objects, a most basic embodiment of the
present invention for a ball pit ball with desiccant is founded
on a generally spherical hollow outer shell that defines an open
inner volume. Retained within the open inner volume of the hollow
outer shell is a volume of desiccant material. Even under this most
basic arrangement, the invention achieves a plurality of advantages
over the prior art.
For example, the ball pit ball with desiccant according to the
present invention can maintain its own inner and outer surfaces
free of undesirable contaminating liquids, such as saliva, perspiration,
and spilled beverages, thereby reducing the level of contamination
relative to the ball pit ball. As a result, it can prevent bacteria
and the like from accumulating. Furthermore, such a ball pit ball
with desiccant can maintain neighboring surfaces such as adjacent
ball pit balls or the walls or floor of a ball pit free of contaminating
liquid. With this, the invention improves the overall sanitary status
of a ball pit ball and a ball pit in general where the invention
is employed.
It will be appreciated that a wide variety of desiccant materials
can be used within the scope of the invention. For example, the
invention could take advantage of activated charcoal, alumina, alumino
silicate, calcium chloride, calcium fluoride, calcium oxide, calcium
sulfate, clays, lithium chloride, molecular sieves, silica gel,
starches, a zeolite, barium oxide, magnesium perchlorate, glycerin,
calcium hydride, phosphoric anhydride, phosphoric acid, potassium
hydroxide, sulfuric acid, ethylene glycol, barium oxide, or sodium
sulfate. Furthermore, one or more of these materials could be employed
in combination.
However, at present, it seems preferable to employ calcium chloride,
in liquid or solid form, as the desiccant material in the open inner
volume. For example, the desiccant material could comprise a calcium
chloride brine. Still more preferably, the desiccant material may
comprise a combination of two parts chlorine to one part calcium
chloride. Of course, one skilled in the art will be able to conceive
of a variety of different and additional desiccant materials that
could be alternatively or additionally employed. The only true requirement
is that the desiccant material be capable of absorbing liquid from
the surrounding atmosphere.
The hollow outer shell may define a continuous and hollow spherical
configuration whereby it presents a substantially sealed structure.
The hollow shell certainly could be formed from a wide variety of
materials. For example, it could be plastic, rubber or substantially
any other material. Furthermore, the dimensions of hollow outer
shell, and thus the ball pit ball in general, can vary widely. By
way of example and not limitation, the hollow outer shell could
have an outer diameter ranging the size of a standard golf ball
or smaller to the size of a standard basketball or larger. However,
a preferred ball pit ball will have an hollow shell with an outer
diameter of between two and three inches and preferably approximately
2.6 inches, the size of a standard street hockey ball or the like.
Of course, one will appreciate that the foregoing discussion broadly
outlines the more important features of the invention to enable
a better understanding of the detailed description that follows
and to instill a better appreciation of the inventor's contribution
to the art. Before an embodiment of the invention is explained in
detail, it must be made clear that the following details of construction,
descriptions of geometry, and illustrations of inventive concepts
are mere examples of the many possible manifestations of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a partially sectioned ball pit
ball with desiccant according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ball pit ball with desiccant
depicted in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative ball pit ball
with desiccant according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
To assist one in better understanding and, in appropriate circumstances,
practicing the present invention, certain preferred embodiments
of the present invention fbr a ball pit ball with desiccant are
shown in the accompanying figures and are described with particularity
below.
Looking more particularly to FIG. 1 one will see an embodiment
of the present invention for a ball pit ball with desiccant indicated
generally at 10. The ball pit ball 10 is founded on a spherical,
hollow outer shell 12 that defines an open inner volume 14. Retained
within the open inner volume 14 of the hollow outer shell is a volume
of desiccant material 16. Of course, it will be appreciated that
a wide variety of desiccant materials 16 can be used within the
scope of the invention.
For example, the invention could take advantage of activated charcoal,
alumina, alumino silicate, calcium chloride, calcium fluoride, calcium
oxide, calcium sulfate, clays, lithium chloride, molecular sieves,
silica gel, starches, a zeolite, barium oxide, magnesium perchlorate,
glycerin, calcium hydride, phosphoric anhydride, phosphoric acid,
potassium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, ethylene glycol, barium oxide,
or sodium sulfate. Furthermore, one or more of these materials could
be employed in combination to create the desiccant material 16.
For a number of reasons, calcium chloride, CaCl.sub.2 is presently
preferred as the desiccant material 16. One such reason is calcium
chloride's low cost and high degree of hygroscopicity. Although
a number of methods for forming calcium chloride would be well known
to one skilled in the art, one may particularly note that calcium
chloride can be prepared by dissolving limestone (i.e. a naturally
occurring form of calcium carbonate) or marble chips (i.e. also
a naturally occurring form of calcium carbonate) in hydrochloric
acid. Commercially, however, calcium chloride is typically made
from the residues of an ammonia-soda process. Calcium chloride is
preferable for the further reason that it has been found to meet
government safety standards even when used in an environment where
contact with food may occur. Still further, calcium chloride is
particularly advantageous since it acts as a fungicide.
The inventor has appreciated also that the utility of calcium chloride
and possibly other desiccant materials 16 in this context can be
further improved by chlorinating the calcium chloride or other desiccant
material 16. With this, the desiccant material 16 will also tend
to act as a bacterialstatic and bacterialcidial agent. Although
a wide variety of compositions of chlorinated calcium chloride could
be employed within the scope of the invention, one uniquely advantageous
desiccant material 16 will comprise a mixture of two parts chlorine
to one part calcium chloride.
As one can see most dearly in FIGS. 1 and 2 as compared to FIG.
3 the desiccant material 16 could be in liquid or solid form. In
the liquid form of FIGS. 1 and 2 the desiccant material 16 can
comprise simple liquid calcium chloride or calcium chloride brine.
For example, the desiccant material 16 may preferably comprise a
30% to 50% calcium chloride brine. More preferably, the desiccant
material 16 will comprise a 35% to 40% calcium chloride brine, and
it will most preferably comprise an approximately 37% calcium chloride
brine. Advantageously, such a brine will tend to resist freezing,
which may be useful where the ball pit ball 10 is employed in situations
where cold temperatures may be encountered, such as outdoors.
On the other hand, in the solid form of FIG. 3 the desiccant material
16 could comprise solid members of calcium chloride. As the knowledgeable
reader will appreciate and as FIG. 3 indicates, the solid members
of calcium chloride typically comprise white pellets or flakes.
Notably, heat experienced by the ball pit ball 10 will help to
regenerate the desiccant material 16. Of course, such heat can derive
from a variety of sources such as solar heat from the sun, artificial
heat from a building's heating system, heat from playing participants,
or even by heat directly applied by a user. With such regeneration,
the ball pit ball 10 can be employed over an extended lifetime to
maintain a sea of balls in a dry and sanitary condition.
As one will realize from each of FIGS. 1 2 and 3 the preferred
hollow outer shell 12 comprises a continuous and hollow spherical
configuration whereby it presents a substantially sealed structure
for retaining the desiccant material 16. The outer shell 12 certainly
could be formed from a wide variety of materials. For example, it
could be plastic, rubber or substantially any other material. Where
a desiccant material 16 in solid form is employed, it may be conceivable,
although it is not expressly shown, to form the outer shell 12 with
vents or other apertures for enhanced communication with the environment
of the ball pit ball 10. However, it will be appreciated that, regardless
of the material employed, some porosity in the outer shell 12 will
tend to exist inherently without a need for vents or apertures.
It will be appreciated still further that the dimensions of hollow
outer shell 12 and thus the ball pit ball 10 in general, also can
vary widely. By way of example and not limitation, the hollow outer
shell could have an outer diameter ranging the size of a standard
golf ball or smaller to the size of a standard basketball or larger.
However, a preferred ball pit ball 10 will have an hollow shell
with an outer diameter of between two and three inches and preferably
will have an outer diameter of approximately 2.6 inches.
In light of the foregoing, one will appreciate that the present
invention achieves a number of advantages over the prior art. For
example, by retaining a volume of desiccant material 16 the ball
pit ball 10 is capable of absorbing moisture from its own surface
and from neighboring surfaces in a ball pit or the like. With this,
the ball pit ball can inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi associated
with ball pit balls 10 within a ball pen as well as the internal
surfaces of the ball pen itself. Furthermore, by providing a ball
pit ball 10 with a spherical outer shell 12 the ball pit ball 10
is exceedingly rugged in use while remaining simple in construction
and reasonable in cost Even further, the ball pit ball with desiccant
10 assists operators of ball pits and similar equipment that is
in physical contact with persons to maintain the ball pit or other
arrangement in a sanitary condition without expending significant
efforts to do so. With this, the ball pit ball with desiccant 10
tends to promote the public health by maintaining surfaces of play
areas, such as seas of balls and the like, in a dry and uncontaminated
condition. Furthermore, the ball pit ball with desiccant 10 will
resist freezing whereby it can be employed effectively in outdoor
applications. These and further advantages of the present invention
certainly will be obvious both to one who reviews the present disclosure
and to one who has an opportunity to make use of an embodiment of
the present invention for a ball pit ball with desiccant 10.
From the foregoing, it will be clear that the present invention
has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred
embodiments that merely exemplify the broader invention revealed
herein. Certainly, those skilled in the art can conceive of alternative
embodiments. For instance, those with the major features of the
invention in mind could craft embodiments that incorporate those
major features while not incorporating all of the features included
in the preferred embodiments. With the foregoing in mind, the following
claims are intended to define the scope of protection to be afforded
the inventor, and the claims shall be deemed to include equivalent
constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
It will be noted further that a plurality of the following claims
express certain elements as a means for performing a specific function,
at times without the recital of structure or material. As the law
demands, these claims shall be construed to cover not only the corresponding
structure and material expressly described in the specification
but also equivalents thereof.
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