How the Koosh Ball's Design Makes It Easy to Catch
A patent for a ball made of hundreds of soft, rubbery strings that collapse on impact to make catching easy for small hands.
Original patent title: “Generally spherical object with floppy filaments to promote sure capture”
A patent for a ball made of hundreds of soft, rubbery strings that collapse on impact to make catching easy for small hands. Granted to OddzOn Products Inc in 1988 with 10 claims and 62 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The device uses a dense, spherical arrangement of thin, floppy elastomeric filaments radiating from a central core. When the ball hits a hand, the filaments collapse and absorb the kinetic energy, which prevents the ball from bouncing away. Because the filaments are thin and flexible, they thread between the fingers of the person catching it, creating a secure grip. This design specifically targets the difficulty children have in coordinating the timing and grip required to catch a traditional, rigid ball.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover balls made of solid or rigid materials that do not collapse on impact.
- Does not cover spherical objects that lack the specific 'threading' capability between fingers.
- Does not cover non-spherical amusement devices, even if they use similar rubbery filaments.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The invention shifts the burden of the catch from the user's hand-eye coordination to the physics of the object itself; the filaments act as a mechanical damper that effectively 'grabs' the hand.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
The original Koosh ball
Various tactile sensory balls used in occupational therapy
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent describes the iconic Koosh ball, which became a cultural phenomenon in the late 1980s and 1990s. By solving the mechanical problem of 'bounce' and 'grip' in a single toy, it created a new category of tactile, low-impact sports equipment that was accessible to toddlers and children with limited motor skills.
Filed
June 11, 1987
Granted
July 12, 1988
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The original design was commercialized by OddzOn Products, which was later acquired by Hasbro. Today, the design language of the Koosh ball is widely used in the sensory toy market by various manufacturers focusing on tactile and therapeutic play.
Market impact
This patent defined the 'Koosh' brand, which became a staple in toy stores for decades. It successfully introduced a new class of 'soft-catch' toys that prioritized safety and ease of use, influencing the design of countless other foam and rubber-based sports toys that followed.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The device uses a dense, spherical arrangement of thin, floppy elastomeric filaments radiating from a central core. When the ball hits a hand, the filaments collapse and absorb the kinetic energy, which prevents the ball from bouncing away. Because the filaments are thin and flexible, they thread between the fingers of the person catching it, creating a secure grip. This design specifically targets the difficulty children have in coordinating the timing and grip required to catch a traditional, rigid ball.
The clever bit
The invention shifts the burden of the catch from the user's hand-eye coordination to the physics of the object itself; the filaments act as a mechanical damper that effectively 'grabs' the hand.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover balls made of solid or rigid materials that do not collapse on impact.
- Does not cover spherical objects that lack the specific 'threading' capability between fingers.
- Does not cover non-spherical amusement devices, even if they use similar rubbery filaments.
Patent Journey
From filing to expiry
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
36/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
7/20
Moderate scope
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$59K – $190K
Midpoint $119K · expired or expiring · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
10 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Stillinger, S. H. (1988). How the Koosh Ball's Design Makes It Easy to Catch (U.S. Patent No. 4,756,529). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4756529/koosh-ball-stillinger
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How the Koosh Ball's Design Makes It Easy to Catch cover?
A patent for a ball made of hundreds of soft, rubbery strings that collapse on impact to make catching easy for small hands.
Who owns patent US 4756529?
OddzOn Products Inc owns this patent, granted in 1988.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 4756529 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 62 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent describes the iconic Koosh ball, which became a cultural phenomenon in the late 1980s and 1990s. By solving the mechanical problem of 'bounce' and 'grip' in a single toy, it created a new category of tactile, low-impact sports equipment that was accessible to toddlers and children with limited motor skills.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover balls made of solid or rigid materials that do not collapse on impact.
Patent monitoring