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.

What it 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.

What it doesn't 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.

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.

Why it matters

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.

Real-world examples

• 1.The original Koosh ball
• 2.Various tactile sensory balls used in occupational therapy