# 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. - **Patent:** US 4756529 - **Original title:** Generally spherical object with floppy filaments to promote sure capture - **Owner:** OddzOn Products Inc - **Granted:** 1988 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 62 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, mechanical ## What it does 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 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. ## 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. ## Real-world examples 1. The original Koosh ball 2. Various tactile sensory balls used in occupational therapy ## 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. ## 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. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4756529/koosh-ball-stillinger **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US4756529 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How the Wiffle Ball Design Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2776139/wiffle-ball-mullany) — A 1954 patent for a lightweight, perforated plastic ball designed to curve easily when thrown, famously known as the Wiffle ball. - [How the Slinky Toy Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2415012/slinky-toy) — The original 1947 patent for the Slinky, a helical spring toy designed to walk down stairs through the transfer of energy. - [How the Hula Hoop Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3079728/hula-hoop-wham-o) — A 1963 patent for a lightweight, rigid plastic hoop designed to rotate around a human waist through rhythmic body movements. - [How TinkerToy's Original Wooden Construction Blocks Work](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1113371/tinkertoy-pajeau) — A 1914 patent for a modular toy system using wooden sticks and circular hubs with holes to build complex three-dimensional structures. - [How A.C. Gilbert Designed Early Interlocking Toy Construction Blocks](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1066809/erector-set-gilbert) — A 1913 patent by A.C. Gilbert for a system of toy building blocks designed to snap together to create structures.