Patents Examined by Alvin A. Hunter
  • Patent number: 11648447
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a lacrosse head having a pocket stringing system that includes attachment members that allow for rapid, direct attachment of a pocket to the head. A lacrosse head may include cleats protruding from the sidewalls at a rearward portion of the pocket area nearest the juncture, sidewall hooks protruding from the sidewalls at a forward portion of the pocket area forward of the rearward portion, and scoop hooks protruding in the forward direction from the front face of the scoop. Each cleat may have a rearwardly-projecting arm and a forwardly-projecting arm. Each sidewall hook may have a rearwardly-projecting arm. A first scoop hook may tension a pocket toward a first sidewall hook on a first sidewall, and a second scoop hook may tension the pocket toward a second sidewall hook on a second sidewall, so as to form a ball channel in the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Wm. T. Burnett IP, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Scott Brown, Michael F. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 11642578
    Abstract: In general, aspects of this invention relate to blade-type iron golf clubs or golf club heads. The blade-type golf club head may comprise a body forged of a metal material. The body may include a hosel, a top surface, a sole, a heel, a toe, a ball striking surface, and a rear surface opposite the ball striking surface. The rear surface may have an upper blade portion and a lower muscle portion with the upper blade portion separated from the lower muscle portion by a blade interface. The lower muscle portion may have a muscle portion surface are that includes a heel muscle surface area measured from the ball striking centerline to the heel and a toe muscle surface area measured from the ball striking centerline to the toe. The toe muscle surface area may make up at least 60% of the muscle portion surface area. The mass distribution of the lower muscle portion moves the center of gravity of the club head closer to the face center location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew G.V. Oldknow, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe
  • Patent number: 11642579
    Abstract: A golf club head has a face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion. The golf club head includes a weight member that is configured to be wound, a first wound portion around which a first part of the weight member is to be wound, and a second wound portion that is disposed apart from the first wound portion and around which a second part of the weight member is to be wound. In the golf club head, a position of a center of gravity of the golf club head is adjusted by changing a weight ratio of the first part to the second part. At least either the first wound portion or the second wound portion may be rotatable in a reel-in direction and a reel-out direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naruhiro Mizutani
  • Patent number: 11633650
    Abstract: A composite golf club head and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The composite golf club head has a carbon fiber composite body and a striking face. The carbon fiber composite body is formed by multiple carbon fiber prepreg materials or multiple composite prepreg materials including carbon fiber with stacking, a positive pressure, a vacuum negative pressure, and heating. The striking face is made of a carbon fiber composite or metal material, and is fixedly glued to a front opening portion of the carbon fiber composite body. A weight of the carbon fiber composite body is reduced. Center of gravity and moment of inertia can be adjusted easily according to striking distances or feel of striking of different golf club heads for enhancing a striking performance of the composite golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: O-TA PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chi-Wen Ling, Wei-Hsiang Chou, Fang-Yu Liu
  • Patent number: 11628338
    Abstract: An object is to provide an iron golf club head that has high drainage performance and facilitates application of backspin also in a wet state. In an iron golf club head including a plurality of scorelines in a face surface, a microgroove including at least an inclined groove is included between the scorelines, the microgroove extending in a heel leading edge-toe top edge direction to be connected to an upper scoreline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Doi, Kensuke Maenaka
  • Patent number: 11617927
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity. The body having a head-shaft connection system, a rear weight fastened to the golf club head proximate the rear end of the club head and proximate the Y-Z plane, and a front weight port or an internal cap connection system for securing the rear weight; in combination with specific windows regarding the moments of inertia and center of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Reeve Nielson, Nathan T. Sargent, Christopher John Harbert, Todd P. Beach, Brian Bazzel, Mark Vincent Greaney, Christian Reber Wester, Craig Richard Slyfield, Matthew David Johnson, Matthew Greensmith, Kraig Alan Willett
  • Patent number: 11617926
    Abstract: A golf club head with a hosel hole cover that helps improve the performance of the golf club head is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club head having a hosel hole cover at a bottom portion of an interchangeable connection system that not only provides improved performance of the golf club head by strategically utilizing an existing opening to adjust the weighting of a golf club head, but it also improves the aerodynamics of the golf club head by eliminating undesirable recesses that could be detrimental to the aerodynamics of a golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Sang Yi, Stephen S. Murphy, Richard L. Cleghorn, Richard Sanchez
  • Patent number: 11612793
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with apertures and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Solheim, Eric J. Morales, Erik M. Henrikson, Eric V. Cole, Paul D. Wood, Martin R. Jertson, Ryan M. Stokke
  • Patent number: 11607591
    Abstract: Some disclosed golf club heads include body having at least one raised sole portion and a cantilevered ledge extending down around a perimeter of the club head below the level of the raised sole portion. Some disclosed golf club heads include one or more sole openings in the body and a sole insert that is mounted inside the body over the sole openings. The sole can include weight tracks as well, and a rear weight track can extend between a toe side sole opening and a heel side sole opening. A crown insert can also be included that is mounted over an upper opening in the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew David Johnson, David Bennett, Nathan T. Sargent, Christopher John Harbert, Todd P. Beach
  • Patent number: 11608846
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a putter with a bi-material shaft is disclosed herein. The putter comprises a putter head, the bi-material shaft, a mass member and a grip. The bi-material shaft comprises a body with a tip end and a butt end. The body comprises a metal section extending from the tip end to a connection point, and a composite section extending from the butt end to the connection point. The mass member is positioned within an opening at the butt end of the shaft. Mass from the shaft is transferred to the club head and the mass member in the butt end of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp
    Inventors: Grace Hohn, Norm Smith, Augustin W. Rollinson
  • Patent number: 11602679
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a striking face having a face center and a virtual striking face plane generally parallel to the striking face. The golf club head further includes a sole portion, a top portion, a rear portion, and a loft L no less than 40°. A virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the striking face plane passes through the face center. A club head center of gravity is spaced from the virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction by a distance D1 that is no greater than 6.0 mm. The golf club head further includes a hosel including an internal bore configured to receive a golf shaft. The internal bore includes a peripheral side wall and a shaft abutment surface configured to abut a tip end of the golf club shaft. The hosel further comprises an auxiliary recess extending sole-ward from the abutment surface of the internal bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Patrick Ripp, Brian Herr, Mika Becktor, Keith Dolezel
  • Patent number: 11596851
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a training area in the form of an enclosed space in which light levels can be controlled, at least one physical element related to a task for which an individual is to be trained, and a lighting arrangement. The lighting arrangement generates a background luminance level in the training area sufficient to cause the vision system of the individual to function in the mesopic or low photopic range of vision, and the physical elements are themselves illuminated by an illumination means. The luminance level of the physical elements is greater than the background luminance level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Okkulo Limited
    Inventor: Mel David O'Connor
  • Patent number: 11596834
    Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to monitor athletic performance. In some embodiments, one or more control circuits and sensors are used to analyze performance as it compares to music tempo that is played during an exercise session or class, which may be done both directly and/or indirectly. In one embodiment, athletic performance during an exercise period is monitored and compared to the tempos of music played, where the music tempo is identified by one of measuring the actual tempo of the music played and/or obtaining the tempo from a database or otherwise associating the selection(s) played with an identified tempo of the music itself. In another embodiment, the music tempo is indirectly identified or analyzed, such as by analyzing the performance or cadence of a group of exercisers and comparing the performance parameters sensed to obtain a benchmark tempo from which to compare individual users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: SoulCycle Inc.
    Inventors: Derek McWilliams, Jeremy Landis, Bren Cavallo, Dallas Simpson, Christopher Blaich
  • Patent number: 11597172
    Abstract: Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares, Todd A. Waatti
  • Patent number: 11583738
    Abstract: Examples of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a body portion of a golf club head may include a front portion. A face portion may be coupled to the front portion. The face portion may include a central strike portion and a perimeter. A plurality of projections may extend from the face portion to provide a ball striking surface for impacting a golf ball. The plurality of projections may be aligned in one or more directions across the face portion and may increase in size in one or more directions from the central strike portion to the perimeter of the face portion. Other examples and examples may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventors: Bradley D. Schweigert, Michael R. Nicolette
  • Patent number: 11577128
    Abstract: In a golf ball having a core composed of one or more layer, the outermost layer of the core is formed of a rubber composition containing an ?,?-unsaturated metal carboxylate, and an envelope layer directly encasing the core is formed of a resin composition containing a thermoplastic resin having a structure that includes ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymerization units. The infrared absorption spectra at surface sites on the outermost layer of the core, as measured by ATR FT-IR spectroscopy, satisfy a specific condition. The ball has an enhanced adhesion between the rubber-based core and the adjacent cover layer that is formed of an ionomer resin or other ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer-containing resin material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Shindo
  • Patent number: 11577151
    Abstract: Card handling devices may include one or more features for detecting a deficiency relating to at least one card. Methods of operating a card handling device may include detecting a deficiency relating to at least one card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Colin A. Helsen, Peter Krenn
  • Patent number: 11577133
    Abstract: A golf club head has a body having a ball striking face, a rear opposite the ball striking face, a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe, the body having a void defined by a peripheral edge on the sole. The body further defines a cover that extends over the void and forms at least a portion of the crown. At least a portion of the peripheral edge of the void includes a lip extending from the peripheral edge inwardly into the void. The golf club head may additionally or alternately include one or more weight receptacles connected to the sole and having an opening in the sole, such that each weight receptacle is configured to receive insertion of a weight through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Michael G. Taylor, Michael Wallans, John T. Stites, Sherry L. Jones
  • Patent number: 11571611
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a club body and a resting face angle adjuster. The club body includes a crown opposite a sole, a toe end opposite a heel end, a back end opposite a face, and a hosel. The sole includes a sole surface. The resting face angle adjuster includes an adjustment member having a keel surface, and a recess formed in the sole such that a portion of the sole surface at least partially bounds the recess. The adjustment member is disposed in the recess and positionable between a first adjustment position and a second adjustment position. In the first adjustment position, the keel surface is at a first distance relative to the portion of the sole surface. In the second adjustment position, the keel surface is at a second distance relative to the portion of the sole surface not equal to the first distance in the direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Martin R. Jertson, Daniel K. Lee, Xiaojian Chen, Travis D. Milleman
  • Patent number: 11559729
    Abstract: Embodiments of a golf club head comprising a club head body and a sole mass element are described herein. The club head comprises a center of gravity height measured between a club head center of gravity and at least one keel point. The club head comprises a face surface, wherein the face surface defines a face height. The club head defines a ratio of club head center of gravity height to face height, wherein the ratio is less than or equal to approximately 0.36.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Ryan M. Stokke