Patents Examined by Alvin A. Hunter
  • Patent number: 11957962
    Abstract: A golf club head including a club face defined by a toe end, a heel end, a top rail and a sole. The golf club head including a plurality of grooves disposed on the club face between the top rail and the sole. Each groove extends between the toe end and the heel end. Widths of the grooves vary in a direction extending between the heel end and the toe end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony D. Serrano, Paul D. Wood, Bradley D. Schweigert, Calvin S. Wang, John A. Solheim
  • Patent number: 11957965
    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: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Martin R. Jertson, Daniel K. Lee, Xiaojian Chen, Travis D. Milleman
  • Patent number: 11951365
    Abstract: A shim or badge is affixed to a golf club body to produce a cap-back iron, giving the appearance of a hollow-body iron. In this way, the golf club can be manufactured with the performance benefits of a game improvement iron, while providing the appearance of a blade, player's iron, and/or a hollow-body iron. For example, by using a lightweight and rigid shim or badge to close a cavity opening and extend into the toe portion in the golf club body, the golf club head can provide increased stiffness in the topline, while lowering CG. Various shim or badge arrangements and materials can be used, and a filler material and/or damper can be included within the cavity to improve sound and feel, while minimizing loss in COR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Connor Mark Halberg, Adam Robert Warren, John Bernard Krzywiec, Scott Taylor, Bret H. Wahl, Mattieu Bovee
  • Patent number: 11951366
    Abstract: Examples of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a putter-type golf club head may include a body portion. The body portion may include a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, a rear portion, a top portion, a sole portion, and a weight port. The weight port may have a threaded section and an unthreaded section. A first weight portion may be coupled to the unthreaded section by an epoxy or other adhesive. A second weight portion may be threadingly fastened to the threaded section. The first weight portion may include a central through-bore to provide at least one of air relief or relief for the epoxy or other adhesive. Other examples may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew T. Andrews, Bradley D. Schweigert, Michael R. Nicolette
  • Patent number: 11944885
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a shuttlecock generally including a striking part and an aerodynamic part. The shuttlecock includes: a base to serve as striking element for the striking part of shuttlecock, a stems part formed by a plurality of stems to provide support to the aerodynamic part, the stems being connected or connectable with the base, and a sheeting part formed by a sheeting for forming of an aerodynamic member of the aerodynamic part attached or attachable to the stems. The stems part substantially has a shape of a pyramidal stems frustum, the base of the frustum preferably conforming to the open end of the aerodynamic part. The sheeting part, while attached to the stems, substantially has a shape of a pyramidal sheeting frustum. The edges of the pyramidal sheeting frustum are defined by the edges of the pyramidal stems frustum at an overlapping part of the sheeting part with the stems part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: SHUTTLESTARS B.V.
    Inventor: Hanco Ravelli
  • Patent number: 11938383
    Abstract: Described herein is a golf club head that comprises a body and a strike plate. The body comprises a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, and a top portion. The strike plate comprises an outer peripheral edge and at least a portion of a strike face. Furthermore, the strike plate is welded to the body via a peripheral weld between the outer peripheral edge of the strike plate and the body. The outer peripheral edge of the strike plate comprises at least one welded portion, welded to the body via the peripheral weld, and at least one non-welded portion, not welded to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Paul M. Demkowski, Bret H. Wahl, Scott Taylor
  • Patent number: 11931627
    Abstract: A ball striking device may include a ball striking plate having a front surface configured to strike a ball and a rear surface opposite the front surface. The ball striking device may include a covering element located behind the rear surface. The covering element may be affixed to the rear surface of the ball striking plate with an adhesive member. The adhesive member may include a double-sided tape. Further, a thickened portion of the ball striking plate may be located behind a desired-contact region of the ball striking plate and the covering element may be affixed thereto. The covering element may be a highly-contoured element. The ball striking device may be a golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Cardani, Jeremy N. Snyder
  • Patent number: 11931629
    Abstract: A golf club head with an improved sole profile is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses various types of irons, including wedges, having a toe portion, a heel portion, and a center portion therebetween, in which a camber radius of a sole as measured from a front to a back of the golf club head changes moving from the toe portion through the center portion to the heel portion. In addition, a bounce angle of the golf club head also changes moving from the toe portion through the center portion to the heel portion. The resulting golf club head improves performance, as this new sole profile allows specific portions of the sole to have a profile that meets the needs at that location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: ACUSHNET COMPANY
    Inventors: Joshua G. Breier, Marni D. Ines, Joseph John Van Wezenbeeck
  • Patent number: 11931628
    Abstract: A golf club head is formed by joining various parts to a head shell made of metal and having a hollow structure. The head shell has a region where a face and a sole are continuous with each other, thereby forming a leading edge between the face and the sole. The sole of the head shell is provided with a concave slot along the leading edge. The slot is configured to bend in a target direction upon hitting a ball with the face. A reinforcing member made of fiber reinforced plastic configured to apply a resistance to bending of the slot is attached in the slot. The slot has a thickness of, for example, about 0.8 mm to 1.3 mm and has a cross-sectional shape forming a parabola. The reinforcing member has a thickness of, for example, about 10% to 20% of the width of the slot in the target direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: HONMA HOLDINGS GROUP LIMITED
    Inventor: Daisuke Saito
  • Patent number: 11925840
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a face portion including a striking face for hitting a ball, a back face opposite the striking face, and a head outer peripheral surface extending between the striking face and the back face. The back face includes a cavity recessed on a striking face side and a frame portion extending along the head outer peripheral surface so as to surround the cavity. The frame portion is provided with at least one recess that extends along the striking face and opens to the head outer peripheral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuki Shimahara
  • Patent number: 11925841
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a golf club head having an adjustable weight assembly. More specifically, the adjustable weight assembly utilizes a weight member that's secured via a fastener along various positions within an elongate channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Sang Yi, Richard L Cleghorn
  • Patent number: 11918874
    Abstract: A damper is provided within the cavity of a golf club head and spans substantially the full length of the striking face from heel-to-toe of the golf club head. One or more cutouts and/or other relief is provided in the damper to reduce the surface area of the damper that contacts the rear surface of the striking face. By reducing the surface area that the damper contacts the rear surface of the striking face, the full length damper improves the sound and feel of the golf club head at impact and only minimally reduces performance of the golf club head. For example, the one or more cutouts and/or other relief maintains face flexibility, characteristic time (CT) and coefficient of restitution (COR) of the striking face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Connor Mark Halberg, Adam Robert Warren, John Bernard Krzywiec, Scott Taylor, Bret H. Wahl
  • Patent number: 11918865
    Abstract: A golf club head with a channel sized to receive one or more adjustable weights and an external support structure that bridges, and thereby supports, the channel without unduly interfering with weight adjustment is disclosed herein. The support structure, which includes one or more stiffening members on the exterior of the golf club head, improves the sound quality of the golf club head, and is particularly useful to attenuate the lower frequency mode shapes associated with slider channel geometry in golf club heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.
    Inventors: Dominic LeBlanc, Christopher A. G. Nunez, Brandon D. DeMille
  • Patent number: 11918871
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads having adjustable weighting systems with a plurality of discrete attachment locations capable of receiving one or more weights are described herein. The golf club heads described herein provide user adjustability of club head center of gravity to adjust ball flight while maintaining a high moment of inertia and low and back center of gravity position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Martin R. Jertson, Ryan M. Stokke, Xiaojian Chen, Cory S. Bacon, Jeremy Pope, Daniel K. Lee, David A. Higdon, Eric J. Morales
  • Patent number: 11911669
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with components composed of a metal-composite-metal construction are described herein. The metal-composite-metal construction makes up a portion of the golf club head. The metal-composite-metal construction can make up any one or combination of the following structures: faceplate, face insert, internal ribs, turbulators, crown insert, or weight channel. The composite layer of the metal-composite-metal construction is composed of reinforced fibers. The metal-composite-metal construction allows for weight savings in the golf club head while maintaining durability, strength, rigidity, and performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Cole D. Brubaker, Clayson C. Spackman, Joshua B. Matthews, Ryan M. Stokke
  • Patent number: 11911676
    Abstract: The utility model relates to the technical field of throwing toys, and discloses a structure of a lighting effect structure for a sandbag game board. The lighting effect structure for a sandbag game board includes a lighting effect assembly, a sandbag board configured to mount the lighting effect assembly, and a remote control configured to remotely control the lighting effect assembly. The lighting effect assembly for a sandbag game board includes a hole light strip, a board light strip, a sensing detection module configured to detect that a sandbag enters a hole, a vibration detection module configured to detect that the sandbag hits a board, and a voice playback module configured to perform voice prompt in cooperation with the sensing detection module and the vibration detection module. The hole light strip is embedded in an inner part of a hole on the sandbag board, and the board light strip is embedded at an outer edge of the sandbag board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventor: Wanghui Xiong
  • Patent number: 11911672
    Abstract: A golf club head with an improved adjustable weighting system for an iron and/or wedge type golf club head is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention provides an improved weighting system that fits in seamlessly with the traditional shaping of a wedge type golf club head that preserves the aesthetics of the golf club head that golfer have come to expect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Ronald K. Hettinger, Kevin Tassistro
  • Patent number: 11890516
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an iron-type golf club head that comprises a strike plate, an enclosed internal cavity, and a rear aperture formed in a rear wall. The iron-type golf club head also comprises a stiffening plug, within the internal cavity and compressed between the back surface of the strike plate and the rear wall. The stiffening plug is insertable, through a rear aperture, into the internal cavity. The iron-type golf club head further comprises a rear fascia covering the rear aperture and at least a portion of the rear wall. A characteristic time (CT) at a geometric center of the strike face is at least 250 microseconds. A maximum thickness of the strike plate, at the strike face, is less than 3.5 millimeters, inclusive. The strike plate, excluding grooves, has a minimum thickness between 1.1 millimeters and 2.2 millimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Scott Taylor, Joseph H. Hoffman, Matthew D. Johnson, Todd Beach
  • Patent number: 11883724
    Abstract: A shim or badge is affixed to a golf cub body to produce a cap-back iron, giving the appearance of a hollow-body iron. In this way, the golf club can be manufactured with the performance benefits of a game improvement iron, while providing the appearance of a blade, player's iron, and/or a hollow-body iron. For example, by using a lightweight and rigid shim or badge to close a cavity opening in the golf club body, the golf club head can provide increased stiffness in the topline, while maintaining a low CG. Various shim or badge arrangements and materials can be used, and a filler material and/or damper can be included within the cavity to improve sound and feel, while minimizing loss in COR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Connor Mark Halberg, Adam Robert Warren, John Bernard Krzywiec, Scott Taylor, Bret H. Wahl
  • Patent number: 11878220
    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: October 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.
    Inventor: Augustin W. Rollinson