Patents Examined by Michael Dennis
  • Patent number: 9987534
    Abstract: A training device for use with sporting equipment, such as bats and clubs, is provided. The device can include a main body defined by a perimeter sidewall and can include two openings defined through the body. The perimeter sidewall can have rounded end regions and flattened top and bottom regions and can be sized to accommodate two openings large enough to receive a user's fingers. The device can be used by inserting the index finger on one hand through the bottom opening and the little finger of the opposing hand through the upper opening. The user can then align the user's knuckles to the desired grip and grip the bat or club handle. The device can then assist the user in maintaining the proper grip of the bat or club handle while holding and swinging the bat or club.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: RE-PEAT SPORTS, LLC
    Inventors: Tim Akin, Matthew W. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 9987535
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a striking face, and a body coupled to the striking face. The body includes a crown, a sole disposed in generally opposed relation to the crown, and a back extending away from the striking face. The striking face and body collectively define a hollow interior chamber. A weight is disposed entirely within the interior chamber. An adjustment mechanism is coupled to the body and the weight to enable external adjustment of the weight along three axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Michael J. Kline, John Rae, Pat Ripp
  • Patent number: 9981164
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf club head that enables increasing the moment of inertia while also improving durability, and a manufacturing method for the same. The golf club head of the present invention includes a crown portion. The crown portion has a first region having a first thickness and multiple second regions having a second thickness that is smaller than the first thickness. The second regions are distributed in a radiating fashion so as to extend from an origin toward a peripheral portion of the crown portion excluding the face side, the origin being located within 15 mm of the center of gravity of the golf club head in the toe-heel direction and also being located in the vicinity of the face side in the face-back direction in a plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Akio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9975011
    Abstract: In one embodiment the golf club head includes three main components, a frame component, a rear cap component, and a striking plate. In another embodiment the club head may also comprise a front component, which is manufactured as a single unitary piece, and a rear cap component. The front component may also be overmolded by a thermoplastic polymeric outer portion which may or may not cover the striking face and which provides additional reinforcement at the load bearing sections of the club head and allows a more facile connection to the rear cap component. In another embodiment, a club head having a main body, crown insert, sole insert and metal face plate frame is formed by forming the sole insert and crown insert from a polymeric material using a thermoforming or thermosetting process and then injection molding the main body over the sole insert, crown insert and metal face plate frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Reber Wester, Nathan T. Sargent, Joseph Reeve Nielson, Christopher John Harbert, Hong G. Jeon
  • Patent number: 9975010
    Abstract: This invention provides a golf club with a club-head configured so as to decrease air resistance of the head by avoiding the air flows from retouching on the head surface. The club-head is provided with a ridge structure which contains a first ridge and a second ridge arranged at intervals in a downward direction of the air flows on at least the sole part of the head, wherein each of the ridges has the height of 0.2 mm to 3 mm and the breadth of 1 mm to 5 mm, the ridge structure being configured by plural ridges so as to displace the inclined angle of the ridges in a clockwise direction, resulting in generation of air vortex or whirls between the head surface and the surrounding air flows as shown in FIG. 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: CROSS TECHNOLOGY LABO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Saso
  • Patent number: 9962604
    Abstract: A game table is illustrates as a combination of the game of table soccer (also called foosball) and air hockey. The game table can be easily converted between a soccer game configuration and an air hockey configuration. In one aspect, the sidewalls of the game table incorporate at least one bushing structure allowing each rod to be selectively disengaged. In certain aspects the game table can be used to play a game using soccer player rods and figures and using a playing piece which floats on an air cushion. In certain embodiments, an asymmetric game playing piece may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Indian Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Farley
  • Patent number: 9962591
    Abstract: A motion analysis method includes: specifying a first axis along a longitudinal direction of a shaft of a golf club when a user is at a standstill using an output of a sensor unit; and estimating a prescribed position between head and chest of the user when the user is at a standstill using the output of the sensor unit and body information of the user, and specifying a second axis which connects the estimated prescribed position and a hitting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masafumi Sato
  • Patent number: 9956468
    Abstract: An eyeglass assembly for training golfers includes first and second lenses that are opaque except at first and second viewing portions. The first viewing portion on the first lens provides a first eye of the user with a view of the target in a target region, such as the golf ball, while the second viewing portion provides a second eye of the user with a view not including the target region. An opaque feature such as a horizontal line is also provided on the second lens such that the eyes of the user co-register the horizontal line with the first viewing portion to form a focus point that must be maintained on the golf ball if head movement is to be avoided during a swing. The opaque portions at the remainder of the assembly prevent visual distractions that may undesirably move the eyes and the head during the swing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Inventor: Anthony Turco
  • Patent number: 9950397
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns embodiments of a badge or insert for a golf club head that can eliminate undesired gaps between the insert and the peripheral sidewall of the cavity that receives the insert. In one embodiment, a golf club head comprises a main body comprising a cavity, which defines a central surface and an inner peripheral surface at least partially surrounding the central surface. An insert comprises a central portion and a deflectable portion coupled to and extending along a peripheral edge section of the central portion. The deflectable portion has a shape corresponding to and contacting a corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity. The deflectable portion forms a press-fit engagement with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity that retains the deflectable portion in a deflected state relative to the central portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Taylor, Scott Edward Folck
  • Patent number: 9950220
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a strike face, a crown, and a sole, and is formed from a forward section and a body section that are coupled together. The forward section includes the strike face, and the body section includes an upper shell defining a portion of the crown, a lower shell defining a portion of the sole, and an internal wall extending between the upper shell and the lower shell. The internal wall is molded from a polymeric material and is integrally formed with one of the upper shell and the lower shell. At least one of the upper shell and the lower shell defines an opening that is in communication with a cavity provided between the upper shell and the lower shell and at least partially defined by the internal wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Larson, Randy Garrido
  • Patent number: 9950221
    Abstract: An aerodynamic golf club head producing reduced aerodynamic drag forces via the curvature of a crown section. At least a portion of the crown section may be composed of low density materials, including nonmetallic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Albertsen, Michael Scott Burnett
  • Patent number: 9950224
    Abstract: An aerodynamic golf club head with a low center of gravity and producing reduced aerodynamic drag forces. The club head has crown section attributes that impart beneficial aerodynamic properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC
    Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Jeffrey J. Albertsen, Michael Scott Burnett
  • Patent number: 9925474
    Abstract: A toy includes a body and a first flap coupled to the body movable between a first position, in which a first surface of the first flap is visible, and a second position, in which a second opposite surface of the first flap is visible. The toy also includes a second flap coupled to the body movable between a first position, in which a first surface of the second flap is visible, and a second position, in which a second opposite surface of the second flap is visible. When the first and second flaps are both in the first positions, the toy defines a first configuration, and when the first and second flaps are both in the second positions, the toy defines a second configuration different in appearance from the first configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: JAY AT PLAY INTERNATIONAL HONG KONG LIMITED
    Inventor: Joseph A. Sutton
  • Patent number: 9925455
    Abstract: A roulette game enables single-spin formation of meaningful character strings, which character strings may be coupled to tones for enhancing the gaming experience. The meaningful character strings may be defined by solfege-enabling letter groups, which letter groups may prompt underlying tones in solmization. The syllabic roulette game comprises a roulette wheel, a wager-enabling layout, and a plurality of balls. The wheel comprises alphabetic characters against a rainbow colored backdrop for enabling various payout schemes. A color-coordinated wager support surface is preferably disposed adjacent the roulette wheel for facilitating wager placement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: CG TECHNOLOGY, L.P.
    Inventors: Donald Fisher, Melissa S. Langtim, Douglas Krich, Darlene Marie Garmann, Stephen Foote
  • Patent number: 9908025
    Abstract: Portable guiding device for the practice of golf comprising a first fastening module, rigid or semi-rigid, with an inverted U shape, which is attached to the user's belt. Said first fastening module comprises attachment methods to a second arm module, which in turn comprises a retractable extendible system that is placed in a mouth of said second arm module. Said retractable arm, in turn, comprises a series of telescopic sub-arms that may be manually extended or retracted, depending on the user's needs, and concludes in a distal end which is placed in the mouth of an objective module, which is made of a soft material. The second arm module allows for different adjustment and angle degree variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Inventor: Alejandro Jesus Diz
  • Patent number: 9908033
    Abstract: A game having: a plurality of game pieces; a plurality of game cards, the plurality of game cards having a plurality of first cards, a plurality of second cards and a plurality of third cards, the plurality of first cards when played require an action to be performed and the plurality of second cards when played allow for one of the plurality of pieces to be possessed; and wherein when each one of the game pieces when possessed provides immunity to the action to be performed when one of the plurality of second cards is played.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventor: Damon R. Saddler
  • Patent number: 9908014
    Abstract: In one embodiment the golf club head includes three main components, a frame component, a rear cap component, and a striking plate. In another embodiment the club head may also comprise a front component, which is manufactured as a single unitary piece, and a rear cap component. The front component may also be overmolded by a thermoplastic polymeric outer portion which may or may not cover the striking face and which provides additional reinforcement at the load bearing sections of the club head and allows a more facile connection to the rear cap component. In another embodiment, a club head having a main body, crown insert, sole insert and metal face plate frame is formed by forming the sole insert and crown insert from a polymeric material using a thermoforming or thermosetting process and then injection molding the main body over the sole insert, crown insert and metal face plate frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Reber Wester, Nathan T. Sargent, Joseph Reeve Nielson, Christopher John Harbert, Hong G. Jeon
  • Patent number: 9901837
    Abstract: A bucket tipping apparatus is provided. The bucket tipping apparatus includes a frame having an upper end and a lower end. The lower end of the frame includes at least one fastener thereon for removably securing the apparatus to a support surface, such as the ladder of a pool, among other supports. The upper end of the frame includes a receptacle pivotally affixed thereto, wherein the receptacle is suited for use in holding a volume of fluid. A fluid dispensing device having an elongated tube is secured to the frame and is configured to fill the receptacle with fluid. The receptacle is configured to support fluid therein until a tipping point, wherein the receptacle is actuated downwardly to dump the fluid and returned to a substantially upright position to repeat the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Inventor: Willis Henslee
  • Patent number: 9889346
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from the sole and have a depth, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe. The channel may have a width defined between a front edge and a rear edge, and a cross-sectional shape, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the center portion of the channel is substantially semi-circular, and wherein the cross-sectional shape of the channel is different at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Eric A. Larson, Andrew G. v. Oldknow, Michael T. Prichard, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Robert M. Boyd
  • Patent number: 9889353
    Abstract: A putter head is provided. The putter head includes a putter face defining a groove pattern extending in a heel-to-toe direction of the putter face. The groove pattern includes multiple sets of grooves spaced apart from one another in a vertical direction of the putter face. The sets of grooves have different cross-sectional configurations to adjust a launch angle of a golf ball based on an impact location of the golf ball along the vertical direction of the putter face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TRU2SPORTS LLC
    Inventors: Blair M. Philip, Jeffrey T. Halstead