Patents Examined by Nini F. Legesse
  • Patent number: 11117062
    Abstract: A playset having a battery housing and a receiving member is disclosed. The battery housing contains a battery and has at least one pair of recessed electrical contacts electrically connected to the battery. The receiving member has a chamber configured to receive the battery housing and an energizable element electrically connected to at least one pair of protruding electrical contacts protruding into the chamber. The battery housing is receivable by the receiving member such that the pair of recessed electrical contacts respectively electrically connect with the pair of protruding electrical contacts to supply power from the battery to the energizable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Genie Toys, plc
    Inventor: Casey W. Norman
  • Patent number: 11117031
    Abstract: A golf pin ball tray comprising a support surface having an inner aperture having a diameter of size to receive a shaft of a golf pin, the diameter being less than a diameter of a ferrule on an end of the shaft that is inserted in a golf cup, the support surface having a maximum diameter of about 55% to about 80% of an inner diameter of the golf cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Inventor: John A. Bergstrom
  • Patent number: 11103758
    Abstract: A training aid for use in developing putting mechanics is disclosed. The aid comprises a base that is placed on a practice putting surface. The base includes a guide rail shaped to describe two superimposed arcs that define the optimal 3-dimensional path for a putting stroke. The training aid includes a practice putter that has a notch in the base of the putter head that fits over the guide rail. The notch causes the putter head follow the path defined by the guide rail. Deviation from the optimal path results in friction between the notch and guide rail, which in turn provides tactile feedback to the user that they are off the optimal path. The device also includes features that allow for optimal placement of the golf ball relative to the intended line of the putt and marking to assist in gauging the distance the golf ball will travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Perfect Path Golf Ltd.
    Inventor: Clinton Schmaltz
  • Patent number: 11103759
    Abstract: Systems and methods to practice putting are provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a framework, actuators mounted to the framework, a control system, a computing device, and an artificial green. The control system is coupled to the actuators and controls actuation of the actuators. The computing device includes a display for viewing mapped green profiles and is configured to communicate with the control system. The artificial green includes a putting surface with a cup defined therein, wherein the artificial green is positioned over the actuators. With this arrangement, a user can select a putting region, after which, the computing device can translate and transfer the mapped data of the putting region to the controllers to actuate the actuators to, therefore, adjust the putting surface of the artificial green to correspond to the mapped green profile of an actual green.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: DERON, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey G. Flammer
  • Patent number: 11097197
    Abstract: A structure for hanging toys while complying with the safety and educational standards is provided. The structure includes one or more top portions, wherein one or more top portions comprises a head, a platform and a base. The base includes a slot to attach a string to which the toy can be attached. The structure further comprises a bottom portion, which is detachable from the top portion. The bottom portion includes at least two legs that are consequently detachable from the top portion and can be interchanged with another set of legs in order to adjust the height of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: MONTI KIDS, INC.
    Inventors: Zahra Kassam, Yuki Kawae
  • Patent number: 11090575
    Abstract: A building block set having a series of blocks and screws for connecting blocks. The blocks are provided with screw holes to receive screws. The screws insert into a block and extend into a neighboring block. Some of the screws are provided with screw heads having threaded channels that are configured to receive terminal ends of other screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: BJ TRADING LLC
    Inventor: Boruch Landau
  • Patent number: 11083948
    Abstract: A tennis-stroke trainer device is an apparatus that allows a user to perform various tennis strokes repetitively. The apparatus includes a frame, a training ball, a pair of length-adjustable fasteners, and an elastic cord. The frame offset and rotates the training ball around a post. The post is preferably a tennis post. The frame includes a U-shaped bracket, a cantilever arm, a counterfort arm, and a hook. The U-shaped bracket offsets and mounts both the cantilever arm and the counterfort arm with the post. The hook stretches the elastic cord along the cantilever arm. The training ball is preferably a large foam ball and serves as a target for the user. The pair of length-adjustable fasteners mounts the U-shaped bracket with the desired post. The elastic cord retracts the cantilever arm and the counterfort arm, and consequently the training ball after the training ball has been hit by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Inventor: Paul Swartwood
  • Patent number: 11083947
    Abstract: An athlete training device has one end adapted to be in contact with the athlete's body. The other end of the device is adapted to be secured to an athletic device, such as a ball or a golf club head. The level of difficulty readily may be adjusted from a relatively easy configuration to progressively more difficult configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Inventor: Ryan Maina
  • Patent number: 11083946
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a ball tee for supporting a ball. A ball tee comprises a column, and two platforms. The column is hollow and is generally identical on top and bottom, and dimensioned, at the bottom, to receive the narrow end of one platform, and, at the top, to receive the narrow end of another platform, communicating the column to both platforms, or one platform on the bottom with no platform communicated to the top, or either one platform on the top with no platform communicated to the bottom, providing a plurality of configurations and difficulty levels when utilizing the ball tee. The column is configured to stand upright on a multitude of natural and manufactured surfaces, with no platform communicated to the bottom, and to support a ball when there is no platform communicated to the top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Inventor: David Johnson
  • Patent number: 11077348
    Abstract: A golf swing training aid to assistively train a golfer the proper position and motion of the golfer's leading and trailing arms during certain phases of a golf swing, which primarily includes a strap assembly for releasably securing the training aid to the golfer's leading arm and an upper arm cradle connecting to a lower arm cradle by a hinging assembly with each of the arm cradles including an upper member integrally connecting and curvilinearly transitioning to a pair of longitudinal sidewalls. A locking assembly configured with first and second housing sections respectively attached to the upper and lower arm cradles houses a moveable shaft that fulfills to lock the arm cradles in a collinear arrangement and unlock the arm cradles to further pivotal movement relative to one another about the hinging assembly, particularly as such to correspond with the bending movement of the leading arm during the follow-through phase of the golf swing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventor: Kevin Byron Stokke
  • Patent number: 11065522
    Abstract: A golf backswing training device comprising a body. The body is formed having a unitary construction formed in a hollow oblate (flattened) hemispheroid shape, including a golf backswing training device body front panel, a golf backswing training device body rear panel and an arched segment extending therebetween. The golf backswing training device body front panel and rear panel are designed having like half elliptical shapes. The body is fabricated of a flexible, rigid material having a modulus of elasticity enabling the body to be compressed when a force is applied and returning to the original shape when the force is removed. The golf backswing training device is placed proximate a golfer's arm pit for use. The golfer would retain the body in position during a swing. This positions an arm of the golfer in a proper position during a backswing, thus creating proper muscle memory, thus improving the golfer's game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Inventor: John Paul Begley
  • Patent number: 11052323
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus for building a junk model, comprising an elongate member (118) attachable to a junk model body (106) and having a first end region and a second end region; a first attachment portion (130) for attaching a first surface engaging element (114) to the first end region; and a second attachment portion (132) for attaching a second surface engaging element (116) to the second end region; wherein the elongate member is selectively adjustable in length to set a distance between the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion. A kit of parts and method of building a junk model are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: LASER BEAM EYES LIMITED
    Inventor: Peter David Rope
  • Patent number: 11052297
    Abstract: A sports practice apparatus includes one or more target areas, one or more tunneling sections, and mounting apparatus. A first tunneling section is operably associated with a first target area. The first tunneling section has a receiving end and a target end and narrows from the receiving end towards the target end. The narrowing of the first tunneling section follows a trajectory that conforms to desired trajectory of a sports ball set into motion during practice. The first tunneling section is constructed of a material that prevents the sports ball from existing the first tunneling section other than at the target end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Inventor: Matthew Aaron Hammons
  • Patent number: 11045707
    Abstract: A putting trainer, as described herein, is used for practicing golfing with a golf club with a head. The putting trainer is for use on a generally smooth putting surface. The putting trainer has a body and at least one obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Inventor: David Glenn Grill
  • Patent number: 11040262
    Abstract: A ball training or simulating device is provided. The ball training or simulating device comprises a modified ball coupled to a base by a motion transfer member. The modified ball allows for a lower, more natural, ball position, while the shape, position, and configuration of the motion transfer member provide for a verisimilar kicking experience. The ball training and/or simulating device can be coupled to a computing device to allow input from the modified ball to be used in a simulated or augmented reality game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Inventor: Matthew Moran
  • Patent number: 11033793
    Abstract: A golf training device may aid both left and right-handed golfers to ensure proper stance width using a numbering system based on shoulder width. The training device may ensure proper ball placement off the golfer's front heel to ensure consistent ball striking location in swing. The training device may further ensure proper front foot angle along a swing path for full, pitching, and/or chipping swings and proper rear foot offset from the target line and stance width to ensure consistent swing arch based on the selected club. The training device may be flipped over depending on which hand the golfer uses, and it may be separated or collapsed to be placed in the golfer's bag for storage and/or transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Stance Caddy LLC
    Inventor: Brian Smith
  • Patent number: 11027184
    Abstract: A system and process for training a user's sports swing to maintain arm position and body rotation so as to promote a proper swing arc. The system includes a waist wrap having one or more attachment area on an outer surface. The system also includes one or more training blocks configured for attachment to the attachment area depending upon the type of swing being practices. The process promotes a proper swing arc by indicating incorrect arm position and/or body rotation through excessive contact between the user's arms and the training blocks during the swing. The goal of the system and process is to train a user's muscle memory for the correct arm position and body rotation in a proper swing arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Inventor: George Gankas
  • Patent number: 11020684
    Abstract: A haze-filled bubble device and method for producing haze-filled bubbles are provided that encapsulates a haze inside a rapidly emitted, continuous flow of bubbles, without permitting significant amounts of the haze to escape the device outside of the bubbles. Bubble solution is pumped into a bubble wand and a wiper cycles across its face to form a meniscus of bubble solution over the bubble wand's outer face. Additionally, a haze generating assembly can selectively pump fog fluid to a heater and a resultantly generated haze is provided to an enclosed chamber. A fan in the enclosed chamber forces the haze from the chamber into a conduit that channels the haze into the bubble wand and to the miniscus, where the air flow created by the fan is used to form haze-filled bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Chauvet & Sons, LLC
    Inventor: Rick B. Peeples
  • Patent number: 11007409
    Abstract: A golf club head made out of multi-material is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has at least a portion of the body of the golf club head that is further comprised out of a base layer and a lightweight cover layer. The base layer may have a plurality of cutouts to help reduce unnecessary mass and the lightweight cover layer may be made out of an ultra-lightweight material to further reduce the unnecessary mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11000749
    Abstract: Golf putting training devices are disclosed that include a toe line alignment rod that is perpendicularly connected to a lead foot alignment rod. The devices include a lead toe indicator rod, which is perpendicularly connected to the lead foot alignment rod through a first sliding connector. The devices also include a ball position indicator that is perpendicularly connected to the toe line alignment rod through a second sliding connector. The lead toe indicator rod and first sliding connector are configured to slide along an axis of the lead foot alignment rod to assist the golfer in identifying an optimal distance from a golf ball, while the ball position indicator and the second sliding connector are configured to slide along an axis of the toe line alignment rod to assist the golfer in identifying an optimal position of the golf ball relative to the golfer's left and right feet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventor: Robert Forney