Patents Examined by Steven Wong
  • Patent number: 7935005
    Abstract: A golf assistance device for aiding golfers while playing golf is provided. The golf assistance device comprises a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, a second side, a first end, and a second end with the top surface and the bottom surface creating a space and the second end being open. An elongated slot is formed in the top surface of the housing. A divot repair tool is receivable within the space. A protrusion is formed on the top surface of the divot repair tool with the protrusion receivable within and slidable along the elongated slot formed in the housing. A tensioning mechanism tensions the divot repair tool in either a retracted position or an extended position. A money clip is secured to the first end of the housing. A golf ball placement marker system is secured to the money clip. A marking coin is releasably securable to the golf ball placement marker system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Inventor: Curtis M. Botsford
  • Patent number: 7935013
    Abstract: This invention refers to the structure for a ball or ball cover that comprises a plurality of interconnected panels comprising first and second groups of panels which combined form a sphere. The first group of panels define at least two different surface areas of the ball or ball cover disposed at polar extremes on the surface of the sphere and the second group of panels define an area of the surface in the form of a ring, with at least three undulations and disposed in the equatorial zone of the surface of the ball or ball cover, creating a separation between the polar extremes defined by the first group of panels; whereby the width of the ring is modified to improve the sphericity of the ball or ball cover and obtaining a ball of a selected measurement (C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Inventor: Francisco Pacheco
  • Patent number: 7922605
    Abstract: Provided is a ball marker for golf, including: a round-shaped case having an opening; a disc spring fit to the round-shaped case; a thin film printed circuit board and a flexible printed circuit cable seated on a top surface of the disc spring, the thin film printed circuit board having a light-emitting diode flickering control chip, the flexible printed circuit cable being connected to the thin film printed circuit board and having a plurality of surface mounted device light emission diodes; a transparent rubber layer formed on the thin film printed circuit board and the flexible printed circuit cable; an electric cell received in a receiving portion of the disc spring exposed from a lower portion of the round-shaped case; a button switch and a button cover arranged on the electric cell; and a lower fixing portion fused and fixed with soft resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Inventor: Seong-Kyu Lim
  • Patent number: 7918457
    Abstract: The invention relates to a ball-shaped puzzle comprising a spherical support element (1; 31) and a plurality of movable puzzle elements (16; 33) which all have substantially the same size and shape, the movable puzzle elements (16; 33) being slidably engaged in a trajectory (2; 32) on the outside of the spherical support element (1; 31), the trajectory (2; 32) defining a plurality of predetermined positions on the outside of the spherical support element (1; 31) between which the puzzle elements (16; 33) are movable. The spherical support element (1; 31) comprises a core and a plurality of trajectory forming elements (15; 45-46) which form the trajectory (2; 32), the trajectory forming elements (15; 45-46) being fixed onto the core (13; 43-44) by a snap-fitting arrangement (40-41).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: DPT
    Inventor: Marc Wittevrongel
  • Patent number: 7914398
    Abstract: The present invention is a golf swing training aid to help train golfers how to better hit a golf ball with a golf club. The training aid consists of a generally T shaped member having a central portion, an elongated pointer portion extending from the central portion and first and second side arms extending from the central portion in opposite directions. The pointer portion is oriented perpendicular to the first and second side arms. The aid further includes a tower member pivotally connected to the central portion of the T shaped member, the tower member being movable between an upright position wherein the tower member extends perpendicularly upward relative to the central portion and a lowered position wherein the tower member is pivoted towards the pointer portion. The tower member is dimensioned and configured to support a golf ball when the tower member is in its upright position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Inventors: Vaughan Tuck, Tim Vanstone
  • Patent number: 7914405
    Abstract: The toy assembly is a ball or similar object that can be temporarily compressed into a disc-shaped object. A short time after compression, the toy pops back into its original ball-like shape. The toy assembly has a body that can be selectively configured between an expanded shape and a compressed shape. The body is naturally biased into its expanded shape. A binding hole is defined on a first side of the body. A nub extends inwardly from the body opposite the binding hole. The nub passes into the binding hole with a friction fit when the body is in its compressed shape. The friction fit creates a friction force that temporarily counteracts the natural bias of the body. After a predetermined period of time, the friction fit fails and the body of the toy pops back into its original shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Inventors: Keith Scheffler, Simeon E. Tiefel
  • Patent number: 7909715
    Abstract: A basketball having an outer surface and including a first set of channels formed into the outer surface of the basketball. The basketball further includes a bladder, a carcass and at least one cover panel. The carcass covers the bladder and has an outer surface that defines a second set of channels. The cover panel(s) is positioned over the carcass and over at least one of the channels of the second set of channels. The cover panel(s) generally conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the carcass such that the cover panel defines at least one groove in the outer surface of the basketball corresponding to the channels of the second set of channels. The depth of the groove is greater than or equal to 0.7 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventor: Kevin L. Krysiak
  • Patent number: 7901303
    Abstract: A golf tee with excellent support stability is provided. The golf tee is capable of preventing itself from being driven together with a golf ball. The golf tee is a truncated conical golf tee having a hollow structure with a lower end placed on the ground surface and an upper end on which a golf ball is placed. The golf tee has shape restoration properties. The golf tee has a plurality of columns extending from the lower end toward the upper end, sidewalls thinner than the column formed between respective columns, and a plurality of vents provided in each of the sidewalls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Daiya Corporation
    Inventor: Issei Toyosawa
  • Patent number: 7892120
    Abstract: A basketball having an outer surface and including a first set of channels formed into the outer surface of the basketball. The basketball further includes a bladder, a carcass and at least one cover panel. The carcass covers the bladder and has an outer surface that defines a second set of channels. The cover panel(s) is positioned over the carcass and over at least one of the channels of the second set of channels. The cover panel(s) generally conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the carcass such that the cover panel defines at least one groove in the outer surface of the basketball corresponding to the channels of the second set of channels. The depth of the groove is greater than or equal to 0.7 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventor: Kevin L. Krysiak
  • Patent number: 7887056
    Abstract: Puzzle formed by a plurality of cubes. Puzzle formed by a plurality of cubes, wherein each face (3) of each cube shows a fragment of an image, and which is formed by a quantity of cubes whose square root is a whole number. The cubes may be arranged three-dimensionally forming a bigger cube in such a way that each of the faces of the bigger cube shows an image formed by the fragments of images of each of the seen faces (3) of each of the cubes. Each of the cubes can have reversible connecting means for connecting the cube with cubes adjacent thereto preferably by means of movable magnets. The puzzle can be used as a flags construction game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Educocio S.L.
    Inventor: Jose Maxenchs Tenorio
  • Patent number: 7887055
    Abstract: An improved puzzle of the type that requires an examinee to fill a geometric grid with indicia using a set of clues and guided by placement rules, comprising a plurality of geometric shapes arranged contiguously to form rows, columns, diagonals, and spaces where the geometric shapes intersect. The placement rules of an embodiment are to fill the geometric shapes with non-repeating indicia such that indicia are also not repeated in any row, column, diagonal, or geometric shape. Clues are provided by the examiner in the form of a predetermined subset of the solution indicia, aggregation information about the indicia in each diagonal, and aggregation information about the indicia bordering areas where the geometric shapes intersect. This construct provides a superior challenge for the examinee by increasing the number and types of techniques required to solve a puzzle instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Inventor: Douglas Daniel Gardner
  • Patent number: 7878507
    Abstract: A game apparatus with passageways for object passage. Some portions consist of stationary pieces. Each of these contains a plurality of passageways. Other portions consist of multiple pieces. Some of these can be moved and others cannot be moved. Those pieces that can be moved contain a plurality of passageways. The operator of the game moves these pieces via handles. In each position the passageways in the moveable pieces align with passageways in either the portions above or below. As alignments occur, objects drop from one portion to the one below. Mechanisms cause the movement of some pieces to transfer to other pieces. Below the lowest portion are two collection trays on opposite sides of the assembly. By manipulating the movable pieces game operators can cause objects to move down through the apparatus into the collection trays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Inventor: John Joseph Dimond
  • Patent number: 7871332
    Abstract: An apparatus at a driving tee for golf balls or the like, comprising a raisable and lowerable ball support a so-called peg, on which a ball may be placed for driving thereof after lifting of the ball support with the ball to the desired level above the tee, the ball support being disposed on means for switching of the ball support from a low position for loading of the ball support with a ball to a higher position of said desired ball driving level, the ball support being disposed on the switching means via positioning means which are disposed to permit pivoting of the ball support in at least the driving direction, wherein the positioning means include a substantially U-shaped bracket between whose shanks the ball support is pivotal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Inventor: Jordan Knez
  • Patent number: 7867116
    Abstract: A game ball including a casing and a lacing. The casing has a laced region. The lacing is coupled to the laced region of the casing. The lacing has an exposed surface comprised of an outer material that is compressible, resilient, and tactile. The outer material has a modulus of elasticity of between 14 and 170 kg/cm2 and a tensile strength between 100 and 650 kg/cm2. At least a portion of the lacing can have an exposed pebbled surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventors: Douglas G. Guenther, Kevin L. Krysiak, Kevin J. Murphy
  • Patent number: 7862458
    Abstract: A game ball, which may be a soccer ball or a variety of other types of ball. The game ball includes a plurality of pentagonal panels, with each of the pentagonal panels having five convex edges. The game ball also includes a plurality of hexagonal panels, with each of the hexagonal panels having three substantially linear edges and three concave edges. The pentagonal panels and the hexagonal panels are connected along abutting concave edges and convex edges, and the hexagonal panels are connected each other along abutting linear edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Avis, Chris S. Page, Geoffrey C. Raynak
  • Patent number: 7854672
    Abstract: A ball includes a core and a surface cover that is formed by sewing together two shape-mated covering pieces. Each covering piece has a close-to-edge area defining inboards an inward circumferential zone in which spaced through apertures are defined. The through apertures are circumferentially distributed along the inward circumference of the close-to-edge area. The close-to-edge area has an outward circumference forming a turn-back section. The turn-back section is foldable over and attached to itself by adhesives so as to form a smooth and regular outer circumference of the covering piece. When the surface cover of the ball is completely sewn, a sewn portion between the two covering pieces shows a smooth and regular configuration so that no secondary finishing of the sewn portion of the covering pieces is needed. The manufacturing time of the ball can thus be shortened and the manufacturing costs reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Inventor: Yao-Jen Huang
  • Patent number: 7850550
    Abstract: There is provided an improved pocket golf tool comprising a golf tee angle adjuster, together with one or more of the following components: golf tee leveler, a golf tee height adjuster, a divot repairer, a club face cleaner, a ball marker, and an object rest. In a preferred embodiment, all of these components are incorporated in the golf tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Inventors: John J. Nania, Philip Dinato
  • Patent number: 7846044
    Abstract: An adjustable golf tee with anchoring system that provides a simple adjustable golf tee for use on driving ranges. The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a new and simple adjustable golf tee that can be rotationally adjusted in height and contains a plurality of screw threads that add stability and durability to the golf tee. The inventive device includes an adjustable unit and a base supporting unit which contains a base and a planar bottom surface that can be embedded underneath a commercial mat of a driving range. The adjustable unit and base support unit contains a plurality of screw threads which provides stability, durability and allows for the adjustable unit to be rotationally adjusted in height, while retaining its user customizable height position despite enduring constant and repeated strikes from a typical golf club. The top end of the adjustable unit contains a concave structure to accommodate a golf ball and a lower end having an arrowhead or dome like structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Inventor: Suren F. Sagadevan
  • Patent number: 7837581
    Abstract: A sports ball includes an inflatable bladder, and a ball carcass. The ball pocket is constructed to have a true roundness shape, having an interior cavity receiving the inflatable bladder therein, wherein when the inflatable bladder is inflated, the ball pocket retains a true roundness shape of the inflatable bladder. The ball carcass includes a ball cushion and a plurality of carcass panels. Each of the carcass panels has a peripheral edge and a flat bottom surface defined within the peripheral edge, wherein the bottom surface of each of the carcass panels is entirely affixed to the ball cushion at a position that the peripheral edge of each of the carcass panels is fittingly aligned with the peripheral edges of the adjacent carcass panels to form a roundness carcass of the sportsball in a stitch-less manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Inventor: Tsing Ming Ou
  • Patent number: 7833114
    Abstract: A low ground resistance golf tee for insertion into a playing surface to support a golf ball above the playing surface to be struck by a golf club launching the golf ball in a flight direction is provided. The golf tee includes a body having an impact side, a release side, an insertion end, and a ball support end. The golf tee has a low exit resistance region that includes a low exit resistance region insertion edge for penetrating and separating the playing surface to create a preferred exit path for the low exit resistance region upon impact by the golf club. The golf tee further includes a stem region located between the low exit resistance region and the ball support end, which is designed to be displayed above the playing surface. Upon impact, the golf tee pivots forward in the flight direction with minimal resistance from the playing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Inventor: Mark Allen Schneider