Patents Examined by Steven Wong
  • Patent number: 9675870
    Abstract: The money puzzle box is adapted for use with a currency. The money puzzle box is adapted for use with coins associated with the currency. The money puzzle box comprises a game board and a plurality of coin pieces. The plurality of coin pieces are pieces to a puzzle that are assembled upon the game board. The solution to the puzzle requires knowledge of a currency, which is being tested by the puzzle. The game board further folds into a box, which is used as a container within which the plurality of coin pieces are stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Inventors: Anita Van Brackle, Dalton LeMelle
  • Patent number: 9675847
    Abstract: A sports ball comprising an inner core with a plurality of nubs on its exterior surface, and an outer shell comprising two hemispheres that surround the inner core such that the plurality of nubs contact the inner surfaces of the outer shell's inner cavity. The outer core can comprise a cross-linked closed-cell foam such that the sports ball can be more durable and softer than conventional balls normally used for the same sport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Inventors: Timothy P. Jahnigen, Jose C. Velasquez, Rodger A. Bell
  • Patent number: 9669274
    Abstract: The present invention employs air pressure to suspend golf balls practice tees. A supply of golf balls is provided by a weather-resistant funnel connected to a pipe leading underground towards the fan. A sensor is used to determine if a golf ball is currently suspended in air and when to dispense a new ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Inventor: Alexander W. Renkis
  • Patent number: 9669276
    Abstract: A golf green divot repair tool includes a body portion and a single elongate prong attached to the body portion and defining a longitudinal axis. The body portion has opposed upper and lower surfaces, with the upper surface including a thumb pad, the thumb pad defined by an arcuate recess, opposed side walls located on either side of the recess, and a stop located adjacent the prong, the recess, side walls and stop smoothly merging with each other. The prong includes a tip and a shaft, the shaft being attached to the body portion, the shaft including at least two upper faces that merge at a plough edge, the plough edge being centered on the shaft parallel with the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Evolve Golf, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin J. Maloy
  • Patent number: 9662552
    Abstract: Disclosed is a grip aid for a golf club, which includes a grip aid body having an accommodation portion into which a golf club grip is inserted, and a projection for setting a gripping location of a golf club; and a first guide member detachably inserted into the accommodation portion and interposed between the accommodation portion and the golf club grip to guide movement of the golf club grip when the golf club grip is inserted into the accommodation portion, wherein after the golf club grip is inserted into the accommodation portion, the first guide member is drawn out of the accommodation portion so that the grip aid body is closely adhered to the golf club grip. If this grip aid is used, the grip aid body may be easily mounted to the golf club grip by using the first guide member, and a gripping posture of the hand gripping the grip aid body may be consistently maintained while swinging the golf club, thereby improving accuracy of swinging and increasing a driving distance of a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Inventor: Jai Choon Sin
  • Patent number: 9656135
    Abstract: The present invention provides a pitch mark repair device (10) having an elongate body (12) which may be insertion into the ground in a direction (A) substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body, the device additionally having a pair of arms (14) mounted to the body at or adjacent a first end of the arm and displaceable between a retracted position in which a free second end of the arm is disposed downstream of the first end with respect to the direction of insertion, through an intermediate position in which the arm projects substantially normally to the direction of insertion, to an extended position in which the second end is disposed upstream of the first end with respect to the direction of insertion, such that a pitch mark is drawn out through the action of the arms pulling on the surround earth as the device is withdrawn from the playing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Inventor: Robert Lattimore
  • Patent number: 9636550
    Abstract: A football sensing system including an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis and at least one accelerometer carried by the football to sense acceleration of the football along at least a first axis. The accelerometer is sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis. The accelerometer is positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football. The accelerometer in the first position is capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
    Inventors: Robert T Thurman, Kevin L Krysiak, Daniel E. Hare, Frank Garrett, Jr., David Betzold, Mark W Fisher, David J Proeber
  • Patent number: 9597565
    Abstract: A multi-sport ball is provided having an outer ball and an intermediate ball. The outer ball includes an outer ball first side and an outer ball second side, wherein the outer ball forms an intermediate compartment therein. The intermediate ball has a different shape than the outer ball and the intermediate compartment is configured to receive the intermediate ball. The outer ball first side and the outer ball second side each having a mating face, wherein the outer ball first side and the outer ball second side are configured to be separated at the mating faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Inventor: Babak Forutanpour
  • Patent number: 9592426
    Abstract: A game ball of composite construction, having a spherical hollow shell, with a pattern of perforation or holes arranged on and through the surface thereof, to substantially increase the aerodynamic drag upon the composite, and thereby effective reduce the distance the composite can travel upon being struck by a bat or club. In order to modulate and better emulate or mimic the feel and track of the composite in play, the composite is further modified by the inclusion of a plurality of randomly ordered discrete spherical elements, within said hollow shell, to effectively displacing about 50% of the interior volume of the hollow shell, and thereby contributing from about 20% up to about 75% to the mass of said composite In the composite embodiment of this invention game ball is a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Inventor: Stephen DiPietro
  • Patent number: 9586132
    Abstract: A three-dimensional platform comprising a tessellated surface of pieces, each piece comprising a top and sides. The pieces comprise a fixed square piece having at least two opposing sides orientated acutely relative to the top to define a fixed square retention surface. The remaining surfaces orientate substantially perpendicular relative to the top. There is a mobile square piece having at least two opposing sides orientated obtusely relative to the top to define a mobile square retention surface. The remaining surfaces are oriented substantially perpendicular relative to the top. A mobile triangular piece having all sides orientated obtusely relative to the top. The fixed square retention surface indexes only with either the mobile square retention surface or the triangular piece surface to effect retention of the pieces to define the three-dimensional platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventor: Mark Randall Stolten
  • Patent number: 9586113
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a golf club grip comprising a layer containing a polar rubber and a layer containing a nonpolar rubber, and excellent in tensile strength. The present invention provides a golf club grip comprising a polar rubber layer and a nonpolar rubber layer, wherein the polar rubber layer is formed from a rubber composition containing a base rubber including a polar rubber in an amount of 50 mass % or more, the nonpolar rubber layer is formed from a rubber composition containing a base rubber including a nonpolar rubber in an amount of 50 mass % or more, the polar rubber layer and the nonpolar rubber layer are laminated via an interlayer formed from an interlayer composition containing an olefin rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Sho Goji, Chiemi Mikura, Kazuyoshi Shiga, Kuniyasu Horiuchi, Toshiyuki Tarao, Hidetaka Inoue, Hitoshi Oyama, Hiroshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9586099
    Abstract: An electronically trackable ball consisting of a cover, an inflatable bladder, a valve in the bladder a mounting structure attached to said valve and extending inwardly of the valve toward the center of the inflated bladder and an electronic transmission device on said mounting structure remote from said valve. The mounting structure is preferably a lightweight polymeric cylinder with the electronics fitted at the end remote from the valve and close to the center of mass of the ball. The device is within the ball, and is constrained from moving around inside the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Catapult Group International PTY Ltd
    Inventor: Shaun Holthouse
  • Patent number: 9586098
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sports ball comprises cutting outer panels and inner padding cut-outs from three different sheet materials. The padding layer materials have perforations. A layer of heat-reactive adhesive that expands upon heating is applied in the machine-stitched seam areas before the panels are stitched together. The padding layer is glued to the inside-out ball cover before the cover is turned right-side out. A reinforced bladder is inserted into the cover, the remaining seams are stitched shut, and then the ball is molded in a heat and pressure mold that causes the seams to be welded as well as stitched, due to the expansion of the heat-reactive adhesive to cover the stitching in the seams. Enhanced performance characteristics of the resulting ball arise from the air spring aspects provided by the combined features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventor: Zain-Ul-Abideen Ahsan
  • Patent number: 9579560
    Abstract: A user-customizable audio-visual puzzle includes a platform having a base layer, a middle layer, and a top layer coupled together. The middle layer includes a first cavity therein. The top layer includes at least one cutout therethrough. The puzzle further includes at least one puzzle piece having a peripheral configuration shaped to correspond to the at least one cutout in the top layer. A drawer is configured to be removably positionable within the first cavity of the middle layer. The drawer includes at least one second cavity configured to be positioned generally beneath the at least one cutout when the drawer is positioned within the first cavity. The puzzle also includes a recording system configured to record a message associated with the at least one cutout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Inventors: Karen D. Renner, Kristin R. Branscom, Jodi L. Houin
  • Patent number: 9573030
    Abstract: A golf tee is disclosed that provides stability and promotes less spin on a struck golf ball. The tee may be beneficial for use on mats at a driving range. The golf ball may be elevated from the ground surface to help avoid the club head from contacting the ground thereby avoiding injury to the golfer and damage to the club.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Inventor: Dean Clark
  • Patent number: 9561402
    Abstract: A launchable or throwable flying device that comprises a tapering tube or hollow truncated cone shape with a front aperture that is larger in diameter than the rear aperture. Various aerodynamic and design features are designed to optimize the device's performance in flight, such as (but not limited to) a tail section that induces the device to tack into the wind when thrown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventor: Shaun P. Fogarty
  • Patent number: 9561415
    Abstract: An adjustable training golf tee is provided. The adjustable training golf tee may include a top body, a stem and a base. The top body may have a first side and a second side, wherein the second side forms a concentric threaded recess, wherein the first side forms a concentric stem aperture communicating the first side to the threaded recess. The stem may have a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is dimensioned and adapted to rest a golf ball thereon. The base may include a threaded flange and a spike perpendicularly joined thereto, wherein the threaded recess is dimensioned and adapted to rotatably mate with the threaded flange, and wherein the stem aperture is dimensioned and adapted to be slidably receive the stem secured to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Fits to a Tee Golf, LLC
    Inventor: Greg Rost
  • Patent number: 9539472
    Abstract: Balls for team and individual sports include a motion graphic that provides enhanced perception of ball rotation. The motion graphic is typically defined with a visual characteristic that contrast with a ball casing. The motion graphic includes first and second termination portions that are coupled by a connection region. The first and second termination portions are symmetrically situated with respect to a longitudinal axis and are asymmetric with respect to axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The motion graphic and the ball casing can be provided with substantially opposite colors selected to exhibit similar or substantially the same reflectivities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Smith, Alan W. Reichow, Karl Citek
  • Patent number: 9539473
    Abstract: A spherical sport ball may include a casing that includes first and second substantially hemispherical panel components. Each substantially hemispherical panel component may be a unitary structure having a central panel and a plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the central panel. In addition, the first substantially hemispherical panel component may be joined with the second substantially hemispherical panel component at a non-linear, circumferential seam between peripheral panels of the first hemispherical panel component and peripheral panels of the second hemispherical panel component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott R. Berggren, Scott W. Johnson, Clayton J. Lindsay, Vincent F. White
  • Patent number: 9539480
    Abstract: A golf tee measuring device and divot repair tool is provided for measuring the length of a golf tee, repairing divots, and housing a marker, the device comprising a housing defining an open aperture, a positioning slot within which a button travels, and an interior recess. The device further comprises a lower component having two extrudable prongs for repairing divots, the lower component defining a guide track recessed into an interior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas K. Boswell