Patents Examined by Steven Wong
  • Patent number: 9381412
    Abstract: A divot repair tool includes a main body having an internally located rotational cylinder, a fixed tubular slide liner, and a prong assembly having one or more prongs which transition between an extended and retracted position. At least one of the elongated prongs include a top end having a generally teardrop shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Inventor: Conor Fallon
  • Patent number: 9375057
    Abstract: A button assembly includes a back member, a socket or a stud secured with an eyelet or a rivet to the back member and a shell crimped onto the back member. Indicia may be disposed on the exterior surface of the shell. The button assemblies, each with a unique image, can be used to form a puzzle or provide a method of personal expression or a method of communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Inventors: Annalee Oakley, Gloria Alicia Schwartz
  • Patent number: 9370693
    Abstract: A sport ball may incorporate a casing that includes a plurality of panels joined at a plurality of seams, at least a first panel of the plurality of panels having (a) a first layer including a polymer material and positioned to form a portion of an exterior surface of the ball, (b) a second layer including a polymer foam material and positioned inward and adjacent to the first layer, and (c) a third layer positioned inward and adjacent to the second layer, the first panel of the casing defining one or more indentations in the exterior surface, the first layer being bonded directly to the third layer at the one or more indentations, wherein the one or more indentations include a first indentation. The first indentation may extend through substantially all of a thickness of the first panel, and the first indentation may have a substantially squared cross-sectional configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott R. Berggren, Tal Cohen, Vincent F. White, Gary W. Glahn
  • Patent number: 9339706
    Abstract: A golf teeing device. The golf teeing device may engage with a surface, such as an artificial golf mat, such that the user may conveniently place a golf ball to be hit. The golf teeing device may comprise a base and a top, wherein the base has extensions or hooks that extend in a substantially downward and sideways manner. These hooks, when rotated, grip into the artificial golf mat and hold the golf teeing device in place on the mat. The top portion of the golf teeing device may be configured to engage with a golf ball and/or golf tee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Tee Claw LLC
    Inventors: John Luther Black, Jr., John Efrin Candias
  • Patent number: 9327167
    Abstract: A sport ball may include a casing and a bladder located within the casing. The casing may include a plurality of panel elements joined to each other with welds, and portions of the panel elements that include the welds may project toward an interior of the ball. A method of manufacturing a sport ball may include providing a plurality of casing elements that include a thermoplastic polymer material. Edges of the casing elements are welded to each other to join the casing elements. The casing elements may then be turned inside-out through an aperture formed by at least one of the casing elements, and the aperture may be sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey C. Raynak, Vincent F. White
  • Patent number: 9320958
    Abstract: Provided is a golf putting practice machine having a laser pointer, the golf putting practice machine includes: a laser direction adjustment plate (1) that that determines whether or not an emitted laser beam is directed in a normal direction; a laser pointer (2) that emits the laser beam toward the laser direction adjustment plate (1) when an ON/OFF switch (2-1) is in the ON state, wherein said switch is arranged to enable or prevent the emission of the laser beam; a laser pointer accommodating portion (3) that accommodates and fixes the laser pointer (2); a laser mount (4) on which the laser pointer accommodating portion (3) is mounted in an adhering manner; an aiming upper plate (5) on which the laser direction adjustment plate (1) and the laser mount (4) are placed so as to be slidable; an aiming plate (6) on which the aiming upper plate (5) is placed such that the ongoing direction of a golf ball is accurately set; a force-conversion roller (7) that converts the freefall of a golf ball into a horizontal
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Inventor: DuckSang Yoo
  • Patent number: 9320951
    Abstract: Disclosed is a golf tee configured to control spin imparted on a golf ball due to friction between a contact surface of the golf tee and the golf ball. In one embodiment, the golf tee includes a plurality of support members to support a golf ball, wherein contact between the golf ball and the plurality of support members is asymmetrically distributed between a first contact area and a second contact area. In another embodiment, the golf tee includes a two-part shaft slideably coupled together and an adjustable resistance mechanism to provide a resistive force between the two parts of the golf tee, wherein the resistive force opposes the sliding together of the two parts. The resistance mechanism may be manually or automatically to control spin imparted to the golf ball due to friction between a contact surface of the golf tee and the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: William D. Duncan, Roderick A. Hyde, Thomas A. Weaver, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9314674
    Abstract: A sport object actuated by a user comprises: a ball, one or more grooves configured on the exterior of the ball, at least one elastomeric base rests within at least one of the groove at a first base position and one or more appendages molded at the edge of the elastomeric base to form a first appendage position. The shape of the ball is spherical. The shape of the sport object as well as the shape of the appendage can be sized and shaped in a variety of sizes to accomplish the same result of providing a changed color or decoration on the surface of the ball manually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Inventor: Dan Canobbio
  • Patent number: 9308438
    Abstract: To provide a jigsaw puzzle that is manufactured easily and conveniently in a short time and allows reduction in production costs, and a method of manufacturing the same. A jigsaw puzzle obtained by stamping out a laminated sheet of a plurality of synthetic resin sheets with a stamping blade to be divided into a plurality of small pieces, wherein the laminated sheet is formed of: a soft sheet of a soft synthetic resin having a sheet shape formed by extrusion molding; and a hard sheet of a synthetic resin that is harder than the soft sheet and is bonded to the soft sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: GATEWAY ARCH INC.
    Inventor: Katsuhisa Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9302163
    Abstract: A golf tee has a tee body that forms at least three ball support points that are each spaced from a center point of the tee body. The tee body further has at least three ground contact points that are each positioned between two of the ball support points for supporting the tee body and the golf ball above the ground surface. The tee body is constructed such that the ball support points are spaced from the ground contact points such that a golf ball is supported above the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Inventor: Lucio Maldonado
  • Patent number: 9302176
    Abstract: A three dimensional (3D) playing device includes a playing surface; a first anaglyph image displayed on the playing surface, the anaglyph image including a first and a second superimposed color layers that have a predetermined lateral offset, the first color layer including a first color, the second color layer including a second color, the first and second colors are different from each other; a plurality of prearranged dots displayed on the playing surface; and indicia indicating a predetermined sequence to connect the dots. The first anaglyph image forms a background or a foreground for an image revealed by connecting the dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Mindware Corporation
    Inventors: Teza Alvite, Jonathan Staruck, Adam Turner
  • Patent number: 9295904
    Abstract: Game piece (1) comprising three or more sphere-shaped elements (6) which are connected to each other, wherein the elements (6) are divided into two or more groups (7, 8, 9) each consisting of at least one element (6), wherein the elements (6) within one group (7, 8, 9) are immovably connected to each other and wherein each group (7, 8, 9) is rotationally connected to at least one other group (7, 8, 9), and wherein there is at least one group (7, 8, 9) with two or more elements (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Smart, Naamloze Vennootschap
    Inventor: Rolf Vandoren
  • Patent number: 9289657
    Abstract: A football with a free moving weight. Implementations may include an outer cover, a bladder within the outer cover, and a free weight within the bladder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Inventor: Chris Rice
  • Patent number: 9272191
    Abstract: A hard baseball ball is configured including a core layer, an intermediate layer, and the cover layer. The intermediate layer is formed on a spherical body by winding yarn having radio wave transmissivity, which allows radio waves to pass through, in a spherical shape around the core layer. The cover layer covers the intermediate layer, and is formed from a material with radio wave transmissivity. The hard baseball ball also includes the reflecting portion. The reflecting portion is formed on a spherical surface whose center is the center of the spherical body, and has radio wave reflectability. The reflecting portion is configured using yarn from which the intermediate layer is formed. At least a portion of the yarn from which the intermediate layer is formed is given radio wave reflectability, and the reflecting portion is configured from the portion of the yarn that has been given radio wave reflectability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Saegusa, Tsuyoshi Kitazaki
  • Patent number: 9272190
    Abstract: A volleyball cover is made of six equal panel sections. Each panel section is divided into two cover panels, making a total of twelve cover panels on the volleyball. Each cover panel has a plurality of dimples arranged in a uniform pattern across the cover panel. Cover panels are separated by very shallow skiving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Baden Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Hugh Tompkins
  • Patent number: 9259624
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a game ball having one or more grip zones that have greater frictional interaction compared to the outer surface of the game ball. The grip zones are made by stitching of a coated thread upon at least one cover panel to create the grip zone. The grip zone formed from the coated thread enhances the handling characteristics and playability of the resulting game ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventors: John P. Frank, Daniel P. Touhey, Louis Swiszcz
  • Patent number: 9254424
    Abstract: A sport ball may incorporate a casing that includes a plurality of joined panels. At least one of the panels may have a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The casing defines at least one indentation in the exterior surface, and the first layer is bonded to the third layer adjacent to the indentation. In some configurations, the casing may also define at least one indentations in a surface of the third layer, which may correspond in location with the indentation in the exterior surface. Additionally, the sport ball may include an intermediate structure and a bladder located within the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE INC.
    Inventors: Scott R. Berggren, Tal Cohen, Vincent F. White, Gary W. Glahn
  • Patent number: 9248348
    Abstract: A removable protective ball cover for a medicine ball is provided to protect an outer surface of the ball from wear and tear, increase the grip of the surface of the ball and maintain the balls' shape and structure. The ball cover may be formed from a durable material with high surface tension formed into a spherical shape with an opening that is used to encapsulate the medicine ball within the ball cover. The opening may be cinched closed by lacing the opening together to substantially, if not completely, cover the medicine ball and create a tight fit around the ball that will not move in relation to the ball. The ball cover may be formed from a series of specially-shaped panels which are triple stitched together with a backing material to prevent breaking of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Inventor: David Ray Newman
  • Patent number: 9242150
    Abstract: A system for identifying ball movement and position is disclosed. The system includes a ball for use in a sport activity comprising a lace or thread on, or adjacent to, an outer surface of the ball, and a communication element such as a wire or antenna disposed within the lace or thread, the ball's communication element being adapted to communicate via a signal received from, or sent to, one or more communication elements, such as a transmitter or receiver, disposed at or near a playing area. The playing area communication elements are adapted to communicate ball position based upon the signals sent and/or received. A processor is provided which is adapted to translate or process information received by the playing area communication elements into position, trajectory and/or movement of the ball. A method of identifying ball movement, trajectory and position and a ball for use with a ball movement and position identification system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Just Rule, LLC
    Inventor: Gregory W. Gale
  • Patent number: 9238170
    Abstract: A puzzle toy that includes a plurality of push buttons that normally project from the surface of a cubic or spherical body. As the buttons are pushed in one at a time a latching mechanism residing within the body holds the buttons in a pushed-inwardly state, given a correct sequence of a subset of the buttons was pushed, deduced by logic and memory and including a chance mechanism. However if an incorrect sequence of the selected subset of button pushing is employed the user is unable to continue until all the buttons so far pushed are reset, either manually or automatically, forcing the player to start all over. The puzzle is solved when all buttons are pushed in flush with the body of the toy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Inventor: Mark J. Holmes