Patents Examined by William M. Pierce
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Patent number: 12179077Abstract: A golf club head includes a striking face including an exterior surface having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface; a sole extending from the lower leading edge and having a rearward portion opposite to the lower leading edge; a back portion coupled between the upper topline edge and the rearward portion; a cavity at least partially enclosed by the striking face, the sole, and the back portion; and at least one constrained damping layer on the interior surface of the striking face.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2022Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: ACUSHNET COMPANYInventors: Marni D. Ines, Gery M. Zimmerman
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Patent number: 12172059Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with energy storage characteristics are presented herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a hollow body comprising a strikeface, a heel region, a toe region opposite the heel region, a sole, a top rail and an inflection point. The inflection point provides increase bending of the strikeface thereby providing performance enhancement over clubs without an inflection point.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2023Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Calvin S. Wang, Ryan M. Stokke, Martin R. Jertson
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Patent number: 12168166Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with energy storage characteristics are presented herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a body comprising a strikeface, a heel region, a toe region opposite the heel region, a sole, a crown, and an internal radius transition from the strikeface to at least one of the sole or the crown. In many embodiments, the internal radius transition region is not visible from an exterior of the golf club head and comprises a first tier, a second tier and a tier transition region between the first tier and the second tier.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2022Date of Patent: December 17, 2024Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Martin R. Jertson, Eric J. Morales, Cory S. Bacon, Calvin Wang, Xiaojian Chen, Ryan M. Stokke
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Patent number: 12151144Abstract: A golf club head comprising a body and a hollow stiffening structure is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section, and a crown section, and defines a hollow interior. The hollow stiffening structure extends within the hollow interior from the crown section to the sole section to reduce stresses placed on the face section during impact with a golf ball. The hollow stiffening structure creates stiffness in a vertical, crown-sole direction of the body, while reducing stiffness in the horizontal, front-rear direction. These two effects combine to increase ball speed and improve other performance metrics from low center through high center ball impact locations, and simultaneously lower CT of the golf club.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2023Date of Patent: November 26, 2024Assignee: Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.Inventors: Nathan Reed, James A. Seluga, Denver Holt
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Patent number: 12145035Abstract: An iron type golf club head, including a body including a striking face, a topline located at a top of the striking face, a leading edge located at a bottom of the striking face, a body sole surface extending rearward from the leading edge, a hosel located at a heel side of the golf club head, a toe side opposite the heel side, a sole plate rotatably coupled to the body, wherein the sole plate comprises an adjustment member located between the body and the sole plate, wherein the adjustment member is adjustable between a maximum bounce position and a minimum bounce position.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2023Date of Patent: November 19, 2024Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Jonathan Hebreo, Richard L. Cleghorn, Doug M. Takehara, Aaron Dill
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Patent number: 12145032Abstract: A golf club head includes a club body having a crown opposite a sole, a toe end opposite a heel end, a back end, and a hosel. The golf club head also includes an adjustable weighting system positioned on the club body, the adjustable weighting system includes a single channel and a member that is received by the single channel and fastened to the club body, where a plurality of weights are coupled to the member. The golf club head can additionally or alternatively include a face angle adjustment system positioned on the sole, the face angle adjustment system includes a member that is removably received by the single channel and fastened to the sole, the member includes a first end member and a second end member, wherein the member is configured to be repositioned within the channel to adjust a resting face angle of the golf club head.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2023Date of Patent: November 19, 2024Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Ryan M. Stokke, David A. Higdon, Martin R. Jertson, Jeremy Pope, Xiaojian Chen
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Patent number: 12138527Abstract: A bowling centre system (100) comprises: a bowling lane (1); a plurality of pins (2) positionable at predetermined points on the bowling lane (1); a plurality of strings (3), associated at one end, with a corresponding pin (2); for each string (3), a constrain system (4) positioned above the bowling lane (1) and having the other end of each string (3) connected to it; a pulley system (5) for managing the strings (3), positioned between the connecting system (4) and the pins (2) and comprising a motor-driven drawbar (6) operatively configured to manage a predetermined length of each string (3) present along the pulley system (5); the drawbar (6) is movable between a first position, allowing the pins (2) to be lifted from the bowling lane (1), and a second position, allowing not only the pins (2) to be lowered onto the bowling lane (1) into the predetermined position but also each string (3) to be slackened by the release of a further first working length so that the pins (2) can fall freely when struck by a baType: GrantFiled: June 21, 2023Date of Patent: November 12, 2024Assignee: QUBICAAMF WORLDWIDE, LLCInventor: Roberto Vaioli
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Patent number: 12134026Abstract: Systems and methods for masking pinsetters of a bowling center. The systems comprise a modular masking unit that comprises a first array of displays structurally supported by a support frame. The support frame is mounted to the ground so that the array of displays extends over a pair of bowling lanes and masks the p insetters for the pair of bowling lanes. The displays are arranged such that they can be independently controlled to provide a plurality of small displays or collectively controlled to provide a single large multi-panel display. The support frame is height adjustable such that a distance between the array of displays and the ground is adjustable (e.g., so that the masking unit can fit in between or in conjunction with all types of pinsetters, bowling scoring systems, and/or other masking units).Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2020Date of Patent: November 5, 2024Assignee: DFX: SOUND VISIONInventor: Michael Bovino
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Patent number: 12109461Abstract: A head includes a body member that has an opening, and a face member that includes a striking face and closes the opening. The face member includes a face portion that forms the striking face, and a peripheral portion that extends from a peripheral edge of the face portion toward a back side. The peripheral portion of the face member is welded to the body member. A weld bead that juts from the inner surface of the head is formed at a boundary position between the peripheral portion and the body member. A wall thickness at a face-side end point of the weld bead is greater than a wall thickness at a body-side end point of the weld bead. The peripheral portion has a length of less than or equal to 6 mm.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2022Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani, Daisuke Kohno, Masahiko Ueda, Yuki Nagano, Satoru Hanamitsu, Naoyoshi Ueda
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Patent number: 12053676Abstract: A golf club head includes a face section, a crown section, a sole section, a heel section, and a toe section. A hollow section separated from the outside is formed inside the golf club head. The face section includes, on a back surface, a first thick section, a second thick section and a thin section thinner than the first thick section and the second thick section and disposed so as to surround the entire periphery of the first thick section and the entire periphery of the second thick section. The first thick section has a first portion disposed at the center in both the toe, and a second portion protruding from a part at the center of the first portion in the longitudinal direction toward the crown section.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2021Date of Patent: August 6, 2024Assignee: Mizuno CorporationInventors: Daisuke Hosooka, Kei Tsuji
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Patent number: 12042701Abstract: Embodiments of a golf club head having an adjustable weight system. The golf club head having a single, relatively compact channel for receiving a weight assembly. The channel does not comprise any threaded bores in or through the walls of the channel. The weight assembly comprises a single weight and a screw. The weight comprises a threaded bore configured to receive the screw. The channel further comprises notches and locating features to position the weight in distinct, prescribed positions. The locating features, notches, and screw are concentric to one another in a final, assembled configuration.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2023Date of Patent: July 23, 2024Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Cole D. Brubaker, Travis D. Milleman, Cory S. Bacon
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Patent number: 12029948Abstract: A golf club head includes a metallic head body having an opening, and an FRP member fixed to the head body so as to close the opening. The FRP member is a fiber-reinforced plastic including fibers and thermoplastic resin. The head body includes a support portion around the opening. The support portion has a first surface for supporting the FRP member. The first surface is provided with at least one narrow groove having a groove width of 20 to 80 ?m and a groove depth of 100 to 400 ?m, and a part of the thermoplastic resin of the FRP member is solidified inside the at least one narrow groove.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2022Date of Patent: July 9, 2024Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Yumi Kanemitsu, Naruhiro Mizutani, Hirotaka Nakamura, Yuki Motokawa
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Patent number: 12017123Abstract: Disclosed golf club heads include a body defining an interior cavity, a striking surface, a sole, a crown, and a hosel, which is configured to provide improved aerodynamic and inertia generating properties of the golf club head. Certain embodiments include an inertia generator positioned in the sole between an area proximate the club head's center of gravity and a position toeward of the center of gravity at the rear of the golf club head. Some embodiments include fixed or removable mass elements, weights or weight assemblies positioned in the sole, including, in some instances, within or adjacent to the inertia generator. In particular embodiments, one or more weight assemblies are movably retained within a weight channel defining a path along the sole.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2022Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Matthew David Johnson, David Bennett, Dana Ehyaei, Robert Story, Jake Feuerstein
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Patent number: 12017136Abstract: A bowling enhancement system is for a bowling lane, and may include a mobile device, an image sensor arranged over the bowling lane and configured to generate image data of the bowling lane, projectors arranged over the bowling lane and configured to generate a set of projected images onto the bowling lane, and a server. The server may be configured to cause a given projector to project a pairing token onto the bowling lane, when receiving the pairing token from the mobile device, establish a communication link with the mobile device to receive a given game characteristic from the mobile wireless communications device, determine a tracking path of a bowling ball traveling on the bowling lane based upon the image data, and selectively change the set of projected images based upon the tracking path of the bowling ball and the given game characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2023Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: CRUNCHY LOGISTICS LLCInventors: Adi Khanna, Neil Dufva, Leonardo Moretti, Mario Felizola
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Patent number: 11998810Abstract: A golf club head can include a body having a toe region and a heel region. The golf club body defines an opening to an internal cavity of the body and the opening is surrounded by a perimeter. The golf club head includes a face, a first support member, and a sole plate supported by the first support member and secured to the body at the perimeter. The sole plate is configured to be secured to the body in a plurality of arrangements.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2022Date of Patent: June 4, 2024Assignee: Cobra Golf IncorporatedInventors: Cameron J. Day, Bryce W. Hobbs, Ryan L. Roach, Michael T. McDonnell, Michael S. Yagley
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Patent number: 11998814Abstract: The present invention is directed to a fairway-type golf club head combing (or comprising) features selected from the group consisting of lightweight crown inserts, main body of weight reducing features, a high density sole insert, a removable, adjustable, interchangeable rear weight assembly, or a combination thereof to enable a low center of gravity of the club head thereby increasing forgiveness, reducing spin, and positioning the center of gravity at or near the force line impact point axis of the fairway-type golf club head.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2021Date of Patent: June 4, 2024Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Travis D. Milleman, David A. Higdon
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Patent number: 11998816Abstract: Embodiments of an iron-type golf club head comprising a high moment of inertia and a damping system. The damping system includes an insert covering a lower portion of the back face and a badge covering an upper portion of the back face. The damping system covers a large proportion of the back face and provides a club head with desirable sound and feel characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2022Date of Patent: June 4, 2024Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Travis D. Milleman, Matthew T. Schier, Murphy R. Alexander
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Patent number: 11992749Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable bowling system and method of use thereof. The portable bowling system may have a frame from which bowling pins are suspended above a playing surface. The playing surface may be an uneven playing surface. A ball catcher may also be configured on the playing surface whereby the frame is configured between the ball catcher and a player. A player may insert their thumb into a thumb hole of a bowling ball and two of their fingers into finger holes of the bowling ball. The player may roll the bowling ball towards the frame whereby the bowling ball contacts one or more of the bowling pins. The bowling pins may fall to the playing surface. The bowling ball may pass beyond the frame and be stopped within the ball catcher.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2023Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Inventor: Alexander Rhoades
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Patent number: 11992734Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball; an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the sole has an elongated channel recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole that has a plurality of troughs within the channel to help improve the efficiency of the impact with a golf ball.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2023Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Hiromitsu Akiyama
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Patent number: 11986710Abstract: A golf club head includes a body, a first polymeric insert, and a second polymeric insert. The body includes a face, a sole, and a rear wall that collectively define an undercut volume. The first polymeric insert is provided within the undercut volume to define a sealed cavity within the undercut volume; and, the second polymeric insert is secured to the body and defines an open cavity extending from the rear wall toward the face.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2021Date of Patent: May 21, 2024Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Matt Daraskavich, Brian J. Kammerer, Michael Pinto