Patents Examined by William M. Pierce
  • Golf club with polymeric insert and removable weight
    Patent number: 10888745
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a face, a crown, a sole, and defines a bore that is configured to receive and to selectively retain an elongate weight. The bore is aligned on a longitudinal axis that intersects the face. An elongate weight is insertable into the bore. The elongate weight is rotatable between a first angular position and a second angular position. The golf club head can futher include a compliant stop positioned to contact a protrusion of the elongate weight, such that a torque threshold must be overcome to rotate the elongate weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Boggs
  • Golf club heads with energy storage characteristics
    Patent number: 10888743
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Martin R. Jertson, Eric J. Morales, Cory S. Bacon, Calvin Wang, Xiaojian Chen, Travis D. Milleman
  • Bowling ball ramp including embedded lighting and/or sound
    Patent number: 10888765
    Abstract: A bowling ball ramp includes a substantially transparent, generally hollow, tubular stand assembly, a substantially transparent, generally hollow, tubular ramp assembly structurally coupled to the stand assembly, and lighting embedded within at least one of the stand assembly and the ramp assembly. A detection sensor is provided for detecting a bowling ball on the ramp assembly. Electronics activate the lighting to illuminate the stand assembly and/or the ramp assembly in response to the detection sensor detecting the bowling ball on the ramp assembly. The electronics may also activate an audio speaker to produce an audible sound in response to the detection sensor detecting the bowling ball on the ramp assembly. The embedded lighting and/or the audible sound enhance the enjoyment of a bowling experience for a child or handicapped individual using the bowling ball ramp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Inventor: Bradley N. Duke
  • Golf club with through slot coefficient restitution feature in sole
    Patent number: 10874916
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a golf club body including a crown, a sole, and a skirt connected between the crown and the sole, the golf club body including a front including a leading edge and a back including a trailing edge, and a hosel connected to the golf club body; a face connected to the front of the golf club body, the face including a geometric center, the golf club head including modifiable boundary conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Matthew Greensmith, Andrew James, Jason Andrew Mata, Matthew David Johnson, David Anderson, Brandon H. Woolley
  • Golf club head with deformation portion
    Patent number: 10870041
    Abstract: A hollow golf club head comprises a face portion having a club face for hitting a ball, and a main body portion including a crown wall, a side wall and a sole wall which extend from the face portion toward the rear of the head. At least one of the walls of the main body portion is provided with a folded portion for facilitating a partial elastic deformation of the main body portion when the face portion hits a ball. The folded portion includes a first folded portion and a second folded portion each extending in the front-back direction of the head while swinging in the thickness direction of the wall. The first folded portion and the second folded portion are continuous with each other and extend along the peripheral edge of the club face, and have different phases in the swing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromasa Tsunashima, Masahide Onuki
  • Golf club having improved sound properties
    Patent number: 10821335
    Abstract: A golf club head has a stranded structure such as a cantilevered strand or a beam strand. The stranded structure causes changes in acoustic properties from that of a standard golf club. A gap or through-hole around the stranded structure may be filled with a vibration dampening material, such as flexible polymer, to further adjust the acoustic properties of the golf club. Vibration frequency regions in a golf club may be modified by incorporating stranded structures in the vibration frequency regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: ACUSHNET COMPANY
    Inventors: Nick Frame, Richard L. Cleghorn
  • Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features
    Patent number: 10799772
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole. A pair of ribs are positioned within the channel. The ribs may diverge away from one another and may have a first rib located in a toe portion of the channel and a second rib located in the heel portion of the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Kevin Harper, Eric A. Larson, Michael T. Prichard, Hiromitsu Akiyama, Yoshimasa Fujita
  • Iron-type golf club head
    Patent number: 10758791
    Abstract: An iron clubs golf club head 1 comprises a face plate and a head main body supporting a peripheral part of the face plate. The face plate is made of a titanium or a titanium alloy and provided on the club face with grooves. The head main body is made of a metal material having a specific gravity larger than that of the face plate. In a grooved range defined between positions in the toe-heel direction of the most toe-side end and most heel-side end of grooves of the face plate, a distance of at least part of a sole-side edge of the face plate is not more than 2.5 mm when measured from a sole-side profile line of the club head appearing in the front view of the club head, in the up-down direction of the club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takahiro Norimura
  • Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features
    Patent number: 10751584
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole. The channel may have a cross-sectional profile that is asymmetric with a front wall and a rear wall where the front wall is longer than the rear wall. The channel may also have a center thickness that is different than a thickness at the heel and toe sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Kevin Harper, Eric A. Larson, Michael T. Prichard, Hiromitsu Akiyama, Yoshimasa Fujita
  • Golf club heads with insert and related methods
    Patent number: 10737150
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a golf club head with an insert. Other embodiments for related golf club heads and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: David L. Petersen, Ryan M. Stokke, Cory S. Bacon, Eric J. Morales
  • Wood golf club with curved weight inside hollow body
    Patent number: 10729944
    Abstract: A wood golf club head is provided. The wood golf club head includes a hollow structure body having a face surface for hitting a ball. The hollow structure body has an inner surface and a thick portion in a predetermined region on the inner surface excluding a rear surface of the face surface. The thick portion is located outward of a virtual curved surface and has an outer surface extending along the virtual curved surface. The virtual curved surface is (a) a curved surface centered about a predetermined reference point located inside the hollow structure body or (b) a curved surface having a central axis that is a straight line passing through a reference point located inside the hollow structure body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Yuki Motokawa
  • Golf clubs and golf club heads
    Patent number: 10729947
    Abstract: Ball striking devices, such as golf clubs, have a head that includes a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball, and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, with the body having a crown, a sole, a heel side, and a toe side, such that the face and the body combine to define an enclosed internal cavity. A damping member is connected to the body and includes a post extending inwardly into the cavity from an inner surface of the body, a first arm extending from the post toward the heel side of the body, and a second arm extending from the post toward the toe side of the body. The damping member is configured to produce a mass damping effect upon an impact on the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: David N. Franklin, Michael Wallans
  • Golf club head or other ball striking device having face deformation limiting member
    Patent number: 10729956
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface, an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. The head has a deformation limiting member located behind the face and having an end spaced a distance from the inner surface of the face. The face and the deformation limiting member are adapted such that an impact of the ball on the ball striking surface causes deformation of the face toward the deformation limiting member. When the deformation of the face is sufficient to cause the inner surface of the face to engage the deformation limiting member, the deformation limiting member exerts a force on the face to resist further deformation of the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Eric A. Larson
  • Golf club heads with trench features and related methods
    Patent number: 10729945
    Abstract: Golf club heads with trench features are described herein. Other embodiments and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan M. Stokke, Martin R. Jertson, Brandon L. Fossum
  • Golf club with weight and external rib in recess on sole
    Patent number: 10709940
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a face including a ball striking surface, a sole defining the bottom of the golf club head, and an external rib in a recess that is formed in the external surface of the golf club head. The external rib includes a first rib, a second rib, and a third rib. The first rib is elongated in the toe-heel direction of the golf club head. The second rib is elongated in the face-back direction of the golf club head. The third rib extends continuously from the first rib to the second rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomonori Kitagawa
  • Iron-type golf club heads with a dual-density insert
    Patent number: 10695627
    Abstract: In general, aspects of this invention relate to blade-type iron golf clubs or golf club heads. The blade-type golf club head may comprise a body forged of a metal material. The body may include a hosel, a top surface, a sole, a heel, a toe, a ball striking surface, and a rear surface opposite the ball striking surface. The rear surface may have recess in which a dual-density insert is affixed. The dual-density insert may have a first portion or first insert with a density greater than a second portion or second insert with a lesser density located closer to the toe than the first portion or first insert located closer to the heel. The mass distribution of the dual-density insert moves the center of gravity of the club head closer or substantially coincident to the face center location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Jeremy N. Snyder
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 10688351
    Abstract: A golf club head having good forgiveness and playability includes a body having an interior cavity, favorable aerodynamic profile and favorable CG location. The club head may include a crown having a peripheral edge located low relative to a ground plane, stepped down crown and overlying shroud, generally flat sole, inverted aft skirt section, aft cavity, cantilevered lightweight shroud, and/or two interior chambers, one of which may have an external opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher John Harbert, Joseph Reeve Nielson, Robert Nunez, Nathan T. Sargent, Christian Reber Wester
  • Iron-type golf club head
    Patent number: 10688353
    Abstract: An iron-type golf club head having a club face provide with a plurality of grooves extending in the toe-heel direction, satisfies the following conditions (1) the loft angle of the club head is not more than 41 degrees, (2) the thickness of the club head is not more than 23 mm, (3) the height of the club face measured along the club face at the position of the most toe-side end of the grooves is not less than 53 mm, (4) in a standard state of the club head set on a horizontal plane at the lie angle and loft angle specified for the club head, the ratio M/Sh (g sq·cm/mm) of a moment M of inertia (g sq·cm) around a first axis passing through a sweet spot in parallel with the club face and perpendicularly to the grooves, and a sweet spot height Sh (mm) which is the vertical height from the horizontal plane to the sweet spot is not less than 152.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takahiro Norimura
  • Golf club heads with energy storage characteristics
    Patent number: 10688350
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Martin R. Jertson, Eric J. Morales, Cory S. Bacon, Calvin Wang, Xiaojian Chen, Ryan M. Stokke
  • Gaming system
    Patent number: 10682568
    Abstract: The disclosure herein is directed to a gaming system that comprises a game board, a field position indicator, a line of scrimmage stick, projectiles, and a method of play involving these components. The game board can be configured to hinge at a location that is conducive for storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Inventor: Dion Hanson