Patents by Inventor Kerby Lavar Maxwell

Kerby Lavar Maxwell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9358427
    Abstract: A golf ball having windings of strands made of a highly neutralized acid polymer is disclosed. The presence of a high acid content may cause the highly neutralized acid polymer to exhibit certain material properties. For example, the high acid content may cause an increased hardness and an increased flexural modulus. A high hardness may result in a golf ball exhibiting increased distance off the tee, or increased COR, among other desirable play characteristics. The hardness of the golf ball corresponds with the feel of the golf ball. The construction of a golf ball including wound strands may provide a soft feel. Thus, providing windings of bands made from a highly neutralized acid polymer may provide a golf ball with an increased distance off the tee and a soft feel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Kerby LaVar Maxwell
  • Patent number: 9320942
    Abstract: Generally disclosed is a golf ball having a core and a cover layer. The cover layer includes areas that are hard corresponding to the dimples, and areas that are soft corresponding to the land between the dimples. The cover layer may comprise two different materials, such as polyurethane and ionomer, that are laterally adjacent to each other in the cover layer. Alternatively, the cover layer may be selectively coated with a coating material having a different hardness, such as polyurethane or ionomer. As a result of the arrangement of the hard dimples and the soft land, the golf ball achieves reduced spin, and greater distances, when struck with a larger force (such as during a dive) while also achieving increased spin, and better control, when struck with a smaller force (such as during a chip).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Kerby LaVar Maxwell, Yasushi Ichikawa, Chia-Chyi Cheng
  • Publication number: 20150144258
    Abstract: A golf ball is provided capable of having various characteristics based on having an aggregated layer core. The golf ball includes an inner core, an outer shell enclosing the inner core, and an intermediate core enclosing the inner core. The intermediate core includes sublayers thermoplastically fused together to form an aggregated intermediate core layer having overall characteristics formed as a combination of the sublayer characteristics. A method of forming a golf ball core having an aggregated layer core can include forming a first and second stack of nested cups, thermoplastically bonding each of the stacks to each other to form first and second aggregated cups, arranging the aggregated cups around a golf ball inner core, and bonding the aggregated cups to each other. In some configurations, the sublayers can include ultrathin sublayers less than 20 microns thick, and in some configurations, the sublayers can include injection molded sublayers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Yutaka KABESHITA, Kerby LaVar Maxwell, Arthur Parker Molinari, Bradley C. Tutmark, Takahisa Ono, Seisuke Tomita
  • Patent number: 8979675
    Abstract: A golf ball having a golf ball core, one or more intermediate layers and a cover layer is disclosed. The golf ball core may include an inner core having radial appendages. The radial appendages may protrude from the inner core in a spherically symmetrical pattern. The radial appendages may be formed from the same material as the inner core. The one or more intermediate layers may surround the inner core and fill the voids between the radial appendages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Bender, Kerby LaVar Maxwell
  • Patent number: 8920262
    Abstract: A golf ball is provided capable of having various characteristics based on having an aggregated layer core. The golf ball includes an inner core, an outer shell enclosing the inner core, and an intermediate core enclosing the inner core. The intermediate core includes sublayers thermoplastically fused together to form an aggregated intermediate core layer having overall characteristics formed as a combination of the sublayer characteristics. A method of forming a golf ball core having an aggregated layer core can include forming a first and second stack of nested cups, thermoplastically bonding each of the stacks to each other to form first and second aggregated cups, arranging the aggregated cups around a golf ball inner core, and bonding the aggregated cups to each other. In some configurations, the sublayers can include ultrathin sublayers less than 20 microns thick, and in some configurations, the sublayers can include injection molded sublayers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kabeshita, Kerby LaVar Maxwell, Arthur Molinari, Bradley C. Tutmark, Takahisa Ono, Seisuke Tomita
  • Publication number: 20130324325
    Abstract: A golf ball with interlocking layers is disclosed. The interlocking layers are generally provided to inhibit slippage of the adjacent layers, particularly between incompatible materials that are difficult to adhere together. Thus, the interlocking layers inhibit the development of dead spots within the ball, which occurs when the layers delaminate. A method of making a golf ball with interlocking layers using a dual molding process is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Kerby LaVar Maxwell
  • Publication number: 20130310197
    Abstract: A golf ball is provided capable of having various characteristics based on having an aggregated layer core. The golf ball includes an inner core, an outer shell enclosing the inner core, and an intermediate core enclosing the inner core. The intermediate core includes sublayers thermoplastically fused together to form an aggregated intermediate core layer having overall characteristics formed as a combination of the sublayer characteristics. A method of forming a golf ball core having an aggregated layer core can include forming a first and second stack of nested cups, thermoplastically bonding each of the stacks to each other to form first and second aggregated cups, arranging the aggregated cups around a golf ball inner core, and bonding the aggregated cups to each other. In some configurations, the sublayers can include ultrathin sublayers less than 20 microns thick, and in some configurations, the sublayers can include injection molded sublayers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: NIKE, INC.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kabeshita, Kerby LaVar Maxwell, Arthur Molinari, Bradley C. Tutmark, Takahisa Ono, Seisuke Tomita
  • Publication number: 20130288825
    Abstract: A golf ball having a golf ball core, one or more intermediate layers and a cover layer is disclosed. The golf ball core may include an inner core having radial appendages. The radial appendages may protrude from the inner core in a spherically symmetrical pattern. The radial appendages may be formed from the same material as the inner core. The one or more intermediate layers may surround the inner core and fill the voids between the radial appendages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: NIKE, INC.
    Inventors: Aaron Bender, Kerby LaVar Maxwell
  • Publication number: 20130178309
    Abstract: A golf ball having windings of strands made of a highly neutralized acid polymer is disclosed. The presence of a high acid content may cause the highly neutralized acid polymer to exhibit certain material properties. For example, the high acid content may cause an increased hardness and an increased flexural modulus. A high hardness may result in a golf ball exhibiting increased distance off the tee, or increased COR, among other desirable play characteristics. The hardness of the golf ball corresponds with the feel of the golf ball. The construction of a golf ball including wound strands may provide a soft feel. Thus, providing windings of bands made from a highly neutralized acid polymer may provide a golf ball with an increased distance off the tee and a soft feel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Kerby LaVar Maxwell
  • Publication number: 20120165129
    Abstract: Generally disclosed is a golf ball having a core and a cover layer. The cover layer includes areas that are hard corresponding to the dimples, and areas that are soft corresponding to the land between the dimples. The cover layer may comprise two different materials, such as polyurethane and ionomer, that are laterally adjacent to each other in the cover layer. Alternatively, the cover layer may be selectively coated with a coating material having a different hardness, such as polyurethane or ionomer. As a result of the arrangement of the hard dimples and the soft land, the golf ball achieves reduced spin, and greater distances, when struck with a larger force (such as during a dive) while also achieving increased spin, and better control, when struck with a smaller force (such as during a chip).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: NIKE, INC.
    Inventors: Kerby Lavar Maxwell, Yasushi Ichikawa, Chia-Chyi Cheng