| MIZUNO USA, INC. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120178558 | BASEBALL OR SOFTBALL BAT WITH MODIFIED RESTITUTION CHARACTERISTICS - A softball or baseball bat with modified restitution characteristic is provided. The bat can comprise a substantially rigid core coupled with a single or multi-piece sleeve. The core can comprise a tip end, a barrel taper, a handle taper, and a handle. The sleeve can slide over the handle portion and can be pressed, molded, or adhered to the barrel taper. The resilient sleeve can be sized and shaped such that the sleeve portion is substantially the same diameter as the tip end. The sleeve can comprise a material capable of impact absorption. The sleeve can have a composite structure with inner and outer sleeve components. The sleeve can further comprise a cone to taper the sleeve in the handle taper portion of the bat. The material and thickness of the sleeve and the core can be varied to meet applicable restitution requirements. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120178557 | BASEBALL OR SOFTBALL BAT WITH MODIFIED RESTITUTION CHARACTERISTICS - A softball or baseball bat with modified restitution characteristics is provided. The bat can comprise a substantially rigid shell coupled with a single or multi-piece insert. The shell can comprise a tip end, a barrel, a handle taper, and a handle. The insert can be press-fit or adhered to the inside of the barrel of the shell. The insert can be a single or multi-piece design and can be single or multi-layered. The insert can comprise a material capable of impact absorption. Portions of the insert can be separated from the shell with a separation layer to improve restitution in certain areas of the bat. The insert can also comprise multiple layers that are separated from each other with a separation layer to improve restitution in certain areas of the bat. The material and thickness of the insert and the shell can be varied to meet applicable restitution requirements. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20110265239 | ANTI-SHOCK BATTING GLOVES - An anti-shock batting glove adapted to receive a thumb and forefingers of a hand, including: a dorsal side for covering a dorsal side of the hand, and a palmar side for covering a palm of a hand. The palmar side comprises a plurality of detached finger pads adapted to limit shock to a batter's hand encountered during batting. The plurality of detached finger pads comprise a palm pad configured to cover a lower portion of a palm of the hand, a first finger pad configured to cover a metacarpal of a pinky finger, a second finger pad configured to cover a metacarpal and a phalange of a ring finger, a third finger pad configured to cover a metacarpal, a proximal phalange, and an intermediate phalange of a middle finger, and a fourth finger pad configured to cover an area between a thumb and an index finger. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and discussed. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20100167834 | IRON GOLF CLUB HEADS AND GOLF CLUB SETS WITH VARIABLE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION - Described herein are iron golf club heads and sets of iron golf clubs that have variable weight distribution. Each iron golf club head has a cavity and a groove with a raised portion disposed therein. The groove and the raised portion can deepen the center of mass depth and lengthen the effective face length of the iron golf club. The width of the groove may vary between each golf club in a set of iron golf clubs, such that the width of the groove of the long irons is greater that the width of the groove of the middle irons, and the width of the groove of the middle irons is greater than the width of the optional groove of the short irons. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and discussed. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100160067 | IRON GOLF CLUB HEADS AND GOLF CLUB SETS WITH VARIABLE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION - Described herein are iron golf club heads and sets of iron golf clubs that have variable weight distribution. Each iron golf club head has a cavity and a y-shaped cavity pad disposed on at least a portion of a back wall of the cavity. The y-shaped cavity pad provide reduced vibrations within the cavity when the iron golf club head strikes a golf ball. The y-shaped cavity pad also provides an enlarged sweet spot to provide increased forgiveness for off-center hits. Other aspects, features, and embodiments are also claimed and described. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20090048037 | WOOD-TYPE GOLF CLUB HEADS AND METHODS OF ADJUSTING THE SAME - The present invention describes wood-type golf club heads and methods of adjusting these wood-type golf club heads. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a wood-type golf club head having a body with a sole portion, a face portion, and a hollow interior. Furthermore, a crown portion is disposed on the body, and the crown portion has an upper crown and a lower crown. The upper crown is disposed a predetermined height above the lower crown and the lower crown makes up more than half of the crown portion. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090007307 | BASEBALL GLOVES WITH FLEXIBILITY FOLDS - An athletic glove having an enhanced flexibility features for assisting in the opening and closing of the glove. A glove can include a front ply forming a palm and front portion and a back ply forming a back portion. The peripheries of the front and back plies attached together to form the glove. The glove includes a thumb stall, at least on finger stall, a hand receiving opening, a heel portion of the front ply, and a web portion positioned between the thumb stall and the finger stall. The glove further includes at least one predefined fold in the palm, such that the fold increases the flexibility of the glove and thereby facilitates the opening and closing of the glove. The glove can also comprise a notch formed in the back ply between the finger stall and the hand receiving opening to further increase the flexibility of the glove. Other embodiments are also claimed and described. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090000004 | BASEBALL GLOVES WITH AN ADAPTABLE INDEX FINGER STALL AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME - Baseball gloves with an adaptable index finger stall and methods of making same are provided. A glove can include a back leather having a little finger stall portion, ring finger stall portion, middle finger stall portion, index finger portion, and a thumb stall portion. Each of the stall portions can have distal and proximal ends. An aperture can be located at the proximal end of the index finger stall portion of the back leather. A pad can span part of the aperture. The adapted index finger stall enables users to select between a plurality of index finger positions based upon the user's preferences and play style. One of the positions can enable users to place the index finger such that is it partially housed within the index finger stall without reducing the glove's comfort, safety, and performance. Other embodiments are also claimed and described. | 01-01-2009 |
