Package for electronic sports device and method of attaching same to objects

• US 20020007676A1
• Filed: 08/29/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Albert E. Dilz Jr, David K. Memke, David L. Hunt, David L. Overman, David L. Slayton, Michael A. Ward
• Original Assignee: Albert E. Dilz Jr, David K. Memke, David L. Hunt, David L. Overman, David L. Slayton, Michael A. Ward
• Inventors: Ward, Michael A., Slayton, David L., Memke, David K., Overman, David L., Dilz, Albert E. Jr., Hunt, David L.
• Application Number:
  US09/940,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007676A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/14 Lacrosse
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/00 Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00 starting appliances A63K3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/583 using transmission of continuous unmodulated waves, amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated waves and based upon the Doppler effect resulting from movement of targets
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/352 : Receivers

Abstract

A package for a sporting device having a display and electrical components mounted on a pair of circuit boards includes a housing defining a chamber receiving the boards and the display, front and back covers on opposite sides of the housing, and a stiffener disposed between the boards. The packaging allows the sporting device to be attached to sports equipment such as ball catching gloves as well as parts of the body and clothing. For high impact loading, an optional shock-absorbing pad with spaced ribs can be mounted on a back face of the back cover.

Claims

1. A package for a sporting device having a display and electrical components mounted on a pair of circuit boards comprising a housing defining a first chamber receiving the boards and the display;

front and back covers on opposite sides of the housing; and

a stiffener in the form of an open framework disposed between the boards.

2. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 1 wherein said open framework is made up of a plurality of panels disposed perpendicular to respective opposing faces of the boards.

3. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 2 wherein said panels extend around a marginal portion of at least one of the boards and traverse an intramarginal portion of the boards to form a plurality of cells.

4. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 3 wherein a circuit component is mounted on at least one of the boards and at least one of said cells is arranged to contain the circuit component.

5. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 4 wherein a notch is formed along an edge of a panel adjacent at least one of the boards to define a vista for a circuit component.

6. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 5 wherein said stiffener is keyed to permit installation in one direction only so that said notch fits over the circuit component.

7. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 6 wherein said key includes a rib formed on one side of said stiffener and a rib formed in said housing chamber on a side of said housing opposite said stiffener rib such that said ribs abut one another when said stiffener is installed improperly.

8. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 1 and further comprising a shock-absorbing pad on a back face of the back cover.

9. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 8 wherein said shock-absorbing pad includes a plurality of spaced ribs.

10. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 9 wherein the spacing between said ribs is sufficient to permit lateral expansion of said ribs when compressed in response to an impact force.

11. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 1 wherein said housing further includes a plurality of eyelets at spaced locations about the periphery of said housing.

12. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 11 and further comprising a cord inserted through said eyelets to attach the device to another object.

13. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 12 wherein said cord includes free ends looped through said eyelets and bound together.

14. A package for a sporting device as recited in claim 12 wherein said cord forms a continuous elastic loop with doubled portions inserted through said eyelets and further comprising hooks attached to said doubled portions to attach the device to another object.

15. A method of attaching a radar velocity sensor to a catching glove with glove lacing comprising the steps of threading a cord through a plurality of eyelets extending from a package containing the radar velocity sensor;

and

attaching portions of the cord extending through the eyelets to the glove lacing.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the cord includes free ends and said threading and attaching steps include the steps of passing a free end through a first eyelet, looping the free end around the glove lacing at a first location, and passing the free end back through the first eyelet.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said passing and looping steps are repeated for a plurality of eyelets and locations on the glove lacing.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, and further comprising the step of binding the free ends together.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said binding step includes the step of tying the free ends around a lower glove lace.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the glove includes a wrist strap and said binding step includes the step of tying the free ends around the wrist strap.

21. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the glove includes fingers and the sporting device is positioned behind the glove fingers.

22. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the glove has edge lacing but no fingers and the sports device is attached to the glove edge lacing.

23. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the glove has a web between the thumb and the finger portion of the glove and wherein the sports device is mounted behind the web.

24. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the cord is continuous and said threading step includes forming the cord into a corresponding plurality of loops and inserting each loop through an eyelet.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein a clip is secured to each loop and said attaching step includes engaging the glove lacing with the clips.