METHOD FOR EMBEDDING ELECTRONICS INTO A PUCK AND PUCK HAVING EMBEDDED ELECTRONICS

• US 20190308076A1
• Filed: 03/08/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kinexon GmbH
• Original Assignee: Kinexon GmbH
• Inventors: HOLZNER, Simon, BOHN, Bernhard Johann
• Granted Patent: US 11,458,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/18 Inclination, slope or curvature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 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 2220/80 Special sensors, transducers or devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/002 with special configuration, e.g. non-spherical discs for throwing A63B65/10
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/14 Curling stone; Shuffleboard; Similar sliding games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0024 for hockey

Abstract

A puck embedding at least one transmitter circuit, and a method for producing a puck embedding at least one transmitter circuit. To protect the electronics from displacement or damage, the puck employs a layered structure. The puck has a centrally located cavity, containing a carrier structure having a rigid shell, at least one transmitter circuit supported by the carrier structure, and a battery provided within the carrier structure. The battery is embedded in a first elastic material provided within the carrier structure. The carrier structure is embedded in a second elastic material provided within the centrally located cavity.

Claims

1. A puck having a centrally located cavity, the puck comprising:

a carrier structure having a rigid shell, the carrier structure being positioned within the centrally located cavity;

at least one transmitter circuit supported by the carrier structure; and

a battery provided within the carrier structure,

wherein the battery is embedded in a first elastic material provided within the carrier structure, and wherein the carrier structure is embedded in a second elastic material provided within the centrally located cavity.

2. The puck of claim 1, wherein the second elastic material has a smaller hardness than the first elastic material.

3. The puck of claim 1, wherein the carrier structure is surrounded by a high-stiffness layer.

4. The puck of claim 2, wherein the carrier structure is surrounded by a high-stiffness layer.

5. The puck of claim 1,

wherein the first elastic material is a two-component silicone rubber of hardness Shore A 40 or

wherein the second elastic material is a two-component silicone rubber of hardness Shore A 0.

6. The puck of claim 2,

wherein the first elastic material is a two-component silicone rubber of hardness Shore A 40 or

wherein the second elastic material is a two-component silicone rubber of hardness Shore A 0.

7. The puck of claim 3,

wherein the first elastic material is a two-component silicone rubber of hardness Shore A 40 or

wherein the second elastic material is a two-component silicone rubber of hardness Shore A 0.

8. The puck of claim 1, wherein the first elastic material or the second elastic material exhibit a gradual change in stiffness.

9. The puck of claim 2, wherein the first elastic material or the second elastic material exhibit a gradual change in stiffness.

10. The puck of claim 3, wherein the first elastic material or the second elastic material exhibit a gradual change in stiffness.

11. The puck of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter circuit comprises a first transmitter circuit and a second transmitter circuit.

12. The puck of claim 11, wherein the first transmitter circuit is comprised in a first printed circuit board and the second transmitter circuit is comprised in a second printed circuit board, wherein the first printed circuit board is fitted to a top opening of the carrier structure and the second printed circuit board is fitted to a bottom opening of the carrier structure.

13. The puck of claim 12, wherein an antenna structure of the second printed circuit board is rotated by 90°

with respect to an antenna structure of the first printed circuit board.

14. The puck of claim 11, further comprising circuitry configured to switch between activating the first transmitter circuit or the second transmitter circuit such that the transmitter circuit near the planar surface of the puck currently facing upwards is activated and the transmitter circuit near the planar surface of the puck currently facing downwards is deactivated.

15. The puck of claim 1, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery, and wherein the puck further comprises:

a coil that allows inductive charging of the rechargeable battery, and

contacts on the puck surface which allow plugging a power supply for charging the rechargeable battery.

16. The puck of claim 1, wherein each of the transmitter circuits is comprised in a respective transceiver circuitry.

17. A method for producing a puck comprising at least one transmitter circuit, comprising:

assembling a battery into a carrier structure having a rigid shell;

attaching at least one transmitter circuit to the carrier structure;

filling the inner volume of the carrier structure with a first elastic material;

inserting the carrier structure into a recess on the inner surface of a first half of the puck;

filling the remaining space with a second elastic material; and

glueing a second half of the puck to the first half of the puck, wherein the second half of the puck has a recess such that the recess in the first half of the puck and the recess in the second half of the puck combine to form a cavity which is centrally located within the puck.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one transmitter circuit comprises a first transmitter circuit and a second transmitter circuit, wherein the first transmitter circuit is comprised in a first printed circuit board and the second transmitter circuit is comprised in a second printed circuit board, and wherein the method further comprises:

fitting the first printed circuit board to a top opening of the rigid shell of the carrier structure and fitting the second printed circuit board to a bottom opening of the rigid shell of the carrier structure.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the rigid shell of the carrier structure has at least one hole located on faces of the rigid shell, and wherein filling the inner volume of the carrier structure with a first elastic material comprises injecting the first elastic material through at least one of the holes into the inner volume of the carrier structure.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising, before inserting the carrier structure into a recess on the inner surface of a first half of the puck:

wrapping a glass-fiber thread infused with epoxy around the rigid shell of the carrier structure.