WO2016206589A1

WO2016206589A1 - A ball marking device

Info

Publication number: WO2016206589A1
Application number: PCT/CN2016/086769
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jimmy KAVADAS
Original assignee: Sonta International Limited
Priority date: 2015-06-24
Filing date: 2016-06-22
Publication date: 2016-12-29
Also published as: HK1204210A2

Abstract

A device (10) for marking balls such as tennis balls and/or golf balls, comprises a housing (20) for accommodating and positioning at least one ball, a heating element (40) for generating heat, and a base portion (30) for supporting the balls, wherein the housing (20) is configured to enable heat from the heating element (40) to be applied to a surface of the at least one ball to thereby produce a mark on the surface of the at least one ball.

Description

A BALL MARKING DEVICE

The invention relates to a marking device, particularly but not exclusively, to a device for marking balls such as but not limited to sport balls or game balls.

In sport games or other games which involve balls, it is often preferred to have the balls marked with the owner’s name or company logo to denote ownership of the balls. It is particularly useful during a ball game such as golf or tennis, so that when the golf balls or tennis balls are driven out of sight or lost in the course of play, the players would still be able to identify the balls when they are found.

Although some ball manufacturers may offer services on customized balls marking such as on golf balls, the markings will generally require large scale printing machines which are heavy and bulky. In addition, the machines, which are likely to be permanently installed, are relatively expensive to construct, operate and maintain, not to mention the time and efforts required to prepare the individual printing die for each specific mark. It is therefore not very feasible for the individual ball owners to adopt such facilities for personal uses, in which handiness and versatility are of the essence.

Objects of the Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a ball marking device, in which the aforesaid shortcomings are mitigated or at least to provide a useful alternative.

Another object of the present invention is to mitigate or obviate to some degree one or more problems associated with known ball markers.

The above object is met by the combination of features of the main claims; the sub-claims disclose further advantageous embodiments of the invention.

One skilled in the art will derive from the following description other objects of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing statements of object are not exhaustive and serve merely to illustrate some of the many objects of the present invention.

In one main aspect, the invention provides a ball marking device. The device comprises a housing for accommodating and positioning at least one ball; a heating element for generating heat; wherein the housing is configured to enable heat from the heating element to be applied to a surface of the at least one ball to thereby produce a mark on the surface of the at least one ball.

Preferably, the housing comprises at least one supporting means adapted to support and position the at least one ball.

Preferably, the at least one supporting means is releasably engageable at the housing.

Preferably, the at least one supporting means comprises a plurality of supporting means for supporting and positioning balls of different sizes.

Preferably, the plurality of supporting means are interchangeable.

Preferably, the plurality of supporting means are stackable over one another.

Preferably, the at least one supporting means comprises at least one receptacle for receiving and positioning the at least one ball.

Preferably, the at least one receptacle is of semi-hemispherical shape.

Preferably, the housing comprises a first housing part movable relative to a second housing part, the second housing part comprises the at least one supporting means.

Preferably, the first and the second housing parts are movably connected with each other.

Preferably, the first and the second housing parts are hingedly connected at one end of the housing.

Preferably, the heating element is arranged at the first housing part.

Preferably, the first and the second housing parts are adapted to cooperate in a closed configuration in which heat from the heating element is to be applied to the surface of the at least one ball to produce a mark on the surface of the at least one ball.

Preferably, the housing is adapted to receive a transfer paper carrying the mark, the mark on the transfer paper is adapted to be transferred from the transfer paper onto the surface of the at least one ball as a result of the applied heat.

Preferably, the heating element comprises a heat transfer surface for transferring heat to the surface of the at least one ball, with the heat transfer surface being conformed to the surface of the at least one ball.

Preferably, the housing comprises an insert layer adapted to cooperate with the heating element to thereby enable heat from the heating element to be applied evenly onto the surface of the at least one ball.

Preferably, the insert layer is heat conductive.

Preferably, the insert layer is resilient.

Preferably, the heating element is adapted to generate heat up to a temperature ranged from about 150 to 250 degree Celsius.

Preferably, the ball marking device further comprising a signaling means adapted to provide a signal under at least one of the following conditions: when the generated heat has reached a required temperature, when the heat has been generated for a required duration, when the generated heat has reached a required temperature for a required duration, and when the generated heat has exceed a maximum temperature.

Preferably, the signal comprises at least one of an audio signal and a visual signal.

Preferably, the ball marking device further comprising a transfer paper holder for holding and/or storing the transfer paper.

Preferably, the ball marking device further comprising a transfer paper engaging means adapted to retain the transfer paper in a position adjacent the surface of the at least one ball to allow marking of the at least one ball.

Preferably, the ball marking device is a handheld device.

Preferably, the at least one balls comprises sport balls including at least one of tennis balls, golf balls, softballs, baseballs and cricket balls.

The summary of the invention does not necessarily disclose all the features essential for defining the invention; the invention may reside in a sub-combination of the disclosed features.

The foregoing and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments which are provided by way of example only in connection with the accompanying figures, of which:

Fig.1

is a perspective view of a ball marking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig.2

is a top view of the ball marking device of Figure 1;

Fig.3

is a side view of the ball marking device of Figure 1;

Fig.4

is a bottom view of the ball marking device of Figure 1;

Fig.5

is a perspective view showing a transfer paper holder mounted with a roll of transfer paper at a rear end of the ball marking device of Figure 1;

Fig.6

6 is a front view of the ball marking device of Figure 1;

Fig.7

is a perspective view showing the ball marking device of Figure 1 in an opened configuration;

Fig.8

is a perspective view showing the internal of the ball marking device of Figure 1 with the supporting inserts removed;

Fig.9

is a perspective view showing the internal of the ball marking device of Figure 1 with one supporting insert; and

Fig.10

is a perspective view showing the internal of the ball marking device of Figure 1 with two supporting inserts.

The following description is of preferred embodiments by way of example only and without limitation to the combination of features necessary for carrying the invention into effect.

Reference in this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.

In the claims hereof, any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function. The invention as defined by such claims resides in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for. It is thus regarded that any means that can provide those functionalities are equivalent to those shown herein.

The present invention relates to a portable device for marking one or more balls which can be of different types and/or sizes such as, but not limited to, various sport balls or game balls. Specifically, the device is capable of introducing a mark on the surface of the one or more balls by arranging heat directly or indirectly, for example, via a transfer film or paper carrying the mark, onto a surface of the balls. The present invention is advantageous in that it provides a portable ball marking device of relatively small size and light weight which enables it to be easily handled, transported and stored when not in use. In contrast to the large and bulky ball printing machines available in the prior art, which normally require operation by a trained personnel, the device of the present invention requires very little or no installation steps, and is easy and convenient to use and operate by the user. The device allows simple and versatile markings of various icons or labels on the balls, for example, in the form of a user’s name, a company name, a badge or even an advertising slogan, etc., which can be easily achieved by changing the transfer film or paper carrying the marks. The present invention therefore provides a user-friendly means which offers simple, quick and convenient personalized marking for balls of different sizes and types.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, shown is an embodiment of the ball marking device 10 of the present invention. The device 10 comprises a housing 20 for accommodating and positioning one or more balls. The balls can be any sport balls or game balls of interest, such as but not limited to, tennis balls, golf balls, softballs, baseballs and cricket balls. The device 10 further comprises a heating element (not shown) adapted to generate heat for marking the balls. Specifically, the housing 20 is configured to arrange the generated heat from the heating element to be applied to a surface of the one or more balls to thereby produce a mark on the surface of balls. For example, the heat can be transferred directly from the heating element onto the ball surfaces by means of a direct heat branding, or indirectly by means of heat press via a transfer film or paper, such as a logo paper with raised bostic ink, a UV plastic sticker, or via a dye sublimation process.

The device 10 is preferred to be portable or even with a handheld size of light weight. The housing 20 includes a base portion 30 which is movable relative to a lid portion 40. In the embodiment as shown in the figures, the base portion 30 is configured to movably connect with the lid portion 40 via a hinge 50 (which can be more clearly shown in Figures 5 and 7) at a rear end of the housing 20, so that the base portion 30 and the lid portion 40 can be cooperated to move between an opened configuration, which allows the balls to be placed into the housing 20 by a user, and a close configuration in which heat from the heating element can be applied to the surface of the balls for marking. A lid latch 46 may optionally be provided at the housing 20 to lock/release the lid portion 40 with/from the base portion 30.

The device 10 can be selected, either manually or automatically, to operable under a range of voltage supply such as from 110V to 240V, depending on the specific power standard of different countries. Additionally or alternatively, the device 10 may also be powered by other power sources such as rechargeable batteries. The device 10 may comprise a main switch operable to power on and off the device 10.

In operation, the heating element of the device 10 may generate heat with a temperature up to a range of about 100 to 300 degree Celsius, and preferably, about 150 to 250 degree Celsius for marking the balls, depending on the preferred or required marking settings. Due to the relatively high marking temperature required, the housing 20 may get very hot over the course of preheating and marking. One or more heat insulated handles can optionally be provided at the housing 20 for the user’s handling during the operation of the device 10. Additionally or alternatively, one or more heat insulating pads may also be arranged at the external of the housing 20 for a heat-free access of the housing 20 by the user when the device 10 is in operation. For example, in the embodiment as shown in these figures, a cool touch pad 42 is provided at the top surface of the lid portion 40. Preferably, an air vent 44, which can be configured in the form of one or more openings or slots, may also be arranged at the housing 20 to vent the heated air within the housing 20. The openings of the air vent 44 may also allow the accommodated balls to be visible to the user when the housing 20 is in a closed configuration.

The base portion 30 may optionally be constructed to include a flared feet 32 for a stable support of the device 10 on a surface. The base portion 30 may also include one or more signaling means adapted to generate a signal under a specific operating condition, for example, when the generated heat has reached a required temperature, when the heat has been generated for a required duration, when the generated heat has reached a required temperature for a required duration, or when the generated heat has exceed a maximum temperature during the course of preheating and/or marking; and when the temperature has cooled down to a certain low temperature after marking. The generated signal may comprise one or more of an audio signal and a visual signal. In the embodiment as shown in the figures, the signaling means comprises one or more LED lights 34 adapted to indicate the various operation statuses of the device 10, for example, a red LED to indicate heating, a blue LED to indicate cooling, and a green LED to indicate a standby mode of the device 10. The device 10 may also comprise a timer and/or a temperature sensor for controlling the duration and/or degree of the heating and/or cooling, and an audio signal producing means such as a buzzer for producing an audio alert to the user when the required heating and/or cooling is finished.

The device 10 may further comprise a transfer paper holder 60 for holding, mounting and/or storing transfer papers. In one embodiment, the holder 60 can be in the form of a bent metal wire 62 with at least one loop 64 adapted to support and/or secure a reel of the transfer paper roll. The metal wire can be made movably engaged at the bottom of the base portion 30 via a number of connectors 66, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. This arrangement allows the holder 60 as being capable of sliding out of the bottom and extending from a rear end of the housing 20 for mounting the transfer paper roll (see Figure 5), and may also be retrievable into the bottom when the device 10 is not in use (see Figure 4) for an easy handling or storage.

Although the use and the mounting of a roll of transfer paper has been illustrated in the figures, it should be appreciated that transfer papers in other forms such as one or more sheets of transfer films, or more than one roll of transfer papers, should also be encompassed by the present invention, as long as the use is considered suitable and applicable by a skilled person in the art.

As shown in Figure 6, a switch 22 can be provided at the housing 20 operable by a user to actuate operations of the device 10. In this embodiment, a slider switch 22 is provided to switchable between a tennis ball mode (on the left) for marking one or more tennis balls, a golf ball mode (on the right) for marking one or more golf balls, and a power off mode (in the middle) to power off the device 10. Also shown in the figure is a clamping means 70 adapted to engage and retain the transfer paper in an appropriate position in the housing 20 for marking the balls. After the marking, the clamping means 70 may also be adapted to release and discharge the used transfer paper via an outlet 72. In this embodiment, the clamping means 70 is arranged at a front end of the housing 20 distal to rear end where the roll of transfer paper is mounted so that, when the transfer paper is unrolled, it is allowed to extend tautly over the length of the housing 20, with the free end of the transfer paper be eventually clamped at the clamping means 70 at the front end of the housing 20. A paper feeding mechanical may optionally be provided to assist an easy feeding of the transfer paper within the housing 20. In one embodiment, the clamping means 70 may comprise a resilient member such as a spring means adapted to spring upward to hold the transfer paper in place when the lid portion 40 and the base portion 30 are arranged in the close configuration, and to release the paper for removal via the outlet 72 when the lid portion 40 and the base portion 30 are arranged in the opened configuration. The transfer paper may further be provided with one or more perforated edges which allow the user to easily tear it off at the outlet 72 after use.

Referring to Figures 7 to 10, shown the device 10 in the open configuration having the lid portion 40 pivoted away from the base portion 30. In this embodiment, the device 10 is configured to accommodate and to mark four standard tennis balls (see Figure 8), four low compression tennis balls (see Figure 9), or four golf balls (see Figures 7 and 10) during each run of operation, although it is understandable that the device 10 may also be configured to accommodate and to mark less than or more than four balls and balls of other types, as long as the variations are considered appropriate and feasible by a skilled person in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the heating element (not shown) is arranged at the lid portion 40 of the housing 20. Specifically, the housing 20 is adapted to receive a transfer paper carrying the mark at the lid portion 40, with the transfer paper being held tautly in place by means of the clamping means 70. With the balls positioned in the base portion 30 being properly aligned to expose a blank side facing up towards the transfer paper and the lid portion 40, and that the lid portion 40 is arranged to close and press against the base portion 30, the marks carried by the transfer paper are adapted to be transferred onto the exposed surface of the balls as a result of the applied heat generated by the heating element. The heat marking of the balls may also be assisted by the pressure imposed by the lid portion 40 onto the balls when the lid portion 40 and the base portion 30 are arranged in the close configuration. The lid portion 40 and the base portion 30 may optionally be latched during the course of marking to allow a consistent pressure to be applied onto the balls.

Preferably, the heating element may include a heat transfer surface for transferring heat to the surface of the balls. The heat transfer surface can be conformed according to the surface configuration, i.e. the curvature of the balls thereby allowing a close fitting between the heat transfer surface and the surface of the balls to assist marking. Alternatively, an insert layer 48 such as a resilient silicone pad may also be releasably engaged at the heat transfer surface so that, when lid portion 40 is brought to close upon the base portion 30, the silicone insert layer 48 serves as a resilient cushion to press on and thus provide a snug contact with the ball surface. This is particularly beneficial when marking balls with uneven surface such as golf balls, which include a plurality of dimples on the ball surface. The resilient silicone layer 48 allows a close contact and thus heat transfer even to the dimpled surface, thereby provide an even marking throughout the required surface of the golf balls. The insert layer 48 may optionally be constructed with heat conductive material to assist heat transfer from the heating element to the surface of the balls.

As shown in Figure 8, the base portion 30 defines a chamber 34 where one or more supporting means 80 can be provided for supporting and positioning at least one ball to be marked by the device 10. For example, the supporting means 80a of Figure 8 comprises four substantially semi-hemispherical shaped receptacles adapted to receive and position at most four standard tennis balls at a time. The supporting means 80a may optionally be provided or configured with one or more gripping means (not shown) for holding the balls into a desired orientation and/or alignment in the receptacles for marking. The gripping means may simply comprise one or more rough portions at the surface of the receptacles, so that the balls located at the receptacles will be prevented from turning therein by the surface friction. Alternatively, the gripping means may comprise one or more resilient engaging means at or adjacent the receptacles to mechanically restrict movement of the balls over the course of marking.

Preferably, one or more supporting means 80b, 80c can be interchangeably provided at the base portion 30 for supporting and positioning balls of different types and/or sizes. For example, supporting means 80b having four receptacles of smaller size can be inserted into the chamber 34 by stacking it over the supporting means 80a as shown in Figure 9 for receiving and positioning balls of smaller size, such as low compression tennis balls. In another embodiment in which the device 10 is configured to mark even smaller sized balls such as golf balls, a further supporting means 80c having receptacles with size corresponds to golf balls can further be arranged to stack over the supporting means 80b, with the receptacles of the three supporting

means

80a, 80b, 80c being nested within one another to provide an enhanced compression for marking. The supporting means 80a, 80b, 80c can be made releasably engageable at the base portion 30 of the housing 20, and can be interchangeable to receive balls of different types and/or size according to the specific needs. Similarly to the supporting means 80a as described earlier, the supporting

means

80b, 80c may optionally be provided with one or more gripping means to ensure a proper orientation and/or alignment of the balls within the receptacles.

An embodied operation of the ball marking device 10 is described as follows. Prior to the marking, the user is required to set up the device 10 according to the type or size of balls to be marked. For example, for marking golf balls, the silicone insert layer 48 should be installed at the lid portion 40 of the housing 20, and that the supporting means 80c (optionally also the supporting means 80b) should be arranged at the base portion 30 of the housing 20 for receiving the golf balls. The user will then choose the appropriate marking mode by switching the slider switch 22 from the standby mode to the golf ball mode. Upon switching, the heating element will be actuate to provide the programmed heating for the marking of golf balls. For example, the heating element will generate heat to preheat the device 10 to a temperature of about 200 degree Celsius, and while the temperature increase during the preheating, the LED indicator 34 will continue to flash in, for example, a red color to indicate the heating process. After a predetermined marking temperature is reached, the red LED will stop flashing but remain on to indicate that the device is now ready for marking. For marking of golf balls, it will normally take longer to preheat the device due to the presence of the silicone insert layer 48. The duration of preheating will also be determined by the power setting, for example, a device operates at 110V will generally take longer to preheat than at 240V. In a typical operation, the preheating may generally take about 2 to 5 minutes.

After preheating the device to a required marking temperature which is indicated by the solid red LED indicator, the golf balls can be loaded onto the supporting means 80c, one in each receptacle, with the blank side or the preferred marking surface manually align to face upward. In the next step, the free end of the transfer paper will be pulled to unroll from the transfer paper roll, aligned and then secured at the lid portion 40. In one embodiment, the lid portion 40 and/or the silicone insert 48 can be provided with a set of guiding marks which assists in aligning the markings of the transfer paper with the surface of the balls. After the transfer paper is properly aligned and secured, the lid portion 40 can be arranged to close upon the base portion 30. Latching of the lid portion 40 with the base portion 30 by the lid latch 46 may trigger the timer to time a predetermined heating duration specific to the marking mode as selected by the slider switch 22. Once the required heating duration is over, a green LED will turn on and the buzzer will sound to alert the user to release the lid latch 46.

In a typical operation, the marking may generally take about 5 to 20 seconds.

If the lid portion 40 remains closed for more than 10 seconds after the heating duration is over, the heating element will automatically shift to a lower holding temperature so as not to continue heating the balls. The LED will flash blue to indicate cooling until the device 10 reaches a predetermined low temperature. The LED will then turn to solid blue without flashing.

When the marking is finished and that the user releases the lid latch 46 to open the lid portion 40, this action will peel the marking off from the transfer paper. The marked balls can then be removed from the supporting means 80c, and the heating element will continue to preheat the device 10 for another cycle of operation.

Claims

A ball marking device, comprising:
a housing for accommodating and positioning at least one ball;
a heating element for generating heat;
wherein the housing is configured to enable heat from the heating element to be applied to a surface of the at least one ball to thereby produce a mark on the surface of the at least one ball.
The ball marking device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one supporting means adapted to support and position the at least one ball.
The ball marking device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one supporting means is releasably engageable at the housing.
The ball marking device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one supporting means comprises a plurality of supporting means for supporting and positioning balls of different sizes.
The ball marking device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of supporting means are interchangeable.
The ball marking device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of supporting means are stackable over one another.
The ball marking device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one supporting means comprises at least one receptacle for receiving and positioning the at least one ball.
The ball marking device according to claim 7, wherein the at least one receptacle is of semi-hemispherical shape.
The ball marking device according to claim 2, wherein the housing comprises a first housing part movable relative to a second housing part, the second housing part comprises the at least one supporting means.
The ball marking device according to claim 9, wherein the first and the second housing parts are movably connected with each other.
The ball marking device according to claim 10, wherein the first and the second housing parts are hingedly connected at one end of the housing.
The ball marking device according to claim 9, wherein the heating element is arranged at the first housing part.
The ball marking device according to claim 9, wherein the first and the second housing parts are adapted to cooperate in a closed configuration in which heat from the heating element is to be applied to the surface of the at least one ball to produce a mark on the surface of the at least one ball.
The ball marking device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is adapted to receive a transfer paper carrying the mark, the mark on the transfer paper is adapted to be transferred from the transfer paper onto the surface of the at least one ball as a result of the applied heat.
The ball marking device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a heat transfer surface for transferring heat to the surface of the at least one ball, with the heat transfer surface being conformed to the surface of the at least one ball.
The ball marking device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an insert layer adapted to cooperate with the heating element to thereby enable heat from the heating element to be applied evenly onto the surface of the at least one ball.
The ball marking device according to claim 16, wherein the insert layer is heat conductive.
The ball marking device according to claim 16, wherein the insert layer is resilient.
The ball making device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is adapted to generate heat up to a temperature ranged from about 150 to 250 degree Celsius.
The ball making device according to claim 1, further comprising a signalling means adapted to provide a signal under at least one of the following conditions: when the generated heat has reached a required temperature, when the heat has been generated for a required duration, when the generated heat has reached a required temperature for a required duration, and when the generated heat has exceed a maximum temperature.
The ball marking device according to claim 20, wherein the signal comprises at least one of an audio signal and a visual signal.
The ball marking device according to claim 14, further comprising a transfer paper holder for holding and/or storing the transfer paper.
The ball marking device according to claim 14, further comprising a transfer paper engaging means adapted to retain the transfer paper in a position adjacent the surface of the at least one ball to allow marking of the at least one ball.
The ball marking device according to claim 1 wherein the ball marking device is a handheld device.
The ball marking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ball comprises sport balls including at least one of tennis balls, golf balls, softballs, baseballs and cricket balls.