US 12,330,031 B2
Sports equipment grip installation system and method
Padhraig Ryan, Keatingstown (IE); Gregory Cavill, Pinehurst, NC (US); Sara Holland, Southern Pines, NC (US); and James Ledford, Pinehurst, NC (US)
Assigned to EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Appl. No. 18/293,820
Filed by Eaton Intelligent Power Limited, Dublin (IE)
PCT Filed Oct. 13, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/078324
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 31, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/011742, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 9, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/229,895, filed on Aug. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0335718 A1, Oct. 10, 2024
Int. Cl. A63B 60/42 (2015.01); A63B 53/14 (2015.01); A63B 71/06 (2006.01); B23P 21/00 (2006.01); B25G 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC A63B 60/42 (2015.10) [A63B 53/14 (2013.01); A63B 71/0622 (2013.01); B23P 21/00 (2013.01); B25G 3/00 (2013.01); A63B 2071/0625 (2013.01); A63B 2071/0694 (2013.01); A63B 2220/13 (2013.01); A63B 2220/807 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sports equipment grip installation system for installing a grip of the type comprising an alignment indicator, the system comprising:
a jig comprising a clamp configured to, in use, receive and retain a piece of sports equipment therein such that a shaft or body of the sports equipment is held within a predetermined plane; and
an alignment device comprising a camera, a position sensor and a processor configured and operable to:
determine an alignment of the alignment device with respect to the predetermined plane based on an output of the position sensor;
output a first prompt for the alignment device to be moved to align with the predetermined plane;
capture at least one first image with the camera;
determine, with a shaft identification algorithm and the at least one first image, a relative alignment of the camera with respect to the shaft or body of the sports equipment;
output a second prompt for the alignment device or sports equipment to be moved such that the camera is aligned with the shaft or body of the sports equipment;
capture at least one second image with the camera;
determine, with a contact portion identification algorithm and the at least one second image, a position of a contact portion of the sports equipment relative to the predetermined plane;
receive a predetermined optimal grip alignment position indicating an optimal position of the alignment indicator of the grip with respect to the contact portion of the sports equipment; and
output a grip installation instruction indicating an installation orientation for the grip such that, following installation of the grip in the installation orientation, the alignment indicator of the grip is positioned according to the predetermined optimal alignment position,
wherein the shaft identification algorithm comprises a trained shaft or body identification machine learning algorithm and the contact portion identification algorithm comprises a trained contact portion identification machine learning algorithm.
 
19. A sports equipment grip installation system for installing a grip of the type comprising an alignment indicator, the system comprising:
a jig comprising a clamp configured to, in use, receive and retain a piece of sports equipment therein such that a shaft or body of the sports equipment is held within a predetermined plane; and
an alignment device comprising a camera, a position sensor and a processor configured and operable to:
determine an alignment of the alignment device with respect to the predetermined plane based on an output of the position sensor;
output a first prompt for the alignment device to be moved to align with the predetermined plane;
capture at least one first image with the camera;
determine, with a shaft identification algorithm and the at least one first image, a relative alignment of the camera with respect to the shaft or body of the sports equipment;
output a second prompt for the alignment device or sports equipment to be moved such that the camera is aligned with the shaft or body of the sports equipment;
capture at least one second image with the camera;
determine, with a contact portion identification algorithm and the at least one second image, a position of a contact portion of the sports equipment relative to the predetermined plane;
receive a predetermined optimal grip alignment position indicating an optimal position of the alignment indicator of the grip with respect to the contact portion of the sports equipment; and
output a grip installation instruction indicating an installation orientation for the grip such that, following installation of the grip in the installation orientation, the alignment indicator of the grip is positioned according to the predetermined optimal alignment position,
wherein the processor is further configured to capture at least one third image with the camera and determine, with a grip identification algorithm, that the grip has been installed on a grip receiving portion of the sports equipment.
 
23. A sports equipment grip installation system for installing a grip of the type comprising an alignment indicator, the system comprising:
a jig comprising a clamp configured to, in use, receive and retain a piece of sports equipment therein such that a shaft or body of the sports equipment is held within a predetermined plane;
a grip installation device configured to be controlled by a processor to install the grip on a grip receiving portion of the sports equipment in accordance with a grip installation instruction; and
an alignment device comprising a camera, a position sensor and the processor configured and operable to:
determine an alignment of the alignment device with respect to the predetermined plane based on an output of the position sensor;
output a first prompt for the alignment device to be moved to align with the predetermined plane;
capture at least one first image with the camera;
determine, with a shaft identification algorithm and the at least one first image, a relative alignment of the camera with respect to the shaft or body of the sports equipment;
output a second prompt for the alignment device or sports equipment to be moved such that the camera is aligned with the shaft or body of the sports equipment;
capture at least one second image with the camera;
determine, with a contact portion identification algorithm and the at least one second image, a position of a contact portion of the sports equipment relative to the predetermined plane;
receive a predetermined optimal grip alignment position indicating an optimal position of the alignment indicator of the grip with respect to the contact portion of the sports equipment; and
output the grip installation instruction indicating an installation orientation for the grip such that, following installation of the grip in the installation orientation, the alignment indicator of the grip is positioned according to the predetermined optimal alignment position.