Magnetic pool cue holder

The magnetic pool cue holder system comprises a pool cue, a rack, and an equipment holder. The pool cue may be adapted to be held by a user and used to strike a cue ball. The pool cue may comprise a cue magnet. The cue magnet may be operable to removably couple the pool cue to the equipment holder. The rack may be configured to place a set of pool balls into starting positions on a pool table. The rack may comprise one or more rack magnets. The one or more rack magnets may be operable to removably couple the rack to the equipment holder.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

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REFERENCE TO APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the fields of cue sports and sporting equipment storage, more specifically, a magnetic pool cue holder system.

Summary of Invention

The magnetic pool cue holder system comprises a pool cue, a rack, and an equipment holder. The pool cue may be adapted to be held by a user and used to strike a cue ball. The pool cue may comprise a cue magnet. The cue magnet may be operable to removably couple the pool cue to the equipment holder. The rack may be configured to place a set of pool balls into starting positions on a pool table. The rack may comprise one or more rack magnets. The one or more rack magnets may be operable to removably couple the rack to the equipment holder.

An object of the invention is to provide a pool cue comprising a cue magnet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack comprising one or more rack magnets.

A further object of the invention is to provide an equipment holder comprising at least one ferromagnetic surface to which the pool cue and/or rack may be removably coupled by magnetic attraction.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide wall mounted bar, lighted dual cur holder, chair mounted cue holder, and floor mounted cue holder embodiments of the equipment holder.

These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the magnetic pool cue holder system will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the magnetic pool cue holder system in detail, it is to be understood that the magnetic pool cue holder system is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the magnetic pool cue holder system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Detailed reference will now be made to a first potential embodiment of the disclosure, which is illustrated inFIGS.1through8.

The magnetic pool cue holder system100(hereinafter invention) comprises a pool cue200, a rack230, and an equipment holder240. The pool cue200may be adapted to be held by a user950and used to strike a cue ball912. The pool cue200may comprise a cue magnet208. The cue magnet208may be operable to removably couple the pool cue200to the equipment holder240. The rack230may be configured to place a set of pool balls into starting positions on a pool table920. The rack230may comprise one or more rack magnets232. The one or more rack magnets232may be operable to removably couple the rack230to the equipment holder240.

The pool cue200may be a tapered stick used to strike the cue ball912. The pool cue200may comprise a ferrule204located at the distal end of the pool cue200. A tip206may couple to the ferrule204. The tip206may transfer the energy of the strike to the cue ball912. As non-limiting examples, the tip206may be made from leather, phenolics, carbon fiber, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the pool cue200may comprise a shaft202, a butt210and a joint220. The shaft202may be the distal portion of the pool cue200. The butt210may be the proximal portion of the pool cue200. The shaft202may couple to the butt210via the joint220. The butt210may comprise a wrap212. The wrap212may encircle the butt210. The wrap212may be adapted to be gripped by the user950while striking the cue ball912. As non-limiting examples, the wrap212may be made of rubber or leather.

The joint220may enable the shaft202and the butt210to be separated for transport and/or storage and coupled in order to use the pool cue200. The joint220may comprise a shaft collar222coupled to the proximal end of the shaft202and a butt collar226couple to the distal end of the butt210. The shaft collar222may engage the butt collar226in order to form the pool cue200. As a non-limiting example, the butt collar226may comprise a joint pin228that may be threaded and the shaft collar222may comprise a shaft collar aperture224that may be threaded to be complementary to the threading of the joint pin228. The joint220may retain the shaft202and the butt210by screwing the joint pin228into the shaft collar aperture224.

In some embodiments, the pool cue200may be made of wood. As non-limiting examples, the pool cue200may be made of maple, ash, or combinations thereof.

The cue magnet208may be located at the proximal end of the pool cue200. The cue magnet208may be operable to hold the pool cue200on the equipment holder240. In some embodiments, the cue magnet208may be a rare-earth magnet.

The rack230may be a triangular armature used to position the set of pool balls on the pool table920. The rack230may comprise the one or more rack magnets232located on the outside sidewalls of the rack230. The one or more rack magnets232may be operable to retain the rack230on the equipment holder240.

The equipment holder240may be operable to hold one or more of the pool cues200, the rack230, or combinations thereof. The equipment holder240may comprise at least one ferromagnetic surface242. The cue magnet208of the pool cue200and/or the one or more rack magnets232of the rack230may be placed in contact with the at least one ferromagnetic surface242of the equipment holder240in order to retain the pool cue200and/or the rack230. The at least one ferromagnetic surface242may be made of a ferromagnetic material. As non-limiting examples, the ferromagnetic material may be iron, nickel, cobalt, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the equipment holder240may be a wall mounted bar254. The wall mounted bar254may be horizontally oriented and may comprise a bottom ferromagnetic surface256and a top ferromagnetic surface258. One or more of the pool cues200may be suspended beneath the wall mounted bar254by magnetic attraction between the cue magnets208and the bottom ferromagnetic surface256. At least one of the racks230may be retained on top of the wall mounted bar254by magnetic attraction between the one or more rack magnets232and the top ferromagnetic surface258. The wall mounted bar254may comprise one or more mounting brackets244for mounting the wall mounted bar254on a wall.

In some embodiments, the equipment holder240may be a lighted dual cue holder260. The lighted dual cue holder260may comprise a pair of cue holders262, a separation armature264, a standoff post266, a wall mount246, and a light268. The pair of cue holders262may be an inverted L-shaped armatures each comprising a cue holder horizontal surface214and a cue holder vertical surface216. At least the cue holder horizontal surface214may be made of the ferromagnetic material such that the pool cues200may be suspended beneath the pair of cue holders262by magnetic attraction between the cue magnet208and the cue holder horizontal surface214. The pair of cue holders262may be separated and held parallel to each other by the separation armature264which may be oriented to be horizontal and parallel to the wall. The separation armature264may be coupled to the cue holder vertical surfaces216of the pair of cue holders262. The separation armature264may be held away from the wall by the standoff post266that may be coupled between the separation armature264and the wall mount246. The wall mount246may be coupled to the wall. The light268may be located within the bottom of the wall mount246such that the light268may shine down from the wall mount246when illuminated.

In some embodiments, the equipment holder240may be a chair mounted cue holder270. The chair mounted cue holder270may be an L-shaped chair armature comprising a chair holder horizontal surface234and a chair holder vertical surface236. At least the chair holder horizontal surface234may be made of the ferromagnetic material such that the pool cue200may be retained above the chair mounted cue holder270by magnetic attraction between the cue magnet208and the chair holder horizontal surface234. The chair holder vertical surface236may be coupled to a leg942of a chair940by mounting hardware passing through a chair mounting aperture272on the chair holder vertical surface236and into the leg942of the chair940.

In some embodiments, the equipment holder240may be a floor mounted cue holder280. The floor mounted cue holder280may be a round plate that may fasten to a floor via a pair of floor mounting apertures284and mounting hardware. The floor mounted cue holder280may be made of the ferromagnetic material such that the pool cue200may be retained above the floor mounted cue holder280by magnetic attraction between the cue magnet208and the floor mounted cue holder280. The floor mounted cue holders280may comprise a plurality of patterns such that each of the floor mounted cue holders280resembles an individual pool ball. The plurality of patterns may be formed by stamping, engraving, etching, laser marking, painting, or any combination thereof. As non-limiting examples, the floor mounted cue holder280may represent a low ball916as a number from 1 to 7 within a circle, a high ball918as a number from 9 to 15 within a circle between stripes, an eight ball914as the number8within a circle, and the cue ball912as a featureless circular disk.

In some embodiments, the floor mounted cue holders280may comprise 16 of the floor mounted cue holders280representing the set of pool balls in its entirety. In some embodiments, the floor mounted cue holders280may comprise a subset of the set of pool balls. As a non-limiting example, the subset of the set of pool balls may comprise the cue ball912, the eight ball914, the low ball916, and the high ball918.

In use, one or more equipment holders240may be mounted in the proximity of a pool table920and used to hold pool cues200and a rack230. As non-limiting examples, the equipment holders240may be wall mounted bars254, lighted dual cue holders260, chair mounted cue holders270, floor mounted cue holders280, or any combination thereof. The pool cues200may be suspended from the bottom of the wall mounted bar254and the rack230may be retained on top of the wall mounted bar254. Up to two of the pool cues200may be suspended from the lighted dual cue holder260. In addition, the light268built into the bottom of the lighted dual cue holder260may provide illumination. The pool cue200may be made to stand upright on the chair mounted cue holder270and/or the floor mounted cue holder280.

Definitions

As used in this disclosure, an “aperture” may be an opening in a surface or object. Aperture may be synonymous with hole, slit, crack, gap, slot, or opening.

As used in this disclosure, a “collar” may be a ring like device that is placed around an object.

As used herein, “complement” or “complementary” may refer to a compatibility between threaded parts such that the gender, handedness, form, angle, pitch, diameter, and thread depth of both threads are compatible for the parts to mate by screwing the threads together. “Complement” and “complementary” may also be used to describe compatibility between geared parts and/or combinations of geared parts and threaded parts. As a non-limiting example, the worm screw and worm gear of a worm drive mechanism may be said to be complementary if the worm screw meshes with the worm gear and the worm screw is operable to turn the worm gear when the worm screw rotates.

As used herein, the words “couple”, “couples”, “coupled” or “coupling”, may refer to connecting, either directly or indirectly, and does not necessarily imply a mechanical connection.

As used here, “cue” or “cue stick” may refer to a tapered stick used to strike a cue ball in the games of pool, billiards, and snookers. A cue stick may also be known as a pool cue, billiards cue, or snookers cue.

As used in this disclosure, the terms “distal” and “proximal” may be used to describe relative positions. Distal refers to the object, or the end of an object, that is situated away from the point of origin, point of reference, or point of attachment. Proximal refers to an object, or end of an object, that is situated towards the point of origin, point of reference, or point of attachment. Distal implies ‘farther away from’ and proximal implies ‘closer to’. In some instances, the point of attachment may be the where an operator or user of the object makes contact with the object. In some instances, the point of origin or point of reference may be a center point, a central axis, or a centerline of an object and the direction of comparison may be in a radial or lateral direction.

As used in this disclosure, a “ferromagnetic material” may be a material that is attracted to a magnet.

As used in this disclosure, “horizontal” may be a directional term that refers to a direction that is perpendicular to the local force of gravity. Unless specifically noted in this disclosure, the horizontal direction is always perpendicular to the vertical direction.

As used herein, the words “invert”, “inverted”, or “inversion” may refer to an object that has been turned inside out or upside down or to the act of turning an object inside out or upside down.

As used in this disclosure, a “magnet” may be an ore, alloy, or other material that has its component atoms arranged so that the material exhibits properties of magnetism such as attracting iron-containing objects or aligning itself in an external magnetic field.

As used herein, “mounting hardware” may refer to mechanical devices that are used to attach one object to another, including devices whose only purpose is to improve aesthetics. As non-limiting examples, mounting hardware may comprise screws, nuts, bolts, washers, rivets, crossbars, hooks, collars, nipples, cams, standoffs, knobs, caps, plates, rails, lips, brackets, or any combination thereof.

As used herein, “rare earth” may refer to a group of elements on the periodic table. Rare earth elements may comprise the lanthanides plus yttrium and scandium. Some rare earth elements, such as neodymium and samarium, are notable for their ability to form strong permanent magnets when compounded with transition metals such as iron, nickel, and cobalt.

As used herein, “rare-earth magnet” may refer to a permanent magnet made from alloys of rare-earth (lanthanide) elements. Rare-earth magnets may produce magnetic fields that are 2 to 3 times stronger than ferrite or alnico magnets. Examples of rear-earth magnets include, but are not limited to, neodymium magnets and samarium-cobalt magnets.

As used herein, “subset” may refer to a relationship between two sets. Set ‘A’ may be said to be a subset of set ‘B’ if all elements of set ‘A’ are also elements of set ‘B’. The definition of subset allows that the membership of set ‘A’ may equal the membership of set ‘B’. A subset may also be an empty set, meaning that the subset may have no members.

As used herein, “taper” may refer to a continuous and typically, but not necessarily, gradual change in the span of a one or more dimensions of an elongated object that occurs in the apparent direction of elongation. An object that narrows along an axis may be called tapered.

As used in this disclosure, “vertical” may refer to a direction that is parallel to the local force of gravity. Unless specifically noted in this disclosure, the vertical direction is always perpendicular to horizontal.