Granted Patent B2

US 12,734,458 · App. 19/391,499 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Stephen Giovanni Fazio (Atlanta, GA); Austin Mark Hillam (Atlanta, GA)

Assignee: ZIPSTRING LLC

A63H33/00A63H29/20A63H33/22F41B4/00

Abstract

Claims (37)

1 . A device for propelling a string comprising:

a body comprising a cavity;

an extension supported by the body and extending therefrom in a first direction away from the body;

at least one driven wheel attached to the body;

at least one strap configured to attach to a wrist of a user and to position the extension within a palm of the user;

at least one button positioned on the extension, wherein the at least one button is positioned on the palm within reach of at least one finger of the user in response to the at least one strap attaching to the wrist of the user and, wherein the at least one button is configured to cause the at least one driven wheel to be driven in a first direction in response to actuation, and in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to move the string toward the cavity; and

a looped string, wherein the looped string is propelled away from the body in the first direction in response to the at least one driven wheel being driven in the first direction.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one button controls the at least one driven wheel via a wire from the at least one button.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the extension is in a fixed position relative to the body.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the extension is flexible and biased toward the palm of the user.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the cavity is positioned on an opposite side of the at least one driven wheel from the extension.

6 . The device of claim 5 , further comprising a looped string, wherein the looped string is propelled away from the body away from the cavity in response to the at least one driven wheel being driven in the first direction, and wherein the looped string is propelled into the cavity in response to the at least one driven wheel being driven in the second direction.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein depressing the at least one button causes the at least one driven wheel to be driven in the first direction, and release of the at least one button causes the at least one driven wheel to be driven in the second direction.

8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein release of the at least one button causes the at least one driven wheel to be driven in the second direction for a predetermined amount of time.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the cavity extends in a first direction and wherein the extension extends in a second direction, opposite the first direction.

10 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a housing disposed over the at least one driven wheel, wherein the housing attaches to the body and covers the at least one driven wheel.

11 . A device for propelling a string comprising:

a body comprising a cavity and;

an extension supported by the body and extending therefrom in a first direction away from the body;

at least one driven wheel attached to the body, wherein the cavity is positioned on an opposite side of the at least one driven wheel from the extension;

an actuator positioned on the extension, wherein the actuator is configured to cause the at least one driven wheel to be driven in a first direction in response to actuation, and in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to move the string toward the cavity; and

a looped string, wherein the looped string is propelled away from the body the first direction in response to the at least one driven wheel being driven in the first direction.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the actuator controls the at least one driven wheel via a wire from the actuator.

13 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the extension is in a fixed position relative to the body.

14 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the looped string is propelled away from the body away from the cavity in response to the at least one driven wheel being driven in the first direction, and wherein the looped string is propelled into the cavity in response to the at least one driven wheel being driven in the second direction.

15 . The device of claim 14 , wherein depressing the actuator causes the at least one driven wheel to be driven in the first direction, and release of the actuator causes the at least one driven wheel to be driven in the second direction.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein release of the actuator causes the at least one driven wheel to be driven in the second direction for a predetermined amount of time.

17 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the cavity extends in a first direction and wherein the extension extends in a second direction, opposite the first direction.

18 . The device of claim 11 , further comprising at least one strap configured to attach to a wrist of a user and configured to position the extension within a palm of the user, wherein in response to the at least one strap attaching to the wrist of the user the actuator is configured to be positioned on the palm within reach of at least one finger of the user.

19 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the extension is flexible and biased toward the palm of the user in response to the at least one strap attaching to the wrist of the user.

20 . A device for propelling a string comprising:

a body comprising a cavity;

an extension connected to the body and extending away from the body in a first direction;

at least one driven wheel attached to the body;

at least one strap configured to attach to a wrist of a user;

at least one button positioned remotely from the body, wherein the at least one button is configured to cause the at least one driven wheel to be driven in a first direction in response to actuation, and in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to move the string toward the cavity; and

a looped string, wherein the looped string is propelled away from the body in the first direction in response to the at least one driven wheel being driven in the first direction.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (187)