This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan patent application number 096107261 filed on Mar. 2, 2007.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf tee for use in playing a golf game and more particularly, to an adjustable golf tee set, which allows adjustment of the elevation of the tee nail above the ground to fit different ball-striking needs and, which uses a connecting cord to connect the support supporting the tee nail to a ground anchor so that the tee nail will not be lost after each application.
2. Description of the Related Art
When playing the game of golf, many factors affect the performance. Because every golf player has a different physical body size, arm span, method of grip and golf club swinging posture and because the ground surface may be uneven, the elevation of the golf tee must be properly adjusted so that the player can hit the center of the golf ball accurately. If the golf tee is not set at a suitable elevation, the player will be difficult to hit the right part of the golf ball accurately. However, when fastening a golf tee to the ground, the player cannot accurately control the insertion depth of the golf tee in the ground, and the elevation of the golf tee may be measured roughly by feeling. In this case, the player may be unable to hit the right part of the golf ball accurately, resulting in a low performance.
Further, after the player hit the ball, the golf tee may jump far away, and the player or the caddy may have to spend a lot of time in finding the golf tee.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a golf tee set that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide an adjustable golf tee set, which allows adjustment of the elevation of the tee nail in the ground to satisfy different ball-striking needs. It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable golf tee set, which supports the tee nail stably on the ground so that the user can strike the golf ball on the tee nail accurately.
To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the golf tee set comprises a tee nail and a support. The tee nail has a cup-like head for holding a golf ball and a pointed shank downwardly extending from the bottom side of the cup-like head for fastening to the ground. The support is for mounted around the pointed shank of the tee nail at the bottom side of the cup-like head to support the teen nail stably on the ground. The support comprises a base block and a number of annular spacer blocks of different thicknesses. The base block and the annular spacer blocks each have a center through hole for the insertion of the pointed shank of the tee nail. By means of selectively attaching the annular spacer blocks to the pointed shank of the tee nail above the base block, the nailing depth of the pointed shank of the tee nail in the ground is controlled, and therefore the elevation of the cup-like head of the tee nail above the ground is relatively controlled.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an oblique elevation of an adjustable golf tee set in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the adjustable golf tee set in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing an application example of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing another application example of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of an adjustable golf tee set in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an exploded view of an adjustable golf tee set in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view in an enlarged scale of the base block of the support of the adjustable golf tee shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is an exploded view of an adjustable golf tee set in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view in an enlarged scale of the base block of the support of the adjustable golf tee shown in FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1˜3, an adjustable golf tee set in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown comprised of a tee nail 1, a support 2 and a connecting cord 3.
The tee nail 1 comprises a pointed shank 13, a cup-like head 12, and a shoulder 11 axially connected between the pointed shank 13 and the cup-like head 12. The cup-like head 12 has a top recess 121 smoothly curved inwards for holding a golf ball. By means of the pointed shank 13, the tee nail 1 can easily be fastened to the ground.
The support 2 comprises a base block 21 and a number of annular spacer members 23. The base block 21 and the annular spacer members 23 each have a center through hole 24 approximately equal to the outer diameter of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 but smaller than the outer diameter of the shoulder 11 of the tee nail 1. Therefore, the base block 21 or the base block 21 with one annular spacer member 23 or a number or all of the annular spacer members 23 can be sleeved onto the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 and stopped at the bottom side of the shoulder 11 to control the nailing depth of the pointed shank 13 into the ground and to support the tee nail 1 in position. The base block 21 has a top bearing portion 22 upwardly extending from the top side around its center through hole 24 for supporting the annular spacer members 23, and a plurality of wire holes 25 cut through the top and bottom sides around the top bearing portion 22 for the mounting of the connecting cord 3.
The connecting cord 3 has one end fastened to one wire hole 25 of the base block 21 of the support 2, and the other end fastened to one wire hole 25 of the base block 21 of the support 2 of another tee nail 1 (see FIG. 4) or a wire hole 41 of an anchor 4 (see FIG. 5).
The pointed shank 13, the base block 21 and the annular spacer members 23 can be made out of metal, wood, hard plastics or any of a variety of other hard materials. The annular spacer members 23 have different heights for selective use. Subject to the number of the wooden club or iron club used, a user can selectively use the annular spacer members 23 with the base block 21 to support the tee nail 1 on the ground in the golf course at the desired height.
Referring to FIGS. 1˜3 again, because the center through hole 24 of the base block 21 and each of the annular spacer members 23 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 but smaller than the outer diameter of the shoulder 11 of the tee nail 1, the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 can be forced through the annular spacer members 23 and the base block 21. After insertion of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 11 through the annular spacer members 23 and the base block 21, the annular spacer members 23 and the base block 21 are firmly secured to the pointed shank 13 by means of friction resistance, and stopped at the bottom side of the shoulder 11. Further, after insertion of the connecting cord 3 through one wire hole 25 of the base block 21, each end of the connecting cord 3 is tied up to form or fixedly mounted with an endpiece 31 that is greater than the diameter of the wire holes 25, and therefore the connecting cord 3 is kept coupled to the base block 21.
FIG. 4 shows an application example of the first embodiment of the present invention. When in use, the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 is inserted through the annular spacer members 23 and the base block 21 and then fastened to the ground to have the annular spacer members 23 and the base block 21 be stopped between the shoulder 11 of the tee nail 1 and the ground. Thus, the support 2 supports the tee nail 1 firmly in place on the ground, and then the connecting cord 3 is fastened to a ground anchor. According to this application example, the ground anchor is one same tee nail 1. Thus, the user can put the golf ball in the top recess 121 of the cup-like head 12 and then hit the ball with a golf club. By means of the support member 2, the tee nail 1 is positively positioned in the ground to support the golf ball at the desired elevation for striking, and the user can solidly hit the right part of the golf ball to strike the golf ball long and straight. After the user hit the golf ball, the tee nail 1 with the support 2 may jump away from the ground in direction reversed to the striking direction, however the connecting cord 3 still secures the adjustable golf tee set to the ground anchor, and the user can quickly pick up the adjustable golf tee set for a repeat use.
FIG. 5 shows another application example of the first embodiment of the present invention. According to this application example, the ground anchor, referenced by 4, is a fork, having a wire hole 41 for the fastening of the connecting cord 3. By means of the ground anchor 4, the adjustable golf tee set will not be lost after each application.
FIG. 6 shows a golf tee set in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to the aforesaid first embodiment with the exception that the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 has a plurality of longitudinal locating ribs 131 spaced around the periphery; the base block 21 and the annular spacer members 23 each have a plurality of longitudinal locating grooves 241 equiangularly arranged on the respective inside wall around the respective center through hole 24 for receiving the longitudinal locating ribs 131 of the pointed shank 13 to prohibit rotation of the tee nail 1 relative to the support 2. Alternatively, the longitudinal locating ribs 131 can be formed in the center through hole 24 of the base block 21 and each of the annular spacer members 23 of the support 2, and the longitudinal locating grooves 241 can be formed on the periphery of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show a golf tee set in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention and its application example. Similar to the aforesaid first embodiment of the present invention, this third embodiment is comprised of a tee nail 1, a support 2 and a connecting cord 3. The tee nail 1 is substantially similar to that of the aforesaid first embodiment with the exception that the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 of this third embodiment has two rows of locating grooves 132 arranged on the periphery at two sides at different elevations. According to this embodiment, the locating grooves 132 are rounded grooves. The support 2 in accordance with this third embodiment comprises a base block 21, two spring members 213 and two retaining pins 211. The base block 21 has a center through hole 24 corresponding to the outer diameter of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1, a top bearing portion 22 upwardly extending from the top side around the center through hole 24 for stopping against the bottom side of the shoulder 11 of the tee nail 1, and a plurality of wire holes 25 cut through the top and bottom sides around the top bearing portion 22 for the mounting of the connecting cord 3. The retaining pins 211 are movably mounted (in a respective hole) in the base block 21 and partially extending out of the base block 21 at two opposite sides, each having a rounded locating tip 212, which is movable with the respective retaining pin 211 in and out of the center through hole 24. The two spring members 213 are mounted in the base block 21 at two sides to support the retaining pins 211 in such a position that the rounded locating tips 212 of the retaining pins 211 protrude into the center through hole 24 of the base block 21. When in use, the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 is inserted through the center through hole 24 of the base block 21 to force the rounded locating tips 212 of the retaining pins 211 backwards against the respective spring members 213. When two locating grooves 132 of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 are in horizontal alignment with the rounded locating tips 212 of the retaining pins 211 respectively, the spring members 213 immediately force the rounded locating tips 212 of the retaining pins 211 forwards into engagement with the two locating grooves 132 of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1, securing the base block 21 to the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 at the desired elevation. When the user presses the retaining pins 211 against the spring members 213, the rounded locating tips 212 of the retaining pins 211 are disengaged from the corresponding locating grooves 132 of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1, allowing adjustment of the elevation of the base block 21 relative to the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 or removal of the base block 21 from the tee nail 1. Further, elevational marks or signs may be marked on the periphery of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 corresponding to the locating grooves 132 for recognition of different elevations.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show an adjustable golf tee set in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. According to this fourth embodiment, the tee nail 1 has a plurality of locating grooves 132 arranged on the periphery of the pointed shank 13 at two opposite sides at different elevations. The locating grooves 132 are elongated grooves extending in horizontal direction. Further, the pointed shank 13 is a rectangular shank. The support 2 according to this fourth embodiment comprises a base block 21, a U-clamp 214 mounted in the base block 21. The base block 21 has a center through hole 24 for the passing of the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1, a top bearing portion 22 upwardly extending from the top side around the center through hole 24, and a plurality of wire holes 25 cut through the top and bottom sides around the top bearing portion 22 for the mounting of the connecting cord 3. The U-clamp 214 is a U-shaped spring member affixed to the inside of the base block 21, having two clamping spring arms 215 tangentially extending through the center through hole 24 of the base block 21. When in use, the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 is inserted through the center through hole 24 of the base block 21 to force the two clamping spring arms 215 outwards, and then the tee nail 1 is rotated through an angle to let the two clamping spring arms 215 engage two of the locating grooves 132 of the tee nail 1, securing the base block 21 firmly to the pointed shank 13 of the tee nail 1 at the desired elevation.
As stated above, the invention provides an adjustable golf tee set, which has the features and benefits as follows:
1. The user can selectively use the annular spacer blocks 23 with the base block 21 to support the tee nail 1 stably on the ground and to control the nailing depth of the tee nail 1 in the ground subject to different ball-striking needs.
2. The design of the longitudinal locating ribs 131 and the longitudinal locating grooves 241 assure positive engagement between the support 2 and the tee nail 1, enabling the support 2 to reinforce the strength of the tee nail 1 and to support the tee nail 1 firmly in place to hold the golf ball for striking.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
Patent Application
20080214328
