I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of Invention
The invention is in the field of golf ball markers.
B. Description of the Related Art
Golf ball markers are well-known in the sport of golfing. Generally a golfer picks up his ball and replaces it with ball marker, while other players take their turns. This avoids accidental collisions of players' balls. A wide variety of ball markers are known, but all have certain short comings. What is needed in the art is a ball marker that can be stored in a carrier device.
Some embodiments of the present invention may provide one or more benefits or advantages over the prior art.
II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Some embodiments may relate to a golf ball marking tool having a retaining member with a recess sized to receive the head of a golf ball marker. The golf ball marker may be retained in the recess according to one or more of several retaining modalities. One modality uses a magnet to retain a ferromagnetic ball marker in the recess. Another modality includes one or more bosses positioned in a translational groove so that an anchor pin structure of the golf ball marker can be retained between the distal end of the translational groove and the one or more bosses in a snap fit. In some embodiments the translational groove is replaced with an indexing orifice or pin hole, sized and configured to retainably receive the anchor pin. Translational grooves and indexing orifices, as used herein, are both categorized under the genus of indexing receivers. Indexing receivers dimensioned and configured to receive an anchor pin in an orientation suitable for storing the ball marker, meaning that inserting the anchor pin into an indexing receiver automatically guides the ball marker into contact with and retention in the carrier. In a third modality, the recess itself includes a semi-annular ridge that sufficiently encloses the circular head of the golf ball marker to retain the head in a snap fit. Embodiments can include one or more of these modalities alone or in any functional combination.
Other benefits and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.
III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, wherein like reference numerals indicate like structure, and wherein:
FIG. 1A-1 is an oblique perspective view of a first embodiment;
FIG. 1A-2 is a similar view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the divot tool stowed and the ball marker seated in the embodiment;
FIG. 1B is an oblique perspective view of a second embodiment;
FIG. 2A is a top view of an embodiment;
FIG. 2B is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment comprising a minimal carrier;
FIG. 5A is a top view of an embodiment comprising a coin type carrier;
FIG. 5B is an alternative top view of the embodiment of FIG. 5A;
FIG. 5C is a frontal view of the embodiment of FIG. 5B taken along line 5C-5C;
FIG. 5D is an exploded view variation of the frontal view of the view of FIG. 5C;
FIG. 5E-1 is a top view of an embodiment similar to FIG. 5A;
FIG. 5E-2 is a frontal view of the embodiment of FIG. 5E-1;
FIG. 6 is view of an embodiment having a carrier comprising a pocket knife;
FIG. 7 is a view of an embodiment having a carrier comprising a key fob;
FIG. 8 is a view of an embodiment having a carrier comprising bottle opener; and FIG. 9 is a view of an embodiment having a carrier comprising a cell phone case.
IV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As used herein the terms “embodiment”, “embodiments”, “some embodiments”, “other embodiments” and so on are not exclusive of one another. Except where there is an explicit statement to the contrary, all descriptions of the features and elements of the various embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in all operable combinations thereof.
Language used herein to describe process steps may include words such as “then” which suggest an order of operations; however, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the use of such terms is often a matter of convenience and does not necessarily limit the process being described to a particular order of steps.
Conjunctions and combinations of conjunctions (e.g. “and/or”) are used herein when reciting elements and characteristics of embodiments; however, unless specifically stated to the contrary or required by context, “and”, “or” and “and/or” are interchangeable and do not necessarily require every element of a list or only one element of a list to the exclusion of others.
Terms of degree, terms of approximation, and/or subjective terms may be used herein to describe certain features or elements of the invention. In each case sufficient disclosure is provided to inform the person having ordinary skill in the art in accordance with the written description requirement and the definiteness requirement of 35 U.S.C. 112.
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same, FIG. 1A-1 is an oblique perspective view of an embodiment 100 comprising a combined divot repair tool 102 and ball marker 104, although the invention is not limited to this combination. The divot repair tool 102 is part of, or attached to, what is referred to herein as a carrier 106, which is any device adapted to carry a golf ball marker 104 according to the invention. Carriers 106 may include other tools or convenience items frequently used by golfers; however, carriers within the scope of the invention can also be arbitrary items with aesthetic appeal such as a poker chip. Carriers can also include common items that individuals frequently carry unrelated to golf, such as an automobile key fob, a bottle opener, a cell phone case, or a pocket knife. In some embodiments, the carrier may have no implements apart from the ball marker. That is, the carrier may function only to carry a ball marker. The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1 and 1A-2 includes a divot repair tool 102 coupled to the carrier in a swiveling relation 116, such that the tool 102 can swivel between a deployed and a stowed configuration. The person having ordinary skill in the art, is capable of readily selecting among known means for creating such a swivel coupling as a matter of design choice. Other implements such as the pocket knife blade and the bottle opener, mentioned above, can be similarly connected to the carrier 106 as will be described in more detail herein.
The embodiment 100 of FIG. 1A-1 shows the ball marker 104 separated from the carrier 106. The carrier 106 is adapted to receive the marker 104. More specifically, the carrier 106 includes a seat comprising a recessed area 108 slightly larger than the head 104H of the ball marker 104. In some embodiments the recess 108 may have a depth allowing the top major face 114 of the marker's head 104H to sit flush with the exterior surface 112 of the carrier 106. The carrier 106 is further adapted to receive the marker 104 by including a translational groove 110 sized, according to this particular embodiment, to receive the marker's anchor pin 104P in a clearance fit. The anchor pin 104P may be, for instance and without limitation, a length of wire extending perpendicularly away from the underside of the head 104H. In this and other embodiments, the translational groove may be replaced with an orifice or pin hole sized and configured to retainably receive the anchor pin 104P. In the context of such an orifice, retainably received means that the orifice receives the anchor pin in an appropriate fit (e.g. an interference or transition fit), and the orifice or pin may be fitted with retaining structures as described elsewhere herein e.g., a magnet or one or more bosses for creating a snap fit.
The person of ordinary skill will readily understand that “perpendicular” is not a critical feature, and in fact the anchor pin 104P can deviate significantly from perpendicular while still being operable. As used herein, the term “perpendicular” or “perpendicularly”, in reference to the orientation of the anchor pin 104P relative to the head 104H, includes all operable orientations of the anchor pin extending away from the head. Furthermore, the person of ordinary skill will also readily understand that the head 104H need not be circular as illustrated herein. In fact, the head 104H is not limited by a two-dimensional form. Any shape can be interchanged as a matter of convenience, or design choice, provided the retaining features (e.g. the recess 108 and ridge 108R) of the carrier 106 are similarly modified to receive the head 104H substantially as described herein.
When the marker 104 is in use, marking the position of a golf ball, the anchor pin 104P anchors the marker 104 in the earth to mark a ball's position. That is, the anchor pin 104P fixes the position of the marker 104. When the marker 104 is stored, the anchor pin 104P is received by the carrier 106. More specifically, the anchor pin 104P is placed in the translational groove 110, the bottom major face 114U (See FIG. 2B) of the head 104H is placed against the major face 108M of the recessed area 108, and the head 104H is slid along the translational groove 110 until the perimeter of the head 104H contacts the back of the semi-annular ridge 108R and/or until the anchor pin 104P contacts the distal end 110D of the translational groove 110. The anchor pin 104P can be placed in the translational groove 110 at any point along its length. One option is to insert the anchor pin 104 where the translational groove 110 opens at the edge 122E of retaining member 122. As used herein, the retaining member 122 is a set of components integrated with a carrier 106 for retaining a ball marker 104. The components of a retaining member can include one or more of a recess 108, the major face of a recess 108, a ridge 108R, arcs 108L, straight legs 108U, a magnet 310 or other retaining structure, a translational groove 110, and/or an indexing orifice 111.
As shown in FIG. 1A-1, the distal end 110D of the translational groove 110 is located in a central area of the recess 108; however, the invention is not limited in this way. In fact, the distal end 110D can be in any position other than the edges of the recess 108, provided the position is functional for the intended purpose of receiving and retaining the anchor pin 104P.
With continuing reference to FIG. 1A-1, in this particular embodiment 100 the ridge 108R forms a partial circle, with an arc length greater than x radians, and following a circular path all along its entire partial circumference. This forms retaining arcs 108L of the ridge 108R that tend to curl around and retain the circular head 104H of the marker 104. The arcs 108L extend below π/2 radians and above 2π/3 radians. The length of arcs 108L can be sized such that a small stress applied to the terminal ends of the ridge 108R can overcome a small but sufficient amount of strain in the arcs 108L to allow the ball marker head (104H) to pass between the arcs 108L, in the nature of a snap fit with the ridge 108R, major face 108M, and arcs 108L. The force required to cause this strain is referred to herein as a retaining force, and may be the same for inserting the ball marker head (104H) as it is for removing the ball marker head (104H), although this is not a requirement of the invention. With continuing reference to the arcs 108L, embodiments may structure the arcs as a mere extension of the ridge 108R. However, embodiments may also form the arcs 108L from leaf springs, as in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1 and 1A-2. More specifically, the leaf spring arcs 108L include an embossed tip that contacts the ball marker head 104H during insertion and flexes outward in response to a force applied by hand. FIG. 1A-1 shows the leaf spring arcs 108L in a relaxed state, and FIG. 1A-2 shows the leaf spring arcs 108L in a flexed state, retaining the ball marker 104. Finally, also shown in FIG. 1A-1, reference numeral 116 indicates that the divot tool 102 is foldable, and can be collapsed into the carrier 106, being received by slot 118.
The embodiment 120 of FIG. 1B is similar to that of FIGS. 1A-1 and 1A-2 except that the ridge 108R of the recessed area 108 terminates at π/2 radians and 3π/2 radians respectively. This optional design feature allows the user to insert the anchor pin 104P where the translational groove 110 opens at the edge 122E of the retaining member 122 with the head 104H of the marker 104 lying flat on major face 108M of the recess 108 (See FIG. 1A for reference numerals 104, 108, 108M and 122). This eliminates the snap fit available in embodiment 100 in favor of a clearance fit with the ridge 108R and major face 108M; however, other means are provided by the present invention to retain the marker 104. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the translational groove 110 is sized to engage the anchor pin 104P in a transition or interference fit, such that the ball marker 104 is retainably received retained by the friction between the groove 110 and the pin 104P while still being easily removable by hand. The person having ordinary skill in the art is readily capable of identifying appropriate dimensions to produce the described fit as a matter of design choice, and without undue experimentation.
FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an embodiment 200 in top view and side view. Embodiment 200 is similar to 100 and 120 except that 200 includes a retaining structure 110R at the distal end 110D of the translational groove 110. More specifically, a pair of opposing bosses 210 are disposed in the translational groove at the distal end 110D. As used here, the illustrated bosses 210 are deemed “at” the distal end, even though they are actually a distance away from the true end of the translational groove 110. Just enough space is left to receive and retain the anchor pin 104P. According to this embodiment the bosses 210 and the space between the bosses 210 and the true end of the translational groove, together comprise the retaining structure 110R. Thus, the retaining structure 110R is adapted to retainably receive the anchor pin 104P. Thus, embodiment 200 receives the anchor pin 104P in a snap fit. The person having ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that the pair of opposing bosses could be interchanged with a single slightly larger boss to achieve the same effect. FIG. 2B shows embodiment 200 in a side view with the ball marker 104 exploded out from the carrier 106. The bottom major face 114U is shown.
FIG. 3 illustrates another similar embodiment 300, but instead of having a mechanical retaining structure 110R, it has a magnetic retaining structure 310 embedded in the retaining member 122 at the distal end 110D of the translational groove 110. Embodiments having magnetic retainers 310 also have corresponding ferromagnetic markers 104. The magnetic retainer 310, according to this embodiment, sits flush with the major face 108M of the recess 108. In other embodiments, the magnetic retainer 310 may be recessed below the major face 108M, and may or may not include a filler material that sits flush with the major face 108M.
FIG. 4 is an embodiment 400 comprising a divot repair tool 102 similar to that of the preceding figures; however, in this embodiment, the divot repair tool is fixed rather than retractable, and the carrier 106 is limited to a minimal structure formed in or on a back side 410 of the tool 102. This particular embodiment 400 includes a magnetic retainer 310 at a distal end of the translational groove 110. No other retaining structures are necessary for embodiment 400, and, therefore, the ridge 108R terminates in straight legs 108U extending from π/2 and 3π/2.
FIG. 5A is a top view of an embodiment 500 comprising a carrier 106 in the nature of a coin or poker chip. The embodiment 500, like embodiment 400, this particular embodiment the retaining member 122 relies on a magnetic retainer 310 and has no other features for retaining the ball marker 104. The ridge 108R terminates in straight legs 108U. Translational groove 110 is configured to receive the anchor pin 104P at its distal end 110D when the marker head 104H is abutting the ridge 108R. FIG. 5B shows the same embodiment 500 with the ball marker 104 installed in the retaining member 122. FIG. 5C is a frontal view of the embodiment 500 along line 5C-5C of FIG. 5B. FIG. 5D is a frontal view of embodiment 500, similar to that of FIG. 5C, except that the ball marker 104 is exploded upward to expose the underlying major face 108M of the recess, the ridge 108R, as well as the bottom major face 114U of the ball marker. Dashed lines are provided to illustrate how the parts cooperate.
FIG. 5E-1 illustrates an embodiment 510 similar to embodiment 500 except that the translational groove 110 is replaced with an indexing orifice 111. According to this embodiment the anchor pin 104P is inserted into the orifice 111 until the bottom major face 114U of the ball marker head 104H contacts the retaining member 122. The orifice 111 is indexed such that inserting the anchor pin 104P locates the ball marker head 104 in contact with the ridge 108R. Since the ball marker cannot move parallel to the carrier 106 during insertion, there is no need for straight legs 108U. Nonetheless, the legs 108U may be advantageous to provide structure for grasping the ball marker to remove it from the carrier 106. In this embodiment, a magnetic retainer 310 is provided at the indexing orifice 111. Alternatively, the orifice 111 and/or the anchor pin 104P diameters may be sized to cooperate in a sufficiently light friction fit to retain the ball marker while allowing the ball marker to be removed by hand, without tools.
FIG. 5E-2 is similar to FIG. 5E-1 except that the magnetic retainer is replaced with a pair of bosses 104B, 111B located on the anchor pin 104P and in the orifice 111. The bosses are positioned on the anchor pin and indexing orifice so that they can contact each other and cooperate in a snap fit. Either or both bosses may be annular; however, in the illustrated view the boss 104B is annular while the boss 111B is a pair of opposing hemispherical bumps in the wall of the orifice 111. The person having ordinary skill in the art will be readily capable of designing the bosses to provide the desired retaining force, and may add or subtract bosses accordingly, without departing from the scope of the invention.
FIGS. 6 through 9 show several embodiments claimed herein, where the carrier 106 comprises a pocket knife 600 in FIG. 6, a key fob 700 in FIG. 7, a bottle opener 800 in FIG. 8; and a cell phone case 900 in FIG. 9. Like other embodiments described herein, any of these can have any operable combination of the retaining structures described herein. In these particular embodiments, as illustrated, the retaining structures are identical to those of embodiment 500 in both form and function.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above methods and apparatuses may be changed or modified without departing from the general scope of the invention. The invention is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. Furthermore, the features described in one embodiment can be incorporated into other embodiments to the extent that features can cooperate. The person having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand how such combinations can be made. Accordingly, the invention is intended to encompass all 10 operable combinations of features described herein.
Patent Application
20240335716
