Patent Application
20250186844
The present disclosure relates generally to markers or indicators. In particular, golf ball markers configured to selectively mount to golf clubs and to lie flush with a putting green are described.
Golf is a popular sport and recreational activity. Putting a golf ball into a hole on a putting green is generally how one completes each hole of golf on a golf course. Typically groups of four people play a round of golf together.
Golf rules and etiquette provide that golfers putt in an order based on the distance of their ball from the hole. The golfer whose ball is farthest from the hole putts first and then the golfer with the next farthest ball will putt. The outside-in putting order means that closer balls may be disposed in a putting path required for a golfer putting a farther ball.
To resolve the issue of closer balls blocking the putting path of farther balls, the closer balls may be temporarily replaced with a ball marker. A golf ball marker is placed on a putting green where a golf ball was resting to mark where the golf ball should be placed after farther balls have been putted and it is time for the ball in question to be putted. Golf ball markers are intended to reduce interference with putted golf balls travelling over or near them.
However, conventional golf ball markers are not entirely satisfactory. For example, existing ball markers do not sit sufficiently flush with a putting green surface and are therefore prone to interfere to an undesirable extent with balls putt near them.
Further, conventional ball markers are not adequately secure when placed on a putting green. Balls contacting conventional ball markers and the wind tend to move conventional ball markers away from the position where they were placed. Conventional ball markers failing to maintain their position makes it difficult for golfers using them to accurately reposition their golf balls on the putting green.
Conventional ball markers are less convenient to use than would be ideal. Many conventional ball markers are small, freestanding members that must be held or stored in a pocket of a golfer's clothing or golf bag. Holding a ball marker is not conducive to gripping a golf club. Retrieving a ball marker from a pocket when needed is not convenient and can cause the ball marker to become misplaced.
Certain conventional ball markers are designed to secure to a golf glove or hat to make retrieving the marker more convenient. However, such markers require the user to wear a glove or hat, which not all golfers prefer. Further, conventional ball markers designed to secure to gloves or hats generally require a specific glove or hat, which limits a golfer's choice for gloves and hats.
It would be desirable to have a golf ball marker that could be securely inserted into a putting green flush with the surface of the putting green. It would be further beneficial if a golf ball marker could securely, conveniently, and universally mount to golf clubs. In particular, it would be useful to have a golf ball marker that could mount to a putter since a putter is the golf club one most often will be using when marking a golf ball is needed.
Thus, there exists a need for ball markers that improve upon and advance the design of known ball markers. Examples of new and useful ball markers relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.
The present disclosure is directed to golf ball markers including a head and a boss. The head includes a body with a planer top surface. The body tapers axially as it extends away from the planar top surface.
The boss is coupled to the head distal the planar top surface. The boss includes a shank and a bulb. The shank is coupled to the head distal the top surface. The bulb is coupled to the shank distal the head.
The shank has a narrower diameter than the bulb. The narrower diameter of the shank relative to the bulb is configured to securely and selectively mount the shank within a vent hole of a grip member at an end of a golf club handle. The body tapering axially is configured to enable the planer top surface to lie flush with the surface of a putting green when the ball marker is pressed into the putting green.
The disclosed ball markers will become better understood through review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the figures. The detailed description and figures provide merely examples of the various inventions described herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed examples may be varied, modified, and altered without departing from the scope of the inventions described herein. Many variations are contemplated for different applications and design considerations; however, for the sake of brevity, each and every contemplated variation is not individually described in the following detailed description.
Throughout the following detailed description, examples of various ball markers are provided. Related features in the examples may be identical, similar, or dissimilar in different examples. For the sake of brevity, related features will not be redundantly explained in each example. Instead, the use of related feature names will cue the reader that the feature with a related feature name may be similar to the related feature in an example explained previously. Features specific to a given example will be described in that particular example. The reader should understand that a given feature need not be the same or similar to the specific portrayal of a related feature in any given figure or example.
The following definitions apply herein, unless otherwise indicated.
“Substantially” means to be more-or-less conforming to the particular dimension, range, shape, concept, or other aspect modified by the term, such that a feature or component need not conform exactly. For example, a “substantially cylindrical” object means that the object resembles a cylinder, but may have one or more deviations from a true cylinder.
“Comprising,” “including,” and “having” (and conjugations thereof) are used interchangeably to mean including but not necessarily limited to, and are open-ended terms not intended to exclude additional elements or method steps not expressly recited.
Terms such as “first”, “second”, and “third” are used to distinguish or identify various members of a group, or the like, and are not intended to denote a serial, chronological, or numerical limitation.
“Coupled” means connected, either permanently or releasably, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components.
Ancillary features relevant to the ball markers described herein will first be described to provide context and to aid discussing the ball markers.
The golf ball markers described in this document are often selectively supported on golf clubs. For example, as shown in
Vent holes are a standard feature of golf grip members mounted to golf shafts. Vent holes allow air within cavities defined by grip members to escape as the grip member receives a golf shaft inside the cavity when installing the grip member on the shaft. Vent holes also allow moisture within an inner cavity of golf shafts covered by a grip member go escape.
The ball markers described herein may be selectively secured to any currently known or later developed golf club that utilizes a grip member with a vent hole. The ball markers will often be secured in vent holes of putters because putters are the golf club most often used when marking a ball is appropriate.
With reference to the figures, golf ball markers will now be described. The ball markers discussed herein function to mark the position of a golf ball on a putting green. Further, the ball markers avoid interfering with golf balls putt over them when placed on a putting green. The ball markers also function to selectively mount to a handle of a golf club, including putters.
The reader will appreciate from the figures and description below that the presently disclosed ball markers address many of the shortcomings of conventional ball markers. For example, the novel ball markers sit flush with a putting green surface when used to mark the position of a golf ball. As a result, the novel ball markers significantly reduce or eliminate interfere with balls putt near or over them.
Further, the novel ball markers described herein are secure when placed on a putting green. The novel ball markers being securely inserted into a putting green enables them to maintain their position when contacted by putted balls or when acted on by the wind. Consequently, the novel ball markers allow golfers using them to accurately reposition their golf balls on the putting green.
Importantly, the novel ball markers are convenient to use. The novel ball markers do not need to be held in one's hands or stored in a pocket, but instead conveniently mount to a handle of a golf club. As a result, the novel ball markers do not interfere with gripping a golf club by occupying a user's hand and speed up retrieval when needed compared to fishing a conventional marker out of a pocket. The novel ball markers are securely mounted to a handle of a golf club to reduce or eliminate misplacing them.
Helpfully, the novel ball markers do not need specialized golf gloves or hats to store them. Instead, the novel ball markers universally mount to handles of golf clubs, such as putters, which golfers would be using anyway. Thus, golfers who prefer to not wear gloves or hats or prefer gloves or hats that are not specially designed to secure ball markers can benefit from the convenience of the novel ball markers.
Desirably, the novel golf ball markers securely insert into a putting green flush with the surface of the putting green. Beneficially, the novel golf ball markers securely, conveniently, and universally mount to golf clubs. In particular, the novel golf ball markers mount to a putter, which is convenient since a putter is the golf club one most often will be using when marking a golf ball is needed.
With reference to
Ball marker 100 includes a head 101 and a boss 102. In some examples, the ball marker includes additional or alternative components. In certain examples, the ball marker does not include one or more features included in ball marker 100. The components of ball marker 100 are described in the sections below.
The size and shape of the ball marker may differ from the size and shape depicted in
As apparent from
With reference to
As shown in
While head 101 and boss 102 are formed from aluminum in the present example, they may be formed from a wide range of other materials as well. For example, one or both of the head and the boss may be formed from metals other than aluminum, wood, ceramic materials, polymers, and combinations thereof.
Body 110 has a disk portion 113, a top surface 111, and a bottom surface 112. Disk portion 113 defines top surface 111. Bottom surface 112 is spaced from top surface 111.
Bottom surface 112 is integrally coupled to a shank 120 of boss 102.
In the present example, as shown in
As depicted in
Body 110 tapers axially as it extends away from disk portion 113. Body 110 tapering axially defines a frusto-conical portion 114 of head 101. The curved sides of body 110 deviate from a true frustrum, but frustro-conical portion is similar to the shape of a frustrum.
Disk portion 113 and top surface 111 are disposed proximate a larger axial end of frusto-conical portion 114, and bottom surface 112 is proximate a smaller axial end of frustro-conical portion 114. In particular, disk portion 113 is disposed on the larger axial end of frustro-conical portion 114, and bottom surface 112 is disposed on the smaller axial end of frustro-conical portion 114. Top surface 111 faces away from frustro-conical portion 114.
As demonstrated in
In the particular example shown in
As shown in
Boss 102 functions to anchor ball marker 100 on a putting green when boss 102 is inserted into the ground of the putting green. Boss 102 also functions to secure ball marker 100 to grip member 192 when boss 102 inserts into vent hole 193.
In the present example, boss 102 couples to head 101 at an axial center of body 110.
As shown in
Aluminum is just one material that may be used to form the head and boss. For example, one or both of the head and the boss may be formed from metals other than aluminum, wood, ceramic materials, polymers, and combinations thereof.
As shown in
As shown in
Whereas the diameter of shank 120 is constant about its length, the diameter of bulb 121 decreases over a portion of its length.
Further, bulb 121 tapering to point 123 facilitates pressing boss 102 into vent hole 193. In particular, as shown in
As apparent from
With reference to
As demonstrated in
Pulling boss 102 away from grip member 192 with sufficient force causes bulb 121 to push grip member 192 radially outwards. When grip member 192 is forced outwards by bulb 121, grip member 192 no longer impedes the path of bulb 121 necessary to exit vent hole 193.
With reference to
With reference to
As apparent from
The shape differences between head 201 and head 101 demonstrate that the head of the ball marker may adopt different forms. In fact, the head may adopt a wide variety of forms and function effectively in its role within the ball marker. For example, the head may have an axial profile in the shape of a triangle, rectangle, square, or other regular polygon. In some examples, the axial profile is in the shape of an oval, an annulus, or an irregular shape. The overall size and shape of the head varies in different examples and may be any suitable size and shape.
The disclosure above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in a particular form, the specific embodiments disclosed and illustrated above are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed above and inherent to those skilled in the art pertaining to such inventions. Where the disclosure or subsequently filed claims recite “a” element, “a first” element, or any such equivalent term, the disclosure or claims should be understood to incorporate one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.
Applicant(s) reserves the right to submit claims directed to combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed inventions that are believed to be novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in the present application or in a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to the same invention or a different invention and whether they are different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are to be considered within the subject matter of the inventions described herein.
