Patent Application
20110042250
The present invention relates in general to a golf ball ranger range picker basket and a method of making it. It more particularly relates to a method and basket for receiving and storing golf balls, for use with a range picker at a golf ball driving range where the range picker is moved along the ground to retrieve golf balls from the ground and transports them to baskets carried on board the range picker.
There is no admission that the background art disclosed in this section legally constitutes prior art.
A driving range is a place golfers go to practice their golf shots and typically may include a substantially large parcel of land for the golfers to hit golf balls provided by the driving range operator. The driving range operator must retrieve golf balls hit by the golfers to make them available for reuse by other golfers. To collect the golf balls, range operators use a device called a golf ball range picker that carries usually a pair of metal, open frame wire baskets for receiving the golf balls as the range picker is typically pushed or pulled by a vehicle or manually by personnel, and retrieves the golf balls scattered on the ground and projects them into the baskets carried on board.
Such baskets used with golf ball range pickers for the collection, transportation, and storage of golf balls frequently found at golf driving ranges, have been typically manufactured from metal rods welded or otherwise suitably fixed together, to form a metal wire frame basket construction. Baskets so formed have been made of an open frame construction, wherein interconnected metal rod elements have been spaced from one another to form gaps or openings. The openings are sufficiently small in size to confine the golf balls within the basket. However, they are sufficiently large in size to permit the user to readily perceive the group of golf balls stored within the basket.
While such metal wire baskets have been satisfactory for some applications, they have been susceptible to being damaged by rust, since they are primarily used outdoors. In this regard, the baskets have been exposed to rain, snow, and other weather conditions. As the baskets are made of metal, the weather conditions tend to lead to the formation of rust. Eventually, excessive oxidation can destroy or otherwise render the basket unsuitable for its intended purpose. The integrity of the basket can deteriorate to the point where it becomes useless, and must then be replaced.
Another disadvantage of metal wire baskets is that should the welds be defective, the wire joints can be dislodged. As a result, the basket then looses the structural integrity, and may break apart. Such a basket must then be repaired or probably replaced.
Also, metal wire baskets carried on the golf ball range pickers were not supported securely on the range picker. The front points of support on the basket may be susceptible to bending and failing over time.
Mounting the baskets in a side by side arrangement securely on the range picker has created another problem. The closely spaced baskets would be difficult or awkward to lift manually out of the range picker basket support frame. This would be particularly troublesome when the baskets are heavily loaded with golf balls. When attempting to release the loaded baskets from the range picker basket support frame, a person could inadvertently spill some of the balls out of the basket. At the very least, such baskets would be awkward to lift from the range picker support frame, and thus not very convenient to use.
The features of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become apparent, and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of certain embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the drawings herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system, components and method of the present invention, as represented in the drawings, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of the embodiments of the invention.
There is disclosed a method and a basket for use with a golf ball range picker having a support frame. The basket may include a pair of inwardly offset handles in the basket side walls for ease of lifting when a series of two or more like baskets are arranged in a closely spaced side by side configuration. A pair of front vertical edges of front side wall sections are each tapered outwardly toward the front to minimize or at least greatly reduce the surface area formed by abutting vertical edges of the pair of baskets, to help guide the golf balls being thrown by the range picker into the baskets, and not deflect them inadvertently away from entering the baskets by otherwise providing thick abutting vertical edges which could block the path of travel of the golf balls. A front flange is disposed substantially along the entire length of the front of the basket for resting securely on a front portion of the support frame, and a rear flange is adapted for resting securely on a back portion of the support frame.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a plastic open frame basket that may include a substantially rectangular in cross section vertical wall structure and a bottom wall integrally connected to the vertical wall structure. The vertical wall structure may include a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls. The front wall may include a bottom portion integrally connected to the bottom wall and the side walls. A rectangular opening is disposed above the front bottom portion for admitting the golf balls being thrown by the range picker into the basket. An elongated front flange defines substantially the entire length of the bottom of the opening, and is adapted to rest on top of a front portion of the range picker support frame. The rear wall may include an elongated rear flange adapted to rest on top of a rear portion of the range picker support frame to support the basket between the front and rear flanges. Each of the side walls may include an inwardly disposed offset handle section and an outwardly tapered forward section integrally connected to the front wall. Each of the handle sections may be disposed inwardly of the front tapered sections. Each outwardly tapered section may be adapted to mate with another outwardly tapered section of an adjacent like basket to form a narrow area of engagement to facilitate receiving the golf balls and not inadvertently deflecting them.
The plastic construction may provide a lighter weight basket that minimizes the total weight of the golf range picker, reduces the energy required during operation of the golf range picker, and reduces the handling weight of the baskets for the range personnel. The baskets of the present invention may be composed of suitable thermoplastic or thermoset material to enable the basket to be molded in a cost efficient manner, and yet be structurally strong. Presently, polypropylene material is preferred, but other suitable materials may also be employed.
A further embodiment of the invention relates to the method of making a plastic basket for a golf ball range picker. The method includes molding a one-piece generally rectangular open top basket, and includes the step of molding the side walls with a pair of inwardly off set handle sections each having finger grip openings. The method also includes molding a pair of outwardly tapered sections integrally connected to the handle sections. The method further includes molding elongated front and rear flanges for engaging respective front and rear portions of a range picker support bar.
Referring now to
The basket 10 has an open top and an open frame construction and has a one-piece construction. The basket 10 may be generally rectangular in horizontal cross section, but other shapes may be employed. The basket 10 includes vertical wall structure 12 and an inwardly dished convex base or bottom wall 14 to help rigidify and strengthen the basket 10, which form an interior space 15 for collection and storing golf balls. The vertical wall structure 12 may include a front wall 16, a rear wall 18, a pair of side walls 21, 23, and a pair of rounded rear corners 25, 27. The bottom wall 14 may include a generally cylindrical hollow spacer 17 for helping support the bottom wall 14 when the loaded basket rests on a supporting (not shown) and the convex or dished bottom wall sags downwardly under the weight of the golf balls (not shown) to engage the supporting surface for limiting further sagging. A peripheral edge 19 of the bottom wall has a radius to promote gliding along the ground and to resist catching on the ground and damage from off axis impacts.
As shown in
The front wall 16 may include a bottom portion 34 having an open frame construction, a rectangular opening 36 for admitting the golf balls into the basket 10, and an elongated front flange 38 defining substantially the entire length of the bottom of the opening 36. The front flange 38 may include a concave-shaped upper surface portion 41 to provide a smoothly contoured non-blunt surface for the golf balls to glide over into the basket 10 and a convex-shaped lower portion 43 to improve the durability and strength of the flange 38. The front flange 38 may overlie a substantial portion of a front crossbeam 45 of the range picker support frame 29 as shown in
The rear wall 18 may include a bottom portion 47 having an open frame construction and a outwardly projecting rear flange section 49 for resting on a portion of a rear crossbeam 52 of the range picker support frame 29 (
The side walls 21 and 23 may be substantially mirror-images of one another, and therefore only the right side wall 21 will be described in greater detail. The right side wall 21 may include an inwardly disposed offset handle section 58 and an outwardly tapered section 61, both of which having substantially an open frame construction.
The handle section 58 of the side wall 21 may include an upper handle 63 for lifting the basket 10, a lower open frame portion 65 directly below the upper handle 63, and a pair of rib members 67, 69 disposed substantially along the entire length of each edge of the handle section 58 to strengthen the side wall 21 and allow the stacking of a like basket 32 on top of the basket 10 as shown in
The tapered section 61 of the side wall 21 may include a lower portion 72 integrally connected to the bottom portion 34 of the front wall 16 and an upper portion 74 having a front vertical edge 76 adjacent to the opening 36. The tapered section 61 may be angled outwardly from the handle section 58 to help deflect golf balls into the basket 10. The front tapered edges such as the right edge 76 and the left tapered edge 77 of the adjacent basket 31 (
The rear rounded corners 25 and 27 may also be substantially mirror-images of one another, and therefore only the right corner 25 may be described in greater detail. The right corner 25 may have an open frame construction and integrally join the right side wall 21 with the rear wall 18. The right corner 25 may have a radius that in cooperation with the tapered section 61 help provide for the inward offset of the handle section 58. As shown in
The height of the rear wall 18, the side walls 21, 23, and the corners 25, 27 of the vertical wall structure 12 may all be substantially the same, while the height of the front wall may be substantially one-half the height of the other walls and rear corners. A reinforced rib section 83 may be disposed along the top of the rear wall 18, the side walls 21, 23, and the corners 25, 27 of the vertical wall structure 12 for added strength to minimize deflection when the basket 10 is lifted or carried.
The open frame construction of the vertical wall structure 12 may include a plurality of rectilinear, smoothly contoured longitudinal rib members, such as longitudinal rib members 85, 87, and 89, which are integrally connected between the bottom wall 14 and the rim section 83, and a plurality of cross rib members, such as cross rib members 92, 94, and 96, which are integrally connected between adjacent longitudinal rib members, such as longitudinal rib members 85 and 87, and 87 and 89.
As best seen in
It is to be understood that the dimensions of the baskets may be altered to conform to size and configuration of the range picker or other appropriate device.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that various different modifications are passing and one contemplated within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims. There is no intention, therefore, of limitations to the exact abstract or disclosure herein presented.
