GOLF BALL RETRIEVER

Abstract

A golf ball retriever for use on fairways, roughs and greens includes a scoop portion defined by a perimetral wall and a handle. The scoop portion has a perimetral wall and a netting. The scoop portion has a reduced thickness at the front portion for sliding beneath a golf ball to scoop and deposit the ball into the netting.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to golf ball retrievers. More particularly, the present invention concerns golf ball retrievers for use in connection with greens, fairways and roughs.

2. Prior Art

As is known to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, there exists a veritable plethora of golf ball retrievers which, typically, are particularly adapted for retrieving golf balls which are hit into water. Such retrievers normally include a restricted area in which to trap a golf ball once it is located in the water. Usually, there is an enlarged diameter entry opening associated with these retrievers to enable encirclement of the ball which is then squeezed or otherwise forced into the restricted area. This effectively traps the ball so that it can be readily removed from the water. However, presently known retrievers do not facilitate retrieving a golf ball from a green, fairway or rough or other land area.

As golfers age, or otherwise become infirm, it becomes more and more difficult to bend over or stoop to retrieve golf balls from the greens, rough or the fairways.

Presently known golf ball retrievers designed for retrieving a golf ball from a water hazard or other water body simply are not effective in attempting to easily pick up a golf ball from the non-water areas.

While the prior art does, for example, attempt to solve this problem, a retriever, such as shown in U.S. Patent Publication No. 20110049919, which includes a netting and an entry. The netting is attached or otherwise secured about the circumference of the ring. A handle is attached to the ring and nesting assembly substantially normal or perpendicular to the trap. While the disposition of the netting is advantageous, the ring, itself, creates an impediment since it provides a barrier via its lip to having the golf ball immediately roll into and become trapped within the netting.

Thus, it is to be appreciated that a major improvement would be provided by a golf ball retriever which facilitates picking up a golf ball from a green or the like.

As discussed hereinbelow, the present invention alleviates this situation by providing an improved golf ball retriever for use in fairways, putting greens and roughs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a golf ball retriever for use in fairways, roughs and greens, which generally comprises: (a) a scoop portion having an integrally formed substantial circular perimetral wall including a front portion or section, a rear portion or section and an intermediate sidewall. The wall has a reduced thickness at the forward section to facilitate scooping of a golf ball and (b) a netting secured to the wall into which a golf ball drops after being scooped.

An elongated handle is secured to the rearward portion of the retriever.

The wall, itself, is preferably formed from a partially flexible or compressible plastic such that it can be compressed on the ground to facilitate scooping.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing. In the drawing, like reference characters refer to like parts through the several views in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the retriever hereof;

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the retriever hereof; and

FIG. 3 is a partial top view of the retriever hereof;

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now, and with reference to the drawing and, in particular, FIGS. 1-3, there is depicted therein a golf ball retriever or scooper, generally denoted at 110. The retriever 110 is an open-topped device having an open interior which includes an integrally formed substantially curvilinear scoop or housing or perimetral wall 112. A netting which defines a bottom 114 is secured to the wall and is used to removably retain at least one golf ball (not shown) within the confines of the open interior of the retriever hereof.

The retriever further includes a handle 134 having a grip 140.

With more particularity and as shown, the scoop portion or wall 112 has a top perimetral edge 116 and a bottom perimetral edge 118. The netting 114 is secured to the bottom edge 118 by any suitable means such as sonic welding, gluing or looping through suitable apertures 119 formed in the wall or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, a handle retainer 130 spans the scoop portion on either side of the longitudinal axis thereof.

Suitable means, such as threaded fasteners or a suitable adhesive may be used to secure the retainer to the wall or scoop portion. The retainer 130 is a solid member. The retainer may also include, although not shown, a central cylindrical portion or tube 132 integral therewith. The tube 132 has an open interior and removably receives the handle 134 therein. Alternatively, and preferably, the retainer 130 may be integrally formed with the scoop portion 112 and provided with the central cylindrical opening.

The handle 134, itself, is an elongated, preferably, lightweight cylinder which is of sufficient length to be effectively grasped.

The handle 134, preferably, is longitudinally coaxial with the scoop portion. However, it is possible to position the handle angularly with respect to the scoop portion, if desired.

In use, the user walks on a green or in a fairway and when encountering a golf ball, the user slides the scoop portion of the retriever on the ground to scoop beneath the ball and urge it into the netting. Because the golf ball is trapped on the netting, it does not become dislodged therefrom.

Optimally, the netting captures and retains a plurality of golf balls.

The upper edge 114 of the wall 112 has a reduced thickness front or forward portion 120. The reduced thickness enables the front portion to be compressed when encountering the green to facilitate scooping.

In manufacturing the present device, the wall, retainer and handle, itself, can be made from any suitable material such as a durable, semi-flexible plastic.

The handle 134 has a sufficient length such that ordinarily, a user need not stoop, crouch or bend over to deploy the device, and is especially useful when riding in a golf cart and retrieving golf balls from a fairway or rough.

It is to be appreciated from the preceding that there has been described herein a golf ball retriever which facilitates the retrieval of a golf ball from a green, fairway or rough without causing the golfer the need to bend over or stoop to retrieve the ball.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

REFERENCE NUMERALS

• • 110 Golf ball retriever
  • 112 Housing or perimetral wall
  • 114 Netting
  • 116 Top perimetral edge
  • 118 Bottom edge
  • 119 Apertures
  • 120 Front portion
  • 130 Handle retainer
  • 132 Tube
  • 134 Handle
  • 140 Grip

Claims

1. A golf ball retriever for use in fairways, roughs and greens, comprising: (a) a scoop portion having a perimetral wall and a netting secured thereto and (b) means for urging a golf ball into the netting.

2. The retriever of claim 1, wherein the perimetral wall is substantially curvilinear, having a front portion.

3. The retriever of claim 2 wherein the netting is attached along the bottom edge of the perimetral wall.

4. The retriever of claim 2 wherein the perimetral wall has a reduced thickness at the forward portion, the reduced thickness being sufficiently thin to enable the reduced thickness portion to be compressible and to slide underneath a golf ball to urge the ball into the netting, the thickness defining the means for urging.