The present disclosure relates to club head covers, and in particular to club head covers having a handle for removal of the golf club head cover from a golf club head.
Proper care of golf clubs is required both to maximize their usable life and to maintain their performance. An important aspect of proper care includes protecting golf club heads from damage due to impact with other golf club heads or exposure to environmental elements when the clubs are not in use. As such, club head covers are widely used for many types of golf clubs, such as putters and wood-type golf clubs. Many existing club head covers are typically removed by gripping them anywhere the individual is able to grasp the club head cover, which usually involves trying to pinch or squeeze excess material of the club head cover to remove it from the golf club head; however such a technique can be cumbersome. Although there are club head covers having a strap to assist in removing the golf club head, such straps are thin and of constant width which can be difficult for the individual to conveniently grasp or handle to efficiently remove the club head cover. In addition, the force required to be applied to such thin straps to remove the club head cover from the golf club head, which have increased in volume in recent years, can also lead to the material of the club head cover being overly stretched and elongated after repeated removal. This action can also bend and apply stress to the shaft of the golf club as the individual attempts to remove the club head cover from the golf club head. Moreover, thin pull straps may also become damaged over time due to constant use that can produce stress points, which can cause the pull strap to break over time.
a, and 6b are views from an open end of the golf club head cover of
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Various embodiments of golf club head covers include a head portion defining a compartment that receives a golf club head and a sleeve portion extending from the head portion and defining a sleeve conduit having an open end, the sleeve conduit being in communication with the compartment, the open end being positioned opposite the compartment, the sleeve portion being constructed from a first material and a second material, the second material being more elastic than the first material. In some embodiments, the compartment is constructed from the first material. The open end is substantially rectangularly-shaped or substantially ovular. The sleeve portion and the compartment define a passageway that is configured to receive a golf club head therethrough. The compartment is selectively expandable and the sleeve portion is selectively expandable, the sleeve portion being expandable independently of the compartment. A narrowed region is configured to selectively expand the passageway. In some embodiments, the golf club head cover further includes a top surface having an arcuately-shaped portion extending between a first side and a second side, a bottom surface having an arcuately-shaped portion extending between a first side and a second side, the arcuately-shaped portion of the bottom surface coupled to the arcuately-shaped portion of the top surface, the top surface and the bottom surface at least partially defining the head portion, a first elastic member extending between the first side of the top surface and the second side of the bottom surface, and a second elastic member extending between the second side of the top surface and the first side of the bottom surface, the first and the second elastic members defining a portion of the sleeve portion, wherein the top surface, the bottom surface, the first elastic member, and the second elastic member define the open end. In some embodiments, the golf club head cover further includes a handle coupled to the top surface, the handle formed as a pocket that has an opening that faces in a substantially downwardly-opening direction toward the open end.
Other embodiments of golf club head covers include a body including a head portion that defines a compartment and a sleeve portion extending from the head portion and defining a sleeve conduit having an open end being positioned opposite the compartment, the body including a top surface including a substantially arcuately-shaped portion extending between a first side and a second side, a bottom surface including a substantially arcuately-shaped portion extending between a first side and a second side, the arcuately-shaped portion of the bottom surface being coupled to the arcuately-shaped portion of the top surface, the top surface and the bottom surface at least partially defining the head portion, and an elastic member defining at least a portion of the sleeve portion. In some embodiments, the top surface and the bottom surface are constructed from a first material that is less elastic than the elastic member. The top surface, the bottom surface, and the elastic member define the open end. The open end is substantially rectangularly-shaped or substantially ovular. The sleeve portion and the compartment define a passageway that is configured to receive a golf club head therethrough. The compartment is selectively expandable and the sleeve portion is selectively expandable, the sleeve portion being expandable independently of the compartment. A narrowed region is configured to selectively expand the passageway. The golf club head cover may further include a handle coupled to the top surface, the handle formed as a pocket that has an opening that faces in a substantially downwardly-opening direction toward the open end.
Other embodiments of golf club head covers include a body having a top surface, a bottom surf ace coupled to the top surface, the top surface and the bottom surface defining a compartment, a first elastic member extending between the top surface and the bottom surface, a second elastic member extending between the top surface and the bottom surface, the first and the second elastic members defining at least a portion of a sleeve portion, the sleeve portion in communication with the compartment and having an open end at an end opposite the compartment, and a narrowed region coupled between the first elastic member and the second elastic member, the narrowed region configured to selectively expand the sleeve portion. In some embodiments, the compartment is selectively expandable and the sleeve portion is selectively expandable, the sleeve portion being expandable independently of the compartment. The top surface, the bottom surface, the first elastic member and the second elastic member define the open end. The open end is substantially rectangularly-shaped or substantially ovular. The golf club head cover may further include a handle coupled to the top surface, the handle formed as a pocket that has an opening that faces in a substantially downwardly-opening direction toward the open end.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
The body 104 includes a first or top surface 150 (
The top surface 150 also includes a first handle 200 that is configured to assist in removing the head cover 100 from the golf club head 14. In the embodiment of
Further with respect to
The body 104 also includes a narrowed region 230 that is positioned between the head portion 106 and the open end 122. In the embodiment of
The elastic stitching 234, 238, which is constructed from an elastic material, causes the bottom surface 168 of the head cover 100 to pucker or gather along at least a portion of sleeve portion 112, which constricts or pinches the passageway 126 in the narrowed region 230. Accordingly, the sleeve conduit 118 includes a relaxed, un-stretched position (
The body 104 may also include an auxiliary handle 250 (
The top and bottom surfaces 150, 168 are preferably constructed from a material that exhibits a first elasticity. The material of the top and the bottom surfaces 150, 168 may be formed from at least one of leather, neoprene, polyethylene, polyurethane, synthetic rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), plastic, or fabric material. The top and the bottom surfaces 150, 168 also includes a liner 270 constructed from felt or cloth, for example, although other soft materials may alternatively be used. As a result, an exterior surface 274 of each of the top and the bottom surfaces 150, 168 is constructed from leather and an interior surface 278 of each of the top and the bottom surfaces 150, 168 is constructed from felt. The felt or other suitable soft material is designed to protect the golf club head 14 from being scratched and the leather or other suitable material is substantially water resistant and also protects the integrity of the golf club head 14. The first and the second elastic members 220, 224 are constructed from a second material that exhibits a second elasticity and is capable of being repeatedly stretched. The material of the first and the second elastic members 220-224 may be elastic polyester sock material, a ribbed elastic polyester sock material, polyurethane, neoprene, elastane, polyester, acrylic nylon, rayon, acetate, spandex, elastex, and Kevlar or any suitable elastic synthetic fabric. The second material is more elastic than the first material.
The compartment 108 of the head cover 100 includes a first, unexpanded state (
The sleeve portion 112 is configured to progressively expand as a golf club head 14 is inserted into and moves therethrough to the compartment 108. Accordingly, the sleeve portion 112 expands and collapses independently of the compartment 108. When a golf club head 14 is inserted into the open end 122 of the sleeve portion 112, the first and the second elastic members 220, 224 enable the passageway to expand to accommodate the volume of the golf club head 14. For example, the pressure or force exerted by the golf club head 14 as it is inserted into the open end 122 forces the sleeve portion 112 to expand. As the golf club head 14 continues to be inserted into the sleeve conduit 118, the continued pressure or force exerted by the golf club head 14 expands the passageway 126 at the narrowed region 230 to allow the golf club head 14 to pass from the sleeve portion 112 into the compartment 108. Once the golf club head passes the narrowed region 230 and is positioned within the compartment 108, the passageway 126 contracts so that the head cover 100 securely hugs the golf club head 14.
In the illustrated embodiment, a length L of the golf club head cover 100 is preferably in the range of 5 inches to 15 inches. The length L of the golf club head cover 100 is dependent upon the type of golf club 10 for which the golf club head cover 100 is designed to cover. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiments, the golf club head cover 100 is approximately 14 inches, which is suitable for a driver-type golf club. However, the golf club head cover 100 may be 5.0 inches, 5.1 inches, 5.2 inches, 5.3 inches, 5.4 inches, 5.5 inches, 5.6 inches, 5.7 inches, 5.8 inches, 5.9 inches, 6.0 inches, 6.1 inches, 6.2 inches, 6.3 inches, 6.4 inches, 6.5 inches, 6.6 inches, 6.7 inches, 6.8 inches, 6.9 inches, 7.0 inches, 7.1 inches, 7.2 inches, 7.3 inches, 7.4 inches, 7.5 inches, 7.6 inches, 7.7 inches, 7.8 inches, 7.9 inches, 8.0 inches, 8.1 inches, 8.2 inches, 8.3 inches, 8.4 inches, 8.5 inches, 8.6 inches, 8.7 inches, 8.8 inches, 8.9 inches, 9.0 inches, 9.1 inches, 9.2 inches, 9.3 inches, 9.4 inches, 9.5 inches, 9.6 inches, 9.7 inches, 9.8 inches, 9.9 inches, 10.0 inches, 10.1 inches, 10.2 inches, 10.3 inches, 10.4 inches, 10.5 inches, 10.6 inches, 10.7 inches, 10.8 inches, 10.9 inches, 11.0 inches, 11.1 inches, 11.2 inches, 11.3 inches, 11.4 inches, 11.5 inches, 11.6 inches, 11.7 inches, 11.8 inches, 11.9 inches, 12.0 inches, 12.1 inches, 12.2 inches, 12.3 inches, 12.4 inches, 12.5 inches, 12.6 inches, 12.7 inches, 12.8 inches, 12.9 inches, 13.0 inches, 13.1 inches, 13.2 inches, 13.3 inches, 13.4 inches, 13.5 inches, 13.6 inches, 13.7 inches, 13.8 inches, 13.9 inches, 14.0 inches, 14.1 inches, 14.2 inches, 14.3 inches, 14.4 inches, 14.5 inches, 14.6 inches, 14.7 inches, 14.8 inches, 14.9 inches, or 15.0 inches.
In the illustrated embodiment, the top surface 150 and the bottom surface 168 include a width Wb that is defined between the respective first sides 158, 174 and the second sides 164, 178. The widths Wb decrease or narrow in a direction from the substantially arcuately-shaped portions 154, 170 to the open end. The widths Wb at the narrowest point is adjacent the open end 122 and is preferably in the range of 0.5-2.0 inches. In the illustrated embodiment, the width Wb at the narrowest point is approximately 1.5 inches. However, in additional embodiments the width Wb may be approximately 0.5 inches, 0.6 inches, 0.7 inches, 0.8 inches, 0.9 inches, 1.0 inches, 1.1 inches, 1.2 inches, 1.3 inches, 1.4 inches, 1.5 inches, 1.6 inches, 1.7 inches, 1.8 inches, 1.9 inches, or 2.0 inches. In other embodiments it is also contemplated that the width Wb may be uniform or may increase between the respective first sides 158, 174 and the second sides 164, 178.
Also, the first and the second elastic members 220, 224 are substantially triangularly shaped and define a base that has a width Wf. The widths Wf at the widest point is adjacent the open end 122 and is preferably in the range of 1.0-3.0 inches. In the illustrated embodiment, the width Wt at the widest point is approximately 2.5 inches. However, in additional embodiments the width Wt may be approximately 1.0 inches, 1.1 inches, 1.2 inches, 1.3 inches, 1.4 inches, 1.5 inches, 1.6 inches, 1.7 inches, 1.8 inches, 1.9 inches, 2.0 inches, 2.1 inches, 2.2 inches, 2.3 inches, 2.4 inches, 2.5 inches, 2.6 inches, 2.7 inches, 2.8 inches, 2.9 inches, or 3.0 inches. In other embodiments it is also contemplated that the first and the second elastic members may be shaped differently. For example, in other embodiments, the first and the second elastic members 220, 224 may be rectangular such that the width Wf is be uniform or may be an inverted triangle such that the width Wf may increase in a direction away from the open end.
As a result of this configuration, the sleeve portion 112 is both easily collapsible and provides an enlarged open end 122, which will be discussed below, when compared to known head covers.
Prior to the golf club head 14 being inserted into the passageway 126 and when not in use, the first and the second elastic members 220, 224 be folded or flattened outwardly such that the sleeve portion 112 flattens and defines a width Wt of the body 104 near the open end 122. Therefore, as illustrated, the sleeve portion 112 when not in use is substantially rectangularly-shaped and substantially flat. The width Wt is preferably in the range of approximately 2.0-6.0 inches. In the embodiments illustrated herein, the width Wt is approximately 4.5 inches. However, in additional embodiments the width Wt may be approximately 2.0 inches, 2.1 inches, 2.2 inches, 2.3 inches, 2.4 inches, 2.5 inches, 2.6 inches, 2.7 inches, 2.8 inches, 2.9 inches, 3.0 inches, 3.1 inches, 3.2 inches, 3.3 inches, 3.4 inches, 3.5 inches, 3.6 inches, 3.7 inches, 3.8 inches, 3.9 inches, 4.0 inches, 4.1 inches, 4.2 inches, 4.3 inches, 4.4 inches, 4.5 inches, 4.6 inches, 4.7 inches, 4.8 inches, 4.9 inches, 5.0 inches, 5.1 inches, 5.2 inches, 5.3 inches, 5.4 inches, 5.5 inches, 5.6 inches, 5.7 inches, 5.8 inches, 5.9 inches, or 6.0 inches. When preparing to insert the golf club head 14 into the sleeve portion 112 through the open end 122, the sleeve conduit 118 defines substantially a pyramid that is truncated. Accordingly, the open end 122 of the sleeve portion is defined by the width Wb of the top and the bottom surfaces 150, 168 at the open end 122 and the width of the base Wf of the first elastic member 220 and the second elastic member 224 such that the open end 122 is substantially rectangular and defines an area (Wb*Wf) of about 0.25-6.0 inches2. In the illustrated embodiments, the area of the open end is approximately 3.75 inches. However, in other embodiments the area may be approximately 0.2 inches2, 0.3 inches2, 0.4 inches2, 0.5 inches2, 0.6 inches2, 0.7 inches2, 0.8 inches2, 0.9 inches2, 1.0 inches2, 1.1 inches2, 1.2 inches2, 1.3 inches2, 1.4 inches2, 1.5 inches2, 1.6 inches2, 1.7 inches2, 1.8 inches2, 1.9 inches2, 2.0 inches2, 2.1 inches2, 2.2 inches2, 2.3 inches2, 2.4 inches2, 2.5 inches2, 2.6 inches2, 2.7 inches2, 2.8 inches2, 2.9 inches2, 3.0 inches2, 3.1 inches2, 3.2 inches2, 3.3 inches2, 3.4 inches2, 3.5 inches2, 3.6 inches2, 3.7 inches2, 3.8 inches2, 3.9 inches2, 4.0 inches2, 4.1 inches2, 4.2 inches2, 4.3 inches2, 4.4 inches2, 4.5 inches2, 4.6 inches2, 4.7 inches2, 4.8 inches2, 4.9 inches2, 5.0 inches2, 5.1 inches2, 5.2 inches2, 5.3 inches2, 5.4 inches2, 5.5 inches2, 5.6 inches2, 5.7 inches2, 5.8 inches2, 5.9 inches2, or 6.0 inches2. When manipulated in other ways the open end 122 takes on other shapes. For example, the open end is also ovular as illustrated in
To remove the head cover 100 from the golf club head 14, the user only has to exert a force on the handle 200 away from the golf club 10.
Because the inventive configuration of the sleeve portion 112, the head cover 100 is more easily applied and removed to the golf club head 14.
In the illustrated embodiment, the compartment 108 defines an axis A and the sleeve portion defines an axis B. The first axis A and the second axis B are positioned at an angle β relative to one another when the head cover 100 is not in use (
The golf club head cover 100 may have other configurations as well. For example,
The golf club head cover 300 of
Another exemplary head cover 500 is illustrated in
The golf club head cover 500 of
Other exemplary head covers 700 is illustrated in
The golf club head covers 700 include an elastic member or panel 820a, 820b that extends between the top surface 754 and the bottom surface 768 (only the bottom surface 768 is shown) on only one side of the golf club head cover 700. Additionally, although the illustrated elastic members 820a, 820b make up a portion of both the head portion 706 and the sleeve portion 712 in
Referring to
Further referring to
Referring to
Although
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
This claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/084,641, filed Nov. 26, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/108,447, filed on Jan. 27, 2015. The contents of the disclosures listed above are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
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