The invention relates to multipurpose golf club containers and method of using.
Conventional golf bags retain golf clubs in the head up orientation; with the handles down in the bag and the club heads loosely sticking out of the top of the bag. This configuration has many drawbacks. One drawback is the awkward motion required to remove a club from the bag. Clubs have to be completely lifted up and out of the bag. Another drawback is that the golf club heads can easily bump and bang into each other and become damaged during transport or during play. Club head covers are used to reduce this type of damage. Unfortunately, club head covers have to be removed and replaced each time a club is used; which is time consuming and tedious. In addition, the removal and replacement of the clubs into the bag can cause abrasion and wear to the grips. Furthermore, most conventional golf bags have a number of dividers allowing a player to place clubs in different areas of the top opening. Usually two or more clubs are placed in a particular divided area which can make it difficult to quickly locate a particular club and does not allow for quick recognition of missing clubs.
Another disadvantage of conventional golf bags is their poor protection from rain. In the event of rain, the golf club grips typically become wet as the water runs down the shafts of the clubs. It becomes very difficult to play golf when the club grips become wet. Some bags are made with covers than can be placed over the clubs; however, the cover has to be moved out of the way to retrieve a club which exposes the clubs to the rain.
Some golfers choose to carry their clubs, while others prefer to use a pull along cart, while still others prefer to ride in a powered golf cart. Many golfers like to vary how they transport their clubs around the course, carrying the clubs on one day, and then using a golf cart on other days or on longer courses. Furthermore, some golfers like to take their golf clubs with them when they travel. Therefore, a golfer may require a lot of equipment including a golf bag, a pull cart, and a travel case. Purchasing, storing and keeping track of all of this equipment is expensive and troublesome.
There exists a need for a golf club container that can be used for multiple purposes including a traveling case, a pull along golf cart, a carrying container, or powered golf cart carrier. In addition, there exits a need for a golf club container that can prevent the golf club grips from getting wet during play. Furthermore, there exists a need for a golf club container that provides for lateral removal and replacement of the golf clubs and quick identification of particular clubs within the container.
A multipurpose golf club container that can be used as a traveling case, a pull along golf cart, a carrying container, or powered golf cart carrier is provided. The multipurpose golf club container is generally defined by two compartments that can be brought together and latched to form a completely enclosed volume for retaining golf clubs. The multipurpose golf club container in some embodiments is designed for retaining golf clubs in the head down position and the open configuration of the compartments allows for easy lateral removal and replacement of a golf club as well as quick identification the clubs. In some embodiments the multipurpose golf club container is equipped with a rain cover that provides for access to the clubs while deployed. The interior of the compartments comprise club restraints for securing the clubs during transport. In some embodiments the restraints are hinged such that the clubs can be easily removed and replaced from the restraints.
The methods of using a multipurpose golf club container is provided, including traveling case, pull along cart, carrying container or powered golf cart container. When the multipurpose golf club container is used as a pull along cart, a retractable handle provides for easy maneuvering of the device. When the multipurpose golf club container is used as a travelling bag, the compartments are closed and in one embodiment a lock provides the traveler with a means to prevent unwanted entry into the container. When the multipurpose golf club container is used as a golf container and retained on a powered golf cart, strap fasteners allow, and base mounts provide, for securing the container to the cart.
These and other advantages of the present invention are best understood with reference to the drawings, in which:
Each item number used to indicate a particular feature or element in the figures is used consistently throughout all figures, however, not all features in each figure are referred to in the description.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Also, use of “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
The multipurpose golf club container of the present invention can be used for a variety of purposes including but not limited to a traveling case, a pull along golf cart, or a golf club container that can be carried or retained on a powered golf cart. The multipurpose golf club container 10 is generally defined by multiple compartments that can be closed for form an enclosure around an interior volume. In one embodiment the multipurpose golf club container is comprised of a first compartment 12 and a second compartment 14 for retaining golf clubs 16 as depicted in
The compartments of the multipurpose golf club container are connected by a hinge 28 that allows for the compartments to be brought together and latched to form a completely enclosed volume for retaining golf clubs as depicted in
The multipurpose golf club container 10 can also be used as a pull along cart 36 as depicted in
In another embodiment, the multipurpose golf club container is used as a carrying container 48, as depicted in
The multipurpose golf club container 10 can also be used as a powered golf cart club container 54 as depicted in
Many powered golf carts have rain covers or retractable rain covers 66 that extend off of the back of the cart and over the clubs as depicted in
The multipurpose golf club container in some embodiments is configured to have a rain cover to protect the golf clubs when in the open position. A rain cover 68 as depicted in
In one embodiment, separate integral rain covers 68 are fitted to the top of each compartment, as depicted in
In another embodiment, as depicted in
In yet another embodiment, the rain cover material is transparent or translucent to allow the user to more easily identify and remove or replace items from the container. In one embodiment, the rain cover is configured to be mounted on the exterior wall of the multipurpose golf club container, therein preventing residual water remaining on the rain cover from wetting the interior of the container.
In embodiments where the multipurpose golf club container is designed for the club heads to be facing down, the grips of the clubs are better protected from getting wet when the rain cover is employed. Conventional golf bags are designed for the club grips to face down, and when rain occurs during play, the rain runs down the club shaft and the grips become wet and slippery which makes play very difficult. In contrast however, the configuration of the golf clubs in the head down position, and the rain cover of the present invention, allow for dry grips and continuous play during rain. In the event that the weather becomes worse, the multipurpose golf club container may be closed to ensure that the contents stay dry. The multipurpose golf club container is rain proof as defined herein when in the closed orientation. The rain cover could be employed when the multipurpose golf club container is used as a pull along golf cart, a carrying container, or powered golf cart club container.
The shaft restraints of the present are designed to secure the shaft of the golf club but also allow for easy removal and replacement of the clubs, and may be individually mounted to the interior wall of the compartment, or they may be designed as a manifold; one or several pieces fitted within a compartment. In one embodiment, the manifold generally conforms to the interior wall of the compartment where the golf clubs are positioned next to each other. In other embodiments, at least some of the clubs may be restrained at some distance normal to the interior wall of the compartment as depicted in
In one embodiment as depicted in
In some embodiments, a restraint lock 90 may be used to ensure that clubs do not fall out of the shaft restraint 18 during, for example, travel, as depicted in
Club identifiers may be located within each compartment, or more specifically, may be positioned near the restraints to allow for quick identification of clubs. The club identifiers may simply be a place where the club type can be labeled, or where a pre-printed sticker is placed, or the like. The club identifier may also be marked by press molding when a multipurpose golf club container is manufactured.
In some embodiments, the golf clubs 16 are retained in the multipurpose golf club container in a head down position, and the club heads are retained in a club head retainer 22 as depicted in
The multipurpose golf club container may be designed with a variety of different equipment and accessory storage and retaining features. As depicted in
The multipurpose golf club container can be made of any suitable material such as but not limited to plastic, wood, metal, fabric, or any combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the shell of the multipurpose golf club container is made essentially of formed plastic providing a rigid container. In one embodiment the compartments of the multipurpose golf club container are rigid and made out of a single formed piece of material. In another embodiment, a compartment has a section that can be removed and in some cases stored in or on the multipurpose golf club container. For example, the top section of the compartment may be removed and snapped onto the exterior of the bottom section of the compartment.
Multipurpose as used herein in reference to the multipurpose golf club container means that the said container can be used in at least two of the following ways: as a transport case, as a pull along golf cart, as a carrying golf club container or as a powered golf cart club container. In one embodiment, the multipurpose golf club container is designed to function in all of the aforesaid ways.
Compartment as used herein is defined as one of the parts into which an enclosed space is divided. The multipurpose golf club container of the present invention has at least two compartments that when in the closed position define an enclosed space and wherein each compartment comprises and interior volume.
Contained or containing as used herein in reference to golf club within a compartment means that the entire golf club is held within the interior volume of the compartment; the plane defining the opening of the compartment would have to be crossed in order to remove or replace a golf club.
Integral rain cover as used herein is defined as a rain cover that is part of the container and simply requires the extension of the rain barrier material to protect the interior contents.
Engaged position, as used in relation to the rain cover, refers to the orientation of the rain cover having the rain barrier material extended to cover at least a portion of the golf clubs.
Rain Proof as used herein is defined as a container that does not allow for direct access of rain into the interior; a container having an interior volume that is essentially fully enclosed.
Base mount as used herein is defined as a feature, such as extensions at the bottom of the multipurpose golf club container, that secures the container to a powered golf cart or provides support for holding the container upright, and may be adjustable in position or shape.
Shaft restraint as used herein is defined as a mechanism or geometric feature that holds the golf club or grip.
Club head restraint as used herein is defined as a mechanism or geometric feature that holds the golf club head.
Club restraint as used herein is defined as a mechanism or geometric feature that holds the golf club and may include but is not limited to a shaft restraint or club head restraint.
Laterally as used herein in reference to golf club removal from and placement into the multipurpose golf club container, means that the golf club can be removed from or placed into the container with a generally lateral motion wherein the club passes across the opening of the compartment approximately at one time and is not pull out of the opening of the compartment along the length of the club and therefore does not include lifting or pulling the golf club vertically out of the container as would be required with a convention golf bag.
Rigid as used herein in reference to the multipurpose golf club container or container compartments is defined as not easily deformed, and is self supporting.
Adjustable as used herein in reference to a base mount means that the base mount may be rotated, extended, expanded, or slid to provide a more stable base for support, to prevent the wheels from touching the ground, to provide for proper location and retention on a powered golf cart.
Head down position as used herein in reference to golf club storage configuration means that the golf club is retained in the multipurpose golf club container with the golf club head down or nearer to the bottom of the container, and the club grip up, or nearer to the top of the container during normal use.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, the present invention should not be limited to such illustrations and descriptions. It should be apparent that changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied as part of the present invention within the scope of the following claims. It should be understood that certain features of the invention, which, for the sake of clarity are described in separate embodiments may be combined in various combinations into a single embodiment. Conversely, various embodiments or features which, for brevity, were described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any appropriate sub-combinations.
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