The present invention is directed to a golf tee and more particularly to an overmolded golf tee having more rigid and less rigid components.
Golf tees are typically made of a rigid material such as wood or hard plastic, with a cup-shaped crown for holding the golf ball. Since the cup causes too much friction, it would be desirable to reduce that friction.
The “Zero Friction Tee” has three hard plastic prongs. The friction is minimized because there are only three points of contact. However, the prongs do not flex.
Bristle-brush tees have bristles that flex, but they are not durable.
It is known in the art to make a golf tee with a stake and a crown, in which the crown is made of a more flexible material than the stake. However, such golf tees either require complex manufacturing or are not durable, as the connection point between the stake and the crown tends to break.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a golf tee with a crown more flexible than the stake, the golf tee being durable and easy to manufacture.
To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention is directed to a golf tee having a stake made of a first material and a crown made of a second material more flexible than the first material, in which the crown is overmolded over the stake. The crown and the stake can have corresponding projections. The stake can have flanges to allow the crown and the stake to hold together better.
In either of the preferred embodiments, or in any other embodiment, a stake is formed, and then a crown is overmolded over the stake. The stake can have flanges that engage with the overmolded crown for greater durability. The crown preferably has flexible projections, and the stake may or may not have projections corresponding to those of the crown.
The crown can be overmolded in any suitable manner. The general concept of overmolding is known in the art and will therefore not be described in detail here. The crown can be made of a flexible elastomer such as LDPE or TPU. The stake can be made of a rigid polymer such as nylon or another hard plastic. Of course, other materials could be used.
The crown can be molded to include a tee height indicator. In that case, the user knows to insert the tee into the ground up to the tee height indicator.
The present golf tee is similar to that of US 2008/0182684 A1, whose disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present disclosure. Aspects of that previous golf tee can be incorporated into the present golf tee.
Preferred embodiments will be set forth with reference to the drawings, in which:
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be set forth in detail with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements or steps throughout.
In either of the preferred embodiments, or in any other embodiment, the stake 102 or 202 is molded first. The flanges 106 or 206 are molded with the rest of the stake 102 or 202 as a single piece and are positioned to facilitate molding. Then, the crown 104 or 204 is overmolded onto the stake 102 or 202.
In production, first, the stake 102 or 202 is molded of a rigid polymer such as nylon. Then, overmolding molds are assembled over the stake to overmold the crown 104 or 204 of a flexible elastomer such as LDPE or TPU over the stake 102 or 202 to form the golf tee 100 or 200.
While preferred embodiments have been set forth above, those skilled in the art who have reviewed the present disclosure will readily appreciate that other embodiments can be realized within the scope of the invention. For example, disclosures of specific numbers of projections, flanges, and the like are illustrative rather than limiting, as are disclosures of specific materials. Therefore, the present invention should be construed as limited only by the appended claims.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/758,916, filed Jan. 31, 2013, whose disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61758916 | Jan 2013 | US |