WO1992004950A1

WO1992004950A1 - Golfing aid

Info

Publication number: WO1992004950A1
Application number: PCT/SE1991/000608
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bo Grenthe
Original assignee: Bo Grenthe
Priority date: 1990-09-14
Filing date: 1991-09-13
Publication date: 1992-04-02
Also published as: AU8614491A; SE9002922D0; SE9002922L

Abstract

The present invention relates to a golfing aid (1) for supporting a golf ball (2) in a raised position (I) at a certain distance (H-Hn) from a base (3), in conjunction with which the aid (1) consists of a body (4-4n) which is provided with a ball-supporting surface (5) and a supporting part (6-6n) capable of interacting with the base (3) in question. At least one part of the ball-supporting body (4-4n) is flexible.

Description

Golfing aid

The present invention relates to a golfing aid for supporting a golf ball in a raised position at a certain distance from a base, in conjunction with which the aid consists of a body which is provided with a ball carrying surface and a supporting part capable of interacting with the base in question.

So-called tees are used in the game of golf in order to position the golf balls concerned in the desired raised position at the driving point, also known as the driving tee, with the intention of ensuring that said ball is positioned in such a way that its position suits the golfer concerned. Depending on their different levels of experience and familiarity with the club, different players strike the ball in such a way that the head of the club passes at varying distances from the ground. Previously disclosed so-called tees are in the form of an upright peg, which is capable of supporting a ball at the top and has a pointed part at the bottom which can be inserted into the ground, which supports the tee in said inserted driving position. The material of the tees is plastic or wood, and these tees are often difficult to find after the ball has been driven and both the ball and the tee have moved away on being struck with the club. Apart from having to replace the tees with new ones, the problem still remains that, when mowing the grass on the golf course, the aforementioned driven tees can find their way into the mower and cause damage to it as a result.

The principal object of the present invention is thus in the first place to solve the above-mentioned problem and to make available a golfing aid of the kind referred to above, which simply and efficiently solves the above- mentioned problem of being able easily to find the aid again after having driven the ball, and at a short distance from the driving point. Said object is achieved by means of a golfing aid in accordance with the present invention which is characterized essentially in that at least one part of the ball-supporting body is flexible. The invention is described below as a number of illustrative embodiments, in conjunction with which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first illustrative embodiment of a golfing aid viewed at an angle from above;

Fig. 2 shows a view of the golfing aid in accordance with Fig. 1 viewed at an angle from below;

Figs. 3-4 show a second illustrative embodiment of a golfing aid viewed at an angle from above and at an angle from below;

Figs. 5-6 show a third illustrative embodiment of a golfing aid viewed at an angle from above and at an angle from below;

Fig. 7 shows the underside of a variant of a golfing aid; and

Fig. 8 finally shows a fourth illustrative embodiment of a golfing aid.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a first illustrative embodiment of a golfing aid 1 in accordance with the present invention for the purpose of supporting a golf ball 2 thereon in an elevated position I at a distance H from a base 3 at the driving point for the hole concerned. The aid in this case comprises a body 4, which consists preferably of a flexible material, for example a foam plastic material, or of some other suitable material which is easily compressed. Said body 4 is provided with a ball-supporting surface 5, which consists preferably of a cavity adapted to the form of a golf ball 2, in which cavity 5 the lower part 2A of a ball is accommodated in an elevated position I at the time of driving, so as to eliminate the risk of the ball 2 falling down, for example due to gusts of wind, before the golfer has driven the ball 2. Said body 4 is also provided with a supporting part 6, which is so arranged as to be capable of interacting with a base 3, for example the driving tee, when the body 4 is set up with its underside on the ground. The body 4 is thus able, when it is struck by the head 8 of a golf club 7, of being compressed and of being driven in the intended direction of driving of the ball 9 together with the ball 2, which is also struck by the head 8 of the club. The body 4 will not, however, travel as far from the driving position, and will travel a maximum distance of only a few metres. It is then not difficult for the golfer or his caddie to find the body 4 again, since the body 4 is easy to see thanks to its physical size and, preferably, also thanks to its colour.

A number of ball-supporting bodies 4, 4¹, 4², 4ⁿ may appropriately be included in a set, as illustrated in Fig.

8, for example, in order to suit different golfers, who naturally exhibit different degrees of skill in striking a ball 2 at the desired level. In this way the bodies 4-4ⁿ can be so arranged as to exhibit a varying height of the ball-supporting surface 5, i.e. so that the distance H, H¹,

H², Hⁿ between the ball-supporting surface 5 and the supporting part 6, 6 , 6 , 6ⁿ varies. In order to be able to see readily which body 4-4ⁿ has the desired height, the different bodies can be marked, for example with different colours or numbers, etc. For instance, white may be used to indicate a height of 10 mm, blue 15 mm, red 20 mm and yellow 25 mm. A first body 4 may exhibit a conical form, for example, a second body 4 may exhibit both a conical and a cylindrical body in a similar manner to other bodies 4² ... 4ⁿ.

The supporting part 6 of a ball-supporting body 4^J can also exhibit a number of downward-projecting supporting surfaces 50, such as are shown to resemble feet in Fig. 7, for example, situated at a relative distance from one another when viewed from the side, in conjunction with which the body 4 can always be set up in the correct position irrespective of the nature of the base. The form of the ball-supporting body 4-4ⁿ is capable of to all intents and purposes infinite variation. For example, the supporting part 6 of the body can exhibit circular or polygonal form and can have a lateral boundary surface in the form of a rotary body and/or a polygonal body.

Figs. 1-2 show a body 4 with a globe-shaped lateral boundary surface 10 with a depression 5 at the top to accommodate and support a golf ball 2. Figs. 3-4 show a body 4 which has a cylindrical lower part 12 and a cone-shaped upper part 13, which together form the lateral boundary surface of the body.

Figs. 5-6 show a body 4 which has a lateral boundary surface of three-sided form resembling a pyramid with three identical triangles 11 which taper up towards the ball- supporting surface 5 in a direction away from the supporting part 6.

The body may also exhibit only conical form, cubic form, or cylindrical or some other desired form, for example a combination of bodies of the aforementioned or other forms.

The invention should have been appreciated from the foregoing description and the illustrations in the drawings, although the invention is not restricted to this, and may be varied within the scope of the patent claims without departing from the idea of invention.

It is important for the body consisting of flexible foam plastic to exhibit a selected density such that it is capable of supporting a golf ball without in so doing becoming compressed and deformed.

In conjunction with driving, an air cushion is formed in front of the head of the club, which air cushion itself causes the ball-supporting body to be compressed to a certain degree, in conjunction with which essentially only the golf ball moves away, while the ball-supporting body remains at the driving position or at least ends up in a limited area around it.

Claims

P a t e n t C l a i m s

1. Golfing aid (1) for supporting a golf ball (2) in a raised position (I) at a certain distance (H) from a base (3), in conjunction with which the aid consists of a body (4) which is provided with a ball-supporting surface (5) and a supporting part (6) capable of interacting with the base (3) in question, characterized in that at least one part of the ball-suppor ing body (4) is flexible, and that the ball-supporting body (4) tapers in a direction from the supporting part (6) upwards towards the ball-supporting surface (5).

2. Golfing aid in accordance with Patent Claim 1, characterized in that the ball-supporting body (4) consists of flexible material, for example foamed plastic material or some other compressible material.

3. Golfing aid in accordance with Patent Claim 2, characterized in that the ball-supporting body (4) is homogeneous.

4. Golfing aid in accordance with Patent Claim 3, characterized in that the ball-supporting body (4) exhibits a circular or polygonal form on the supporting part, for example with three or four lateral edges.

5. Golfing aid in accordance with Patent Claim 4, characterized in that the ball-supporting body (4) exhibits a lateral boundary surface (10; 11; 12; 13) in the form of a rotary body or a polygonal (11) body.

6. Golfing aid in accordance with Patent Claim 5, characterized in that the ball-supporting body (4) is in the form of a globe, pyramid, cone, cylinder or cube, or a combination of a number of said body shapes.

7. Golfing aid in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, characterized in that the ball-supporting surface (5) is constituted by a depression in the ball- supporting body (4) adapted preferably to the form of a ball (2).

8. Golfing aid in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, characterized in that included in a set are ball-supporting bodies (4-4ⁿ) which exhibit varying height (H-Hⁿ) for the ball-supporting surface (5) , viewed from the supporting part (6-6ⁿ) , in conjunction with which different heights are preferably indicated by different colours.

9. Golfing aid in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, characterized in that the supporting part (6 ) exhibits a number of downward-projecting supporting surfaces (50) situated at a relative distance from one another.