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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. A golf bag, comprising:
a body including a generally tubular perimetrical sidewall and a lower end
wall providing an interior space;
means providing an upper deck for said body;
means providing a plurality of individual generally longitudinally oriented
wells in said interior space, each opening through said deck and being
adapted to axially slidingly removably receive an elongated item of
golfing equipment such as a golf club shaft, handle end first;
means on said deck individually associated with each of at least several of
said wells for removably accepting and holding a respective golf club head
means;
each said well being constituted by a respective tube having opposite ends
mounted and extending between said deck and said lower end wall;
at least one of said tubes including means extending throughout a portion
of the length thereof constructed and arranged for resiliently gripping a
corresponding portion of the respective golf club when such respective
golf club is received handle end first into such tube;
said sidewall including at least one handle means whereby said golf bag may
be hand-carried; and
cover means including a cover and securement means for releasably securing
the cover to the sidewall in domed enclosing relation to said deck.
2. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein:
said body is made of molded semi-rigid material.
3. The golf bag of claim 2, wherein:
said cover is made of molded semi-rigid material.
4. The golf bag of claim 3, wherein:
said cover includes a liner of resilient cushioning material.
5. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein:
at least one of said accepting and holding means comprises an upwardly
opening cradle formed in said deck where the respective said well opens
through said deck, said cradle being asymetrically shaped angularly of
such opening, in a sense such as to socketingly receive the top of a
respective golf club head only when, as such golf club while being
received handle-end first in the respective said well is guided to assume
a unique angular orientation about the longitudinal axis of its shaft.
6. The golf bag of claim 5, wherein:
a respective said cradle is provided for each of nine said wells, which are
shaped to receive the backs of a series of nine respective irons.
7. The golf bag of claim 6, wherein:
a further respective said cradle is provided for each of four said wells,
which are shaped to receive the backs of a series of four respective
woods.
8. The golf bag of claim 7, wherein:
said cradles are grouped in respective clusters, with the said cradles for
the irons flanking a centrally located cluster of respective said cradles
for the woods.
9. The golf bag of claim 8, wherein:
the deck is of split-level form, with an upper level for said cluster of
cradles for the woods, and a lower level for said cradles for the irons.
10. The golf bag of claim 9, wherein:
said cradles are provided in three rows, consisting of a central row having
said upper level and two flanking rows for said lower level.
11. The golf bag of claim 10, wherein:
the cradles for the woods are angularly oriented to face the woods in two
groups of two facing woods with faces disposed approximately diagonally to
a rectangular array defined by said three rows; and
the cradles for the irons are angularly oriented to face the irons at least
generally parallel to the woods.
12. The golf bag of claim 5, wherein:
said body includes an upper end wall with said deck comprising a
separately-formed sculptured block means mounted thereon, said wells
opening through said upper end wall and each said cradle being formed in
said sculptured block means.
13. The golf bag of claim 5, wherein:
at least another of said accepting and holding means comprises an
adjustably-mounted clip mounted to said body and juxtaposed with where the
respective well opens through said deck;
said clip being constructed and mounted to releasably grip a putter, in the
putter head region, when such putter is inserted handle end first into the
respective well.
14. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein:
said at least one tube is corrugated for resilient radial expansion
throughout at least a portion of the length thereof for adapting that tube
to resiliently grip a corresponding portion of the respective golf club
when received handle end first into such tube.
15. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein:
the body further includes a base underlying said bag body lower end wall,
said base comprising a turntable plate and turntable bearing means
securing the turntable plate to the bag body for providing for rotation of
the body but for the base as said golf bag rests on said base.
16. The golf bag of claim 15, wherein:
the turntable further includes a plurality of angularly distributed,
rollable castors, so that the golf bag rests on said base for instance
while being transported through an airport terminal, said golf bag may be
rolled-along on said castors.
17. The golf bag of claim 16, wherein:
said castors are of the ball transfer type.
18. The golf bag of claim 16, further including:
cap means movably mounted on said turntable for removably covering the
castors for temporarily isolating them from use.
19. The golf bag of claim 1, further including:
a vertically elongated external recess formed in said sidewall;
fastener means on said sidewall near the top of said recess, for securing a
golfer's towel to said golf bag for storage in said recess.
20. The golf bag of claim 19, further including:
a keeper means for releasably keeping such golfer's towel stowed in said
recess when such towel is not in use.
21. The golf bag of claim 19 wherein:
said sidewall is of generally rectangular figure in plan, so as to have two
pairs of opposed walls, including a front wall, a rear wall, a handle end
wall and a towel end wall;
said handle means being based on said handle end wall and said recess being
provided on said towel end wall.
22. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein:
said body is made of molded, semi-rigid material and said sidewall
incorporates a compartment which is partially recessed into said space and
which includes an internal wall at least partially isolating such
compartment from the remainder of said space; such compartment further
including a movably mounted openable closure member.
23. The golf bag of claim 22, wherein:
the openable closure member is a hinged snap lid.
24. The golf bag of claim 22, wherein:
the openable closure member is a tambour door.
25. The golf bag of claim 22, wherein:
the openable closure member is a hinged cover door.
26. The golf bag of claim 22, wherein:
said openable closure is a pivoted bin front panel member having an
interior face provided with means for removably mounting a pair of
golfer's shoes thereto for storage within the respective compartment.
27. The golf bag of claim 26, further including:
a ledge on said bin front interior face for supporting such shoes when so
mounted to said bin front panel member.
28. The golf bag of claim 26, wherein:
said means for removably mounting the golfer's shoes include opposed pairs
of spring-loaded plungers mounted on said bin front panel member.
29. The golf bag of claim 22, wherein:
the compartment is sized and shaped to removably receive a pair of golfer's
shoes.
30. The golf bag of claim 22, wherein:
the compartment is sized and shaped to removably receive a thermally
insulated, generally cylindrically shaped food and beverage container.
31. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein:
one of said wells is constructed and arranged to removably, slidingly
receive a golfer's umbrella.
32. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein:
one of said wells is constructed and arranged to removably, slidingly
receive a golfer's ball retriever/rake tool. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Golf bags fall into two basic types that are designed on correspondingly
different principles.
First is the lightweight bag, meant to be transported in hand or over the
shoulder principally by a walking golfer. A principal design objective is
to offer a bag that adds as little as possible to the weight of the barest
essentials: a single sleeve for clubs, and usually a pocket for balls,
tees, scorecard and pencil. Often the clubs are merely jumbled together
with, at most, a crossbar at the bag mouth to separate the woods from the
irons.
Second is the full service bag for the professional golfer, the travelling
golfer and the golfer who principally uses a caddy or cart to transport
it. Here, weight is less a consideration, expense is less a consideration
and having everything at hand that the golfer may need or want is much
more important.
Golfers who travel with their equipment by plane a lot are a special
consideration, for they require a bag which can be subjected to rough
treatment by baggage handlers that can be expected occasionally under the
circumstances. Accordingly, some professional golfers heretofore have
required a separate travelling case for completely enclosing their bag for
off-the-course transport.
Further, no bag heretofore available has provided all the comforts a
serious golfer could imagine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a full service golf bag which also is
suitable for off-the-course transport and handling as baggage without the
need for a separate rigid enclosing case, and which obviates the need for
mittens for the club heads.
The full service golf bag includes a rigid body with a separate tube for
the shaft of each club and a deck with cradles shaped to fit the
respective club heads. The tubes are shaped to frictionally retain the
clubs by their handgrips. An adjustable retainer clip for the putter is
shown, as are specially designed compartments for all usual golfing
accessories such as shoes, rake/retriever, thermos, umbrella, towel, balls
and the like. A rigid, removable cover is provided over the upper end of
the bag body. The lower end may include a rotatable base further provided
with rollers useful for rolling the bag along airport concourses and the
like.
The principles of the invention will be further discussed with reference to
the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment is shown. The specifics
illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify, rather than limit,
aspects of the invention as defined in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf bag provided in accordance with
principles of the present invention, with the cover exploded therefrom to
expose the upper end of the bag body;
FIG. 2 is an opposite-side perspective view showing the cover in place;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof;
FIG. 4 is a larger scale fragmentary elevational view of the shoe storage
region, partly broken away and sectioned;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the bag body;
FIG. 6 is an enlarge-scale fragmentary perspective view showing the putter
mounting clip;
FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the bag body;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged scale fragementary cross-sectional view taken on line
8--8 of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The golf bag 10 includes a body 12 and a cover 14. These parts are
preferably molded of the same kinds of semi-rigid, tough synthetic plastic
material that is used in the manufacture of plastic airline luggage,
portable TV cabinets, automobile body parts and the like, and using the
same molding techniques.
The body 12 includes a perimetrical sidewall 16 of generally
rounded-rectangular plan figure, a bottom wall 18 and a top wall 20. For
convenience in description, the broader sides of the body are herein
designated the front, 22, and the back 24. The two narrower sides are
herein designated the handle end, 26, and the towel end, 28.
The top wall 20 is shown provided with a horseshoe-shaped outer portion 30,
bordering the front and rear sides and the towel end, and with a raised
center portion 32 bordering the handle end wall 26. This center portion 32
is stepped-up at 34 from the level of the outer portion 30 by
approximately the amount that the shaft of the typical longest-shafted
wood is longer than the shaft of the typical longest-shafted iron.
The upper, inner side of the bottom wall 18 is shown provided with a
plurality of upwardly opening socket-like fixtures 36. The top wall 20 is
shown provided with a corresponding plurality of similarly arranged
openings 38. A respective tube 40 extends between each fixture 36 and each
opening 38. In some instances the walls 18 and 20 and the tubes 40 would
all be integrally molded together, perhaps even with some or all of the
bag body, but in other instances these parts would be separately molded,
then fabricated together e.g. by solvent welding, thermal bonding,
adhesive bonding or the like. Fabrication of separately formed parts
permits the tubes 40 to form as an extrusion that is cut to length. By
preference the tubes 40, or at least those that are to receive club
shafts, are longitudinally ribbed so as to be corrugated as seen in
transverse cross-section, and radially resilient in order to frictionally
resiliently hold the handgrips of the respective clubs received therein,
as are the fixtures 36.
The space 42 within the body but outside the tubes 40 may be left empty or
may be filled, e.g. with a foamed in situ mechanical shock-cushioning
plastic polymer. In fact, the tubes 40 may be formed as an integral,
non-foamed skin on such material.
The top wall 20 is shown provided with overlay means, in the form of one or
more sculptured blocks 44 e.g. made of integrally-skinned semi-rigid
foamed plastic resin or a hollow molded shell of plastic material similar
to that used in the manufacture of the sidewall 16. Directly over and
perimetrically in the vicinity of each opening 38 in the top wall 20, the
block 44 is either missing, or provided with a matching opening 46 or
provided with a slot or somewhat funnel-like or otherwise guiding surface
48, leading down to a matching opening 46. It is preferred that for each
tube 40 that is to receive the handgrip and shaft of an iron or wood, that
the respective guiding surface 48 constitute a cradle which is
particularly shaped to permit the inverted top of the respective club head
to nestle therein to a depth of, for instance, approximately one-quarter
or so of the height of the respective club head.
Each cradle 48, regardless of its specific shape is designed not only to
nestle a specific club head, but to accept the club head only when the
respective club is guidingly homed thereinto or thereagainst so as to have
a pre-selected angular orientation. As shown, it is preferred that the
cradles 48 orient the clubs so that the woods, W1-W4, which are received
in the single row of four cradles 48 which row runs parallel to the long
sides of the top wall, down the center of the raised center portion 32,
have their faces F at least generally parallel to one another with the
heads of adjoining woods being rotated 180.degree. relative to one
another, e.g. so that the faces F of woods W1 and W2 confront one another,
the backs B of the heads of woods W2 and W3 confront one another and the
faces F of woods W3 and W4 confront one another. (By the designations W1,
W2, etc., it is not meant to imply that these are necessarily a ONE wood,
a TWO wood, etc., but only to differentiate the four woods a player is
permitted to have in the bag during play governed by usual tournament
rules. E.g. W1 might, in actual practice, be a FIVE wood, W2 might be a
THREE wood, etc.)
Also by preference, the cradles 48 dispose the faces F in a set of at least
generally parallel planes which lie at approximately 45.degree. to the
sides of the bag top wall.
Likewise by preference, five of the cradles 48 are provided at least
approximately in a row on that leg of the outer portion 30 of the top wall
20 which lies between the raised center portion 32 and the back wall 24,
this row extending at least generally parallel to those structures and
having its five cradles 48 shaped to receive, in order, the five
lowest-numbered irons, here designated I1-I5, with the longest-dimensioned
axis of each club head oriented to project obliquely outwards, away from
the adjoining row of woods, along planes parallel to those of the faces of
the woods W1-W4. Further by preference, the remaining four of the cradles
48 are provided at least approximately in a row on the opposite leg of the
outer portion 30 of the top wall 20, this row extending at least generally
parallel to the other two and having its four cradles 48 shaped to
receive, in order, the four highest-numbered irons, here designated I6-I9,
with the longest-dimensioned axis of each club head oriented to project
obliquely outwards, away from the adjoining woods W1-W4, along planes
parallel to those of the faces of the woods. This preference clearly is
not a slavish one; note that the cradle for the head of club I6 is
oriented to point the club head more toward the handle end wall of the bag
body (in order to avoid interference with another feature).
The preference for forming the block or blocks 44 separately, then adhering
or otherwise securing it or them in place upon the wall 20 is to
facilitate mass manufacture, it being thereby possible to make the same
basic bag 10 in larger quantities, and to customize it to accept the club
heads of each particular golfer by making the block(s) 44 to order, or in
a range of different styles. Of course it would be possible, if desired,
to form the cradles 48 directly in the top wall 20 and to eliminate the
provision of the block or blocks 44. A middle way would be to mold-in
cradles for the woods W1-W4, but provide a sculpture block or blocks for
cradling the irons I1-I9. The deck of the bag 10 whether constituted by
the top wall 20 or one or more sculpture blocks 44, or both, may include
additional openings which provide the mouths for additional sockets,
tubes, wells or the like. Three are illustrated, being openings 50, 52 and
54, respectively for removably receiving a conventional rake/ball
retriever tool R, an umbrella U, and a putter P. Each respective tube 56
has an open upper end mounted to the deck perimetrically of the respective
opening, and a lower end fixed to the bottom wall 18.
If desired, any or all of the tubes 40, 56 may be supported at a level
above their lower ends, instead of or in addition to being supported at
their lower ends, e.g. by passing through an apertured plate (not shown)
mounted at an intermediate level in the bag body.
Any or all of the tubes 56 may be provided with interior grippers such as
corrugations 58 for frictionally gripping the element R, U or P removably
received therein.
The well 54/56 for the putter P is shown provided with an adjustable
securement assembly 60 for releasably gripping the throat of the shaft of
the putter P. In the preferred embodiment shown, the assembly 60 includes
a bracket 62 adapted to be mounted to the bag sidewall 16 at the desired
height e.g. by installing nut and bolt assemblies 64 through selectively
aligned openings 66, 68 in the bracket 62 and bag sidewall 16 (and
respective tube 56, if necessary). A universal joint ball 70 is based on
the bracket 62. A universal joint socket 72 is mounted on the ball 70. A
clip 74 is mounted on the socket 72 via a fixture 76 which, if tightened
via the knurled collar 78 fixes the socket 72 to the ball 70, but which,
if loosened, permits the socket 72 to be swiveled on the ball 70. Thus, in
an initial adjustment to accommodate a particular putter P, the bracket 62
is placed at an acceptable height and is secured in place using the
fasteners 64, then the socket 72 is swiveled on the ball 70 until the clip
74 is disposed at the proper place at the mouth of the well 54/56 to
receive the throat of the putter P. Then the collar 78 is tightened to
lock-in this position. Accordingly, the putter may be easily slid into the
well 54/56 and its throat frictionally laterally urged into the clip 74
for dispositioning the putter head in view for ready access. Removal of
the putter is accomplished by grasping its head, urging the throat
laterally out of the clip and longitudinally withdrawing the putter
upwards out of the well 54/56.
If desired, the well for the putter could be made more similar to the wells
for the other club, with the adjustable securement assembly being replaced
by a respective cradle similar to the cradles 48. Conversely, others of
the wells could be provided with adjustable securement assemblies in lieu
of cradles, if desired.
The cover 14 preferably is molded as an integral member of the same
material as the body 12. It includes an end wall 80 and a perimetrical
skirt 82. Toggle fasteners 84, such as are used to fasten the halves of
luggage shells to one another are provided between the cover skirt 82 and
the body sidewall 16 at a level near the top wall 20 where the cover, when
in place, skirts the body sidewall. Accordingly, by preference, the cover
14 may be entirely removed by unfastening the toggle fasteners 84. When in
place, the cover 14 completely encloses the deck and thus covers over all
of the club heads and tools which are exposed on the deck. In order to
further protect the clubs and tools in transit, the cover 14 preferably is
provided with a liner 86 of resilient foamed plastic material, e.g. of the
type conventionally used for cushioning camera equipment in the carrying
cases of professional photographers.
By preference, the body 12 includes a base 88 in the form of a turntable 90
mounted to the bottom wall 18 via a turntable bearing assembly 92, which
may be of a conventional type used in the manufacture of swivel furniture
(bearing balls trapped between two ring-shaped races respectively fixed to
the turntable and to the bag bottom wall. Accordingly, when the bag is
upright and resting on the base 88, the user need not reach around the bag
to gain access to a particular club, tool or accessory, but may instead
manually rotate the bag on the base until the element the user wishes to
gain access to is readily at hand. Means (not illustrated in detail) could
be provided to lock the base against rotation for instances when it is
desired that the bag not be rotatable relative to the base.
As shown, the bottom of the turntable plate is provided with a plurality of
semi-recessed castors 94, preferably of the same ball-transfer type that
is conventionally used to the bottoms of luggage (and for the same
purpose: to facilitate baggage transfer along airport concourses and the
like, by permitting the transferor to roll the bag along on its castors).
When provided, the castors 94 are preferably equipped with removable caps
96 which, as shown, may be hinged to the bottom of the turntable at 98 and
adapted to be received in recesses 100 when not in use. Thus, when it is
desired to stabilize the bag against being able to roll, the caps 96 are
readily folded about their hinges 98 and snapped in place covering the
respective castors 94.
What remains to be described are various accessory features, preferably
provided as shown in and about the sidewall 16 of the bag body 12.
The handle end wall 26 of the bag body is shown provided with a shoulder
strap 102 and a hand grip 104. Either may be molded integrally with the
bag body and either may be provided in any other well-known manner, e.g.
of leather or of fabric webbing connected by D-rings to anchors provided
on the wall 26. The presently preferred hand grip 104 is integrally molded
so as to have anatomically conforming surfaces e.g. as illustrated at 106.
The towel end wall 28 of the bag body is shown provided generally in its
upper half, with a vertically long, horizontally narrow recess 108. At the
top of the recess 108, the wall 28 is provided with a mounting ring for a
golfer's towel T and about two-thirds of the way down from the top of the
recess 108, the wall 28 is provided, within the recess, with a loop-shaped
retainer 110, through which the lower portion of the towel may be pulled
when not in use. The loop 110 functions in much the way that a tieback for
window drapes releasably keeps them back out of the way.
The front wall 22 of the sidewall 16 is shown provided with three accessory
features that are discretely located in serially, axially spaced relation
along the median of the front wall 22. From the top, these features
include a bay-window-like compartment 112 with a horizontally slidable
tambour door 114 on the front and a snap-open, snap-closed, hinged lid
116. The internal wall 118 of this compartment is shown in FIG. 3, from
which it will be seen that the inner, approximately half of the volume of
this compartment and its wall 118 take up a portion of the space within
the bag body that lies outside the various tubes and wells for clubs and
tools. Next below the compartment 112 is a vertically-oriented cylindrical
compartment 120 sized and shaped to receive a Thermos jug J or the like.
To this end, the internal wall 122 thereof includes a shelf 124 and the
resulting well is closed by a complementarily semi-cylindrical snap-closed
door 126. Near the bottom is a shoe storage compartment 128 having an
internal wall 130 and a bin-type front member 132. The latter is pivotally
mounted in the recess defined by the internal wall 130 to pivot about a
horizontal axis near its lower edge, between a closed position wherein the
front wall 134 is more nearly flush with the golf bag body front wall 22,
and an open position, in which its upper end is particularly tilted out so
that access may be gained to the shoe storage compartment that is defined
between the inner face of the front wall 134 and the internal wall 130.
The access door 132 may be provided with a friction fit for retaining it
in the open and closed position in which it is placed, and/or it may be
provided with securement means such as a snap fastener or the like (not
shown in detail). The front member 132 may be removably mounted to the bag
body so that when the front member 132 is tilted out it may be entirely
removed in much the same way that a desk drawer can be conventionally
removed from a desk by fully opening it, then performing an auxiliary
maneuver, such as tilting to a different angle and pulling some more.
By preference, the front member includes means for removably securing
thereto the golfer's shoes S which may be carried in the compartment 128.
These means are shown including two opposed pairs of spring-urged plungers
136. The plungers pairs are arranged to each frictionally grip a shoe
laterally between them by resiliently, opposingly engaging it e.g. between
vamp and sole at about the narrowest part. The front member 132 further
includes an internal ledge 138 on which the shoes S rest, toe-down, when
received in the compartment 128.
The back wall 24 of the bag body sidewall 16 is shown including
compartments 140 and 142 which may be respectively similar to the
compartments 112 and 120, although possibly differently oriented, sized
and/or proportioned.
The internal walls of all the compartments may be integrally molded with
the bag body sidewall, or may be separately molded, and fabricated into
appropriately corresponding openings molded or cut into the bag body
sidewall. The various compartment doors may be integrally hinged to frames
mounted to the sidewall perimetrically of the various compartment
recesses, or may be otherwise hinged or mounted for opening, closing, and
for securement in a closed condition. Where necessary or desired, locks
may be provided against all access to the bag contents via compartment
doors and cover.
It should now be apparent that the golf bag as described hereinabove,
possesses each of the attributes set forth in the specification under the
heading "Summary of the Invention" hereinbefore. Because it can be
modified to some extent without departing from the principles thereof as
they have been outlined and explained in this specification, the present
invention should be understood as encompass-all such modifications as are
within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
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Description |
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