U.S. patent application number 10/047046 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-22 for ballmark repair tool.
Invention is credited to Gribovsky, Vladimir.
Application Number | 20020115507 10/047046 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26853011 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020115507 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gribovsky, Vladimir |
August 22, 2002 |
Ballmark repair tool
Abstract
A ballmark repair tool for repairing marks left by the impact of
a golf ball on turf. The ballmark repair tool includes a handle
portion, a shovel portion, and a button. The shovel portion extends
from the handle portion. The shovel portion is oriented at an
obtuse angle with respect to the handle portion. The shovel portion
is curved to at least partially conform to an outer surface of a
golf ball. The shovel portion has a pair of tines extending
therefrom. The button is removably attachable to the handle
portion.
Inventors: |
Gribovsky, Vladimir; (Mound,
MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PATTERSON, THUENTE, SKAAR & CHRISTENSEN, P.A.
4800 IDS CENTER
80 SOUTH 8TH STREET
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-2100
US
|
Family ID: |
26853011 |
Appl. No.: |
10/047046 |
Filed: |
January 14, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10047046 |
Jan 14, 2002 |
|
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09670752 |
Sep 27, 2000 |
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60156254 |
Sep 27, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/406 ;
473/408 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 57/353 20151001;
A63B 57/50 20151001; A63B 57/207 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/406 ;
473/408 |
International
Class: |
A63B 057/00 |
Claims
1. A ballmark repair tool for repairing marks left by the impact of
a golf ball on turf, the ballmark repair tool comprising: a handle
portion; a shovel portion extends from the handle portion, wherein
the shovel portion is oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to
the handle portion, wherein the shovel portion is curved to at
least partially conform to an outer surface of the golf ball, and
wherein the shovel portion has a pair of tines extending therefrom;
and a button removably attachable to the handle portion.
2. The ballmark repair tool of claim 1, wherein a radius of
curvature of the shovel portion is greater than about one
centimeter.
3. The ballmark repair tool of claim 1, wherein the obtuse angle is
between 140 degrees and 175 degrees.
4. The ballmark repair tool of claim 1, wherein a spacing between
the tines is about 0.20 inches.
5. The ballmark repair tool of claim 1, wherein the tines each have
a length of about 1 inch.
6. The ballmark repair tool of claim 1, wherein the handle portion
has a bore formed therein, wherein the button has a shank portion
extending therefrom, and wherein extending the shank portion
through the bore enables the button to be removably attached to the
handle portion.
7. The ballmark repair tool of claim 6, and further comprising a
grommet that seats at least partially in the bore, wherein the
shank portion extends through an aperture in the grommet when the
button is removably attached to the handle portion.
8. The ballmark repair tool of claim 7, wherein the grommet is
fabricated from a resilient material.
9. The ballmark repair tool of claim 1, wherein the button has
indicia formed thereon.
10. The ballmark repair tool of claim 1, wherein the handle
portion, the shovel portion, and the button are fabricated from a
metallic or plastic material.
11. A ballmark repair tool for repairing marks left by the impact
of a golf ball on turf, the ballmark repair tool comprising: a
handle portion having a bore formed therein a shovel portion
extends from the handle portion, wherein the shovel portion is
oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to the handle portion,
wherein the shovel portion is curved to at least partially conform
to an outer surface of the golf ball, and wherein the shovel
portion has a pair of tines extending therefrom; a grommet has an
aperture extending therethrough, wherein the grommet at least
partially seats in the bore; and a button has a shank portion
extending therefrom, wherein the button is removably attachable to
the handle portion by extending the shank portion through the
aperture.
12. The ballmark repair tool of claim 11, wherein a radius of
curvature of the shovel portion is greater than about one
centimeter.
13. The ballmark repair tool of claim 11, wherein the obtuse angle
is between 140 degrees and 175 degrees.
14. The ballmark repair tool of claim 11, wherein a spacing between
the tines is about 0.20 inches.
15. The ballmark repair tool of claim 11, wherein the tines each
have a length of about 1 inch.
16. The ballmark repair tool of claim 11, wherein the grommet is
fabricated from a resilient material.
17. The ballmark repair tool of claim 11, wherein the button has
indicia formed thereon.
18. The ballmark repair tool of claim 11, wherein the handle
portion, the shovel portion, and the button are fabricated from a
metallic or plastic material.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 09/670,752, which was filed on Sep. 27, 2000,
and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The
present application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/156,254, which was filed on Sep. 27, 1999, and
which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to accessories for the game of
golf. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices
for the maintenance of golf green surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] One of the primary objects when playing golf is to convey a
golf ball from a tee region on a given hole into a hole for that
hole in the fewest strokes. As such, it is desirable to hit a golf
ball directly from the tee region onto the green that surrounds the
hole.
[0004] The green is made from a grass variety that permits the
grass to be maintained at a very low height. Maintaining the grass
on the green at a very low height enhances the ability for a golfer
to accurately roll the golf ball along the surface of the
green.
[0005] When a golf ball lands directly on the green, the golf ball
often forms an indentation in the green proximate to where the golf
ball strikes the green. Such an indentation impedes the ability of
a golfer to accurately roll the golf ball along the surface of the
green and thereby has the potential to detrimentally affect the
performance of golfers who subsequently use the course.
[0006] To reduce this potentially detrimental affect, golfers
typically endeavor to remove the indentation or at least reduce the
size of the indentation using a ballmark repair tool. The ballmark
repair tool is pushed into the grass proximate the indentation to
lift up the grass and the soil underlying the grass to thereby
remove or reduce the size of the indentation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention relates to a ballmark repair tool for
repairing marks left by the impact of a golf ball on turf. The
ballmark repair tool includes a handle portion, a shovel portion,
and a button. The shovel portion extends from the handle portion.
The shovel portion is oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to
the handle portion. The shovel portion has a pair of tines
extending therefrom. The button is removably attachable to the
handle portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ballmark repair tool of
the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a top planform view of the ballmark repair
tool.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a bottom planform view of the ballmark repair
tool.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the ballmark repair
tool inserted into a ground surface adjacent a divot.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a handle end elevational view of the ballmark
repair tool.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a tine end elevational view of the ballmark repair
tool.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a ballmark
repair tool, as illustrated at 10 in the figures. The ballmark
repair tool 10 has two major sub-components: a handle portion 12
and a shovel portion 14.
[0015] The handle portion 12 is defined by spaced-apart side
margins 16, 18 and end margin 20. The side margins 16, 18 are
angled inward from the end margin 20 to the shovel portion 14. The
end margin 20 preferably is an arc segment of a circle that may be
between 90 degrees and 270 degrees of a full circle.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, a bore 22 (depicted in phantom in
FIGS. 4 and 5) extends through the handle portion 12. The bore 22
is adapted to receive a shank portion 24 (depicted in phantom in
FIG. 5) of a button 26. The button 26 preferably has a
substantially flat outwardly directed surface 30.
[0017] The outwardly directed face 30 of the button 26 preferably
has an indicia 31 printed thereon. The indicia 31 may include a
company or individual's name or a logo. In an alternative
embodiment, a company or individual's name or a logo may be
embossed or printed directly on the surface of the handle portion
12. Alternatively, the button 26 may be bonded directly to the
upper surface 32 of the handle portion 12.
[0018] The handle portion 12 preferably includes a grommet 28 that
at least partially seats within the bore 22. The shank portion 24
extends through an aperture in the grommet 28. The grommet 28 is
preferably fabricated from a resilient material that permits the
grommet 28 to deform when the shank portion 24 is extended through
the grommet 28 to thereby retain the button 26 in a fixed position
with respect to the handle portion 12.
[0019] Removably attaching the button 26 to the handle portion 12
allows the button 26 to be readily separated from handle portion 12
such that the button 26 may be used to mark a location of a golf
ball. Removably attaching the button 26 to the handle portion 12
also reduces the likelihood that the button 26 will be lost when
the button 26 is not being used.
[0020] The handle portion 12 is oriented at an angle a with respect
to the shovel portion 14, as most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1
and 4. The angle .alpha. is preferably an obtuse angle and more
preferably the angle .alpha. is between 140 degrees and 175
degrees.
[0021] The shovel portion 14 includes two spaced apart tines 36a,
36b. The tines 36a, 36b are defined by outer margins 38a, 38b and
inner margins 40a, 40b. The two inner margins 40a, 40b intersect at
a point 42 to define a V shape. Each of the two tines 36a, 36b has
a generally pointed distal end 44a, 44b. A spacing between the
tines 36a, 36b is preferably about 0.20 inches. The tines 36a, 36b
preferably each have a length of about 1 inch.
[0022] The shovel portion 14 is preferably curved in the same
direction that the shovel portion 14 is angled with respect to the
handle portion 12, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 4. The
shovel portion 14 is curved to at least partially conform to an
outer surface of a golf ball 58. A radius of curvature of the
shovel portion 14 is greater than about one centimeter and
preferably greater than about two centimeters.
[0023] The curve of the shovel portion 14 enables the shovel
portion 14 to conform to a surface of a divot 60. The curved shovel
14 thereby enables the compressed turf in the divot 60 to be evenly
lifted. By evenly lifting the compressed turf in the divot 60
tearing of the turf during the lifting process is substantially
eliminated.
[0024] This process thereby enables the greens to be maintained
more easily than with prior art ballmark repair tools.
Additionally, using the ballmark repair tool 10 with the curved
shovel portion 14 enables a person to more easily use the ballmark
repair tool 10 as the person's hand is further away from a ground
surface 62 so as to reduce the potential of the person's hand
becoming dirty from contact with the ground surface 62.
[0025] The tool 10 is fabricated from a material that provides the
tool 10 with sufficient structural rigidity such that the tines
36a, 36b resist bending when inserted into the turf to remove an
indentation in the turf. Preferably, the tool 10 is fabricated from
brass having a strength of about 75. Fabricating the ballmark
repair tool from brass enables the ballmark repair to be made
relatively thin while being sufficiently strong to resist
deformation during use. Fabricating the ballmark repair tool from
brass also enables the handle portion 12 to maintain the angular
orientation with respect to the shovel portion 14 as well as to
maintain the curved configuration of the shovel portion 14. A
person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the tool
10 may also be fabricated from plastic such as by injection
molding.
[0026] An overall length of the tool 10 is preferably less than 6
inches and more preferably about 3 inches to facilitate storing of
the tool 12 in a portion of the clothing worn by a user so that the
tool 12 may be readily accessed for use.
[0027] In operation, a user grasps the handle portion 12 of the
tool 10. The shovel portion 14 is inserted under the turf in and
around a ballmark on a golf course green. Downward pressure is
exerted on the handle portion 12 and the shovel portion 14 acts to
lift the pushed up turf to a level disposition. The process refills
the mark left by the impact of the golf ball. The angular
orientation of the handle portion 12 with respect to the shovel
portion 14 reduces the likelihood that a portion of the user's hand
will contact the turf when using the tool 10.
[0028] When it is desired to mark the location of the user's golf
ball, the user urges the button 26 away from the handle portion 12
until the shank portion 24 is pulled out of the grommet 28. The
button 26 is then placed on the green adjacent to the location of
the user's golf ball such that the golf ball may be removed from
the green such as when it is desired to clean the golf ball or when
the golf ball is positioned proximate to the desired path of
another golf ball. The shank portion 24 extends into the turf to
enhance the likelihood that the button 26 will remain in the
desired location.
[0029] Thereafter, the golf ball is placed adjacent the button 26
on the green and the button 26 is picked up. The shank portion 24
is inserted through the grommet 28 to removably fasten the button
26 to the handle portion 12 to reduce the likelihood that the
button 26 will be misplaced until it is desired to use the button
26 again.
[0030] The tool 10 of the present invention is also useful for
removing material that becomes embedded around spikes on shoes worn
by the user. The user grasps the handle portion 12 and slides the
shovel portion 14 along a lower surface of the user's shoe. A
spacing between the tines 36a, 36b permits the spike to pass
between the tines 36a, 36b while removing material that is embedded
on either side of the spike.
[0031] It is contemplated that features disclosed in this
application, as well as those described in the above applications
incorporated by reference, can be mixed and matched to suit
particular circumstances. Various other modifications and changes
will be apparent to those of ordinary skill.
* * * * *