U.S. patent application number 10/349453 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-29 for golf club head cover.
This patent application is currently assigned to G & G Golf Company Inc.. Invention is credited to German, Gordon Forrest.
Application Number | 20040144460 10/349453 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32712738 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040144460 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
German, Gordon Forrest |
July 29, 2004 |
Golf club head cover
Abstract
A golf club head cover having a clip extending therefrom for
releasable attachment directly to another object, without the need
for cords, complicated mechanisms, or pre-established coengageable
mating elements on the object to which the head cover is to be
attached. The clip is preferably a quick release clip such as a
carabiner clip.
Inventors: |
German, Gordon Forrest;
(Langley, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OYEN, WIGGS, GREEN & MUTALA
480 - THE STATION
601 WEST CORDOVA STREET
VANCOUVER
BC
V6B 1G1
CA
|
Assignee: |
G & G Golf Company Inc.
#302 - 26730 56 th Avenue
Langley
CA
V4W 3X5
|
Family ID: |
32712738 |
Appl. No.: |
10/349453 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
150/160 ;
206/315.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 60/62 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
150/160 ;
206/315.2 |
International
Class: |
B65D 065/02; B65D
085/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A golf club head cover having a clip extending therefrom for
releasable attachment directly to another object.
2. A golf club head cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip
is a quick release clip.
3. A golf club head cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein the clip
is a carabiner clip.
4. A golf club head cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip
is made of metal.
5. A golf club head cover as claimed in claim 4, wherein the clip
is made of a light weight metal coated with paint.
6. A golf club head cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip
is made of plastic.
7. A golf club head cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip
extends from an upper portion of the golf club head cover.
8. A golf club head cover as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
a golf towel attached to the clip.
9. A golf club head cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip
is fastened to the main body of the golf club head cover at an
affixation point which is reinforced.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to an improved golf club head
cover.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Golf club head covers are used to cover the heads of golf
clubs when they are not in use, both for decorative purposes and
also to protect the club heads against the environment and from
being scraped or scratched. When a golfer needs to use a golf club,
the golfer must first remove the golf club from the golf bag and
remove the head cover from the club. After the golfer has finished
using the club, the club is put back into the golf bag and the
previously removed head cover is put back onto the golf club head.
The major problem that has been experienced in the use of golf club
head covers is what to do with the head cover while the golfer is
using the golf club to make a shot. Many golfers place the head
cover on the ground while they are making a shot, or leave it loose
on top of a golf bag or cart or elsewhere. This often results in
the head cover being forgotten and lost after the shot has been
made and the golfer moves on from that area; if the ground is wet,
this may also result in the head cover being soiled or damaged.
Golf club head covers are, not surprisingly, the most common item
found in the lost-and-found at golf courses.
[0003] The problem of lost/misplaced golf club head covers is known
in the art, and various mechanisms have been developed to secure
golf club head covers to golf bags and/or to other head covers
while the golf club is in use, in order to prevent the loss or
misplacement of the head covers. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,812,
Scheurer discloses a golf club head cover and golf bag with
coengageable means for releasably securing the head cover to the
golf bag to prevent the misplacement or loss of the head cover
while the golf club is in use; in particular, the head cover has
secured to it a piece or patch of hook pile material engageable
with a mating loop pile material secured to the golf bag. Such
coengageable pieces of hook pile and loop pile material are
available commercially under the trademark VELCRO.TM.. In U.S. Pat.
No. 4,164,969, Dien similarly discloses a golf club head cover
having a portion made of VELCRO material for releasable attachment
to a mating VELCRO portion on either the golf bag or another head
cover, in order to prevent the loss of the head cover. In U.S. Pat.
No. 4,520,855, Dien discloses a golf club head cover having a snap
fastener allowing the head cover to be releasably attached to a
mating snap on either the golf bag or another head cover to prevent
misplacement or loss of the head cover while the club is in use;
male snap fasteners are attached to corresponding female snap
fasteners and vice-versa. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,284, Baker
discloses a golf club head cover having an attached VELCRO ring
that can, in turn, be releasably attached to a mating VELCRO ring
attached to a golf bag. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,843, Caufield
discloses a golf club head cover having attached to it a magnetic
half-sphere for releasable magnetic attachment to a corresponding
magnetic half-sphere attached to another head cover.
[0004] In order for each of the foregoing mechanisms to work as
intended, corresponding modifications must be made in advance to a
golf bag and/or to other head covers in order to provide the
required "coengageable means" or "mating members" to which the head
cover can releasably attach. The male snap fasteners taught by Dien
would be useless without a corresponding female snap fastener
pre-established on another head cover or golf bag, and vice-versa.
The VELCRO head cover attachments taught by Scheurer, for example,
would not work as intended if the golfer chose to use a different
golf bag not having a mating VELCRO portion on which to releasably
attach the head covers. The same applies to the magnetic
half-spheres taught by Caufield.
[0005] Further, there are inherent disadvantages in using VELCRO
material to secure golf club head covers to prevent their
loss/misplacement, even apart from the fact that the coengagable
VELCRO portions must be pre-planned and pre-positioned in order to
work properly. For example, the hook pile material and the
coengageable loop pile material tend to attract dirt and debris,
further reducing their attractiveness and effectiveness.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,125, U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,800, U.S. Pat.
No. 6,076,668, U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,577, U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,166,
and U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,774, rather than using coengageable VELCRO
pieces, coengageable snap fasteners, or coengageable magnets, each
discloses the use of cords, springs, or elastic bands to attach a
golf club head cover to a golf bag so as to prevent the
misplacement or loss of the head covers. However, such mechanisms
are also cumbersome and often ineffective. For example, U.S. Pat.
No. 3,657,744 to Reynolds teaches the use of cords to tie head
covers together as one unit so as to prevent the loss or
misplacement of any individual head cover. As noted however in U.S.
Pat. No. 3,638,284 to Baker, head cover retention devices such as
that taught by Reynolds are so cumbersome and such a nuisance to
use that many golfers untie all of the head covers from the cords
in advance, so as to allow the clubs to be removed from the bag
more easily, and in doing so defeat the purpose of using the cords
to prevent loss/misplacement of individual head covers. It is also
well documented within several of the above-mentioned patents that
the cords used to attach head covers are prone to tangling. To
address the tangling problem, complicated devices having extendible
and releasable lines such as that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,668
to Keane et al. have been developed. Other prior art devices
require clubs to be stored in specific positions to avoid cords
getting tangled, again making such devices cumbersome and
inefficient to use.
[0007] There is a need for a simpler means of releasably attaching
a golf club head cover to a variety of objects without requiring
prior installation of a coengageable mating member, and that is
easy to use and does not require a golfer to follow a certain order
in removing and replacing clubs in golf bag.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0008] A golf club head cover according to the present invention
has a clip extending therefrom for releasable attachment of the
head cover directly to a wide variety of objects without the need
to have prepared those objects in advance to receive the head
cover, and without the use of cords or complicated mechanisms. The
clip of the present invention is easy to use and is versatile. The
clip of the present invention allows the golf club head cover to be
easily and releasably attached to a wide variety of objects to
prevent loss/misplacement of the head cover, to facilitate proper
drying of a wet head cover, and to facilitate merchandising of the
head covers.
[0009] The clip is preferably a quick release clip such as a
carabiner clip. The clip can be made of any suitable material,
including metal and plastic. A clip made of light weight metal
coated with paint, for example, would be both effective and
attractive.
[0010] The clip is preferably positioned at or near the top of the
head cover in order to facilitate easy removal of the golf club
head cover from the golf club. A golfer would simply pull on the
clip to remove the head cover from the golf club. The clip may be
affixed to the main body of the head over by fastening it to a loop
extending from or an aperture in the main body of the head cover at
the desired affixation point; that affixation point, including the
loop or aperture, is preferably reinforced for greater
durability.
[0011] An additional benefit of a head cover according to the
invention is to enable retailers to hang the product or clip the
units to other items for an easier sale of the product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a variety of golf club head
covers according to the invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of retail packages containing
head covers according to the invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of retail packages
containing head covers according to the invention, showing how golf
towels can be clipped thereto.
DESCRIPTION
[0015] Throughout the following description, specific details are
set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the
invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these
particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been
shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the
invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be
regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, each golf club head cover 10 has
extending therefrom a clip 12 for releasable attachment of head
cover 10 to another object. As illustrated in FIG. 1, head cover 10
can take any desired shape to accommodate the size and shape of a
particular golf club head. FIG. 1 shows head covers 10 for woods,
irons, and putters. Similarly, head cover 10 can be made of any
suitable material for covering and/or otherwise protecting a golf
club head, including fabric, knit material, neoprene, and any other
known head cover material. Although clip 12 can extend from any
portion of head cover 10, it should preferably extend from an upper
portion of head cover 10 to facilitate easy removal of head cover
10 from the golf club head (not shown). In use, a golfer can easily
pull head cover 10 off of the golf club head simply by pulling clip
12. Clip 12 may be affixed to the main body of head cover 10 by
fastening it to a loop extending from or an aperture in the main
body of head cover 10 at the desired affixation point; preferably,
that affixation point, including the loop or aperture, has been
reinforced to provide it with greater durability than the rest of
the main body of head cover 10.
[0017] Clip 12 is preferably a quick release clip shaped as a
climbing carabiner which is large enough to slide through a grommet
or fabric loop or otherwise be able to be hooked around another
object. Clip 12 can be oval, round, or any geometrical shape that
can function as above. Clip 12 may be made of metal, plastic, or
any other suitable material. For example, a clip 12 made of a light
weight metal coated with paint would be both effective and
attractive.
[0018] In use, clip 12 enables head cover 10 to be releasably and
easily attached to a wide variety of objects, ensuring that the
golfer will not easily lose or misplace head cover 10. Clip 12 can
be releasably attached, for example, to the top edge of a golf bag,
a loop or hole or strap on a golf bag, a clip on a golf bag, a clip
on another head cover, a belt loop on a golfer's pants, a pocket on
a golfer's pants, the back cage or bar or other portion of a golf
cart, a pull cart, a golf club shaft, a key ring, or anything else
to which a hook or clip can be attached. Clip 12 can be releasably
attached to most loops, edges, bars, lines, or even pieces of
fabric such as a golfer's clothes. No prior preparation of the
other object is required before clip 12 is attached directly to it.
Also, no cords are involved, resolving the problem with tangling
cords and cumbersome cord mechanisms. Clip 12 also allows other
objects, such as golf towels or shammy material, to be easily
attached to head cover 10 for a golfer's convenient access.
[0019] Clip 12 also permits head covers 10 to be easily hung after
a wet golf day, away from the golf clubs. For example, head covers
10 can be clipped to the golf bag or a clothes line or a wide
variety of other objects, ensuring that head covers 10 dry properly
while simultaneously preventing head covers 10 from falling or
separating from the object to which they have been attached.
[0020] A head cover 10 having clip 12 extending therefrom is also
advantageous from a retailing and merchandising point of view. Clip
12 allows retailers to easily hang head covers 10 for sale, or clip
head covers 10 to other items for greater visibility, often at eye
level. Referring to FIG. 2, one or more head covers 10 can be
packaged in such a way that the clip 12 of one or more head covers
10 extends out of the package 14 to allow the entire package 14 to
be easily attached to a retail display. The package 14 can be hung
by means of clip 12 from a display shelf hook, or from a golf bag
on display, or from virtually any other object to which a clip can
be attached. Also, having clip 12 extend out of the package 14 may
assist in catching the eye of the consumer. The package 14 can
otherwise take any form, including shrink wrap, clamshell, tubes,
vinyl bags, and so on.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 3, head cover 10 can be packaged with a
golf towel 16 attached to clip 12, whether inside or outside
package 14, to show the versatility of a head cover 10 with clip 12
according to the invention. When in use, clip 12 allows objects
such as a golf towel 16 to be conveniently attached to head cover
10, to prevent the loss/misplacement of both head cover 10 and the
attached object and to provide the golfer convenient access to the
attached object.
[0022] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light
of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are
possible in the practice of this invention without departing from
the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance
defined by the following claims.
* * * * *