U.S. patent application number 10/915414 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-16 for variable height golf tee.
Invention is credited to Paul Butterworth.
Application Number | 20060035727 10/915414 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35800662 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060035727 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Butterworth; Paul |
February 16, 2006 |
Variable height golf tee
Abstract
An adjustable height golf tee whereby a golfer can set his/her
preferred tee height for whichever club he or she decides to use,
employs an interference fit between two components namely a plug
which is mounted on a base and has a series of external ridges, and
a tee piece which is hollow and resilient and preferably has at
least one internal ridge. The tee is intended to be used with an
existing practice mat, which would hold the base in position. In
other embodiments the tee piece may have multiple internal ridges
instead of or in addition to the plug being beaded.
Inventors: |
Butterworth; Paul;
(Warrington, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DENNISON, SCHULTZ, DOUGHERTY & MACDONALD
1727 KING STREET
SUITE 105
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
35800662 |
Appl. No.: |
10/915414 |
Filed: |
August 11, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/387 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 69/3623 20130101;
A63B 2225/093 20130101; A63B 57/15 20151001; A63B 57/13 20151001;
A63B 57/10 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/387 |
International
Class: |
A63B 57/00 20060101
A63B057/00 |
Claims
1. A height adjustable golf tee comprising a hollow resilient tee
piece which is adjustably fitted onto a plug mounted on a base, in
which respect the plug is externally formed with a series of ridges
and the tee piece is slidably adjustable on the plug as an
interference fit thereon.
2. A golf tee as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material of the tee
piece and the material of the plug and its base are sufficiently
strong and/or resilient to withstand being stood upon and/or being
hit by a golf club.
3. A golf tee as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plug has an
enlargement at its upper end to inhibit removal of the tee
piece.
4. A golf tee as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tee piece has an
inward lip at or neat its lower end to inhibit its removal from the
plug.
5. A golf tee as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tee piece is formed
with a single internal ridge to facilitate retention of the tee
piece relative to the plug in a selected adjusted position.
6. A golf tee as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tee piece is formed
with a series of internal ridges to facilitate retention of the tee
piece relative to the plug in a selected adjusted position.
7. A golf tee as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plug is formed with
at least three external ridges.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a height adjustable golf tee to be
used on a practice mat at driving ranges.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Golf tees lift the golf ball clear from the ground in order
to strike the ball more cleanly. There are in existence rubber golf
tees designed to fit through a practice mat, theses are available
in two sizes only.
[0003] These rubber tees do not provide a golfer with enough choice
as to which height he or she plays the ball from.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to the present invention a height adjustable golf
tee is provided comprising a hollow resilient tee piece which is
adjustably fitted onto a beaded plug mounted on a base, in which
respect either the plug is provided externally with a series of
ridges, or the hollow tee piece is provided internally with at
least one ridge, or both are so formed, and the tee piece is
slidably adjustable on the plug as an interference fit thereon. A
"beaded" plug means a plug formed with at least one external
ridge.
[0005] In embodiments where the plug is provided with a series of
ridges, the plug may be similar to a mechanical gas tap style
fitting in which a series of convex bulges are formed on the
outside of a laboratory style gas tap. This plug could be a solid
beaded shaft or it could be hollow.
[0006] The plug is provided with a base, which may be disc-like
with a flat underside.
[0007] The plug is adapted in size and shape to secure the hollow
golf tee piece, which is preferably soft and rubberised, at the
preferred height for golf club selection as determined by the
individual golfer.
[0008] Both the material of the tee piece and the material of the
plug and its base are sufficiently strong and/or resilient to
withstand being stood upon and/or being hit by a golf club.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The invention will be described further, by way of example,
with reference to the drawings in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf practice mat, with a
first embodiment of the adjustable tee of the invention in
position;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side view of the two components, namely the plug
and the hollow tee piece of the same embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 3 shows the two components as in FIG. 2, but fitted
together with the tee at its maximum height setting;
[0013] FIG. 4 shows the two components again fitted together with
the tee at its minimum height;
[0014] FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the same embodiment of
the tee piece of the invention in use;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a side view of the plug and cross-section of the
hollow tee piece of a second embodiment of the invention;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a side view of the plug and a cross-section of the
hollow tee piece of a third embodiment of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a partial cross-section of a modified tee piece;
and
[0018] FIG. 9 is a side view of the plug and a cross-section of the
hollow tee piece of a fourth embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings a first practical
example of the golf tee of the invention comprises two separate
components, namely a plug 2 and a tee piece 3. The plug 2 is
externally beaded; i.e. it has a series of separate encircling
convex ridges 4, and it is mounted centrally, upstanding from a
circular base 5. The base may be formed integrally with the
upstanding plug 2, e.g. moulded in one piece. The plug may be
hollow. In use, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the upstanding plug 2
would project through a small hole in a golf practice mat 1, while
the base 5 would be a larger diameter than the hole, so that the
mat 1 would hold it in place.
[0020] The tee piece 3 is formed as a tube of firm hardwearing
elastic type material, such as a rubber-based compound. In order
that a golfer is able to position the ball at his preferred height,
the tee piece 3 fits over the plug 2 tightly, as shown in FIGS. 3
and 4. In this respect, the internal diameter of the hollow tube 3
is smaller than the largest diameter of the beads 4 on the plug 2,
so an interference fit is attained, using the natural physical
properties of the respective materials to hold a ball 6 at the set
height. Thus, the tee piece 3 is infinitely adjustable on the plug
2. There are no specific height positions at which they best
interfit.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a modified embodiment. The plug 12 is still
beaded and the tee piece 13 is still a hollow, cylindrical tube,
but their exact shape is modified compared to the embodiment of
FIGS. 1 to 5. The plug 12 has an additional slightly wider
enlargement 11 at the top above the respective encircling convex
ridges 14 and the tee piece 13 has an inward lip 17 at its lower
end to inhibit removal of the tee piece 13 from the plug 12 when it
is slidingly inserted thereon. Also the tee piece 13 has a
champfered top edge 18 to facilitate steady support of a golf
ball.
[0022] The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 comprises a plug 12 and its
base plate 15, exactly as in FIG. 6, together with a hollow tee
piece 23, which is different from the preceding embodiment in that
it is formed internally with a series of convex grooves 24 and
intervening wide ridges 26. Thus, it is of substantially
corresponding shape to the exterior of the plug 12 and again will
seat thereon at any selected height as it is pushed down over the
plug 12 and/or pulled up to the required position. Again a
champfered top edge 28 is provided to seat the ball and a lower
inward lip 27 to inhibit removal from the plug 12.
[0023] Although there are a series of ridges 14 in the plug 12 and
grooves 24 inside the tee piece 23, these do not provide discrete
adjustment positions only when they interfit. They merely
facilitate the support of the tee piece 23 at any selected height,
minimising risk of dislodgement, the tee piece 23 again being
infinitely slidingly adjustable on the plug 12.
[0024] FIG. 8 shows a variant where an internally ridged tee piece
21 is wider and champfered at its lower end, at 29, and then
constricted at a higher location, at 22, to facilitate its
insertion over the top of the plug 12, but retaining, at the
constriction 22, the inhibition of being pulled off too easily.
[0025] FIG. 9 shows a further variant of the golf tee of the
invention.
[0026] Plug 32 is integrally formed with circular base plate 35,
and is formed externally with four shallow concave grooves 31 and
three intervening ridges 34, which are not so rounded as in the
previous embodiments.
[0027] A tapered section 33 is provided at the top of the plug to
facilitate the placing of the tee piece 40 thereover.
[0028] The tee piece 40 is a hollow cylinder, as previously, of
resilient, flexible material, such as rubber or synthetic rubber.
It has a champfer 48 internally around its top edge to facilitate
steady support of a golf ball 50. It also has a single internal
ridge or lip 42 at a spacing from its lower end. The purpose of
this lip 42 is primarily to define a lower region in which the plug
32 can be located without the tee piece 40 falling off, i.e.
without complete removal. Once the tee piece 40 is pushed down
further its possibility for height adjustment and being held at any
selected height begins. This transition will be readily apparent by
the resistance offered as the tee piece 40 is pushed down until the
lip 42 engages around the surface of the plug 32.
[0029] In further embodiments, not illustrated, the plug could have
a smooth cylindrical outer surface, perhaps with an enlargement at
its upper end only to inhibit removal of the tee piece, while the
tee piece has a series of internal ridges to make a suitable
sliding interference fit with the plug.
* * * * *