U.S. patent application number 11/725033 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-20 for c-shaped disk holder.
Invention is credited to Matthew Stanley.
Application Number | 20070219023 11/725033 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38518639 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070219023 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stanley; Matthew |
September 20, 2007 |
C-shaped disk holder
Abstract
A device for carrying and removably displaying small disk-like
items has a substantially planar body with a front, a back, and a
pair of arms made of a resilient material defining a C-shaped
elastic opening, and an internal slot parallel to the front and
back and accessible from the C-shaped elastic open end for
receiving a disk-like item wherein a portion of the body partially
covers the area adjacent a periphery of a disk-like item when fully
inserted into said internal slot. In an alternative embodiment, the
C-shaped disk retainer forms a golfer's ball marker retainer at the
handle end of a divot repair tool.
Inventors: |
Stanley; Matthew; (Muncie,
IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAMES RAY & ASSOCIATES
2640 PITCAIRN ROAD
MONROEVILLE
PA
15146
US
|
Family ID: |
38518639 |
Appl. No.: |
11/725033 |
Filed: |
March 16, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60783655 |
Mar 18, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/408 ;
473/406 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 57/353 20151001;
A63B 57/207 20151001; A63B 57/50 20151001; A63B 55/408
20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/408 ;
473/406 |
International
Class: |
A63B 57/00 20060101
A63B057/00 |
Claims
1. A device for carrying and removably displaying small disk-like
items comprising: a substantially planar body with a front, a back
and a pair of arms made of a predetermined material defining a
C-shaped elastic opening; and an internal slot substantially
parallel with said front and said back and accessible from said
C-shaped elastic opening for receiving one of said disk-like items
wherein a portion of said body partially covers an area adjacent a
periphery of said disk-like item when fully inserted into said
internal slot.
2. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined
material is a resilient rubber-like substance.
3. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said arms are
substantially rigid and encased in a resilient covering increasing
in thickness at distal ends of said short arms.
4. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined
material is a flexible cured silicone caulking compound.
5. The device, according to claim 1, wherein a clip arm is disposed
on one outer surface of said planar body.
6. The device, according to claim 5, wherein said clip arm is
connected to a torsion spring at a pivot point attached said outer
surface.
7. The device, according to claim 5, wherein said clip arm is a
semi-rigid wavy strip flexible at a point of attachment and having
a convex section tangentially contacting said outer surface prior
to being actively engaged.
8. A combination golfing divot-repair and ball marker retaining
device comprising: a) a substantially rigid and substantially flat
central body portion tapered toward a narrow first end opposite a
wide second end; b) a pair of substantially rigid tapered prongs
extending from said narrow first end of said central body portion
and constituting about half an overall length of said divot-repair
and ball marker retaining device; c) a C-shaped recess at said wide
second end, said C-shaped recess forming a pair of peripheral arms;
d) a semicircular slot formed within said C-shaped recess, said
semicircular slot adapted to receive peripheral edges of said ball
marker; and e) zones of resilient material adhered to a portion of
free ends of said peripheral arms.
9. The combination golfing divot-repair and ball marker retaining
device, according to claim 8, wherein said zones of resilient
material are cured drops of a silicone caulking compound in said
slot at said free ends of said peripheral arms.
10. The combination golfing divot-repair and ball marker retaining
device, according to claim 8, wherein said zones of resilient
material are caps of a cured polymeric elastomer adhered to and
encasing about one to three centimeters of distal ends of said
peripheral arms.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This patent application is related to and claims priority
from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/783,655 filed
Mar. 18, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates, in general, to devices for
carrying and displaying small disks like tokens and coins and, more
particularly, this invention relates to a C-shaped clip for holding
tokens or small disks such that they are readily located and
accessed by the owner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] There are instances in which a person wishes to carry a
coin, token, ball marker or some ornamental disk or good-luck charm
in a holder that partially displays the disk, but also allows it to
be readily removed for closer examination or use.
[0004] The prior art discloses various devices for holding small
disks subject to occasional removal and replacement. U.S. Pat. No.
986,158 discloses a coin receptacle wearable on clothing items such
as gloves. U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,300 discloses a pendant for holding
tokens and other disks, which must be tilted in a certain way for
removal. Some patents teach incorporation of a disk-retention
device at the short end of a golfing divot-repair tool. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,052 discloses a C-shaped slotted
addition to the handle end of a divot repair tool whereby a ball
marker can be held in place, but only by gravity. If the tool gets
inverted, the ball marker would most likely fall out. In a similar
divot repair tool design, U.S. Pat. Application No. 2004/0248674
discloses use of a retention clip disposed within the internal slot
of the body. In all the aforementioned examples, the devices appear
to be made from metal or a hard plastic.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides a device for carrying and
removably displaying small disk-like items consisting of a
substantially planar body with a front, a back and a pair of arms
made of a resilient material defining a C-shaped elastic opening,
and an internal slot parallel to the front and the back and
accessible from the C-shaped elastic opening for receiving a
disk-like item wherein a portion of the body partially covers an
area adjacent the periphery of the disk-like item when fully
inserted into said internal slot.
[0006] In another aspect of the invention, the C-shaped disk
retainer is incorporated into the handle of a golfer's divot repair
tool to add the capability of also holding a ball marker such that
it can be readily removed and replaced, but does not fall out in
any position.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present
invention to provide a convenient and versatile device that can be
adapted to holding and carrying a variety of disk-like objects,
such as tokens, coins, or poker chips in such a way that the disk
is partially visible while being retained, but also readily
removable when that is desirable.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
device that is capable of not only holding the token or similar
item, but can be clipped to money or an item of clothing.
[0009] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
a disk-holding means that can be incorporated into the handle end
of a golfing divot-repair tool for retaining a ball marker.
[0010] In addition to the various objects and advantages of the
present invention described with some degree of specificity above
it should be obvious that additional objects and advantages of the
present invention will become more readily apparent to those
persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following more
detailed description of the invention, particularly, when such
description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing
figures and with the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device with a token partially
inserted.
[0012] FIG. 2 displays a rectangular body version of the device
also showing an important dimensional relationship.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a top end view showing the internal slot.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the attached money or belt
clip.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of a golfer's divot-repair
and ball marker retention device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A PRESENTLY PREFERRED AND VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE
EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Prior to proceeding to the more detailed description of the
present invention it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity
and understanding, identical components which have identical
functions have been identified with identical reference numerals
throughout the several views illustrated in the drawing
figures.
[0017] Referring initially to FIG. 1 wherein there is illustrated a
device generally designated 10, for carrying and removably
displaying small disk-like items, a semi-circular token holder 12
shown with a token 14 inserted into a slot 20 via the C-shaped
opening 16. The arms 18 of the holder 12 are made of a resilient
material that flexes to temporarily create a wider C-shaped opening
16 as the token 14 is pushed into the slot 20.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, a rectangular body disk holder 22 is
viewed from the front with a disk 26 fully inserted into the slot
20. As the disk 26 is pressed into the slot 20, the flexible arms
18 move away from each other to permit entry of the disk 26. While
not necessary, in this example, notches 24 in the lateral edges
about 1 to 2 centimeters from the tips facilitate the expansion of
the C-shaped opening 16. When at rest, the width 32 of the C-shaped
opening is marginally less than twice the radius 30 of the disk 26,
thereby keeping the disk 26 from sliding out.
[0019] FIG. 3 provides an end view of the C-shaped opening 16 of
the token holder 12 showing the slot 20. A glob 36 of a resilient
adhesive substance, such as silicone caulk, is adhered inside the
outermost tips of the slot 20 at the ends of the arms 18.
[0020] FIG. 4 depicts another variation of the design showing a
clip 40 attached to one surface of either the token holder 12 or
the disk holder 22, and with the slot 20 also shown.
[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates the disk holder design fashioned into a
golfer's combined divot-repair and ball-marker retention device 50.
A pair of tapered prongs 52 have been added to the body extending
in the opposite direction of the arms 18. A ball marker disk can be
pushed into slot 20 via C-shaped opening 16. In this example, the
arms 18 are encased in a resilient material to make the opening 16
expandable and yet preventing the ball marker from sliding out when
inverted. The resilient retention means shown in FIG. 3 could also
be employed in device 50.
[0022] While a presently preferred and various alternative
embodiments of the present invention have been described in
sufficient detail above to enable a person skilled in the relevant
art to make and use the same it should be obvious that various
other adaptations and modifications can be envisioned by those
persons skilled in such art without departing from either the
spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
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