Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Appllcation Of: Harvey W. Hugunin
For: Stall Enclosure For All-Weather Golf Driving Range
Reference To Related Disclosure Documents
This application is based upon material contained
in the following Disclosure Documents:
No. 172,489 dated June 25, 1987;
No. 176,999 dated September 8, 1987;
No 178,834 dated October 2, 1987; and
No. 181,904 dated November 30, 1987.
Background Of The Invention
This Invention relates to stall-type enclosures
for use at a golf driving range, or the like, to provide
a comfortable environment for a golfer using the driving
range durlng lnclemel)t weather condltlons.
Temperature-controlled tee areas have been
~ provldl:(l I.n a nlJIlll)el~ Or conrlgural;lon3 lor U:JC ;lt eol~`
driving ranges, and the llke. For example, Patent No.
4,045,023 Or Hefrley, Jr. di3cl0ses a drivin8 booth
equipped with air circulation means extending across the
upper slde Or the openlng through which balls are driven
to circulate a curtain Or heated or cooled air over the
opening. A similar temperature control means is that of
.
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Buchanan Patent No. 3,860,236, whereln alr is directed
downwardly acrosa the open front of the enclosure to
provide an "alr door" whlch tends to malntaln a desired
temperature thereln. In Mowrer Patent No. 3,B61,6Bo, a
S radiant heater is positioned withln the booth or stall,
direotly above the golfer.
The use of downwardly-directed, forced air
curtalns, or radiant heat may be effective in some
~ ciroumstances, but is not particularly efflcient. Nor
do such systems provide effective distribution of heat
throughout the playlng area within the enclosure.
It is a principal ob~ect of the present inventlon
to provide a novel and improved stall-type enclosure for
use by a golfer at a golf driving range durlng lnclement
weather conditions.
A further ob~ect is to provide an effective and
efficlent heating system for a stall-type enclosure
havin~ an open front through whlch golr balls may be
driven.
Another object is to provide a stall-type
~ Lo~ l; u gol~ ivln~ ? w~ o r~ l n
comfort heatlng is provided throughout the playing area,
and air curtains or simllar downflow heating systems are
eliminated.
A still further object is to provlde a heated
enolosure for use at a golf driving range, having a
novel and improved relationship of the heating system
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and the mat or other surface from which the ball ls
drlven.
An addltlonal object ls to provide a stall-type
enclosure for use at a golr drlvlng range and having
S cooperative means For heating the playlng area of the
enclosure and warmlng the balls as they are fed to the
locatlon from which they are driven.
Other ob~ects will In part be obvlous and wi11 In
part appear hereinafter.
Summary Of The Inventlon
In accordance wlth the foregolng obJects, the
lnvention contemplates an all-weather golf drlvlng range
hou31ng unlt or enclosure of the single-user~ stall-type
whlch lncludes a floor, roof, back and side walls havlng
an open front through whlch a golfer may drlve the ball
by executlng a full swlng of the golf club. The open
front preferab].y lncludes movable doors, allowlng the
houslng to be closed when not ln use. The roof slopes
downwardly t`rom rront to rear, whereby the sldes are
trapezoldal ln shape.
A heating unit 19 lnstalled in a rear part of the
structure, .separated rrom the compartment in whlch the
golfer stand9 by a partltlon. The hot-air outlet Or the
heater ls connected to or placed wlthln one end of a
duct whlch ls connected at lts other end to a warm alr
plenum. A fan ln the duct clrculates alr from the
heater to the plenum which ls suspended below a gratlng
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Or .spRced, 1nverted U-channel members.
The plenum ha3 a rectangular upper perlphery which
abuts the lower edges Or the channel members and ls
smaller than the rectaneular outllne of the gratlng
area. A wall of lnsulatlng material ls positioned
around the plenum, ln spaced relatlon thereto, extendin8
from the underside Or the grating to the ground. A
solld mat, preferably Or multl-layer construction,
having a rectangular periphery smaller than that Or the
upper end Or the plenum is placed upon the grating to
provide a surrace rrom which to drive the ball and upon
whlch the golrer .stands.
With the mat centrally posltioned on the grating,
forced hot air from the plenum rises through the spaces
between the channel members around the entire perlphery
of the mat. In addltlon, warm air from wlthin the area
between the plenum and the lnsulating wall rlses by
convection through the grating about the outer perlmeter
thereor. Preferably, the mat may be moved to any
desired postion on the gratlng in order to place the
golrer at a position within the enclosure wherein warm
air rises between the golrer and any wlnd which may
enter the enclosure. Also, hineed flaps may be provided
along the sldes Or the grating to permlt selectlve
coverlng of the area3 on one or both sldes o~ the mat,
thereby concentrating the heated area forwardly,
rearwardly, and/or at either side Or the mat.
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As a further reflnement of the lnventlon, a sloped
ball-supply bin is positioned at one side Or the mat,
over a portion Or the grating. The lower wall Or the bin
has openings smaller than the golf balls through which
air may pass as it rises through the grating. Thus, the
balls, which may be supplied from an unheated area, may
be warmed to a temperature closer to that within the
enolosure before being struck, thereby having a more
realistic flight.
The roregoing, generally described reatures, as
well as others, will be more fully understood and
appreclated from the following detalled description,
taken in con~unction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
Brief Description or The Drawings
Figure 1 ls a front perspective view of the golf
drivine range enclosure Or the lnvention wlth doors on
the front side shown in the closed position;
Flgure 2 is a perspectlve view, as in Flgure 1,
showing the doors in the open position and a golfer
driving a ball from the enclosure;
FlBure 3 19 a rear perspectlve view ol the
enclosure, with portion3 broken away;
Figures 3a and 3b are end and slde elevatlonal
views, respectlvely, Or portlons Or the apparatus shown
in Figure 3;
Figure 1l is a slde elevational view of the
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enclosure ln vertical section;
Figure 4a is an enlarged, fragmentary detall of a
portion Or Figure 4, taken on the llne 4A-4A of Figure
5;
SFigure 5 is a plan view, in sectlon on the llne
5-5 of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of
a portion of Figure 5, taken on the line 6-6 Or Figure
11;
10Figure 7 is a rear elevational vlew, in sectlon on
the llne 7-7 of Figure 6;
Fleure ~ 19 a perspectlve vlew showlng a modlrled
verslon of a portlon of the struoture; and
Flgure 9 19 a perspectlve view of an optlonal ball
15supply and warming means ln comblnatlon with other
portlons of the structure.
Detalled Descrlptlon
neferrlne now to the drawlnes, ln Figures 1-3 19
shown a preferred embodlment of the stall-type enclosure
20of the lnventlon, denoted generally by reference numeral
10. Enclosure 10 lncludes front wall 12 having frontal
openlng 14 whlch may be closed by doors 16, as ln Flgure
1, or open when the enolosure is ln use, as ln Figure 2.
llool 1~ slope~ downwatdly Irom rrorlt to rear, provldlrle
25side walls 20 Or trapezoldal shape. Heater unit 22 is
supported above ground level on platform 24 between rear
wall 2h and Interior, transverse partltlon 2~ of
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erl(:.Losure 10.
The rloor Or hous1ng 10, indicated ln Figure ll by
rererence numeral 30, i3 suppcrted above ground level by
a distance providing 9pace for mounting duct 32 and
plenum 31l, to which hot air is conducted rrom heater
unit 22 by duct 32, assigted by duct ran 36. The hot
air outlet tube 38 Or heater unlt 22 prererably is
slightly smaller cross section than duct 32 and extends
a short way into the duct without physical attachment
thereto, as ~seen in Figures 3a and 3b. Door 40 in one
of side walls 20 provides access to and rrom the
interior Or enclosure 10, and stalrs 42 (Fig. 5) are
provided between eround level and floor 30. Another
door or other passageway (not shown) 19 provided rOr
access to the space between rear wall 26 and partltion
28.
A rectangular section Or rloor 30 extendine rully
or partially across the width Or hou31ng 10, and from
opening 16 rearwardly rOr a port10n Or the depth of the
houslng i9 in the rorm Or an open grating 41l. In a
preferred construct10n, gratlng 44 compr1ses a plurality
Or parallel, spaced, elongated channel members 1l6 Or
inverted U-shaped oonfiguration, ~olned by strlps 48
extendill~ al.one opposite 9ides of gratine 41l and
riveted, welded, or otherwise attached to each Or
channel members 46. Crating 44 is Or larger length and
width than the upper periphery Or plenum 34, and is
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posltioned above the plenum, entlrely coverlng the open,
upper slde, and extending outwardly on both sides and
rearwardly thereof.
Vertical wall 50 surrounds plenum 34, having a
rectangular periphery somewhat smaller than that Or
grating 44. Wall 50 extends between the lower slde Or
grating 50 and the ground, separating the air
surrounding plenum 34 rrom the space under enclosure 10
outside of wall 50. Wall 50 is constructed Or a thermal
insulating material, such as a low-density, rigid, foam
plastic, riberglass, or the like, and serves to contain
any heat passing through the walls Or plenum 34 either
by conduction or leakage. The air withln wall 50, when
warmer than ambient alr, rlses through the spaces ln
lS grating 114 outside Or the rorced hot air rrom within
plenum 311, as shown in Figure 7. In installations where
the rlow of air from withln wall 50 is expected to be
fairly hlgh, openlngs may be provided around the lower
periphery Or the wall for entry Or air rrom the
surrounding wall 50. Tubular conduit 47 may be provided
along the upper, interior surrace Or roof 18, as shown
in Figure 4, to ciroulate warm air which may gather at
the upper, rorward part of enclosure 10 into the space
between partition 28 and rear wall 26, assisted by ran
119, in order to ralse the temperature Or air enterinB
heater 22.
Ihe bottom slde Or plenum 34 prererably slopes
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upwardly from the rear slde, havlng openlng 51
connectlng wlth duct 32, to the rrOnt edge, which may be
br3nt upward1y and attached by rlvet3 52 lo onc Or
channel rnember3 46, as shown in Figure 4a. In addltlon
to rlvets 52, plenum 311 is supported beneath grating 44
along each lateral slde, and/or the rear slde, by
riveting or welding overlapping portions Or the plenum
and the channel members, or by any other convenient
means. As also seen in Figure 4a, drip plate 54 is
afrixed by rivets 56 at its upper edge 1nside the
rrontmost channel member 46, and by rivets 58 on the
outside Or siding material 60 which covers the rront,
back and sides Or enclosure 10. Drip plate 511 provides
an efrective means for preventing precipitation from
entering enclosure 10 at the lower side Or opening 14,
as well as inhibiting ice bu11d-up ln this area.
A rlg1d, rectangular, mat .structure, denoted
~enerally by rererence numeral 6,', ha~lng a 1~er1pheral
out11no :~m;lller than the open, upper sldf3 Or plenum 311,
i9 placed~ on channel members 46. Mat structure 62
preferably includes four layers, as shown in Figure 7,
namely, a lower metal plate 64, a layer Or insulating
material 65, a wooden layer 66, and an upper resilient
layer Gn Or carpetlne or artirlctal turr. aolt` ball 70
25 13 pl;lCf!(l oltllor (llrcctly on l:ho :3urrace Or m.lt fi2, or
on a tee or other support, to be driven by a golfer also
:~tandine on mal; 62.
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It is prererred that mat 62 be movable upon
channel members 46 to permlt 3elective posltlonlng ln
areas wherein heated air rislng through the channel
mernbers ls positioned between the golfer and any wind
which may enter enclosure 10. As a rurther rerinement,
in order to concentrate the heat rislng through the
grating provlded by channel members 46, rlaps 72 may be
hingedly attached along the sides Or the gratlng, as
shown ln Figure 8. Either or both Or rlaps 72 may be
3electively placed ln elther covering or uncoverlng
relation to the sides Or the grating which, ln
oonJunctlon with the positloning Or mat 62, wlll control
the portlons Or the gratlng through whlch warm alr
rlses.
lS Slnce the gOlr bal.ls may be stored ln an unheal;ed
area, it ls desireable to provide some means ror
brlnglng them more rapidly to the amblent temperature
within enclosure 10. To thls end, ball tray 74 19
positioned laterally adjaoent mat 62, as shown in Flgure
9. Tray ~7.4 may slope downwardly somewhat towards lts
forward edge abuttlng mat 62, whioh provldes a lip
holding the balls in position wlthin the tray until the
golfer is ready to plaoe them on the mat. Openings 76,
having llameters le.~s than that Or golr balls 70, are
provi(le(l In at le~.qt the rorward portion Or tho ].ower
wall Or tray 74 which overlle3 portions Or channel
members 46. Thu3, warm alr rl~ing through the grating
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may pass through openlngs 76 and bring the temperature
of the balls closer to that within enolosure 10 berore
they are struck by the gol~ club.
~rom the roregolne~ it may be seen that the
inventlon provi(les an improved enclosure permitting
comfortable use of a golr driving range in cold or
inclement weather. The playing area ls heated by alr
rlsing through an open grating which covers, and has a
peripheral boundary larger than, the open top of a warm
air plenum. A mat structure ror supporting the golrer
and ball is placed on the grating and has a peripheral
boundary smaller than that Or the top of the plenum.
A wall Or insulatine material is preferably placed
around the plenum, in spaced relation thereto,
permitting any heat lost through the walls Or the plenum
to also rlse through the gratlng.
Othel, optional reatures include selectively
positionable rlaps or dampers to control the areas of
the grating through whlch warm alr rlses, and means rOr
bringin8 the termperature Or the balls up to the ambient
temperature Or the enclosure. Further preferred
features include dimensioning the elements such that the
cross sectional area of duct 32 is substantially equal
to the area Or the grating above plenum 34 whioh is not
covered by mat structure 62, and sloping the roof Or the
enclosure from front to rear at about a 3:5 pitch.What
Is Claimed I.s:
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