Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02311258 2000-06-09
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to holders for golfing accessories
and more particularly to holders which are attached to golf-
ers' belts and which hold such accessories as tees and ball
markers.
Holders for golfing accessories that are worn by a golfer
on his belt, pocket, shoe or wrist are known and are described
in such U.S. patents as no. 5,517,696 to Krugler; no. 3,830,
425 to Jacobson et al.; no. 3,716,016 to Aylesworth et al.;
no. 1, 603, 044 to Gise; no. 1, 703, 138 to Falcone et al. ; no.
1,588,461 to Ladue; no. 2,691,779 to Bell; and no. 2,007,696
to Siebert.
Holders, such as those described in the foregoing pat-
ents, have a number or shortcomings. Tees which are held by
some protrude from beneath them. Golfers who wear such holders
can be injured by the pointed ends of the tees if, for exam-
ple, they brush their hands against them or they lean over
thereby causing the ends to rotate inward and into contact
with their bodies. Other tees protrude from above the holders
and can be knocked out of them if the golfers accidentally
brush their hands against them. Other holders have only limit-
ed usefulness since they hold only tees. Such holders are not
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designed to hold other accessories commonly used by golfers
such as ball markers.
The holder for golfing accessories of the subject
invention does not share the shortcomings mentioned above.
various means are provided for shielding the golfer from
accidental contact with the pointed ends of the tees. In
addition, the upper ends of the tees are below the upper edge
of the holder so that they cannot be knocked out should the
golfer accidentally brush his hand against them.
The holder for golfing accessories of the subject invent-
ion is adapted to be attached to a belt and may be broadly
described as including a panel having oppositely facing inner
and outer walls and upper and lower edges. The panel has a
pair of vertically extending slits through which a belt may be
pulled in order to attach the panel to the belt.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a pair of
upper and lower horizontally extending strips are attached to
the outer wall and are formed into a plurality of loops each
defining an opening. Each opening in the upper strip is spaced
vertically above an opening in the lower strip in order to
accommodate a tee. The openings in the upper strip are large
enough to receive the shank of the tee but not its head. The
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strips are spaced apart such that when a tee is accommodated
therein, its head is above an upper edge of the upper strip
but below the upper edge of the panel and its pointed lower
end is within but does not protrude from beneath the lower
edges of the lower strip and the panel.
According to second embodiment of the invention, a single
strip accommodates the tees. The strip is of sufficient length
that when a tee is accommodated therein, its head is above the
upper edge of the strip and its pointed lower end is within
and does not protrude from beneath the lower edges of the
strip and the panel.
According to a third embodiment, a pocket is attached to
the lower edge of the panel for receipt of the pointed ends of
the tees.
According to fourth embodiment, the pointed end of the
tee, when its shank is within a loop, is above the lower edge
of the panel and its head is below its upper edge. The panel
is composed of material which is pliable so as not to impede
the wearer's movements but which is strong enough to resist
penetration by the pointed ends. A resilient clip or belt loop
serves to removably attach the panel to a belt and a retainer
for ball markers is attached to the panel.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The holder for golfing accessories is described with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of
the holder;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of
the holder;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of
the holder; and
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of
the holder; and
Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of the holder il-
lustrated in Figure 4 from the side opposite that shown in
that Figure.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout
the description of the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to Figure 1, the holder, indicated gener-
ally 10, is shown in conjunction with a portion of a belt 12,
golf tees 14, 16 and ball markers 18, 20.
The holder includes a rectangular panel 22 which has op-
politely facing inner and outer walls 24, 26, upper and lower
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edges 28, 30 and oppositely facing side edges 32, 34. A pair
of vertically extending slits 36, 38 is formed in the upper
portion of the panel through which belt 12 may be pulled in
order to attach the panel to the belt.
Two strips 40, 42 are attached to the outer wall of the
panel. The strips extend horizontally across the outer wall
and their ends are attached to the side edges of the panel.
The strips are vertically spaced and are formed into a number
of loops 44. Each loop defines an opening for a tee. Opening
46 in the upper strip 40 is spaced vertically above an opening
48 in the lower strip so that the~longitudinal axis of tee 14
is oriented vertically. Similarly, each remaining opening in
the upper strip is vertically above an opening in the lower
strip so that the longitudinal axes of all the tees in the
holder will be oriented vertically.
Each opening the upper strip is large enough to receive
the shank 50 of tee 14 but not its head 52. The upper and
lower strips 40, 42 are spaced apart such that when the tee is
accommodated therein, head 52 is above the upper edge 40a of
the upper strip. The head however is below the upper edge 28
of the panel. It is also below slits 36, 38.
The pointed lower end 54 of the tee is within the lower
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strip 42 but does not protrude from beneath the lower edge 42a
of the lower strip as well as the lower edge 30 of the panel.
Holes 70, 72 are formed adjacent to the upper corners of
the panel and grommets 74, 76 are placed in the holes . The
holes and grommets serve as retainers for the ball markers.
The markers are of the type having a round head 78 and a stud
80 which extends axially of the head and terminates at a
bulbous forward end.
When the end of the stud is pushed against the grommet,
the grommet deforms resiliently to allow the end to enter the
bore of the grommet. Once inside the bore, the grommet resumes
its undeformed shape to maintain the end therein.
When the head of the marker is pulled outward, the
grommet will again deform to allow the end of the marker to
exit from the bore. The grommet acts like a snap fastener to
removably secure the marker to the panel.
The holder illustrated in Figure 2 is similar to the one
illustrated in Figure 1 except that there is only one strip
84. That strip is formed into a number of loops 86 and each
loop defines an opening which is arranged and constructed to
accommodate a tee 88 having its longitudinal axis oriented
vertically, its shank 90, but not its head 92, within the
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opening and its pointed lower end 96 above the lower edge 98
of the strip so that it does not protrude from beneath that
lower edge as well as the lower edge 100 of the panel.
With reference to Figure 3, the illustrated holder is of
the same construction as the holder illustrated in Figure 2
except that the holder includes a pocket 110 which extends
upwardly from the lower edge of the panel and has an opening
112 in which the lower portion of strip 114 is received as
well as the pointed lower ends of the tees. Since the pocket
protects the golfer from the pointed ends, the lower ends of
the tees can protrude from beneath the lower end 118 of the
strip as illustrated.
With reference to Figure 4, the holder includes a panel
120 and a strip 122 which accommodates tees 124. The pointed
ends of the tees are above the lower edge 120a of the panel
and the heads are below the upper edge 120b. Ball markers 126
are accommodated in grommets adjacent to the upper corners of
the panel.
With reference to Figure 5, the holder has a resilient
clip 130 on its inner wall for removably attaching the holder
to a golfer's belt, upper edge of a pocket and the like.
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With reference to Figure 6, a belt loop 136 is stitched
to the inner wall along lines 138 for removably attaching the
holder to a golfer's belt.
Preferably the panel and straps of the embodiments
illustrate in Figures 1 to 3 are composed of soft leather
which is strong enough to resist penetration by the pointed
ends of the tees so that the tees will not injure a person who
is wearing the holder. In the embodiment illustrated in
Figures 4 and 5, it is essential that the material be strong
enough to resist penetration. The material must however be
sufficiently pliable that it does not impede the wearer's
movements.
The strips from the tees may be attached to the panel by
stitching, gluing, stapling and the like.
It will be understood of course that modifications can be
made in the preferred embodiments illustrated and described
herein without departing from the scope and purview of the
invention as defined in the appended claims.
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