Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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GOLF BAG WITH INTEGRATED ACCESSORY BAG
FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention relates to golf bags. This invention relates more particularly
to golf bags with a
removable bag portion.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Golf bags generally consist of a single unit used to hold and carry a full set
of golf clubs. Golf
bags are often transported in a cart, or pulled in a trolley. Other golfers
carry their golf bag.
Golfers may need their entire set of golf clubs at some point during a golf
game. However, for a
number of shots only a subset of their golf clubs may be needed or desired.
Most golfers
remove a subset of their golf clubs for these occasions to limit unnecessary
carrying of the full
complement of golf clubs. But if the clubs are removed from the golf bag to be
carried, they
generally will be placed on the grass, and the golf club grips may become wet,
and there is a
risk of losing one or more clubs in the process.
It should be noted that especially where golf clubs are carried in a cart, and
the cart is shared
with one or more other players, the golf cart may be some distance from where
a particular
player's golf ball is located, which may require a walk of some distance to
return to the golf cart
to retrieve the desired or required golf club.
For this reason, a number of golf bags were developed that include a smaller
ancillary bag that
may be removed from the main bag.
Ideally an accessory golf bag is built into the main bag and therefore, does
not take extra room
to carry. Also, the accessory bag should not add very much weight to the main
bag.
Furthermore, since the accessory bag will be removed multiple times during a
round of golf it
should be easy to remove and reattach to the main bag and when attached it
should be well
secured so that it does not move or become detached from the main bag as the
golf cart is
moving or if the main bag is carried during a round.
For example, PCT Patent Application No. W091/18650 discloses a two part golf
bag, where the
accessory bag held together by clips. A disadvantage with this type of split
bag is the difficulty
in detaching the accessory bag from the main bag, and re-attaching the
accessory bag to the
main bag. U.S. Patent No. 2,837,346 has similar disadvantages.
CONFIRMATION COPY
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United States Patent No. 5,358,109 also discloses a two part bag where the
main bag is shaped
to provide an opening that receives an auxiliary bag for removal of the
auxiliary bag from the
main bag and insertion of the auxiliary bag into the main bag.
United States Patent Application 2008/0296185 discloses a golf bag and
accessory bag
structure including a coupling structure for enabling the accessory bag to be
attached to the
main bag, and also for manual manipulation thereof to remove the accessory bag
from the main
bag. One disadvantage of this prior art solution is that the removal of the
accessory bag from
the main bag is realtively difficult andor awkward.
There is a need for dual golf bag structure that addresses the aforesaid
disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In a first aspect of the invention, a golf bag is provided comprising a main
bag portion, and an
accessory bag portion, wherein the accessory bag portion may be either placed
within a socket
portion of the main bag portion such that the main portion and the accessory
bag portion are
integrated to form a golf bag, or removed from the socket portion to provide
access to an
accessory bag that is smaller than the golf bag, characterized in that:
(a) the accessory bag portion includes a handle; and
(b) the golf bag includes a lock mechanism that is operable to
automatically lock
the accessory bag portion in place relative to the main bag portion, when the
accessory bag portion is inserted into the socket portion;
wherein once locked in the socket portion, the locking mechanism enables a
user to
lift the golf bag using the handle.
In a further aspect of the golf bag of the present invention, the lock
mechanism comprises a pin
and a receiver which inter-engage when the accessory bag slides into the
socket.
In another aspect of the invention, the receiver includes a biased catch for
snap-fitting
engagement of the accessory bag portion to the main bag portion.
In a still further aspect of the invention, the biased catch includes an
aperture in a biased and
sliding receiver plate which is movable in one direction by a user engageable
locking/unlocking
button, and is biased in the opposite direction.
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In yet another aspect of the invention, the receiver plate is connected to the
locking/unlocking
button for sliding in one direction against the bias, and for sliding in the
opposite direction under
the bias to engage a notch in the pin.
In a still other aspect of the invention, the accessory bag includes an
activation mechanism
operable, based on user initiation of an activation button, to actuate two or
more support legs
from a first retracted position, to a second splayed out position operable to
enable the
accessory bag to achieve a self-supporting upright position.
In another aspect of the invention, the activation mechanism includes a
slider, a pivoting
shoulder for each supporting leg, and a spring means connecting each pivoting
shoulder to the
slider, such that the user initiation of the activation button moves the
supporting legs to the
second splayed out position.
In a still other aspect of the invention, the golf bag includes a handle, and
either adjacent to the
handle or integrated with the handle is (a) a button that enables the release
of the locking
mechanism so as to permit the accessory bag portion to be removed from the
main bag portion,
and (b) an activation button that enables the activation of two or more
support legs to achieve a
splayed out position that enables a self-supporting position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s) is(are) provided herein
below by way of
example only and with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Figs. la, 1 b, and 1 c show the golf bag of the present invention with the
accessory bag at
different stages of removal from the main bag.
Fig. 2 is a further view of golf bag of the present invention from a front end
thereof.
Figs. 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d show views of the back end of the accessory bag.
Figs. 4a, 4b, and 4c show further view of the back end of the accessory bag,
in which the
accessory bag achieves its self-supporting, tripod-like configuration.
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Figs. 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, and 5g show the function of the accessory bag
whereby when the
accessory bag is in its self-supporting configuration, initiation of the
release button results in the
accessory bag support legs being pulled back into their resting position,
where the support legs
are flush with the accessory bag body.
Fig. 6 is a further view of the accessory bag in its self-supporting
configuration.
Figs. 7a, 7b,and 7c show further views of activation mechanism of the golf bag
of the present
invention.
Fig. 8a and 8b consist of cross-sectional views show the locking/release
mechanism of the
present invention.
Figs. 9a, 9b and 9c show a variety of cross-sectional view illustrating a
particular embodiment of
the locking/release mechanism.
In the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way
of example. It is
to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the
purpose of
illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended as a
definition of the limits of
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention consists of an improved two-part golf bag. The first
portion is the main
bag. The second portion is the accessory bag or accessory bag portion which is
removable
from a cavity formed by the main bag to receive the accessory bag. The
accessory bag can
also be re-inserted into the cavity. The main bag and the accessory bag
together are formed
such that when the accessory bag rests in the cavity, the golf bag has the
appearance of a
conventional golf bag, and also functions (other than the presence of the
accessory bag, and
the ability to remove same from the main bag as described above) in the same
way as a
conventional golf bag. For example the handle 15 functions in the same way as
a conventional
golf bag.
As detailed below, the auxiliary bag (also referred to as an "accessory bag"
in this disclosure) is
designed to receive a plurality of golf clubs, but a lesser number of golf
clubs than the total
number of golf clubs that fit within the golf bag as a whole.
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Significantly, the auxiliary bag rests within the cavity in a locked position.
The mechanism for
the lock is detailed below. Also, preferably the mechanism is operable to
provide locking of the
auxiliary bag to the main bag, within the cavity, with a force that is
sufficient to maintain locked
position during normal operation of the golf bag, e.g. use of the handle 15 to
lift the golf bag.
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In a further aspect of the invention, the lock mechanism is further designed
to enable the golf
bag user to release the mechanism easily, as detailed below. This is important
to enable the
accessory bag to be easily and quickly removed from the main bag, so as to
enable the quick
removal of the accessory bag for a shot using the subset of the golf clubs,
and then after the
short the rapid re-insertion of the accessory bag within its cavity.
As a further aspect of the invention, the accessory bag includes a plurality
of support legs that
are connected to the body of the accessory bag such that the support legs and
bottom portion
of the accessory bag are operable to achieve a position in which the accessory
bag is self-
supporting. The self-supporting features is useful in that it enables the user
to carry the
accessory bag to the place of his/her next shot, place the accessory bag on
the ground, remove
the desired club(s), and take the shot. As a result of the self-supporting
position of the
accessory bag, golf clubs may be readily removed from the interior of the
accessory bag, and
easily re-inserted into the interior of the accessory bag.
The accessory bag achieves the self-supporting position, in one particular
aspect of the
invention, by the user initiating an activation mechanism (and more
particularly a leg activation
mechanism) linked to an activation button that is operable to enable the two
or more legs, at
their extremities adjacent to the bottom of the accessory bag to pivot and
extend away from the
accessory bag. As explained further below, the mechanism for enabling the
accessory bag to
achieve the self-supporting position incorporates one or more springs (or
equivalent) such that
the mechanism tends to the retracted position. The activation mechanism
nonetheless is
operable to move the support legs to the self-supporting position, and then
placement of the
accessory bag on the ground tends to fix the support legs in the self-
supporting position. Once
the accessory bag is lifted from the ground, this tends to release the two or
more legs, allowing
them to achieve their resting position, by operation of the one or more spring
means, in a
position where the legs are disposed in a substantially parallel position to
the length of the
accessory bag, so as to enable the accessory bag to be returned to the cavity.
This enables the
easy return of the accessory bag to the cavity, in essence enabling it to be
dropped back into
place.
Also, upon return of the accessory bag to the cavity, the accessory bag locks
into place
automatically, until of course the release button is initiated again.
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In one embodiment, the accessory bag and the main bag part together have the
profile of a full-
sized golf bag.
In a particular embodiment, the lock mechanism that is operable to maintain
the accessory bag
in place within the cavity, so as to maintain the accessory bag and the main
portion as an
integral golf bag, consists of a pin and a receiver which inter-engage when
the accessory bag
slides into the socket or bag. In one particular embodiment, the pin is fixed
to the main bag
portion.
In another embodiment, a receiver is provided including a biased catch for
snap-fitting
engagement of the accessory bag to the main bag portion.
In a further embodiment, the biased catch is part of a mechanism of the
accessory bag.
In one embodiment, the catch is an aperture in a biased and sliding receiver
plate which is
movable in one direction by a user actuator and is biased in the opposite
direction, as best
shown in Fig. 9.
In another embodiment, the receiver plate is connected to a user actuator
button for sliding in
one direction against the bias, and for sliding in the opposite direction
under the bias to engage
a notch in the pin.
In a further embodiment, the accessory bag includes a stand mechanism
comprising a user
actuator and legs movable between a retracted position alongside the accessory
bag body and
a splayed-out position.
In one embodiment, the actuator comprises a pivoting shoulder for each support
leg, the
support shoulders pivoting the connected support legs away from the casing of
the accessory
bag.
In another embodiment, the slider pushes the legs at a location close to an
upper pivot joint.
In a further embodiment, the slider may comprise an arcuate bar or rubber rod
arranged
between the portions of the legs connecting to the body of the accessory bag
so as to cause the
legs to pivot and splay out to achieve the self-supporting position.
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In one embodiment, the stand mechanism includes a spring system 22 which
automatically
locks the legs back in place when returned.
In another embodiment, the stand mechanism comprises a spring arranged to
engage a catch
member in a sliding button to lock the legs.
In a further embodiment, the accessory bag comprises a lower loop arranged for
a user's arm to
pass through to hold the accessory bag against the body.
In one embodiment, the loop is attached to the accessory bag body at a
location close to a
lower location where a main carrying strap is attached.
Referring to the drawings (including for example Figs. la, 1 b, 1 c, and 2) a
golf bag 1 comprises
a main portion, an accessory bag 3, and a socket 4 or cavity for receiving the
accessory bag 3.
As shown in for example Figs. la., 1 b, and 1 c, the accessory bag 3 forms an
integral part of the
golf bag when inserted with the cavity or socket of the main portion, made to
receive the
accessory bag. This gives the impression that the golf bag 1 is conventional.
However, a golfer
may easily remove the accessory bag by simply gripping it at handle 15 and
pressing a button
to release a lock.
In one particular embodiment, button 20 (shown for example in Figs. 5a-5g) is
at the end of a
bar 27 which forms part of a mechanism 24. Mechanism 24 is best understood by
referring to
Figs. 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, and 9c. The mechanism 24 keeps the accessory bag 3
secured to the main
portion 2 to the extent that the full golf bag 1 can be lifted from the handle
15. It performs the
dual tasks of locking the accessory bag 3 to the main portion 2 and of
operating legs 11 to form
a stand after the accessory bag 3 has been removed.
The mechanism 24 includes a receiver pin 25 on the main bag portion 2, a
receiver plate 26, a
bar 27 (attached to the button 20), a top housing 28, and a bottom housing 29.
The mechanism 24 also comprises an activation means at the end of an
activation button 16,
operable to achieve the mentioned self-supporting position. In one embodiment,
pivoting
shoulders 12a, 12b are attached to support legs 11. As shown in Figs. 9a and
9b the action of
pushing the button 16 causes the activation of the of the pivoting shoulders
12a, 12b, despite
these being biased to a retracted position by means of spring 18, resulting in
the playing of the
support legs 11, as shown for example in Figs. 5a, 5b. This occurs by means of
the activation
of activation button 16 overcoming the biasing of spring 18; the translation
movement of the bar;
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spring connectors 13a and 13b; which together provide the activation of the
legs such that they
splay away from the accessory bag to achieve the self-supporting position.
As explained above, by placing the accessory bag on the ground with the
support legs 11 in the
self-supporting, splayed position, the support legs tend to maintain this
position. But once the
accessory bag is lifted, so long as the activation button 16 is not being
engaged, the support
legs 11 return to the retracted position by means of spring 18, as shown for
example in Figs. 3a,
3b, 3c, and 3d. Also, spring 22 pushes down on button 26 so as to maintain it
in place.
The locking action is performed by pushing the accessory bag 3 into the socket
4, upon which
the pin 25 in the main portion 2 snap-fits behind the receiver plate 26, as
best shown in Fig. 9c.
As shown in Figs. 9a, 9b and 9c, when the locking button 20 is pressed, the
receiver plate 26 is
pushed so that it not longer engages in a notch of the pin 25 and so the
accessory bag 3 may
be lifted out. In more detail, to release the accessory bag 3 one presses the
locking button 20,
which is attached to the bar 27, which pushes against the plate 26. This
realigns holes in the
housing 28 and 29 with the hole in the plate 26. This frees the slot 30 to
release the receiver pin
25. The spring 21 automatically offsets the hole in the plate 26 ready for
locking again.
When the accessory bag 3 has been removed the mechanism 10 can be used as
described
above for operating the legs 11.
To reattach, one simply returns the accessory bag 3 to its position and it
will automatically lock
back in place due to action of the spring 21 which urges the locking button 20
outwardly. The
angle at the head of the receiver pin 25 pushes the plate 26, enabling the
receiver pin 25 to
pass. When the plate 26 is lined up with the slot 30, the return spring 21
pulls the plate 26 back
into the slot 30, locking them in position.
A strap is preferably attached to the accessory bag 3 is in two parts, a main
strap and a small
loop strap for the wrist. The loop strap is generally used by passing one's
hand through the loop
strap to secure the bag to the body eliminating the bounce of the bag which
causes irritation
and sometimes injury to the user.
It should be understood that the present invention provides a very simple
structure to enable
one or more of (a) automated locking of the accessory bag once in place in the
cavity, and easy
manual release of the locked accessory bag, and/or (b) easy initiation of an
activation
mechanism of two or more support legs to that they splay to achieve a self-
supporting
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configuration of the accessory bag. Additionally, the accessory bag is
configured such that the
support legs automatically return to their retracted position when the
accessory bag is lifted, and
the activation button is not being initiated.
It will be appreciated that the invention provides a very simple and effective
accessory bag for
occasional use either on the course or at the driving range.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described but may be varied in
construction and
detail.
