AU683819B1

AU683819B1 - Air based mobile mini putting game

Info

Publication number: AU683819B1
Application number: AU18913/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Alan James Lawrence
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-04-15
Filing date: 1997-04-15
Publication date: 1997-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2017-04-15

Description

ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT INVENTION TITLE: AIR BASED MOBILE MINI PUTTING GAME The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing known to me: This invention relates to providing entertainment in the form of an air-based portable golf putting game.

Presently people must travel to a Putt-Putt course or their local golf club to involve themselves in putting for practice or fun. Any portable putting games 10 currently require laying out an entire course taking up large areas of space.

These problems are overcome with the current invention which easily fits into "any backyard or like environment. Utilising a vacuum motor and blower motor an airflow system runs underneath the putting surface. A number of air pockets sit under the putting surface that enables the user to create his/her own 'Putt-Putt' hole and change 15 its form around at the push of a button. The player selects what pockets he/she wants filled pressing the relevant buttons on the display panel. Air is then blown into the o selected air pockets raising the synthetic grass surface in the selected areas and thereby changing the flat putting surface to now having mounds or contours as selected by the player(s).

The 'putting strip' consists of seven separate interlocking panels one metre long by two metres wide. They each have a wooden base and are individually covered with synthetic grass. This grass is glued to the wooden base. An area of grass is left unglued thereby creating an air pocket. An air hose runs from each air pocket underneath the panels and connects to a solenoid valve system in the control panel.

The control panel is powered by electricity. It houses a display panel; an electrical switching unit; two electric motors; sound proofing materials; a six solenoid valve system and a air hose connection panel.

The display panel has several buttons that flash when engaged. One for power; one for each motor (blow/vacuum) and one for each of the inflatable panels The user then presses the button(s) for the sections he/she wishes to inflate. The solenoid valve system then releases air into the designated air pockets. When the player wishes to change the shape of the 'layout' he/she just presses the buttons fcr the new surface to appear. The vacuum motor then draws air out of the unrequired air 10 pockets and the blower pushes air into the newly selected air pockets.

The last panel contains the hole or 'cup' and flag. The purpose being to get the 9°•oo9 ball into or as close to the hole as possible. The cup has an air pocket surrounding it so V it can be moved up and down just as the other air pockets.

9 Each panel (section) has sides that fold down on dismantling. These act to keep the ball contained and help make the game easy to dismantle and easily portable.

To assist with understanding the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show an example of the invention.

Figure 1: This gives a total view o the game.

1. The control panel (housing electric switching panel, two motors; solenoid value system; air hose connections, button display panel, sound proofing material), 2. first panel or tee from where the player hits the ball.

3. Five interlocking panels with grass surface containing inflatable air pockets; air hoses running underneath connect each panel to the ii -L control panel. The hose system and panels are easily dismantled for ease of moving from place to place (one-man assembly and dismantling).

4. The hole or cup panel with flag and inflatable cup.

5. Back netting held up by fibre-glass rod for ball containment.

Figure 2: Displays the air flow system from the control panel to a single inflatable putting panel.

Figure 3: A close-up view of the inflatable cup.

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Claims

1. A portable-mini-putt gam comprising of a putting strip and a control panel that controls an electronic solenoid air-flow system through seven individual interlocking panels creating a dynamic whereby the user can create his/her own shape to the putting surface.

2. The control panel of claim 1 contains an electrical switching panel and a solenoid valve system that controls the air flow as selected by the planer.

3. An air-flow based portable mini-putt game device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Ts Lawrence 13 April 1997 ABSTRACT An air based portable mini-putt game is disclosed. An electronically powered control panel drives two motors (one pressure one vacuum), to push the air through a solenoid switching panel into selected hoses to push air into allocated air pockets located underneath a synthetic grass surface glued to 7 individual but interlocking sections with the purpose of endeavouring to get the ball into the hold (cup) Any one or each of the six panels can be inflated at any time at the player's discretion by pressing buttons on the display panel The only non-inflatable panel is the first one which is the 'tee'. V a *:i

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