Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
  • A45F—TRAVELLING OR CAMP EQUIPMENT: SACKS OR PACKS CARRIED ON THE BODY
  • A45F3/00—Travelling or camp articles; Sacks or packs carried on the body
  • A45F3/04—Sacks or packs carried on the body by means of two straps passing over the two shoulders
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
  • A45C—PURSES; LUGGAGE; HAND CARRIED BAGS
  • A45C13/00—Details; Accessories
  • A45C13/30—Straps; Bands
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B55/00—Bags for golf clubs; Stands for golf clubs for use on the course; Wheeled carriers specially adapted for golf bags
  • A63B55/408—Releasably mounted accessories fitted outside the bag, e.g. straps or holders

Definitions

• This invention relates to a novel and improved dual strap golf bag carrier device.
• the present invention concerns those persons who walk a golf course and carry their own golf bag.
• the entire weight of the golf clubs and bag which may typi ⁇ cally be on the order of twenty to twenty-eight pounds, tires the shoulder of the carrier and causes muscular strain resulting from the imbalanced nature of this method of carriage.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide a dual shoulder strap device to allow a golf bag to be carried in a centered manner on the back of a human carrier, and further wherein the weight of a golf bag may be simultaneously supported by both shoulders of the golf bag carrier; or, in the alternative, may be carried by a single strap on one shoulder, if desired, in the tradi ⁇ tional manner.
• Yet another object is to provide a dual strap carrier for golf bags that facilitates lifting the bag from the ground and is adjustable in length and in circum ⁇ ferential points of suspension to accommodate different physiques.
• a dual strap carrier device has been devised that either may be manufactured as a part of a golf bag, as original equip ⁇ ment, or as a retrofit system attachable to a standard golf bag in place of the standard single strap.
• the strap assembly is disposed externally of the sidewall of the bag and includes first and second strap members, each of the strap members having opposite ends, first and second securing means for securing each of the opposite ends of the first strap member to axially spaced locations on the sidewall including a first location proximate the open end and a second location axially spaced from the first loca- tion whereby the first strap member defines a first strap opening through which one arm of the person can be inserted, and third and fourth securing means for securing each of the opposite ends of the second strap member to axially spaced locations on the sidewall whereby to define a second strap opening so located with respect to the first strap opening that another arm of the person can be inserted through the second strap opening and the golf bag supported on both shoulders of the person carrying the golf bag.
• one end of the first strap member is fastened together with one end of the second strap member to a common central mounting element or handle portion which is affixed to the sidewall of the bag.
• the strap members are flexible, the additional thickness at their connected ends will stiffen the strap members at that location so as to elevate the strap members when the golf bag is resting on the ground to facilitate lifting as well as insertion of the arms through the strap openings.
• the connected ends of the first and second strap members may include a mounting ring and a flexible mounting web which is adjustably wrapped around the handle to attach the connected ends thereto.
• the handle defines the second location for attachment of the strap assembly to the golf bag and defines the primary balance point for carrying the bag.
• Opposite ends of the strap member to the connected end each may include releasable mounting means, such as, a swivel clip or adjustable mounting web for releasable attachment to the sidewall or to a circumferential strap on the sidewall so as to be free to slide circumferentially or be releasably fixed in different selected circumferential positions; and further may include means for adjusting the respective effective lengths of the first and second strap members.
• Each of the strap members is preferably of curvilinear con ⁇ figuration for greater comfort and to facilitate posi- tioning of the straps on the golfer's shoulders.
• the golf bag may be provided with a concave portion formed in the sidewall and circumferentially off ⁇ set from the attachment axis approximately 90° to rest against the back of a person when the golf bag is in a fully supported position.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of golf bag strap assembly in accordance with the present invention
• Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation of another preferred form of strap assembly shown in Figure
• Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken about lines 3-3 of Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is a top plan view illustrating the strap members of the preferred form of strap assembly of Figures 1 and 2 when disconnected from the bag and in a flattened condition;
• Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken about lines 5-5 of Figure 4;
• Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in more detail of the interconnection of the strap members of the preferred form of Figures 2 to 5 to the handle portion;
• Figure 7 is a side view in elevation of the strap assembly of the present invention constructed as a retrofit attachment to a standard golf bag;
• Figure 8 is another side view in elevation of a modified form of retrofit attachment of the strap assembly of the present invention to a standard golf bag.
• Figure 9 is a side view in elevation of a modified form of golf bag with a concave sidewall portion.
• golf bag 712 includes an elongated enclosure in the form of a cylindrical shell 736 covered by a suitable cloth or vinyl covering 738.
• the golf bag 712 has an open end 722 for lengthwise insertion of golf clubs, and auxiliary compartments on the exterior of the covering 738 include a clothes compartment 732 for larger articles and a ball pocket 734.
• a handle 740 is attached to an upper portion of the shell 736 by suitable rivets 735 passing through upper and lower ends of the handle 740, the handle extending in a direction lengthwise of the bag.
• the bag 712 is provided with first and second anchor straps 760 and 780. As seen from Figures 1 to 3, the strap 760 extends circumferentially beneath the covering 738 proximate the open end 722, and a loop por ⁇ tion 760* extends outwardly from attachment to the strap 760 between slits 772 and 774 in the cover 738.
• the loop 760' is oversized with respect to the circumference of the shell so as to be loosely disposed in outer spaced rela ⁇ tion to the shell in the region between the slits 772 and 774.
• the slit 774 is formed in the cover 738 at a loca ⁇ tion spaced lengthwise from and above the handle 740 while the slit 772 is circumferentially spaced approximately 60° away from the slit 774 and correspondingly displaced from the handle 740.
• the lower anchor strap 780 correspondingly extends circumferentially underneath the cover 738 below the handle 740 and around the midportion of the bag with a loop portion 760' of the strap 780 exposed between slits 782 and 784.
• the slits 782 and 784 are aligned with the slits 772 and 774, and the anchor strap 780 is spaced beneath the handle 740 a distance substantially corresponding to the spacing of the strap 760 above the handle.
• each of the slits 772, 774 and 782, 784 is of a length greater than the width of a respective strap 760, 780 and loop 780, 780* to permit longitudinal shifting of the straps and loops.
• the straps 760, 780 and associated loops 760', 780* are longitudinally adjustable to modify their spacing with respect to the handle 740 by fastener strips 761 and which are affixed to the shell 736 and the inside of the covering 738 at the entrance to each of the slits 772, 774 and 782, 784.
• elongated fastener strips 761 and 761' extend in a lengthwise direc ⁇ tion with respect to the bag and in face-to-face relation to one another directly inside of the entrance to the slit 772 with the strip 761 attached to the shell 736 and the strip 761' attached to the inside of the covering 738.
• the strap 760 includes a complementary fastener strip on its inner surface for releasable attachment to the strip 761 on the shell 736, and the loop 760' includes a fastener strip for releasable attachment to the strip 761* on the inside of the covering 738.
• the fastener strips 761, 761" are composed of a filamentary material, such as, VELCRO having complementary hook and loop surfaces so that the golfer may easily adjust the spacing of each strap 760 and loop 760* by reaching in with the fingers and manually adjusting the position of the complementary fastener strips with respect to the sta ⁇ tionary fastener strips 761 and 761'.
• each loop portion 760' and 780* are permanently affixed, such as, by sewing to their respective anchor straps 760 and 780 at locations 762 and 782, respectively, inwardly and beyond the loca ⁇ tion of the fastener strips at the entrance to each of the slits.
• a preferred form of shoulder strap assembly is made up of upper and lower interconnected shoulder strap portions 750 and 751, respectively, the upper shoulder strap 750 provided with a mounting ring 770 which is sli- dable on the anchor strap 760 and receives a looped end portion in the form of webbing 752 at the upper end of the strap 750.
• Another mounting ring 790 receives a looped end portion in the form of webbing 758 at the lower end of the shoulder strap 751, and the ring 790 is slidable on the lower anchor strap 780.
• Each of the end portions 752 and 758 is length-adjustable by suitable means, such as, adjustable buckles 753 and 759, respectively.
• the shoulder straps 750 and 751 have adjoining ends 754 which are interconnected to one another by seaming together as at 755 so as to form a common loop portion 756 therebetween for insertion of a mounting ring 720.
• a VELCRO loop 721 is passed through the mounting ring 720 and is wrapped in surrounding relation to the handle 740.
• An elongated fastener strip 741 is disposed along the inner surface of the handle 740 and is of a VELCRO material complementary to the filamentary material disposed along the inner surface of the loop 721.
• the loop 721 comprises an elongated flexible strip of material which can be wrapped into the form of a band or ring interconnecting the mounting ring 720 to the handle 740 and is of course longitudinally adjustable by manipulating the disposition of the loop 721 along the length of the fastener strip 741, as best seen from Figures 4 to 6.
• the shoulder straps 750 and 751 each include an elongated padded section 728 having spaced, substantially parallel seams 729 extending the length of the padded sections and terminating at the juncture of the end portions 752 and 754 with the ends of the padded sections 728 and at which point the end portions 752 and 754 are securely attached by sewing to the ends of the padded sections as designated at 758 and 759, respectively.
• a unique feature of the shoulder straps is that each of the flexible padded sec ⁇ tions 728 is of curvilinear configuration or, in other words, the central axis of each padded section extends along a gradual curve in the plane of each section 728.
• the shoulder straps when laid out in a flattened condition unattached to the bag will diverge away from their common connection 755 to the mounting ring 720.
• the curvilinear configuration of the straps has been found to better conform to the shoulders when attached to the bag and placed in carrying position as previously described.
• One of the padded sections 728 may include an outer covering that is relatively slick and will readily slide on a person's clothing while the other padded section 728 has an outer covering that will tend more to resist slippage.
• that padded section 728 which tends more to resist slippage will be employed as the upper strap member and more easily retained on the shoulder owing to the friction between the padded section and the clothing.
• the other more slippery padded section 728 will more readily slide onto and off the other shoulder so as to make it easier to slip the bag on and off the second shoulder.
• the end portions 752 and 754 are correspondingly formed of a flexible but high strength webbing material.
• a relatively broad seam area as represented at 755 an addi ⁇ tional degree of stiffness is lent to the adjoining ends, of the portions 754 at their attachment above the handle 740 so that the end portion 754 will tend to extend in an upward direction away from and be elevated above the handle when the bag is placed on the ground. This will enable the golfer to more easily grasp the upper strap portion when the bag is picked up and replaced on the shoulders.
• the mounting rings 770 and 790 be movable between a position at or adjacent to the slits 774 and 784 in substantial axial alignment above and below the handle portion 740; yet the mounting rings 770 and 790 will be free to slide in a clockwise direction away from the handles 740 toward the slits 772 and 782 so that the suspension points are free to shift and remain centered above the weight of the bag and in this way permit the bag to more closely ride against the body.
• the curvilinear shoulder straps will when placed on the shoulders lay flat against the shoulders and relatively near the neck so as not to tend to slip off. Moreover, the lower ends of the straps will tend to lay flush against the sides of the carrier beneath the armpits and minimize any tendency to slide along or chafe the body of the carrier.
• Figure 7 illustrates a retrofit attachment of a dual strap carrier, such as, the strap members 750 and 751 of Figures 1 to 6, to a standard golf bag designated at
• a short strip of webbing is formed into the shape of a loop 820 and fixed by a rivet 842 at or near the open end 822 of the golf bag 812, in accordance with conven ⁇ tional practice.
• a metallic mounting ring 770 is attached to the loop 820, and a swivel clip 823 at the end of a first strap member, not shown, is attached to the ring 770.
• a standard handle 840 is provided on the bag 812 in longitudinally spaced relation to the loop 820.
• a longi ⁇ tudinal rib 860 provided with a plurality of longitudi- nally spaced openings 862 is permanently affixed by suitable means to the external sidewall of the golf bag and is spaced beneath the handle 840.
• a swivel clip 813 is releasably inserted through one of the openings 862 for adjustable attachment of a lower end of the second strap member, not shown, in a desired spaced relationship to the handle 840.
• the swivel clips 823 and 813 serve to attach the ends of the strap members 750 and 751, respectively, and the mounting ring 720 secures the inter ⁇ mediate ends 754 of the strap assembly to the handle 840 by means of a loop 721.
• a cord 880 has a clip 882 at one end for attachment to the mounting ring 720, and a suitable clip 883 at its opposite end is provided for con ⁇ nection to one of the selected openings 862. In this manner, the effective distance or spacing between attach ⁇ ment points of the second strap member 751, once established by attachment of the swivel clip 813 to one of the openings 862, will be fixed or limited by the cord 880.
• Figure 8 illustrates another retrofit attachment of a dual strap assembly, such as, that illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, to a standard golf bag designated at 812* and which comprises a loop-shaped connector 820 at its upper end corresponding to that illustrated in Figure 7 and a second or lower connector 820' also corresponding to the upper connector 820 of Figure 7.
• mounting rings 770 and 790 corresponding to those illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 serve as a means of attach ⁇ ment of swivel clips 823 and 813, respectively, at the extreme opposite ends of the strap assembly which, although not shown, may correspond to the strap assembly consisting of the strap members 750 and 751 of Figures 1 to 6.
• the intermediate connecting end 754 of the strap assembly is attached by a mounting ring 720 and con ⁇ necting web 721 to the handle 840.
• an alternate form of golf bag 712 includes a cylindri ⁇ cal shell 736 having an outer flexible covering material, such as, cloth or vinyl as designated at 738 and, in a conventional manner, the outer covering may include an accessory compartment 732 with a longitudinally extending zipper 733.
• a handle 740 is secured to a midsection of the golf bag and preferably to the spine 737, and the shell 736 is formed with a depression or concavity 750 circum- ferentially offset approximately 90° from the handle 740.
• the concave section 750 is sized and positioned to bear against the lower back of a person carrying the bag 712 so that the bag 712 will rest closer against the back and the weight of the bag and clubs is positioned more directly over the hips with any weight or downward force being located more directly beneath the shoulders.
• first and second circumferen ⁇ tial straps 760 and 780 are mounted on the bag above and below the handle in order to receive the upper and lower ends of the dual strap carrier of the present invention.
• the strap 760 extends circumferentially around the bag beneath the cover 738 and adjacent to upper open end 722 of the bag.
• the strap 760 is exposed between the slits 772 and 774 in the cover 738 and a mounting ring 770 is provided on the exposed portion of the strap 760 to receive the upper end of the strap 750 as shown in Figure 1.
• a releasable fixed connection may be established between the strap ends 752 and the loops 760' and 780' so that each strap end may be circumferentially adjusted to a par- ticular location on the loop 760' or 780' for optimum com ⁇ fort to the individual wearer.
• this can be accomplished by utilization of a VELCRO loop 721 as illustrated in Figure 4 extending from each strap end 752 and placing the complementary VELCRO strip on the inner surface of each loop 760* and 780*.
• the loop member 721 may then be passed around the loop 760' or 780' in the same manner as illustrated between the VELCRO loop 721 and handle 740 as illustrated in Figure 5 and manipulated to a particular circumferential position by adjusting the VELCRO surfaces with respect to one another.
• other means of releasable attachment may be utilized in order to achieve the desired circumferential positioning or connection between the strap ends and the loop portions 760' and 780'.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Purses, Travelling Bags, Baskets, Or Suitcases (AREA)
• Portable Outdoor Equipment (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=27412805

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1991
  • 1991-01-02 WO PCT/US1991/000105 patent/WO1991009550A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1991-01-02 JP JP03502991A patent/JP3131922B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1991-01-02 DE DE69108610T patent/DE69108610T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1991-01-02 CA CA002047754A patent/CA2047754C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-01-02 AU AU71596/91A patent/AU637880B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1991-01-02 EP EP91902576A patent/EP0461243B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-01-02 ES ES91902576T patent/ES2070489T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1997
  • 1997-06-19 HK HK83597A patent/HK83597A/xx not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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