Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
  • A63B71/06—Indicating or scoring devices for games or players, or for other sports activities
  • A63B71/0619—Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
  • A63B71/0669—Score-keepers or score display devices
  • A63B71/0672—Score-keepers or score display devices using non-electronic means
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B25/00—Eyepieces; Magnifying glasses
  • G02B25/002—Magnifying glasses
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
  • G02B27/02—Viewing or reading apparatus
  • G02B27/021—Reading apparatus

Definitions

• This invention relates to a device arranged to receive a card, and to magnify writing on the card held therein.
• the invention relates to a device arranged to receive a scorecard and to magnify entries on the scorecard, so that players of games such as golf and bowls can play their chosen games with less difficulty.
• the scorecard In some games, particularly golf and bowls, it is necessary for a player to carry a scorecard, and to mark the scorecard from time to time. In golf the scorecard also provides the player with information about the course, for example the length of each hole, the shape of the fairway and the position of hazards, the par score for each hole, together with information regarding local rules.
• Spectacles having vari-focus lenses or bi-focal lenses are known.
• users of such spectacles have found them to be inappropriate for playing games such as golf and bowls. This is probably because of the inherent distortion of vision caused by such vision.
• Magnifying glasses and monocles have been used for many years to enable persons having less than perfect vision to read text.
• a magnifying glass in particular would not be a suitable aid since the player would need to hold the scorecard, a pencil, and the magnifying glass contemporaneously.
• Japanese patent application no. 09084911 describes a pitch mark repairer having a magnifying glass attached thereto. Whilst combining a pitch mark repairing device with a magnifying glass does obviate the need for a golfer to carry separate devices about his person, the device does in fact suffer the same disadvantage as an ordinary magnifying glass, in so far as when marking a card the user needs to hold three objects at once.
• the invention provides a card holder having magnifying means mounted thereto, wherein the magnifying means is mounted on the card holder in such a manner that a card held in the card holder can be marked whilst the card is being viewed through the said magnifying means.
• the card holder has an open position and a closed position.
• opening the card holder permits the magnifying means to move from a non-working position to a working position.
• the magnifying means may be so mounted on the card holder as to be biased into its working position.
• the magnifying means may be biased into its working position by a spring.
• the magnifying means may comprise a substantially planar sheet of magnifying material.
• the magnifying material may be a plastics material, vinyl or glass.
• the magnifying material is a Fresnel magnifying sheet, and more preferably, a plastics Fresnel magnifying sheet.
• the magnifying means may comprise a frame mounting a magnifying material.
• the card holder is in the form of a case comprising two halves hingedly connected one to another.
• the magnifying means is hingedly connected to one of the said halves.
• the magnifying means may be hingedly connected along one of its edges to one of the two halves of the said case, the other edges of magnifying means remaining free.
• a spring may be provided to bias the magnifying means into the working position.
• the case may comprise a fastener to fasten the case in the closed position.
• At least one of the case halves may be lined with a layer of protective material, such as foam, so as to reduce the risk of the magnifying means becoming scratched when the case is closed and the magnifying means is in its non-working position.
• a layer of protective material such as foam
• the case may be provided with means to hold a marking device, such as a pencil.
• the said means may comprise a recess or a clip.
• a recess may be formed in the protective material.
• the case is formed from a plastics material, and more preferably, each case half is formed as a plastics moulding.
• the both case halves and the hinge connecting the said halves may be formed as a plastics moulding.
• a light-weight metal may be used.
• the hinge may comprise a pin. Means to hold the pin may be formed integrally with the case halves.
• the hinge may be formed by a crease, or by a flexible material.
• the card holder further comprises securing means to secure a card to the holder.
• the said fastening means may comprise a spring clip, a pin, hook and claw material, or any other suitable means.
• the card holder of the invention is particularly useful for players of golf and bowls. In both these games it is necessary to read a score card, which requires the player to focus at short distance, yet to play the game the player needs to focus on objects in the distance, i.e. the flag on the green or the jack.
• the device permits the player to view the score card, and whilst so viewing the scorecard to mark it.
• the drawing illustrates a scorecard holder having magnifying means according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
• a scorecard holder 1 comprising a case having two rectangular halves 2,3 hingedly connected to one another by a hinge 5.
• the halves 2,3 of the case are made of suitable plastics material.
• Hinge 5 may be a pin, a crease or a flexible material and in this case is constituted by a pin 14 which passes through aligned apertures in interdigitating portions 18 formed integrally with the halves 2,3 of the case.
• magnifying means 4 comprises a flat magnifying sheet 20 formed from a material such as plastics and in the form known as a Fresnel magnifying sheet.
• the magnifying sheet 20 is rectangular and is attached to frame members 10 which surround the sheet 20.
• the magnifying sheet 20 may be fixed to the frame members 10 by any suitable means such as adhesive or adhesive pads.
• the magnifying means 4 is pivotally connected to the case half 3 by means of pins 6 attached to the frame members 10 of the magnifying means 4 and journalled in apertures in protruding lugs 22 from the upper case half 3.
• the pins 6 have their axes colinear with one another and parallel to the upper edge of case half 3.
• the magnifying means 4 is slightly smaller in its major dimensions than the case half 3.
• the magnifying means 4 is biased into the position shown in the figure.
• a spring (not shown) may be provided to achieve this biasing, for instance by mounting a coil spring around pin 6 so that one end of it acts on the a frame member 10 of magnifying means 4 and the other end of it acts on the upper case half 3.
• Lower case half 2 is provided with a scorecard mounting surface 7.
• Two clips 8 are attached to one end of case half 2 and serve to attach a scorecard 24 (shown in phantom) to the scorecard holder 1.
• the clips 8 are spring clips which hold the scorecard on the mounting surface 7.
• other clips 8 may be attached to other parts of the lower case half 2.
• the surface 7 is formed as the upper surface of a plastics foam insert 26, which lines the lower case half 2, so as to reduce the risk of the magnifying means 4 becoming scratched when the case is closed and the magnifying means 4 is in its non- working position.
• case half 2 there is provided in the insert 26 forming the mounting surface 7, a slot 9 which is so shaped and dimensioned as to receive a marking device such as a pencil.
• the scorecard holder 1 When the scorecard holder 1 is in the position shown in the figure, there is sufficient space between the lower case half 2 mounting the scorecard and the magnifying means for the user to mark the scorecard 24 with a pencil or other marking means.
• the device of the invention enables the person with defective vision to play his chosen game without constantly needing to change the spectacles he is wearing. The person can simply look at his scorecard 24 in the way that one having normal vision would, the only difference being that he would look at the scorecard 24 through a magnifying means 4.
• the device 1 is dimensioned so as to rest comfortably on the palm of the hand.
• the distance between the magnifying means 4 and the card mounting surface 7 is sufficient to allow a user to mark a card with a pen or pencil of the type usually used by golfers and bowls players.
• a pen or pencil of the type usually used by golfers and bowls players By providing an opening around the three sides of the device, both right and left handed users can mark and read any type of scorecard mounted on the mounting surface 7, whilst viewing the same through the magnifying means 4.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Lenses (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10858634

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1999
  • 1999-08-06 GB GBGB9918474.9A patent/GB9918474D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2000
  • 2000-06-13 EP EP00937075A patent/EP1203259A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-06-13 AU AU52366/00A patent/AU5236600A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-13 WO PCT/GB2000/002218 patent/WO2001011412A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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