GB2212405A - Golf tee - Google Patents

Abstract

An integrally formed golf tee (1) has an open, hollow configuration and extends longitudinally between opposed ends. Each end of the tee (1) has three supporting tips (10, 12, 14; 20, 22, 24) configured and selectably serving to provide either underlying three-point support for a golf ball resting on the tee or upright three-point support for the tee on a teeing surface. <IMAGE>

Description

GOLF TEE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to golf tees.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Over the years, a wide variety of tees have been devised for the game of golf, the most common form being the familar stick tee. Generally, stick tees serve very well, but they do have some drawbacks. For example, they can sometimes be difficult to place, particularly in hard ground. On rubber teeing mats, it is necessary to find a crack into which the stick tee can be inserted and which will exert a sufficient grip to hold the tee and golf ball at a suitable level.

Difficulty at this stage in an annoyance that can distract the golfer's concentration and throw him off his game. After tee-off, a further source of aggravation can present itself. The golfer may discover that the tee has disappeared with the shot and, owing to its relatively slender, small size and shape, is lost.

Tees which are not designed to be stuck in the ground or into rubber mats include those for example which are disclosed in United States Design Patent No.

270,463 granted to Peter I. Minotti on September 6, 1983, and in United States Design Patent No. 266,176 granted to Les W. Thomes on August 11, 1980. Both of these designs appear to contemplate a vertically disposed tube for supporting a golf ball, the tube itself being supported on a relatively broad base which extends outwardly from the lower perimeter of the tube.

While these designs provide their own support and are less likely to be lost than a stick tee, they are relatively bulky, and they have an undesirable piece construction (viz. the tube plus a supporting base).

Indeed, even a mere tube by itself without a larger supporting base is a relatively bulky item.

An interesting tee configuration is disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,141,671 granted to B.A. Eyer on July 21, 1964. Eyer discloses a tee having the overall configuration of a regular octahedron, a tee which is not only self supporting but which should naturally assume a position on any flat surface that would serve to support a golf ball. However, the design does embody a significant amount of bulk.

Furthermore, it is a design which attracts relatively sophisticated manufacturing techniques.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved golf tee which is not only self supporting, but which also requires a minimal amount of bulk.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a golf tee that can be manufactured from readily available tubular material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided an integrally formed golf tee having opposed ends each having three supporting tips configured and serving to selectably provide either underlying three-point support for a golf ball resting on the tee or upright three-point support for the tee on a teeing surface. As viewed in elevation from either end, the tee is hollow.

As will become more apparent hereinafter, one embodiment of such a tee may be formed from a hollow cylindrical tube by cutting through the tube along spaced first and second zig-zag paths extending circumferentially around the tube. Top and bottom supporting tips will each lie in respective circular planes, the planes sharing a common axis from which all points of support are equidistant. Overall, the foregoing provides for an open, hollow configuration which necessarily involves a relatively low amount of bulk.

If it happens that a golfer strikes the tee, it should not travel far, and it should be easily locatable.

Preferably, in order to provide a balanced overall structure, the supporting tips at either end of the tee are displaced 1200 with respect to each other.

At the sacrifice of some added bulk, the present invention may include a tubular band centrally disposed between the ends of the tee. Such a band will provide additonal structural support, and also convenient space for a name, label or the like. However, in addition to added bulk, there will be added structural complexity.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an elevation view of a golf tee in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top view of the golf tee shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the golf tee shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a separated and flattened elevation view of the golf tee of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a separated and flattened elevation view of a golf tee similar to that shown in Figure 1, with the addition of a centrally disposed band.

Figure 6 is a separated and flattened elevation view of a golf tee similar to that shown in Figure 1, each supporting tip having an overall solid triangular configuration.

Figure 7 is a separated and flattened elevation view of another golf tee in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a tube from which embodiments of the present invention may be fabricated.

Figure 9 is a separ-ated and flattened view of the tube of Figure 8, and illustrates a pattern of cutting the tube to form several golf tees like that illustrated in Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In Figure 1 a golf tee generally designated 1 is shown resting on a flat teeing surface S where it provides underlying support for a golf ball B (shown in broken outline). Neither surface S or golf ball B form part of the invention. They appear merely for purposes of illustration.

Although perhaps not apparent from Figure 1 which exhibits a degree of optical illusion, tee 1 has an overall hollow cylindrical configuration as can best be appreciated with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

Tee 1 is integrally formed from a sturdy plastic which is sufficiently strong to withstand strikes from a golf club. Preferably, the plastic is relatively soft thereby enabling the tee to assume a collapsed cylindrical shape for ease of storage in a pocket or the like, but at the same time is sufficiently resilient that the tee can reassume its cylindrical shape when collapsing forces are released.

The top end of tee 1 has three supporting tips 10, 12 and 14 providing underlying support for golf ball B.

Likewise, the opposed bottom end of tee 1 has three supporting tips 20, 22 and 24 providing upright support for the tee on teeing surface S. It will be readily apparent that the functions of the opposed ends are interchangeable, and that the golfer may arbitrarily select either end to serve as the top or bottom end.

As shown in Figure 2, which is a top view of tee 1, supporting tips 10, 12 and 14 lie in a circular plane and are equidistant from central longitudinal axis "A". Each tip is angularly displaced 1200 with respect to the others. Likewise, as can be seen in Figure 3 which is a bottom view of tee 1, the same relationship subsists as between supporting tips 20, 22 and 24.

The overall zig-zag geometry of tee 1 is exemplified by Figure 4. In Figure 4, for purposes of illustration only, tee 1 has been separated along line 4-4 in Figure 1, then spread open to the flat plane of Figure 4. The 1200 angular displacement between supporting tips at either given end is again visible.

Likewise, it can be seen that each supporting tip at either given end is angularly displaced 600 with respect to two of the supporting tips at the opposed given end, and 1800 with respect to the remaining tip at the opposed given end. For example, tip 12 is angularly displaced 600 with respect to tips 22 and 24, and 1800 with respect to tip 20.

Tee 1 has the advantage that it can be fabricated from readily available cylindrical tubing with minimal material wastage. This is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 - Figure 8 merely depicting a length of tubing 80; Figure 9 depicting the same tubing when it has been separated along line 9-9 in Figure 8, then spread open to the flat plane of Figure 9.

From Figure 9, it can be seen that there is sufficient tubing from which to fabricate four golf tees 81, each such tee being essentially similar to golf tee 1 as shown in Figures 1 to 4. As well, since each tee 81 closely dovetails with the next, it can be seen that a minimal amount of tubing material is wasted. The material that will be wasted is indicated by the shaded regions of Figure 9, and includes the material from zig-zag cutting paths 85, each of which paths will extend circumferentially around tube 80.

Figures 5 through 7 illustrate additional golf tee structures 50, 60 and 70, each in accordance with the present invention. These Figures have been presented "in-line" with Figure 4 in order to better facilitate comparison between these structures and the structure of tee 1. Of course, it is to be understood that in their actual three dimensional forms tees 50, 60 and 70 will be curvate, each having an open, hollow configuration generally similar to that of tee 1 as shown in Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 5 illustrates a golf tee 50 similar to golf tee 1, but which additionally includes an integrally formed tubular band 55 centrally disposed between opposed ends of the tee. Band 55 may be used, for example, to carry a desired message labelled or imprinted on the band.

A band such as band 55 provides added structural support for the tee, and this permits some narrowing in the width of the leg segments that extend away from the points of support. In other words, the width or transverse distance D50 across a leg segment in tee 50 may be made less than the comparable distance D1 across a leg segment in tee 1 (see Figure 4) and yet provide sufficient strength to support a golf ball.

Figure 6 illustrates a golf tee 60 similar to that shown in Figure 1, but with the addition of integrally formed "fill" regions 65, the boundaries of one lower and one upper such region being indicated by broken outline. Fill regions 65 will serve to provide additional structural support, and this will permit some narrowing in the width D60 of the leg segments of tee 60 as compared to the width D1 of the leg segments of tee 1.

As in the case of tee 1, tees 50 and 60 each have an overall hollow configuration as viewed from the top or bottom, and their opposed ends are interchangeably usable to provide either underlying three-point support for a golf ball resting on the tee or upright threepoint support for the tee on a teeing surface.

Golf tee 70 shown in Figure 7 embodies the same general features. However, in contrast to tees 1, 50 and 60, the leg segments of tee 70 integrally merge with each other in an interlinking manner at centrally disposed crossover regions 77 (one of three such regions being indicated by broken outline in Figure 7).

While the supporting tips at either given end of tee 70 are angularly displaced 1200 with respect to each other as in the case of tees 1, 50 and 60, the angular displacement of supporting tips between ends differs from that of tees 1, 50 and 60. In the case of tee 70, a supporting tip at either given end is angularly displaced 1200 with respect to two of the supporting tips at the opposed given end, and 0o with respect to the remaining supporting tip at the opposed given end.

For example, tip 72 is angularly displaced 1200 with respect to tips 74 and 76, and 0 with respect to tip 75. The basic feature that arises from the interlinking leg design of tee 70 is again one of structural support.

With respect to tees 50, 60 and 70, the added structural support that is achieved either through the use of a central band, or triangular fill regions, or interlinking leg segments, as the case may be, should not be required unless the plastic used to make the tee is itself relatively weak and non-supportive. Further, it will be apparent that tees such as tees 50, 60 and 70 cannot be cut from cylindrical tubing with the same efficient use of tubular material as described above in the case of tee 1. In this regard, while it will be apparent that tees such as tees 50, 60 and 70 could readily be fabricated from cylindrical tubing, it will be equally apparent that successive tees could not lie closely dovetailed in the manner shown for tees 81 in Figure 4.

Various modifications to the present invention are possible within the spirit and scope of the following claims, and the invention is not to be considered as narrowly limited to the particular embodiments shown in the drawings. For example, it will be readily apparent that a golf tee may be constructed having both the central band feature of tee 50 and the triangular filled regions of tee 70. Further, while the points of support of the golf tees shown in the Figures are relatively sharp in order to minimize the area of contact with golf balls resting on the tees, such points may be rounded or flattened to a degree in order to lessen wear and tear on the points.

Claims (8)

I CLAIM:

1. An integrally formed golf tee extending longitudinally between opposed ends, each end having three supporting tips configured and selectably serving to provide either underlying three-point support for a golf ball resting on the tee or upright three-point support for the tee on a teeing surface, said tee being hollow as viewed in elevation from either end.

2. A golf tee as defined in Claim 1 formed from a hollow cylindrical tube by cutting through the tube along spaced first and second zig-zag paths extending circumferentially around the tube.

3. A golf tee as defined in Claim 1 wherein the supporting tips at one end lie in a circular plane sharing a common axis with a parallel circular plane containing the supporting tips at the opposed end, all such supporting tips lying equidistant from said common axis.

4. A golf tee as defined in Claim 3 further including an integrally formed tubular band centrally disposed between said ends, and having a tubular axis coincident with said common axis.

5. A golf tee as defined in Claim 3 wherein the supporting tips at either given end are angularly displaced 1200 with respect to each other.

6. A golf tee as defined in Claim 5 wherein each supporting tip at either given end is angularly displaced 600 with respect to two of the supporting tips at the opposed given end, and 1800 with respect to the remaining supporting tip at the opposed given end.

7. A golf tee as defined in Claim 5 wherein each supporting tip at either given end is angularly displaced 1200 with respect to two of the supporting tips at the opposed given end, and 0 with respect to the remaining supporting tip at the opposed given end.

8. An integrally formed golf tee substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.