GB2355412A

GB2355412A - Snap on rake head for golf club

Info

Publication number: GB2355412A
Application number: GB9924568A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Mercer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-10-19
Filing date: 1999-10-19
Publication date: 2001-04-25
Also published as: GB9924568D0

Abstract

A rake head has connection means 18 suitable for connecting the rake head to a golf club, and a plurality of spaced apart tines (14 fig 2). The rake head can be engaged with the head end of the golf club shaft using a snap fit connector 18, the connector 18 having two resilient engagement surfaces acting as a funnel (22 fig 2) to direct a shaft therein. In use, the club with the rake head attached thereto can be pulled towards the user such that the club head rests on an area F and abuts an abutment 26 of the rake head to prevent the rake head from being dragged from the club. The rake head may be moulded from plastics, eg polypropylene, having a split line (34 fig 4) in line with ovular tines and hook and eye (30, 32 fig 2) bag connectors.

Description

2355412 RAKEHEAD The present invention relates to rake heads and in

particular rake heads for use with golf clubs.

Golf courses include hazards such as golf bunkers into which a golf ball can fall. The bunkers contain loose material such as sand from which a golfer must then play his or her next shot. Once the golfer has played the shot and has successfully ejected the ball from the bunker, the bunker includes footprint marks and golf head marks. Golf etiquette requires that the player rakes the bunker surface in order that the ball of a following player does not receive an awkward lie. However there is not always a rake available near each bunker and is inconvenient for each golfer to carry a rake with himself or herself.

Thus according to the present invention there is provided a rake head comprising a body with a plurality of spaced apart tines, the body having connection means for connecting the rake head to a golf club.

Advantageously, a golfer only has to carry around a rake head which is relatively light and is not cumbersome, and can be used in conjunction with a golf club to provide a rake.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure I is a plan view of a rake head according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a view of the rake head of figure I taken in the direction of arrow B of figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the rake head of figure I taken in the direction of arrow C of figure 2; and 2 Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a tine taken in the direction of arrow A of figure 3.

With reference to the figures there is shown a rake head 10 having a body 12 and a plurality of tines 14.

The body 12 is generally lozenge shaped as shown in figure I and includes a snap fit connector 16 comprising two arms 18 which are mirror image versions of each other. Each arm 18 includes a retaining abutment 20 and a guide engagement surface 22. Each arm is resiliently moveable relative to body 12.

Body 12 further includes an area F against which a golf club head can rest and a right hand raking abutment 26 and a left hand raking abutment 28.

In use the rake head 10 is attached to an end of a golf club proximal the golf club head by engaging the snap fit connector 16 in the direction of arrow E with a golf club shaft 24 with the shaft being trapped between the two retaining abutments and a portion of the body. The two guide engagement surfaces act to funnel the shaft to its correct position when assembling the rake head onto the golf club. The leading edge of the golf club head rests on a portion of area F such that (for a right-handed golf club) an area of the face of the golf club proximal its leading edge abuts right hand raking abutment 26. Thus when a player is using the rake, comprising the rake head and golf club, the rake head does not pull off the end of the golf shaft since such movement is prevented by contact between the raking abutment 26 and the face of the golf head club.

It should be noted that in use the golf club head lies substantially above (in this slightly in front of) the tines and this results in the weight of the golf head acting on the tines to push the rake head into the sand of the bunker when in use. It should also be noted that the golf head lies slightly in front of the tines and this has the effect of reducing the likelihood of the snap fit becoming disconnected in use.

3 In the event that a left-handed golf club is being used a corresponding left-hand raking abutment 28 is provided.

The rake head conveniently includes a hook 30 and an eye 32 to allow the rake head to be secured to a golf bag, trolley or the like when not in use.

The golf head 10 is moulded from a plastics material, in this case polypropylene. Conveniently the split line 34 of the moulding corresponding to the split line of the mould is aligned with the length of the tines, thus simplifying mould manufacture and moulding of the rake head.

It will be noted from figure 3 that the split line is substantially parallel with the snap engagement direction of the snap fit connector 16. This eases moulding techniques since no removable core is required to manufacture the snap fit connector. Conveniently the split line is aligned with the hook and eye again to simplify the moulding process.

With reference to figure 4 there is shown a cross-section of a tine which is substantially oval in shape and since the split line 14 is aligned with the minor axis of the oval shape, the shape itself provides for the necessary moulding relief angle required to release the rake head from the mould.

Claims

4 Claims

1. A rake head comprising a body with a plurality of spaced apart tines, the body having connection means for connecting the rake head to a golf club.

2. A rake head as defined in claim 1 in which the connection means is for connecting the rake head to a shaft of a golf club.

3. A rake head as defined in claim 2 in which the connection means is for connecting the rake head to an end of a shaft of a golf club proximal the head of the golf club.

4. A rake head as defined in any preceding claim in which the connection means is a snap connection means.

5. A rake head as defined in claim 4 in which the direction of engagement of the snap connection means with a golf club is substantially perpendicular to an axis of the golf club shaft.

6. A rake head as defined in claims 4 or 5 in which the snap connection means is provided by two retaining abutments working in conjunction with the body.

7. A rake head as defined in claim 6 in which at least one of the retaining abutments is resiliently moveable relative to the body.

8. A rake head as defined in claim 6 or 7 in which at least one of the retaining abutments has a corresponding guide engagement surface.

9. A rake head as defined in any preceding claim in which the body has a head abutment area against which the leading edge of a golf club can rest when the rake head is in use.

10. A rake head as defined in claim 9 in which the head abutment area is located substantially above the tines.

11. A rake head as defined in claim 9 or 10 in which the head abutment area is located in front of the tines.

12. A rake head as defined in any preceding claim in which the body includes a raking abutment against which a head of a golf club can pull when the rake head is in use.

13. A rake head as defined in claim 12 including a further raking abutment, the raking abutment and further raking abutment being suitable for use with right and left-handed golf clubs respectively.

14. A rake head as defined in any preceding claim in which the tines are aligned along the body which is substantially lozenged shaped.

15. A rake head as defined in any preceding claim including a hook and/or an eye.

16. A rake head as defined in any preceding claim made from a plastics material such as polypropylene.

17. A rake head as defined in any preceding claim which is manufactured by a moulding process.

18. A rake head as defined in claim 17 including a split line associated with removal of the rake head from a mould, the split line being aligned along the length of each tine.

19. A rake head as defined in claim 17 or 18 when dependent upon claim 15 in which the split line is aligned with the hook and/or eye.

20. A rake head as defined in any one of claims 17 to 19 in which the split line is substantially parallel with the direction of snap engagement.

21. A rake head as herein before described with reference to or as shown in figures I to 4 of the accompanying drawings.