GB2368802A

GB2368802A - A golf tee assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2368802A
Application number: GB0027250A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Joseph Butler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-11-08
Filing date: 2000-11-08
Publication date: 2002-05-15
Also published as: GB0027250D0

Abstract

A golf tee assembly 10 comprises at least one golf tee 11 and a junction element 12 to which the golf tee 11 is detachably joined. The golf tee 11 and junction element 12 may be provided integrally, or provided separately and then bonded together. The golf tee 11 may comprise a head part 15 a ball recess 16, a shank 13 and a tapered part 14. A plurality of golf tees 11 may be attached to the junction element 12 by the ends of the taper part 14 such that their heads 15 are adjacent to one another or be arranged so that the end of the tapered portion 14 of the golf tee is attached to the head part 15 of the next tee with the junction element being fixed to either the tapered end 14 or head end 15. The junction element 12 and golf tee heads may be used as a display surface on which information can be displayed. The golf tee assembly 10 may have an attachment means 20 for detachably securing to another item and each golf tee 11 may be separated by twisting or moving an adjacent golf tee 11 to break the junction means 17.

Description

PATENTS ACT 1977 A10104GB-JNL/RAL/jm Title: Tee Assembly Description of Invention This invention relates to a tee assembly, particularly but not exclusively for golf tees.

Golf tees conventionally comprise a shank part adapted to engage the ground and a head part adapted to hold a golf ball spaced from the surface of the ground to facilitate striking of the ball. Such tees are relatively small and easily lost, and time can be wasted attempting to locate such a golf tee in, for example, a golf bag.

The object of the invention is to provide a new or improved tee assembly.

According to the present invention, we provide a tee assembly comprising at least one tee and a junction element to which said at least one tee is detachably joined.

The at least one tee and the junction element may be integrally provided.

Alternatively, at least one tee and the junction element may be provided separately and subsequently bonded together.

The junction element may comprise a display surface whereon information may be displayed.

The at least one tee may comprise a tapered part and may be attached to the junction element at an end part of said tapered part.

The at least one tee may comprise a head part adapted to receive a ball. Where a plurality of tees are provided, the tees may be attached to the junction element such that the heads of the tees are disposed adjacent one another.

The heads of the plurality of tees may provide a further display means for the display of information.

Alternatively where a plurality of tees each comprising a head part and a tapered part are provided, the tees may be provided such that a tapered part of one of said tees is attached to a head part of an adjacent one of said tees.

The junction element may be attached to a head part or a tapered part of an end one of said plurality of tees.

The tee assembly may comprise an attachment means to permit the assembly to be attached to another item if desired.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein : - Figure 1 is a side view of a tee assembly according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a side view of an alternative tee assembly according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a plan view of the tee assembly of Figure lor Figure 2, Figure 4 is a plan view of an alternative configuration of the tee assembly of Figure 1 or Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a plan view of a still further configuration of the tee assembly of Figure 1 or Figure 2, and Figure 6 is a side view of a further tee assembly according to the present invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, a tee assembly is generally indicated at 10 comprising a plurality of tees 11 each of which is detachably joined to a junction element 12. Each tee 11 comprises in conventional manner, a shank part 13 having at one end a tapered part 14 adapted to be put into the ground, and at the opposite end to the tapered part 14, a head part 15 having a recess 16 adapted to receive a golf ball when the shank part 13 is firmly secured in the ground.

The tees 11 are each joined at the end of the tapered part 14 to the junction element 12 at a junction 17. The junction 17 is sufficiently strong to prevent the tees 11 being accidentally dislodged from the junction element 12, but permits each tee 11 to be removed from the junction element 12 by hand, by twisting or otherwise moving the tee 11 to break the junction 17 and release the tee 11. The junction element 12 comprises surfaces 18,19 which may be used to display information, for example by printing advertising or other material thereon and/or may be perforated for ease of manufacture.

The junction element 12 may further be provided with connection means 20 to connect the tee assembly to some other item if desired, for example a golf bag. In the present example the junction element 12 is provided with an aperture, but other suitable connection means may be provided as desired.

The embodiment of Figure 1 shows a plurality of tees 11 attached to one surface 18 of the junction element 12, and as will be apparent from Figure 2, an plurality of tees 11 may be attached to both surfaces 18,19 of the junction element 12 as desired.

Similarly, the tee assembly 10 may comprise a single row of tees 11 disposed adjacent one another along the junction element 12. Alternatively, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the assembly 10 may comprise a plurality of rows of tees 11, whether regularly spaced from one another as shown in Figure 4, or in alternate offset rows as shown in Figure 5, or indeed irregularly located or otherwise as desired.

In addition to using the surfaces 18,19 of the junction element 12 to display information, it will be apparent from Figures 4 and 5 that the head parts 15 of the tees 11 may similarly provide display means for information, for example by printing parts of the information to be displayed on the recesses 16 of adjacent tees 11. In this case, the information displayed would be gradually removed as individual tees 11 were removed from the junction element 12.

The tee assembly 10 may be manufactured as a single element, such that the tees 11 and junction element ! 2 are integrally provided. Such a tee assembly 10 could be provided by, for example, moulding or by machining or by any other means as appropriate. Alternatively, the tees 11 could be attached to the junction element 12 at the junction 17 by, for example, bonding individual tees 11 by adhesive or other means to the junction element 12. The information to be displayed can be printed on the junction element 12 and/or tees 11 before or after the tees 11 are attached to junction element 12.

By providing a plurality of tees in a single assembly which is relatively easy to locate when desired, the problem of searching for individual tees is reduced or overcome, and the plurality of surfaces provided by the assembly 10 may be used to display information, in particular advertising.

The tee assembly 10 may be manufactured in any appropriate material as desired for example a wood or a plastics material, compressed fibre or compressed paper and may comprise a biodegradable or otherwise degradable material such that lost or discarded tees do not present a problem of litter. It will be apparent that, where the tees 11 and junction element 12 are manufactured separately and subsequently joined, that the tees 11 and junction element 12 may comprise different materials.

Although in the tee assembly shown in the accompanying drawings the tees 11 are attached to the junction element 12 at the ends of the tapering parts 14 thereof, it will be apparent that the tees 11 may be attached to the junction board 12 at any part thereof as desired, for example at the head parts 15, or on sprues attached to the junction board 12 and the shank 13, or by any other means as appropriate.

A further tee assembly according to the present invention is shown in Figure 6 and the same reference numerals are used for corresponding parts as were used in Figures to 5 but with the addition of a preceding 1. In this example, a tee assembly 110 comprises a plurality of tees 111 of the same configuration as the tees 11 shown in Figures I to 5. Each tee I I I comprises a shank part 113 having at one end a tapered part ! 14 and at the other end a head

part 115 having a recess 116 adapted to receive a golfball, when the shank part 0 113 is firmly secured in the ground. The tees I I I are connected at a junction 117, such that the tapered part 114 of one tee is attached to the recess 116 of the head 115 of the adjacent tee. The junction 117 is sufficiently strong to prevent the tees being accidentally separated, permits the tees 111 to be separated by hand, by twisting or otherwise relatively moving adjacent tees 111 to break the junction 117 therebetween.

The tee assembly 110 is further provided with a junction element 112 which is shown frangibly connected to the recess 116 of the head part 115 of the end most tee Ill, but which could be attached to the tapered part 114 of an end most tee 111 if desired. The junction element 112 may be separated from the adjacent tee 111 by means of twisting or otherwise relatively moving the tee 111 and junction element 112 to break the connection with the junction element 112. The junction element 112 may be provided with connection means 120, in the present example a circular element to permit the tee assembly 111 to be tied to a bag or as desired.

As in the tee assembly in Figures 1 to 5, the tee assembly 110 may be manufactured a single element, such that the tees 110 and junction element 112 are integrally provided, or could be provided by moulding or machining or by any other means as appropriate, or further alternatively the tees 111 and junction element 112 could be joined by bonding by adhesive or other means.

While it is desirable to provide a tee assembly 10, 110 having a plurality of tees 11, 111, it might also be envisaged that an individual tee could be provided on a junction element 12, 112, for example to assist in locating the tee or attaching the tee to another object. It will be appreciated that any number of tees may be provided in the tee assembly 10, 110. The tee assembly 10,110 may be manufactured to comprise any desired number of tees to form a tee assembly 10, 110 of a desired length. It would also be that a plurality of tee assemblies 110 may be provided attached to a junction element 12 as shown in Figures 1 to 5 as desired.

In the present specification"comprise"means"includes or consists of and"comprising"means"including or consisting of'.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A tee assembly comprising at least one tee and a junction element to which said at least one tee is detachably joined.
2. A tee assembly according to Claim I wherein the at least one tee and the junction element are integrally provided.
3. A tee assembly according to Claim 1 wherein the at least one tee and the i A tee assembly accoi 0 junction element are provided separately and are bonded together.
4. A tee assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the junction element comprises a display surface whereon information may be displayed.
5. A tee assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one tee comprises a tapered part and wherein the at least one tee is attached to the junction element at an end part of said tapered part.
6. A tee assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one tee comprises a head part adapted to receive a ball.
7. A tee assembly according to Claim 6 wherein a plurality of tees are provided and the tees are attached to the junction element such that the heads of the tees are disposed adjacent one another.
8. A tee assembly according to Claim 7 wherein the heads of the plurality of tees provide a further display means for the display of information.
9. A tee assembly according to Claim 6 where dependent on claim 5 wherein a plurality of tees are provided and wherein a tapered part of one of said plurality of tees is attached to a head part of an adjacent one of said plurality of tees.
10. A tee assembly according to Claim 9 wherein the junction element is attached to a head part or a tapered part of an end one of said plurality of tees.
11. A tee assembly according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising an attachment means to permit the assembly to be attached to another item if desired.
12. A tee assembly as described herein and/or with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. Any novel feature or nove ! combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.