GB2488673A

GB2488673A - A golf bag with automatically deployed legs and trolley attachment means

Info

Publication number: GB2488673A
Application number: GB1203814.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Antony John Webb
Original assignee: Motocaddy Ltd
Current assignee: Motocaddy Ltd
Priority date: 2011-03-04
Filing date: 2012-03-05
Publication date: 2012-09-05
Also published as: GB201103766D0; GB201203814D0; WO2012120287A1

Abstract

A golf bag 1 with a base 4 at a lower end and a support leg 6 pivotally connected to the bag 1 and moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position wherein the base 4 has a leg actuator such that movement of the actuator caused by tilting of the bag away from a vertical position when on a surface causes the leg 6 to move to the deployed position and wherein the base 4 has a formation which can cooperate with a formation 14 on a trolley such that rotation of the bag is prevented. The actuator may be pivotally mounted within a collar at the bottom of the bag. The base member 4 may have a rectangular indent formed at an edge for mounting on a trolley member.

Description

GOLF BAG

The present invention relates to a golf bag and in particular to a golf bag that can be both carried and mounted on a trolley Golfers use bags to carry their golf clubs and golfing apparatus around, both to and from a golf course but also around the course as a game is played. Such bags are referred to as golf bags. Some simple golf bags are designed to be carried by a golfer and laid on the ground or rested against an upright support when not being actively held. A development of such bags includes those that have legs that may be used to support the bag (in combination with the bottom of the bag) in more upright position. Such bags are generally referred to as stand bags. These bags have legs that are folded when not in use against the side of the bag, but which can be deployed from that position as required. Such bags may also have automastic mechanisms to deploy the legs in response to the placing of the lower end of the bag on the ground and leaning it from the vertical.

Trolleys are also now widely employed to transport golf bags (which can weigh a considerable amount) with the golf bags being securely connected to the trolleys or even integral therewith. To fit securely on trolleys, golf bags have to be suitably configured to allow secure yet removable attachment that prevents rotation of the bag with respect to the trolley. Bags that fit on trolleys are often referred to as trolley bags.

When the ground is firm trolleys may usually be used on golf courses, so are extremely popular. However at times trolleys may be banned from golf course to minimise or prevent damage to the ground. For example in the winter or at other times of inclement weather the ground may get soft and so may be more prone to damage from trolley wheels. In these circumstances it is necessary for a golfer to carry their bag instead of using a trolley.

Unfortunately trolley bags are not well suited to being carried. Similarly stand bags are not able to be fitted to conventional trolleys. As such, golfers are forced to have a golf bag to go on their trolley as well as a separate bag to carry when needed.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a golf bag that is both able to be swiftly and securely attached to golf trolleys as well as being able to function effectively as a stand bag with support legs that deploy automatically when the bag is put down.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is provided a golf bag having a base at the lower end and a support leg pivotally connected to the bag at a position above the lower end and movable between a stowed position and a use position pivoted away from the bag such that the bag may be supported on the base and support leg; the base defining an actuator that is coupled to the support leg, such that movement of the actuator caused when the bag is placed on a surface and leant away from the vertical causes the support leg to pivot to the use position; the base further defining an anti-rotation formation that engages a cooperating formation on a trolley so that the bag will not twist on the trolley, the actuator being configured such that it is not operated to move support leg when the bag is engaged with trolley.

The support leg may be formed from a single part or from one or more component leg. Such component legs may be independent or may be linked together and may move under the control of the actuator simultaneously or sequentially. Preferably the support leg comprises two component legs that splay outwards from each other when in the use position.

The base may have a collar and within that there may be a base member. The annular end face of the collar and a surface of the base member together may define a downward facing lower end of the golf bag.

The base member may be pivotally mounted within the collar, such that movement of the base member relative to the collar can be coupled to the support leg such that the base member forms the actuator. The parts of the surface of the base member that engage the ground may preferably be in a generally flat plane.

A portion of the collar, preferably on one side, may be cut away or chamfered such that it is in a differently angled plane to the surface of the base member. In this way the bag may be angled away from a generally vertical position to an angle (usually about 1O5O0 from the vertical) at which it is to be supported by the leg, whilst still engaging part of the collar (the cut away portion). In this way the leaning motion may move the base member relative to the collar (as the base member stays in the same position relative to the ground but the collar rocks) and thereby encourages deployment of the support leg. In a stand bag mode of use the collar performs the main supporting function. Preferably the cut away portion is cut to form a chamfer.

Preferably such a chamfer is cut in a plane angled to a perpendicular end face, the angle roughly matching the extent of desired lean on the bag when in the position supported by the leg.

Preferably the base member is provided with the anti-rotation formation that engages with a trolley. The surface of the base member may have a depression or indent into which a portion on the trolley may engage.

Preferably that depression extends to an edge of the base member and more preferably to an edge of the base member adjacent the cut away portion of the collar. The engagement of the base member with a mating formation on the trolley is such that the bag may not rotate and is firmly held in place.

Additional fixing can be provided higher up the bag to connect an upper end of the bag to the trolley.

In this way the bag may engage the trolley and be arranged at an angle to the ground, without the support leg being deployed. A part of the trolley with which the base member engages is at a desired angle so that the base member does not move relative to the collar regardless of whether the collar also engages the trolley.

The depression on the base member may take any form but is preferably a rectangular trench open at the side and facing down as this allows the trolley to engage the bag either by axial or radial movement of the golf bag onto trolley.

In a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided in combination a golf trolley and a golf bag as herein described, the golf trolley having a cooperating formation that engages with the anti-rotation formation on the bag.

In order that it may be better understood, but by way of example only, an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more details with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view of the underside of a golf bag according to the present invention; Figure 2 is further underside view of a golf bag according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a side view of the golf bag; Figure 4 is a stylised representation of a golf bag according to the present invention mounted on a trolley; and, Figure 5a and Figure 5b show the stylised representation of a golf bag of Figure 4 without the trolley and in an upright position (Figure 5a) and an inclined position with the support legs extended (Figure Sb).

Referring simultaneously to all of the drawings there is shown a golf bag generally indicated 1, that can hold one or more golf club 2. As shown in Figure 4 the inside of the bag has a false base 3 that forms the bottom of the storage compartment and holds the golf clubs away from the base mechanism discussed below. A base 4 is located at the lower end and support legs 6 are pivotally connected to the side of the bag. The base comprises a collar 8 that is fixed with respect to the bag and a base member 9 that is pivotally located in the collar so that it may pivot with respect thereto. A locking indent 12 is formed in the base member's end face.

The collar is chamfered on one side to form a cut out portion and has an annular end face that has a perpendicular portion lOb and an angled portion lOc. When the bag is placed straight on the ground (as in Figure 5a) it rests on the perpendicular portion lOb and the base member 9. When the bag leans in the direction of the chamfer, the bag moves to rest on the angled portion lOc and the base member. The movement of the base member is linked to the support legs 6 such that these move to the position shown in Figure 5b as the base member moves relative to the collar. The opposite happens as the bag is lifted so that the legs 6 retract.

The bag 1 may also sit on a trolley 16 which is schematically represented in Figure 4. When this occurs a formation 14 at the lower end of the trolley engages in the locking indent 12 to prevent rotation of the bag with respect to the trolley and to hold the bag on the trolley. A leg locking mechanism can be provided to securely restrain the support legs 6 when on a trolley 16. This could include any suitable mechanism, for example a releasable strap that wraps around the support leg.

Claims

Claims 1. A golf bag having a base at the lower end and a support leg pivotally connected to the bag at a position above the lower end and movable between a stowed position and a use position pivoted away from the bag such that the bag may be supported on the base and support leg; the base defining an actuator that is coupled to the support leg, such that movement of the actuator caused when the bag is placed on a surface and leant away from the vertical causes the support leg to pivot to the use position; the base further defining an anti-rotation formation that engages a cooperating formation on a trolley so that the bag will not twist on the trolley, the actuator being configured such that it is not operated to move support leg when the bag is engaged with trolley.
2. A golf bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support leg comprises two component legs that splay outwards from each other when in the use position.
3. A golf bag as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the base comprises a base member within a collar.
4. A golf bag as claimed in claim 3, wherein the collar has an annular end face and the base member has an end face which together define a downward facing lower end of the golf bag.
5. A golf bag as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the base member is pivotally mounted within the collar, and forms the actuator such that movement of the base member relative to the collar causes movement of the support leg.
6. A golf bag as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein a portion of the collar is cut away or chamfered such that it is in a differently angled plane to the surface of the base member.
7. A golf bag as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6 wherein the anti-rotation formation that engages with a trolley is provided in the base member.
8. A golf bag as claimed in claim 7, wherein the end face of the base member has a depression or indent adapted to engage with a portion on the trolley.
9. A golf bag as claimed in claim 8, wherein the depression or indent extends to an edge of the end face of the base member.
10. A golf bag as claimed in claim 9, wherein the depression or indent is a rectangular trench open at the side and facing down so that the trolley engages the bag either by axial or radial movement of golf bag onto trolley.
11. A golf bag as claimed in any of the preceding claims further comprising additional fixing provided higher up the bag to connect an upper region of the bag to the trolley.
12. A golf bag as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein a leg lock mechanism is provided to restrain the support leg when engaged on a trolley.
13. A golf bag a claimed in claim I and substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
14. A combined golf trolley and golf bag, comprising a golf bag as claimed in any of the preceding claims mounted on a golf trolley having a cooperating formation that engages with the anti-rotation formation on the bag.