JP2716939B2 - Golf practice machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically teeing a golf ball at a driving range.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A golf practice machine for automatically teeing a golf ball is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-54-9.
As disclosed in JP-A-7122 and JP-A-4-88976, many mechanisms have been conventionally proposed.

In such a golf practice machine, a ball is supplied one by one to the lower side of the artificial turf mat, and a tee for receiving the supplied ball is moved up and down, thereby opening a hole in the mat. There is one that is raised from the top.

However, at the base of the tee protruding up to the mat, a hole formed in the mat appears large. When the trainee views the state where the ball is placed on the tee, the ball on the tee feels higher than the actual mat surface because there is a hole formed in the mat immediately below the ball. For this reason, the sensation of the tee shot in the actual course is lost, and the practice effect is likely to be affected.

[0005] In order to eliminate the influence on the practice due to the holes formed in the mat, there is a type in which the holes in the mat are closed after the tee is raised, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-64672.

[0006]

However, since the means for closing the hole of the mat uses an artificial turf mat piece attached to the lifting mechanism of the ball, the structure of the lifting and lowering means becomes complicated, and maintenance and inspection are troublesome. Become like Also, if a mat piece of almost the same size as this hole is attached to completely close the hole, slight swinging of the lifting mechanism may cause the mat piece to come into contact with the hole, which may cause malfunction. is there.

The problem to be solved in the present invention is to provide a golf practice machine which has a simpler structure and allows holes made in an artificial turf mat to be used without any uncomfortable feeling for a trainee.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a tee for receiving and supporting a ball from a ball supply device, and raising and lowering the tee to raise the tee from a hole formed in the floor and the artificial turf mat to above the artificial turf mat. In a golf training machine equipped with a lifting drive mechanism, a retaining flange and a ring cover having a brush planted on the retaining flange are detachably provided in the holes of the artificial turf mat, and the brush is provided on the artificial turf mat.
A bundle of fibers with a diameter almost the same as or slightly smaller than
The inner diameter of the brushes
The diameter is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the nozzle .

[0009]

[0010]

[0011]

The inner diameter of an annular cover formed by a bundle of synthetic resin fibers is smaller than that of a ball, but does not impede the rise of the ball, so that the ball can be teeed up with a tee and the ball has penetrated. Later, the cover will hide the hole.

Further, by forming the cover with a holding flange and a brush implanted in the holding flange, the cover can be freely replaced with respect to the hole of the artificial turf mat.

[0013]

1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a golf practice machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of an artificial turf mat viewed from above.

In the figure, a rubber mat 2 is arranged on a floor 1 and an artificial turf mat 3 is installed thereon. The floor 1 and the rubber mat 2 are provided with holes 1a and 2a large enough for the ball B to pass through, and the artificial turf mat 3 on the upper surface thereof is provided with a hole 3a larger than the hole 2a of the rubber mat 2.

In the hole 3a of the artificial turf mat 3, a ring cover 4 as shown in FIG. 3 is detachably provided as a cover for hiding the holes 1a and 2a. This ring cover 4
Is a metal holding flange 4a and the holding flange 4a.
Is provided with a brush 4b implanted in the brush. Brush 4b
For example, is formed by bundling fibers of the same or slightly smaller diameter as the turf of the artificial turf mat 3 using a vinylon resin as a material and usually using a nylon resin in a normal case. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the outer diameter of the holding flange 4a is such that it fits tightly into the hole 3a of the artificial turf mat 3, and its lower surface is seated on the upper surface around the hole 2a of the rubber mat 2. Is incorporated in this way. At this time, the holding state of the holding flange 4a can be maintained while receiving a certain restraining force by utilizing the elastic force around the hole 3a of the artificial turf mat 3.

The brushes 4b have a slightly higher planting density on the inner peripheral side of the holding flange 4a, and are planted so as to be obliquely inclined toward the center as shown in FIG. The normal inner diameter of the annular brush 4b is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the ball B, as shown in FIG. The ball B can pass through by passing through the fiber. The upper end of the brush 4b is made to coincide with the upper surface of the surrounding artificial grass mat 3, so that no step is formed.

Below the floor 1, a tee 5 on which the ball B is placed
Is provided with a mechanism for raising and lowering the. The lifting drive mechanism 6 includes a plurality of guide rods 6 a protruding downward from the floor 1.
And a lifter 6b in which the guide rod 6a penetrates vertically and is held so as to be able to move up and down. The tee 5 is fixed to the lifter 6b. For lifting and lowering operation of the lifter 6b, one pin 6d is provided on a disk 6c that is rotated by an electric motor (not shown), and the lifter 6b is moved at a constant stroke by abutting the pin 6d against the lifter 6b. Move up and down.

Further, the ball B is placed on the tee 5 at the lowered position.
Is provided. The ball supply device 7 includes a stopper 7a that rotates in synchronization with the operation of the disk 6c that moves the lifter 6b up and down, and a chute 7b that sends the ball B toward the tee 5 at the lowered position. The stopper 7a has an arm 7c which abuts against a row of balls B on the chute 7b.
The balls B are sent out one by one to the tee 5 by the intermittent rotation of a.

In the above configuration, when the tee 5 is at its lowered position, as shown in FIG.
The ball B is sent to the tee 5, and the ball B is held at the upper end of the tee 5. Thereafter, when the disk 6c rotates and the pin 6d pushes the lower surface of the lifter 6b, the lifter 6b starts to rise as shown in FIG.

As the lifter 6b rises, the ball B at the upper end of the tee 5 passes through the holes 1a and 1b, and
And push up the brush 4b. This allows
The fibers of the nylon resin brush 4b are elastically deformed so that the opening at the center thereof is opened, and finally the ball B passes through the ring cover 4 and penetrates above the artificial grass mat 3 as shown in FIG. Stop.

The height of the tee 5 on which the ball B is placed can be arbitrarily determined by setting the positional relationship between the pin 6d of the disk 6c and the lifter 6b in advance.

When the tee 5 reaches its set height as shown in FIG. 5, the brush 4b which has once deformed outwards is restored to its original state and hides the holes 1a and 2a below the ball B. The upper surface also becomes a flat surface of the same degree as the surface of the artificial turf mat 3.

After the ball B is teeed up on the artificial grass mat 3, the brush 4b of the ring cover 4 covers the lower side of the ball B instead of the artificial grass mat 3. For this reason, unlike the prior art, a hole is provided below the tee 5 so that a feeling that the ball B is largely floating on the artificial turf mat 3 is not given, so that the shot can be practiced without feeling uncomfortable.

The ring cover 4 deteriorates in proportion to the number of practice strokes, and is particularly liable to wear in the direction in which the club head moves. On the other hand, since the ring cover 4 holds the brush 4b by the holding flange 4a,
It can be periodically removed from 3a and replaced with a new one. For this reason, it is possible to practice in a state where there is no hole under the tee 5 at all times, and even with a training machine in which the ball B penetrates upward from below the floor 1, it is possible to practice without discomfort. .

The surface of the artificial turf mat 3 around the hole 3a is formed by the brush 4 of the ring cover 4 incorporated in the hole 3a.
The surface is continuous with b. Therefore, for example, if the hole 3a is left open, the club head will bite from the inner peripheral portion of the hole 3a, and the club head is likely to be worn. On the other hand, since the club head moves along the brush 4b of the ring cover 4, Such abrasion of the artificial turf mat 3 can be suppressed. Therefore, the life of the artificial turf mat 3 can be improved.

[0027]

[0028]

[0029]

[0030]

According to the present invention, even if holes through which the tee penetrates are formed on the floor or the artificial grass mat, the holes are hidden by the cover of the synthetic resin fiber bundle after the ball is teeed up. be able to. For this reason, the height of the tee can be clearly judged from the artificial turf surface, and the practice without a sense of incongruity can be performed.

If the cover is detachable from the hole of the artificial turf mat as a ring cover between the holding flange and the brush, the hole can be sufficiently hidden by replacing the brush even if the brush is worn. Wear of the artificial turf mat around the hole can be suppressed, and the life can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a golf practice machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part as viewed from above the artificial turf mat.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a ring cover, and FIG.
Is a perspective view thereof, and (b) of the same figure is a longitudinal sectional view.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a state in which a ball penetrates a brush of a ring mat by raising a tee.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a tee-up state .

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A golf provided with a tee that receives and supports a ball from a ball supply device, and a lifting drive mechanism that raises and lowers the tee and raises the tee from a hole formed in the floor and the artificial turf mat to above the artificial turf mat. At the training machine, remove the ring cover with the retaining flange and the brush implanted in the retaining flange into the hole of the artificial turf mat.
In preparation for this , this brush is almost the same or a little
A small diameter fiber is bundled in an annular shape, and the inner diameter of the annularly bundled brush is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the ball.
A golf practice machine characterized in that it is small . 2. The retaining flange of the ring cover has an outer diameter such that it fits snugly into the hole of the artificial turf mat, and is incorporated such that its lower surface is seated on the upper surface around the hole of the rubber mat. The golf training machine according to claim 1, wherein the fixed state can be maintained by elastic force around the hole of the artificial turf mat. 3. A brush formed by bundling the annular cover is implanted so that the sequence which is inclined obliquely toward the center side,且<br/> one, upper end of that is consistent with the upper surface of the artificial turf mat golf training machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the the to.