JP3463041B2 - Golf practice tee equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a golf practice tee device which is widely used in golf hitting practice fields and the like, and in particular confirms that a golf ball is placed on the tee in such a tee device. Regarding technology.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a golf practice tee device that has been widely used in golf hitting practice fields, a reflective photocell is generally used in order to confirm that a golf ball is placed on the tee. It was The phototube emits light to the golf ball placed on the tee, receives the reflected light, and sends a ball confirmation signal to the control device, which causes the control device to return the ball supply arm to move away from the tee and The ball supply is stopped, or in the case of the underfloor ball supply, the tee is moved upward on the floor while the ball is placed, and the tee is set to an appropriate height for hitting. If the reflected light cannot be received within the predetermined time, the photocell sends a ball non-confirmation signal to the control device, and the control device causes the ball supply arm to move closer to the tee to supply the next ball. Alternatively, in the underfloor supply system, the tee was moved down to the ball receiving position. As another golf ball confirmation means, there is also one in which the tee is mounted on a weight sensor or a load sensor, and the weight increase is detected by those sensors when the golf ball is placed on the tee,
Those which operate as described above are also used.

[0003]

In such a conventional photoelectric tube type ball confirmation system, even if the confirmation is made from the side,
Even if you check from the bottom of the tee upwards, if the light emitting part of the phototube has water (rain) drops, dust collects, carelessly blocks the light, or direct sunlight hits, the ball cannot be confirmed. It was difficult for not only golf practitioners but also golf practice staff to handle it. In addition, the weight sensor type ball confirmation method often causes malfunctions when the tee is touched carelessly, and especially in the case of underfloor ball supply, deterioration due to aging and accumulation of dirt etc. occurred when the tee was raised and lowered. It has been experienced that resistance causes a malfunction, and sensitivity setting was troublesome when practice balls and official balls with different weights were mixed. As described above, the conventional ball confirmation method has a problem that it is easily affected by many disturbance factors.

The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the problems of the conventional tee device for golf practice as described above, and malfunctions unless an upper end portion of the tee is blocked by something other than a golf ball. Does not occur, is less susceptible to disturbance factors,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tee device for golf practice based on a new idea, which has a highly reliable ball confirmation and a structure that is easy to maintain.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a tee device for golf practice according to claim 1 of the present invention is in an upright state having a vertical hole whose upper end is open and whose lower part is closed. A tubular tee, an air flow supply means for communicating an air flow through a passage inside the vertical hole of the tee, a golf ball setting means for placing a golf practice golf ball on the upper end of the tee, and the golf ball A golf ball is placed on the upper end of the tee by the placement means to detect that the air flow in the passage is substantially stopped and output an air flow stop detection signal. Detecting means for detecting the airflow flowing in the passage in the absence of the airflow and outputting an airflow detection signal, and control means for receiving the airflow stop detection signal and the airflow detection signal from the detection means. Consists, said detection means,
The shaft is swingably supported in the passage by an air flow.
Is swung to the position where the air flow exists and the space in the passage is emptied.
When the air flow is substantially stopped, it is returned to the position where there is no air flow
And the moving member that swings to the position where the air flow exists.
Then, the moving member outputs the airflow detection signal and
When returned to the position where there is no air flow, the above air flow stop detection signal
Because it is composed of a detection unit that outputs
The fact that the golf ball is placed on the upper end of the tee itself substantially stops the air flow from the air flow supply means in the passage leading directly to the inside of the tee's vertical hole, and the golf ball on the tee. The presence and absence of is directly detected by the detection means. That is, the detection means detects the air flow detection signal as a golf ball non-existence detection signal having no golf ball at the upper end of the tee and the air stop flow detection signal as a golf ball presence detection signal in which the golf ball exists at the upper end of the tee. Can be output to the control means, and the control means can control the supply of the golf ball onto the tee and the vertical movement of the tee by receiving these detection signals. In addition, the detection means, which is often installed in the passage, can be installed away from the tee, at least in a place where it is not easily affected by the disturbance factors, which has been a problem in the past, so that the detection means on the tee is highly reliable. it is possible to perform the confirmation of the golf ball, because the cleaning of empty airflow itself there is maintenance of the air flow supply means and the detection means is easy.

Further, the moving member, presence and absence of a golf ball on tee responds directly, even the detecting means detects at the both position of the moving member, initially the electric field sensor of the optical sensor Various detection units such as a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. can be surely and easily detected.

As described in claim 2 , the moving member is
The detection unit is composed of a butterfly plate pivotally supported in the passage so as to be swingable and provided with a projection, and the detection unit is a photosensor unit such as a photoelectric tube whose light passage and blocking are controlled by the projection of the butterfly plate. Since it is configured, the structure is simple, the detection is highly reliable, and the maintenance is easy. Especially, when the support shaft of the butterfly plate is taken out of the conduit forming the passage, the support shaft is shaken with a fingertip at appropriate time. It can be moved for maintenance, and an optical sensor can be incorporated in the conduit as a detachable unit, which facilitates maintenance and inspection.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the control means receives the airflow stop detection signal, the golf ball installation means is controlled by the control means until the installed golf ball disappears from the upper end portion of the tee. It is configured so that the installation operation of the next golf ball is stopped, and the placement operation of the golf ball is stopped unless the golf ball disappears from the upper end of the tee by hitting, and duplicate supply of the ball is prevented. You can practice hitting with plenty of time.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the tee is connected to an elevating means, and when the control means receives the air flow stop detection signal, the control means raises the elevating means. Further, when the control means receives the airflow detection signal, the control means can be configured to move down the elevating means . Thus, when the golf ball is supplied to the upper end of the tee under the floor, the control means controls the elevating means to receive the air flow stop detection signal when the golf ball is placed on the upper end of the tee. When the golf ball runs out from the upper edge of the tee after hitting and the airflow detection signal is received, the next golf ball should be supplied when the golf ball is automatically lifted up to the floor so that the practitioner can hit. The tee can be automatically lowered under the floor.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by a tee device for golf practice of a typical embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a golf practice tee device according to a representative embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory perspective view of an airflow detecting portion of the tee device of the golf practice, and FIG. 3 is an electric wiring diagram mainly used for an elevating part of the tee device of the golf practice.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in a golf practice tee device 1 of a typical embodiment, a golf ball B is supplied onto a tee 10 under a floor F of a practice field, and a golf ball B is supplied.
Is mounted in a golf practice bat of a type in which the tee 10 is mounted on the golf ball and is raised to the hitting position through the floor hole H. The tea device 1 includes an upright cylindrical flexible and highly elastic urethane rubber tee 10 having a vertical hole 13 whose upper end 11 is open and whose lower end is sealed by a cap 12, and a cap inside the vertical tee 13. An air flow supply unit 20 for supplying an air flow through 12 communication parts, and a golf ball supply path 30 for supplying the golf ball B on the tee upper end part 11 so as to place it.
When there is no golf ball B on the tee upper end portion 11, the air flow in the internal passage 25 of the tube 22 of the air flow supply unit 20 is detected and an air flow detection signal is output, and the golf ball B is placed on the tee upper end portion 11. An airflow detector 40 that is placed and detects an airflow stop in the internal passage 25 of the tube 22 and outputs an airflow stop detection signal, and an airflow detection signal and an airflow stop detection signal from the airflow detector 40. CPU50 of the controller for receiving the information, a ball supply / stop gate (not shown) provided on the golf ball supply path 30 and controlled by the CPU50, and connected to the tee 10 in the upright state and controlled by the CPU50. And a tee elevating section 60 that is vertically moved through the floor hole H.

The air flow supply unit 20 includes a mini blower 21 provided for each practice bat, a tube 22 for supplying an air flow to the inside of the tee pit 13 through a communication portion of the cap 12 from the mini blower 21, and a tube 22 of the tube 22. An air flow detector is provided in the internal passage 25 in the air flow detection box 23, which is in communication with the internal passage 25 of the tube 22. 40 is provided. The air flow from the mini blower 21 is supplied with a small pressure so as not to blow up the golf ball B on the tee upper end 11. Of course, instead of the mini blower 21, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the air flow is distributed from one large blower on the golf driving range to each practice bat. Further, an air filter can be appropriately provided in the air flow supply unit 20.

The airflow detector 40 is swung to the airflow existence position P1 by the airflow in the direction of the arrow Y1 in the internal passage 25 of the airflow detection box 23, and the airflow in the internal passage 25 is substantially stopped. A butterfly plate 41 of a movable member that can swing to return to the air flow non-existing position P2 by its own weight, and a small plate shape provided orthogonally to the center position of the surface of the butterfly plate 41 opposite to the air flow direction. When the protrusion 43 and the butterfly plate 41 are moved to the air flow existing position P1, the light blocking by the plate-like protrusion 43 disappears, an air flow detection signal is output, and the butterfly plate 41 is moved to the air flow non-existing position P2. Then, the plate-like projection 43 blocks the passage of light and outputs an air flow stop detection signal. The optical sensor unit 45 includes a butterfly plate 41 and an optical sensor. And a unit 45 are arranged in positional relationship as described above so that the detection signal is obtained. The optical sensor unit 45 includes a concave support base 46 having a recess through which the swinging plate-like projection 43 comes in and out, and a transmission type photoelectric tube 47 in which a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are arranged on the concave support base 46 so as to face each other. It consists of and.

The internal passage 25 of the rectangular parallelepiped air flow detection box 23 has a rectangular cross section, and the butterfly plate 41 has a horizontal axis 42 at the upper end edge as compared with the circular cross section of the internal passage 25 of the tube 22. It hangs from the body so that it can be rotated and moved stably. That is, the butterfly plate 41 has a rectangular shape slightly smaller than the rectangular cross section of the internal passage 25,
It is rotatably supported by both side walls 23a of the airflow detection box 23 via a horizontal shaft 42 at the upper edge. The concave support base 46 is detachably attached to the bottom wall 23b of the airflow detection box 23 so that maintenance can be easily performed. Of course, instead of the transmissive photoelectric tube 47, the concave support base 4
It is also possible to omit 6 and mount a reflection type photoelectric tube directly mounted on the side wall 23a of the air flow detection box 23. Further, instead of the optical sensor, various sensors such as an electric field sensor, a magnetic sensor and an ultrasonic sensor can be adopted. Further, it goes without saying that a configuration in which the air flow detection box 23 is omitted, a circular butterfly plate is swingably supported in the tube 22 and the optical sensor unit 45 is provided in the tube 22 can be adopted.

The golf ball supply path 30 is formed as a means for placing a golf ball, and a ball hopper (not shown) accommodating a large number of golf balls used by a practitioner.
To the ball passing position from the tee to the tee upper end portion 11 is a gentle slope, and the above-mentioned ball supply / stop gate for supplying the golf balls B one by one is provided in the middle of the slope. Further, at the ball passing position, a positioning frame 31 is provided for positioning the golf ball B so as to be stably placed on the tee upper end portion 11 with its center aligned. In the ball supply path 30, the air flow detector 40 detects that the golf ball B is placed on the tee upper end portion 11 and the air flow in the air flow supply unit 20 is stopped, and the CPU 50 outputs this air flow stop detection signal. When the golf ball B is received by the CPU 50, the gate is closed by the CPU 50 and the golf ball B is placed at the tee top end 1.
The supply of the next golf ball is stopped until the number of golf balls goes from 1.

The tee lift unit 60 is fixed to the rack 63 and a reversible motor 61 mounted on a vertical wall 60B of the base 60A, a vertical rack 63 meshed with a pinion gear 62 fixed to its output shaft, and the rack 63. It is composed of an elevating slider 64 and a guide body 65 with a base for guiding the elevating of the slider 64, and the tee 10 is fixed to one end of the elevating slider 64 in a vertical state. Motor 6
In No. 1, the air flow detector 40 detects that the golf ball B is placed on the tee upper end 11 and the air flow in the passage 25 of the air flow supply unit 20 is stopped.
When the PU 50 receives it, the CPU 50 rotates it forward through the transistor T1 and the relay R1 and the tee 1
When the golf ball B disappears from the tee upper end portion 11 and an air flow is generated and the CPU 50 receives this air flow detection signal, the CPU 50
The motor 51 is reversely rotated via the transistor T2 and the relay R2 to move the tee 10 downward.

Golf practice tee device 1 according to the present invention
Needless to say, can also be applied to a system in which the golf ball B is supplied onto the tee on the floor of the practice bat. In that case, instead of the ball supply path 30, a ball supply arm that swings toward and away from the tee 10 is used,
Further, the ball B is stably received by the upper end portion 11 of the tee in the lowered position and is moved upward to the raised position of the hitting position. Generally, there is a considerable height difference from the height of the tee for the driver to the height of the tee for the pitching iron, but the tee height adjustment corresponding thereto can be similarly used in the above-mentioned underfloor ball supply system. Done by

The tee height adjusting section 70 comprises a tee height adjusting push button switch 71, the CPU 50, the tee lifting section 60, an upper limit switch 72 and a lower limit switch 73.
When the golf club or the like is pressed, the CPU 50 can normally rotate the reversible motor 61 of the tee elevating part 60 to set the tee 10 to a desired higher height, and by further pressing the tee 10, the tee 10 is fixed to the other end of the elevating slider 64. The protrusion 74 thus pushed pushes the upper limit switch 72, and the reversible motor 61 is reversed by the CPU 50 so that the tee 10 can be set to a desired lower height. By continuing to press the button further, the protrusion 74 presses the lower limit switch 73, the reversible motor 61 is normally rotated by the CPU 50, and the tee 10 is raised again.

Although not shown, the mounting positions of the upper limit switch 72 and the lower limit switch 73 are changed, and the shape of the elevating slider 64 is changed so that the position of the protrusion 74 at one end is set to the upper limit switch 72 and the lower limit. Change to correspond to the limit switch 73,
A slightly large space is provided in the frame formed by 0A and the vertical wall 60B. The air flow detector 40 (air flow detection box 23) and the mini blower 21 are provided in the space.
Can be incorporated. In this case, the position of the air flow detection box 23 in the tube 22 is set to the end (mini blower 21
The tee 10 and the tube 22 can be arranged outside of the frame body by shifting toward the side), the air flow detector 40 and the mini blower 21 can be protected by the frame body, and the tee 1
The components constituting the device 1 except for 0 and the tube 22 are incorporated in the frame body, so that the handling is easy and the appearance is good.

[0021]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the tee device for golf practice of the first aspect of the present invention, the upright cylinder having the vertical hole with the upper end opened and the lower part closed. -Shaped tee, air flow supply means for communicating an air flow through a passage inside the vertical hole of the tee, golf ball setting means for setting a golf ball for golf practice on the upper end portion of the tee, and the golf ball setting means The golf ball is placed on the upper end of the tee by means to detect that the air flow in the passage is substantially stopped, and an air flow stop detection signal is output and the golf ball is placed on the upper end of the tee. A detection means for detecting the airflow flowing in the passage in the absence of the airflow and outputting an airflow detection signal; and a control means for receiving the airflow stop detection signal and the airflow detection signal from the detection means. Is configured, the detection means, the through
The shaft is swingably supported in the road, and air is generated by the air flow.
The air flow in the passage is swung to
Movement that returns to a position where there is no air flow by substantially stopping
When the member and the moving member are swung to the position where the airflow exists, the
The moving member outputs an air flow detection signal
Outputs the above air flow stop detection signal when returned to the non-existing position
Since the golf ball is placed on the upper end portion of the tee, the air flow from the air flow supply means in the passage that directly leads to the inside of the vertical hole of the tee is substantially eliminated. The presence or absence of the golf ball on the tee is directly detected by the detection means. The control means can control the supply of the golf ball onto the tee and the vertical movement of the tee by receiving the air flow detection signal as the golf ball absence detection signal or the air stopped flow detection signal as the golf ball presence detection signal. Like In addition, the detection means, which is often installed in the passage, can be installed away from the tee, at least in a place where it is not easily affected by the disturbance factors, which has been a problem in the past, so that the detection means on the tee is highly reliable. confirmation of the golf ball can be carried out, also it is an easy maintenance of the air flow supply means and the detection means so cleaning properties is in the air flow itself.

Further, the moving member directly responds to the presence or absence of the golf ball on the tee, and the detecting means detects the moving member at both of the positions by the optical sensor and the electric field sensor. Various detection units such as a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. can be surely and easily detected.

According to tee device driving range according to claim 2, wherein said movable member is composed of a butterfly plate having a swingably axially supported and projections within the passageway, and the detector, Since it is composed of an optical sensor such as a photoelectric tube whose passage and blocking of light are controlled by the protrusions of the butterfly plate, the structure is simple and the detection reliability is high, and maintenance is easy. When the support shaft is taken out of the conduit forming the passage, the support shaft can be swung with a fingertip for maintenance at appropriate times, and an optical sensor can be incorporated in the conduit as a detachable unit, which facilitates maintenance and inspection.

In the golf practice tee apparatus according to the third aspect , when the control means receives the air flow stop detection signal, the golf ball setting means controls the golf ball installed by the control means. Since the installation operation of the next golf ball is stopped until it disappears from the upper end of the golf ball, the placing operation of the golf ball is stopped until the golf ball is removed from the upper end of the tee by hitting, and the double supply of the balls is repeated. As a result, the practitioner can practice hitting with plenty of time as before.

According to tee device driving range according to claim 4, wherein said tee is connected to the lifting means, when said control means receives the air flow stop detection signal, control means, the lifting And the control means receives the airflow detection signal, the control means lowers the elevating means so that the golf ball is supplied to the upper end of the tee under the floor. In addition, the control means controls the elevating means so that when the golf ball is placed on the upper end of the tee and an air flow stop detection signal is received, the ball is automatically placed on the floor with the ball on the tee so that the practitioner can hit. When the golf ball is exhausted from the upper edge of the tee after hitting and an airflow detection signal is received, the tee is automatically lowered to receive the next golf ball. Can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a tee device for golf practice of a representative embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view of an airflow detection unit of the tee device for golf practice.

FIG. 3 is an electric wiring diagram used in the elevating part of the tee device of the golf practice.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Golf practice tee device 10 teas 11 tee top 12 Lower part of tee (cap) 13 vertical holes 20 Air flow supply means (air flow supply unit) 25 passages 30 golf ball installation means (golf ball supply path) 40 Detection means (air flow detector) 41 Moving member (butterfly plate) 43 protrusions 45 Detection unit (optical sensor unit) 50 Control means (CPU) 60 Lifting means (tee lifting part) B golf ball P1 Air flow existence position P2 Air flow non-existing position

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An upright cylindrical tee having a vertical hole with an upper end opened and a lower part closed, and an air flow supply means for communicating an air flow into the vertical hole of the tee through a passage. A golf ball placement means for placing a golf practice golf ball on the upper end of the tee, and a golf ball placed on the upper end of the tee by the golf ball placement means to substantially stop the air flow in the passage. Detecting means for detecting an air flow stop detection signal and outputting an air flow detection signal by detecting an air flow flowing in the passage in a state where there is no golf ball at the upper end of the tee,
Is composed of a control means for receiving the air flow stop detection signal and the air flow detection signal from the detecting means, said detecting means, swingably axially supported within the passageway
Is swung by the air flow to the position where the air flow exists, and
When the air flow in the passage is substantially stopped, the air flow
The moving member that is returned to the existing position and the moving member
When the airflow detection signal is output when it is swung to the existing position,
When the moving member is returned to the air flow absent position, the empty space
It consists of a detection unit that outputs an air flow stop detection signal.
Tea apparatus of golf practice that characterized the door. 2. The moving member swings in the passage.
From a butterfly plate that is axially movably supported and has protrusions
And the detection unit is
An optical sensor in which the passage and blocking of light is controlled by the protrusions of the lie plate.
2. The tea device according to claim 1 , wherein the tea device comprises a sensor unit . 3. The golf ball setting means controls the above
When the means receives the air flow stop detection signal, the control means
Therefore, the installed golf ball is the upper end of the tee.
Installation of the next golf ball is stopped until
The tee device according to claim 1 , wherein the tee device is configured to: 4. The tee is connected to a lifting means.
The control means receives the air flow stop detection signal.
And the control means raises the lifting means,
When the control means receives the air flow detection signal, the control means
The tee device according to claim 1, wherein the control means moves down the elevating means .