KR20070104623A - Magnetic golf ball collecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf ball collecting device (10) comprises a cup (12) adapted to successfully hold a golf ball (22) therein. The cup (12) incorporates a metal disc (14) of magnetic material to enable the device to be attached by magnetic force to the end of a golf club (16). In this manner the golf club (16) with the device (10) attached thereto can be used to retrieve a golf ball (22) from ground level without having to bend down. The golf ball (22) can be gripped by the device (10) by aiming the cup (12) at the golf ball and pressing on it slightly, thus allowing the golfer to easily retrieve the ball (22) without having to bend over or kneel and risk straining their knees or back. The device (10) can be quickly and easily attached to the golf club (16) by means of a second metal disc (20) attached to the handle grip (18), and just as quickly and easily removed after the golf ball has been retrieved.

Description

Magnetic ball collecting device using magnetic force {MAGNETIC GOLF BALL COLLECTING DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a golf ball collecting device, and more particularly to a golf ball collecting device using a magnetic force that can easily pick up the golf ball without the golfer need to bend the knees and back or strain them.

Golf is a very popular recreational sport for many, and its popularity will continue to increase as the number of retirees in rich countries increases. However, for many golfers, having to pick the ball after putting it or repeatedly bending it to recover it when it falls into shrubs, bushes, sand or water can be a huge strain on the knees and back. This is especially problematic for older people, patients with arthritis, injured backs, people with joint replacements (in hip or knee joints) and people with other types of activity constraints.

There is a prior art device made of a flexible plastic and having an inner diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the golf ball so that the golf ball is pressed hard against the golf ball. Other devices include soft rubber suction cups with similar functions. Such prior art devices can be attached to the end of a shaft, such as the grip of a golf club, so that they can be used to collect golf balls from the ground without bending. Although the functionality of these devices is generally satisfactory, they can be rather large and difficult to attach to and detach from the grip of a golf club. Since the attachment of the device is by friction or screw-thread groove connection, considerable force is required to attach and detach the device.

The present invention has been developed to provide a golf ball collecting device that can be easily attached and detached to an end of a shaft, such as a grip of a golf club, without applying unnecessary force. References to the prior art herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be taken as part of the commonly known knowledge in Australia or other countries.

Golf ball collecting device using a magnetic force provided according to an aspect of the present invention includes a rubber cup, a magnet is attached to the bottom of the outer surface of the rubber cup.

Golf ball collecting device using a magnetic force provided in accordance with another aspect of the present invention includes a cup configured to be attached to the golf ball inside, the cup is a magnetic material that is attached to the end of the long object by the magnetic force is incorporated The long object with the collecting device can be used to recover the golf ball from the ground without having to bend it.

Preferably, the magnetic material comprises a first metal disk attached to the back side of the cup. Preferably, the long object is a golf club, a magnetic material is connected and provided to the handle of the golf club. Preferably, the magnetic material connected to and provided with the handle of the golf club comprises a second metal disk attached to the top of the handle grip. Advantageously, said first and second metal disks are both magnets, said magnets being attached to said cup and said handle grip, respectively, with opposite poles facing outwards such that said first and second metal disks are adjacent to each other. When in position, they attract each other and the collecting device is attached to the handle grip by magnetic attraction.

Advantageously, the magnetic ball collecting device using the magnetic force of the present invention further includes a magnetic golf ball marker for marking the position of the golf ball on the putting green when the golf ball is removed for other golfers to putt. . Preferably, the golf ball marker comprises a third metal disk attachable to the handle of the golf club by magnetic attraction, and can be put on or lifted from the green without bending using the golf club. Preferably, the metal disk is a magnet attachable to the handle grip between the first and second disks.

Preferably, the golf ball collecting device using the magnetic force of the present invention further comprises an accessory in the form of a clip configured to attach at the belt or bag edge, the accessory is a magnetic body is incorporated, at least one of the cup and the marker is a magnetic force Can be attached to the accessory. Preferably, the clip is made of an elastic body and comprises a substantially flat member in the form of a U, with a gap sized between the opposing faces to smoothly receive a belt or fabric of a predetermined thickness therein. At least one of the opposing faces is provided with one or more protrusions for holding the belt or fabric between the opposing faces.

Preferably, the cup has a substantially hemispherical concave surface with an inner diameter that is similar in size to the outer diameter of the golf ball. Preferably, the cup includes an annular protrusion configured to extend inward along the outer circumference of the cup to catch the outer surface of the golf ball. Preferably, the cup is made of a suitable elastic material and the golf ball is caught in the cup by friction between the annular protrusion and the golf ball surface. Alternatively, the annular projection is made of a suitable elastic material and the golf ball is caught in the cup by friction between the annular projection and the golf ball surface.

A golf ball accessory provided according to another aspect of the invention is in the form of a clip configured to attach at a belt or bag edge, the accessory having a magnetic body incorporated therein, and at least one of the cup and marker attached to the accessory by magnetic force. Possible, the cup is configured such that a golf ball is successfully caught in it.

Preferably, the clip is made of an elastic body and comprises a substantially flat member in the form of a U, with a gap sized between the opposing faces to smoothly receive a belt or fabric of a predetermined thickness therein.

Preferably, at least one of the opposing faces is provided with one or more protrusions for holding the belt or fabric between the opposing faces.

As used herein, the term “magnetic material” refers to any suitable material having the properties of a magnet, attracted to a magnet, or attaining the properties of a magnet.

In this specification, the words “comprise,” “comprises” and “comprising” include the elements or groups of elements mentioned but do not exclude other elements or groups of elements unless the context otherwise requires. It is interpreted as. Likewise, the word “preferably” is construed as better than the mentioned element or group of elements but not essential to the practice of the invention.

Features of the present invention will be better understood from the detailed description of some specific embodiments of the golf ball collecting device, which is presented by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings,

1 is an exploded cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a golf ball collecting device according to the present invention.

2 is a plan view of the golf ball collecting device of FIG.

3 shows the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1 attached to the grip of a golf club.

4 shows a process in which the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1 can be easily separated from the grip of a golf club.

FIG. 5 shows a process of attaching the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1 to a golf club grip together with a golf goal marker.

6 shows an accessory for the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1.

7 is a side view of the accessory shown in FIG. 6.

8 shows the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1 with a golf ball marker attached to a golf club.

9 shows a process in which the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1 can be easily separated from the grip of a golf club with a golf ball marker.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a golf ball collecting device 10 according to the present invention includes a cup 12 configured to receive a golf ball (not shown) therein. The cup 12 is provided with a magnetic body so that the device can be attached to the end of a long object such as a golf club by magnetic force. Thus, in this way, the golf ball with the device can be used to recover the golf ball from the ground without having to bend down. By aiming the golf ball with the cup 12 and slightly pressing the ball, the golfer can easily recover the ball without bending or bending the knee to give the knee or the back. The device 10 can be quickly and easily attached to a golf club, and can be quickly and easily removed after the golf ball has been recovered.

According to a preferred embodiment of the apparatus 10, the magnetic body comprises a first metal disk 14 attached to the back of the cup 12. The long object is preferably a golf club 16 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the handle 18 of the golf club is preferably provided with some magnetic material connected thereto. In the illustrated embodiment, the magnetic material provided in connection with the handle 18 includes a second metal disk 20 attached to the top of the handle grip 18. The first and second metal disks 14, 20 are both magnets, which are attached to the cup 12 and the handle grips 18, respectively, with the opposite poles facing outwards so that the first and second metal disks are adjacent. They are then attracted to each other so that the device 10 is attached to the grip 18 by magnetic attraction. Since magnetic attraction occurs when two metal disks reach an adjacent area, no external force is required to attach the device 10 to the golf club grip 18. Likewise, only a very small force is needed to break the magnetic attraction and detach the device 10 from the grip 18. However, the magnetic force between the two metal disks is strong enough to securely attach both the device 10 and the golf ball 22 of the desired weight to the end of the handle grip 18 immediately.

The cup may be composed of any suitable material, such as rubber, plastic, steel / aluminum, Teflon, rubber rings or wood with linings, or any other material that is successfully attached to a golf ball. In the above embodiment, the cup 12 has a substantially hemispherical concave surface 24 having an inner diameter that is similar in size to the outer diameter of the golf ball 22. The cup 12 further has an annular projection 26 configured to extend inward along its circumference to catch the outer surface of the golf ball 22. The cup 12 is composed of a suitable elastic body such as rubber, and is shaped to catch the golf ball inside by friction between the annular projection 26 and the surface of the golf ball 22. In a variant, the cup is made of a rigid body such as steel, and only the annular protrusion 26 is made of a suitable elastic body such as rubber, so that the golf ball is caught in the cup by friction between the annular protrusion 26 and the face of the golf ball. (Attached).

Advantageously, the golf club collection device further includes a magnetic golf ball marker for marking the location of the golf ball on the putting green when the ball is removed for other golfers to putt. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5, 8 and 9, the golf ball marker has a third metal disk 30 that can also be attached to the handle 18 of the golf club by magnetic attraction. Using golf club 16, golf ball markers 30 may be placed on the green or lifted off the green without bending. Preferably, the third metal disk 30 can be a magnet that can be attached to the handle grip 18 between the first and second disks 14, 20.

Preferably, the golf ball collecting device further comprises an accessory having a clip 40 configured to attach at the edge of the belt or bag (not shown), wherein the clip 40 includes some magnetic material. Cup 12 and / or marker 30 may be attached to the accessory by magnetic force. In the embodiment shown in Figures 6 and 7, the clip 40 is composed of an elastic body, such as spring steel or plastic, and comprises a substantially flat member 42 in a U shape. The spacing 44 between the opposing surfaces of the flat member 42 is large enough to smoothly receive a belt or fabric of a predetermined thickness therein. One of the opposing faces is provided with one or more protrusions 46 configured to hold the belt or fabric between the opposing faces. In this embodiment, the magnetic material included in the clip includes a fourth metal disk 48 attached to the outer surface of the U-shaped flat member 42. The clip 40 may be used by a golfer to carry the golf ball collecting device 10 and / or one or more golf ball markers 30 in a readily available manner.

Preferred embodiments of golf ball collecting devices have been described in detail, and these clearly provide several advantages over the prior art.

(i) Easy to use, no external force is required when attaching to the golf club, and only relatively small force is required when detaching from the golf club.

(ii) Simple and solid construction, easy to mass production.

(iii) Paired with golf ball markers for easy use, it can be easily carried in a simple belt accessory.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may modify and improve the present invention in various ways without departing from the basic spirit of the present invention, in addition to the above-described embodiments. For example, the cup of the apparatus does not necessarily catch the golf ball by friction. It can be designed to adsorb the ball successfully by the attraction force. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above.

Claims (18)

In the golf ball collection device using a magnetic force, The collection device includes a cup configured to attach a golf ball therein, The cup has a magnetic material that attaches the collecting device to the end of the long object by magnetic force, and when using the long object to which the collecting device is attached, it is possible to recover the golf ball from the ground without having to bend it. Golf ball collection device using. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the magnetic material comprises a first metal disk attached to a rear surface of the cup. The golf ball collecting device using magnetic force according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the long object is a golf club, and a magnetic material is connected and provided to a handle of the golf club. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the magnetic material connected to and provided with the handle of the golf club includes a second metal disk attached to an upper end of the handle grip. 5. The first and second metal disks of claim 4, wherein the first and second metal disks are both magnets, and the magnets are attached to the cup and the handle grip, respectively, with opposite poles facing outwards. Are attracted to each other and the collecting devices are attached to the handle grips by magnetic attraction. 6. The golf ball marker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a magnetic ball marker made of a magnetic material for indicating the position of the golf ball on the putting green when the golf ball is removed for other golfers to putt. Golf ball collection device using magnetic force. 7. The golf ball marker according to claim 6, wherein the golf ball marker comprises a third metal disk attachable to the handle of the golf club by magnetic attraction, the golf ball marker being capable of being put on or lifted from the green without bending using the golf club. Golf ball collecting device using a magnetic force characterized in. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the metal disk is a magnet attachable to the handle grip between the first and second disks. The device of claim 1, further comprising an accessory in the form of a clip configured to attach at a belt or bag edge, the accessory having a magnetic body incorporated therein, wherein at least one of the cup and the marker is a magnetic force. Golf ball collecting device using a magnetic force, characterized in that attachable to the accessory. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the clip is made of an elastic body and comprises a substantially flat member in the shape of a U, and between the opposing surfaces having a size of a gap to smoothly receive a belt or fabric of a predetermined thickness therein. Golf ball collection device using a magnetic force. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the opposing faces is provided with at least one protrusion for holding the belt or the fabric between the opposing faces. Including a rubber cup, the golf ball collecting device using a magnetic force, characterized in that a magnet is attached to the bottom surface of the outer surface of the rubber cup. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cup has a substantially hemispherical concave surface having an inner diameter that is similar in size to the outer diameter of the golf ball. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cup includes an annular protrusion configured to extend inward along the outer circumference of the cup to catch the outer surface of the golf ball. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cup is made of a suitable elastic material and the golf ball is caught in the cup by friction between the annular protrusion and the golf ball surface. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the annular protrusion is made of a suitable elastic material and the golf ball is caught in the cup by friction between the annular protrusion and the golf ball surface. Apparatus for collecting golf balls using magnetic force, which is illustrated in one or more of the accompanying drawings and substantially described herein with reference to the drawings. Accessories for a golf ball collection device using magnetic force, which is shown in the accompanying Figures 6 and 7 and substantially described herein with reference to the drawings.

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