US20070012742A1

US20070012742A1 - Device for holding golf tee

Info

Publication number: US20070012742A1
Application number: US11/179,569
Authority: US
Inventors: Chi-Chih Hung
Original assignee: Eing Nan Rubber Co Ltd
Current assignee: Eing Nan Rubber Co Ltd
Priority date: 2005-07-13
Filing date: 2005-07-13
Publication date: 2007-01-18

Abstract

A holding device includes a plate member, a hanging piece secured on a rear side of the plate member, and several fastening and supporting mechanisms secured on a front side of the plate member; the holding device is hung on a user's belt by means of inserting the hanging piece in between the belt and the user's waist; each of the fastening and supporting mechanisms includes a fastening member, and a supporting member; the fastening member includes a secured ring, and a fastening loop, which is held in the secured ring, and elastic, expandable and compressible, for passing onto an annular groove of a golf tee; the supporting member includes an external bearing seat, an elastic element located in the external bearing seat, and an internal bearing seat joined to the elastic element and held in the external bearing seat in a movable manner.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for holding golf tees, more particularly one, which is structured in such a way as to be convenient to use.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Golf tees are used to hold golf balls a small distance above a teeing ground of a golf course such that golf players can tee off golf balls more easily. Tees are usually held in the players' pockets or hands when they are not in use.
Because golf tees can get lost in teeing off, golf players usually carry several golf tees with them. Consequently, the golf tees bulge the players' pockets, and become hindrance to the players' movement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a main object of the invention to provide a device for holding golf tees to overcome the above-mentioned problem. The holding device of the present invention includes a plate member, a hanging piece secured on a rear side of the plate member, and several fastening and supporting mechanisms secured on a front side of the plate member. The holding device is hung on a user's belt by means of inserting the hanging piece in between the belt and the user's waist. Each fastening and supporting mechanism includes a fastening member, and a supporting member; the fastening member includes a secured ring, and a fastening loop, which is elastic and held in the secured ring, and can be expanded and compressed, for passing onto an annular groove of a golf tee to secure the golf tee. A pressed element is joined to the fastening loop, and projects outwards from a step-shaped through hole of the secured ring. The supporting member includes an external bearing seat, an elastic element located in the external bearing seat, and an internal bearing seat joined to the elastic element and held in the external bearing seat. A golf tee will be released from the fastening loop when the pressed element is pressed to change the shape of the fastening loop. The elastic element will be compressed when the golf tee is pressed down through, and secured by the fastening loop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the present holding device,
FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the present holding device,
FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the present holding device, with the pressed element in the pressed position,
FIG. 5 is a lateral sectional view of the holding device with a tee being fastened thereto, and
FIG. 6 is a lateral sectional view of the device in releasing position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a preferred embodiment of a device for holding golf tees 4 includes a plate member 1, a hanging piece 2, and two fastening and supporting mechanisms 3. Each of the golf tees 4 has a groove 41 on a middle portion, and a nail-shaped portion 42.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the hanging piece 2 is elastic and secured on a rear side of the plate member 1 at an upper end thereof. The upper end portion of the hanging piece 2 is substantially bent into a semi-loop shape. And, a middle portion of the hanging piece 2 is curved towards the plate member 1 such that the middle portion of the hanging piece 2 normally touches the rear side of the plate member 1, and a lower end of the hanging piece 2 is apart from the plate member 1.
The fastening and supporting mechanisms 3 are secured on a front side of the plate member 1. Each of the fastening and supporting mechanisms 3 includes:
a thin plate 31 secured on the front side of the plate member 1;
a fastening member 32; the fastening member 32 includes a secured ring 321 secured to an upper end of the thin plate 31, a fastening loop 322, and a step-shaped pressed element 325 joined to front ends of two lateral portions of the fastening loop 322; the secured ring 321 is formed with a step-shaped through hole 323, and a trench 324 on an inner side, which exactly faces the step-shaped through hole 323; an inner end portion of the step-shaped through hole 323 is wider than an outer end portion of the step-shaped through hole 323 while an inner end portion of the pressed element 325 is wider than an outer end portion of the pressed element 325; the fastening loop 322 is held in the secured ring 321, and fitted in and pressed against the trench 324 with the pressed element 325 projecting outwards through the step-shaped through hole 323 such that the fastening loop 322 is held in a substantially horizontal position without possibility of tilting, and such that the width of the fastening loop 322 will increase, and the length of the fastening loop 322 will decrease when the pressed element 325 is pressed inwardly of the secured ring 321; the fastening loop 322 will regain the original shape as soon as an external force exerted thereon disappears; when there is no pressing force exerted on the pressed element 325, the width of the fastening loop 322 will be equal to or smaller than the diameter of the middle portion of the tees 4, on which the groove 41 is formed; the length of the fastening loop 322 will always be greater than the diameter of the middle portion of the tees 4, whether the pressed element 325 is pressed or not;
a supporting member 33; the supporting member 33 includes an external bearing seat 332 secured on a lower end of the thin plate 31, an internal bearing seat 331, and an elastic element 333 such as a spring; the elastic element 333 is located in the external bearing seat 332 in an upright position; the internal bearing seat 331 is held in the external bearing seat 332, and joined to an upper end of the elastic element 333 such that the internal bearing seat 331 is normally biased to a higher position by the elastic element 333; the internal bearing seat 331 has a holding room therein, which allows a lower end of the nail-shaped portion 42 of one of the golf tees 4 to be fitted in.
Therefore, the holding device will be hung on the user's belt when the hanging piece 2 is inserted in between the belt and the user's waist with the belt being sandwiched between the plate member 1 and the curved middle portion of the hanging piece 2.
Referring to FIG. 5, to use the holding device to hold the tees 4 in position, first the tees 4 are passed through respective ones of the fastening loops 322, and passed into the corresponding internal bearing seats 331 at the nail-shaped portions 42 thereof, and then the tees 4 are depressed to compress the elastic elements 333 until a snapping sound is produced; thus, the grooves 41 of the middle portions of the tees 4 are as high as the fastening loops 322, and two lateral portions of the fastening loops 322 pass onto the grooves 41 of the tees 4 to prevent upward and downward displacement of the tees 4. Consequently, the tees 4 are fastened to the holding device.
Referring to FIG. 6, the pressed elements 325 are pressed until the width of the fastening loops 322 increases to such a degree as to be greater than the diameter of the middle portions of the tees 4, on which the grooves 41 are formed; thus, the two lateral portions of the fastening loops 322 move outside the grooves 41 of the tees 4, and the fastening loops 322 release the tees 4, and the elastic elements 333 return to their original length, pushing the tees 4 upwards. Therefore, the user is allowed to easily take the tees 4 out of the holding device for use.
From the above description, it can be easily seen that the golf tee holding device of the present invention has the following advantages:
1. The golf tee holding device has the elastic and curved hanging piece secured to the rear side of the plate member therefore the user is allowed to hang the device on the belt, and the device is easy to carry.
2. The golf tee holding device has the fastening members therefore golf tees can be effectively secured in position without possibility of accidentally moving off the holding device. And, the holding device has the supporting members under respective ones of the fastening members therefore the tees will be pushed upwards by the elastic elements as soon as the pressed elements of the fastening members are pressed to make the fastening loops release the tees. Therefore, the golf tee holding device is convenient to use.

Claims

1. A device for holding golf tees, comprising

a plate member; and

a plurality of fastening and supporting mechanisms secured on a front side of the plate member; each of the fastening and supporting mechanisms including:

a fastening member; the fastening member having a secured ring; the fastening member having a fastening loop held in the secured ring; the fastening loop being elastic, expandable and compressible; and

a supporting member; the supporting member having an external bearing seat; the supporting member having an elastic element located in the external bearing seat; the supporting member having an internal bearing seat joined to the elastic element and held in the external bearing seat in a movable manner.

2. The golf tee holding device as claimed in claim 1 further having a hanging piece, which is elastic and secured on a rear side of the plate member at an upper end thereof; an upper end portion of the hanging piece being substantially bent into a semi-loop shape; a middle portion of the hanging piece being curved towards the plate member such that the middle portion of the hanging piece normally touches the rear side of the plate member, and a lower end of the hanging piece is apart from the plate member.

3. The golf tee holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secured ring has a step-shaped through hole while a step-shaped pressed element is joined to the fastening loop, and projects outwards through the step-shaped through hole of the secured ring; an inner end portion of the step-shaped through hole being wider than an outer end portion of the step-shaped through hole; an inner end portion of the pressed element being wider than an outer end portion of the pressed element.

4. The golf tee holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein width of the fastening loop is no greater than diameter of a middle portion of a tee, on which a groove is formed, such that the fastening loop will pass onto the groove to fasten the tee; length of the fastening loop being greater than the diameter of the middle portion of the tee, on which the groove is formed.

5. The golf tee holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic element of the supporting member is a spring.

6. The golf tee holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein both the fastening member and the supporting member of each fastening and supporting mechanism are secured on a same thin plate, and the thin plate is secured on the plate member.

7. The golf tee holding device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the supporting member is connected to the thin plate at the external bearing seat thereof.