US3690673A

US3690673A - Selectively contourable putting green

Info

Publication number: US3690673A
Application number: US170700A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peter W Occhipinti
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-08-11
Filing date: 1971-08-11
Publication date: 1972-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-12

Abstract

As described herein, a golf putting green simulator includes an enclosed support member having a defined configuration over which synthetic grass is extended to provide a putting surface. A hollow putting cup is mounted in the support member adjacent one end thereof and communicates with a receptacle formed in the support member at the other end thereof through an inclined conduit. Randomly spaced between the synthetic grass and the upper surface of the support member are a plurality of irregularly shaped air sacks, each sack containing an air inlet port and an air outlet port. A console containing an air compressor and a plurality of supply and exhaust valves coupled to the inlet and outlet ports of the air sacks is further provided to enable the golfer to selectively expand and deplete the air sacks to thereby modify the contour of the synthetic grass putting surface.

Description

United States Patent O cchipinti [54] SELECTIVELY CONTOURABLE PUTTING GREEN [72] Inventor: Peter W. Occhipinti, 672 Downing St., Teaneck, NJ. 07666 [22] Filed: Aug. 11, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 170,700

[52] US. Cl. ..273/l76 H, 273/179 B, 273/179 A [51] Int. Cl. ..A63b 69/36 [58] Field of Search ..273/l76, 195, 87

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,366,388 1/1968 Del Raso ..273/176 H 3,534,961 10/1970 Tiley ..273/l76 H X 3,595,581 7/1971 Anderson ..273/l76 H Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo Attorney-Granville M. Brumbaugh et al.

[451 Sept. 12, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT As described herein, a golf putting green simulator includes an enclosed support member having a defined configuration over which synthetic grass is extended to provide at putting surface. A hollow putting cup is mounted in the support member adjacent one end thereof and communicates with a receptacle formed in the support member at the other end thereof through an inclined conduit. Randomly spaced between the synthetic grass and the upper surface of the support member are a plurality of irregularly shaped air sacks, each sack containing an air inlet port and an air outlet port. A console containing an air compressor and a plurality of supply and exhaust valves coupled to the inlet and outlet ports of the air sacks is further provided to enable the golfer to selectively expand and deplete the air sacks to thereby modify the contour of the synthetic grass putting surface.

10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures SELECTIVELY CONTOURABLE PUTTING GREEN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to golfing aids and, more particularly, to a golf putting green simulator having a putting surface with a variable contour.

One of the fastest growing and popular sports in the world today, especially in the United States, is golf. The average golfer takes the game of golf extremely seriously and is forever attempting to improve his overall game, especially his driving and putting which are the two most important aspects on one s golf game.

The opportunities for most golfers to practice their game on a golf course are limited, however, and this has led to the proliferation of golf driving ranges which provide a place where golfers can improve on their long or driving game. Generally, there are no facilities outside a golf course for enabling one to improve on his putting or short game in an environment corresponding to the greens on a golf course. Practice putting into a cup on a carpet is inadequate because of the carpets lack of depth and its uniformity and practice putting in a yard or park is most often equivalent to practice putting in the rough of a golf course.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a golf putting aid, a golf putting green simulator having a putting surface with a variable contour that will correspond to the different contoured putting greens found in the same golf course and different golf courses. At the same time, there is a need for such a putting green simulator that will be reasonably priced and within the financial reach of the average golfer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a golf putting green simulator that satisfies the aforementioned need in the art.

This and other objects are accomplished by the golf putting green simulator of the present invention which includes an enclosed support member having a defined configuration over which synthetic grass is extended to provide a putting surface. A hollow putting cup is mounted in the support member adjacent one end thereof and communicates with a golf ball receptacle in the support member at the other end thereof. Preferably, the communication is provided by an inclined conduit of a size sufficient to enable the passage of golf balls from the putting cup to the receptacle.

Randomly spaced between the synthetic grass and upper surface of the support member are a plurality of irregularly shaped inflatable members, each member containing a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port. A console containing means for supplying fluid under pressure selectively to the inflatable members is further provided. The console also includes means for releasing the fluid selectively from the inflatable members whereby portions of the synthetic grass can be raised and lowered to provide a variably contoured synthetic grass putting surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of an illustrative embodiment of a golf putting green simulator arranged according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the golf putting green simulator shown in FIG. 1 and arranged according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION or THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In a preferred embodiment of a golf putting green simulator arranged according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is provided an enclosed generally rectangularly shaped support member 10 having a base wall 11, end walls 12a and 12b, side walls 13a and 13b and an upper or supporting surface 14. The support member 10 may be formed of any suitable material such as, for example, wood or metal, with the only limitation on the choice of material being that the support member 10 possess sufficient strength so as to remain rigid and not buckle under the weight of several individuals of ordinary weight.

Fitted over the upper surface 14, the end walls 12a and 12b and side walls 13a and 13b of the support member 10 is a synthetic grass surface 16. The surface 16 may be of any type synthetic outdoor surface which provides a decorative, artificial grass which retains its grass-like similarity remarkably well for long periods of continuous use. One type conventional synthetic type grass surface is disclosed in the recently issued US. Pat. No. 3,332,828.

A hollow putting cup 18 is mounted in the support member 10 adjacent the end wall 12a with the lip of the putting cup being substantially coextensive with the blade height of the synthetic grass surface 16. The hollow putting cup 18 communicates with a golf ball receptacle 20 formed in the support member adjacent the other wall 12b by means of an inclined conduit 22 located between the support surface 14 and the base wall 11 and of sufficient size to enable the passage of golf balls from the cup 18 to the receptacle 20. The downward inclination of the conduit 22 from the putting cup 18 to the discharge opening 20 of the tube need not be pronounced but merely be sufficient to provide the travel by the golf ball under the force of gravity. It will be noted that the method of returning a sunk golf ball to the player is: not critical to the present invention. For example, a ball receptacle or catcher could be mounted on the side wall 13a or the side wall 13b to store sunk golf balls. For this variation, an angle could be fitted to the putting cup to carry the balls to the catcher.

Randomly spaced between the synthetic grass surface 16 and the upper surface 14 of the support member 10 are a plurality of inflatable members, here shown as irregularly shaped air sacks 23-30. The air sacks 23-30 contain inlet and outlet ports which are connected to a console 32 via corresponding air supply hoses 23a-30a and air exhaust hoses 23b-30b, respectively. The console 32 contains a conventional air compressor 34 for supplying air under pressure to each of the air supply hoses 23a-30a via conventional air adjustment supply valves 36a-43a which are mounted on the side of the console. The console 32 further includes air adjustment exhaust valves 36b-43b which are connected to the outlet ports of each of the air sacks 23-30 via the air exhaust hoses 23b-30b. As will be understood, when the compressor 34 is operative, the player may regulate the air supply valves 36a-43a and the air exhaust valves 36b-43b to control the filling of each of the air sacks 23-30 with air under pressure and, hence, the size of the air sacks. In this way, the player can raise and lower the portions of the synthetic grass surface 16 overlying the air sacks 23-30 to provide a variably contoured synthetic grass putting surface. Energization of the air compressor 34 may be accomplished by coupling the compressor to a utility outlet through an electrical power cord.

In the operation of the golf putting green simulator of the present invention, the golfer, after energizing the air compressor 34, adjusts the grass surface 16 to any desired contour through the selective operation of the air supply valves 36a43a and the air exhaust valves 36b-43. The golfer will generally putt from an area in and around the end wall 12b. Golf balls which have been holed are returned to the golfer via the conduit 22 and the receptacle 20. Through the selective operation of the air supply and air exhaust valves 36a-43a and 36b-43, respectively, the number of mutations in the contour of the synthetic grass putting surface are almost unlimited. In this manner, the golfer is provided the facility of practicing his putting on a surface which is similar to almost any putting green that he will encounter on a golf course. Although the invention has been described herein with reference to a specific embodiment, many modifications and variations therein will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, to make certain that golf balls are returned swiftly from the putting cup 18 to the receptacle terminating the other end of the conduit 22, a solenoid energized hammer may be utilized to engage the golf balls and impel the balls down the conduit to the receptacle. Accordingly, all such variations and modifications are included within the intended scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A golf putting green simulator comprising a support member, a synthetic grass surface fitted on the support member to provide a putting surface, means forming an opening in the support member to provide a receptacle for putted golf balls, a plurality of irregularly shaped inflatable means spaced between the synthetic grass surface and the support member, and means for supplying fluid under pressure selectively to the plurality of inflatable means whereby portions of the synthetic grass surface can be raised to provide a variably contoured synthetic grass putting surface.

2. A golf putting green simulator according to claim 1 further comprising means for releasing selectively the fluid contained under pressure in the plurality of inflatable means whereby portions of the synthetic grass surface can be lowered to provide a variably contoured synthetic grass putting surface.

3. A golf putting green simulator according to claim 2 further comprising a putting cup mounted in the opening in the support member to provide a receptacle for putted golf balls.

4. A golf putting green simulator according to claim 2 further comprising a hollow putting cup mounted in the opening in the support member, a receptacle for golf balls and means coupling the hollow putting cup with the receptacle.

5. A golf putting green simulator according to claim 4 wherein the cou ling means comprises a conduit extending downwar y from the hollow putting cup to the receptacle.

6. A golf putting green simulator according to claim 2 wherein each of the inflatable means comprises a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port and wherein the fluid supply means comprises a source of pressurized fluid and a plurality of fluid flow control means interposed between the source of pressurized fluid and the fluid inlet ports of the plurality of inflatable means for selectively controlling the amount of pressurized fluid supplied to the plurality of inflatable means.

7. A golf putting green simulator according to claim 6 wherein the fluid release means comprise a second plurality of fluid flow control means coupled to the outlet ports of the plurality of inflatable means for selectively depleting the pressurized fluid contained in the plurality of inflatable means.

8. A golf putting green simulator according to claim 7 wherein the source of pressurized fluid comprises an air compressor, wherein the first mentioned plurality of fluid flow control means comprise a plurality of air supply adjustment valves, wherein the second plurality of fluid control means comprise a plurality of air exhaust adjustment valves and wherein the plurality of inflatable means comprise a plurality of irregularly shaped air sacks.

9. A golf putting green simulator according to claim 8 further comprising a plurality of air hoses for coupling the air supply adjustment valves to the air inlet ports of the air sacks and second plurality of air hoses for coupling the air exhaust adjustment valves to the air outlet ports of the air sacks.

10. A golf putting green simulator comprising a support member, a synthetic grass surface fitted on the support member to provide a putting surface, means forming an opening in the support member to provide a receptacle for putted golf balls, a plurality of irregularly shaped displaceable means mounted beneath the synthetic grass surface and means for supplying pressure selectively to the plurality of displaceable means to urge the means upwardly against the synthetic grass surface whereby portions of the synthetic grass surface can be raised to provide a variably contoured synthetic grass putting surface.

Claims

5. A golf putting green simulator according to claim 4 wherein the coupling means comprises a conduit extending downwardly from the hollow putting cup to the receptacle.