WO1994025120A1

WO1994025120A1 - Score card holder

Info

Publication number: WO1994025120A1
Application number: PCT/GB1994/000875
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Richard Bryden
Original assignee: John Richard Bryden
Priority date: 1993-04-27
Filing date: 1994-04-25
Publication date: 1994-11-10
Also published as: GB2291597B; GB9520637D0; GB9308647D0; GB2291597A

Abstract

A score card holder has a pair of outer covers (2, 3) of waterproof material, the covers being hingedly connected to each other along a spine (5). Two inner pockets (8, 9) of transparent waterproof material are connected to the outer covers for containing the score card. At least part of the surface of each outer cover bears a grid (7) for recording of a score and being of a material on which temporary writing, which is water resistant, can be made.

Description

SCORE CARD HOLDER

The present invention relates to a holder for a score card for recording a score in a game, particular but not exclusively of golf.

Golf score cards are of cardboard. Games of golf are played in the rain. Recording of the players' score in wet weather results in the card becoming wet and possibly illegible. Score card holders exist. Generally they comprise a small folder into which a score card can be inserted in a manner to expose the portions of the card on which the score is recorded when the folder is opened. Although they do provide protection when carried closed, usually in a player's pocket; they provide no protection against rain during the action of score recordal.

It is known to insert paper articles in wallets of transparent material, for instance for protection of maps from rain.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved score card holder.

According to the invention there is provided a score card holder comprising a pair of outer covers of waterproof material, the covers being hingedly connected to each other along a spine, and at least one inner pocket of transparent waterproof material connected to the outer covers for containing the score card, at least part of the surface of each outer cover bearing a grid for recording of a score and being of a material on which temporary writing which is water resistant can be made.

Preferably it is the inside surface of each cover which is adapted to have the score recorded on it.

In use, particularly for recording a golf score, a score card is so inserted into the inner pocket(s) as to leave its score recordal surface exposed if the weather is dry. Scores are recorded direct onto the card in the normal way. If the weather is wet, the score card is differently arranged in the inner pocket(s) to expose only those portions of the score card which - as is conventional - depict plans of the various holes of the golf course. The score is temporarily recorded on the inside surface of the outer cover(s) .

Preferably there are two inner pockets, each connected by an outer sheet of its transparent material to the spine of the card holder and having a free edge of an inner sheet at the spine. This arrangement provides adjoining openings to the inner pockets at the spine. Thus a score card can be inserted with outer portions in the pockets and inner portions extending from the spine between the inner pockets, for use in the dry. Alternatively, the score card can be inserted entirely within the pockets except for a small exposed strip extending from one pocket to the other between the free edges thereof, for use in the wet, or again entirely within one of the pockets.

The inside surfaces of the outer covers can have their score grids printed on them or they can be of transparent/translucent material enclosing a sheet having the grid printed on it. In another alternative using transparent/translucent material, a grid can be printed on the inside of each inside surface. Preferably they are of matt finished plastics material such as to enable writing with a soft lead pencil. To help understanding of the invention a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a golf score card holder of the invention arranged with a score card for use in the dry and

Figure 2 is a similar view of the holder with the score card arranged for use in the wet.

The golf score card holder 1 shown in the drawing has front and back outer covers 2,3. These are of compound construction, with an outer layer of opaque plastics material (not referenced) , an inner layer of translucent, matt finish plastics material 4 heat sealed to the outer layer around the periphery of the covers and at a spine 5 between the covers, and stiffening sheets 6 between the outer and inner layers. The stiffening sheets are of thin card such that the entire holder can be flexed by finger pressure. This makes the holder comfortable to carry in a hip pocket. The surfaces of the stiffening sheets exposed through the inner layers 4 have printed on them a scoring grid 7, which is generalised for use at most golf courses.

Between the outer covers 2,3 are two inner pockets 8,9 of transparent plastics material. They are formed of a continuous web 10 heat sealed to the spine 5 and respective webs 11,12 which are heat sealed to web 10 around its periphery, but are free from it at the spine to define openings to the pockets at free edges 13,14.

With card holder set up as shown in Figure 1 for use in the dry, a four page card is held in it. The card has edge pages 21,22 and middle pages 23,24. The card has fold lines between adjoining pages. The edge pages 21,22 are inserted into the pockets 8,9, with the folds to the middle pages at the free edges 13,14 of the pocket web 11,12. The middle pages 23,24 extend back to back from the spine 5 between the pockets 8,9. It is these pages which bear the score recording grids of the card and they are exposed for such use when the card is opened.

In the wet, the card is arranged differently as in Figure 2. The edge pages 21,22, which depict plans of the golf course, are folded back on the middle pages 23,24. All the pages are inserted into the pockets, with the plans visible. Scores are recorded with a soft lead pencil on the inner layers 4 of the outer covers 2,3 in accordance with the grids 7 on the stiffening sheets 6. After play, the scores can be transferred in the dry to the score card after its removal from the pockets. Then the pencil written scores can be erased from the covers 2,3 for use on another occasion. Suitably a soft eraser can be used. If marks are stubborn to erase, they can be removed by use of a mild solvent which does not affect the material of the holder, such as white spirit.

Although not shown, the back cover 3 carries on its outside a pocket for a soft lead pencil. The pocket may be stiffened internally with a tube of plastics material. Alternatively, the pocket is provided internal with a strip of frictional material for retaining the pencil in it. Suitably a strip of one side self-adhesive hook and loop fastening may be provided in the pocket, adhered to the plastics material of the outer layer of plastics material of the back cover 3. The pocket can be of the same plastics material welded to the outer layer.

It should be noted that golf score cards differ in design and can be inserted in the holder in different configurations to suit the card design and the user's preference.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. It is envisaged that in place of the welded connection of the inner pockets to the outer covers, the covers and the pockets could be connected by a conventional binding such as a wire binding. Also, in a simpler embodiment, one inner pocket only is provided.

Claims

1. A score card holder comprises a pair of outer covers of waterproof material, the covers being hingedly connected to each other along a spine; characterised in that: the holder includes at least one inner pocket of transparent waterproof material connected to the outer covers for containing the score card, and in that at least part of the surface of each outer cover bears a grid for recording of a score and is of a material on which temporary writing, which is water resistant, can be made.

2. A score card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inside surface of each cover is adapted to have the score recorded on it.

3. A score card holder as claimed in claim 1 or cla.im 2, wherein two inner pockets are provided, each connected by an outer sheet of its transparent material to the spine of the card holder and having a free edge of an inner sheet at the spine, the arrangement providing adjoining openings to the inner pockets at the spine.

4. A score card holder as claimed in clajjn 2 or claim 3 as appendant to claim 2, wherein the inside surfaces of the outer covers have their score grids printed on them.

5. A score card holder as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 as appendant to claim 2, wherein the inside surfaces of the outer covers are of transparent or translucent material enclosing a sheet having the grid printed on it.

6. A score card holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the the grids are reverse printed on the inside of the inside surfaces.

7. A score card holder as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the inside surfaces are of matt finished plastics material such as to enable writing with a soft lead pencil.

8. A score card holder as claimed in any preceding claim, including a pocket on the outside of one of the outer covers.

9. A score card holder as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pocket is provided internally with a strip of frictional material for retaining the pencil in it.