WO1999062602A1

WO1999062602A1 - Peg device

Info

Publication number: WO1999062602A1
Application number: PCT/SE1999/000845
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hans Lindh
Original assignee: Hans Lindh
Priority date: 1998-05-19
Filing date: 1999-05-18
Publication date: 1999-12-09
Also published as: SE512025C2; AU4405499A; SE9801767D0; SE9801767L

Abstract

The present invention relates to a golf tee unit which includes an anchoring device (7), a golf tee assembly (1) and a connecting element that extends between and mutually connects said anchoring device (11) and said golf tee assembly (1). The tee assembly includes a body (2) that has a base surface (3) on which the body rests stably on an underlying surface (8). The body includes on its upper side a generally cup-shaped recess (4) in which a golf ball (9) can be held stably. The golf tee unit is characterised in that the body (2) has two circumferentially spaced support shoulders (5) whose upper parts are contacted simultaneously by the golf ball (9), which lies on the same underlying surface (8) as the body (2), essentially without touching any other part of the body (2). The support shoulders are located in the vicinity of the edge of the cup, and the connecting element is flexible and pliable.

Description

PEG DEVICE

The invention relates to a golf tee unit of the kind defined in the preamble of Claim 1.

The invention thus relates to a golf tee unit which includes a golf tee assembly, an anchoring means and a connecting element that extends between and is connected to the anchoring means and the golf tee assembly, wherein the golf tee assembly includes a body that has a base surface on which said body rests stably on an underlying support surface, and wherein the upper side of said body includes a generally cup- shaped recess for stable support of a golf ball.

Earlier known golf tee units have a configuration that makes their transportation, assembly and disassembly troublesome. Furthermore, the known tee units are difficult to restore to a correct position after having struck a ball. Moreover, the known devices have a comparatively low mechanical strength/short useful life.

Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a golf tee unit with which at least some of the aforesaid drawbacks are avoided either completely or partially. Another object of the invention is to provide a golf tee unit which enables a golf ball to be teed-up on loose ground, for instance sand. Still another object is to provide a golf tee unit that includes an anchoring means which provides a usage additional to its anchoring function.

One object includes the provision of means which enables a golf ball to be played up onto the tee unit more easil . One or more of the aforesaid objects are achieved either completely or partially with the golf tee unit according to Claim 1. Further embodiments of the golf tee unit are set: forth in the accompanying dependent Claims.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention includes an anchoring means in the form of a green repair device, a connecting element in the form of a cord, and a tee assembly that comprises a truncated conical rubber body which stands on the base of the cone and which includes a cup-shaped recess in its top surface. The rubber body also includes a central, axially extending passageway. The stem of a golf tee, or peg, can be pushed to a desired depth through the passageway. A bend or loop in the cord is threaded through the passageway and fixed by threading both parts of the cord through the cord loop. The ends of the cord are fastened to the green repairer. According to one particular feature of the invention, the body has two support shoulders that are separated circumferentially with their free ends level with the upper edge of said body. When the body stands on a flat surface, it shall be possible to roll a golf ball towards the tee assembly so that the ball will touch the two shoulders simultaneously without touching any other part of said body. In the case of said embodiment, a peripheral part of the base of said body may be omitted in the region of said shoulders.

Furthermore, the cup-defining edge of said truncated body may conveniently be omitted, either completely or partially, between said shoulders.

When the surface from which the ball is struck, e.g. a golf tee, has the form of a mat, the green repairer can be inserted between the mat and the underlying ground to provide an anchoring point for the golf tee unit. The user/the golfer is able to move the peg assembly to a desired position on the mat with the aid of his/her club so as to stretch out the cord. A golf ball placed on the mat can now be moved with the aid of the club until the ball meets the cord, whereafter the user is able to move the ball along the cord up to the peg assembly. The user is then able to bring the ball into contact with the two shoulders and readily move the ball between the shoulders and into the cup.

When the peg unit is placed directly on the ground, the tines of the forked green repairer can be inserted into the ground and therewith firmly anchor said unit.

When the user wishes to tee-up the ball on a level which is higher than the level defined by the cupped shape of the body, he/she can push the stem of a tee through the passageway in said body to a depth at which the head of the tee is at a desired height level above the surface of the ground or the mat.

The unit may also include a tee. The tee unit can be transported and stored with the stem of the tee inserted through a hole in the green repairer and pushed into the passageway in said body, where it is held by friction.

Because the tee unit includes a tee and the green repairer has a hole for accommodating the stem of the tee, the person using the green repairer is able to insert the tee halfway through the hole in the green repairer, so as to provide a support that can be used by the user when inserting the green repairer into the ground. It will be noted that the head of the tee projects out laterally when the tee is inserted fully into the hole in said green repairer, whereby the tee will form a lever that bears against the ground when the green repairer is used to repair a green or some other playing surface .

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplifying embodiments thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 illustrates from above a tee assembly forming part of the inventive tee unit.

Figure 2 is a side view taken on the line II-II in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic view of an inventive tee unit as seen from above.

Figure 4 is a side view of the inventive tee unit positioned on a teeing-off mat.

Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of the inventive unit supplemented with a golf tee and adapted to a storage state.

Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a golf tee fitted in the tee assembly.

Figure 7 illustrates schematically a golf tee removably fitted in the green repairer of said unit.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a tee assembly 1 which includes a truncated conical body 2 whose base surface 3 provides a ground abutment surface. The top 4 of the truncated body is cup shaped.

Two support shoulders 5 are placed in mutually spaced relationship on the circumference of the body 1, although the tangent to the outsides of the shoulders 5 lies outwardly of the edge of the cup 4. The wall of the cup 4 is cut away in the region between the shoulders 5. When the body 2 lies with its base surface 3 in abutment with a flat underlying surface 8, it shall be possible to roll a golf ball 9 forwardly on the supporting surface 8 and therewith hit the upper parts of both shoulders 5 while the ball 9 lies on the supporting surface 8 and before any part of the ball 9 has hit any part of the body 2. Accordingly, it may be necessary in certain embodiments to omit a part of the body 2 in the proximity of the base surface 3 and adjacent the shoulders 5, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2.

A passageway 7 extends through the body 2 in a direction normal to the base surface 3. The size of the passageway 7 is such as to enable the stem of a tee to be inserted therethrough while providing sufficient friction between the stem and the wall of the passageway 7 to hold the tee axially in position when subjected to the weight of a golf ball.

As will be seen from Figure 6, the truncated conical body 2 also functions to provide stability of a tee 13 even when the surface 8 consists of loose material, such as sand or like material.

As evident from Figures 3 and 4, the body 2 is connected to a green repairer 11 by means of a cord 12. A loop 14 in the cord 12 is threaded through the passageway 7 and the ends 12 of said cord then threaded through the loop 14, such as to secure the cord to the body 2 with the loop fastening. The ends of the cord 12 are inserted through a hole 15 in the green repairer and secured with a knot 16. The green repairer 11 is a generally flat structure that has a forked end. The green repairer also includes a through-penetrating opening 17 in its longitudinal extension, the size of said opening being slightly larger than the diameter of the stem of a tee 13.

Figure 4 shows a supporting surface 8 which is covered with a mat 18 on the tee, i.e. the place where the golf ball is teed-up. In this case, the green repairer 11 can be inserted in between the edge of the mat 18 and the ground surface 8, so as to anchor the tee unit. The user, in an upright position, can move the body 2 on the mat 18 with the aid of his/her club until the cord 12 is stretched, whereafter the user, while still standing essentially upright, can move a ball into contact with the stretched cord 12. The user can then move the ball along the cord 12 up to the cup 2, with the aid of the club blade. It will be seen that the loop fastening of the cord 12 lies in the region between the support shoulders 5. The user can now move the ball up and into the cup 4 with the shoulders 5 as support means and with the aid of the club blade. Alternatively, the ball can be tipped over into the cup 4 with the foot of the user. As the ball is moved up into the cup, the ball is supported solely by the pair of shoulders 5.

As shown in Figure 5, the tee unit, including a tee 13, can be held together in a transporting/storage state by inserting the tee 13 through the hole 17 in the green repairer 11 with the stem of the tee secured in the passageway 7 in said body 2, and thereafter winding the cord 12 around the tee 13, for instance .

It will be evident from Figure 7 that the use of the green repairer 11 in repairing a green is made easier when the tee 13 is inserted halfway through the opening 17. This provides a better hand support when inserting the green repairer 11 into the ground. The head-part of the tee 13 projects out laterally from the main surface of the green repairer 11, even when the tee 13 has been inserted to its full extent in the opening 17. The tee 13 is then able to function as a useful lever when using the green repairer 11 to break up or loosen the soil.

Naturally, the forked end of the green repairer 11 may be inserted into the ground, or some other support surface, so as to provide an anchoring device.

As will be seen from Figure 1, the cup-defining wall (the wall defining the cup-shaped recess in the upper part of the cup) is interrupted in the region between the shoulders 5, so as to enable the ball 9 to pass freely as it rolls over the shoulders and into the cup 4.

Claims

1. A golf tee unit comprising an anchoring device (11), a tee assembly (1) and a connecting element that extends between and is connected to said anchoring device (11) and said tee assembly (1), said tee assembly comprising a body (2) having a base surface (3) on which the body can rest stably on an underlying surface (8), and said body having on its upper side a generally cup-shaped recess (4) which stably accommodates a golf ball (9), characterised in that the body (2) includes two circumferentially spaced support shoulders (5) against whose upper parts the golf ball (9), which rests on the same underlying surface (8) as the body (2), comes into simultaneous contact essentially without touching any other part of the body (2) ; in that the support shoulders are located in the proximity of the edge of the cup-shaped recess; and in that the connecting element is flexible and pliable .

2. A tee unit according to Claim 1, characterised in that the wall defining the cup-shaped recess (4) is interrupted (19) in the region between the shoulders (5) so as to enable the ball (9) to pass freely as it rolls over the shoulders (5) and into the recess (4) .

3. A golf tee unit according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the anchoring device (11) is a green repairing device .

4. A golf tee unit according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the body (2) has a central, through- passing tee-accommodating passageway (7) which extends in a direction normal to the base surface (3) of the body (2) .

5. A golf tee unit according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the area of the base surface (3) of said body (2) is substantially greater than the projected cup area (4) of said body.

6. A golf tee unit according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the connecting element (12) has the form of a cord which is laid double to form a loop (14) that extends through the body passageway (7) with the two ends of the cord being drawn through the loop so as to fasten the cord (12)^' to the body (2) through the medium of said loop fastening.

7. A golf tee unit according to Claim 6, characterised in that the cord (12) extends through said passageway (7) and around said body (2) in the region located between said support shoulders (5) .

8. A golf tee unit according to any one of Claims 1-7, characterised in that the anchoring device includes a through-passing opening which is slightly larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the stem of a golf tee (13) but smaller than the head of the tee; and in that the passageway (7) receives the stem of said tee with a frictional grip.

9. A golf tee unit according to any one of Claims 1-8, characterised in that the unit includes a tee (13); and in that the tee extends through an opening (17) in the anchoring device (11) with the stem of said tee held by friction in the body passageway (7) in a unit storage state.