WO2004069346A1

WO2004069346A1 - Golf tee

Info

Publication number: WO2004069346A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/001980
Authority: WO
Inventors: In-Sun Bae
Original assignee: Sunplatech. Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2003-02-10
Filing date: 2003-09-29
Publication date: 2004-08-19
Also published as: KR20040072216A; AU2003264981A1

Abstract

There is provided a golf tee for easily adjusting its height from the ground in accordance with the green conditions, the golf tee having a lower support including a tip inserted into the ground, a top of the lower support being tray-shaped and having a coupling groove at the center of the top and a cut groove formed on the top thereof, and a neck located between the tip and the top of the lower support; an upper support coupled with the lower support and including a protrusion located on the bottom of the upper support and inserted into the coupling groove of the lower support, and a top of the upper support for resting a golf ball thereon; and a connection line, one end of which is drawn from the protrusion of the upper support, and drawn out of the golf tee through the coupling groove and the connection line outlet of the lower support.

Description

GOLF TEE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a golf tee, and more particularly, to a golf tee for

easily adjusting the height of the cup for resting a golf ball from the ground depending on

the conditions of the grass length in the field, being easily portable, maximizing the flying

distance in tee shots, maximizing the life span not interfering hitting of the golf ball, and

being usable for fancy goods or sales promotions for advertising.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, a golf tee is used to maximize the flying distance during practicing of

tee shots by comfortably resting a golf ball distanced from the ground in the field, and

minimizing the interference due to the field grass, etc. in a drive swing.

Such a golf tee is composed of a cup portion and a support portion, which are

integrally formed. The cup portion is tray-shaped in its top and formed into golf ball

surface for comfortably resting a golf ball thereon, and the shaft portion is configured to

support the cup portion and has a nail-shaped tip to be inserted into the ground.

However, the cup portion of the golf tee needs to be placed properly distanced

upwardly from the ground and so, the height of the golf tee from the ground should be

adjusted in accordance with the green conditions in the field such as the grass length, etc.

Therefore, various sizes of golf tees having different height dimension are necessary to

carry along with, which might be inconvenient in the field. That is, in the case that the length of the green grass is short from the ground, a

short-heighted golf tee is used, and in the case that the length of the green grass is long

from the ground, a long-heighted golf tee is used, and so, various sizes of golf tees, varied

in the height dimension, should be normally carried in accordance with the length of the

green grass.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to provide a golf tee that

substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of

the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf tee being capable of

allowing to easily cope with the height of the cup for resting a golf ball from the ground in

accordance with the conditions of the grass length in the field, being conveniently portable,

maximizing the flying distance in tee shots by minimizing the hitting interference of a club

during the practicing of tee shots, not interfering hitting of the golf ball, and maximizing its

life span, by configuring the structure of the golf tee such that an upper support is attached

to a lower support but freely detachable therefrom with a connection line engaged with

them without the interference during tee shots.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf tee having a pendant

connected to the connection line so as to be usable for fancy goods or sales promotions for

advertising.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be

learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention

will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written

description and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the

present invention, as embodied and broadly described, a golf tee having a cup portion

being formed into golf ball surface on which a golf ball can comfortably rest, and a shaft

portion supporting the cup portion, in which the golf tee may include a lower support

including a tip being shaped like a nail and being inserted into the ground to be held in

place, a top of the lower support being tray-shaped located on the top of the lower support

and having a coupling groove into which an upper support is fit to be coupled with the

lower support and a cut groove formed on the top thereof through which a connection

line is drawn out of the golf tee, and a neck being located between the tip and the top of the

lower support and having a connection line outlet communicating with the coupling groove

of the top of the lower support through the outer peripheral surface of the neck; an upper

support having a predetermined height and being coupled with the lower support for

extending the height of the support portion of the golf tee and including a protrusion

located on the bottom of the upper support and being inserted into the coupling groove of

the lower support, and a top of the upper support being tray-shaped located on the top of

the upper support for resting a golf ball thereon; and a connection line, one end of which is

drawn from the protrusion of the upper support, and drawn out of the golf tee through the

coupling groove and the connection line outlet of the lower support. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connection line may be

configured such that it is inserted into the through hole of the upper support with a stopper

attached to its one end, and passes through the passage hole with the stopper caught in the

passage hole, and is drawn out of the golf tee through the coupling groove and the

connection line outlet of the lower support with a predetermined length, and has a pendant

attached to its the other end.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following

detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further

explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further

understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this

specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description

serve to explain the principles of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the structure of the golf tee according to

one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the golf tee of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of a lower support according to one embodiment

of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a view of the structure of the golf tee according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the golf tee of the present invention, which is carried.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present

invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the structure of the golf tee 1 according

to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the golf tee 1 of

Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the golf tee 1 of Fig. 2.

Generally, a golf tee is mainly comprised of a tray-shaped cup portion for

comfortably resting a golf ball thereon and a support portion for supporting the cup portion,

and specifically, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the golf tee 1 of one embodiment of the present

invention may include a lower support 10, an upper support 20, which function as the

above main portions, and a connection line 30 for connecting these two supports.

The lower support 10 includes a tip 11, a top of the lower support 12, and a neck

14, which are integrally formed. The tip 11 is nail-shaped to be inserted into the ground,

and the top of the lower support 12 is tray-shaped and has a coupling groove 13 into which

the upper support 20 is fit to be coupled with the lower support 10 and a cut groove 12a

formed on the top thereof through which the connection line is drawn out of the golf tee.

The neck 14 is located between the top of the lower support 12 and the tip 11, and

has a connection line outlet 15 communicating with the coupling groove 13 of the top of

the lower support 12 through the outer peripheral surface of the neck 14. The golf tee of the present invention is made of an elastic material, and is formed

such that the connection line 30 does not slip of itself out of the cut groove 12a when the

connection line 30 is fit into that.

Preferably, the neck 14 of the lower support 10 is formed to have a height

difference with the top of the lower support 12 and the tip 11, which are adjacent thereto,

and the connection line outlet 15 is formed on a height difference portion 14a adjacent to

the tip 11.

In the lower support 10 structured as above, the connection line 30 can freely run

through the lower support 10, passing by the connection line outlet 15 and the coupling

groove 13.

The upper support 20 has a protrusion 21 formed on its bottom to be inserted into

the coupling groove 13 of the lower support 10 in order to couple the upper support 20 and

the lower support 10 and extend the length of the tray-shaped cup of the golf tee, and a top

of the upper support 22 being tray-shaped for resting a golf ball thereon.

Preferably, the upper support 20 further includes a through hole 23 penetrating

thereinside with a predetermined radius from the center of the top of the upper support 22

to the protrusion 21, and a passage hole 24 penetrating the protrusion 21 from the through

hole 23 with a radius smaller than that of the through hole 23.

The through hole 23 of the upper support 20 is preferably formed such that the tip

11 of the lower support 10 can be inserted thereinto.

One end of the connection line 30 comes out from the protrusion 21 of the upper

support 20, and is drawn out of the golf tee through the coupling groove 13 and the connection line outlet 15 of the lower support 10.

Preferably, the connection line 30 is configured such that it is inserted into the

through hole 23 of the upper support 20 with a stopper 33 attached to its one end, and

passes through the passage hole 24 with the stopper 33 caught in the passage hole 24, and

is drawn out of the golf tee through the coupling groove 13 and the coimection line outlet

15 of the lower support 10 with a predetermined length, and has a pendant 35 attached to

its the other end.

The stopper 33 may be configured to have a ball shape for the connection line 30

to move inside the through hole 23 freely.

The pendant 35 is possibly used as a handle of the golf tee, or can be formed as

pretty fancy goods with an advertising copy put thereon.

Now, an explanation will be made on how the golf tee 1 structured as above of the

present invention works.

In the golf tee according to the present invention, the upper support 20 is further

provided on the lower support 10, which is to support a golf ball 2 distanced above the

ground, and the upper support 20 is freely detachable from the lower support 10, which

results in an easy adjustment of the height of the support depending on the green

conditions.

That is, in the case that the length of the green is short enough with the height of

the lower support 10 integrally formed with the tip 11, the lower support 10 only is used as

shown in Fig. 4. In the case that the length of the green is long, and the height of the

support is necessary to raise, the upper support 20 is coupled with the lower support 10 so as to adjust the height of the support as shown in Fig. 3.

When practicing tee shots with the upper support 20 coupled with the lower

support 10, the upper support 20 is apt to be hit together and so, the upper support 20 is

easily detached from the lower support 10. Therefore, the damage such as crack, etc. can

be minimized, and the lost of the support can be prevented because the upper support 20 is

connected to the lower support 10 by using the connection line 30. As a result, the usage

and management are easy.

Further, in the case of using the lower support 10 only, as shown in Fig. 4, the

connection line 30 is drawn through the cut groove 12a from the top of the lower support

12 directing downwardly so as not to be exposed above the top of the lower support 12.

The connection line 30 is prevented from being slipped out of the cut groove 12a

since it is made of elastic material and fit into the cut groove 12a so as not to interfere a

golf ball during tee shots by the connection line itself.

Furthermore, the upper support 20 should be placed distanced away from the tee

shot area by drawing out the connection line 30 fully enough for the upper support 20 not

to interfere the tee shots.

Further, as shown in Fig. 5, the sharp tip 11 of the lower support 10 can be inserted

into the through hole 23 of the upper support 20. Therefore, when a golfer moves in the

green with the golf tee, having the tip 11 inserted into the through hole 23, in his pocket, he

does not have to worry about the sharp tip, otherwise it may injure him or damage his

wearing.

Further, the pendant 35 hanging on the end of the connection line 30 may be fancy goods such as a key ring, or with advertising copy put thereon, it can be used as a sales

promotion.

As described above, the golf tee of the present invention is configured such that

the upper support 20 is detachable from the lower support 10. As a result, the height of

the golf ball resting on the top of the support from the ground can be conveniently adjusted

in accordance with the green conditions to help the practicing of tee shots.

Further, the lower support 10 is connected to the upper support 20 with the

connection line 30 engaged with them so as to prevent the interference during the

practicing of tee shots. Further, the pendant hanging on the connection line 30 functions

as a hand grip, and can be efficiently used as a fancy goods for a sales promotion.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, the golf tee of the present invention provides conveniences in

which the height of its support portion can be easily adjusted in accordance with the grass

length of the green, and its portability and life span can be improved. Further, it provides

the efficiency of tee shots in which the flying distance is maximized without the

hinderance of his hitting. Further, it can be usefully employed for fancy goods or sales

promotions for advertising.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated herein with

reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the

art that various modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from

the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers

the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A golf tee having a cup portion being formed into golf ball surface on which a

golf ball can comfortably rest, and a shaft portion supporting the cup portion, the golf tee

comprising:

a lower support including a tip being shaped like a nail and being inserted into the

ground to be held in place, a top of the lower support being tray-shaped located on the top

of the lower support and having a coupling groove into which an upper support is fit to be

coupled with the lower support and a cut groove formed on the top thereof through which a

connection line is drawn out of the golf tee, and a neck being located between the tip and

the top of the lower support and having a connection line outlet communicating with the

coupling groove of the top of the lower support through the outer peripheral surface of the

neck;

an upper support having a predetermined height and being coupled with the lower

support for extending the height of the support portion of the golf tee and including a

protrusion located on the bottom of the upper support and being inserted into the coupling

groove of the lower support, and a top of the upper support being tray-shaped located on

the top of the upper support for resting a golf ball thereon; and

a connection line, one end of which is drawn from the protrusion of the upper

support, and drawn out of the golf tee through the coupling groove and the connection line

outlet of the lower support.

2. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the neck of the lower support is formed to have a height difference with the top of the lower support and the tip, which are adjacent thereto,

and the connection line outlet is formed on a height difference portion adjacent to the tip.

3. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the upper support further comprises a through

hole penetrating thereinside with a predetermined radius from the center of the top of the

upper support to the protrusion, and a passage hole penetrating the protrusion from the

through hole with a radius smaller than that of the through hole.

4. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the connection line is configured such that it is

inserted into the tlirough hole of the upper support with a stopper attached to its one end,

and passes through the passage hole with the stopper caught in the passage hole, and is

drawn out of the golf tee through the coupling groove and the connection line outlet of the

lower support with a predetermined length, and has a pendant attached to its the other end.

5. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the through hole of the upper support is

configured for the tip of the lower support to be inserted thereinto.