WO2004105894A1

WO2004105894A1 - Golf tee

Info

Publication number: WO2004105894A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/001292
Authority: WO
Inventors: Heung Goo Kim
Original assignee: Heung Goo Kim
Priority date: 2003-06-02
Filing date: 2004-05-31
Publication date: 2004-12-09
Also published as: KR200323616Y1; EP1628717A4; EP1628717A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a golf tee in which a body part (60) with a ball seat (61) is separated from a peg part (70). The golf tee includes the body part (60). The body part has the ball seat (61) to seat thereon a golf ball, upper coupling supports (62) protruded outwards from opposite positions of the body part, and a coupling protrusion (63) provided on a lower end of the body part. The golf tee further includes the peg part (70) coupled to the lower end of the body part (60). The peg part (70) has a contact rim (73) provided on an upper end of the peg part to correspond to an edge of the lower end of the body part, and lower coupling supports (72) protruded outwards from opposite positions of the peg part. The golf tee further includes a pair of elastic connection units 80 coupled to the upper coupling supports of the body part and the lower coupling supports of the peg part.

Description

GOLF TEE

Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, to golf tees in which body parts with ball seats can be separated from peg parts and, more particularly, to a golf tee in which the body part with the ball seat is removably coupled to the peg part by an elastic connection unit and a coupling unit, so that the body part moves downwards when the body part is removed from an upper end of the peg unit.

Background Art

Generally, golf tees are inserted into and fastened on teeing grounds to support golf balls thereon, before golfers execute tee shots in the teeing grounds. When the golfers strike the golf balls seated on the golf tees, the golfers may undesirably strike an upper part of the golf tees along with the golf balls.

As a result, the golf tees may be damaged or may be driven far from the tee shot positions. Thus, the golfers may lose the golf tees. Furthermore, distances of driving the golf balls are reduced due to resistances of the golf tees. In addition, the golf balls may be driven in undesirable directions, thus decreasing the driving ability of the golfers. Moreover, the conventional golf tees force the golfers to bring several additional golf tees, thus causing inconvenience to the golfers.

In an effort to overcome the above problems experienced in the conventional golf tees, another golf tee was proposed in Korean Utility Registration No. 230662. The conventional golf tee of No. 230662 will be explained herein below. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of this conventional golf tee.

The conventional golf tee of No. 230662 includes a body part 21. The body part 21 has a ball seat 32 to seat thereon a golf ball, and a coupling end 38 which is provided on a central portion of a lower end of the body part 21 while being depressed to a predetermined depth. The golf tee further includes a peg part 22 which has a longitudinal shape and includes an inserting end 42 to correspond to the coupling end 38 of the body part 21, with a pointed lower end 44. The golf tee further includes a separation part. The separation part has a through hole 25 which has a small diameter and is provided on a central portion of the coupling end 38 of the body part 21, and a guide hole 34 which has a diameter larger than that of the through hole 25 and is axially formed in the body part 21 over the through hole 25. The separation part further has a ball 26 which is provided in the guide hole 34 and has a diameter larger than that of the through hole 25 and smaller than that of the guide hole 34. The separation part further has a connection rope 50 to couple the ball 26 to a central portion of the insert end 42 of the peg part 22. In this conventional golf tee, the coupling end 38 and the insert end 42, which are provided on the body part 21 and the peg part 22, respectively, are coupled to each other. When the body part 21 is separated from the peg part 22, the body part 21 is connected to the peg part 22 by the connection rope 50, thus preventing the golf tee from being damaged due to the resistance of the golf tee or from being lost. However, if the coupling of the coupling end 38 to the insert end 42 is loosened by use over a long period, the golf tee causes inconvenience to the golfer through difficulty using the golf tee and seating the golf ball on the golf tee. Otherwise, if the coupling of the coupling end 38 to the insert end 42 is excessively strong, ώe body part 21 may not become separated from the peg part 22 even when the golfer strikes the golf tee. As such, the coupling of the coupling end 38 to the insert end 42 determines the reliability of the conventional golf tee. Furthermore, when the body part 21 is separated from the peg part 22, the connection rope 50 may interfere with the movement of the golf club.

Disclosure of the Invention

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a golf tee, including: a body part, having a ball seat to seat thereon a golf ball, upper coupling supports protruded outwards from opposite positions of an outer surface of an upper portion of the body part, and a coupling protrusion provided on a central portion of a lower end of the body part; a peg part coupled to the lower end of the body part, and having a contact rim provided on an upper end of the peg part to correspond to an edge of the lower end of the body part, and lower coupling supports protruded outwards from opposite positions of an outer surface of the peg part under the contact rim; and a pair of elastic connection units coupled at upper and lower ends thereof to the upper coupling supports of the body part and the lower coupling supports of the peg part, so that the body part and the peg part are in close contact with each other due to restoring forces of the elastic connection units.

The golf tee may further include a coupling hook having a linear part and provided on the lower end of the body part; and a coupling link provided on the peg part to receive therein the linear part of the coupling part. Therefore, the peg part and the body part having the ball seat are firmly coupled to each other. The body part having the ball seat is easily separated from the peg part when the horizontal striking impact is applied to the body part.

Furthermore, the body part is separated from an upper end of the peg part and, simultaneously, moves downwards to prevent interfering with a movement of a golf club. Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional golf tee;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a golf tee, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an operation of a golf tee, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an operation of a golf tee, according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing use of the golf tee of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a golf tee, according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an operation of a golf tee, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an operation of a golf tee, according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing use of the golf tee of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the golf tee according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a body part 60 which has a ball seat 61 to seat thereon a golf ball, and a peg part 70 which is coupled to a lower end of the body part 60 to be inserted into the ground. The golf tee further includes an elastic connection unit 80 to connect the body part 60 to the peg part 70. Each golf tee according to the second and third embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 further includes a coupling ring 91 and a coupling hook 92 to couple the body part 60 to the peg part 70. When a horizontal striking force is applied to an upper portion of the body part 60, the body part 60 is separated from an upper end of the peg part 70. Therefore, the golf tee of the present invention does not decrease the driving ability of a golfer and does not interfere with a drive of the golf ball. The elastic connection unit 80 of a rope type comprises the pair of elastic connection units 80 which is provided between opposite positions of the body part 60 and the peg part 70. Thus, the body part 60 and the peg part 70 are in close contact with each other due to restoring forces of the elastic connection units 80.

The elastic connection units 80 are provided between opposite positions of the body part 60 and the peg part 70, thus being expanded. Therefore, when a striking force capable of inclining the body part 60 is horizontally applied to the upper portion of the body part 60, the body part 60 is inclined and, simultaneously, the upper portion of the body part 60 is pulled downwards by the restoring forces of the elastic connection units 80. As a result, the body part 60 is completely separated from the peg part 70.

As such, the body part 60 is removed from a track of a swung golf club by even a small force capable of inclining the body part 60. Therefore, the golf tee does not interfere with the drive of the golf ball and does not lessen the distance that a golf ball is driven, thus enhancing the striking sense of the golfer.

Any rope-type elastic unit, for example, a soft elastic unit, such as a rubber band, or a hard elastic unit, such as a spring, can be used as the elastic connection unit 80. When the lower end of the body part 60 is coupled to the upper end of the peg part 70, the elastic connection unit 80 is expanded. When the body part 60 is separated from the peg part 70, the elastic connection unit 80 is returned to an original state thereof to place the body part 60 near the peg part 70.

If the elastic connection unit 80 is made of a material having low elasticity or is excessively long in comparison with a height of a part of the peg part 70 exposed above the ground, or the body part 60 is excessively light, when the golfer strikes the upper portion of the golf tee with the golf club, the body part 60 may be bent to the upper end of the peg part 70 or may move upwards before the golf club completely past the golf tee. Thus, the body part 60 may interfere with the movement of the golf club.

To avoid these cases and to enhance the operational reliability of the golf tee, each of the golf tees according to the second and third embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 further includes the coupling ring 91 and the coupling hook 92. The coupling ring 91 and the coupling hook 92 are provided on the body part 60 and the peg part 70, respectively, while being coupled to each other. Therefore, when the body part 60 is separated from the upper end of the peg part 70 by the inclination of the body part 60 which is coupled to a predetermined position of the upper end of the peg part 70, the upper end of the body part 60 automatically moves downwards. Thus, the body part 60 and the elastic connection units 80 rapidly escape from the track of the golf club.

The detailed construction of the above-mentioned elements of the golf tee of the present invention will be described herein below. The body part 60 includes the ball seat 61 which is formed on the upper end of the body part 60 to seat the golf ball thereon. The body part 60 further includes a pair of upper coupling supports 61 which protrude outwards from opposite positions under the ball seat 61 to support thereon first ends of the elastic connection units 80. The body part 60 further includes a coupling protrusion 63 which is provided on a central portion of the lower end of the body part 60. A coupling surface, which is a surface to contact with the peg part 70, is provided around the coupling protrusion on the lower end of the body part 60.

The upper end of the peg part 70 has a predetermined shape to correspond to the body part

60 which has at the central portion thereof the coupling protrusion 63. The peg part 70 includes a pair of lower coupling supports 62 which protrude outwards from opposite positions of an outer surface of the peg part 70 to support thereon second ends of the elastic connection units 80.

The peg part 70 further includes a contact rim 73 which is provided along an outer edge of the upper end of the peg part 70 to place thereon the coupling surface which is defined on the lower end of the body part 60. Thus, the lower end of the body part 60 and the upper end of the peg part 70 are in close contact with each other at their outer edges. Corresponding to the contact rim 73 provided along the outer edge of the upper end of the peg part 70, a receiving depression is provided on a central portion of the upper end of the peg part 70 to receive therein the coupling protrusion 63. Thus, the contact rim 73 serves as a stopper to support therein the coupling protrusion 63, so that the body part 60 is prevent from being undesirably removed from the peg part 70.

As such, the receiving depression, provided in the contact rim 73, receives therein the coupling protrusion 63. Furthermore, the receiving depression has sufficient space to allow the body part 60 to be easily separated from the peg part 70 when the body part 60 is inclined. In the meantime, the coupling protrusion 63 may be provided on the outer edge of the lower end of the body part 60, different from the above-mentioned structure of the body part

60. At this time, the upper end of the peg part 70 has another shape to correspond to the lower end of the body part 60. Thus, the body part 60 and the peg part 70 are in close contact with each other at their outer edges and do not slip. In addition, when the body part 60 is inclined, the body part 60 can be easily separated from the peg part 70. The upper coupling supports 62 and the lower coupling supports 72 have uniaxial shapes and horizontally pass through the body part 60 and the peg part 70 respectively to provide protrusions on opposite sides. As shown in FIG. 2, an end of each of the upper coupling supports 62 and the lower coupling supports 72 may have a ring-shaped appearance to be easily coupled to the elastic connection units 80. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, the end of each of the upper coupling supports 62 and the lower coupling supports 72 may have an extra part to support thereon a support ring. Thus, the elastic connection units 80 are coupled to the support rings.

The coupling ring 91 has a linear part and is provided on the lower end of the body part

60. The coupling hook 92 is provided on the peg part 70 to receive therein the linear part of the coupling part 91. Accordingly, when the body part 60 is removed from the upper end of the peg part 70, the body part 60 is rotated downwards around the linear part of the coupling ring 91 while being coupled to the upper end of the peg part 70.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the present invention provides a golf tee in which a peg part and a body part having a ball seat are firmly coupled to each other, and the body part is easily removed from a track of a swung golf club by even a small force capable of inclining the body part. Therefore, the golf tee does not interfere with the drive of the golf ball and does not lessen the distance that a golf ball is driven, thus enhancing the driving ability of the golfer.

Furthermore, when the body part is separated from an upper end of the peg part, the body part rapidly moves downwards. Therefore, the golf tee of the present invention does not interfere with the movement of the swung golf club.

Claims

1. A golf tee, comprising: a body part, comprising: a ball seat to seat thereon a golf ball; upper coupling supports protruded outwards from opposite positions of an outer surface of an upper portion of the body part; and a coupling protrusion provided on a central portion of a lower end of the body part; a peg part coupled to the lower end of the body part, and comprising: a contact rim provided on an upper end of the peg part to correspond to an edge of the lower end of the body part; and lower coupling supports protruded outwards from opposite positions of an outer surface of the peg part under the contact rim; and a pair of elastic connection units coupled at upper and lower ends thereof to the upper coupling supports of the body part and the lower coupling supports of the peg part, so that the body part and the peg part are in close contact with each other due to restoring forces of the elastic connection units.

2. The golf tee according to claim 1, further comprising: a coupling hook having a linear part and provided on the lower end of the body part; and a coupling link provided on the peg part to receive therein the linear part of the coupling part.