WO2012026817A2

WO2012026817A2 - Golf tee device and method for operation thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2012026817A2
Application number: PCT/NL2011/050581
Authority: WO
Inventors: Arie van Wijngaarden
Original assignee: Van Wijngaarden Beheer B.V.
Priority date: 2010-08-26
Filing date: 2011-08-26
Publication date: 2012-03-01
Also published as: NL2005277C2; WO2012026817A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a golf tee device, comprising a drive for displacing the vertical position of at least the upper outer end of the tee between a high and a low position, a feed mechanism for feeding a golf ball to the upper outer end of the tee in the low position, a sensor for measuring the load on the drive during displacement and an interrupter for the drive when the load exceeds a predetermined value. The invention further relates to a method for operating such a golf tee device.

Description

Golf tee device and method for operation thereof

The present invention relates to a golf tee device and a method for operation thereof. The method particularly relates to a golf tee device provided with a feed mechanism for automated feed of a golf ball to the upper outer end of the tee.

Golf tee devices (hereinbelow: golf tee(s) or tee(s)) of this type are per se known and are for instance applied where golfers wish to hit golf balls from a tee at short intervals, for instance in order to practise a stroke. The known tees with an automated feed mechanism are provided with a motor which displaces the upper part of the tee between a lower position, in which a golf ball is placed on the tee, and an upper position in which the golf ball is situated some distance from a ground surface so that it can be struck. When the upper and lower positions are reached, the motor is switched off. Such tees fulfil a certain requirement, but have in addition a number of drawbacks. One of the most important of these is that during displacement of the outer end of the tee between the different positions there is the danger of them clamping objects and, depending on the position in which they are located, continuing to attempt to reach the upper or lower position. The clamping of objects, for instance golf balls which have come to lie in an unintended position, firstly increases the chance of damage to the tee, for instance because the drive hereby becomes overloaded or even fails. In addition, it is possible for vulnerable objects, such as limbs of golf players, to become caught in the device, which can result in pain and/or injury. It is therefore an object of the present invention to at least partly obviate said drawbacks or provide a practicable alternative to the existing tees.

According to the invention a golf tee is provided for this purpose with a drive for displacing the vertical position of at least the upper outer end of the tee between a high and a low position and a feed mechanism for feeding a golf ball to the upper outer end of the tee in the low position, provided with a sensor for measuring the load (resistance) of the drive during displacement and an interrupter for the drive when the load exceeds a predetermined value. In addition to the advantages of the known devices, this golf tee device provides the advantage that, by interrupting the drive when the predetermined value of the load thereon is exceeded, the drive is on the one hand protected from damage and/or premature or excessive wear, and the danger of objects being clamped by the golf tee or parts thereof is on the other hand obviated. The predetermined value of the load can be selected such that it lies just below a permissible peak load on the drive or corresponds to a force which is still just permissible and which the drive may exert without causing danger to objects or limbs. The golf tee device is thus adapted to detect, preferably in continuous manner, the resistance to which the drive is subjected during displacement of the tee between the low position and the high position in order to be able to monitor the functioning of the displacement of the tee.

In a practical embodiment the sensor can be formed by a Hall sensor. Such sensors are particularly suitable for accurately determining a force and can be easily incorporated in an electrical measuring and control system.

The drive can for instance be an electrical drive. Such drives are robust, easy to control, also remotely and in automated manner, and are low-maintenance. For the safety of the users of the golf tee it is possible to opt to embody the drive as a low- voltage device, particularly a low voltage of a maximum of 48 volt and more particularly of a maximum of 24 volt. In the case of unintentional contact such a voltage level poses no or hardly any danger, while the level is on the other hand high enough to limit the chance of electrical failure in an outside environment. When use is made of an electrical drive as described above, the sensor can simply be adapted to measure a current consumed by at least a part of the drive. In the case of a voltage-controlled regulation with further known preconditions, this current is a good indication of the load on the drive. In order to achieve a particularly high accuracy here, this drive can comprise a servomotor or stepping motor. Other than a regular electric motor, this type of motor is particularly suitable for the present invention because the number of revolutions made thereby, and thereby also the displacement of the tee, can be very precisely regulated. Use can for instance be made here of a control system (control unit) for displacing the upper outer end of the tee with a predetermined speed pattern between the high and the low position. This speed pattern can be obtained by regulating the frequency of the steps of the motor and can for instance be selected such that during displacement the tee first has a rising (increasing) speed, and subsequently a decreasing speed such that the displacement takes place in a minimum period of time. A mass inertia of the tee, whether or not it is provided with a golf ball, can be compensated by applying such a non-linear speed pattern, whereby a smoother movement of the tee can be realized. This smoother movement is also advantageous for the stability of a golf ball supported by the tee, whereby the chance of the golf ball unintentionally leaving the tee during vertical displacement of the tee can be reduced considerably.

In order to correct possible irregularities or a shift or drift it is possible to arrange a calibration sensor for at least one position of the tee, for instance in the form of an optical sensor. When this position is reached, determined by a signal being generated by the optical sensor, the control system controlling the drive knows the location of the tee.

For displacement thereof the tee can for instance be connected to a carriage which is displaceable by the drive. Such a carriage can in turn be connected to an endless belt which is displaceable by the drive. Such transmissions have proven to be a reliable solution for a translating movement which is intended for the displacement of the tee.

In an advantageous embodiment such an endless belt can at least form part of one side of a closed housing of the drive and for instance be manufactured from a flexible metal strip or from an optionally toothed rubber.

The invention also relates to a method for operating a golf tee device, in particular a golf tee device according to the invention, comprising of: displacing the vertical position of at least the upper outer end of the tee between a high and low position; measuring the load on the drive during the displacement; and interrupting the drive when the load exceeds a predetermined value. The electric current consumed by the drive during displacement of the tee is preferably measured here. It is advantageous for the tee to be displaced in accordance with a predetermined speed pattern during displacement of the upper outer end of the tee between the high and the low position. A golf ball will generally be positioned on the upper outer end of the tee as soon as the tee has reached the low position. Further advantages and embodiment variants of the method according to the invention have already been described in the foregoing and are further described hereinbelow. Further details of the invention will be elucidated with reference to the following non- limitative figures, in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the present invention in a first position;

- Figure 2 is a perspective view of a device according to the present invention in a second position;

- Figure 3 shows a graph of a current and speed of the tee in time;

- Figure 4 is a schematic side view of a drive of the tee.

Figure 1 shows a golf tee 1 with a drive 2 for displacing the vertical position of at least the upper outer end 3 of the tee between a high A and a low B position. Also shown is a feed mechanism 4 for feeding a golf ball (not shown) to upper outer end 3 of the tee in the low position. Also present is a sensor (shown schematically in figure 4) for measuring the load on the drive during the displacement and an interrupter (shown schematically in figure 4) for the drive when the load exceeds a predetermined value.

Figure 2 shows device 1 of figure 1 in a second perspective view, wherein the upper outer end 3 of the tee is in a position A and supports a golf ball 5.

Figure 3 shows a graph in which a desired speed v* of the upper outer end of the tee, an actual speed v and a motor current I are shown as a function of time t or location A, B. It can be seen that the desired speed first increases and subsequently decreases in order to displace the tee with a smooth speed pattern (in the shown example substantially sine-shaped or parabolic). The speed increase and speed decrease, also referred to as acceleration, can here also be regulated and varied in time, whereby mass inertia of the tee (and a golf ball positioned thereon) can be better compensated. Figure 3 shows that the actual speed v lags behind current I.

Figure 4 is a schematic overview of device 1 according to the present invention. Shown in the figure is a calibration sensor 6 for determining a fixed position for tee 3 which is mounted on a carriage 11. The carriage is attached to an endless belt 10 which can be displaced via wheels or rollers 8, 9. These are shown schematically in figure 4, although in a practical realization they can for instance be toothed. Belt 10 forms at least a part of housing 12 in which drive 2 is received. Wheel or roller 8 is connected to a motor 2, which is provided with a control 7 to which a feedback 13 is fed from a current measurement on the motor and to which a signal generated by sensor 6 is fed for the purpose of enabling calibration of the position of the tee.

In this example motor 2 is formed by a 24- Volt stepping or servomotor, wherein the overall distance A-B of 40 mm is subdivided into 2000 to 8000 steps. At a power of 0.25 Nm a current of 40 ma can be expected. If however the current exceeds 70 ma, the control detects that an irregularity is occurring and the drive is interrupted in order to prevent damage to the golf tee or objects, or injury to limbs.

In addition to the described non-limitative embodiments, diverse variants can be .

envisaged which are all deemed to fall within the scope of protection of the following claims.

Claims

1. Golf tee device, comprising:

a drive for displacing the vertical position of at least the upper outer end of the tee between a high and a low position;

a feed mechanism for feeding a golf ball to the upper outer end of the tee in the low position;

a sensor for measuring the load on the drive during displacement of the tee; and an interrupter for the drive when the load exceeds a predetermined value.

2. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive comprises at least one servomotor or stepping motor.

3. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor is adapted to measure the load on the drive at least between the low position and the high position.

4. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sensor is adapted to measure the load on the drive continuously during displacement of the tee between the high and the low position.

5. Golf tee device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the sensor is a Hall sensor.

6. Golf tee device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the drive is an electrical drive.

7. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the drive is a low-voltage device, particularly a low voltage of a maximum of 48 volt and more particularly of a maximum of 24 volt.

8. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the sensor measures a current consumed by at least a part of the drive.

9. Golf tee device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the golf tee device further comprises a control system for displacing the upper outer end of the tee with a predetermined speed pattern between the high and the low position.

10. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the speed pattern is non-linear.

11. Golf tee device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the golf tee device is provided with a calibration sensor for at least one position of the tee.

12. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the calibration sensor comprises an optical sensor.

13. Golf tee device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the tee is connected to a carriage which is displaceable by the drive.

14. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the carriage is connected to an endless belt which is displaceable by the drive.

15. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the endless belt at least forms part of one side of a closed housing of the drive.

16. Golf tee device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the endless belt is manufactured from a flexible metal strip.

17. Method for operating a golf tee device, in particular a golf tee device as claimed in any of the claims 1-16, comprising of:

displacing the vertical position of at least the upper outer end of the tee between a high and low position;

measuring the load on the drive during the displacement;

· interrupting the drive when the load exceeds a predetermined value.

18. Method as claimed in claim 17, comprising of:

measuring a current consumed by at least a part of the drive.

19. Method as claimed in claim 17 or 18, comprising of:

displacing the upper outer end of the tee with a predetermined speed pattern between the high and the low position.

20. Method as claimed in any of the claims 17-19, comprising of:

feeding a golf ball to the upper outer end of the tee in the low position.