Golf bag

Abstract

A golf bag having a bag body with a receiving space and a top portion and a bottom portion mounted on opposite ends of the bag body. A connecting unit including connecting members is mounted on an external surface of the bag body. A supporting unit having an adjustable length is located in the bag body. When the connecting members are coupled to each other and the length of the supporting unit is reduced, the external surface of the bag body is folded and the size of the golf bag is reduced. Therefore, the volume of the receiving space of the bag body can be adjusted according to articles to be received in the receiving space, and also the size of the golf bag can be adjusted for easy storage or carrying.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to golf bags, and more particularly, to a golf bag having an adjustable size or volume.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A commercially available golf bag is usually formed integrally as a single rigid body with a fixed size or volume. Such a golf bag, when empty or only containing a few of articles, would undesirably occupy large space but cannot be adjusted or reduced in size, thereby leading to great inconvenience in carrying or storing the golf bag especially in a confined area such as vehicle trunk.

[0003] A conventional golf bag normally has a length of about three feet and a diameter of about one foot and is considered as a large golf bag. With a golf club placed in the bag, the head and part of the shaft of the golf club protrudes from the bag, making the total length of the bag including the club increased to about four feet. Such a long bag is difficult to be placed in the vehicle trunk.

[0004] Accordingly, there is a telescopic golf club composed of a plurality of shafts. These shafts are assembled and sleeved with each other, allowing the length of the golf club to be adjusted by rotating the shafts with respect to each other, so as to extend the golf club to an extent suitable for playing golf or shorten the golf club for easy storage. However, there has been no appropriate golf bag provided for this golf club, which can be flexibly adjusted in size according to the change of the length of the golf club.

[0005] Therefore, the problem to be solved here is to provide a golf bag having an adjustable size or volume suiting variably-sized articles to be received therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] An objective of the present invention is to provide a golf bag whose size or occupied spaced can be reduced for easy carrying and storage.

[0007] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a golf bag whose volume can be flexibly adjusted if necessary.

[0008] To achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention proposes a golf bag including a bag body having a receiving space, with a top portion and a bottom portion respectively mounted on opposite ends of the bag body; a connecting unit comprising a set of connecting members and mounted on an external surface of the bag body; and a supporting unit located in the receiving space of the bag body to support the bag body, the supporting unit having an adjustable length; wherein when the connecting members are coupled to each other and the length of the supporting unit is reduced, the external surface of the bag body is folded and the size of the golf bag is decreased.

[0009] The connecting members include a zipper slider and corresponding slider tracks on the external surface of the bag body, such that the zipper slider and corresponding slider tracks can be fastened together to fold the external surface and reduce the volume of the bag body.

[0010] The supporting unit includes a set of inner tubes and a set of corresponding outer tubes, wherein these tubes are inserted in insertion holes formed on the top and bottom portions. The outer tubes are sleeved around the inner tubes. A clamping member is mounted on each of the outer tubes to fasten each pair of the inner tube and outer tube or release the fastening between the corresponding inner tube and outer tube.

[0011] The golf bag according to the present invention beneficially allows the volume of the receiving space of the bag body to be adjusted according to articles that are received in the receiving space, and also allows the size of the golf bag to be adjusted for easy storage or carrying.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the appearance of a golf bag according to the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the interior structure of the golf bag according to the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a clamping member of the golf bag according to the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the clamping member of FIG. 3 mounted on a supporting unit of the golf bag according to the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the golf bag with a reduced volume according to the present invention; and

[0018] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the golf bag according to the present invention stored in a vehicle trunk.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a golf bag 1 proposed in the present invention, which can be used for storing golf clubs. This golf bag 1 includes a bag body 10 having a receiving space for receiving articles; a top portion 21 and a bottom portion 22, respectively mounted at the top and bottom ends of the bag body 10, with a plurality of insertion holes 21c, 22c respectively formed on the inner walls of the top and bottom portions 21, 22; a connecting unit 20 mounted on an external surface of the bag body 10; a supporting unit 23 comprising a plurality of inner tubes 231 inserted in the top portion 21 and a plurality of corresponding outer tubes 230 inserted in the bottom portion 22, the supporting unit 23 located in the receiving space to support the bag body 10; and a clamping member 24 mounted on one end of each outer tube 230, for fastening each pair of corresponding inner tube 231 and outer tube 230 together and for adjusting the combined length of each pair of the fastened inner tube 231 and outer tube 230, so as to alternate the volume of the receiving space of the bag body 10. Each pair of the inner tube 231 and outer tube 230 are fastened in a manner that the outer tube 230 is sleeved around the inner tube 231. The connecting unit 20 on the external surface of the bag body 10 comprises a set of connecting members 20a, 20b that can be coupled to each other to allow folding of the bag body 10 or can be detached from each other.

[0020] The bag body 10 is made of a flexible material such as soft or stretchable cloth. The top and bottom portions 21, 22 are made of a plastic material for supporting the articles received in the bag body 10. The connecting members 20a, 20b can be fastened to each other from a location in the middle section of the external surface of the bag body 10 to another location where the golf bag 1 and its receiving space are reduced in size. FIG. 1 shows a state before the connecting members 20a, 20b are fastened to each other, wherein the connecting member 20a is shown at the location where the fastening begins.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the external surface of the bag body 10 may be divided into a first surface 101, a second surface 102, a third surface 103 and a fourth surface 104. In this embodiment, the connecting member 20a is, for example, a zipper slider, and the connecting member 20b comprises, for example, a plurality of slider tracks suitable for the zipper slider 20a. The connecting unit 20 is mounted on the second surface 102 and the third surface 103 at the middle section of the external surface. The position where the connecting member 20a begins to slide is located at the junction between the second and third surfaces 102, 103. The slider tracks of the connecting member 20b are formed diagonally across the second surface 102 and the third surface 103, and also respectively at the junctions between the first and second surfaces 101, 102 and between the third and fourth surfaces 103, 104. When the connecting member 20a slides to fasten with the tracks of the connecting member 20b on the second and third surfaces 102, 103, the second surface 102 and the third surface 103 can be partially folded up. Then, if the connecting member 20a further slides to fasten with the tracks of the connecting member 20b at the junctions between the first and second surfaces 101, 102 and between the third and fourth surfaces 103, 104, the first surface 101 and the fourth surface 104 are connected together, and the second surface 102 and the third surface 103 would be completely folded and received at the inner wall of the bag body 10. As a result, the length and volume of the bag body 10 are both reduced.

[0022] The top and bottom portions 21, 22 are mounted respectively on the top and bottom ends of the bag body 10 and delimit the receiving space in the bag body 10. The top portion 21 has an opening 21a communicating with the receiving space of the bag body, allowing the articles to be placed through the opening 21a into the bag body 10. The bottom portion 22 has a base 22a for supporting the weight of the articles contained in the bag body 10. A plurality of first mounts 21b are formed on the inner wall of the top portion 21, with each of the first mounts 21b having an insertion hole 21c facing towards the bottom portion 22. Similarly, a plurality of second mounts 22b are formed on the inner wall of the bottom portion 22, with each of the second mounts 22b having an insertion hole 22c facing towards the top portion 21. The insertion holes 21c, 22c respectively receive the inner tubes 231 and the outer tubes 230 of the supporting unit 23. One end of each outer tube 230 is formed with an insertion tip 230a for inserting the outer tube 230 into the corresponding insertion hole 22c. The inner tube 231 has a diameter smaller than the outer tube 230 such that the inner tube 231 can slidably mounted inside the outer tube 230. By adjusting the position of the inner tube 231 with respect to the outer tube 230, the distance between the top and bottom portions 21, 22 can be changed and the size of the bag body 10 bounded by the top and bottom portions 21, 22 is changed accordingly.

[0023] Furthermore, besides the connecting members 20a, 20b, the connecting unit 20 can be further provided with at least one pair of coupling members (not shown). The pair of coupling members are respectively mounted on the first surface and the fourth surface of the external surface of the bag body 10. When the second and third surfaces are completely folded and received, the coupling members can be coupled to each other to strengthen the connection between the first surface and the fourth surface and secure the reduced size of the bag body 10.

[0024] The clamping member 24 is mounted at a position where the outer tube 230 sleeves around the inner tube 231, preferably at one end of the outer tube 230 in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the clamping member 24 comprises a receptacle 240 and a pivotal hole mount 241. The receptacle 240 has an opening 240a through which the outer tube 230 is inserted. A first slot 230b and a second slot 240b (in FIG. 4) are formed at positions where the receptacle 240 is connected to the outer tube 230. A pivotal hole 241a is formed through the pivotal hole mount 241. The pivotal hole 241a is inserted through with a shaft 241b that is rotatably and pivotally connected to a push bar 242. One end of the push bar 242 is eccentrically provided with a pressing part 242a, wherein an outer edge of the pressing part 242a touches against the slots 230b, 240b. A pad 243 made of an elastic material is further mounted within the outer tube 230, wherein an upper portion of the pad 243 is attached to a stud 243a and protrudes from the slots 230b, 240b to come into contact with the pressing part 242a. When the push bar 242 is rotated, the outer edge of the pressing part 242a can be moved downwardly and pressed on the stud 243a to generate a downward pressing force by which the pad 243 attached to the stud 243a is deformed.

[0025] The pad 243 is made of an elastic material and shaped as a ring with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube 230. Further, the inner diameter of the pad 243 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube 231. Thereby, the pad 243 disposed between the inner tube 231 and the outer tube 230 can secure the inner tube 231 in position with respect to the outer tube 230. When rotation of the push bar 242 urges the pressing part 242a against the stud 243a, the pad 243 is deformed by the downward pressure from the stud 243a and pressed on the inner tube 231 that is thus firmly held inside the outer tube 230. The top portion 21 and the bottom portion 22 that respectively receive the inner tubes 231 and the outer tubes 230 maintain the length of the supporting unit 23, such that the receiving space of the bag body 10 is defined and held by the top and bottom portions 21, 22.

[0026] The combined length of the inter-sleeved outer and inner tubes 230, 231 or the length of supporting unit 23 can be adjusted by rotating the push bar 242 to alternate the relative positions of the corresponding outer and inner tubes 230, 231, thereby making the size of the golf bag 1 or the volume of the receiving space flexibly adjusted according to the length of the supporting unit 23.

[0027] In particular, the push bar 242 of the clamping member 24 can be lifted up to release the contact of the pressing part 242a from the stud 243a. The resilient force from restoration of the pad 243 pushes up the stud 243a to protrude from the slots 230b, 240b. At this time, the pad 243 would not be pressed on the inner tube 231, making a user freely move the inner tube 231 relatively to the outer tube 230, for example to push the inner tube 231 into the outer tube 230 to reduce the length of the supporting unit 23 until the inner tube 231 is entirely received in the outer tube 230. As shown in FIG. 5, the connecting member or zipper slider 20a of the golf bag 1 can slide along the tracks of the connecting member 20b across the second surface 102 and the third surface 103 (FIG. 1) to fold up the second and third surfaces 102, 103. The connecting member or zipper slider 20a may further slide along the tracks of the connecting member 20b at the junctions between the first and second surfaces 101, 102 and between the third and fourth surfaces 103, 104 (FIG. 1) to connect the first and fourth surfaces 101, 104 together; this provides a minimized receiving space of the golf bag 1 to receive the articles.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows the golf bag 1 according to the present invention containing golf clubs such as telescopic golf clubs. When the golf club is adjusted in length for example to be extended or shortened, the size of the golf bag 1 or the volume of its receiving space can be accordingly adjusted to be increased or reduced. Therefore, the size-adjustable golf bag 1 can be flexibly changed in size or volume to comply with the size of articles to be received in the golf bag 1 and also for the purpose of easy storage or carrying of the golf bag 1.

[0029] Furthermore, the connecting members 20a, 20b of the connecting unit 20 are not limited to the zipper slider and the slider tracks. It should be understood that other conventional coupling members for the fastening purpose are also suitably used in the present invention.

[0030] The invention has been described using exemplary preferred embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

1. A golf bag, comprising:

a bag body having a receiving space, with a top portion and a bottom portion respectively mounted on opposite ends of the bag body;

a connecting unit comprising a set of connecting members and mounted on the bag body; and

a supporting unit located in the receiving space of the bag body to support the bag body, the supporting unit having an adjustable length;

wherein when the connecting members are coupled to each other and the length of the supporting unit is reduced, the bag body is folded and the size of the golf bag is decreased.

2. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the connecting unit is mounted on an external surface of the bag body.

3. The golf bag of claim 2, wherein the connecting members comprise a zipper slider and corresponding slider tracks.

4. The golf bag of claim 3, wherein the zipper slider and the slider tracks are coupled to each other to fold the external surface of the bag body.

5. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the supporting unit comprises a set of inner tubes and a set of corresponding outer tubes that are sleeved around the inner tubes.

6. The golf bag of claim 5, wherein the corresponding inner tubes and outer tubes are moved relatively to each other to adjust the length of the supporting unit.

7. The golf bag of claim 5, further comprising a clamping member for fastening each pair of the corresponding inner tube and outer tube or for releasing the fastening between the corresponding inner tube and outer tube.

8. The golf bag of claim 7, wherein the clamping member is mounted on the outer tube.

9. The golf bag of claim 5, wherein the top and bottom portions are each formed with a plurality of insertion holes where the tubes of the supporting unit are inserted.

10. The golf bag of claim 5, further comprising a pad made of an elastic material disposed between each pair of the corresponding inner tube and outer tube.

11. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the top portion is formed with an opening communicating with the receiving space.

12. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the bag body is made of a flexible material.

13. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom portions are made of a plastic material.