Tee Support

Abstract

A tee support includes a tubular body having a ball-support end, a lower end, and a longitudinal hole extending from ball-support end to the lower end. The tee support includes a first leg extending from the tubular body. The tee support includes a second leg extending from the tubular body, the second leg having a length substantially the same as a length of the first leg. The tee support includes a third leg extending from the tubular body, the third leg having a length substantially the same as the length of the first leg. The first leg, second leg and third leg may extend to a plane below the lower end. Furthermore, in such a tee support, the longitudinal hole may extend substantially along a vector normal to the plane, the plane defined by a cylindrical wall having a diameter within a tolerance of a tee body width.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a non-provisional conversion of, and claims the benefit to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/179,327, filed May 18, 2009, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to elevating a golf ball above turf or other surfaces. More specifically, the present invention relates to teeing a golf ball with, for example a support for a golf tee.

2. Description of the Related Art

A golfer, who plays in many seasons, can find himself on a golf course that has varying turf conditions. In addition, golfers may practice hitting golf balls with clubs in informal settings, for example when practicing in a back yard using small plastic balls instead of a regulation golf ball, such as WIFFLE® balls. Wiffle is a trademark of The Wiffle Ball, Inc. In some situations, the use of a conventional tee may fail to produce an upright tee with a stable surface on which to place a golf ball or practice ball.

Winds can also be a factor in ball stability when placed on a tee. In addition, firm soils can pose challenges to a golfer who wishes to place a ball on a tee above the turf.

The first known tee to penetrate the ground was the “Perfectum” tee, for which British provisional specification no. 3916 was filed in 1892 by P. Ellis. Ellis discloses a rubber circle with a metal spike that is pushed into the ground. A variation of this, the “Victor” tee, consists of a cup-shaped rubber top, which connects to a ground spike, as disclosed in British provisional specification no. 14,292 by P. M. Matthews dated 1897.

U.S. Pat. No. 567,455 was issued to David Dalziel on Sep. 8, 1896. The patent consists of a rubber tee with a flat base and slightly concave top, in combination with an artificial ground surface.

U.S. Pat. No. 638,920, to Dr. George F. Grant, discloses a peg with a rubber top that is pushed into the ground. Although resembling a modern tee, the invention failed to disclose a concave head.

The “Reddy Tee” is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,650,141 to William Lovell. First manufactured in wood and painted with red tops so they could be seen easily, they were soon produced in a variety of styles and materials. Although plastic tees are available, simple wooden tees similar to those made in the 1920's are still the most common type.

Although many ways to support a ball have been developed, golfers continue to experience difficulty with conventional tees. In addition to wind and soil issues, noted above, some golfers may require assistance setting a conventional tee in a vertical manner such that the upper cup portion of the tee can support a golf ball.

Accordingly, a suitable tee surface is desirable that addresses these concerns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a tee support. The tee support may include a tubular body having a ball-support end, a lower end, and a longitudinal hole extending from ball-support end to the lower end. The tee support may include a first leg extending from the tubular body. The tee support may include a second leg extending from the tubular body, the second leg having a length substantially the same as a length of the first leg. The tee support may include a third leg extending from the tubular body, the third leg having a length substantially the same as the length of the first leg. In such a tee support, the first leg, second leg and third leg may extend to a plane below the lower-end. Furthermore, in such a tee support, the longitudinal hole may extend substantially along a vector normal to the plane. The longitudinal hole extends substantially along a vector normal to the plane. The longitudinal hole is defined by a cylindrical wall having a diameter within a tolerance of a tee body width.

An alternative tee support may include a tubular body having a ball-support end, a lower end and a longitudinal hole extending from the ball-support end to the lower end. A first leg may extend from the tubular body. A second leg may extend from the tubular body, the second leg having a length substantially the same as a length of the first leg. A frangible element may be fastened to the tubular body, extending across the longitudinal hole.

An alternative tee support may include a tubular body may comprise a ball-support end having an annular concave surface, a lower end, a longitudinal hole extending from the ball-support end to the lower end, and a frangible element extending within the longitudinal hole, the frangible element configured to frictionally engage a tee inserted within the longitudinal hole. In addition, a first leg may extend from the tubular body. A second leg may extend from the tubular body, the second leg having a length substantially the same as a length of the first leg. A third leg may extend from the tubular body, the third leg having a length substantially the same as the length of the first leg. In such a tee support, the first leg, second leg and third leg are configured to support the annular concave surface facing substantially upward when the first leg, second leg and third leg are placed on a substantially level surface. In addition, the longitudinal hole extends substantially along a vector normal to the substantially level surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a top view of a golf tee support in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view of a golf tee support with a golf tee positioned above it, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2A is a top view of alternate golf tee support having a frangible diaphragm, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B is a side cross-sectional view of alternate golf tee support having a frangible diaphragm, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a tee penetrating the alternate golf tee support of FIG. 2A, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a full tee penetration of the alternate golf tee support of FIG. 2A, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the invention may be used in tandem with a golf ball to provide a stable surface from which to hit the golf ball with a club. In one configuration, a tripod tee support may be used to support a tee at a golfer-selected height in an upright fashion. In a second configuration, the tripod tee support may support a golf ball directly at a fixed height above surrounding turf or surface.

In the configuration where the tripod tee support is used with a tee, it is helpful to understand the parts of a tee. A tee is a generally cylindrical peg that has a body with two ends. On one end, is the tee head, which provides a concave surface that faces upwards when the tee is inserted into the turf or is otherwise held in a vertical manner. The tee head has a diameter that extends from outermost lips of the concave surface. On the other end of the tee body is a point. The point is made to provide easy penetration into the soils that are predominately found at golf courses. Though the tee body is generally cylindrical, the body expands in diameter as it transitions into the tee head.

FIG. 1A is a top view of a golf tee support 100 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The golf tee support 100 is oriented in a normal position for use by a golfer. A ball-support end has annular concave surface 101 disposed about a longitudinal hole 103 that extends into a tubular body. From the tubular body extend three legs, leg 110, leg 120, and leg 130. Marks “1B” indicate a vertical plane that forms a cross-sectional view in FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view of a golf tee support 100 with a golf tee positioned above it, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The cross-section is identified in FIG. 1A with marks “1B”. Longitudinal hole 103 is formed by a cylindrical wall that extends through the tubular body, for example in a vertical direction. Golf tee 150 is shown for reference above the longitudinal hole. Tee 150 is comprised of tee body 150 having width 140 and tee shoulder 148. Tee body width 140 is smaller than diameter 144 of longitudinal hole 103. The diameter is within a tolerance of a typical tee diameter. A typical tee diameter is 3/16 or 0.1875 inches. Accordingly, the longitudinal hole 103 can be as much as twenty percent larger in diameter than the typical tee diameter. In any case, the longitudinal hole can have a diameter narrower than a tee head.

In the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1B, the longitudinal hole has lower end 144 through which the golf tee may pass unimpeded. In normal placement on the turf, the tee may extend to the turf when passing into the longitudinal hole 103. Legs 110 and 120 may each be arranged to lightly rest atop soil, debris, plants and other material where golfers golf Accordingly, legs 110 and 120 may each have blunt ends. Such a configuration potentially allows a golfer to practice hitting a ball off surfaces formerly unsuitable for teeing, for example, concrete, asphalt, stone, etc. Although each leg may have a blunt end, it is appreciated that in softer soils, a leg may be embedded so that a lip to an annular concave surface may be placed at an angle to the grade of the soil upon which the tee support rests.

FIG. 2A is a top view of alternate golf tee support 200 having a frangible diaphragm, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. A ball-support end has annular concave surface 201 disposed about a longitudinal hole 203 that extends into a tubular body. From the tubular body extend three legs, leg 210, leg 220, and leg 230. Marks “2B” indicate a vertical plane that forms a cross-sectional view in FIG. 2B. The alternate illustrative embodiment provides for a frangible element to extend across or into a longitudinal hole. A frangible element is a material extending from or attached to the tubular body in a manner that the frangible element is impacted and deformed by a tee inserted into the tubular body past the frangible element.

FIG. 2B is a side cross-sectional view of alternate golf tee support 200 having a frangible diaphragm, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. A tee may be placed within a longitudinal hole partially, or in a manner to snuggly rest on annular concave surface 204. A frangible diaphragm is a frangible element that is formed as a sheet with respect to the portion extending across or into the longitudinal hole 203. Frangible diaphragm 251 may be attached by friction along an outer wall of tubular body 241. Alternatively, frangible diaphragm 251 may be attached by an annular adhesive coating placed on the lower end of tubular body 241. Diaphragm may be made of a plastic or metal sufficiently thin to deform and puncture in response to finger-pressure applied to the tee when pushing the pointed end through the longitudinal hole. Legs 210 and 220 may each be arranged to lightly rest atop soil, debris, plants and other material where golfers golf

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a tee penetrating the alternate golf tee support of FIG. 2A, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The configuration of the tee support 300 is placed with legs 310 and 320 against the turf. Tee 350 partially extends through longitudinal hole 303 in a manner that tee shoulder 348 is above annular concave ring 301. Tee 350, with ball 399 resting above, is held by frictional engagement with frangible diaphragm 351 such that pointed end 349 may be suspended above the turf. In this configuration, a golfer may tee ball 399 to a height where the lowest part of the ball is suspended up to three inches above the turf.

FIG. 3 shows that the frangible element may support the weight of a golf ball and a tee such that the tee no longer needs to be inserted into the turf in order to support a golf ball. For example, the tee may extend so that merely a point of the tee touches the turf, while the frangible element and/or the longitudinal tube bears most or all of the weight of the tee and ball, in the manner pictured in FIG. 3. As a further example, a tee may be placed atop the frangible element and rely on the longitudinal tube for lateral support.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a full tee penetration of the alternate golf tee support of FIG. 2A, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The configuration of tee support 400 is in contrast to the configuration of FIG. 3. Pointed end 449 of tee 450 is now positioned below a plane, such as turf, on which legs 410 and 420 rest. A plane is an idealized flat surface that is defined by three points. A vector normal to the plane is a ray that extends from the plane in a direction perpendicular to the plane. Full insertion of tee 450 may cause tee shoulder 448 to contact annular concave surface 401. Like the configuration of FIG. 3, tee 450 penetrates diaphragm 451. Accordingly, between positions depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tee may be inserted so that the ball is elevated between ½ inches to 3 inches off the turf. As noted above, the tee may or may not penetrate the frangible diaphragm.

Tee supports described in FIGS. 1A-4 may be constructed entirely of a durable material capable of withstanding club-face blows by a golfer. Some suitable materials may include, for example, a polymer. Alternatively, a suitable material for the tee support can be a plastic selected from a group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene. Accordingly, frangible elements shown as, for example, diaphragms 251, 351, and 451 in FIGS. 2B, 3, and 4, respectively, may be made from the same plastic, or an alternative material.

It is appreciated that the friction of diaphragms depicted as 251, 351, and 451 is low enough that a golfer may remove the tee, and later re-use the tee support. When a tee having a penetrated diaphragm is re-used, the already penetrated frangible element may merely flex open or bend in response to a tee being inserted within the longitudinal hole. In addition, tees of shorter than normal heights may be used with embodiments. In addition, tees of varying cross sections may be used with alternative illustrative embodiments. For example, a tee having a polygonal transverse cross-section may interoperate with embodiments having a correspondingly shaped cross-section in the longitudinal hole. Accordingly, the longitudinal hole is not limited to circular cross-sections or cylinders.

It is appreciated that many alternative frangible elements are within the scope described by the illustrative embodiments. For example, the frangible element may be perforated, arranged as a grid, bars, or any other suitable extension of material across or within the longitudinal hole. Alternative embodiments may place a frangible diaphragm at various locations in or near the longitudinal hole. For example, the frangible diaphragm may be placed midway along the longitudinal hole. In addition, alternative embodiments may include two or more frangible elements located at varying points along and around the longitudinal hole.

Although the tee supports depicted above have three legs, it is appreciated that fewer or more legs may be used to assist in upright placement of a tee. Accordingly, alternate numbers of legs, such as four, are within the scope of the present invention.

In addition, alternative embodiments may rely on additional prongs, rather than a concave upper surface at the top side of the tubular tee support. Such prongs may collectively operate to form a cradle in which a ball may be placed and held while the tee support is on a surface—thereby avoiding the need to rely on an additional tee to be placed within the tee support.

It is appreciated that the various embodiments of the invention may permit a golfer to assure that a tee is vertical, and thus may stably support a golf ball within the upper concave surface of the tee. In addition, the tee support embodiments can aid to setting the height of the tee, and thus the golf ball, to various settings.

Although figures of various illustrative embodiments show the frangible diagram as a distinct part, the tee support may be manufactured using an injection molding process that relies on a uniform material extending and filling the mold. Accordingly, the tee body and frangible diaphragm may be formed of the same material and be inherently attached to each other by the injection molding process. The mold to produce the tee may be used in a manner that allows a manufacture to set the thickness of the frangible diaphragm to a penetrable thickness. A penetrable thickness is a thickness that yields under pressure, for example, as may be applied by a golfer inserting a golf tee.

The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A tee support comprising:

a tubular body having a ball-support end, a lower end, and a longitudinal hole extending from ball-support end to the lower end;

a first leg extending from the tubular body;

a second leg extending from the tubular body, the second leg having a length substantially the same as a length of the first leg; and

a third leg extending from the tubular body, the third leg having a length substantially the same as the length of the first leg, wherein the first leg, second leg and third leg extend to a plane below the lower end, wherein the longitudinal hole extends substantially along a vector normal to the plane and is defined by a cylindrical wall having a diameter within a tolerance of a tee body width.

2. The tee support of claim 1, wherein the tolerance of a tee body is up to twenty percent larger than the tee body width.

3. The tee support of claim 2, wherein the longitudinal hole has a diameter narrower than a tee head.

4. The tee support of claim 3, wherein the tubular body, first leg, second leg, and third leg are plastic.

5. The tee support of claim 4, wherein the tubular body, first leg, second leg, and third leg are a plastic selected from a group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.

6. The tee support of claim 5, wherein the tubular body has a frangible element extending within the longitudinal hole from the tubular body.

7. The tee support of claim 6, wherein the frangible element is configured to bend in response to insertion of a tee within the longitudinal hole.

8. The tee support of claim 7, wherein the frangible element is configured to perforate in response to inserting of the tee within the longitudinal hole.

9. A tee support comprising:

a tubular body having a ball-support end, a lower end and a longitudinal hole extending from the ball-support end to the lower end;

a first leg extending from the tubular body;

a second leg extending from the tubular body, the second leg having a length substantially the same as a length of the first leg; and

a frangible element extending from the tubular body, extending across the longitudinal hole.

10. The tee support of claim 9, wherein the frangible element attaches to the tubular body by an annular adhesive coating.

11. The tee support of claim 10, wherein the frangible element attaches to the tubular body at the lower end of the tubular body.

12. The tee support of claim 11, wherein the frangible element is a diaphragm.

13. The tee support of claim 12, wherein the diaphragm punctures in response to finger-pressure applied to a tee wherein a pointed end of the tee contacts the diaphragm.

14. The tee support of claim 13, wherein the diaphragm is configured to support at least the weight of the tee and a golf ball by operation of friction of the diaphragm against the tee.

15. The tee support of claim 14, wherein the diaphragm is a sheet of metal.

16. The support of claim 14, wherein the diaphragm is a sheet of plastic.

17. The support of claim 16, wherein the first leg has a first blunt end and the second leg has a second blunt end.

18. A tee support comprising:

a tubular body comprising: a ball-support end having an annular concave surface; a lower end; a longitudinal hole extending from the ball-support end to the lower end; and a frangible element extending within the longitudinal hole, the frangible element configured to frictionally engage a tee inserted within the longitudinal hole;

a first leg extending from the tubular body;

a second leg extending from the tubular body, the second leg having a length substantially the same as a length of the first leg; and

a third leg extending from the tubular body, the third leg having a length substantially the same as the length of the first leg, wherein the first leg, second leg and third leg are configured to support the annular concave surface facing substantially upward when the first leg, second leg and third leg are placed on a substantially level surface, wherein the longitudinal hole extends substantially along a vector normal to the substantially level surface.

19. The tee support of claim 18, further comprising a fourth leg extending from the tubular body, the fourth leg having a length substantially the same as the length of the first leg.