TRAVEL GOLF BAG

Abstract

A travel golf hag that includes a travel case, an accessory bag removably disposed within the travel case, and a cover disposed over a top portion of the travel case to enclose the accessory bag within the travel case. The cover includes a hood portion with a lower edge connected to an upper edge of the travel case and a chamber cover portion disposed over a side or front of the travel case to cover on opening in the travel case that exposes the accessory bag.

Description

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/485,002 filed on May 11, 2011, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to golfing, and in particular, to golf bags. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to travel golf bags.

SUMMARY

A dual purpose travel golf bag, in accordance with the present disclosure, includes a travel case and an accessory bag removably disposed within the travel case. The accessory bag may be removed from a main golf bag that is used for local golf games and inserted into the travel case for transporting a small number of golf clubs and/or other golf implements to a travel destination.

In illustrative embodiments, the travel golf bag includes a travel case, an accessory bag removably disposed within the travel case, and a cover disposed over a top portion of the travel case to enclose a top of the accessory bag. The cover includes a hood portion with a lower edge connected to an upper edge of the travel case and a chamber cover portion disposed over a side or front of the travel case to cover on opening in the travel case that exposes the accessory bag.

In further illustrative embodiments, the travel golf bag may include one or more wheels attached to a bottom edge of the travel case, one or more attachment mechanisms disposed on the travel case for attachment to a structure, a handle disposed in a cover disposed over the travel case, and/or a strap attached to the accessory bag and/or the travel case. The travel bag can he used as a cart bag affixed to a golf cart or used as a carry bag.

Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the fallowing detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a travel golf bag including a travel case with an opening for insertion of an accessory bag, wherein the accessory bag is is also capable of insertion within and use with a math golf bag;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the travel golf bag of FIG. 1 showing the accessory bag as it is being inserted into the travel case;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2 with the accessory bag fully inserted within the travel case and having a cover disposed over a top portion of the accessory bag and attached to a top portion of the travel case;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view identical to that of FIG. 3, except that the cover includes a chamber cover portion that extends along a side of the travel case to cover an entirety of the accessory bag;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the travel golf bag of FIG. 1 with the cover disposed over the top portion of the accessory bag and attached to the top portion of the travel case and further depicting the travel case having wheels fir ease in transporting the travel case and accessory bag;

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of the travel golf bag of FIG. 1 depicting the cover of FIG. 4 and one of the wheels of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the travel golf bag of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the accessory bag of FIG. 1 utilized with a main golf bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A travel golf bag 20 is shown having a travel case 22 and an accessory bag 24 coupled to travel case 22 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The travel case 22 includes a housing 26 with exterior side walls 28, 30, 32, a top wall 34, and a bottom wall 36. The housing 26 may be rigid, padded, and/or made of a flexible fabric to withstand harsh movements and collisions with luggage, conveyor belts, the ground, and other structures encountered during travel or the game of golf.

The housing 26 further includes a bag-receiving chamber 38 for receiving the accessory bag 24, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1-3. The chamber 38 includes interior side walls 44, 46, 48 and a bottom wall 50 that, together, form a compartment for housing the accessory bag 24. Although the chamber 38 is shown as extending to a bottom wall 36 of the travel case 22, the chamber 38 may end above the bottom wall 36. The exterior side walls 28, 32 meet the interior side walls 44, 48 at leading and trailing edges 60, 62 to form a chamber opening 64. Referring to FIG. 7, the chamber 38 has a length L1 and a width W1 less than a length L2 and a width W2 of the travel case 22, respectively, thereby forming a space or compartment 70 therebetween. A filler material may be inserted into the compartment 70 (to add cushioning, for example, during movement of the travel case 22) and the top wall 34 may be disposed over the compartment 70. Optionally, the compartment 70 may be utilized for storage, for example, of golf balls, towels, clothing, tees, other golf supplies, or other travel supplies and the top wail 34 may be removable and/or include doors, windows, or other features to allow access into the compartment 70. Still optionally, the travel case 22 may be formed having one or more solid materials between the exterior side walls 28, 30, 32 and the interior side walls 44, 46, 48. The material(s) may be selected to be lightweight, resilient, and/or to provide protection to the contents of the travel case 22 and/or the accessory bag 24.

While the travel case 22 and the accessory bag 24 are depicted as having cross-sections that are generally circular or oval-shaped, it is contemplated that the cross-sections of the travel case 22 and the accessory bag 24 may be any shape. Further, the chamber 38 may be formed having any cross-section that would suitably accommodate the accessory bag 24. The cross-sections of the travel case 22 and the accessory bag 24 may be different and/or the cross-sections of the accessory bag 24 and the chamber 38 may be different, as long as the accessory bag 24 fits within and is retained within the chamber 38. Exemplary cross-sectional shapes include, but are not limited to, rectangular, triangular, pentagonal, elliptical, octagonal, or any other shape or configuration.

The accessory bag 24 may be retained within the chamber 38 in the same manner as disclosed in co-pending McGuire U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/866,218, entitled “Golf Bag,” which is the U.S. national phase of International Publication No. WO 2009/111237, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Optionally, or in addition, the accessory bag 24 may be retained within the chamber 38 by a strap 78, as seen in FIG. 3, that extends between the leading and trailing edges 60, 62 of the chamber opening 64 and/or the accessory bag 24 may be retained in any manner known in the art.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the travel case 22 may include any number of retention mechanisms 80 to aid in retaining the travel case 22 with accessory bag 24 in place, for example, within the back of a golf cart. The retention mechanisms 80 may include one or more loops, latches, buckles, pins, slots, or other fasteners that, alone or in combination with a strap, rope, or other mechanism, retain the travel case 22 to a structure. Retention mechanisms 80 secure the travel/cart bag to the golf cart when the outer shell 26 is used as a cart bag. Retention mechanisms 80 perform similarly as those shown in U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/391,368.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the accessory bag 24 includes one or more cavities 100 disposed in a top surface 102 thereof. The accessory bag 24 is large enough to include a select number of golf clubs 104 (FIG. 1), but small enough that it is portable and easy to manipulate. As best seen in FIGS. 3-5, a top edge 106 of the accessory bag 24 is shown as being co-extensive with the top wall 34 of the housing 26 of the travel case 22. Optionally, the top edge 106 may be disposed below the top wall 34 and within the chamber 38. In either case, the golf clubs 104 do not extend too far out of the travel case 22, and thus a cover 110. as seen in FIGS. 3-6, can easily be attached to the travel case 22 to cover the golf clubs 104 or other contents of the accessory bag 24. Preferably, the chamber 38 and/or the accessory bag 24 includes one or more retention mechanisms (not shown) to removably retain the accessory bag 24 within the chamber 38 and prevent movement of the accessory bag 24 out of the chamber 38 when the golf bag 20 is turned on its side or upside down or moved in any other violent manner or during play when used as a cart bag.

Turning to FIG. 3, a first embodiment of the cover 110 includes a hood portion 112 that extends upwardly beyond the top wail 34 of the travel case 22, The hood portion 112 has a lower edge 114 that is attached to a top edge 116 of the travel case 22 by a zipper, Velcro, latches, and/or any other attachment mechanism known in the art. One or more portions of the lower edge 114 may be permanently or semi-permanently connected to the top edge 116 of the travel case 22, such as at side edge 30 (opposite the chamber opening 64), to allow the cover 110 to remain attached to the travel case 22 and prevent loss of the cover 110. A handle 118 is also disposed within or attached to a top portion 119 of the hood portion 112. For example, the handle 118 may be a hole formed through the material forming the hood portion 112 or the handle 118 may be formed of one or more straps, rigid handles, or other flexible or rigid implements for carrying or dragging the golf travel bag 20.

A second embodiment of the cover 110 further includes a chamber cover portion 120, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6. The chamber cover portion 120 may he integral with or separate from the hood portion 112 and extends downwardly from the hood portion 11.2 to cover the chamber 38 and the accessory bag 24. in a manner similar to the hood portion 11.2, the chamber cover portion 120 is attached to a front portion 122 of the travel case 22 to limit access to the accessory bag 24 during transit. In particular, in one exemplary embodiment as shown in. FIG. 4, the hood portion 112 is attached to the travel case 22 by a first zipper (not shown) and the chamber cover portion 120 is attached to the front portion 122 of the travel case 22 by a second zipper 124 and a latch 126 (or optionally, a lock, to prevent undesired access by others). Optionally, the hood portion 112 and the chamber cover portion 120 may be attached to the travel ease 22 in any manner known in the art, and need not be attached in the same manner.

As with the housing 26 of the travel case 22, the hood portion 112 and/or the cover portion 120 of either embodiment of the covers 110 may be formed of one or more rigid, padded, or/or flexible materials.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the travel case 22 may further include one or more wheels 130 for easily transporting the travel case 22 and the accessory bag 24. In particular, a user may grasp the handle 118 and drag the travel case 22 behind him or her. Optionally, a user may strap the travel case 22 to other luggage and allow the wheels to touch the ground to guide the travel case 22 along the ground.

The accessory bag 24 is a stand alone golf bag that may have legs or a stand to allow the bag 24 to be propped up the stability purposes and easy access to the contents of the accessory bag 24, Although the accessory bag 24 is described in copending McGuire U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/866,218 as being utilized during a golfer's short game, the accessory bag 24 can be easily removed from a main golf hag 200, as seen in FIG. 8, and inserted into the travel case 22 for travel. Oftentimes, a golfer brings their golf bag on a trip to play a small number of rounds of golf, thus an entire set of golf clubs is not necessary. The travel case 22 allows a golfer to remove the accessory bag 24 from the bulky, heavy main golf bag 200, insert only the necessary golf clubs into the accessory bag 24, and secure the accessory bag 24 within the travel case 22 for traveling. When the golfer returns home from travel, the accessory hag 24 can then be reinserted into the main golf bag 200 and utilized in the manner described with respect to co-pending McGuire U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/866,218.

The compatibility of the accessory bag 24 with both the travel case 22 and the main golf bag 200 provides a golfer with an easy way of interchanging his or her golf bag to form different bag combinations depending on the particular use. In this manner, the accessory bag 24 is simply moved from one outer bag (having an accessory bag-receiving chamber) to another. Other types of outer bags (besides for travel cases 22 and main golf bags 200) are contemplated, including a stylish or patterned outer bag, an outer bag that accommodates more than one accessory bag, and the like. Still optionally, a structure or device provided at a golf course, on the golf cart, on an airplane, or in any other desired location, may include one or more bag-receiving chambers for accommodating one or more accessory bags. For example, a hand cart for use on a golf course may include one or more bag-receiving chambers for carrying one or more accessory bags to a green for putting (or to another desired location).

Although directional language may be used throughout the specification, such directions are intended to convey the scope of the present disclosure rather than limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should he understood that a direction, such as up, down, back, front, etc., may change depending on the orientation of one or more components of the travel golf bag disclosed herein.

Various features of the disclosure have been shown and described in connection with the illustrated embodiment, however, it is understood that these arrangements merely illustrate, and that the disclosure is to be given its fullest interpretation.

Claims

1. A travel golf case for transporting a golf bag containing golf clubs, the travel golf case comprising:

a housing having a side wall including an upper portion and a lower portion and a bottom wall coupled to the lower portion of the side wall and a top wall coupled to the upper portion of the housing;

a bag receiving chamber formed in the housing, a portion of which forms an elongated slot in the side wall of the housing, the bag receiving chamber configured to receive the golf bag, the top wall having an opening that forms part of the bag receiving chamber;

a cover having a hood portion that is removably coupled to the upper portion of the housing, the hood portion adapted to cover at least a portion of the top wall of the housing, the cover also including a chamber cover portion that covers at least a portion of the elongated slot;

the hood portion having a first fastener used to secure the hood portion to the upper portion of the side wall of the housing and the chamber cover portion having a second fastener used to secure the chamber cover portion to the housing, wherein the hood portion and the chamber cover portion enclose the bag receiving chamber to protect the golf bag and clubs.

2. The travel golf case of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a cavity that separates a portion of the bag receiving chamber from the housing.

3. The travel golf case of claim 2, wherein the cavity includes a filler material.

4. The travel golf case of claim 1, wherein the hood portion of the cover includes a handle.

5. The travel golf case of claim 4, wherein the first fastener includes a zipper that secures the hood portion to the housing around the perimeter of the housing.

6. The travel golf case of claim 1, wherein the second fastener of the chamber cover portion includes a zipper that secures the chamber cover portion to the perimeter of the elongated slot in the side wall of the housing.

7. The travel golf case of claim 5, further including a first lock that is used to secure the first fastener to prevent unwanted removal of the hood portion.

8. The travel golf case of claim 5, further including a second lock that is used to secure the second fastener to prevent unwanted removal of the chamber cover portion.

9. The travel golf case of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a pair of wheels located at the lower portion of the side wall to permit the travel golf case to be easily transported.

10. The travel golf case of claim 4, wherein the hood portion of the cover includes padding to protect the golf bag.

11. A travel golf case for transporting a golf bag containing golf clubs, the travel golf case comprising:

a housing having a side wall including an upper portion and a lower portion and a bottom wall coupled to the lower portion of the side wall and a top wall coupled to the upper portion of the housing;

a bag receiving chamber formed in the housing, a portion of which forms an elongated slot in the side wall of the housing, the bag receiving chamber configured to receive the golf bag, the top wall having an opening that forms part of the bag receiving chamber;

a cover having a hood portion that is removably coupled to the upper portion of the housing, the hood portion adapted to cover at least a portion of the top wall of the housing, the cover also including a chamber cover portion that covers at least a portion of the elongated slot;

the hood portion having a first zipper that is used to secure the hood portion to the upper portion of the side wall around the perimeter of the housing and the chamber cover portion having a second zipper used to secure the chamber cover portion to the housing to cover the elongated slot, wherein the hood portion and the chamber cover portion enclose the bag receiving chamber to protect the golf bag and clubs.

12. The travel golf case of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a cavity that separates a portion of the bag receiving chamber from the housing.

13. The travel golf case of claim 12, wherein the cavity includes a filler material.

14. The travel golf case of claim 11, wherein the hood portion of the cover includes a handle.

15. The travel golf case of claim 11, further including a first lock that is used to secure the first fastener to prevent unwanted removal of the hood portion.

16. The travel golf case of claim 11, further including a second lock that is used to secure the second fastener to prevent unwanted removal of the chamber cover portion.

17. The travel golf case of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a pair of wheels located at the lower portion of the side wall to permit the travel golf case to be easily transported.

18. The travel golf case of claim 14, wherein the hood portion of the cover includes padding to protect the golf bag.

19. A travel golf system comprising:

an accessory golf bag configured to contain a series of golf clubs;

a main bag having a side wall, and a bottom wall and an accessory bag receiving chamber that is configured to contain the accessory golf bag within the main bag;

a travel case including a housing having a side wan provided with an upper portion and a lower portion and a bottom wall coupled to the lower portion of the side wall, the housing also including a top wall coupled to the upper portion of the housing;

a bag chamber formed in the housing, a portion of which forms an elongated slot in the side wall of the housing, the bag chamber configured to receive the accessory golf bag, the top wall having an opening that forms part of the bag receiving chamber; and

a cover having a hood portion that is removably coupled to the upper portion of the housing, the hood portion adapted to cover at least a portion of the top wall of the housing, the cover also including a chamber cover portion that covers at least a portion of the elongated slot.

20. The travel golf system of claim 19, wherein the hood portion includes a first fastener used to secure the hood portion to the upper portion of the side wall of the housing and the chamber cover portion having a second fastener used to secure the chamber cover portion to the housing, wherein the hood portion and the chamber cover portion enclose the bag receiving chamber to protect the accessory golf bag.