Holder for tees

Abstract

The holder has one or two strips which are attached to its outer wall and which are formed into loops for receipt of tees. When the tees are so received, their heads are above the upper edge of the strips but below the upper edge of the holder. According to one embodiment of the holder, the pointed lower ends of the tees are within but do not protrude from beneath the strips. According to a second embodiment, the pointed lower ends are accommodated in a pocket and according to a third embodiment the pointed ends are above the lower edge of the holder and the holder is formed of sufficiently pliable material that it yields to the golfer's movements but is strong enough to resist penetration by the pointed ends.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to holders for golfing accessories and more particularly to holders which are attached to golfers' belts and which hold such accessories as tees and ball markers.

[0002] Holders for golfing accessories that are worn by a golfer on his belt, pocket, shoe or wrist are known and are described in such U.S. patents as U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,696 to Krugler; U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,425 to Jacobson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,016 to Aylesworth et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 1,603,044 to Gise; U.S. Pat. No. 1,703,138 to Falcone et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 1,588,461 to Ladue; U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,779 to Bell; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,007,696 to Siebert.

[0003] Holders, such as those described in the foregoing patents, have a number or shortcomings. Tees which are held by some protrude from beneath them. Golfers who wear such holders can be injured by the pointed ends of the tees if, for example, they brush their hands against them or they lean over thereby causing the ends to rotate inward and into contact with their bodies. Other tees protrude from above the holders and can be knocked out of them if the golfers accidentally brush their hands against them. Other holders have only limited usefulness since they hold only tees. Such holders are not designed to hold other accessories commonly used by golfers such as ball markers.

[0004] The holder for golfing accessories of the subject invention does not share the shortcomings mentioned above. various means are provided for shielding the golfer from accidental contact with the pointed ends of the tees. In addition, the upper ends of the tees are below the upper edge of the holder so that they cannot be knocked out should the golfer accidentally brush his hand against them.

[0005] The holder for golfing accessories of the subject invention is adapted to be attached to a belt and may be broadly described as including a panel having oppositely facing inner and outer walls and upper and lower edges. The panel has a pair of vertically extending slits through which a belt may be pulled in order to attach the panel to the belt.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the invention, a pair of upper and lower horizontally extending strips are attached to the outer wall and are formed into a plurality of loops each defining an opening. Each opening in the upper strip is spaced vertically above an opening in the lower strip in order to accommodate a tee. The openings in the upper strip are large enough to receive the shank of the tee but not its head. The strips are spaced apart such that when a tee is accommodated therein, its head is above an upper edge of the upper strip but below the upper edge of the panel and its pointed lower end is within but does not protrude from beneath the lower edges of the lower strip and the panel.

[0007] According to second embodiment of the invention, a single strip accommodates the tees. The strip is of sufficient length that when a tee is accommodated therein, its head is above the upper edge of the strip and its pointed lower end is within and does not protrude from beneath the lower edges of the strip and the panel.

[0008] According to a third embodiment, a pocket is attached to the lower edge of the panel for receipt of the pointed ends of the tees.

[0009] According to fourth embodiment, the pointed end of the tee, when its shank is within a loop, is above the lower edge of the panel and its head is below its upper edge. The panel is composed of material which is pliable so as not to impede the wearer's movements but which is strong enough to resist penetration by the pointed ends. A resilient clip or belt loop serves to removably attach the panel to a belt and a retainer for ball markers is attached to the panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The holder for golfing accessories is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the holder;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the holder;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the holder; and

[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the holder; and

[0015] FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the holder illustrated in FIG. 4 from the side opposite that shown in that Figure.

[0016] Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] With reference to FIG. 1, the holder, indicated generally 10, is shown in conjunction with a portion of a belt 12, golf tees 14, 16 and ball markers 18, 20.

[0018] The holder includes a rectangular panel 22 which has oppositely facing inner and outer walls 24, 26, upper and lower edges 28, 30 and oppositely facing side edges 32, 34. A pair of vertically extending slits 36, 38 is formed in the upper portion of the panel through which belt 12 may be pulled in order to attach the panel to the belt.

[0019] Two strips 40, 42 are attached to the outer wall of the panel. The strips extend horizontally across the outer wall and their ends are attached to the side edges of the panel. The strips are vertically spaced and are formed into a number of loops 44. Each loop defines an opening for a tee. Opening 46 in the upper strip 40 is spaced vertically above an opening 48 in the lower strip so that the longitudinal axis of tee 14 is oriented vertically. Similarly, each remaining opening in the upper strip is vertically above an opening in the lower strip so that the longitudinal axes of all the tees in the holder will be oriented vertically.

[0020] Each opening the upper strip is large enough to receive the shank 50 of tee 14 but not its head 52. The upper and lower strips 40, 42 are spaced apart such that when the tee is accommodated therein, head 52 is above the upper edge 40a of the upper strip. The head however is below the upper edge 28 of the panel. It is also below slits 36, 38.

[0021] The pointed lower end 54 of the tee is within the lower strip 42 but does not protrude from beneath the lower edge 42a of the lower strip as well as the lower edge 30 of the panel.

[0022] Holes 70, 72 are formed adjacent to the upper corners of the panel and grommets 74, 76 are placed in the holes. The holes and grommets serve as retainers for the ball markers. The markers are of the type having a round head 78 and a stud 80 which extends axially of the head and terminates at a bulbous forward end.

[0023] When the end of the stud is pushed against the grommet, the grommet deforms resiliently to allow the end to enter the bore of the grommet. Once inside the bore, the grommet resumes its undeformed shape to maintain the end therein.

[0024] When the head of the marker is pulled outward, the grommet will again deform to allow the end of the marker to exit from the bore. The grommet acts like a snap fastener to removably secure the marker to the panel.

[0025] The holder illustrated in FIG. 2 is similar to the one illustrated in FIG. 1 except that there is only one strip 84. That strip is formed into a number of loops 86 and each loop defines an opening which is arranged and constructed to accommodate a tee 88 having its longitudinal axis oriented vertically, its shank 90, but not its head 92, within the opening and its pointed lower end 96 above the lower edge 98 of the strip so that it does not protrude from beneath that lower edge as well as the lower edge 100 of the panel.

[0026] With reference to FIG. 3, the illustrated holder is of the same construction as the holder illustrated in FIG. 2 except that the holder includes a pocket 110 which extends upwardly from the lower edge of the panel and has an opening 112 in which the lower portion of strip 114 is received as well as the pointed lower ends of the tees. Since the pocket protects the golfer from the pointed ends, the lower ends of the tees can protrude from beneath the lower end 118 of the strip as illustrated.

[0027] With reference to FIG. 4, the holder includes a panel 120 and a strip 122 which accommodates tees 124. The pointed ends of the tees are above the lower edge 120a of the panel and the heads are below the upper edge 120b. Ball markers 126 are accommodated in grommets adjacent to the upper corners of the panel.

[0028] With reference to FIG. 5, the holder has a resilient clip 130 on its inner wall for removably attaching the holder to a golfer's belt, upper edge of a pocket and the like.

[0029] With reference to FIG. 6, a belt loop 136 is stitched to the inner wall along lines 138 for removably attaching the holder to a golfer's belt.

[0030] Preferably the panel and strips of the embodiments illustrate in FIGS. 1 to 3 are composed of soft leather which is strong enough to resist penetration by the pointed ends of the tees so that the tees will not injure a person who is wearing the holder. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is essential that the material be strong enough to resist penetration. The material must however be sufficiently pliable that it does not impede the wearer's movements.

[0031] The strips from the tees may be attached to the panel by stitching, gluing, stapling and the like.

[0032] It will be understood of course that modifications can be made in the preferred embodiments illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope and purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A holder for golfing accessories including tees and adapted to be attached to a belt, said holder comprising: a panel having oppositely facing inner and outer walls and upper and lower edges, said panel having a pair of vertically extending slits through which a belt may be pulled in order to attach the panel to the belt; and a pair of upper and lower horizontally extending strips attached to said outer wall and being formed into a plurality of loops each defining an opening, each of which in said upper strip being spaced vertically above an opening in said lower strip in order to accommodate a tee and being large enough to receive the shank of said tee but not its head, said strips being spaced apart such that when a tee is accommodated therein, its head is above an upper edge of said upper strip but below the upper edge of said panel and its pointed lower end is within but does not protrude from beneath the lower edges of said lower strip and said panel.

2. A holder for golfing accessories including tees and adapted to be attached to a belt, said holder comprising: a panel having oppositely facing inner and outer walls and a pair of vertically extending slits through which a belt may be pulled in order to attach the panel to the belt; and a horizontally extending strip having upper and lower edges and attached to said outer wall and being formed into a plurality of loops each defining an opening which is arranged and constructed to accommodate a tee and being large enough to receive the shank of said tee but not its head, said strip being of sufficient length that when a tee is accommodated therein, its head is above said upper edge and its pointed lower end is within and does not protrude from beneath said lower edges of said strip and said panel.

3. A holder for golfing accessories including tees and adapted to be attached to a belt, said holder comprising: a panel having oppositely facing inner and outer walls and a pair of vertically extending slits through which a belt may be pulled in order to attach the panel to the belt; a horizontally extending strip having upper and lower edges and attached to said outer wall and being formed into a plurality of loops each defining an opening which is arranged and constructed to accommodate a tee and being large enough to receive the shank of said tee but not its head; and a pocket attached to said panel and being upwardly opening for receipt of a lower portion of said strip, the pocket being adapted to accommodate a pointed lower end of the tee and to thereby protect a golfer wearing such holder from such pointed end.

4. A holder for golfing accessories including tees and ball markers and including a panel having oppositely facing inner and outer walls and lower and upper edges; a horizontally extending strip attached to said outer wall and being formed into a plurality of loops each defining an opening large enough to receive the shank of a tee but not its head, the pointed end of the tee, when its shank is within said loop, being above the lower edge of said panel and its head being below the upper edge of said panel, said panel being composed of material which is pliable so as not to impede the wearer's movements but which is strong enough to resist penetration by the pointed ends; a resilient clip or belt loop attached to said inner wall for removably attaching said panel to a belt; and a retainer for ball markers attached to said outer wall.

5. The holder as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3, further including a retainer for ball markers.

6. The holder as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 further including a retainer for ball markers, said retainer comprising a grommet inserted in a hole formed in said panel for receipt of a stud of a ball marker of the type having a bulbous head and a stud which extends axially from said head.

7. The holder as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 further including a retainer for ball markers, said retainer being disposed adjacent to the upper edge of said panel and comprising a grommet which is inserted in a hole formed in said panel and which receives a stud of a ball marker of the type having a bulbous head and a stud which extends axially from said head.

8. The holder as claimed in

claim 4 wherein said retainer comprises a grommet inserted in a hole formed in said panel for receipt of a stud of a ball marker of the type having a bulbous head and a stud which extends axially from said head.

9. The holder as claimed in

claim 4 wherein said retainer is disposed adjacent to the upper edge of said panel and comprises a grommet which is inserted in a hole formed in said panel and which receives a stud of a ball marker of the type having a bulbous head and a stud which extends axially from said head.