Golf bag

Abstract

A new and improved golf bag comprising a shallow handle retainer having a bottom and upstanding sides. The upstanding sides defining an opening through which handles of golf clubs may be positioned to rest on the bottom of the retainer. A strap extending from the periphery of the opening outwardly away from the retainer the length corresponding to the substantial length of the shorter clubs to be used with the golf bag, an adjustable collar secured to the distal end of said strap, both the collar and the strap are flexible and non-resilient and not expandable.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a new and improved golf bag and more particularly to a light weight golf bag for carrying six to eight clubs in a manner that makes each of the clubs readily visible.

[0002] Golf bags have been utilized since the inception of the sport in Scotland. Golf bags are used to carry clubs, balls, tees, score cards, umbrellas, golf shoes, articles of clothing and in general everything that the golfer needs on and off the golf course. In the past, golf bags have become more elaborate to hold a full range of articles for those who play golf with caddies or utilize carts. Golf bags have also been evolving to more suitable structures for those persons who do not wish to utilize a full set of clubs or who play golf part time, on short courses or the elderly who are not capable of carrying the large weight of a full set of clubs. However, each of these golf bags still for the most part hide the clubs from sight and have a plurality of pockets which do not disclose their contents. It is therefore highly desirable to provide a new and improved light weight golf bag. It is also highly desirable to provide a new and improved golf bag in which the contents of the bag are visually displayed. It is also highly desirable to provide a new and improved golf bag in which the contents of the bag are not hidden from view.

[0003] Raising the demand for such golf bags are the recent restrictions placed upon golfers utilizing golf range facilities and golf game facilities. Operators of these facilities have experienced so many thefts of balls, tees, clubs, and clothing items that they will not allow admittance to their facilities if anyone is carrying a golf bag in which these items may be hidden from view and stolen. In general, they require a golf bag by which all of its contents are generally visible to the employees of the facilities. It is therefore highly desirable to provide a new and improved golf bag which maybe utilized to carry clubs into both driving range and winter computerized golf playing facilities which ban conventional golf bags.

[0004] These requirements by golf driving range and computerized golf facilities require each serious golfer to have at least two golf bags. One for playing the course and one for going to the driving range or computerized golf facilities. Thus, it is highly desirable to provide a new and improved golf bag which can be used both for driving range and computerized golf facilities and for playing golf with less than a full set of clubs. Also it is highly desirable to provide a new and improved golf bag which is usable for other purposes such as carrying other elongated handled implements as lawn tools, tennis racquets, and the like. Further it is highly desirable to provide and new and improved golf bag which maybe relatively inexpensive when compared to other golf bags. Finally, it is highly desirable to provide a new and improved golf bag having all of the above features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new and improved light weight golf bag.

[0006] It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved golf bag in which the contents of the bag are visually displayed.

[0007] It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved golf bag in which the contents of the bag are not hidden from view.

[0008] It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved golf bag which may be utilized to carry clubs into both driving range and winter computerized golf playing facilities which ban conventional golf bags.

[0009] It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved golf bag which can be used both for driving range and computerized golf facilities and for playing golf with less than a full set of clubs.

[0010] It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved golf bag which is usable for other purposes such as carrying other elongated handled implements as lawn tools, tennis rackets, and the like.

[0011] It is also an object of the invention to provide and new and improved golf bag which may be relatively inexpensive when compared to other golf bags.

[0012] It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved golf bag having all of the above features.

[0013] In the broader aspects of the invention there is provided a new and improved golf bag comprising a shallow handle retainer having a bottom and upstanding sides. The upstanding sides defining an opening through which handles of golf clubs may be positioned to rest on the bottom of the retainer. A strap extending from the periphery of the opening outwardly away from the retainer the length corresponding to the substantial length of the shorter clubs to be used with the golf bag, an adjustable collar secured to the distal end of said strap, both the collar and the strap are flexible and non-resilient and not expandable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The above-mentioned and other features and objects of the invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the new and improved golf bag of the invention holding a plurality of clubs showing the bottom of the sack;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1 showing the new and improved golf bag of the invention with the retainer having transparent upstanding sides; and

[0017] FIG. 3 is a view like FIG. 1 showing the handle retainer having broken sides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT

[0018] The new and improved golf bag 10 of the invention has a handle retainer 12, a strap 14, and a shaft collar 16. The handle retainer 12 has a bottom 18 and upstanding sides 20, the upstanding sides defines an opening 22 through which club handles 24 may be positioned to position their ends on the bottom 18 with the upstanding sides 20 surrounding the handles 24. In a specific embodiment, a draw string 26 may be provided at the periphery 28 by hemming the side material as shown by the stitches 30 and including the draw string 26 within the hemmed periphery 28 so as to protrude openings 32 therein. The draw string 26 may be of resiliently expandable material in one embodiment and of cord material in another embodiment. In still another specific embodiment, the draw string is provided with a slidable latch 34.

[0019] In specific embodiments of the handle retainer 12, there may be pockets 36 in the sides of the handle retainer 12 for small objects such as coins, tees and the like. In other specific embodiments of the handle retainer 12, the upstanding sides comprise straps 38 to a peripheral strap 40 which is hemmed to provide the draw string 26. See FIG. 4. Still other embodiments of the handle retainer 12 has sides of transparent material. See FIG. 2. In all specific embodiments, the height of the upstanding sides is insufficient to hide even a major portion of the handles of a golf club.

[0020] In a specific embodiment, the bottom 18 measures approximately 3 inches by 3 inches, the upstanding sides 20 have a height from the bottom of approximately 6 inches. The draw string 26 is from about 15 inches to about 25 inches in length. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the bottom 18 is of square shape. In other specific embodiments as shown in FIG. 2, the bottom 18 is of a circular shape and still other embodiments of the handle retainer 12, the bottom 18 is of other geometric shapes including pentagons, hexagons, triangles and the like. See FIG. 4. In one specific embodiment, there is a pocket 36 on each of the sides or several contiguous pockets 36 in the upstanding side of the retainer.

[0021] The strap 14 extends from the retainer and has opposite ends 42, 44. One end 42 is secured by stitching to the periphery 28 of the handle retainer 12. The other end 44 is remote from the handle retainer 12 and has the midpoint 46 of a collar 48 stitched to the other end 44. In all specific embodiments, strap 14 has a length of the substantial length of the handle of a golf club carried by the golf bag. In specific embodiments for conventional golf clubs, the strap 14 has a length of about 24 inches to about 48 inches and a width of 1 inch. In these specific embodiments the material of the strap 14 is chosen from the group of available strap materials. In a specific embodiment the strap 14 may be of polypropylene or nylon webbing material.

[0022] The collar 48 is of similar strap material. The collar 48 has opposite ends 50, 52 and a median point 46. The median point 46 is secured to end 44 of strap 14. The opposite collar ends 50, 52 are affixed with fasteners 54. In a specific embodiment the collar may be approximately 10 inches long.

[0023] In a specific embodiment the collar 48 may be chosen from straps of the group of available strap materials. In a specific embodiment, the fasteners 54 of the collar may include hook and loop materials, snaps, buttons, and ties. In a specific embodiment, the collar 48 and the strap 14 may be made of the same strap material.

[0024] In operation the new and improved golf bag 10 of the invention provides for carrying multiple handled implements on the back of a person easily and comfortably. The handled implements which may be golf clubs, lawn garden tools, fishing poles, hockey sticks, skis and the like, all have a flat end which are positioned within the handle retainer 12 with the flat end adjacent bottom 18. The upstanding sides 20 of the handle retainer maintains those ends within the handle retainer. A strap 18 extends the length of the implements carried and the collar 48 is tightly placed around the remote ends of the implements and secured by the fasteners 54. The strap 14 may then be thrown over the shoulder of the person carrying the implements and the implements carried easily without strain.

[0025] Pockets 36 on the bag handle retainer 12 may carry small items such as change, golf tees, and the like. When used as a light weight golf bag, seven golf clubs can be carried by the new and improved golf bag 10. The clubs carried are completely visibly displayed. While the ends in the retainer 12 if the upstanding sides 20 are opaque are hidden from view, that portion is so small, no concern is raised by golf range owners, driving range and winter computerized playing facility owners. Pockets 36 within the handle retainer 12 are large enough to contain keys, coins, jewelry or watches removed temporarily, and the like but are not large enough to concern owners of driving range and winterized computer golf playing facilities. The new and improved golf bag 10 of the invention is extremely light weight such that clubs, implements, lawn and garden tools, skis, and the like may all be carried by a person able to carry the weight of the golf clubs, skis, lawn and garden implements themselves without any extra effort. The new and improved golf bag 10 of the invention is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and is convenient to use. When not in use, all of the straps may be stored within the handle retainer 12 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0026] While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein for purposes of illustration, the protection afforded by any patent which may issue on this application is not strictly limited to the disclosed embodiment; but rather extends to all structures and arrangements which fall fairly within the scope of the claims which are appended hereto:

Claims

1. A light weight bag for carrying elongated articles comprising an end receptacle having a bottom and upstanding sides, said upstanding sides defining an opening through which said articles may be positioned in said receptacle with said article ends on said bottom and between said sides, an elongated strap having opposite ends, one of said strap ends being secured to the periphery of said receptacle, the other of said strap ends being secured to a collar having opposite ends between said collar ends, said collar having fasteners at said opposite collar ends, said fasteners allowing said collar to be wrapped around said articles remote from said receptacle to maintain said articles in said receptacle and to carry said articles by placing said strap over the shoulder of the carrier.

2. The bag of claim 1 wherein said bag is hemmed around the periphery of said opening, a drawstring is positioned within said hem for closing said opening.

3. The bag of claim 2 wherein said drawstring may be of resiliently expandable material.

4. The bag of claim 2 wherein said drawstring may be provided with a slidable latch.

5. The bag of claim 1 wherein said receptacle has pockets therein.

6. The bag of claim 1 wherein said receptacle has upstanding sides of transparent material.

7. The bag of claim 1 wherein upstanding sides have a height insufficient to hide all of the handles of golf clubs carried by said bag.

8. The bag of claim 1 wherein said bottom defines a parallelogram.

9. The bag of claim 1 wherein said bottom defines a circle.

10. The bag of claim 1 wherein said bottom defines a multi sided parallelogram, said upstanding sides comprise a strap extending from each of said sides to a peripheral strap defining said opening.

11. The bag of claim 1 wherein said bottom measures approximately 3 inches between opposite portions of the upstanding sides, wherein said upstanding sides have a height from said bottom of approximately 6 inches.

12. The bag of claim 1 wherein said drawstring is from about 15 to about 25 inches.

13. The bag of claim 1 wherein said strap has a length of about 24 inches to about 48 inches.

14. The bag of claim 1 wherein said collar is approximately 10 inches long.

15. The bag of claim 1 wherein said strap and collar are of polymeric webbing materials.

16. The bag of claim 1 wherein said fasteners on said collar are chosen from the group of fasteners consisting of hook and loop, snap, button and tie fasteners.

17. A light weight bag for carrying elongated articles comprising an end receptacle having a bottom and upstanding sides, said upstanding sides defining an opening through which said articles maybe positioned in said receptacle with said article ends on said bottom and between said sides, an elongated strap having opposite ends, one of said strap ends being secured to the periphery of said receptacle, the other of said strap ends being secured to a collar having opposite ends between said collar ends, said collar having fasteners at said opposite collar ends, said fasteners allowing said collar to be wrapped around said articles remote from said receptacle to maintain said articles in said receptacle and to carry said articles by placing said strap over the shoulder of the carrier, said bag is hemmed around the periphery of said opening, a drawstring is positioned within said hem for closing said opening, said drawstring may be provided with a slidable latch, said strap has a length of about 24 inches to about 48 inches, said collar is approximately 10 inches long.

18. The bag of claim 7 wherein said receptacle has pockets therein.

19. The bag of claim 17 wherein said strap and collar are of polymeric webbing materials.