Golfing accessory

Abstract

A length of cord 13 has means for attaching one end to a golf tee, and the other end is wound onto a rotatable spool 11 within a housing 1 which has an aperture for the cord 13 to extend through. There is also a tensioning means 17 for applying a biassing force to the spool 11 to rotate it in order to retract the cord 13 into the housing 1. The tensioning means may comprise a spiral spring 17 of which the radially inner end can be secured centrally 19 of the housing and the outer end to the spool periphery, and the spring may have a circular cover over it. Retraction of the cord might be controlled using a rachet or a pin engaging with the spool. The housing 1 may be formed from two (3, 5) or more portions, and may be cylindrical. There may be means (7) on the housing 1 to attach the apparatus to a golfer's shoe or the like, such as a clip, cord or hook-and-loop material. The cord 13 may pass through a grommet 9 in the aperture, and it may be coloured to contrast with a golf playing surface. The means for attaching the tee may be a resilient ring 15, and the tee can be permanently attached to the means. The shaft part of the tee might be aluminum or steel; the cup part might be rubber or elastomer.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a golfing accessory which can be used for retaining a golf tee.

[0002] Golf tees are used to support a golf ball when it is to be struck by a golfer primarily when he starts each hole. It is not unusual for a tee to be lost when the ball is struck. While tees may be relatively inexpensive, golfers often become attached to a favourite tee which they are disappointed to lose. Additionally, the loss of a substantial number of tees by numerous golfers can with time be damaging to the environment.

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a golfing accessory for retaining a golf tee.

[0004] According to the present invention there is provided a golfing accessory for retaining a golf tee comprising:

[0005] a housing having an opening in a peripheral region thereof;

[0006] a spool rotatably mounted within the housing and having wound thereon a length of filamentary material, the filamentary material extending through the aperture and having, for example secured to a free end thereof, means for retaining a golf tee; and

[0007] tensioning means for applying a biasing force to the spool to rotate the same in a direction to retract the filamentary material into the housing.

[0008] The housing may be formed in a plurality of portions, for example two, and may be generally cylindrical.

[0009] The housing may be provided externally thereof with attaching means, for example for attaching to a golfer's shoe or the like. The attaching means may comprise a resilient clip or a cord. Alternatively, the attaching means may comprise a strip of hook and loop material.

[0010] A grommet may be provided in the aperture, for example to cover any uneven or sharp regions of the aperture and to prevent damage to the filamentary material.

[0011] The retaining means for the golf tee may comprise a ring for engaging with a shank of the tee. The ring may be made of a resilient material. Alternatively, the tee may be permanently secured to the filamentary material, for example directly to the filamentary material. In such a case, the tee may have a pointed portion of substantially rigid material such as aluminum or steel and a cap portion of resilient material such as rubber or elastomer.

[0012] The tensioning means may be in the form of a spiral spring. The spring may be secured at the radially inner end thereof to a central region of the housing and at the radially outer end thereof within the periphery of the spool. The spool may be provided with a circular cover extending over the spring.

[0013] The tensioning means may incorporate means for preventing retraction of the filamentary material until a desired time. The means for preventing retraction may comprise a ratchet mechanism or a releasable pin engageable with the spool.

[0014] The filamentary material may be coloured so as to contrast with a golf playing surface.

[0015] For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a golfing accessory according to the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the golfing accessory shown in FIG. 1;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the golfing accessory shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a cover removed; and

[0019] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the golfing accessory according to the present invention in use.

[0020] The golfing accessory shown in the drawings comprises a housing 1 which is suitably generally circular in plan view and is conveniently manufactured as an upper portion 3 and a lower portion 5 as shown in FIG. 2. Externally of the housing 1 there is provided attaching means for attaching the accessory to a golfer's shoe or the like. While the attaching means could be in any one of a number of different forms such as a resilient clip, cord or the like, a particularly advantageous form of attaching means is illustrated in the figures in the form of a strip 7 of hook and loop fastening material. An upwardly facing hook portion of the strip 7 is secured to an upper face of the housing 1, for example by way of a rivet, adhesive or the like, and a loop portion of the strip 7, provided on that surface opposite to the hook portion, extends around the lower face of the housing and back to the upper face to be engageable with and disengageable from the hook portion. In this way, the loop portion, when disengaged, can be inserted beneath the laces or the like of a golfer's shoe and can be folded around to engage with the hook portion on the upper face of the housing.

[0021] An aperture is provided in a peripheral face of the housing 1, suitably at the junction between the upper and lower portions 3, 5. A grommet 9 is inserted into the aperture in order to cover any uneven or sharp regions of the aperture.

[0022] Provided within the housing is a rotatable spool 11 around which is wound a length of twine 13 or like filamentary material. The twine 13 extends through the grommet 9 in the aperture and the free end thereof is attached to a ring 15 which is adapted to receive the shank of a golf tee (shown in FIG. 4) therethrough. In addition to being suitably dimensioned, the ring 15 may be made of a resilient (elastomeric) material adapted to stretch around the shank of the golf tee so as to accept tees of varying shank dimensions and also to retain the tee within the ring 15 during use as will be explained in more detail hereinafter.

[0023] The spool 11 may advantageously be provided with peripheral lips in order to retain the twine 13 therebetween. If desired, the peripheral lips may be of resilient material.

[0024] The spool 11 is rotatably mounted by way of a tensioning means in the form of a spiral spring 17 of strip form material. At its radially inner end the spring 17 is securely fastened in the central region of the housing 1, for example to a protruding peg 19 or the like. At its radially outer end the spring 17 is secured within the periphery of the spool 11. The spool 11 may be provided with a circular cover extending over the spring 17 in order to limit axial movement thereof.

[0025] In operation of the golfing accessory according to the present invention, the accessory is attached to a golfer's shoe or the like and the shank of a conventional golf tee is inserted through the ring 15 and retained therein. The golfer can then pull on the tee to rotate the spool and extend the twine 13 out of the housing 1. In doing so, the spiral spring 17 is also rotated so as to create a biasing force therein tending to rotate the spool 11 in the opposite direction and to retract the twine back into the housing.

[0026] Once the twine 13 has been pulled out of the housing 1 to a sufficient extent the tee can be inserted into the ground ready for use and a golf ball (FIG. 4) placed thereon. When the golfer then hits the ball with his club, the tee is retained by the ring 15 and is not lost as might previously have been the case. Once the ball has been hit, the tee can be allowed to retract towards the housing until the accessory is needed again: it is not necessary to remove the accessory from the golfer's shoe each time.

[0027] The golfing accessory according to the present invention therefore eliminates the risk of a golfer losing his favourite tee and prevents the unnecessary loss of golf tees thereby reducing damage to the environment.

[0028] The use of a spiral spring 17 as shown in the drawings provides the advantage of automatic retraction of the twine 13. However, a consequence of such a construction is that the twine is at all times during use under tension. As an alternative, a ratchet mechanism (not shown) can be incorporated into the tensioning means so as to inhibit retraction of the twine until such time as the ratchet mechanism is released in known manner, for example by pressing a release button or by a brief pull on the twine. As a further option, a releasable pin or the like which is engageable with the spool can be provided for manual operation by the golfer so as to control retraction of the twine.

[0029] If desired, the twine 13 can be coloured so as to contrast with the playing surface. This gives the golfer an indicator which assists him in lining up square (or in any other desired orientation) relative to his target or the like.

Claims

1. A golfing accessory for retaining a golf tee comprising:

a housing having an opening in a peripheral region thereof;

a spool rotatably mounted within the housing and having wound thereon a length of filamentary material, the filamentary material extending through the aperture and having means for retaining a golf tee; and

tensioning means for applying a biasing force to the spool to rotate the same in a direction to retract the filamentary material into the housing.

2. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for retaining a golf tee is secured to a free end of the filamentary material.

3. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is formed in a plurality of portions.

4. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 3, wherein the housing is formed of two portions.

5. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is generally cylindrical.

6. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is provided externally thereof with attaching means.

7. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 6, wherein the attaching means is adapted for attaching to a golfer's shoe or the like.

8. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 6, wherein the attaching means comprises a resilient clip.

9. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 6, wherein the attaching means comprises a cord.

10. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 6, wherein the attaching means comprises a strip of hook and loop material.

11. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 11 wherein a grommet is provided in the aperture, through which the filamentary material passes.

12. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining means for the golf tee comprises a ring for engaging with a shank of the tee.

13. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 11, wherein the ring is made of a resilient material.

14. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tee is permanently secured to the filamentary material.

15. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tee incorporates a pointed portion of substantially rigid material and a cap portion of resilient material.

16. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 15, wherein the substantially rigid material comprises aluminum or steel.

17. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 15, wherein the resilient material comprises rubber or elastomer.

18. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tensioning means is in the form of a spiral spring.

19. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 18, wherein the spring is secured at the radially inner end thereof to a central region of the housing and at the radially outer end thereof within the periphery of the spool.

20. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 19, wherein the spool is provided with a circular cover extending over the spring.

21. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tensioning means incorporates means for preventing retraction of the filamentary material until a desired time.

22. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 21, wherein the means for preventing retraction comprises a ratchet mechanism.

23. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 21, wherein the means for preventing retraction comprises a releasable pin engageable with the spool.

24. A golfing accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filamentary material is coloured so as to contrast with a golf playing surface.