Combination golf club grip cover and cleaner

Abstract

A golf club grip cover that is fully reversible and can function as a standard golf towel. One surface of the cover is constructed of a water resistant fabric and the other surface is constructed of an absorbent fabric. When in its forward orientation, the cover's water resistant exterior protects the golf club grips and the golfer's glove from wet playing conditions. When in its reverse orientation, the cover's absorbent exterior allows the golfer to wipe away any moisture or other substance that collected on the golf club grips and the golfer's glove while in use.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/720,422 filed Sep. 26, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fully reversible cover for both protecting golf club grips from moisture and cleaning/drying the grips when they become wet or soiled.

2. Background Art

During a game of golf, golfers frequently encounter conditions wherein the grips on their golf clubs become damp or wet. In particular, when golfers ride in a cart under cart path only rules, or when approaching a putting green, they are frequently required to remove two or more clubs from their golf bag or cart to approach their ball by foot on or near the green. While using one of the clubs, the golfer must set the other club(s) in the fairway grass or surrounding high grass areas. Particularly on dewy mornings, and also in light rain, drizzle, or other precipitation, the resting golf club grips will thus become wet, which makes play more difficult and decreases the accuracy of the golfer's swing and putting stroke. Not only may the golf club grips become wet during poor playing conditions, but the golfer's glove may also become slick with moisture while the golfer waits his turn to play at the tee or on the course. During rainy conditions, carrying a standard golf towel (or similar item) to the green will not protect the club, and also results in a wet golf glove. Playing with wet golf club grips and/or a wet golf glove creates two separate and distinct problems and corresponding needs: (1) the need to protect golf club grips and/or the golf glove from moisture and precipitation; and (2) the need to quickly dry golf club grips, the golf glove and/or the golfer's hand that have become even partially moist or wet during play.

It is a further need of golfers to have a method of addressing the above-identified needs in a simple and portable fashion. There is need for a method that does not interfere with their customary golfing routines on or around the putting green, and otherwise on the golf course. Currently, the inventor is not aware of any invention, device or product that fully addresses these needs in a user-friendly way. The typical golfer currently uses a standard golf towel for this purpose. However, a standard golf towel has no water repellant properties and will quickly become saturated with moisture in rainy conditions. The inventions disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,508,721, 6,419,592, and 5,575,721 do not protect golf club grips from moisture when the clubs are not being used, nor do they offer the convenience of quickly cleaning and drying the grips of golf clubs that have been unsheathed therefrom. The invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,999 does not protect golf club grips from accumulating moisture. The invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,390 does not allow for the convenience of quickly cleaning or drying the grips of a golf club that has been unsheathed therefrom. The inventions disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,463,971 and 5,769,141, as well as other inventions related thereto, do not provide protection for golf club grips. Thus, current practice and available products provide an extremely poor solution to a ubiquitous problem among golfers. As a result, there is a demonstrated need for a product that will adequately protect a golf club grip from moisture, protect the golfer's hand and glove from moisture, allows the golfer to dry accumulated moisture from club or hand, and is easily portable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a pouch-like cover that is generally rectangular, with its length sufficient to accommodate the length of a standard golf club grip and a width sufficient to accommodate at least one golf club grip. The cover is reversible, with one surface being constructed of an absorbent fabric and the reverse surface being constructed of a water-proof or water-resistant fabric. The cover includes rounded corners to facilitate easy reversal. Preferably, the cover also includes a pass-through or a detachable and moveable attachment system that allows the cover to be attached to and removed from a golf bag or golf car in either orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the cover in its forward orientation with the water-proof or water-resistant fabric facing outward, and illustrates the orientation of golf club grips inside the cover.

FIG. 2 shows the cover in its reverse orientation with the absorbent fabric facing outward, and clipped to a golf bag in the fashion of a standard golf towel.

FIG. 3 shows the use of the cover to protect the golfer's gloved hand and golf club grip during damp playing conditions.

FIG. 4 shows a side release buckle system which is a preferred system for attaching the cover to a golf bag or cart.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a reversible, multi-function pouch-like cover that can appear in normal usage to be similar to an ordinary golf towel. The invention solves separate and distinct needs of a golfer. It provides: (1) a water-proof or water-resistant cover for golf club grips and/or the golfer's glove hand while awaiting play (such as on the tee or before making an approach shot); (2) a water-proof or water-resistant cover for golf club grips and/or the golfer's glove hand as he walks to his ball; (3) a water-proof or water-resistant cover for golf club grips while the golfer is away from his golf cart or golf bag and hitting an approach shot to the green or putting on the green; (4) a means of cleaning and drying golf club grips and golf gloves that have been subjected to wet conditions during play; and (5) a user-friendly mode of operation that does not alter the customary routine of the golfer while he is hitting approach shots, chipping or putting.

The cover is constructed of at least two separate fabrics. The first fabric is preferably a water resistant fabric. As used herein, “water resistant fabric” includes both water-proof fabrics as well as those that are designed to repel moisture for a given period of time. They may include water-proof material such as polyester, nylon or GORE-TEX®. The second fabric is an absorbent fabric, preferably a highly water-absorbent fabric such as a “microfiber” manufactured by DuPont®. Suitable absorbent fabrics should have high absorption properties, such as standard “microfiber” materials, as measured by change in reflectance from color depth when wet, or in weight increase from absorbed water (at least three times its weight in water), and be at least as absorbent as required under ASTM D 4772-97. But the absorbent fabric can also be constructed of standard cotton “terrycloth” fabrics associated with standard golf towels. An example of such an absorbent fabric is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,564.

FIG. 1 shows the cover 16 completely enveloping the grips of three golf clubs 18. As depicted in FIG. 1, the two fabrics are sewn or otherwise bonded in a pouch-like shape that forms the cover 16. The cover 16 is constructed in such a fashion that allows for its complete inversion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the “closed” comers of the cover 16 are rounded, as is depicted in FIG. 1, to allow easier inversion of the cover 16 while a golfer is in the field of play.

Although the cover 16 can be of various sizes and dimensions, the preferred embodiment (which approximates the size of a standard golf towel) has a length 10 of approximately 18″ and a width 12 of approximately 8″. To allow for easier placement and removal of golf clubs 18 from the cover 16, preferably only a portion of one of the two 18″ seams is sealed (the preferred length of the seal is 10″), thereby creating a flap 14 in the cover 16 to facilitate golf club 18 insertion and removal.

The cover's 16 forward orientation is shown in FIG. 1. In the cover's 16 forward orientation, the water resistant fabric faces outward and the absorbent fabric faces inwards. The cover's 16 forward orientation is used whenever the golfer is transporting his golf clubs 18 either while riding in a golf cart, carrying golf clubs 18 in his bag, or carrying golf clubs 18 to the playing surface. The forward orientation protects the golf club grips from precipitation and moisture, even when the cover 16 is set down in wet grass. After the golf club 18 has been used and its grip is wet as a result, the forward orientation of the cover 16, with the absorbent fabric on the interior, may be utilized to dry the grip when the golf club 18 is placed back inside the cover 16.

FIG. 2 depicts the cover's 16 reverse orientation. In the reverse orientation, the absorbent fabric faces outwards and the water-proof or water-resistant fabric faces inwards. The cover's 16 reverse orientation may be used whenever the golfer desires to dry a golf club grip that has become wet from precipitation, perspiration or otherwise. The reverse orientation, with the absorbent fabric facing outward, allows the golfer to use the cover 16 similar to a standard golf towel, including to wipe off any collected moisture or other substance from the golf club grip and glove.

FIG. 2 also depicts a manner in which the cover 16 may be attached to a standard golf bag 22. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an attachment system 20 is connected to a corner of the cover 16 and allows the cover 16 to hang from the bag 22, similar to an ordinary golf towel.

FIG. 3 depicts the cover 16 in its forward orientation protecting the golfer's glove 26 from wet playing conditions. The cover 16 provides this protection by allowing the glove 26 to be positioned inside the cover's 16 flap 24. This insures the golfer's glove 26 and golf club grip will be dry while awaiting play.

FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the attachment system 20 that allows for the cover 16 to be attached to a golf bag 22 or cart. The attachment system depicted in FIG. 4 is a standard side release buckle system (such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,629), with a male member 32 and female member 34 which are mutually detachable. The side release buckle system can be easily attached and detached with one hand, thereby allowing for easy removal of the cover 16 from the golf bag 22 or cart. The male 32 and female members 34 can each be hooked to the cover 16, golf bag 22, or cart via clips 30 that are attached to the opposite end of each buckle member 32, 34 by a strap. So that the cover 16 may be clipped to the bag or cart in either orientation.

In another embodiment of the invention, the attachment system 20 is comprised of a standard carabiner. The carabiner clips onto loops fastened to the corner of the cover 16 and to the golf bag 22 or cart.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover 16 contains an opening at one of its “closed” comers of sufficient size to allow the attachment system 20 to pass through the cover 16. By allowing the attachment system 20 to pass through the cover 16, the single attachment system 20 can be utilized in both the forward and reverse orientations of the cover 16.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A reversible cover and cleaner combination for golf club grips, comprising a generally rectangular pouch open along one width, with two juxtaposed surfaces combined in such a manner to allow each surface to individually serve as the exterior surface of said cover and cleaner combination depending on the orientation of said cover and cleaner combination; one said surface being constructed of a water resistant fabric; the other said surface being constructed of an absorbent fabric; said pouch being large enough to envelop at least one standard golf club grip.

2. A fully reversible cover and cleaner combination for golf club grips, comprising a generally rectangular pouch open along one width, with two juxtaposed surfaces combined in such a manner to allow each surface to individually serve as the exterior surface of said cover and cleaner combination depending on the orientation of said cover and cleaner combination; one said surface being constructed of a water resistant fabric; the other said surface being constructed of an absorbent fabric; said pouch being large enough to envelop at least one standard golf club grip.

3. The cover and cleaner combination of claim 1 or 2, wherein the closed comers of said cover and cleaner combination are rounded.

4. The cover and cleaner combination of claim 1 or 2, wherein the width of said cover and cleaner combination is between approximately four and ten inches.

5. The cover and cleaner combination of claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of said cover and cleaner combination is between approximately ten and twenty-four inches.

6. The cover and cleaner combination of claim 1 or 2, wherein the seam along one of the two lengths of said cover and cleaner combination is sealed halfway along the length.

7. The cover and cleaner combination of claim 1 or 2, further comprising an opening at one corner of said cover and cleaner combination that is large enough for an attachment system to completely pass through said exterior surface when reversing the orientation of said cover and cleaner combination.